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Monday, April 15, 2019
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Speed in space
After offseason of change, Michigan football shows off no-huddle, option-heavy offense under Josh Gattis’ tutelage in Spring Game to the excitement of fans.
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Men of Color Symposium creates space for dialogue
“Find Your Flow” theme encourages building community, relationships ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton share stories on stage during “An Evening with the Cliintons,” held at the Fox Theatre in Detroit Friday evening.
Clintons visit Detroit to discuss voter engagement, current politics
Fox Theater hosts former president, former Secretary of State as part of national tour LIAT WEINSTEIN Daily Staff Reporter
In front of an audience of more than 5,000 at Fox Theater in Detroit Friday evening, former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke to a crowd about the state of American democracy, growing resentment
toward present-day political figures and life as retired public servants. The talk, which was moderated by actor Ben Stiller, was part of a nationwide tour titled “An Evening With the Clintons” that aimed to give attendees an inside look into the workings of the American government. The Clintons also gave voters advice on how to proceed in
CAMPUS LIFE
Art exhibit showcases stories of survivors SAPAC show features creative expressions on sexualized violence effects LIVVY HINTZ For The Daily
The Survivor Empowerment and Ally Support program of the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center held their 14th annual art show, “rEVOLUTION: Making Art for Change,” on Sunday in Rackham’s East Conference Room. The show featured themes of gender, sexism, sexualized violence, empowerment, healing and growth. It also exhibited numerous art mediums, including photography, paintings, mixedmedia installations, written word, sculpture and video. Submission of art in the show were open to University of Michigan students, faculty and staff. Engineering senior Camille Gilbert and LSA senior Danielle Hunter are the co-coordinators of SEAS and in charge of coordinating the main events run by the program. Gilbert said the purpose of the event was to creatively demonstrate survivors of sexual assault.
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today’s political climate, which they said was increasingly polarized.. During the 75-minute show, Bill Clinton urged voters to advocate for their beliefs ethically without criticizing or berating the other side. He noted how the tense political situation today is a result of this kind of “us against them” mentality. “If you spend all of your time
just dumping on people because they’re the object of your resentment, it won’t make you happy, it won’t empower you, it won’t change somebody else’s life for the better,” Bill Clinton said.
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MELANIE TAYLOR Daily Staff Reporter
Over 100 residents of Grand Rapids, Detroit and Washtenaw County gathered at the new Trotter Multicultural Center Saturday for the third annual Men of Color Symposium. This year’s theme was “Finding Your Flow.” The symposium’s co-coordinator, Andrew Ward, an interim program manager for Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs, said the idea for the symposium grew from another MESA program, My Brothers Empowerment, a monthly lunch series for men of color. Ward said the participants decided three years ago that they wanted a more expansive outlet for their work. “The Men of Color Symposium was created just to create space for people to come together and build community and have an opportunity
to foster relationships and grow and create space where conversations could happen to essentially support one another,” Ward said. There are participants from across the campus and across the state who come together for a day to recognize their position in higher education. Ward said because he has only held his position at MESA for a few months, the symposium has been his biggest undertaking so far. “This is a concept that was created to invite other community members, other interest groups who are looking foraspacetoconnectwithotherpeople of color to talk about different diversity issues and initiatives that affect being a person of color on campus, especially here at U of M being a predominantly white institution,” Ward said.
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Natural History Museum celebrates Sanders to grand opening in new campus location build on his GOVERNMENT
Biological Sciences Building now hosts exhibits among research laboratories DANIELLE PASEKOFF Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History reopened on Sunday at its new location in the Biological Sciences Building. This marks the second of three phases of officially reopening the museum, with the third to occur in fall 2019. Plans to build the new Biological Sciences Building began in 2011, and the University decided to move the museum into the new building. The museum was housed in the Ruthven Museums Building starting in 1928 and officially closed its doors at the end of 2017. The University’s Board of Regents approved the $261 million construction of the Biological Sciences Building in 2014. The building houses the museum in addition to research laboratories, department offices, classrooms and study spaces. Lori Ann Dick, manager of marketing and communications for the museum, cited modern research needs as one of the reasons the museum was moved from its previous location at the Ruthven Building. About half of the specimens are from the old museum, while the other half are new. Another purpose of moving the museum to the new
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Biological Sciences Building, Dick said, was to show the work of University scientists and researchers to the public. “(The University) decided to also include the museum so that we could be the public face of the research that goes on at U of M,” Dick said. “The museum winds its way through the labs … and the museum’s on three floors, so visitors do get the opportunity to look into labs and see actual scientists work.” LSA senior Jianella Macalino began working as a student docent at the Museum of Natural History her sophomore year when it was still located at the Ruthven Building. Macalino said she appreciates the new perspective the museum
offered her, in terms of both the exhibits and the visitors. “I am one of the lucky ones who worked in Ruthven and then transitioned over to here, so I experienced every step of the move from over there to over here … and seeing how differently we can interact with the same specimens from that building to this building and different ways we can teach people and learn and interact with the public has been super interesting to me,” Macalino said. The museum employed a wristband distribution system to accommodate over 3,000 guests who visited the museum for its grand opening. Although exhibits and attractions like the planetarium and student showcase opened Sunday,
three more major exhibits will be opening in November in the third phase of the museum’s relocation. In addition to the exhibits and labs, guests can also dine at Darwin’s Cafe or purchase gifts from the museum store. LSA sophomore Leanne Olona is also a student docent at the museum. Olona described the positive ambiance of the museum and of her fellow employees, which she said enriches the guests’ experience. “I genuinely think this is a really good student job, the staff here is really supportive,” Olona said.
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MI victory from 2016
1000 people gathered for presidential hopeful’s rally hosted in Warren LEAH GRAHAM & ALEX HARRING Daily News Editor & Daily Staff Reporter
Presidential hopeful Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vermont, returned to the campaign trail in Michigan on Saturday, pitching himself as an alternative to President Donald Trump in 2020. Sanders spoke to more than a thousand people at a rally at Macomb Community College in Warren, criticizing the Trump administration while calling for universal healthcare and economic policy to confront stagnating wages and declining mobility. His campaign stop in Michigan was part of a tour of Midwestern states that voted for Trump in 2016, including Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Sanders said he intended to build on his victory in Michigan’s Democratic primary in 2016, when he defeated former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the surprise of pollsters and pundits.
MAX KUANG/Daily
The University of Michigan Museum of Natural History reopened at its new location in the Biological Sciences Building Sunday morning.
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Pete Buttigieg formally announces candidacy to run for president in 2020
Mayor of South Bend, IN already raised nearly $7 million in campaign donations Buttigieg announced his as a symbol for the Buttigieg said instead of trying to return campaign and the triumphs to the way things were he campaign would be built upon Daily Staff Reporter the pillars of freedom, security of his mayorship. Studebaker and democracy. shut its doors in 1963, leaving a “Security means cyber SOUTH BEND, IN — Mayor devastated economy in its wake. security,” Buttegieg said. “It Pete Buttigieg officially Now, the former factory is being means election security. It announced his candidacy for rebuilt as a hub for regional tech means keeping us safe in the president of the United States and business startups. face of violent white nationalism Buttigieg was born and raised Sunday afternoon in South rearing its ugly head. Let’s pick Bend, Indiana. Crowds began in South Bend. He is Harvardour heads up to face what might to gather as early as 8 a.m. for educated, a Rhodes scholar and be the greatest security of our the 2:30 p.m. announcement, an Afghanistan War veteran. time — climate change and with thousands of supporters After completing his tour climate destruction.” packing into the town’s former overseas, he decided to return Buttigieg argued as a home to South Bend. Studebaker automaker factory. millennial he is the only If elected, Buttigieg would As mayor, Buttigieg has candidate who will be alive to not only be the first openly gay prided himself on his efforts to see the impacts of global climate president but also the country’s revitalize the town’s economy. change. He issued a challenge to youngest president at 37 years He recognized South Bend Republican politicians. old. would never have another “If you don’t like our plans The factory building where Studebaker and worked to seek Sudoku Syndication http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ on climate, fine, show us yours,” the event took place stood out other forms of revenue. He decided to look to the future. “There is no such thing Buttigieg said. Public Policy senior CJ Meyer as an honest politics that revolves around the word traveled from Ann Arbor to see the event. ‘again’,” Buttigieg said. “The Democratic field is all A number of other mayors came out to support Buttigieg within the same ballpark when EASY at the event, including Nan it comes to policy,” Mayer wrote Whaley of Dayton, Ohio, in an email interview. “What and Christopher Cabaldon distinguishes Mayor Pete is his of West Sacramento, messaging and his language. California, who each He has a unique ability to frame delivered opening remarks. policy challenges, such as In their eyes, a small-town climate change and healthcare, mayor is exactly who the and American values, such as country needs in the Oval freedom and religion, in a way that no Democrat has in decades. Office. Steve Adler, the mayor Between his framing abilities of Austin, Texas, also came and his impressive experience, out in support Buttigieg, a he represents for both urgency notable move in a primary and action, and he’s a new type that will included two of candidate.” Buttigieg has gained Texas-based politicians. Adler refered to him as “a momentum over the past months, already accruing nearly Mayor’s Mayor.” “Wouldn’t it be great if we $7 million dollars in campaign had a president who knows donations but said there is that freedom is sacred and still work ahead in a crowded sometimes ‘freedom to,’ like Democratic field. “The horror show in freedom to be who you are and to love who you want Washington is mesmerizing, © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. ROSES puzzle by sudokusyndication.com is as important as freedom it’s all consuming, but starting from someone you fear?” today we’re gonna change the channel,” Buttigieg said. Adler said. SOPHIE SHERRY
Wouldn’t it be great if we had a president who knows that freedom is sacred
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Michigan in Color
Monday, April 15, 2019 — 3A
“Train Like an Alpha” brings together community and talent for annual dance and step competition tryouts for girls who want to try their hand at some of the fraternity’s dances and step routines for their hand at the grand prize. Each routine had a specific theme or reference, and their uniqueness showed in each of their choreographed dances. The Gray Team started the night off with an “Indiana Jones”esque adventure theme, decked out in gray tank tops, green cargo pants, and black utility belts –– their energy was definitely felt by the audience. The girls were Photo courtesy of authors on a mission to find the “golden whistle” before it fell into the wrong hands. With a routine full Michigan League. Flashing lights, Old Town of clean moves and gymnastics LORNA BROWN Road and whistles echoed the feats, the night was off to a good & EFE OSAGIE MiC Editors theatre, and the energy of the start. However, the following two crowd matched that of the four The Gray, White, Black, and teams of girls who danced to the teams still held their ground Gold teams competed against coordinated routines of current pretty well. The White team had a each other on the night of April members of the fraternity, Alphi sporty workout theme with all of the dancers clad in workout bras 10th for the second annual Phi Alpha. For their annual event, Alpha and joggers. Their clever routine “Train Like an Alpha” event in the Mendelssohn Theatre in the Phi Alpha holds campus-wide started with a nod to the Everest
Creatives of Color holds annual showcase of Black art DIERRA BARLOW MiC Editor
On Friday night, among the smooth rhythms of 90s R&B, the vibrant LED lights reflecting from the stage and the nostalgic smell of soul food, Black creatives packed the basement of the new William Monroe Trotter Multicultural for the 2nd annual Creatives of Color Showcase. Creatives of Color, an organization started last year by LSA senior Drew Metcalfe through OptiMize’s Social Innovation Challenge, connects Black creatives across the University of Michigan’s campus. It provides a space for Black artists to connect and produce art specific to their experiences and their culture. The showcase featured artists from a variety of artistic mediums, who created projects or presentations after being randomly put into groups. Among these creatives were rappers, dancers, poets, filmmakers, actors, musicians, singers, visual artists and more. During each act or presentation, audience members clapped, laughed and embraced their fellow creatives, displaying the joy in Black ingenuity and finally having a space to revel in it. This year’s showcase proved to
be extra-special because it was the inaugural event, after the ribboncutting, for the new Trotter Center. President Drew Metcalf talked about the importance of the showcase being the new Trotter’s kick-off event. “We’re the first big event in here and that’s groundbreaking, it feels special. Definitely a lot better than our previous locations, we have official staging now,” Metcalf said. “I’m just excited about the progress we’ve made. We got to have events here all day. We were painting upstairs and we got to curate the art gallery. Having access to that kind of stuff in such in a new building, as a new org, feels really encouraging and positive.” The showcase’s placement in the new Trotter center reflects the goal Metcalf set out to accomplish a year ago: to create an imaginative environment for Black artists to share their work and gather in the name of originality and ingenuity. The center lends itself to collaboration and acts as a unified space for Black creatives to explore their artistry. Committee Head of Performative Art, Kandis Terry, spoke about her decision to join the Executive Board of Creatives of Color.
“A lot of times I’m usually the only person of color, the only Black person, let alone Black woman in the spaces that I’m in and when (Drew) said he had this idea for collaboration for all artists on campus, it was a chance for me to help other people get comfortable in their art,” Terry said. “Art doesn’t have to be something that’s so serious, it should be a form of expression and mental wellness. People who are so good at it are good at it because it’s something that they have to do. It’s an impulse…. This space is very open, it doesn’t feel limited, there’s no cap on it. There’s space for everyone to be a creative person of color.” Treasurer Clarence Womack also talked about the significance of creating opportunities for Black creatives on campus and why he joined the trailblazing organization. “I joined Creatives of Color to support my friends and their decisions to support people in the Black community. There weren’t a lot of opportunities for artist of color to collaborate (or) understand other people’s talent,” Womack said.
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college commercial that was familiar to the Michigan natives who grew up seeing it on their TV. Next was the Black Team. Dressed in black unitards with black and gold accent pieces, they channeled the energy of the character Katana from the video game Mortal Kombat in an action packed fight theme routine. The routine stayed true to the theme of the game and their steps were sharply executed. All the teams kept their routines lighthearted and fun by adding in voiceover moments where they’d stop and narrate on the action. They also involved the brothers of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity as characters in their skits between the dance moves. In between the performances, the energy was also kept high by the light hearted MCs who made playful jabs at the competition and themselves. Audience members also got a chance to be involved in the fun through trivia
contests, lottery drawings, and a riveting competition to see who could hold the fraternity’s famous hand sign the longest without falling. Last but certainly not least was the gold team. Their performance ended the night with a highenergy performance that used vibrant colors and the benefit of stage lighting to execute their routine. With a nightclub theme, they certainly brought energy that the audience could feel and the confidence of the performers with every stomp and clap that lined their performance. In the end, the judges seemed to really admire the gold team’s ingenuity because the won the competition. Each member received a gold medal and took a picture with the giant trophy that was awarded to them as a result of their performance. With every team member on stage as well as the fraternity members who helped to choreograph each
routine, everyone joined in to dance to the organization’s go-to stroll song, “Knuck if You Buck.” Even though the gold team won, it’s safe to say that all of the dancers still had fun. According to School of Information sophomore Leila Akan, a dancer on the Black Team, the best part of the competition was getting to know and work with everyone on her team. “Our practices were a lot of long late nights, but in the end everyone pulled off a great show and I’m extremely proud of them.” The “Train Like an Alpha” Event was definitely a night to remember as it succeeded in making an evening of excitement and energy to a Wednesday night for Black students. Current students and alumni alike, for a night of dancing, laughing and merriment. Even though this was the event’s second time happening, it’s easy to see that it will continue for years to come.
Let’s save TV show “One Day at a Time” ELIZABETH HO MiC Blogger
On March 14, Netflix announced it was cancelling its original series One Day at a Time. The streaming giant’s decision came after several appeals by the cast, other Latinx celebrities (including Hamilton creator LinManuel Miranda) and viewers to save the show. On the surface, One Day At A Time is like any other family sitcom, with a close nuclear family and a wild cast of friends, but it distinguishes itself by centering around a Cuban-American veteran and her multi-generational family. Replete with cultural references, the Cuban, Latinx, and recent immigrant identities permeate beyond the odd joke here or there: they drive the show. Rita Moreno – who is best known as Maria from West Side Story – plays the staunchly Cuban grandmother Lydia, who fled Cuba as a teenager in the 60s. Her desire to follow tradition brings her into conflict with her American-born grandchildren Alex (played by Marcel Ruiz) and Elena (played by Isabella Gomez), as well as her newly-divorced daughter Penelope (played by Justina Machado). The show plunges headfirst
into the Alvarez family’s inherent Cubanness, using white supporting characters to introduce less wellknown concepts. Instead of the Alvarezs having to ditch their heritage to conform to mainstream American culture, their friends Dr. Berkowitz (Stephen Tobolowsky) and Schneider (Todd Grinnell) learn what it means to be Cuban and become part of the family. One Day At A Time presents more than racial diversity: the show endeavors to cover a wide range of issues from sexual harassment to the flaws in Veteran Affairs to recreational drug use. More than simply touching on them, the series gives plenty of time to each topic and handles them sensitively. No matter how dire the situation may seem, the Alvarez’s always find some kind of way to solve the problem or otherwise have a happy ending. It’s a staple of the feel-good sitcom genre, but given how serious these issues are, it is incredibly well done and never seeks to minimize the impact they can have on individuals. You don’t have to be Cuban or even Latinx to find the show relatable. Many of us in the broader immigrants of color community can find themselves in the Alvarez’s. In one episode, Lydia warns her grandchildren
that walking on the floor barefoot can cause them to catch colds. This reminded me of my Chinese grandmother scolding me for sleeping with my hair wet because cold air would rush into my follicles and give me a cold. (Obviously, neither of these bad habits are desirable, but I’m still skeptical of anything any grandma tells me that a doctor won’t.) There are already so few shows starring people of color that losing One Day At A Time comes at a major cost. UCLA’s annual Hollywood Diversity Report found that there was fewer than one lead of color for every two white leads in scripted digital series alone. Not getting to see positive and deeply explored depictions of people like us informs us that our experiences are unimportant and not valued – which is far from the truth. Netflix may have cancelled One Day At A Time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the series is gone for good. As showrunner Gloria Calderón Kellett continues to fight for, the show can continue if picked up by another network. You can support One Day At A Time by watching the three seasons on Netflix and by tweeting with the hashtag #SaveODAAT.
Queen’dom HARSHITHA BALAJI MiC Creative Contributor
As a child, I never worried about making mistakes. If my knees were scraped when playing outside, they healed, so I stood on the highest playground structure trying to look past the horizon. Growing up, I continued having this dauntless quality, always questioning how I could change the color of the sky or how I could solve a derivative in an unconventional way. For this reason, the liberating medium of acrylic paints became my favorite style of art. The 4 foot tall canvas allows a full range of motion as well as the ability to use brushes, knives, paper, and even my fingers to capture emotion when the paint is wet. And when the paint dries, I can keep adding layers. With this medium, I can be a child again, exploring and imagining ideas as crazy as I can make them. This trait of dauntlessness has helped me accomplish goals and is still teaching me lessons of what it means to succeed. As a woman, a woman of color, and a woman of color with immigrant parents, it takes more effort to achieve the same as others. I have heard countless stories of the challenges that women of color face, and how they overcome them. In my painting, I chose to encompass facial features of different women. But, the
sparkling eyes and determined eyebrows of these women tell stories and challenge stereotypes. A few things I wanted to touch on in my painting are femininity, sports, clothing, career, and the reason why women of color are queens. The flowers represent my own femininity and the challenges women have to face in a patriarchal society. If we speak up or act a certain way, we are criticized. We are not taught to fight and triumph. But, for me, being feminine means being able to fall down and still get up. Being a woman of color means to fight for what’s right. The pattern of a soccer ball represents sports. I have seen so many female athletes criticized for being too muscular, or not feminine enough. Even though Serena Williams has won 23 grand slams, the reality of the news and modern world is that there will always be people criticizing her. It dawned on me that I would face challenges like she does, constantly having to prove myself in the face of stereotypes against women in sports. Being a student at the University of Michigan has given me the opportunity to interact with so many other women of color. For all my peers who wear a hijab, it represents dignity, modesty, and faith, and they reserve the right to choose
to wear one or not. Personally, I want the choice to be able to wear a bindi and be accepted in this community, because my choice is my choice, and it’s my responsibility to educate myself about the choices of others. The blue collar and white collar at the bottom of the painting represent women of color in various careers. I chose engineering without knowing what I really wanted to do. Like every other brown kid, if you are good at math or science, this is the field for you. No, I’m just kidding. Anyways, when I tell people I study engineering, I get awe and wonder, but sometimes, there is doubt in them, and even in myself. How would I survive or gain respect in such a competitive and male dominated industry? Today, I’m still an engineer because I want to change the mindset of people that a woman of color with the goal of being a CEO or wiring NASA’s rocket ship, is unstoppable. Finally, women of color are queens. We are fighting for what we deserve, and speaking up in spaces like this one. We shouldn’t need another world war to prove that women are capable in the workplace, or that they can thrive in sport. We need compassion, strength, and love, to shape the world into not a kingdom, but a Queen’dom.
Illustration courtesy of author
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4A — Monday, April 15, 2019
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MILES STEPHENSON | COLUMN
W
henever I ask people at the University of Michigan what kind of music they like, I usually hear, “I listen to a wide variety of music. I like all genres except country.” After hearing this account dozens of times, I began to wonder if there was some intrinsic flaw in country music or if this was indicative of a demographic who believe it’s trendy to dislike country. After all, most people who condemn an entire genre lack a formal education in music. Any musician will tell you that every genre from jangle pop to bluegrass has the potential for great musicality and meaning. Born and raised in the city of New York, I didn’t properly encounter country and its subgenres until high school, where I began to personalize my music taste more intently. I discovered the charm, beauty and romanticism that the genre has to offer and began to follow artists like Chris Stapleton, later encountering Eric Church, Luke Combs, Keith Urban, Jason Isbell, Tyler Childers, Jake Owen and Toby Keith. Zac Brown Band’s “Chicken Fried” introduced pop country to new demographics while Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” featuring Billy Ray Cyrus has recently become a widespread cultural meme. Attend any party on campus this month, even those populated with lifelong urbanites, and you will hear “Old Town Road” played at least once, perhaps ironically or perhaps sincerely. For years now, rap has replaced rock as the predominant popular genre in America. However, rappers like Lil Nas X and even Post Malone are bridging the gap between mainstream popular music and country, and for the first time in my life, it’s becoming trendy for urban demographics on the West and East Coasts to enjoy country music. But what’s holding country back from becoming the mainstream genre? I asked students across campus about their thoughts on country and why it’s perceived the way it is by the urban elite that this university attracts. One sophomore said the following: “In terms of a bad rep, I think that in 2019, with social media especially ... people see country music as the anti-rap
On country music music, and rap music is perceived as cool. What they are in my mind is cultural representations, and so I understand how that can be hated but as someone from Nashville, it’s my cultural music and music I really enjoy.” Another sophomore said, “It’s associated with ‘rednecks’ who have a negative stigma … and conservatives, who are also perceived negatively in many parts of the country,” while a third interviewee stated anti-country rhetoric is tied to the South’s negative reputation with racism. Toby Keith’s “The Taliban Song,” though melodic and narratively romantic, reminds us of the cultural offensiveness that people attribute to the genre with lyrics like, “I’m just a middle-aged Middle-Eastern camel-herdin’ man … I’ve got a little two bedroom cave here in north Afghanistan.” Like all genres, some country can make people uncomfortable and push societal norms. One freshman student interviewed argued this song is an example of cultural appropriation and that Keith inappropriately adopted the story of an Afghan citizen to weaponize their story for jingoistic propaganda. Though I agree that Keith could have represented Afghan people with more nuance and respect, and that the song’s account of American intervention in the Middle East strays from reality, I find fault with the thesis that telling a story about a different culture automatically equates cultural appropriation. This kind of thinking can lead to another form of tribal bigotry: the belief that art should be ethnically or nationalistically coded, and that an artist can’t tell a story about a character from a different way of life. While “The Taliban Song” raises questions about country’s past, Kane Brown’s hit “Good As You” brings to country a sensibility unique to a white, Black and Cherokee multiracial identity. Midland’s “Drinkin’ Problem (Brindemos)” features Mexican artist Jay De La Cueva’s entirely Spanish verses. Of course, we should be focused on the musicality of an artist, not their race or nationality, but in a culture where identity is on everyone’s
minds, these artists and their musical contributions help lend a new modern face to country. Like rap and hip-hop, the country genre also integrates masculine aggression into music. This is one of the reasons rap is so attractive to young, upwardly mobile males. Many people often wonder why Sperry-wearing high schoolers from Connecticut flock to rap concerts in the hundreds. While debates rage on about toxic masculinity, condemning signs of aggression in men, rap songs like Jay Rock’s “WIN” feature lines like “Get out the way … f––k everything else … Win, win, win, win.” This triumphant and rebellious ethos captures the minds of young men and helps them direct their own aggression into musical energy and passion. Country can do the same. In Chris Stapleton’s “Outlaw State of Mind,” his lines “there’s people all across the land from New York out to old San Fran / just don’t give a damn all the time / in an outlaw state of mind,” embody the same rugged individualism intertwined with male rap, and offers a subway-commuting, nineto-five professional the catharsis of the cowboy romanticism that lies at the heart of so many Western stories. So is the dislike for country music valid criticism or mainstream cultural elitism? Like any good debate, I think this is where nuance plays a role. Some dislike country because of its connection to past racism, others dislike it because it’s trendy to like Lil Wayne instead, and somewhere in the middle are everyday Americans trying to identify with real and enjoyable stories that artists tell through their music. Perhaps country’s journey along the spectrum of popularity speaks to a greater attentiveness that Americans have for their neighbors who might have been raised a little differently in a far off part of the country. They might not have a lot of pickup trucks or front yard beer bashes in my native New York City, but that doesn’t mean I can’t sing along with a friend who finds a piece of home in a song on the radio. Miles Stephenson can be reached at mvsteph@umich.edu.
EMILY CONSIDINE | CONTACT CARTOONIST AT EMCONSID@UMICH.EDU
Conversation K.O.
A sad, sad end
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alking south of at change. I am a flexible person campus with my who loves being spontaneous, not sweet shades on having a plan and figuring things out with limited time. and headphones I lived in a cooperative in blocking out the house for the past two darties nearby, and a half years where I strut down the the people and culture street in a fantastic have transformed mood, leaving my every semester. winter blues behind However, knowing me. Welcome to there is a date springtime in approaching when my Ann Arbor, which day-to-day life will be essentially means ELLERY inevitably different summer, where ROSENZWEIG makes this transition people wear basically no clothes even in 60-degree time even scarier and emotional. When I entered college, I weather, spend all their time outside and avoid all of their was always confused about why school work. I was feeling quite everyone called it the best years dramatic and nostalgic listening of their life because I was pretty to my graduation-themed miserable, even after I transferred Spotify playlist, “sad sad end of to the University of Michigan an eraaaaa” when I approached in search of a better experience. my beloved cooperative house. I The transition was more difficult stopped on the sidewalk looking at than I had predicted but gave me my home for a moment and smiled the shift in my college experience knowing for the first time that I I was looking for. With time and putting myself outside my comfort was ready to leave her. After a few months of zone, I was satisfied with my new panicking about post-graduation community of friends, activities plans and being immersed in so and classes. Even if I didn’t feel many enjoyable last events with like I was evolving and changing, my close friends, I have come to a every class, new friendship and new place of confidence, security experience helped me to grow and and acceptance about graduating. create the person I see myself as With only a few weeks left, I have today. Though I know my next been reflecting on my time here and comparing my current self to transition will look and feel the version who first enrolled in different from my transition college. Looking back, I was a real from one university to another, “know it all,” thinking nothing this experience has prepared would change about myself in me to take on new challenges. college. I really thought I wasn’t Hopefully, with some time and learning anything new from my distance from being a student this classes and even wrote a column summer, I can enter post-college about how I wanted to graduate life in search of a plan or job that early so I could just begin a will lead me into the “real world.” master’s program in something But I think this time, I’m aware of I actually wanted to study. how hard this transition is going Re-reading this, even though it felt to be and the time it takes to deal so real to me at the moment, I find with new situations, trying new it funny how I didn’t think I could things that are uncomfortable and learn, evolve or grow more from building a new community. At the end of last month, I the rest of my time in undergrad. Now, I find myself with no watched the finale of my allpost-graduation plans probably time favorite show on television, due to procrastinating job and “Broad City,” which showed two program applications out of the best friends who had to move fear of making a decision too away from each other due to quickly that could change my life. I new opportunities. It could have wouldn’t say I am particularly bad not been timelier because I have
quickly realized the saddest part of graduating will be losing my everyday community of my soulmates, besties, friends and casual acquaintances that are a short walk away. My social life and community I spent the last years building will look different after graduation, and it was already impacted last May when several of my close friends graduated. I came to this morbid conclusion that in college, your friends leave you and eventually you will leave as well. Though it is so upsetting to think this way, it is important to realize this period of life is very temporary. We may have the technology to stay in contact but things will never be the same as they are right now. Throughout my time at the University, all of the relationships I gained have already impacted who I am, the decisions I made in my time here and those I’ll make in the future. I know it sounds sappy, but I truly feel grateful to my friends for showing me how to be confident in my skills and to love and take care of myself during stressful times in college. They introduced me to the different communities I joined here on campus like my cooperative house, which gave me an instant community with likeminded individuals who became my family, and The Michigan Daily, where I realized I could be a writer. Being a columnist and a former editor in the Opinion section allowed me to reflect on my experiences and gave me a platform to write about things I cared about. So now, reaching the end, every time I hear someone say the number of days we have left in this semester it makes me quite nauseous, and most of the time my reflex is to yell “shut up!” But even with all of these feelings, I’m still looking forward to my future experiences wherever I end up. Even if they may not be as exciting as the last four years, it’s important to remember that undergrad is only temporary. Ellery Rosenzweig can be reached at erosenz@umich.edu.
MARISA WRIGHT | COLUMN
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Feminism is not a sorority
few nights ago I was eating dinner with a group of colleagues, and like most conversations these days, we ended up talking about politics. Specifically, someone at the table began a long rant, filled with sexist tropes and ignorant conclusions, about people who free bleed — bleed without using menstrual products like a pad, tampon or menstrual cup — during their period. In her chastisement, she said, “Radical feminists like those people ruin it for the rest of us.” What a profoundly ignorant and misguided statement. While there were many issues with what this person said, including misogynistic notions about female bodies and reproductive processes, the idea that radical feminists were somehow a hindrance to other feminists was deeply uninformed and quite frankly, ridiculous. Yet, I was not surprised. During the mid-2010s, especially in the wake of the 2016 election, there has been a resurgence of feminism, sometimes referred to as “fourth wave feminism.” While feminism requires new feminists to join the cause in order to persist and thrive over time, it is imperative that new feminists familiarize themselves with feminist history and principles. However, in this new resurgence, many new and young feminists are perpetuating and popularizing a very shallow brand of feminism. In We Were Feminists Once, Andi Zeisler, founder of Bitch Media, discusses the implications of marketplace feminism: where feminism is adopted by brands, which are often guilty of anti-feminist practices, to sell products as part of some sort of feminist lifestyle. In this way, 21st century feminism has been, according to Zeisler, “co-opted, watered down, and turned into a gyratory media trend…[with] a media landscape brimming with the language of empowerment,
but offering little in the way of transformational change.” I have to agree. In fact, the idea of empowerment itself is foolish and ill-advised because it is based on the false idea that women are not leaning-in and seizing opportunities or power. When companies or policies claim to empower women, they fail to recognize the fact it is not actually women who aren’t asking for raises or saying no to inappropriate sexual advances, but systems of power that intentionally prevent women, particularly women with other marginalized identities, from gaining financial, political or social power in order to uphold patriarchal institutions. Especially on International Women’s Day or during the Women’s March, my social media feeds will be flooded with images of young women wearing pussy hats or something with a seemingly-feminist slogan or posts about girl power, women supporting women and so-called “sheroes.” Yet, it is the same people that post a selfie in a “Girls just want to have fundamental rights” T-shirt once a year whose claim to feminism is hollow and unproductive. Of course, there have been feminist activists and academics doing hard and comprehensive work for years. I do not include them in groups that practice Frivolous Feminism, nor do I mean to be condescending towards young people new to feminism. I certainly was not as socially or politically aware when I first claimed the feminist identity as I am now with women’s studies as one of my majors. And that’s OK. Becoming socially and politically aware is a learning process, one where we will make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. But we cannot learn from our mistakes if we don’t know when we’ve made them or understand their implications. This is where the importance of criticism comes in. Critical thinking is at the root of feminism, precisely
because feminism was, in part, borne out of critiques of patriarchal systems, like those that did not allow women to vote. When the aforementioned person decried radical feminists, it was clear she lacked knowledge about feminism and its history. It is also clear she has not read feminist text or engaged with feminist theory on any serious level, if at all. But she is not alone. Among many newlyidentifying feminists, there is often tone policing going on in order to make feminism more acceptable to other people (i.e. men). In trying to make it more agreeable, tone-policers are stripping feminism of its power to challenge and dismantle the systems of power and oppression that hurt and constrain women every day. Radical feminists, particularly radical Black and lesbian feminists such as Audre Lorde or the writers of “The Combahee River Collective Statement,” have consistently been leading the feminist cause through progressive activism and contributing to fundamental feminist theory. This is not about gatekeeping feminism by telling anyone they can or cannot identify as a feminist. It is about pointing out the problem with using feminism, especially when it is pseudo-feminism, as a tool to undermine and exclude other people. A feminist awakening calls on us to examine the ways in which we benefit from and continue to uphold a white supremacist capitalist heteropatriarchy. Further, feminism requires work, including a personal divestment from systems of oppression. In the words of Black feminist Lutze B., “Feminism is not a sorority or Mary Kay like endeavor. It is a sociopolitical ideology. Become a student of it. Read.” Marisa Wright can be reached at marisadw@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Monday, April 15, 2019 — 5A
LITERATURE COLUMN
Why we love watching people die, according to ‘GoT’ LAURA DZUBAY
Daily Literature Columnist
Tonight is the highly anticipated premiere of “Game of Thrones” Season 8, which has been a great topic of conversation over the last few days (weeks, months). From a storytelling standpoint, “Game of Thrones” has become a stand-in example for a number of categories, perhaps the most common among them being brutal TV shows with merciless rates of character death. “Game of Thrones” is unforgiving, and that’s something those of us who watch the show seem to love about it. All these recent conversations about season 8 have carried a similar trend of excitement that verges on betting: Who will live? Who will die? It’s gotten me thinking about why this is something we care about so much in fiction, and how many different forms death can take and roles it can fulfill in a fictional setting. Is character death a fun plot twist, or the exciting climax of an action-filled scene? Is it a beautiful send off to a beloved character? Is it grueling and horrifying? Is it cheap, or is it dark and serious, something meant to truly affect us on a deep emotional level and propel us to think about our lives? The through-the-roof total of different deaths so far in “Game of Thrones” makes it the perfect case study for exploring these questions because really, death isn’t one of these things; it’s all, or any, of them. So, in the spirit of the season, here is a list of the wonderful possibilities of death in fiction, and why, in spite of their awfulness, they appeal so deeply to audiences and draw us back in again and again. *Major Spoilers Ahead* Plot Device: This is by and large the biggest reason, and the one we probably care about the least. Did anyone really shed a tear when Robert Baratheon got attacked by that boar, or when Jojen Reed was killed by a wight in season 4? I only even remember those because I looked up
a list of “Game of Thrones” deaths before writing this. But they moved the plot forward, which was nice. If Robert hadn’t died, we never would have gotten to see his awful son Joffrey as king, and then where would we have been? Advancing Another Character’s Development: We all remember Khal Drogo, but from the beginning, he was clearly only there as one rung in Daenerys Targaryen’s long ladder to world domination. His death was an example of one less important character being offed in order to aid in the development of a much more significant character, by moving her along to the next stage of her journey. “Game of Thrones” has a lot of examples of this — Shae is another one. Her’s is an interesting case compared to Drogo, in that their likeability progressed in opposite directions leading up to their deaths. Drogo started out as a complete villain, assaulting Daenerys in the first episode, but leading up to his death, the show took care to show the two of them bonding so that his eventual death felt like more of a personal sacrifice or milestone for Daenerys. Shae, on the other hand, was very sympathetic and likeable during her early relationship with Tyrion Lannister. The decision later to have her betray Tyrion later on feels like a primer to make her death more favorable and digestible, in addition to a spur motivating Tyrion to move on.
Keeping the Energy Up: This might sound callous, but on the other hand, there’s a reason the Red Wedding is still one of the most talked-about events of the show, coming up on five seasons later. A big part of watching the show is exactly that: We like the excitement of tuning into an episode and not having any idea what to expect, knowing that anything could happen. We Like Getting Our Hearts Broken: Why else would Ygritte have to go like that? There’s no other explanation. Genuine Emotional Consequences: Death is really heavy. There’s no way around it, and it can’t always be a box to check off or a wild, out-of-nowhere thrill. One of the first genuinely memorable deaths was that of Ned Stark: It wasn’t the first death in the show, but it established the overarching precedent of “Game of Thrones” that no one is safe. It remains one of the show’s most powerful moments, and there was no fanfare, no extra or unnecessary drama. It was cold and surprising and relatively quiet. At its core, this is where the emotional investment of the show comes from: We see characters go through very real suffering and loss, like the rest of the Stark family, and we want to know that they’ll make it out of it at the end. Of course, on the other hand, we also want to see the tables turn. Sometimes Deaths Are Just Satisfying: Joffrey Baratheon being poisoned at his wedding! Ramsay Bolton being eaten alive by his own dogs! Arya Stark killing Walder Frey, and later Littlefinger! It’s almost hard to remember a time when one character killing another by pouring hot gold over their head would have felt completely out of nowhere, but Viserys’s demise in season 1 was only the first in a long line of characters who just plain needed to die. Sometimes that’s what we need out of fiction — when we sign on for all of its darkness and gruesome horror, we’re going in with the hope that eventually that darkness will work in our favor.
Is character death a fun plot twist, or the exciting climax of an action-filled scene? Is it a beautiful send-off to a beloved character?
MUSIC: PSEUDONYM WEEK
STYLE NOTEBOOK
Pseudonym Week: A look Looking unique to basic: at Mayhem & black metal The rise and fall of trends MIKE WATKINS Daily Music Editor
JIM WILSON
Daily Arts Writer
A stage name is special. Oftentimes, it’s a unique representation of a creative identity that an artist feels his or her given name does not properly personify. While some pseudonyms are randomly generated nonsense (i.e. Childish Gambino), an analysis of many stage names can inform the art associated with them, helping us consumers further personalize the creations we consume. With this idea in mind, we’ve decided to take a dive into the world of fake names, exploring where they come from and what, if anything, they’re supposed to represent. — Mike Watkins, Daily Music Editor When people hear the term “stage name,” they typically think of pop superstars like Elton John, Drake or someone of similar acclaim. These figures chose their stage names so they could
make themselves more recognizable, while also being simple enough for anyone to remember. However, in the black metal world, specifically in the infamous Norwegian scene in the 1980s, stage names serve an entirely different purpose. In Norwegian black metal, stage names are chosen to advance a band’s aesthetic and sound. How could someone be in a band with a name like Darkthrone and be named Leif Nagell? They couldn’t be. To combat this issue, the members of these bands started to adopt stage names, some more overthe-top than others. None, however, could beat Dead of the band Mayhem, not even his fellow bandmates, with names like Euronymous and Necrobutcher. Sure, “Dead” isn’t the most creative name, but it fits the atmosphere and attitude of Mayhem so well. Dead’s story is complex and troubling, after all: He was allegedly announced to be dead for several minutes as a young boy, but his story is also easily researched. However,
what needs to be explained is exactly why his name fit Mayhem’s music so well. Dead was the Mayhem’s frontman and lyricist. He wrote the lyrics for bone-crushing tracks like “Buried by Time and Dust” and “Freezing Moon,” in which Dead utters the scene-defining lines, “Everything here is so cold / Everything here is so dark.” Dead’s signature tortured, inhuman growl was also the defining voice in the entire Norwegian scene. No one else could replicate Dead’s sound, his lyrics, nor his stage presence. In fact, for many fans, Dead was black metal. His every move, from his on-stage self-harm to his use of “corpse paint,” was deployed by other bands. He wasn’t trying to be cool or pure. He was doing exactly what he felt he needed to do. Dead truly believed in Norway’s scene, and his suicide changed its course forever. Without him, there is no black metal, which is why Dead is the most important pseudonym in the genre. — Jim Wilson, Daily Arts Writer
SOPHIA HUGHES Daily Arts Writer
If I had been told five years ago that Nike Air Force 1s would ever become too basic to purchase, I would have laughed in your face. How could oversized, clunky shoes that strayed a bit too much from the status quo ever become the new normal? I could not have been more wrong. In the past half decade, and especially in the past year, Nike Air Forces (as well as their cousins, Adidas Superstars) have taken college campuses and the wallets of Generation Z by storm. Their utterly basic st yle is truly unlike any other shoe and yet that is its g reatest appeal. The shoes fit absolutely anyone, regardless of gender identit y or atheltic status — their versatilit y is unmatched. How did people begin to see them this way as opposed to weird shoes that the hipsters wore at school? The answer lies in the effect of mob mentalit y. In the ’80s, Nike Air Force 1s achieved fame due to their widespread popularit y among basketball players. Nike was the provider for basketball players both professional and amateur, and to promote their new shoe, they called upon the power of six stars of the time: basketball players Moses Malone, Michael Cooper, Jamaal Wilkes, Bobby Jones, Mychal Thompson and Calvin Natt. This marketing
campaig n was so iconic that it was emulated on the shoe’s 25th anniversary in 2007 — with the more contemporary stars LeBron James, Steve Nash, Paul Pierce, Rasheed Wallace, Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant, among others. However, just as trends come and go, this one faded out in the next decade as new sneakers came out that could replace the old. History in the fashion world has demonstrated this theme to us on countless occasions: Trends rise and fall. Though trends disappear, many of them make a return later on. Oftentimes, trends return about a decade later, causing people to forget the demog raphic g roup of which they originated from. At the onset of their return, Air Force 1s were worn by people who wanted to stand out. This was largely due to the industry that reintroduced them — not basketball this time around, but rap music. Industry g reats like Jay-Z and Fat Joe donned the shoe, and their rejection of what was “popular” at the time seeped down to their young fans. Diverging from the traditional sneaker of choice was a risky move that would instigate comments of shock and primarily judgement. Breaking the status quo was a risky move in high school unless one truly embodied the “I don’t give a fuck” persona. It wasn’t until this headspace became something that people strove to embody, rather than a unique qualit y,
that this aesthetic became basic — and, therefore, so did Air Force 1s. The funny thing is that the people that brought Nike Air Force 1 sneakers back are no longer wearing them today. The areas where Nike Air Force 1s found their popularit y — basketball and hip hop — are industries associated with and dominated by the Black communit y. This “trend” of Air Force 1s isn’t a trend at all, but rather another element of youth culture, alongside things like popular slang terms or musical methods, started by and stolen from the Black communit y. The trend started among Black artists and industry leaders, as adopted by Black teens and eventually was appropriated by white inf luencers and teens until the trend expanded and became accepted by a g reater percentage of the young population until they became a staple. Air Force 1s aren’t the only trend in on this theme. Oversized hoodies. Sneakers worn as formal wear. Scrunchies. The list goes on and on. They have always been around — it’s just that white people weren’t into them until recently. Therefore, it is fair to make the case that the majorit y of recent trends are not new in actualit y. They are merely revamps of clothing from another decade that has notably become of interest to a new demog raphic. Perhaps we should start giving credit where credit is truly due.
History in the fashion world has demonstrated this theme to us on countless occasions: Trends rise and fall.
SEASON OF MIST
Arts
6A — Monday, April 15, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV NOTEBOOK
FILM REVIEW
ACM Awards didn’t stun ‘Hummingbird’ is a mess MAXWELL SCHWARZ Daily Arts Writer
I remember country music most vividly as the twangy acoustic stream trickling from the speakers of my Papaw’s truck. A good ol’ boy from Jellico, Tennessee, Papaw let the warmth of fiddles and guitars ramble quietly in the truck cab. Of course, he was doing donuts in the street with his grandchildren in the back, but the music was soft and simple. Needless to say, the days of my Papaw’s country music are long gone. This truth was evident at last Sunday’s 54th Annual Association of Country Music Awards, hosted by the “Queen of Country,” Reba McEntire. McEntire was not terribly funny — as Kacey Musgraves’s perpetually cringing face confirmed — but her quip about women being frozen out of the Entertainer of the Year category is worthy of a smirk. The show got moving quickly. The night’s biggest winners were duo Dan + Shay who won Song of the Year for “Tequila,” as well as Single of the Year and Duo of the Year. Other notable wins for the night included the brilliant Ashley McBryde winning New Female Artist of the Year, Musgraves’s welldeserved win of both Female Artist of the Year and Album of the Year for Golden Hour, and Dierks Bentley’s win of Music Event of the Year for the Burning Man Tour. As an awards ceremony that is sparse of categories, the show was dominated by some incredible performances. The extraordinary violinist, Amanda Shires, dazzled on the fiddle during Luke Comb’s performance of “Beautiful Crazy.” Likewise, the phenomenal alt-country
darling, Brandi Carlile, stole the show during Bentley’s performance of “Travellin’ Light.” Other notable performances included Miranda Lambert’s powerhouse medley, “This Is Us” star Chrissy Metz’s performance of “I’m Standing With You” from her new film “Breakthrough,” as well as a heartwarming display in “Girl
54th Annual ACM Awards CBS
Goin’ Nowhere” by McBryde. For all the striking performances and welldeserved winners, there were a number of duds. The ceremony opened with “Can’t Hide Red,” performed by Florida Georgia Line and Jason Aldean, which could have simply f lown under the radar, only if it was not also a shameless plug for Old Camp Whiskey, “the official whiskey of country music.” One can only hope that Old Camp doesn’t leave as bitter of a taste as the performance did. The rapid f luctuation in tone throughout the night also contributed to the lackluster feeling. Like Luke Bryant’s “Knocking Boots” immediately following Miranda Lambert’s empowering performance
of a medley of her greatest hits. Somehow Keith Urban won Entertainer of the Year, beating out compelling artists like Chris Stapleton. Equally confusing, Jason Aldean won the Dick Clark Artist of the Decade award. While he certainly has talent, few would consider Aldean more impressive than the innumerable female country artists who were ignored by the Academy. While the ACM awards were entertaining to a point, the entire ceremony was tainted by the noticeable lack of female representation. Musgraves was not given a chance to perform and Shires was not announced when she played during Comb’s “Beautiful Crazy.” The entire show felt incredibly on edge, attempting to balance the discomfort with the increasing inability to ignore it. The fact that McEntire was willing to overtly call attention to it only proves how pressing the issue is. In fact, women were present on stage for awards only twice outside of female-oriented categories. The ACM awards did have some outstanding performances. The bad ones certainly did not blemish the stunning talent that did manage to get time on stage. What became increasingly apparent is the Academy of Country Music’s very uncertain footing as it — and country music as a genre — struggle between tradition and the efforts of country’s more dynamic artists to break free of the Nashville sound. Evidently, that sound is not country music. Luckily, the outspoken frustration of female artists and increasing inf luence of roots-based artists at the ceremony demonstrated that there is clearly some light over yonder.
be fascinating if it were even the slightest bit believable, but the truth is that Nguyen is a filmmaker, not an investment banking connoisseur, and it shows. His tendency to brush over and dart around the actual mechanics of his idea are detrimental to the film even to the most casual
ANISH TAMHANEY Daily Arts Writer
Some real-life stories are, simply put, too banal to be told on the screen. But in the utterly perplexing case of “The Hummingbird Project,” writerdirector Kim Nguyen (“War Witch”) delivers a completely fictional story that is more banal than reality itself. Everything about this mess of a nanofinancial engineering thriller begs the words “Based on real events” to appear on the screen at some point to justify its existence. (They don’t.) Not only is the film’s premise ludicrous in the way that many nonfiction film adaptations are, but the idea is so uncinematic and dry that I’m kind of impressed the movie was made in the first place. “The Hummingbird Project” follows the story of two Wall Street schemers who hatch a ridiculous plan to shake up the entire system in the wake of the financial crisis. Vincent, a conniving hustler played by a typically neurotic Jesse Eisenberg (“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”), teams up with his balding and blundering cousin, Anton (Alexander Skarsgård, “The Aftermath”) to make millions through a fiber-optic cable that connects from Kansas to New York City, allowing the pair to make financial trades a millisecond before other buyers. This dense premise would
The Hummingbird Project State Theatre The Orchard Productions
observer. You don’t need to be a financial wizard to know that the 1000-mile line might not work, but you do need to be one to write a working screenplay about it. At one point, Anton attempts to explain the cable to a talkative waitress and instead of a concrete answer, he instead becomes fixated on — and, trust me, I couldn’t believe this either — lemon farmers in Zimbabwe. Several of these unintentionally hilarious moments, times when the film’s zany momentum careened it off the tracks, at least kept me cracking up, if nothing else. Another of one of these I absolutely have to mention is a sweat-drenched Eisenberg wielding a chainsaw as he marches up a forest trail muttering
to himself “I’m gonna fucking tear you down” with the intensity of a child whose birthday candles were blown out by someone else. In essence, the film is too dull to be emotional and too shaky in its logic to be intellectual. The result is a genre-hopping compilation of half-baked scenes that don’t even sort of work. Sometimes, the movie aims for straight horror, with Salma Hayek’s (“The Hitman’s Bodyguard”) villain, Eva Torres, threatening the protagonists progress in wannabe Walter White fashion. At other times, the film plays out as a biopic of a nonexistent person, throwing equally nonexistent personal maladies at Vincent and Anton to thwart their efforts. “Hummingbird” even dabbles in sloppy social commentary a scene in which Amish farmers refuse to let the cousins dig their pipeline through “God’s land.” Eisenberg’s performance is in every way an unbroken continuation of all of his performances thus far, as the brainy, detached genius who is too invested in his work to feel emotions. It’s almost as if Nguyen watched the actor’s excellent portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network” and thought, “Hey, that guy could go to Wall Street!” Zuckerberg and Vincent are truly the same characters, and that makes the film entertaining even as it falls apart at the seams.
You don’t need to be a financial wizard to know that the 1000-mile line might not work, but you do need to be one to write a working screenplay about it.
COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
Sunday eve at the UMMA NATALIE KASTNER For The Daily
Last Sunday evening at the University of Michigan Museum of Art, I was transported to another world. Runyonland Productions, headed by School of Music, Theatre & Dance senior musical theater major Thomas Laub, put on a production of Adam Guettel’s “Myths and Hymns.” The show itself is a song cycle focusing on various Greek myths like the Pegasus, Icarus and Hero and Leander. In addition to the show, the production showcased three men of Islamic, Judaic and Christian faith who spoke on their various experiences. The show as a whole focused on togetherness and the importance of breaking bread together. Once the show started, the audience was thrown into the world of fickle gods and insane beauty. The UMMA’s exquisite Apse, filled with grand columns and art from the emergence of Romanticism, furthered my suspension of disbelief. The performers also had the voices of gods themselves. Their marvelous voices echoed through the museum. During solo numbers, the sound was tragically beautiful. The casting of each solo number was brilliantly done. Each singer embodied the, at most times, tragic myth with simplicity and elegance that was only matched by the accompaniment of a lone piano, effortlessly played by SMTD professor Jason Dabord, who also music directed.
Both sounds echoed up to the heavens and filled the space incredibly well considering no microphones were used. However, during the group numbers with a full band, it was difficult to make out the meaning and lyrics of the songs due to the unusual acoustics of the museum and competing sounds. “Myths and Hymns” was directed by SMTD faculty member Geoff Packard. In his director’s note, he stated that the message of the production was “of religious tolerance and understanding” through the lense of Guettel’s “lush” music and the “glorious halls of the University of Michigan Museum of Art.” Choreography by SMTD junior Mason Reeves was expertly curated to fill the unorthodox performing space. Although the format of the show was a song cycle, the dancing seemed to further fill out the production. At times, the movement doubled as a substitute for the nonexistent set. Adam Guettel is known for the complexity of his music both for instrumentalists and singers, neither of whom seemed to be struggling with the material. The piece ends with SMTD senior Matthew Edward Kemp exclaiming that he is the “fall of Pegasus, the fall of Icarus.” He is all of these myths — all things godly and mortal. The end image was of the ensemble holding hands in solidarity. Throughout the production, there would be momentary breaks from the music to listen to the men representing various religions.
At first, it was unclear as to their purpose in the production. Bassel Salka, a senior studying Industrial and Operations Engineering as well as a member of the Muslim Student Association Board, was the first to speak. He spoke on his experience as a Muslim man at the University. He was initially afraid due to the extensive hate speech about Muslims in his first years here, but more recently he remembered a time when students created a wall around him as a literal protective barrier, making him feel safe in the United States for one of the first times. The second was rabbi Josh Whinston. In his speech, he urged listeners to treat each other well. We may never know why we were put on this earth, but all we can do for now is know how we’ve treated those around us. The last speaker was Episcopal minister and University alum Ian Reed Twiss. He spoke on how important it is to be “comfort food” for others. Even as it seems the world is descending into chaos, we must remember to eat and to feed each other. It is how we show love. It is the simplest form of showing another person that they matter. By the end of the production, I truly felt like I had been elevated by the art and wisdom surrounding our sometimes too independent and goal-driven world. Even the least religious of us could agree that the spiritual impact of this show was inspiring. Maybe we need each other much more than we realize.
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Release Date: Monday, April 15, 2019
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Cuts off 5 Member of a strict Jewish sect 10 Artistic Chinese dynasty 14 Ohio’s Great Lake 15 Justice Kagan 16 Egg-shaped 17 Ancient mariner’s fear 19 Flexible mineral sheet 20 Persuade with flattery 21 Fossil resins 23 “Beowulf,” poem-wise 24 Rubs the wrong way? 25 Chain reaction requirement 29 Stagecoach puller 30 Allied gp. since 1948 31 Dangerous snakes 35 Antipollution org. 36 Hit, as a fly 40 Alphabetically first of two Hawaiian maunas 41 Like some coll. courses 43 Gp. getting many returns in April 44 Regular’s bar order, with “the” 46 Nation that promotes its people’s economic and social prosperity 50 Malicious rumors 53 “Do __ others ... ” 54 Judge, e.g. 55 Like faces at a fireworks display 59 “Dream on!” 60 Meditation goal hinted at by this puzzle’s circles 62 Wander 63 Close-knit group 64 Fairway club 65 Didn’t dillydally 66 Act with excessive passion 67 The Big Apple, in addresses
DOWN 1 Make-do amount? 2 Two-tone cookie 3 Chanteuse Edith 4 Six-line stanzas 5 Brave 6 Llama relative 7 Ooze 8 Quaint stopover 9 Sortable information source 10 Kenya’s major port 11 Like Wrigley Field’s walls 12 Mother-of-pearl 13 Water or wine vessel 18 Catches sight of 22 Dash in a spice rack? 24 Amo, amas, __ 25 “Moonstruck” star 26 Weapon in Clue 27 Baghdad’s land 28 Gobs of 32 Arctic seabird 33 __ moss 34 Markdown event
37 Whole-grain food 38 Pound sounds 39 Quarrel 42 Towered over 45 Preserve using barrels, as wine 47 Bard’s “before” 48 Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s “Watcher” __ Giles 49 Main course
50 Burns a bit 51 Legendary fabulist 52 Easily deceived 55 “Go back” PC command 56 __ a one: none 57 Supply-anddemand subj. 58 Reject as false 61 “The Deer Hunter” war zone, for short
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04/15/19
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | April 15, 2019
Alec Cohen & Alexandria Pompei Design by Jack Silberman
SPEED IN SPACE
INSIDE SPORTSMONDAY FEEL FREE TO OVERREACT TO THE SPRING GAME See Page 2B
SportsMonday
2B — April 15, 2019
M
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday Column: Time to overreact ichigan football is back. Well, sort of.
On Saturday, the Wolverines held their Spring Game at Michigan Stadium, which MIKE turned out PERSAK to be more of a practice with some scrimmage situations mixed in. It was everyone’s last chance to see Michigan and all its offensive changes before the summer begins. So, more accurately, Michigan football was back for one day before going back into darkness where you can’t find it. Like Batman! All jokes aside, it is very easy to watch Saturday’s action and immediately overreact, because it is the only glimpse of next season’s team that you will get until next season is here. And by that point, it’s far too late to change expectations. Many people would say it’s smart to resist the urge to fire off the hottest takes imaginable, but I am not one of them. Now that we all got a taste of football, the next four-anda-half months without it are going to be hard, and there is no better way to pass that time than by envisioning, in maniacal detail, all the success your favorite team is going to have. The fact that there is no real evidence to support your claims of supremacy means that there is also no evidence
to prove you wrong! Shea Patterson sure looked good on Saturday, didn’t he? The senior quarterback was slinging the ball all over the field. It didn’t seem to matter that some of his top receivers were out with injuries, because Patterson seized control and showed just how good he can be. Patterson’s quotes after the game sounded confident, too. He pretty much completely dispelled any concerns that offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ new offense will be accompanied by a troublesome learning curve, and he even said this year is going to be fun. Fun is a good thing! The rest of the offense was all roses, too. Senior running back Tru Wilson is back and gritty as ever. At this time last year, the offensive line was perhaps the biggest question mark on the team, but now it just might be the surest unit the Wolverines have. As for Gattis, he has changed the offensive philosophy. The tempo is up, with huddles a thing of the past. There are even cue cards on the sideline. We had cards for our offense my junior year of high school football, and we went 1-8. It wasn’t the signs’ fault. We just weren’t good. These signs are better, as is the talent on the field. So, realistically, you should already be picking out which
(Don) Brown once hit me in the chest during ... availability.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Offensive coordinator Josh Gattis’ “Speed in Space” philosophy was showcased publicly for the first time in Michigan’s Spring Game on Saturday afternoon.
member of Michigan’s offense will win the Heisman and telling everyone you know. Boom, there’s one side of the ball out of the way. Now look to the defense. I know my colleague Max Marcovitch wrote a column asking if the defense is going to be good literally yesterday, but I taught that kid everything he knows, so ignore him. A lot of the Wolverines’ defensive talent from last year will be drafted later this month. That is a tough task to overcome. But Michigan does still have defen-
It isn’t as if all of last season’s talent is gone, either.
sive coordinator Don Brown. Brown once hit me in the chest during a media availability. I gave him permission first, but it was also crippling and sent the fear of God into my soul. From that moment on, I vowed not to bet against Brown. Also, the Wolverines have overcome roster turnover before. In fact, they did it two years ago, becoming the No. 1 defense in the country. It isn’t as if all of last season’s talent is gone, either. Seniors Josh Metellus, Lavert Hill and Khaleke Hudson are returning to anchor the defense.
So what I’m saying is that you should be getting in the comments section for 2020 mock drafts and asking why they are disrespecting Michigan. Of course, there is the possibility that you were disappointed in the Spring Game for some reason. In that case, you can just argue with everyone who was enthused by it. I don’t say any of this for myself. I realize, and you probably do too, that the Wolverines will have to prove they belong on the field this fall.
I taught that kid everything he knows, so ignore him.
Expectations don’t really matter. I say all of this for you, the fan, because the last paragraph may be true, but it is also your responsibility to ignore it. So go and put yourself out there. Social media is too quiet and calm anyways. The worst thing that can happen is that you look dumb online, but we all already look dumb online. Checkmate, buddy. Besides, football won’t be back until August. The least we can do is make the internet a little bit more like the gridiron. Persak can be reached at mdpers@umich.edu or on Twitter @MikeDPersak.
Are we sure this defense will be fine? Amid intrigue about a new-look offense, there remain questions about a defense forced to replace top-tier talent
T
here’s a ref lexive tendency in Michigan football spheres to defer to Don Brown. It’s understandable, even justified. In each of his three seasons at Michigan, Brown has guided a top-20 defense nationMAX ally. His defenses MARCOVITCH have given up less than 2,000 passing yards per year each season; the last group to do that was the 2001-2003 Miami Hurricanes (Yes, those Miami teams). So when all else f luctuates — offensive struggles, widespread coaching change, roster turnover — Don Brown remains, more than any other entity, the linchpin of the program. He annually coagulates whatever group of parts he has into a healthy sum. It’s why Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh called him the “king of defensive coordinators” last year. And for many, it will be reason enough to sing kumbaya and expect a seamless defensive transition this year amid what, under any other circumstance, would be worthy of concern. But while Brown’s presence may add a comfortable layer of trustworthiness, he does not make the defense impervious to questions — of which there are plenty to ask. Not even the king of defensive coordinators can step on the field and replace Devin Bush’s generational sideline-
to-sideline speed, Rashan Gary’s power or Chase Winovich’s tenacity. He cannot mask a woefully thin interior defensive line, nor hide holes at safety and linebacker. The buzz within the team remains rightfully optimistic now, as if there’s reason for an alternative four months before the opening kickoff. “We know that we’re looked down upon as a group out of the old defense to not do as well,” said senior linebacker Josh Uche. “That’s OK because that’s for us to prove to the world wrong.” This is a team that is losing two top-10 NFL Draft picks, two other early-round selections and a multi-year starter and team captain at safety. It’s forced to replace three valuable interior defensive linemen — and currently looking to a 250-pound converted fullback to slot into one of those roles (Yeah, yeah, I know how much you love Ben Mason). This is especially troublesome given Brown’s biggest weakness has been his propensity to be too trusting of his players and scheme — to a fault. Ohio State last year, of course, is the classic example. In 2017, Penn State blitzed the Wolverines’ defense for 42 points. “It’s not the concept,” Brown said on Mar. 27, attempting to diagnose those problems. “What it is sometimes is, ‘My guys are better than their guys’
We know that we’re looked down upon as a group.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown has led a top-20 defense in each of his three seasons at Michigan, but is tasked with replacing NFL talent this year.
and I’m just gonna shove it.’ ” Sure, recognition of this mindset inherently implies a desire to fix it. But this is not a group Brown will be able to take into big games and “shove it.” None of this is meant to imply roster turnover is worrisome in a vacuum. Roster turnover is the norm at Michigan and in college football — and nothing this coaching staff is unfamiliar with. “I feel like stuff like this happens every year. My fresh-
... just next person step up and do what you’ve got to do.
man year, we’re losing all those guys and we only had one returner coming back,” said senior VIPER Khaleke Hudson “I feel like every year it’s going to be something — even next year, I’m going to be gone, so they’re going to be asking the next person the same question. Just do what you do regularly, just next person up step up and do what you’ve got to do.” Many point to the 2016 offseason — the one Hudson is referring to — as being similar,
if not worse. The Wolverines lost 10 starters off a top-five defense in the country, including Chris Wormley, Jabrill Peppers, Taco Charlton, Jourdan Lewis, Delano Hill and other stalwarts. The following year, Gary, Bush, Winovich and other slotted seamlessly into new roles. The question of Michigan’s defense next year might hinge on whether they have a similar reservoir of talent waiting in the wings. For now, amid a swarm of
It’s different guys (on defense), but it’s the same thing.
noise about Josh Gattis and the new-look offense, the defense can find its feet away from the spotlight. “It’s different guys, but the same thing,” said redshirt sophomore quarterback Dylan McCaffery. Perhaps, as has been the norm under Brown at Michigan, that will hold true. Maybe the loss of Bush, Gary, Winovich and others will hurt more than expected. As with any potential spring takeaway 130 days before real snaps, only time will tell. Marcovitch can be reached at maxmarco@umich.edu or on Twitter @Max_Marcovitch.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
April 15, 2019 — 3B
‘M’ shaky in series loss at Ohio State Softball splits series in Columbus ABBY SNYDER
LILY FRIEDMAN
This wasn’t how this weekend was supposed to go. The No. 24 Michigan baseball team came into Columbus confident. They’d won eight of their last ten games, including a two-game sweep of in-state rival Michigan State and a big weekend series win over a tough Minnesota team. According to Michigan coach, the Wolverines went into the series “fired up” to face an unranked, 18-16 Ohio State team and looking to stay hot. What followed was unexpected. Michigan dropped the first two games of the series, 10-5 and then 10-4, with shaky performances from their usually-dominant Nos. 1 and 2 starters, junior left-hander Tommy Henry and junior righthander Karl Kauffman. The Wolverines avoided a sweep in the second game of Saturday’s double header, beating the Buckeyes, 6-2. “It was a disappointing weekend,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “We uncharacteristically didn’t pitch well, we were shaky at times defensively, we didn’t get the clutch hits when we needed to. “A rivalry series is very emotional. It has all the characteristics, all the look and feel of big-time baseball, whether your opponent is ranked or not. This had the environment and emotion of some of our bigger matchups of the season.” Friday’s game stayed deadlocked through the first third of the contest. The Wolverines got on the board first as sophomore outfielder Jesse Franklin crushed the first pitch he saw for a solo home run to right-center, but the Buckeyes followed with runs of their own, scoring one each in the bottom of the first and third innings. Ohio State then broke the game
Katie Alexander hadn’t hit a home run in 14 games. But this weekend in Columbus, she knocked two. And in one game. Following the senior catcher’s lead, the No. 21 Michigan softball team went 2-1 in three games against Ohio State, winning, 10-3 and 6-2, before dropping the weekend’s final game, 2-1. Even with the loss Sunday, which snapped the Wolverines’ 15-game win streak, the two comeback wins marked a shift in power at the plate, a welcome sign for Michigan’s offense, which at times has lacked in run generation. After an RBI single in the third inning that gave the Buckeyes the first run of the weekend, Michigan didn’t regress from the setback like in many earlier games this season. Instead, it thrived on the hardship. In the fourth inning, junior third baseman Madison Uden hit a groundout to Ohio State shortstop Lilli Piper that drove in freshman outfielder Lexie Blair to tie the game. The run began a surge of power for the Wolverines. In the same inning, junior outfielder Haley Hoogenraad hit a triple to right field for an RBI and
Daily Sports Writer
Daily Sports Writer
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Sophomore outfielder Jesse Franklin hit a solo home run on Friday.
open with three-run fourth and fifth innings. The Wolverines couldn’t respond. Though they notched two runs in the seventh on a single from junior outfielder Jordan Brewer, and two more in the ninth on a two-out single from senior third-baseman Blake Nelson, but they could not build enough momentum to seriously contend for the game. The first game Saturday was a similar story. The Buckeyes went on a tear over the first twothirds of the contest, racking up an 8-0 lead by the end of the third inning. Michigan put runs back on the board in the top of the sixth with a threerun double from senior third baseman Jimmy Kerr and tacked on one more in the seventh on a solo home run for sophomore outfielder Jordan Nwogu, but like Friday’s game, the game was never in contention. “We got outplayed the first two games,” Bakich said. “We have guys that have some really good weekends, and then have some really bad weekends. Instead of having the extremes of the highs and the lows, baseball is about consistency.” Saturday’s second game was a bright spot for the Wolverines, though. Sophomore righthander Jeff Criswell gave Michigan what it needed with a dominant 6.2 innings of work over which didn’t allow a single
earned run. The offense finally regained its rhythm Saturday. redshirt senior outfielder Miles Lewis notched two RBI in the game with a grounder to score Nwogu in the sixth and a double to plate Franklin in the seventh. Junior outfielder Dominic Clementi, Franklin, senior second baseman Ako Thomas, and Kerr all also earned RBI on the day. Overall, though it was a disappointing weekend, the Wolverines still have high expectations for the rest of their season, and as their schedule grows a little less demanding over the rest of the season — after Wednesday’s midweek tilt against Bowling Green, Michigan doesn’t have another midweek game until May 8 against Eastern Michigan — they’ll have more time to iron out their issues before the season wraps up. “So far this season, we have not played our best baseball yet,” Bakich said. “We need to just continue to trend upwards, and when we have setbacks like this, to use it as growth, to use it as fuel to better our performance in the future. “If we’re going to be the team that we think we can be, then we’re going to have to play well when it means the most, and a rivalry series is certainly one of those weekends that means the most.”
Alexander slammed her first home run to right field for two RBI. “I was just really seeing the ball really well that night and was confident,” Alexander said. “We felt really good.” After Buckeye catcher Claire Nicholson homered to left field and senior first baseman Alex Sobczak hit a sacrifice flyout for an RBI to increase the score to 5-3, Alexander hit her second blast for a home run. Hoogenraad furthered the power and finished the game with a grand slam to left field. “(Michigan coach Carol Hutchins) always goes by me and says, ‘Try less hard and really trust what you can do’ and I think that’s really a huge thing that helps me,” Hoogenraad said. “I think (today) was just a huge burst of confidence.” The next game continued that assertiveness at the plate. Down 2-0 heading into the second inning, Hoogenraad and Alexander continued to lead the lineup, delivering an RBI single apiece. Aside from a home run by Sobczak in the third inning, other scoring resulted from RBI singles as well, as the Wolverines won 6-2. Even with lackluster starts, Hutchins sees the wins as strong performances for the Wolverines,
with players in both the top and bottom of the lineup producing offensively. “They just connected on pitches on time, and that’s what we’re always striving for,” Hutchins said. “We really needed the sixth through ninth players to pick up their production, and they did an outstanding job.” Hutchins maintained that attitude even in Sunday’s 2-1, eight-inning loss. Up 1-0 off a walk that forced a run, sophomore lefthander Meghan Beaubien allowed a home run in the seventh inning that tied the game, then a walk-off single that won the game for Ohio State. Despite the slip-up in the last two innings, Beaubien’s shut out performance in the first six innings still signified a strong day in Hutchins’ eyes. “Meghan threw 12 shutout innings against a really big hitting team, and they got a piece of her in the seventh inning. … I told her our offense didn’t do its part today. Our pitching did its part,” Hutchins said. “We were behind in both of our victories and we didn’t let it shake us and rattle us and we just fought back. I think our kids can’t complain. To win we had to fight. And I thought we fought really hard.”
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Senior catcher Katie Alexander broke out of her slump this weekend, knocking two home runs in Friday’s game.
Michigan blanks Maryland, 5-0, In loss, Curran nets 100th point claims outright Big Ten Title SHIRA ZISHOLTZ Daily Sports Writer
Champions keep playing until they get it right. The quote may have come from tennis legend Billie Jean King, and the Michigan women’s tennis team has embodied it through and through this season. All the way to an outright Big Ten title. Despite a 4-3 loss to Florida in Gainesville on Thursday, the Wolverines (15-5 overall, 11-0 Big Ten) rallied to come away with two straight shutouts in New Brunswick and College Park to add another piece of hardware to the trophy case. Saturday, Michigan blanked Rutgers (9-9, 1-7), 5-0, with dominant play from doubles pairs No. 1, seniors Kate Fahey and Brienne Minor, and No. 2, junior Giulia Pairone and freshman Anca Craciun, who have acted as doubles-point closers throughout the season. Along with strong doubles play were convincing singles victories from Fahey, Minor and sophomore Alyvia Jones to clinch the win. With the postseason approaching, the Wolverines made some changes to the matchups to assure the absolute best scenario going into the clinching meet. The No. 3 doubles spot has fluctuated all season, usually occupied by Jones and either junior Chiara Lommer or fellow sophomore Bella Lorenzini. Occasionally, a win will come from No. 3, but the pair, whoever it may be, has a losing record this season. However, on Sunday, it all finally clicked. And what better of a time than the last match of the regular season? Jones was paired up with junior Lera Patiuk and played some of their best tennis this season. Mirroring the No. 2 doubles win secured just before their own by Pairone and
Craciun, Jones and Patiuk beat their opposing Maryland (3-16 overall, 1-8 Big Ten) duo, 6-2. “We just work really well as a team,” Jones said of her new doubles partner. “We had really good energy, and we both ended up playing pretty well, so that helps on the court.” Added Pairone: “I think we’re improving so much in doubles. As the season went on, we’ve been playing so much better. And I think we’re really helping each other out like we’re supposed to. So it’s really good to get that first point and it’s helping a lot when we get into singles.” The Wolverines’ performance in singles play was just as impressive. Pairone was the first to score a singles point for Michigan, defeating her opponent, 6-1, 6-0. Fahey and Jones soon followed suit, coming away with victories of 6-2, 6-1 and 6-0, 6-1, respectively. Minor slammed it home, 6-4, 6-1, and gave the Wolverines their final point and their conference title. “It’s a long season of Big Tens, a lot of good teams,” said Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein. “I’m just happy for the girls, especially this weekend — you know, they took care of business. Today we actually played really well. So, I’m just proud of them, happy for them. To go undefeated in this conference isn’t easy, so it definitely feels good.” In contrast to last season,
when they won the Big Ten Tournament as the clear underdog, the Wolverines have shown they are a force to be reckoned with. “We’re just looking for that balance, and that we can count on everybody,” Bernstein said. “So, if we ever get to that, I don’t know that we’ve been that yet this year – you know, all three doubles teams clicking and all six singles players at the same time. If we have that, if we can get to that place, we’re pretty tough to beat. “But I think as far as all of us, if I look down the line, I think everyone is feeling pretty confident, which is where you want to be at the end of the year. I think we’re peaking.” This season wasn’t always pretty and the team has seen its fair share of ups and downs, but with the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments approaching, Michigan, the Big Ten Champions, needs to follow King’s advice: to keep playing until they get it all right. “We’re really playing as a team, and not just as individuals,” Pairone said. “And I think just going into the tournament, we’re feeling really confident, and we know we can do very well. But we also know that we have to keep working and make sure that we’re getting better. Feeling like we’re champions doesn’t stop us from continuing to work hard.”
COURTESY OF MARYLAND ATHLETICS
The Michigan women’s tennis team secured the Big Ten title this weekend.
ZACHARY GOLDSMITH/Daily
Senior midfielder Decker Curran secured his 100th career point on a goal with 8:41 left in the third quarter.
BRENDAN ROOSE Daily Sports Writer
With 8:41 remaining in the third quarter against No. 1 Penn State (10-1 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) on Saturday, Michigan freshman attacker Bryce Clay found senior midfielder Decker Curran wide open on a crosscrease pass. Curran wound up and fired a bullet past Nittany Lions goalkeeper Colby Kneese, cutting the Wolverines’ deficit to three. With the goal, Curran netted his 100th career point, becoming only the fourth player in Michigan history to achieve the feat. “It’s cool,” Curran said. “I actually didn’t know I was there until it came up on the loudspeaker, but it’s obviously a huge accomplishment.” For Michigan (3-8, 0-3), the moment was a bright spot on an afternoon where offense was hard to come by. Penn State would score seven unanswered goals after Curran’s goal en route to a 17-7 throttling of the Wolverines. “(The result) 100 percent (diminishes the accomplishment),” Curran said.
“That’s definitely not a way the boys want to end in the fourth quarter, you know, a ten goal deficit. The accomplishment doesn’t really mean anything if the boys aren’t winning.” Though the season has so far been a disappointment for Michigan — the Wolverines have not yet won a Big Ten game — the strong play of Curran and his fellow seniors can act as a building block for the future of the young program. For the 12 freshmen on the team, Curran’s body of work acts as an example of how extra effort can pay dividends in the future. “(He’s) someone to look up to,” said Michigan coach Kevin Conry. “He puts a lot of time in off the field, a lot of extra shots, so it’s good to see that point production kind of kick in. … Whenever we can, we look for guys who can be a good example to guys like (freshmen) Bryce Clay and Javon Johnson.”
Curran’s effort on Saturday is just another in a long string of impressive performances for the senior leader. His 27 points on the season put him fourth on the team, with his 17 goals and 10 assists placing him fourth and third, respectively. This positive example for the team’s freshmen has already begun to pay off in small ways. Clay buried a goal of his own in the second quarter in addition to his assist on Curran’s goal, and Johnson added a key goal early in the third, while the game was still in contention. “I have a feeling I won’t be up there (as one of Michigan’s leading scorers) for very long,” Curran said. “But it’s pretty cool, seeing that, knowing that all that hard work has definitely paid off a bit.” “Every time you have a senior,” added Conry, “you expect something of his legacy to kind of live on.”
... you expect something of his legacy to kind of live on.
SportsMonday
4B — Monday, April 15, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
New offense, new hope
Led by Shea Patterson, Michigan puts new OC Josh Gattis’ speed in space philosophy on display at spring game THEO MACKIE
Daily Sports Writer
Moments before the start of Michigan’s spring game Saturday afternoon, a plane flew over Michigan Stadium. Behind it flew a sign reading, ‘Hey Jim, this is God. It’s OK to pass on first down. Let’s try it.’ An hour later, when the Wolverines lined up for their first 11-on-11 play of the day, Shea Patterson took the snap, sprinted to his right and pitched to senior running back Tru Wilson. Then came a jet sweep to freshman wide receiver Mike Sainristil before a zone run up the middle. Only on the fourth play from scrimmage did Patterson finally drop back and fire off his first pass of the day — one that went for a 15-yard gain to sophomore wide receiver Ronnie Bell. The pre-game plane carried the optimistic hope for change that has defined Michigan’s offseason since it hired Josh Gattis as its new offensive coordinator on Jan. 10. And while aspects of that hope may be rooted in reality, Saturday’s spring game was a reminder that the Wolverines’ running game isn’t going anywhere. “Gattis came in and did a great job adapting his own mindset and the offense,” said redshirt sophomore right tackle Andrew Stueber. “But he was very specific to say, it’s not his style, it’s our style as a team. So he’s not coming in playing strictly his own style, he’s kinda changing it to the whole team adapting their style. What worked last year will continue to work and what he can bring to the table, he will.” But Saturday was also a reminder that this running game is different. For every remnant of the old — think redshirt freshman running back Julian Garrett getting stuffed on a third-and-goal carry up the middle — there were a handful of signs of the new. Those first two plays of the
game, a read option with Patterson and a jet sweep to one of the Wolverines’ fastest receivers, weren’t non-existent a year ago. But they wouldn’t have been Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s first two plays of any game, scrimmage or otherwise. “We see a lot more long zone, a lot more stretches,” said sophomore defensive lineman Aidan Hutchinson. “It looks like he’s trying to stretch the field out and that’s what I’ve seen when I’ve gone against the offense.” The available personnel certainly lends credence to hopes of a shift toward a pass-first offense. Karan Higdon and his 224 carries are off to the NFL, Chris Evans and O’Maury Samuels are no longer with the program and sophomore Christian Turner and early enrollee Zach Charbonnet have spent the spring injured, going through plays on a layout of a field that Michigan has in its running backs room. But instead, the focus has merely shifted onto Wilson — the only running back who played last year to feature on Saturday — and the inexperienced underclassmen
behind him. “I’m just building confidence,” Wilson said. “Just trying to be a leader more for some of the younger guys in the room and just be able to make plays, play fast. … But I’m really enjoying it, I’m really enjoying the style of play we’re in.” And that — the style of play — is the key. Five months out from kickoff, it doesn’t matter that the personnel isn’t there yet. Charbonnet will inevitably be a major part of the offense and Turner likely will too. For now, what matters is that Michigan’s offense is still going to run the ball. And when it does, it’s going to be a whole lot more exciting than it has in the past. All you need to do to find that out that is ask the one defense who’s faced it: “I’m tired of them going hurry up. It’s annoying,” said redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Donovan Jeter. “… It’s a blessing and a curse cause there’s days when you’re dead tired but it’s gonna be like that on Saturdays. So I’m glad our offense has just changed the way they do everything.”
ETHAN SEARS
Managing Sports Editor
Shea Patterson was buried in the corner when Donovan Jeter’s turn came to answer questions. Michigan’s spring game was still going on, and about 100 yards up the tunnel, Patterson was standing in a room off to the side wearing a tank top and a cap turned backwards, the reins at quarterback turned over to early enrollee Cade McNamara. Jeter looked over at the senior quarterback, or what he could see of him behind a scrum of reporters that reached four deep. “They got Shea,” Jeter said, loud enough to hear over the clamoring. “They ain’t worried about me.” And, well, he wasn’t wrong. A few weeks ago, offensive line coach Ed Warinner called Josh Gattis’ offense, “tailormade” for Patterson — and on the first drive of the spring game, Patterson hit Ronnie Bell on a crossing route, then Mike
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Senior quarterback Shea Patterson returns for his final season at Michigan after a year in which he threw 22 touchdowns.
Sainristil for a touchdown, both balls thrown exactly where they needed to be. Spring games are inherently farcical, even without the added stipulations Michigan football puts onto them. Trying to extrapolate anything from a scrimmage is hard. Trying to extrapolate anything from a handful of drills with some non-tackling scrimmage snaps tacked onto the end is fool’s work. Later though, with the pocket collapsing, Patterson stepped up, saw Oliver Martin alone near the end zone. Another dart. That play got blown dead on an artificial sack, and it was in a setting that shouldn’t matter. But, of course, it does. Last year, Jim Harbaugh’s offense hit a wall. Good. Not good enough — especially when it counted. The Wolverines shredded Wisconsin and Penn State. They fell short at Ohio State and did next to nothing against Florida. Whether or not this offense is where Patterson will thrive is a question that will be answered in November and December. To hear him tell it, there already seems to be a conclusion. “It’s just, it feels natural,” Patterson said. “… I think the game’s slowed down a little bit.” This offense, at least for now, lived up to all the hype built in the form of pent-up frustration. Michigan went fast. Michigan didn’t huddle. Michigan ran shotgun. Michigan ran speed options and RPOs. Michigan seemed to click on all cylinders, doing something completely different than it has in the duration of Harbaugh’s time in
Ann Arbor. So, when Patterson was asked about the truthfulness of Warinner’s description, it really wasn’t all too surprising when he gave a one-word answer. “Yeah.” As Patterson pointed out, Gattis is the sixth offensive coordinator to coach him in the last six years. He ran something similar at Ole Miss, but at this point, he’s used to learning something different every spring. “(Patterson) looked pretty comfortable today,” said senior tight end Sean McKeon. “He’s been licking his chops all spring with this offense. Just getting new stuff right now. He said it was pretty similar to some stuff he did at Ole Miss, so he was already pretty used to most of the stuff we ran.” Gattis’ system makes things simple for everyone else, but the quarterback needs to do a little more compared to last year. There’s more reading the defense — on RPOs, Patterson needs to pick out the option player, often based on alignment, then figure out what he’s doing. He’s required to know the protections, the runs, the running back’s footwork, the receivers’ routes. Harbaugh’s offense was complicated, too, albeit in a completely different way. Everyone had to think about everything, all the time, which meant things could get too slow and too complex. This, at least for now, is different. “It’s night and day,” Patterson said. “… As far as similarities, I think there’s very few. “It’s gonna be fun.”
I think the game’s slowed down a little bit.
During spring ball, injuries lead to new opportunities for freshmen ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Writer
Mike Sainristil got the ball on a crossing route at the 23-yard line, beat his defender and coasted into the end zone. It was the first drive of Michigan’s Spring Game on Saturday, and though there was no real scoring, it wasn’t lost on the crowd that the freshman wide receiver had scored the opening touchdown — well, insofar as there are touchdowns in a no-tackle scrimmage. Sainristil is supposed to still be in high school now, preparing for exams, going to prom and planning graduation escapades. Instead, he early-enrolled and joined the Michigan football team. There, he was thrust into a role bigger than he could have imagined. Under new offensive coordinator Josh Gattis, spring
ball was supposed to feature a heavy dosage of the Wolverines’ three top receivers — junior Donovan Peoples-Jones, redshirt sophomore Tarik Black and junior Nico Collins. But Black is the only one of those that’s been healthy. With the other two out, it gave Sainristil a chance to get reps with the first-team offense — an opportunity he wouldn’t have had otherwise. There, he’s dazzled, earning praise from players and coaches alike as the freshman that’s stood out the most. Though the spring game itself means very little, the experience players like Sainristil have gained has a much greater significance.
“For a lot of people to come out and get their spot, come out there and show everybody on offense … and show everybody what they can do,” said senior defensive tackle Carlo Kemp. “And it’s been a lot of fun seeing how many guys have been able to come and get that play just because it’s been unfortunate with how many people have been hurt.” As for the injured players themselves, they’ve stayed involved in other ways. In between rehab sessions, they feature heavily in meetings with their respective position groups, learning the playbook, keeping the energy up and encouraging camaraderie.
(Jay Harbaugh) preaches mental reps a lot.
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Freshman wide receiver Mike Sainristil has impressed in spring camp with Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones out.
In the running back room, for instance, there’s a full layout of the field where they draw up plays for simulation. Injured veterans can still take part and impart their wisdom on the new crop of players coming up. “(Running backs coach Jay Harbaugh) preaches mental reps a lot,” said senior running back Tru Wilson. “And they’re really, they’ve gotta hold the ball on the sidelines, they gotta see the call from the side, they gotta go through the play like they’re in. So it’s helpful for them because everybody knows the play, everybody’s getting work in on every play.” And when the young players do take the field in place of an injured starter, those veterans have the opportunity to pull them aside and act almost as a second coach, telling them what to work on or what to do when they see certain formations, encouraging them and learning what they’re capable of. Senior defensive tackle
Michael Dwumfour, out with a torn plantar fascia, has especially taken that to heart. He’s aided freshman defensive tackle Mazi Smith on and off the field and helped the entire defensive line learn their roles. “(Dwumfour’s) done it with all of us,” said redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Donovan Jeter. “Mike’s been in every big game. Ohio State, Penn State, Michigan State, Notre Dame, he’s been in all the big games, so if he’s telling you something, he’s telling you something from experience.” Defensive line and wide receiver are two of the positions with the biggest depth concerns. So while the rash of injuries at those two positions are in one way a bad sign for the Wolverines, those injuries have at the same time given reps to players who may not
Mike (Dwumfour’s) been in every big game.
have gotten them otherwise. That helps build up a steady stream of backups waiting in the wings should one of those players go down. Spring camp is a big step up from high school, giving those players valuable development time. “Adapting real fast to spring ball, the practices are longer, everything’s longer,” said redshirt sophomore offensive tackle Andrew Stueber. “So it’s kind of more brutal. And if you get through that, then practices in the fall and the camps, it’s shorter, and you’re kind of used to how the play goes and how the practice goes.” And with Black, PeoplesJones and Dwumfour all expected back for the start of the season, the young players will face tough competition in fall camp. Then, when they get the chance to step into the spotlight — whether in a year or two when their predecessors graduate, or because of an injury — they’ll be ready to shine.
The practices are longer, everything’s longer.