Thursday, June 13, 2019
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
inside
Court-ordered meeting with Schlissel, ‘U’ reps delayed
NEWS
Diversity in medicine Students, faculty see need for more diversity in the University medical school >> SEE PAGE 3
Court of Appeals judge postpones settlement conference until further notice
OPINION
Political celebrities Samantha Sella Fere explores the celebritization of politicians >> SEE PAGE 5
ARTS
Big releases Comebacks for ‘Big Little Lies’ with Season 2 and The Jonas Brothers with “Happiness Begins” >> SEE PAGES 6 & 8
MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Discovery
Cultural and culinary discovery in “Always be my Maybe” and poetry by Nada Eldawy
>> SEE PAGE 9
SPORTS
World Series Baseball advances to Men’s College World Series for first time since 1984
>> SEE PAGE 12
INDEX Vol. CXXVIII, No. 11 © 2019 The Michigan Daily
NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ............................... 4 ARTS...................................... 6 MiC......................................... 9 SPORTS................................ 10
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MILES MACKLIN/Daily
College Dems lawsuit expands collegiate voting opportunities Secretary of State introduces college-age voter initatives CLAIRE HAO & MELANIE TAYLOR Summer News Editors
On June 5, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced several initiatives designed to encourage participation among student and college-age voters, including the strikedown of a current law requiring some firsttime voters to vote in person. The changes come from a settlement meant to resolve a lawsuit brought forth by the University of Michigan’s chapter of College Democrats and other student groups alleging Michigan’s voting regulations unconstitutionally disfranchise younger voters. “Going away to school shouldn’t complicate a student’s ability to vote,” Benson said. “Michigan has made great strides recently in improving access for all voters, and this is just the beginning of our work to ensure college-age voters have the information and
opportunities they need to vote as engaged citizens.” In late August 2018, College Democrats at University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Northern Michigan University and the Michigan Federation of College Democrats, with support from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, filed a lawsuit against then-Secretary of State Ruth Johnson and Bureau of Elections Director Sally Williams. According to the plaintiff’s press release, the lawsuit addresses two Michigan’s voter registration and ID laws, Michigan Public Act 118 and Michigan Compiled Laws 168.509t(2). The former law said the listed residence on a voter’s driver license and voter registration card must match, while the latter requires voters who register by mail or through a third-party voter registration drive to cast their first ballot in-person. The plaintiffs, represented by Perkins Coie LLP and MSU law professor Mark Totten, allege the two laws discourage collegeage individuals from voting by unnecessarily complicating the process and making it more timeconsuming. “(Y)oung voters in Michigan have faced unequal and consequential barriers in
registering to vote and voting for the first time,” the complaint read. “Indeed, in many cases, these laws have resulted in a chilling effect that has kept eligible young voters in Michigan from voting and registering to vote entirely due to widespread confusion about the laws’ requirements and legal effects.” In particular, plaintiffs claim the “First-Time/In-Person” requirement deter first-time student voters who have moved considerable distances to attend college or university, as they would need to return to their home precincts to cast their ballots. After the lawsuit was filed, Michigan residents voted to adopt Proposal 3 during the 2018 midterm election. Among other changes to Michigan’s election laws, Proposal 3 permits voters to cast an absentee ballot without providing a reason. According to Benson’s announcement, she will be overturning Michigan Compiled Laws 168.509t(2) requiring firsttime voters to vote in-person, as allowing for no-reason absentee voting means the requirement is no longer constitutionally enforceable.
Read more at michigandaily.com
ALEX HARRING & CLAIRE HAO
Summer Managing News Editor & Summer News Editor
Sixteen hours before University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel was expected at U.S. District Court in Detroit for a settlement conference as part of the lawsuit Doe v. University of Michigan, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals released an order on Wednesday night postponing the meeting until further notice. The order grants an emergency motion for stay filed by University lawyers early Wednesday morning, which only asks the meeting be delayed. The order gives the Court of Appeals time to review the merits of an emergency petition — filed at the same time as the motion — requesting the meeting be held without Schlissel and off the record. The Court of Appeals noted it may deny the requests of the petition without an answer. In an email to The Daily, University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald wrote that University officials — including Schlissel — were prepared to attend a private settlement conference this Thursday. Fitzgerald also wrote that the University confirmed with court clerks on May 24 the meeting would be private, which he claimed is “a normal expectation for settlement conferences.” However, learning Tuesday morning District Court Judge Arthur Tarnow had ordered the meeting be held in open court instead, University lawyers filed two emergency requests, a step Fitzgerald called “extraordinary.”
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2 NEWS
Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Scientists receive flu research grant $34.3 million will be used to develop more effective vaccines MICHAL RUPRECHT Daily Staff Reporter
A team of international scientists secured a $34.3 million, seven-year grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases for their international research on influenza, commonly known as the flu. The team includes Aubree Gordon, University of Michigan assistant professor of epidemiology, and Paul Thomas, professor at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Gordon said her group’s research could provide more data to create better flu vaccines and lead to new insights into immune system responses. Sudoku “I Syndication was incredibly excited, and it took a little while to sink in,”
Gordon said. “I think vaccines are one of the best tools that we have to improve global health. I think this grant in particular may have broader impacts as I think it will provide insight into the development of the immune system in addition to our influenza-specific findings.” The seven-year observational study will consist of a team of international experts in immunology and virology, two new cohorts in California and New Zealand and one existing cohort in Nicaragua. Each location has different flu seasons and vaccination rates, with rates being highest in Los Angeles and lowest in Nicaragua. Gordon believes each area may have different strains of influenza, so the vaccines may be different. The three locations could help determine if immunity is affected by different flu seasons in different hemispheres.
Read more at michigandaily.com
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Rabhi advocates to ban styrofoam State Rep. announces bill to forbid styrofoam in Michigan
veterinary and research purposes. Small businesses could also be exempt from the law if the business can prove there are no reasonable alternatives. This leg islation is associated with a companion ALEX HARRING bill which would earmark Summer Managing News Editor http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ revenue from violations of Rabhi’s bill to a state f und On Friday afternoon, state promoting clean water and Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor, mitigating plastic pollution. announced a bill to ban most The companion bill is being single-use polystyrene foam at introduced by state Rep. Jim a press conference in Bandemer Haadsma, D-Battle Creek, Park on the shore of the Huron who Rabhi said was a leader River. Rabhi was joined by on this issue, though meetings members of Environment in his district kept him from Michigan, the state-level muscle attending the event. Environment Michigan of environmental advocacy Director Nathan Murphy group Environment America. “Single-use polystyrene, as thanked Rabhi and Haadsma was stated, is such a scourge of for their work and said singleour environment,” Rabhi said. use plastics like st yrofoam are “It impacts our waterways and not worth the harm they cause it impacts the environments to wildlife and water bodies. “ We need to ban singlethat we all love. We’re standing here on the banks of the Huron use convenience plastics like River in beautiful Ann Arbor, st yrofoam, which is one of Michigan, on a gorgeous sunny the worst offenders,” Murphy day, and all around us there are said. “These bills will make a people enjoying this beautiful real difference for our waters asset in our community. The and our water life.” A study from the Rochester worst thing that could happen is if we continue to allow Institute of Technolog y found those polystyrene, single-use 22 million pounds of plastic containers to be used and then debris enter the Great Lakes not recycled and thrown into ever y year from the U.S. and Canada and plastic accounts our waterways.” Rabhi’s bill would ban the for approximately 80 percent use of unenclosed polystyrene of the Great Lakes shorelines. foam — commonly referred to as Read more at michigandaily.com styrofoam — at the state level, with exceptions for medical,
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Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS 3
Medical students call for Beloved A2 more diversity in schools restaurant shuts doors unexpectedly
Survey says medical profession should be demographically representative SAMANTHA SMALL Summer News Editor
Though the future of affirmative action remains in question, pre-med students are decisive: According to a Kaplan survey of over 245 pre-med students, 80 percent agreed it is important for the American medical profession to be demographically representative of the general patient population. Kaplan’s survey comes in the wake of an April decision by Texas Tech University to no longer use race or national origin as a part of their holistic medical school application process. The decision finalized the 14-year investigation into a complaint against the school stating the use of race in the admissions process is in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Currently, eight states have a ban on affirmative action — including Michigan. Together, these eight states educate about 29 percent of all U.S. high school students. For the University of Michigan’s 2018 school of medicine class, 20 percent are categorized by the Uni-
versity as “underrepresented in medicine.” According to second-year medical student Zoe Curry this relatively low number is a hindrance to change. “It seems that this number is actually higher than the national average too, which is a reality that I and many of my classmates find unsettling,” Curry said. “A lot of my concern centers on the culture of medicine as a whole, and how hard it is to challenge traditional structures of teaching and assessment that don’t take issues of diversity into account.” In a different Kaplan survey, medical school admissions officers graded themselves on recruiting and admitting students from different backgrounds. Nearly 88 percent of admissions officers graded themselves with “A,” “B” or “C,” while only about five percent went so low as “D” or “F.” Steven Gay, assistant dean of admissions at the University Medical School, told The Daily he was unable to give the school a diversity grade as the goal for greater diversity is constantly evolving. “Our goal is to bring in
a class that has most special medical students in the country,” Gay said. “One of the core tenants of that being the best group of young physicians is their diversity on any level. Whether it comes from socioeconomics, to their extensive and profound experiences, to the distance that they travel, to the things that they inspire to do. One of the things that is actually very clear, shooting for a specific GPA and MCAT score does very, very little to guarantee you a class that will fulfill the goals and the vision of the institution … I don’t think it’s something that I will ever be able to sit back to say, ‘See, we did it.’” Though the number of Black men earning college degrees has grown, the number of Black men entering medical schools is smaller in 2015 compared to 1978, with 1,410 in 1978 and only 1,337 in 2015. For Gay, this low number of African Americans pursuing medicine does not come as a surprise. With a lack of opportunity and exposure, Gay said unrepresented minority students will not consider medicine
as a career path. “Simply put, you’re seeing few African American males in our college as well,” Gay said. “I think the number one reason is that opportunities and equity have become much more difficult in our society for a number of different classes of people.” David J. Brown, associate vice president and associate dean for Health Equity and Inclusion, agrees with Gay that there are numerous barriers that both restrict and discourage unrepresented minorities from applying to medical school. “It starts early in the academic development of Black males with unconscious biases from negative stereotypes in the media, low-resourced schools, advisors who do not recognize their talents and discourage or redirect them from studying medicine, the lack of Black male physician role models and at times, the lack of financial resources,” Brown said. Read more at michigandaily.com
DESIGN BY KATHRYN HALVERSON
Streetwide demolition forces closure of 32-year-old cultural staple China Gate SAMANTHA SMALL & OLIVIA SCOTT Summer News Editor & Daily Staff Reporter
“Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve you for the past 32 years,” read the white and red sign placed in the window of one of Ann Arbor’s oldest Chinese restaurants, China Gate. The restaurant located at 1201 S. University closed their doors for the very last time on Monday, May 27. The popular Asian eatery began serving classic dishes such as chicken lo mein, szechuan pork and sweet and sour chicken in 1987 under acclaimed “Chef Jan,” with most of the original serving staff remaining with the restaurant until its closing. For less than $15, students and local residents alike could enjoy a filling meal accompanied by a selection of ’80s hits playing in the background. Many students initially became aware of China Gate’s closing after a post was made on the Facebook page “Overheard at Umich.” There are almost 500 comments and 800 reactions attributed to the post. “Horrible news, Wolverines,” the post said. “After 32 years, China Gate will be closing permanently at the end of May.” University of Michigan alum LeAnne Wintrode remembered spending much of her time there, citing China Gate as one of the more affordable restaurants on campus. “I have so many memories
of life events that are tied to eating there, and I feel very nostalgic for the first time in my life when I was a regular there,” Wintrode said. “I had several first dates there, because, as a poor college student, I couldn’t afford ‘fancy’ restaurants in Ann Arbor, but I could eat at China Gate and feel like a grown-up … With China Gate closing, I’m losing an eatery, but more importantly, I feel like I am losing my memories.” According to sign posted in the window of China Gate, the restaurant’s closing was due to a proposed redevelopment resulting in the termination of China Gate’s lease. Owner Melissa Jan told MLive she was not expecting her lease’s renewal application to be denied. “We asked for renewal, but our landlord informed us that unfortunately based on their current redevelopment plans, that they will not be renewing our lease,” Jan said. “We were kind of surprised at first.” The developer, Hughes Properties, is planning demolition of the entire 1000 block of South University to put up a 13-story apartment complex of “prestigious luxury student housing” called Vic Village South. Earlier this year, the company constructed the 12-story apartment complex Vic Village North, located along the north side of South University, featuring over 57 apartments with 261 beds for a monthly rate between $975 to $1,700. Read more at michigandaily.com
4 OPINION
Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
OLIVIA TURANO | COLUMN
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ANIK JOSHI | COLUMN
O
Saying goodbye to ‘The Big Bang Theory’
n May 16, the series finale of “The Big Bang Theory” aired. I didn’t have time to catch it, nor would I have had the ability to follow along, as I haven’t properly followed the show since high school. “The Big Bang Theory” — plot aside — was an interesting show. I always sort of saw it as the TV version of President Richard Nixon — no one knew anyone who voted for Nixon yet he won back to back landslides. I don’t know many people who advertise the fact they watch “The Big Bang Theory” and yet it ran for over a decade. Still, once it occurred to me that this was truly the last hurrah for the cast, I will admit to feeling slightly sad, not because of what the show was, but because of what it meant to me. I used to watch it in high school, and started doing so after a friend of mine mentioned his sister worked on the show as a writer. “The Big Bang Theory,” to me, was less about the adventures of Sheldon and Penny and more about the fact that it was a core part of my Thursday night ritual. My mom usually worked late, and my sister was at the University of San Diego, so I was already doing dinner by myself one day a week. “The Big Bang Theory” fit in very nicely in that it enabled me to break the steady sounds of my eating reheated ravioli.
In those days, I would go to my dad’s house every other weekend, so after he would pick me up on Friday from school and take me home, we’d usually rewatch “The Big Bang Theory” with a bowl of hot Cheeto Puffs and a glass of ice-cold CocaCola. The aforementioned friend (as well as many, many others) was always willing to watch that show with me during tutorial in high school, but it has been a while since I’ve been a real fan. I’m going to be a senior in college and the last time I watched a full season as it aired rather than binging it in a day was when I was in high school, and the last time I sat and actually paid attention to a full episode was on a plane. So then why did I care that it was over? More than anything else, “The Big Bang Theory” ending was yet another thread from my past being closed off. I know that we can’t live in our memories, but it is always nice to have something tangible connecting us to the past. TV played a role in my childhood — I remember watching shows with friends, but a lot of those have ended and we are stuck with reruns, which seems like a solid parable of the times. Now, when I come home for summer expecting to make new memories with my friends, not many of them come back at all. So I’m stuck watching reruns and imagining things as
they once were. A lot of the shows that I used to watch with my friends in high school have ended for good — “Parks and Rec,” “The Office,” “Outsourced,” “How I Met Your Mother” and now, finally, “The Big Bang Theory.” I can’t say I’m unhappy about this — I would rather they end with dignity rather than needing to be taken out back and shot between the eyes. But it is still a bit surreal to know that your entire TV schedule from only a few years now exists only in your memories. “The Big Bang Theory” represented a consistency to me which is something that only happened because of how long it was on the air for. It was one unbroken thread weaving through high school, family drama and college success, as well as failure. It tied me to my past, for better or worse, and was there for me when I needed it. When I transferred to a new school and had no friends to eat dinner with, I always knew Sheldon and Leonard would be down for Thai (even if it was from No Thai instead of Siam Palace). But eventually, I needed them less and less as I made new friends, and it couldn’t have ended at a better time. Thanks for all the laughs, and laugh tracks. Anik Joshi can be reached at anikj@umich.edu.
I
Pride is more than a parade
t’s June and anyone in or arouund the LGBTQ+ community knows that it is Pride Month. Our social media feeds, Uber apps and college campuses become more rainbow-colored and we hear a bit more from our favorite queer celebrities, politicians and friends. But Pride is about more than retweeting a few Pride-related tweets and stories. It’s about more than ordering a pair of rainbow spandex and a sports bra for Pride and posing with your queer friend. It’s even about more than supporting your LGBTQ+ friends. Please don’t get me wrong. We appreciate your support. But being an ally is about more than going to a Pride parade once a year. Your participation in Pride shouldn’t be confined only to June; Pride is for every month. It’s about recognizing what continues to hold back the LGBTQ+ community and helping to mitigate those problems. Chosen to honor the 1969 Stonewall Riots, this month celebrates the incredible resilience, determination, diversity and of course pride of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride celebrates where the community is today, but even more so it honors the sacrifice and dedication of those who preceded us and have paved the way for the rights we now have. Pride month is intended to set aside time for everyone — not just LGBTQ+ people — to reflect on history and celebrate progress. It is about recognizing that, despite accomplishments the community has made, there are still important strides to be taken. It’s easy to forget that much of the progress the LGBTQ+ community has achieved has been extremely recent. Attitudes on same-sex marriage shifted at unprecedented rates in America with increased visibility of LGBTQ+ individuals in social and celebrity circles. In 2004, only 31 percent of Americans supported gay marriage. By 2017, public support skyrocketed to 62 percent (it dropped down to 61 percent in 2019, representing the first decrease in public support since 2009). Furthermore, public opinion among college students and the rest of the country — specifically older, rural and conservative Americans — differs drastically, as perceptions of queer normalization and acceptance skew liberally in places like Ann Arbor. The acceptance we see in our day-to-day lives as students is uncharacteristic of the rest of the country. As of 2019, only 44 percent of Republicans support gay marriage (up from 19 percent in 2004, but down from 47 percent in 2017). Even among Democrats, only 75 percent favor gay marriage (up from 43 percent from 2004, and down from 76 percent
in 2017, following the pattern of slightly declining support in recent years). Broadly speaking, support for LGBTQ+ individuals is stronger in urban areas, but falls behind in rural areas. Ann Arbor is wonderfully accepting of members of the LGBTQ+ community, earning an 100 on the Municipal Equality Index, the Human Rights Campaign’s review and subsequent rating of a city’s municipal laws, policies and services for LGBTQ+ residents. Living in a place like Ann Arbor, discrimination feels far removed from our lives, with the blame often falling wholly on the far-right. But it’s definitely not just about the radical conservatives we read about. In fact, the average score for the nation is 55 and the average score for Michigan is still only 69. Concerns about the highly concentrated population of liberal wealthy academics in Ann Arbor are entirely valid. However, communities where non-heteronormative lifestyles are normalized and respected, and where members of the LGBTQ+ community can live and work free of discrimination, are not actually so common, even in 2019. The majority of states still do not have protections against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace, public accommodation and housing. Many states protect religious freedom over sexual identity, legally allowing refusal of service based on religious beliefs against homosexuality. Transphobia continues to thrive in America, especially with the recent onslaught of transphobic policy from the Trump administration. Don’t stop posting your Instagram stories. Don’t stop retweeting the ACLU. Don’t stop going to Pride. But if you do, don’t stop when June ends. Educate yourself on the issues that impact LGBTQ+ Americans. Support your queer friends — beyond just posting pictures with them at a parade one Sunday a year. Learn about their experiences with discrimination. Go beyond vocally supporting queer lifestyles: make an active effort to normalize them. Identify your pronouns. If you can, donate to organizations that support LGBTQ+ rights. Organizations like the ACLU, Human Rights Campaign and Planned Parenthood are great, but there are a plethora of organizations that do terrific work. And please, tell your local frat bro to stop saying, “That’s gay,” because it’s not 2007 anymore. Olivia Turano can be reached at turnaroo@umich.edu.
Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SAMANTHA DELLA FERA | COLUMN
Stop treating politicians like celebrities
I
sn’t that headline so ironic, given that our president gained so much immediate coverage and support because he is, in fact, a celebrity? I know that we have had celebrity-politicians before, including but not limited to Arnold Schwarzenegger and Ronald Reagan. If Donald Trump and Ronald Reagan aren’t two great examples of why we shouldn’t put celebrities in office, we clearly have some disagreements to work through, but that’s not what this column is about. What about how we celebritize politicians after they enter office? With the rise of social media, and the exploitation of it by politicians desperate to capture young audiences, politicians are being viewed more as quasi-celebrities than public servants. In my own memory, this started during the Obama administration, and has only gotten worse. This treatment is dangerous — celebrity worship makes it more difficult to hold people accountable, or to view them in an objective light. Take Obama for example: He is viewed (at least by Democrats) as the model president, the perfect politician. His likeness has been used in countless memes and novelty t-shirts, and during his presidency he appeared on many late-night shows. And while I do believe he was a good president, no president or politician will ever be perfect; in fact, Obama had a lot to be held accountable for that was glossed over in Saturday Night Live skits and silly merchandise. Going into the 2020 election, this trend continues. One doesn’t need to be reminded how celebritized Trump is with his overdone rallies, infamous hats and tweeting tendencies — and it’s not doing this country any good. With Trump’s amplified platform we’ve seen violent racist protests, a nationwide rise in hate crimes and horrific treatment of women and immigrants. Trump is an extreme example of demagoguery given respect, but celebritizing politicians is a problem on the Democratic side, too, albeit on a less dangerous scale. We have presidential candidates on the cover of magazines and getting fashion advice from reporters. The people who will make decisions on war, healthcare, gun control and immigration are getting their crowd sizes compared like two pop stars on dueling world tours. Taking away the cultural lens of viewing politicians and political candidates is a double-edged sword.
On one hand, conversations will be more policy-driven and maybe we can finally stop talking about who is more “likable” and start talking about who is least likely to ruin this country further. Yet on the other hand, popular media is a more accessible route to Americans, as not everyone wants to sit down and listen to Wolf Blitzer, but many people will tune into Jimmy Fallon or Stephen Colbert. So where does the burden fall? Is it on the media to stop treating politicians like celebrities, or is it on us? The responsibility truly lies with both. Stop inviting politicians on sketch comedy or talk shows and using that opportunity to play silly games or tousle their hair. And if you must have them, at least grill them a little bit. Don’t be their free advertisement — these politicians are there to serve you, not the other way around. As for us, the people, let’s make an effort to hold our elected officials and political hopefuls accountable, to view them through an objective lens. It is easy to get swept up in the excitement of politics — as a Public Policy student, I know this too well. You want to idolize these people, people who are in a position you dream of being in, passing legislation you’ve fought for. But no political job should be guaranteed, and approval from constituents should be earned through good actions rather than likable, carefully planned interactions. Washington already comes across as an exclusive place. The government that is supposed to be working for us is instead hiding behind free Smithsonian admission and chipper Congressional tours. It is natural to get excited when Elizabeth Warren calls you on the phone or Obama surprises the crowd on stage. But keep in mind that these are things that these politicians should be doing — we gave them their job, so they owe us their time. The exclusivity of politics only leads to closed doors and lackluster responses to real concerns and questions. If Congress won’t implement term limits, the American people can. Celebrities are celebrities for a reason — there will never be another Bowie or Beyoncè. But the country is never going to run out of opportunistic politicians with a pocketful of empty promises. Samantha Della Fera can be reached at samdf@umich.edu.
OPINION 5
SILAS LEE | OP-ED
I
D-Day, a legacy and a future
t is not often I wrap myself in the f lag or get misty-eyed with patriotic sentiment. Perhaps this is because, as a history major, it is easy to get lost in the doom and gloom of most U.S. history classes. Or perhaps I am simply cynical by nature; I hope this is not the case — but maybe. In full awareness of this country’s missteps over the last two centuries — some of them egregious — I believe there are some moments when we can hold our heads high and proudly call ourselves Americans. Now, as a member of The Daily, I also have great pride in this newspaper and the people with whom I work. Unfortunately, there was a grave oversight in last week’s edition: Not one word was written in the memory of the finest men who ever called themselves Americans — on the 75th anniversary of their sacrifice, no less. I was disappointed to learn the stories that were published instead concerned only the political sticking points of 2019 — the issues which, by their nature, divide us. And so, knowing full well from the start that my efforts will be insufficient, I commit my humble talents to correct this mistake and honor both the sacrifices and triumphs of the men who fought and fell three-quarters of a century ago. On June 6, 1944, Allied forces, composed largely of American, British and Canadian troops, landed on the beaches of Normandy in northern France. Men plunged themselves into the raging, cold seas of the English Channel and marched headlong into a
hailstorm of bullets. This was D-Day, the beginning of the end of World War II. It was because of this first assault that Allied forces were able to gain a foothold in continental Europe, liberate France, push into Germany and finally defeat Adolf Hitler. I give this brief account of the Second World War because that war’s significance cannot be overstated. It was this war that brought down Hitler’s Germany and allowed a new age of freedom to take root, not just in Europe, but around the world. When the dust settled, Nazi death camps were destroyed, fascism had fallen and the swastika lay atop a pile of rubble once meant to be the foundation of a 1,000-year reign.
As we press on into the future, we must carry our history I am not saying today’s politics are unimportant and should not be discussed. They should be. What I am saying is this: The memory of the men who brought down the Third Reich deserves our fullest devotion to preserving and improving the nation they died for. However, we cannot do this if we lose sight of our history and emphasize only the things which separate us. We are the heirs of a great inheritance, and we should endeavor
to deserve that inheritance by building on the foundation our forefathers lay — a foundation of liberty, equality and unity. In spite of our differences, we share this history and we share a future. If nothing else, remember this: The freedoms we do not yet possess pale in comparison to the freedoms we currently enjoy. While we cry for that more perfect union, we must remember it will never be perfect, but it is good. It was good when it was conceived. It was good when our soldiers fought their way across the beaches. It is good now. But we can make it better. The torch has been passed to us, and we cannot allow this American experiment to fail after so much has been dedicated to its success. As we press on into the future, we must carry our history forward with us. If we do not, we will have failed before we have even beg un. And so, I leave you with the same commission that was given by Abaraham Lincoln at another field where Americans fought and died for what they believed this country was and for what it could be: “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced … That we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Silas Lee can be reached at silascl@umich.edu.
JOIN OUR EDITORIAL BOARD Come to our next Editorial Board meeting on June 19 to contribute to the conversation and discuss current events on campus. It will be from 7-8:30 p.m. in the newsroom, 420 Maynard St. Contact Summer Editorial Page Editor, Erin White (ekwhite@umich.edu) with questions.
6 ARTS
Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
CONCERT REVIEW
TV REVIEW
Lake Street Dive shows some soul CLARA SCOTT Senior Arts Editor
WARNER BROS.
‘Lies’ Season 2 starts strong ELISE GODFRYD Daily Arts Writer
No TV show addresses pain in all its forms quite like HBO’s “Big Little Lies.” In fact, deep physical and emotional distress plays such a large part in the show that it’s almost its own character. In Monterey, California, pain permeates. It lingers. It digs deep into the skin of the women it afflicts, making itself known in every aspect of their lives. As we come to understand in Season 1, our five main characters, Madeline (Reese Witherspoon, “Wild”), Celeste (Nicole Kidman, “Lion”), Renata (Laura Dern, “The Tale”), Jane (Shailene Woodley, “The Spectacular Now”) and Bonnie (Zoë Kravitz, “Mad Max: Fury Road”) are no strangers to suffering. What on the surface was a generic whodunit crime story was elevated to a refreshingly empathetic examination of sexual assault, domestic abuse and many other ways people hurt each other, largely due to the talent of its cast and the excellence of its writing. Season 1 pretty much covered the gist of the Liane Moriarty novel the show is based on, culminating in the murder of Celeste’s abusive husband and Jane’s rapist Perry (Alexander Skarsgård, “True Blood”), a murder that was for the most part a group effort performed by all five central women. “Big Little Lies” could have easily concluded here — that was the original plan, after all. Nevertheless, we’ve been given a second season. After watching its first episode, I’m so grateful we have.
It turns out that, at least under the supervision of the geniuses behind the first season, the aftermath of the central drama is equally, if not even more compelling than the central drama itself. This “aftermath” manifests itself in Season 2 through the grief and guilt the Monterey Five are experiencing following Perry’s death, a death they’ve told the authorities was a complete accident. They’re all trying their hardest to move on, some doing a better job than others, but none of them actually can — at least not completely.
Big Little Lies Season 2 Premiere HBO Sundays at 9 p.m.
Each woman has her own reasons for her inability to move on from the past. Celeste, while partially grateful to have an abuser out of her and her sons’ lives, is also struggling to part with the man she once loved so entirely and so passionately. The fact that her mother-in-law Mary Louise, played by the beloved Meryl Streep (“The Post”), has established herself in Monterey to look for answers regarding her son’s death certainly doesn’t help. Bonnie, a woman characterized in Season 1 by her seeming perfection and perpetual vitality, is in a similar
state of ruin. In an intentional allusion to Jane’s angst-filled jogs from Season 1, we see Bonnie on a run, looking more miserable than ever. If any of the Monterey women seems to have healed the most it’s Jane, but by the end of the episode we come to know that even she hasn’t quite forgotten about Perry. We’re shown a portrait of him she finds herself drawing, the face of her rapist, a face that can never be erased from her memory. Clearly, “Big Little Lies” wants us to know that all five women are in distress, just as they were in Season 1. However, the Season 2 premiere adds an entirely new dimension to their pain by letting us observe how it travels between them. The distribution of pain has shifted, with Bonnie and Mary Louise now here to take a large portion of it away from Jane. In a particularly moving sequence, we see Jane dancing next to the ocean to Sufjan Stevens’s “Mystery of Love,” a song which could not be more different from the angry, heartbreaking Martha Wainwright song she so frequently listened to back in Season 1. With the burden of Perry’s existence off her chest, Jane is practically floating, in a beautiful moment of reprieve from the pain she has endured for so long. Season 2 of “Big Little Lies” adds to the emotional depth of Season 1 by exploring not only how pain and trauma affect women, but how pain in many ways is a collective experience that bounces back and forth between its characters. It understands that shared trauma is something that bonds people together, but at the same time can also tear them apart.
The modern music industry is in desperate need of soul. Sure, many pop divas are capable of gospel-adjacent vocal acrobatics, and most (if not all) charttopping chord progressions are stolen from the blues, but there’s just something about soul music that makes it special, makes it something to look for. This soul is what makes pop-folkrock outfit Lake Street Dive so intriguing — and so goddamn fun to listen to. Made up of five conservatory-trained jazz musicians, the group manages to merge the funky sounds of classic soul and R&B with a modern folk sensibility, with lead singer Rachael Price’s smooth voice carrying every influence gracefully. It’s not an easy thing to mix all of these inspirations and pull it off without losing the music’s innate soul, but Lake Street Dive seems to only enhance it, bringing their mix of sounds to a level each one couldn’t achieve alone. The band is hard to categorize, some calling it blue-eyed soul, others pop or folk rock, but fulfilling a niche is not the point of their music — it is, quite simply, to tell true and lasting stories. All this is present in their records, but this Tuesday at the Royal Oak Music Theatre, the audience was in for a pleasant surprise. There’s something almost magical about what happens when all five members of Lake Street Dive come together and make music, more so than could ever be caught on studio tape. You can tell the bandmates have been playing with each other for over a decade immediately, from the way they looked at each other and kept up with one another throughout the concert. Some would say that Price, with her stage presence and inimitable poise, is the star of their live show, but I would beg to differ. Bassist Bridget Kearney, percussionist Mike
Calabrese, guitarist/trumpeter Mike “McDuck” Olson and newer member keyboardist Akie Bermiss are all consummate performers in their own right, bouncing the audience’s attention back and forth like a musical beach ball with every song. Although the Royal Oak Music Theatre was packed for the sold-out show, every song felt intimate, with the members of both opening act The Wood Brothers and Lake Street Dive themselves inviting the audience in for a truly shared experience. There was very little banter back and forth between songs, but it was unnecessary; the lyrics of each tune were like a conversation in every way except their musicality, as stories of love, loss and spiteful triumph were told through Price’s lilting alto voice. By the time they reached halfway through the show, the audience had lost their inhibitions completely, dancing and bobbing to the undeniably catchy beat of bass and drums. If there’s anything Lake Street Dive knows how to do, it’s put on a show. The group ran the gamut between their own new and old originals and perfectly placed covers like Hall & Oates’s “Rich Girl” and Sly & the Family Stone’s “Everyday People,” without losing any of their singular charm. When they play other people’s songs, it doesn’t feel like it; they make every melody their own, infusing a modern sense of soul into every note. When I say that Lake Street Dive’s show was one of the best I’ve witnessed, don’t take it lightly. Their performance is beyond anything that can be described on paper, as cliche and hyperbolic as that seems. The band is capable of creating simultaneous comfort and energy in their audiences, lifting them up while leaving them in awe of the music they create. When they played, they weren’t playing alone; instead, the voices of hundreds in the venue rose to join them, dancing and shouting out lyrics in a passionate embrace of the beat.
Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
ROLLING STONE
Heidecker’s ‘To The Men’ is addressed to everyone MIRIAM FRANCISCO Daily Arts Writer
Songs with a political bent seem to skew one of two ways: satirical or serious. As for satirical, think “Elected” by Alice Cooper (“I’m your Yankee doodle dandy in a gold Rolls Royce, I want to be elected”) or Prince’s “Ronnie, Talk to Russia” (“You can go to the zoo, but you can’t feed guerrillas”). More earnest songs, like Bright Eyes’s “When the President Talks to God” or Killer Mike’s “Reagan” take a different tack: careful articulation of injustice, an unrelenting urge to expose wrongdoing and adversity. These two approaches have often intersected in Tim Heidecker’s career as a singer-songwriter. Heidecker, who is best known as one half of the comedy duo Tim and Eric, tends to combine intensity with humor in his political music. On his recent single “To The Men,” however, he veers straight into quiet solemnity. Heidecker released “To The Men” on May 16, in the midst of a month of headlines about new state laws restricting access to abortion. The song is addressed to the lawmakers who passed these bills, and all proceeds from purchases of the single go to the Yellowhammer Fund, a nonprofit that supplies funding for women in Alabama seeking abortions. The song is a tonal departure from
Heidecker’s previous style. His 2017 album Too Dumb for Suicide: Tim Heidecker’s Trump Songs is a compilation of the tracks he released during the first year of Donald Trump’s presidency, and they’re all scathing. On “Trump Tower,” he sings “Thank God for the First Amendment, letting me vent,” a line which encapsulates his attitude toward the entire album. Too Dumb for Suicide is antagonistic, shot through with moments of humor that feel both vengeful and liberating. The album makes me tired; it’s exhausting to be mad and also find humor in that anger. Listening to Too Dumb for Suicide, it’s easy to wonder what might happen if Heidecker flipped his focus from Republicans onto those whose lives are lived in the shadows of their policies. On “To The Men,” this is exactly what he does. “She was poor she was just 13 / She was 12 a month ago,” Heidecker sings. “She was living in Alabama / She was living in Ohio / She was living in Georgia / She didn’t have anywhere to go.” The song isn’t funny at all; it’s sad and angry, undiluted by humor. Too Dumb for Suicide is a middle finger to the president and his allies, a big “fuck you” that’s engineered to anger Republicans, not convince them of anything. “To The Men” is a plea to those same politicians and their supporters. It’s as direct and melancholic as an old country song, with no time or energy for irony. Heidecker wrote on Twitter that
he listened to John Prine while writing “To The Men,” and this makes total sense. Prine’s musical interests are in some ways quite similar to Heidecker’s. Both artists are fixated on absurdity and grief, as well as the circumstances in which the two are inseparable. They write about politics in a similarly snide way: “But your flag decal won’t get you into Heaven anymore / They’re already overcrowded from your dirty little war,” sings Prine on “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore” from his 1971 self-titled album. Like Heidecker, Prine usually balances out cerebral contemplation with wit. On “Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow),” Prine describes the tragedy of a young boy’s senseless death with the almost-funny forced rhyme of “nuder” and “commuter”: “I heard sirens on the train track howl naked gettin’ nuder / An altar boy’s been hit by a local commuter.” Prine also knows when this is the wrong approach, when the profundity of the subject cannot tolerate cunning or guile. “Sam Stone,” for example, tells the story of a veteran’s addiction, and it’s an absolutely gutting song: “There’s a hole in daddy’s arm where all the money goes / Jesus Christ died for nothin’ I suppose.” Prine employs a similarly somber tone on “Unwed Fathers,” in which he describes the loneliness and isolation of a teenager as she becomes a mother. Prine’s “Unwed Fathers” covers similar territory as “To The Men,”
but in this song, the protagonist has the baby: “From a teenage lover, to an unwed mother / Kept undercover, like some bad dream,” Prine sings. “While unwed fathers, they can’t be bothered / They run like water, through a mountain stream.” Prine, like Heidecker, is using the song to raise money for abortion access; on May 28, he released a new version to raise money for Alabama’s chapter of the ACLU. Both “Unwed Fathers” and “To The Men” name the men who are intimately involved in motherhood, whether it’s the teenage fathers who disappear or the politicians who limit women’s choices. Too often, abortion is framed as a women’s issue, and Prine and Heidecker use their music to discuss the flaws in this logic. They explain how men can walk away from an accidental pregnancy and women cannot, and how this fundamental difference is perhaps part of why some men find it so difficult to let women make their own decisions about parenthood — it’s a right men have enjoyed all along, a right they have never had to consider or maintain. “Unwed Fathers” and “To The Men” are powerful in the same ways. They were both written by men known for their ability to find humor in miserable situations, men who understand when to put away clever wordplay because the gravity of the topic demands it. For Prine and Heidecker, the particular desperation of the situation is slightly out of reach — it’s something neither of them have or could ever experience firsthand. The songs are perhaps more heartbreaking for this fact; as straight white men, Prine and Heidecker are of the same demographic as the men who passed the “heartbeat” bills, but unlike those politicians, they have deep reservoirs of empathy and imagination. “Have you seen a young girl dying / Have you seen ‘em take their final breath,” sings Heidecker in the closing lines of “To The Men.” The story told by Heidecker in “To The Men” is grim, whatever your opinions on abortion. It’s unclear what happens to the protagonist, but there’s no good resolution: Either she bleeds to death at an illegal abortion
ARTS 7
clinic, or she has a baby while she’s still in middle school. In our imperfect world, accidental pregnancy happens, as it always has — to middle schoolers, to survivors of rape, to mothers, to the reckless and to the responsible. When it happens, some women will want and need abortions — that, too, will always be the case. What’s missing from the abortion debate is the fact that abortions happen whether or not they’re legal. Prochoicers often argue that those who don’t like abortions should simply not have them. While I don’t think all (or even many) anti-choice politicians are actually motivated by moral imperative, those who are vehemently sure life begins at conception will probably not be convinced by this suggestion. For them, ignoring abortion is akin to ignoring genocide. When I think about people whose politics I disagree with, I wonder if there’s anything that might convince them to re-examine their beliefs. Maybe this interview with a woman who had a third-trimester abortion (her baby had genetic issues and would have suffocated during childbirth), or maybe the story of Savita Halappanavar, who died in Ireland in 2012 because she was miscarrying and doctors refused to give her an abortion. These stories are powerful, but I wonder if they’d feel too distant or too rare to convince abortion opponents. Halappanavar lived in Ireland, not the United States, and the story of the late-term abortion is far from typical. It might be a stretch to say “To The Men” could change someone’s mind on abortion, but what if it has that power? Everyone’s stance on abortion is guided by feelings as much as, if not more than, facts — there are smart people on both sides of the issue, people who can look at the same biological concepts and come to opposite conclusions. Maybe music is the way to foreground emotions, to recognize their centrality in the debate over abortion. Songs like “To The Men” and “Unwed Fathers” won’t brainwash anyone, but they might have the power to cultivate new feelings.
This is songwriting at its most bare and convincing, nothing more than a story set to music.
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8 NEWS
Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALBUM REVIEW
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Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
Release Date: Thursday, June 13, 2019
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR RENT
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Story trajectories 5 Wild pig 9 Pulitzer columnist Maureen 13 Winter expense 14 Soothing botanical 15 Great Lake bordering four states 16 Data-entering devices 19 Brouhahas 20 Semi unit 21 Document to protect confidential info: Abbr. 22 “Really?” 24 Like bread knives 26 Sinful habit 27 Chin-up targets, for short 29 Brontë heroine 30 Creative writing deg. 31 [I’m shocked!] 32 Dim sum go-with 34 August Wilhelmj’s arrangement of a movement from Bach’s “Orchestral Suite No. 3” 40 Scheduled to arrive 41 “Really” 42 Pigeon sound 43 Prefix meaning “god” 46 Einsteinhaus locale 47 Zebra’s mother 48 Part of the Texas/ Oklahoma border 51 Concert venues 53 “__ the Walrus” 54 Peeples of “Pretty Little Liars” 55 Horse-and-buggy group 56 Layered lunch orders ... or a hint to 16-, 24-, 34and 48-Across 60 Sicily’s tallest mountain 61 Word with fishing or party 62 Con’s room 63 Many profs 64 Usually choppy expanses 65 Guessing game
DOWN 1 Tuna at sushi bars 2 Enterprise enterprise 3 “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” author 4 Virile dudes 5 Night fliers 6 “Bravo!” 7 Main arteries 8 Do more lawn work 9 Scout group 10 Like a bad spray tan 11 Not as tame 12 Marquis of note 17 “You missed it” 18 Suffix with elephant 22 “Homeland” rating 23 Old audio system 24 Pearly gates greeter 25 Sweetie 28 Cigar remnants 31 Serengeti antelope 32 Word on an “evacuation route” sign
33 Sorbonne summer 35 Trash barge emanation 36 Boxer’s warning 37 “Let me give you a hand” 38 Screenwriter Ephron 39 “Here __ nothing” 43 __ dips: upperarm workout 44 Toast topic
45 Mountaineer Hillary 46 Head-hugging brimless cap 47 Blends well 49 Seat winners 50 Lab containers 52 “Now and Then” actress 55 Bowls over 57 __-relief 58 Genetic letters 59 Underhanded
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
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ANNOUNCEMENT SMG GROUP HAS sold WF HDLPTV in Ann Arbor, MI., to Max Henry & Associates. This deal is awaiting FCC approval along with Max Henry & Associates’ petition to modify the outlet from a low power translator station to a Class A TV outlet. All comments regarding the sale or the upgrade can be sent to Max Henry & Associates, 500 Temple6M, Detroit, MI. 482012659
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STATE OF MICHIGAN PROBATE COURT COUNTY OF WASHTENAW PUBLICATION OF NOTICE OF HEARING FILE NO. 19-942-NC In the matter of the name change of Robert Michael Mansuetti TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS including: whose address(es) is/are unknown and whose interest in the matter may be barred or affected by the following:
TAKE NOTICE: A hearing will be held on July 10, 2019 at 1:30 PM at the Washtenaw County Trial Court before Judge Conlin, P56333 for the following purpose: the name change of Robert Michael Mansuetti to Cassandra Dawn Mansuetti. Date: June 13, 2019 Robert Michael Mansuetti (petitioner) 411 E. Washington Street, Apt. 509B-1 Ann Arbor, MI 48104 (248) 504-8314
Jo Bros defy odds with new album nent synthesizers, while “Cool” lyrically paints a picture of a KAITLYN FOX couple friends just hanging out Daily Arts Writer and feeling confident in themselves. Happiness Begins includes a Not many former childhood stars are willing to embrace lot of radio-friendly nuggets, their pasts. Just look at Miley but buried in the mix is also a Cyrus and Demi Lovato, who collection of deeper, emotionare still trying to live down driven tracks. Songs like “Love their Disney Channel perso- Her” and “Trust” dive into the nas and establish themselves ways love takes over a person’s as more than puppets con- everything and often leaves trolled by a major TV network. them feeling out of control. Moreover, not many bands find “Hesitate” is a ballad about laytheir way back together after a ing down everything to be there breakup, especially when the for the person you love. But the album breakup provides isn’t all sappy an opportunity love songs and for individual radio hits. “Rollexperimentation ercoaster” is and success. an upbeat tune Despite all the about life, celfactors working the against them, the Happiness Begins ebrating adventure of love Jonas Brothers The Jonas Brothers for all its twists defied the odds and turns. Hidwith their new Republic Records den within the album, Happiness song’s lyrics are Begins. Their the words “hapfirst in ten years, piness begins,” Happiness Begins which brings the pleasantly docuthemes of renewments the power al and letting go of familial ties and how the concept of fam- back in, full circle. The most notable aspect of ily has changed for the three the album is the way it holds brothers. The album starts out with onto the old while still intro“Sucker,” which already soared ducing something new. Instead on the charts back in April. of trying to brush their old With a blend of electronic dance image away and start fresh, the elements from Joe’s career Jonas Brothers gladly revisit with the pop band DNCE and their past work, whether it be the sexy, raspy vocals of Nick’s recreating old YouTube videos solo work, “Sucker” provides a or performing their old music modern twist on the traditional at live shows. Happiness Begins exemplifies this contrast of old Jonas sound. “Sucker,” along with the versus new in how the band was album’s other single, “Cool,” able to hold onto their roots have already proven successful while presenting their audion the radio, and songs such as ences with more relevant and “Only Human” and “I Believe” mature subject matter. While have followed suit as they con- the new album doesn’t sound tinue to pick up streams on Spo- much like the garage boy band tify. While each song maintains the Jonas Brothers used to be, its own unique subject matter they were able to hold onto and sound, a common theme is a some crucial elements, like mellow, laid-back vibe, whether Nick’s vocal riffs and the band’s it be found lyrically or musi- sing-songy harmonies. cally. “Only Human” takes on a modern reggae style with its Read more at michigandaily.com unhurried tempo and promi-
Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Food, authenticity and heritage in “Always Be My Maybe” MONICA KIM MiC Columnist
In the opening scenes of “Always Be My Maybe,” Sasha Tran (Ali Wong) makes herself a lonely dinner. But soon, she leaves for her best friend Marcus’s (Randall Park) house, where his mom makes kimchi jjigae, the classic, spicy stew brimming with kimchi, tofu and more. My mouth watered at the sight; it reminded me of all the times my own mom made kimchi jjigae, which was (and still is) the only way she could get me to eat kimchi. Food is central to the new Netf lix rom-com “Always Be My Maybe.” Sasha herself is a chef, but even then, food is a way for characters to reconnect (as Sasha and Marcus do at a Chinese restaurant) or become hyper-aware of their differences (as Sasha and Marcus do at an upscale restaurant that serves questionably pretentious food). Food is more than just what’s set at the table: Food tells a story, shares a history, is a culture. (Side anecdote about how food is more than just food: before a meal, Koreans say something that roughly translates to a conveyance of gratitude for their meal. When I say this out loud, I sometimes remember that Koreans didn’t always have easy access to food, especially after the Korean War. As my parents told me, there was a shortage of rice after the war, and f lour was cheap because Americans sent f lour as aid — guess it was the least they could do after splitting the Korean peninsula in two. Koreans started making a ton of noodle dishes to keep their stomachs full like my favorite, kalguksu — if you haven’t seen Netf lix’s “Street Food” yet, which features this dish in its “Seoul” episode, then go watch it.) As I watched “Always Be My Maybe,” I was not only taking in the beauty of Ali Wong and Randall Park excelling at their comedy and being sexy and funny and all the things that might not check the boxes of your stereotypical Asian-American character; I was taking in the food and the conversations around it. There’s a scene toward the second half of the movie where Marcus confronts Sasha about her highend restaurants and how she caters to rich white people, abandoning the authenticity of Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines.
This is another example of how food is more than just food and how it can often get tangled in identity politics. It made me think of all the times in Washington, D.C. last summer that I walked past fast food fusion Asian places. Growing up, my mom and I drove forty-five minutes on the New Jersey turnpike (a nightmare) to go to the nearest H Mart and to a street in Palisades Park that was dotted with Korean-owned, traditional Korean restaurants on every block. So when I saw fast food fusion Korean places in D.C. catering toward white middle-class Americans, I was surprised and maybe, admittedly, a little annoyed. Maybe I was annoyed because these places catered to an audience who, in my experience moving to a predominantly white neighborhood, only ever turned their noses to exotic foods like mine (I’m that classic Asian-American kid who never brought Korean food to school again after another student made a comment about it). Maybe I was annoyed because these places didn’t show the less glamorous dishes that I ate nearly every single day (Korean food isn’t just nicely plated, colorful bibimbap and sizzling KBBQ) (not that many Americans know the kinds of various meats that go into KBBQ) (it’s not just one type of meat, y’all) (by the way, did you know that we use the bones of meat for our broths?) (talk about exotic and not wasteful!). Maybe I was annoyed because I (wrongly) assumed that all of these businesses were owned by white people trying to make money off of more “approachable” or “clean” Asian food — the most recent example of which was Lucky Lee’s in New York, whose owner marketed “clean” Chinese food that didn’t make you feel “bloated or icky” (guess she didn’t know, or chose to ignore, the history of Chinese restaurants being called “nuisances” and full of “stench” as part of antiChinese sentiment in the late 1800s — hello, Chinese Exclusion Act! — and early 1900s). Another golden example: remember when The New York Times “discovered” boba? But I soon found out that some of these chains were Asian-American owned, and I felt slightly embarrassed by my original thoughts but also felt better about these places — though this opened up a new set of questions. Were these owners
abandoning authenticity and caving to the average white American’s palette (as Marcus accuses Sasha of doing)? Or was it more complicated than that? As I contemplated this question, I thought of my mom’s budae jjigae, which includes American cheese. You can’t get more American than American cheese, and it wasn’t like it suddenly turned my mom’s dish into an inauthentically Korean one (who draws the line, anyways?). I certainly felt Korean while eating her budae jjigae. Besides, cultures — and foods — change all the time. It doesn’t (and shouldn’t) have to be either you’re authentic, or you’re not. As this Refinery29 article shows, Asian-American fusion food is more nuanced than meets the eye. Asian-American chefs who grew up in America ate traditional foods from both their heritage and classic American dishes; Priya Krishna, a Bon Appetit contributor, would eat her mother’s roti pizza, saag paneer with feta cheese and dahi toast with sourdough bread. Her family had to make do with the grocery stores available to them (we can’t all have an Asian food market near us!) to bring to the table their favorite Indian foods. “Always Be My Maybe” is part of this conversation around food, and authenticity and identity. While Marcus is initially angry at Sasha for her restaurant’s inauthentic menu, he’s awed by the place when he visits for the first time. And though Sasha’s first two restaurants serve less traditional Asian food, the third restaurant she opens at the end of the movie is an homage to Marcus and his late mother, the center of which is his mother’s exact kimchi jjigae recipe. Sasha can move between all three restaurants, serving both “authentic” and “inauthentic” food. She’s not stuck in some binary — she’s all her own.angry at Sasha for her restaurant’s inauthentic menu, he’s awed by the place when he visits for the first time. And though Sasha’s first two restaurants serve less traditional Asian food, the third restaurant she opens at the end of the movie is an homage to Marcus and his late mother, the center of which is his mother’s exact kimchi jjigae recipe. Sasha can move between all three restaurants, serving both “authentic” and “inauthentic” food; she’s not stuck in some binary — she’s all her own.
MICHIGAN IN COLOR 9
“Daughter of the Nile”: A poem NADA ELDAWY
MiC Assistant Editor
My tears flow like yours As does my blood when you cut me Tearing the color off my skin Slicing the culture off my clothes Scraping the accent off my tongue I tell you the Nile flows through my veins My hands as textured as papyrus My skin as brown as the desert sand And my hair as black as the kohl That my ancestors invented And you took as your own In ways I was never taken as your own I scream at you Just because you insist The opposite of light is dark Doesn’t mean The opposite of dark is right With the grace of my ancestors The pharaohs of vast empires Prospering ages before yours I grow where I was planted And I’ll let you cower under my branches While my roots dig deep Into the banks of the Nile
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Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Erin Finn finishes 12th place in her final race as a Wolverine ALEX WALKON For The Daily
Thursday night marked the culmination of collegiate distance running as well as the final 10,000 meters of sixth-year senior Erin Finn’s illustrious career as a Wolverine. Twenty-four of the nation’s best assembled at Mike A. Myers Stadium in Austin, Texas to represent their schools in the NCAA Outdoor Championships. The women’s 10,000-meter final began with a congested cluster of runners stretching four lanes wide. Finn quickly earned an inside position within the top five and held a steady pace for the first 10-15 laps. An injury-riddled season afforded Finn less than two months and just three events of competitive running to prepare, forcing her to adopt a new, unfamiliar approach. “The start was great,” Finn said. “My plan was to not do any of the work (of leading). Ideally, I like to control the race, but my body was not strong enough, not fit enough at this point.” During the first half of the race, Finn’s strategy was predicated on staying within striking distance of Notre Dame’s Anna Rohrer, who jumped out to an early lead. After
falling out of the top five, Finn pushed her way back with 8 laps remaining. But the heat, humidity, and exhaustion began to take its toll on the runners with just four laps to go, providing the ultimate separation that would define the race. “My body really started to struggle,” Finn said. “I got passed and I got gapped.” With runners falling in and out of contention, the only competitor seemingly unaffected was New Mexico’s Weini Kelati, who used the last mile to build a nearly insurmountable lead. However, the final lap catalyzed an inspiring comeback from Carmela Cardama Baez of Oregon. Trailing by nearly five seconds, Cardama Baez climbed all the way back, approaching within a meter of Kelati. Alerted by the roar of the crowd, Kelati propelled one final push, giving her all the separation she needed. With only 50 meters to go following an exhaustive effort, Cardama Baez had neither the time nor the energy to complete the comeback. Kelati finished with a time of 33:10.84, a record at Mike A. Myers Stadium. Finn delivered a similarly admirable finale. As a sixth-year senior clawing her way back from hip
DARBY STIPE/Daily
Senior Erin Finn finished 12th in her final race for Michigan at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in Austin, Texas Thursday.
surgery, she was nearly 20 seconds ahead of the next finisher. She ended up in 12th place with a time of 33:40.88, capturing a secondteam All-America honor. “It’s definitely not the way I dreamed of going out, especially after some of my earlier successes,” the ten-time USTFCCCA All-American said. “But given this journey I’ve
had the last year and a half, a couple weeks before Big Ten’s I didn’t know if I’d be running at all this season. I was really thankful that I could have one last go around.” The finish line represented the conclusion of this year’s track and field season as well as the career of one of the most decorated athletes in school history.
“I had that flashback,” Finn said. “It wasn’t of anything I had done. Just thinking about my teammates, my coach, my assistant coaches, my athletic trainer, just all the people who have touched my life, recognizing these people will forever be in my life. Although my days as an athlete are over, my days as a Wolverine are not.”
Jabri Abdur-Rahim becomes one of Juwan Howard’s first offers ETHAN SEARS
Managing Sports Editor
Jabri Abdur-Rahim talked to Juwan Howard for the first time on Thursday. And, in a stark departure from his predecessor, the conversation came with a scholarship offer. John Beilein held a firm policy when it came to these things. Until a recruit stepped foot on campus, took a full academic tour, and Beilein had seen him play in-person, he didn’t extend an offer. In the last two days, Howard has extended his first two offers as Michigan’s coach, first to five-star guard Joshua Christopher and then to AbdurRahim — and neither have held firm to that policy. “I understand coach Beilein’s way of doing things,” AbdurRahim told The Daily. “That’s
the approach that a lot of schools take. Which is something I understand. I also understand the other way, too. So it’s just two different perspectives. I respect both of them.” Since Beilein left, Saddi Washington has been in touch with Abbdur-Rahim, maintaining a relationship and bridging the gap between coaches. Though not yet officially announced, Washington is expected to be retained on Howard’s staff, with Phil Martelli and Howard Eisley rounding out the coaching staff. “They’re trying to grow something special at Michigan,”
Abdur-Rahim said. “(Howard) hopes that I could be a part of that.” Abdur-Rahim, a four-star wing ranked 41st in the country per 247Sports’ composite, previously had an official visit to Ann Arbor scheduled for May 27, but that was swept away amidst the chaos of a coaching search. As of now, he has no plans set in stone for a visit, but that could change. “Once all that stuff with (Beilein) happened, that kind of took over the timeframe that I had set for my junior year officials,” Abdur-Rahim said. “Now, I’m gonna just regroup and
They’re trying to grow someting special ...
take my officials as a senior and see where that goes.” When asked whether Howard’s status as a member of the Fab Five impacted his perception of Michigan, Jabri chose to focus instead on Howard’s NBA experience. “It’s interesting, because he’s obviously done it before,” AbdurRahim said. “So that perspective is pretty cool, a person that’s played at the highest level. Like I said, I’m just trying to do my homework on everybody. Not just Michigan.” Right now, Abdur-Rahim said, his recruitment is wide open
and will likely hinge on what he sees in the upcoming season. He, as everyone else, has little indication of what Howard’s basketball philosophy is and plans to be watching closely come the fall to find out. “I feel like I’m gonna have a better sense of my view once I see them,” AbdurRahim said. “... So I can watch gameplay, can watch everyone else play. Compare and contrast the schools I like and the schools I don’t like. So my view is the same for everybody right now. I’ll definitely start gaining some stronger opinions on a lot of things once the season starts.”
I’m just trying to do my homework on everybody.
Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS 11
Henry, four other Wolverines selected in 2019 MLB Draft KENT SCHWARTZ Daily Sports Writer
As the sun set in Corvallis on Monday night, the Michigan baseball team was celebrating — they had just beat Creighton in the NCAA Regional final game, 17-6, on the back of its potent offense. Then, they were given another reason to celebrate: within minutes of each other, the two junior Michigan aces were drafted. Left-hander Tommy Henry was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 74th pick and right-hander Karl Kauffmann went to the Colorado Rockies at No. 77. They were the first of five Wolverine upperclassman to be drafted. Next was Big Ten Player of the Year junior outfielder Jordan Brewer, who was No. 106 overall to the Houston Astros. Then junior right-hander Jack Weisenburger went to Oakland at No. 614 and finally, senior infielder Jimmy Kerr came in at No. 982, drafted by the Detroit Tigers.
For Kauffmann and Henry, being drafted was expected; both had been impressive starters the last two years and shutting down opposing offenses. Henry watched his draft stock skyrocket throughout the first two months of the season. He allowed just three runs in his first five starts, including a one-hit shutout at The Citadel, where he threw just 88 pitches, facing 27 batters and striking out 13. Towards the end of the season, though, he began to falter. His earned-run average nearly doubled after a string of bad starts, where it eventually finished at 3.61, eventually pushing him from Friday starter to Saturday starter — replaced by the man picked three spots later. Kauffmann, steady throughout the year, ended with the lowest ERA on the team at 2.62. He wasn’t a strikeout pitcher like Henry, though. Instead, Kauffmann would let his defense do the work by inducing ground ball after ground ball. Weisenburger, the lone
member of the Michigan bullpen to be drafted, did not put up the impressive numbers that Kauffmann and Henry did. With just 29 innings of use this year and 27.2 last year, Weisenburger had a .6 walk-to-strikeout ratio in his junior campaign and was often the third or fourth arm to come out of the bullpen. This year’s breakout performer for the Wolverines is quite clearly the junior college transfer Brewer. In his first year of Division I baseball, the outfielder stole the show. He made astonishing diving catches and key pick-off throws from the warning track to keep games close. In the batters box, he came alive with a team-high slugging percentage and batting average of .612 and .349, respectively, along with 23 steals. Another standout from this year, Kerr spent almost all of his time at first base and started every single game this year. The regionals were a snapshot of Kerr’s season for the Wolverines: 4 home runs in four
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Junior left-hander Tommy Henry was selected 74th overall in the 2019 MLB Draft.
games. In other words, Kerr was clutch. So as the rounds went by and Michigan was preparing for its clash against No. 1 UCLA,
players boarded the bus after practice and went wild when they heard the news that their captain was drafted by the team 45 miles away.
Big game success: A look at how Michigan flipped the script KENT SCHWARTZ Daily Sports Writer
The past two weeks, the Michigan baseball team has captured the attention of every college baseball fan in the country as it’s made a run to the College World Series. At first, though, it wasn’t even clear the Wolverines would make the tournament; they had barely avoided an early exit from the Big Ten Tournament with a walk-off double from Jordan Nwogu, and before that, they had relinquished the Big Ten regular season title in two straight series losses to Indiana and Nebraska. They weren’t playing well, they were tight and showing a weakness for big time games. “You don’t play baseball well when you’re stressed,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich after the series at Nebraska. “So we’re going into this weekend loose, confident and relaxed.” It was a common thread throughout their season that big games were their weakness,
especially in April after disappointing series losses at Ohio State, Texas Tech (who they will play this Saturday) and in California. Until May 20, in a game against No. 20 Illinois, it wasn’t clear whether Michigan would show up in the big moments. Then there was Nwogu’s big hit, and the next day, there was life in a team that looked despondent in the days before. The Wolverines won their next game against Maryland, almost guaranteeing their spot in the NCAA tournament. Throughout the year, Michigan beat itself more than anyone else. Errors, walks and bad baserunning would all converge on the same day and give opponents easy victories. Four errors, two hit-by-pitches and three walks gifted a game to the
Hoosiers. Four errors and nine walks resulted in an 11-2 loss to the Red Raiders. Even last Saturday against No. 1 UCLA in the Super Regionals, the Wolverines had five crucial errors and 10 walks while three of the five Bruin runs were unearned. But for the most part in the last two weeks, Michigan has played lights out, no longer weighed down by selfinflicted pressure. It has gotten the clutch hits when it needed to and hasn’t been crushed by the big time lights. “What I’d like us to do better is continue to trend upwards when we have setbacks like this, to use it as growth and fuel to better our performance in the future,” Bakich said after the series at Ohio State. “If we’re going to be the team that I think we’re going to be, then we’re going to have to
play well when it means the most and a rivalry series is one of those weekends when it means the most.” Apparently the Wolverines
needed to see a clutch hit to believe it and when Nwogu launched a double against the Illini, they bought in and have finally grown to their true potential.
We’re going to have to play well when it matters most ...
CAMERON HUNT/Daily
Sophomore outfielder Jordan Nwogu hit a walkoff double in the Big Ten Tournament
12 SPORTS
Thursday, June 13, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tommy Henry shines when it matters most for the Wolverines ADAM RICH
Daily Sports Writer
The bottom of the seventh inning got off to a rocky start for Michigan. With the count at 1-2 and his team trailing, 3-2, UCLA freshman catcher Noah Cardenas smacked a leadoff double into the gap against the Wolverines’ junior left-hander Tommy Henry. The energy in the stadium intensified, while Henry calmed. Battle tested, Henry has pitched in high pressure environments before, and channeled the resulting experience to his advantage. The following batter for the Bruins, sophomore outfielder Jack Stronach, sacrifice bunted, establishing a one-out and runner on third situation. With the infield in, Henry then induced a quick groundout to third to secure out number two. Cardenas remained stranded at third, but with two outs, UCLA’s top hitter, sophomore center fielder
Garrett Mitchell slowly made his way into the box. After working himself into an advantageous 3-1 count, Mitchell waved through a slider to bring the count full. On his 104th pitch of the night, Henry delivered another slider, this time high and tight. Mitchell made contact, softly lining the ball onto the infield grass between the first and second baseman. Senior first baseman Jimmy Kerr made the read and fielded the ball on the hop. Henry, recognizing the vacated base, hustled over to cover the bag. In his footrace with Mitchell, one of the fastest players in the country, Henry won by an inch –– securing his final out of the night and preserving the Michigan lead. His final line: a remarkable seven innings pitched, seven hits, two earned runs, six strikeouts, and no walks. All that while battling the flu. “Looking at this team, looking at this field, the super regional stage, it’s something that I know all of
us have envisioned playing in the backyard growing up, every time you’re swinging a bat,” Henry said. “You know, you envision these moments and you dream about being on this stage. So, I know that the 35 of them would not skip a beat and would never miss this moment, so I wasn’t going to either.” For Henry, yesterday’s outing came on the heels of an up-anddown season. On April 10th, the lefty was named to the Golden Spikes Midseason Watchlist, the award given to the best player in college baseball. However, following an eightinning performance against Michigan State on March 29th, Henry’s earned-run average gradually rose from 0.76 to 3.69. In his last two regular season outings of the year, he ceded 12 runs across 10 innings of work. Once the postseason arrived though, Henry returned to form. In the Big Ten Tournament, Henry
threw seven innings across one start and one relief appearance. He allowed two runs total while striking out nine hitters and walking only one. Last weekend, Henry excelled again as he twirled seven and a third innings of three run baseball against Creighton, one of the nation’s most imposing offenses. But last night was Henry’s biggest test of the year against topseeded UCLA. It was perhaps his most important outing since he pitched in game one of the Cape Cod League semifinals last summer. In that game, Henry started, but lasted a mere 1.1 innings. Last night, he reflected upon how that game enabled him to grow as a pitcher. “There were definitely a lot of learning experiences being out at a place like The Cape. You’re facing the best of the best and it really gives you a chance to learn.” Henry said. “And that’s a credit to Coach Bakich for giving us the tools to have an open mind and use those learning
experiences to make yourself better. The credit goes to him for working hard on that, drawing us all in together, speaking to us about it and giving us those tools so that when you do face adversity, you can learn from it and improve.” In the face of more adversity last night and his team’s season on the line, the tools were on full display as Henry locked down a potent Bruin offense. He made continuous adjustments on the mound and as a result did not allow a run in his final four innings of work. In addition to his impressive seventh inning, the fifth inning provided a major highlight as well. With the count full and runners on second and third, Henry spun in a curveball to ring up UCLA junior second baseman Chase Strumpf. After unleashing a roar, Henry quickly stared down Strumpf as he returned to the dugout. Now, Henry has the Wolverines staring down their first Omaha trip since 1984.
Michigan eliminates UCLA 4-2 to advance to College World Series AVI RAJENDRA-NICOLUCCI Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan baseball team was in a familiar position against a familiar foe. Trailing 2-1 to No. 1 UCLA in the fifth inning, they sorely needed some clutch hitting. Junior outfielder Christian Bullock opened the fifth inning with a walk and then stole second base. Blomgren hit a single, allowing Bullock to advance to third. The Wolverines then turned nearcalamity into opportunity. As Blomgren was inches away from being picked off at first, he avoided the tag and beat the failed rundown attempt to advance to second. And with runners in scoring position, Ako Thomas delivered. The senior infielder drilled a twoRBI ground-ball single to retake the lead for Michigan, 3-2. The Wolverines added one more run and were able to hold off the Bruins for the third time this season, winning 4-2 to advance to the College World Series for the first time since 1984. Michigan opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Senior infielder Blake Nelson was walked and junior outfielder Christian
Bullock smashed a double down the first base line to advance Nelson to third. Sophomore infielder Jack Blomgren stepped up and delivered a ground ball allowing Nelson to score. The Bruins weren’t daunted. In the bottom of the second, outfielder Jake Pries launched a solo home run to left-center on the third pitch of the inning to tie the game at 1-1. UCLA broke the deadlock in the third inning. The score was set up by an untimely slip and fall by junior outfielder Jordan Brewer in right field allowing the fly ball to get past him and the batter to reach third. A ground ball to the shortstop allowed the runner on third to cross home plate. The Wolverines’ defensive issues continued from Saturday and nearly caused a disaster in the fourth inning. With two outs and a Bruins runner on first, a ground ball came to Nelson who bobbled the ball, then rushed the throw to first airmailing senior first baseman Jimmy Kerr. Kerr hustled to get the ball and fired a throw to home plate where sophomore catcher Joe Donovan applied the tag to the diving UCLA runner to get the out. The Michigan offense sputtered after the early innings, in a game that
was eerily reminiscent of Saturday’s contest. This time, however, they received an insurance run in the top of the ninth to extend the lead to 4-2. Bullock crushed a ball into left-center over the heads of the outfielders and used his speed to stretch it into a triple. A sac-fly from Donovan sent Bullock home. Bullock went two for three, stole a base and scored twice; an incredible bounceback game after a forgettable Saturday where a costly error allowed UCLA to score a crucial run. Tommy Henry did his part for the Wolverines. The junior left-hander was fighting an illness and pitched seven innings, giving up only two runs while striking out six. Innings four through seven, Henry was rocksolid allowing no runs and coming up with clutch outs when the Bruins were threatening. Redshirt junior left-hander Benjamin Keizer replaced Henry. Keizer went 1-2-3 in the eighth but ran into some adversity in the bottom of the ninth. He allowed a single and then hit the very next batter before a pop-fly and a ground ball ended the Bruins’ comeback bid. It was a gutsy performance from Keizer and the entire team, sending the Wolverines to their first College World Series in 35 years.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Junior outfielder Christian Bullock recorded two hits in Michigan’s 4-2 victory.