Thursday, July 18, 2019
ONE HUNDRED TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
inside
Nonpartisian election plan fails by 1 vote
NEWS
Affordability University community examines increased tuition and fees for 2018-19 year >> SEE PAGE 3
City Council votes down Mayor Chris Tylor’s proposal at meeting
OPINION
The Democrats Akaash Tumuluri discusses internal divisions within the Democratic Party ahead of the primary election >> SEE PAGE 4
ARTS
Nevertheless New feminist film festival founded by University alum proves the future is female >> SEE PAGE 7
MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Language of love
MiC editor Aly Charf writes a poem dedicated to her Nana and Tata, who both died in the last two years
>> SEE PAGE 9
SPORTS
Baseball Three Wolverines are competing in the Cape Cod Baseball League this summer
>> SEE PAGE 12
INDEX Vol. CXXVIII, No. 118 © 2019 The Michigan Daily
NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ............................... 4 ARTS...................................... 6 MiC......................................... 9 SPORTS................................ 10
michigandaily.com
OLIVIA SCOTT
Daily Staff Reporter The Block M undergoes construction that is scheduled to be completed the time classes begin for the Fall 2019 semester.
KARTIK SUNDARAM/Daily
Students reflect on ongoing block ‘M’ construction in Diag $200,000 project set to be completed by fall semester MELANIE TAYLOR Summer News Editor
At the center of the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus, where the Diag’s two largest paths cross, lies a bronze block ‘M’ set in granite in the ground. The monument was donated by the University’s class of 1953 as a gift to then University President Harlan Hatcher. During the fall and winter semesters, thousands upon thousands of students, staff and visitors pass the block ‘M’ every day, but few dare to tread on it directly. “Campus legend has it that if you step on the M you will flunk your first blue book exam, hence the many people who diligently avoid trodding on the marker,” the University’s cultural attraction description says. Students revere the ‘M’ as an icon of the University, so when construction began on the artifact in early July, they noticed. LSA sophomore Alexis Irlbeck said the construction is necessary, but joked it was alarming.
“For one, I would really hope that none of the construction workers were poor little University of Michigan students working for the summer and having to work that closely to the block ‘M,’” Irlbeck said. “Obviously, it’s a good thing. It’s going to look all nice and brand new, but it is kind of sad that it’s all covered up by construction right now. Hopefully, that is not going to be the case when all the freshmen come in September.” The construction is being done by outside contractor J. S. Vig Construction and is scheduled to be complete by the time classes begin for the Fall 2019 semester, according to University Spokesman Rick Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald also told the Daily the project’s total cost is $200,000, half of which is being covered by donor funds. The project entails replacing the concrete beneath the M as well as the stone surrounding it. In an email press release, the University said the selected stone was chosen to uphold the historical look of the landmark while enhancing its durability. “The Giallo Veneziano stone material that will be installed matches the existing stone and the current shape and pattern will remain the same,” the release said. “The new stone panels will
be considerably thicker and are expected to hold up much better to Michigan’s extensive freezethaw cycles.” Irlbeck works as a Campus Day Leader, showing prospective students around campus in the spring as an ambassador for the University. Irlbeck tells her groups about the block ‘M’ legend by gathering them in a circle around the marker like one would share a story by the campfire. “What I just tell everybody is not to step on the block ‘M,’ but if you do, there is one way to reverse the curse,” Irlbeck said. “So, I’ll turn around and point at Hatcher.” Irlbeck then explains to her groups the curse’s only anecdote is if the afflicted runs from the steps of the Hatcher Graduate Library to kiss the pumas on the Biological Sciences Building and run back. The sprint must also happen within the first and last tolls of the Bell Tower at midnight — which is both physically and logistically impossible because the Bell Tower no longer rings after 10 p.m. — and the runner must be naked, which is illegal. Whenever she tells the story, Irlbeck said she feels like she’s “including” students in the University community.
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On Monday, Ann Arbor City Council discussed an override of Mayor Christopher Taylor’s veto of a resolution that would put an initiative on whether or not the city’s elections should be partisan on the November 2019 election ballot. The council ultimately fell one vote short of the eight votes necessary to override the veto. Before the contentious vote, the council welcomed Michael Cox, the new Ann Arbor police chief. Cox said he looks forward to working for and with the community. “Thank you all for showing confidence in me to lead this great city and police department,” Cox said. “I can’t wait to work with both the citizens of Ann Arbor and the police officers here.” During public comments, four people spoke about boycotting Israel. Multiple councilmembers shared their own views on the issue and how the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission should handle it. Councilmember Ali Ramlawi, D-Ward 5, spoke about how the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission should look at human rights issues across the world. Other members of the council, such as Julie Grand, D-Ward 3, and Zachary Ackerman, D-Ward 3, discussed how they feel Jewish identities and spaces are often attacked by protestors in Ann Arbor. City Council then discussed the override of they mayor’s veto on a ballot initiative. Currently, Ann Arbor elections are partisan, and the ballot initiative resolution introduced on July 1 would allow voters to decide if Ann Arbor elections should be nonpartisan.
Read more at michigandaily.com
2 NEWS
Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
‘U’ school creates health podcast School of Public Health looks to make research more accessible
mandatory part of the program, or at least something that people are trying to do. I just, kind of, hope that this can be part of initiatives by the School of Public Health and other schools to try to just increase students’ ability to find other ways to articulate their ideas.” In the first season — which will run weekly through the end of August — will cover a range of topics from the opioid epidemic and gun safety, to aging and childhood nutrition. Each 20 to 30-minute episode will feature three or four professionals who will showcase their different perspectives and expertise. With over 200 students, 530 faculty and staff and 16,000 alumni, the School of Public Health studies topics ranging from epidemiology and health management, to biostatistics and environmental health sciences.
SAMANTHA SMALL Summer News Editor
The University of Michigan School of Public Health released a new podcast titled “Population Healthy” to spread their work to the general public. Public Health doctoral student Nina Masters said public health work tends to only spread inside a small echo chamber, so the podcast acts as a medium for sharing knowledge. “I think that these kinds of ideas have to be incorporated into STEM fields, especially public health, because the nature of it is so much about impacting the public and changing behavior Sudoku Syndication and raising awareness,” she said. “It’s kind of weird that it’s not a
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Community members rally for undocumented individuals the right to obtain driver’s licenses at the Washtenaw County Administration Building Saturday.
Immigrant rights garner A2 support More than 100 demand rights for undocumented immigrants
implementation, individuals only needed to prove their identity and Michigan residency when applying for a driver’s license. Movimiento Cosecha organizer Sergio Hurtado explained driver’s licenses are important for undocumented immigrants to http://www.sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ Read more at michigandaily.com FRANCESCA DUONG be able to drive out and perform For The Daily the basic tasks such as running errands, taking their kids to On Saturday, more than one school or going to work. Hurtado hundred community members said the march had two purposes: gathered at the Washtenaw to demand that Wasthenaw County Administration Building County pass a resolution in to urge Washtenaw County and support of immigrants and to MEDIUM the Michigan legislature to allow urge legislation be introduced in undocumented individuals to the state legislature that would obtain driver’s licenses. Carrying give access to driver’s license to signs and banging makeshift undocumented immigrants. “We wanted the community to drums, participants marched through downtown Ann Arbor in come out here and be united and a demonstration led by the Ann show our presence, and show that Arbor chapter of Movimiento in this political climate we are not Cosecha, a national nonviolent afraid,” Hurtado said. The demonstration comes movement fighting for the protection of undocumented during a period of heightened interest in the immigration system, immigrants’ rights. Movimiento Cosecha Ann with politicians touring facilities Arbor wrote they are demanding at the border. Immigration driver’s licenses for everyone as reform is also a main issue in the driving without licenses causes Democratic presidential primary, the immigrant community and has been a major talking point uncertainty and fear. Filling the for President Trump. Jose Alvarez, son of a member of streets with signs and banners while chanting “¿Cuando? Movimiento Cosecha, explained !Ahora!” (When? Now!), Spanish the impact of driver’s licenses and non-Spanish speakers alike from a youth standpoint. He said kids of undocumented immigrants walked in solidarity. In 2008, a 2007 Attorney are afraid, and he hopes that every General opinion was implemented, time they go to the drug store, or © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com denying licences to all undocumented people, including Read more at michigandaily.com lawful noncitizens. Prior to this
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The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2 per issue. Subscriptions for September - April are $250, and yearlong subscriptions are $275. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. Subscriptions must be prepaid.
Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
‘U’ community reflects on rising tuition, fees
‘U’ free tuition program finds new company
Students, faculty examine campus affordability following decision to increase costs for 2018-19 year CLAIRE HAO
Summer News Editor
The University of Michigan Board of Regents approved a series of tuition and room-and-board increases at their June 20 meeting. The headline of the University’s press release emphasizes the 1.9 percent in-state undergraduate tuition increase is the lowest in six years, with a lowerdivision rate of $15,588, $296 more than last year. Lowerdivision refers to students who’ve completed 0 to 54 credits towards their degree. In the same sentence, the release notes an 11.2 percent increase in the financial aid budget to offset the increases in tuition, bringing total funding allocated for needbased aid to $228.6 million. This means most in-state students receiving needbased aid will not pay more in tuition costs this coming year, the release explained. At the June Regents meeting, University Provost Martin Philbert provided data to show University tuition costs are the lowest or among the lowest compared to other public institutions for families making up to $110K. University President Mark Schlissel also emphasized his commitment to affordability, particularly for in-state students. “By investing in academic excellence and our commitment to affordability, we are ensuring that Michigan residents who need it most will see no increase in their tuition cost as they study at a world-class public research university,” Schlissel said. Out-of-state undergraduate tuition will increase by 3.7 percent, an increase of $1850 to bring total tuition to $51,200. Graduate tuition is set to increase 3.2 percent, a $762 increase for in-state students and a $1526 increase for out-of-state students. There will also be a
NEWS 3
University of Texas Austin releases program similar to University’s Go Blue Guarantee
four percent increase for on-campus room-and-board rates, which the release said will go towards future renovations and preserving improvements in recentlyrenovated buildings. According to the release, eight residence halls are in need of “major upgrades.” Additionally, the University is introducing a $500 per term fee for international students on F and J type visas “to help cover the cost of sustaining and enhancing services to support this important student segment.” These include costs associated with regulation compliance, which the release said now requires more staff time and expertise as they become more complicated. “It will take some time to determine the specific ways in which the funding generated by the fee will be utilized,” the release said. Prior to this fee, there was no difference in tuition costs between out-of-state and international students. The fee will put the University “in alignment” with other universities with additional fees or greater tuition costs for international students, the press release stated. In the press release, the University said it will cover the international student fee for Ph.D. students, graduate student instructors and graduate student staff assistants. While presenting at the June meeting, Philbert explained tuition would be $6400 without endowment support. As of October 2018, the University of Michigan has an endowment of $11.9 billion, “the ninth largest among U.S. universities and third among public universities after two university systems.” According to the University, about 22 percent, or $2.5 billion, of the endowment is used for student scholarships and fellowships.
CLAIRE HAO
Summer News Editor
Last week, the University of Texas at Austin announced full tuition support for students from families making less than $65,000 and guaranteed financial aid for students from families making up to $125,000 who have financial need beginning in fall 2020. This new support will expand upon UT Austin’s Texas Advance Commitment, developed in 2018 to cover the full price of tuition for students from families earning $30,000 or less and offer assured support for students from families earning up to $100,000. The new program will also make the Texas Advance Commitment available to transfer students. In UT Austin’s press release, UT Austin President Gregory L. Fenves thanked Kevin Eltife, Board of Regents chairman, for prioritizing students and investing in Texas’s future, calling college affordability one of the most critical issues affecting Texans. “Thanks to (Eltife’s) leadership and the board’s action, this new endowment will go a long way toward making our university affordable for talented Texas students from every background and region,” Fenves said. The expansion of UT Austin’s Texas Advance Commitment has drawn comparisons to the University of Michigan’s Go Blue Guarantee, implemented in 2018. Like the new Texas Advance Commitment, the Go Blue Guarantee promises to help pay the full price of tuition and fees for undergraduate students from families making less than $65,000. Both programs work by covering the remaining cost of tuition after factoring in the student’s other sources of tuition funding, grants and scholarships. In an email to The Daily, J.B. Bird, UT Austin Director of Media Relations and Newsroom, confirmed UT Austin looked at tuition support programs at institutions across the nation, including Michigan.
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4 OPINION
Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com
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AKAASH TUMULURI | COLUMN
F
orget about reaching across the aisle. House Democrats are having trouble reaching across their own pews. Pews that need to be unified now, more than ever. It’s preelection fever, the same as we’ve seen before — a tide that in 2016 crested on the political fringes and brought us candidates like Trump and Bernie — making moderates wary with the specter of 2020 looming on the not-so-distant horizon. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi seems to be attempting her best Moses impersonation, trying to single-handedly quell the progressive wave of farleftists while claiming moral high ground based on her fight for unification that supposedly prioritizes the party, not necessarily progressivism. Supporters of “The Squad,” as Democratic Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts are known, will find this a hard pill to swallow. Especially after the House’s support of a $4.6 billion border funding bill lacking many conditions of improvement for migrant families and children — sparking loud dissent from progressives that aim to “disrupt” Congress like a Silicon Valley startup. The headliners of this fight are, of course, AOC and Pelosi.
Fighting for the future of the Democratic Party
They’ve traded jabs left and right, “trapped in a generational and ideological tangle” that threatens the streng th of the Democratic party as a whole, according to Maureen Dowd of the New York Times. It’s gotten to the point where OcasioCortez, whose statements I would have stood by about a month ago, has accused Pelosi of “targeting women of color.” Pelosi, among many other things, helped our f irst African American president not only reach the highest off ice, but enact his agenda against an opposition hell-bent on seeing his name go down as a footnote in histor y. I’m sorr y, AOC, I just can’t see it. I laud your attempt to tr y and shake up Cong ress, I do. It needs one, badly, but this doesn’t seem like the way to do it. Especially because this is the f irst time in a while that the Democrats have completely taken control of the news cycle — but for all the wrong reasons. The House Democrats’ Twitter account feuding with Ocasio-Cortez’s Chief of Staff, Saikat Chakrabarti. Mr. Chakrabarti comparing moderate Democrats to Southern Democrats in the 50’s. Rep. Mark Pocan of Wisconsin calling the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus the “Child Abuse Caucus.” And again, the example of AOC and Pelosi’s ver y public admonitions of each other f its this bill.
All these stories ser ve as nothing more than f uel for a Republican Part y that seems content sitting back and watching the Democrats set f ire to themselves right before the primaries roll around. But even framing it like that makes me uneasy. The Democrats have made strides. They took back the House in 2018 — a win led by Pelosi, who focused on f lipping red
The problem? Neither can see past each other’s differences seats blue by placing emphasis on a moderate agenda. In her current role as speaker, she seemed adept at navigating the most discombobulated White House in histor y, able to simultaneously admonish the President for his numerous mistakes and secure his ear whenever necessar y to reach across the aisle. “The Squad” and their allies, on the other hand, have ig nited a liberal, prog ressive coalition that demands to be heard by the Democratic elite — believed to be helmed by Pelosi.
That’s where we f ind the fork in the road. It’s all about belief — and the lack thereof. Prog ressive Democrats don’t believe House leadership is doing enough to push back against conser vative, Senateled policy. Pelosi and other moderates believe the youthful far-left isn’t being pragmatic and will lead the party down a frustrating road of government shutdowns and political stalemates. And, the worst part is, they’re both right. The new wave of freshmen representatives simply don’t yet have the political capital to whip votes necessary to enact their agenda. And the moderates that control the House fail at igniting the youth they so desperately need to take back the highest office. Despite all this, the speaker seems to be playing her cards close to her chest, and for what? AOC is a star, the darling-child with a 4.8-million-and-growing online following, the new face of a movement, undoubtedly an asset for a Democratic party lacking in emotionallycharged constituency. They should be working together — the two women leading the Democratic Party into a unified, progressive future. The problem? Neither can see past each other’s differences to the wealth of similarity they share, because they both have precedent to stand by their beliefs. Bernie’s meteoric rise
in the 2016 primaries validates AOC and her allies’ call for a more progressive agenda, and the 2018 midterms validates Pelosi’s slow-and-steady MO for change. So here we are again, stuck in a battle for the future of a party that seems to be returning to the same road, again and again, hoping for it to lead somewhere new each time. And it’s hard for me to blame anyone for it. So I’m sorry. I’m tired of seeing the same progressive versus moderate battle with sudden-death brutality; I’m tired of watching those I believe in become caught up in arbitrary and misguided climbs to the highest plane of morality; I’m tired of seeing the Democrats, again, focus on sweet nothings that are beside the point. Because the point is Trump will be reelected if the Democrats can’t find a way to stop bickering. If that happens, it would be as close to the death of the Democratic Party as we will have ever seen. You get the sense that the collective Democratic ego that made it a foregone conclusion Hillary would win in 2016 is rearing its ugly head once again. The irony of course being the lack of hindsight in 2020. But numbingly, all I can say is this: Once again, we can’t do more than wait, see and hope. Mostly just hope. Akaash Tumuluri can be reached at tumula@umich.edu.
Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
KRISTEN HAYDEN | OP-ED
T
ANNE ELSE | COLUMN
U-M complicit in climate change
his March, 1.4 million kids took to the streets to protect their futures. Some were marked absent from school, and many were lambasted by local news outlets, but all helped bring to light the threat of climate change and government inaction. Ever so slowly, people are taking note. From the World Bank to the New Zealand government, those in power are recognizing that they must take major strides to mitigate the climate crisis. This is not the case at the University of Michigan. During Ann Arbor’s thousands-strong climate change protest, officials arrested 10 participants including University students, high school students and community members. The protesters’ demand? Simply for University President Mark Schlissel to meet and discuss streng thening the University’s weak attempts to fight the climate crisis. The protest and arrests followed months of unanimous student government resolutions, public letters and testimonials at Board of Regents meetings aimed at getting the University to address climate change beyond quick fixes and token programs. The University continually maintains that it is a big ship and it takes a long time to change, but we no longer have time to wait. Sustainability projects that benefit our campus, like energ y-reduction plans, composting programs and educational campaigns, were brought to fruition by passionate individuals, but the University administration refuses to consider long-term solutions — like true carbon neutrality, renewable energ y infrastructure or education reforms — that ref lect the urgent action we need. For instance, along with the vag ue promise to “(put) U-M on a trajectory towards carbon neutrality,” the University bought a greater percent of renewable energ y, which would be exciting, but the purchase was only made as a last-minute, publicitygenerating attempt to reach a Planet Blue Sustainability goal that should have, instead, been met with real innovative energ y solutions. Even the new U-M President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality is an ineffectual response to
OPINION 5
climate activists, lacking direction, a focus on environmental justice and any indication that its recommendations will be acted upon. During the first commission meeting, the committee was told that the Central Power Plant new gas-powered turbine and the University’s investments in fossil fuels was out of the scope of their discussion. This is a huge mistake, since emissions from the use of gas-powered turbines are under-researched and investment in fossil fuels increases global carbon emissions. The arrests are a clear attempt for the University to hide its complicity in the climate crisis. By refusing demands to reshape the way it approaches the climate crisis, the University has shown that it does not support its students, understand the research of its faculty or believe in the herculean efforts of its environmentallyminded staff. By encouraging the state prosecutor to press charges for arrests made, the University administration is disrupting the studies and research of its own students in order to silence protest; thankfully, the state prosecutor refused U-M’s request to charge the 15 and 16 year-olds. These are not the actions of an institution that supports a safe future for its students, nor their freedom of speech. The University should remember the forward-thinking institution it was when it hosted the very first Earth Day 50 years ago. You, reader, can help to make that happen. You can write to the people listed below and encourage them to take appropriate action. Here are a few suggestions: request the state prosecutor drop trespass charges against those arrested at the Climate Strike on March 15; bind U-M to recommendations from the PCCN and instate a dedicated justice advisor; halt the construction of the natural gas power plant until options for a transition to alternate fuels are explored; begin divestment from fossil fuels. Your voice matters, and we need you to use it. Our University will not change unless we as a community make clear that it needs to, for all of our sakes. Kristen Hayden is a junior studying Earth and Environmental Sciences and PiTE and a member of the Climate Action Movement.
O
n July 5, as temperatures rose and Ann Arborites flocked to the river to spend their day on the water, they were met with a disappointing development. A sanitary sewer main break occurred that morning causing sewage to enter a storm pipe and empty into the river. City officials managed to repair the pipe break relatively quickly, but there were still roughly 3,000 gallons of raw sewage that managed to enter the water. This sewage leak could affect several species that live in the river, as well as summer activities. This local destruction of waterways prompted me to think about how precious Michigan’s water really is. After years of enduring the Flint Water Crisis, some families still do not have access to clean water. In 2019, there are still pipes sending lead tainted water to people’s homes, although the city of Flint is thankfully approaching the issue with efficiency and replacement strategies in order to eradicate any remaining lead pipes. It is baffling to me that people in Michigan are still unable to access freshwater due to unsafe water sources and political decisions. A state known for its immense amount of freshwater access due to the beloved Great Lakes cannot even provide safe drinking water to its own people. My most fond memories of growing up in Michigan are trips up north and days spent on lakes. My out-of-state friends always point out that us Michiganders talk about up north a great deal. I have found it acts as our safe haven. We yearn to road trip upstate to bask in the sun, spot the glittering expanses of freshwater, dive into clear rivers. After the sewage outbreak and the heartbreaking state of Flint, how can we be sure that Michigan’s beloved water will remain unaffected by man-made issues? I want to know that there are people that support our state’s beauty and nature. I want to see actions that prove there are defenders of the Great Lakes and the waters that we call home. Thankfully, protectors of our waters do exist: in the
Protect our waters form of local advocates and in the form of the renowned non-profit Clean Water Action. Clean Water Action has offices around the country, spreading their mission in hopes that climate change and human mistakes will not destroy our country’s water resources. In Michigan, there are three offices, including one in Ann Arbor, that canvas around several different townships. Their mission is straightforward and action-based. It states that they strive “To protect our environment, health, economic wellbeing and community quality of life.” They also state some initiatives for a clean future: “Get health-harming toxics out of everyday products; protect our water from dirty energy threats — drilling and fracking for oil and gas, and power plant pollution; build a future of clean water and clean energy; keep our clean water laws strong and effective to protect water and health.” Their drive to get legislation passed and spread the information through canvassing is beneficial to promoting environmental change.
Thankfully, protectors of our waters do exist
Meredith Gillies, program manager of the Clean Water Action Ann Arbor branch, weighed in on the importance of getting their message across to the local community. Gillies said, “Polluters in Michigan are not required to pay for any cleanup of the contamination that they cause unless the state proves they are responsible in court … The legislation we are advocating for would reverse the burden of proof, requiring polluters to prove they are not responsible for the release of hazardous substances in order to avoid paying for cleanup. It would also increase cleanup standards to ensure that our
natural resources are protected.” These companies are causing the most harm yet still reaping rewards by not having to pay for cleanup. Her insider perspective helps to provide a complete picture of the faults of polluters in Michigan. Clean Water Action are supporters of keeping Michigan waters clean through ecoconscious legislation. Through their Michigan dedicated articles, I learned about the detrimental factors specifically in the state of Michigan that could affect our water systems greatly. For example, climate change causes an increase in stormwater runoff into the Great Lakes. Unfortunately, our state does not have the correct environmental infrastructure in place to manage this issue. An even more shocking fact is that Michigan “remains the only state in the United States that lacks a statewide septic code, and as a consequence, 25 to 30 percent of our 1.4 million septic systems statewide are failing and leaking more raw and untreated sewage into our groundwater,” highlighting a need for new policy considerations. Michigan law-makers, politicians and citizens should all be supporting Clean Water Action’s important work if they believe in a human right to clean water. Their valuable canvassing and campaigning has the potential to help generations to come by adjusting Michigan’s infrastructure to the rising effects of climate change. It is vital that we keep our freshwaters clean and free from corporate harm and man-made destruction. Through efforts to help residents of Flint, workers at Clean Water Action and supporters of waterway protection, our source of life will hopefully be preserved across the entire country. Water access should not be solely about politics and lobbying, but these actions are what provide clear change in the way that states and water systems are run. If we can set aside political affectations, we can come together to support the universal need of clean water. Anne Else can be reached at aelse@umich.edu.
6 ARTS
Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEW MEDIA NOTEBOOK
BAM COMMUNICATIONS
Your local Spotify stalker JULIANNA MORANO
Summer Managing Arts Editor
When I find a song to share with my mom, I always wait until it’s the two of us in the car. It would be difficult to trace how many of our shared obsessions began with this exact scene, but I imagine the fugitivity of the moment and ourselves on the road — minds and bodies alike — are somehow linked. It’s something to do with not having to watch her face if I don’t want to, which is something to do with fear of finding disinterest in it, which is something to do with how absurdly high stakes these transactions feel to me. It doesn’t make me feel like I’m in the crosshairs; instead, it calls my understanding of the person sitting beside me into question. A folk cover of a Nirvana song played between those seats, as did my mom’s first contemporary hip-hop record, as did the song that initiated our (neverending) Solange phase. Once, on a night drive during my new wave spurt, I queued a sequence that started with The Replacements’ “I Will Dare,” probably included a Cars song I thought she might be able to pretend wasn’t the Cars (Dad loves, Mom hates), definitely included Echo & the Bunnymen and concluded with Iggy Pop. She told me she hadn’t listened to those songs since she was around my age, commuting to college at U-M Dearborn. Those moments, identifying, then translating across a synapse I hadn’t detected, are the ones I wait for. The ones that compensate for the face she
made when, say, I tried to convince her Bob Dylan could sing. *** I don’t know if I should be writing about this. I wasn’t there to see how it began: with the artful labor of creating a mixtape. I’ve never had a cassette slipped into my hands, never consulted someone’s carefully printed, cryptic title to gather a hint as to what I might hear. I’ve come of age in the days of Spotify and other digital streaming services. I don’t tend to look at the past in a way that lends itself to longing, so I quickly adapted to an increasingly intangible experience with music. Even after admiring box after box of vinyl, I rarely make purchases at the record stores I visit, and I don’t miss the choreography of extracting a CD without leaving fingerprints on it. Does that mean that I have no taste of that old-school magic? I don’t think so. I think when I pull up the Spotify playlist I commissioned from a friend after hearing his favorite Kendrick Lamar song by chance and finally admitting that I had neglected a revolutionary genre for too long, I know something of its charms. I don’t think that because the songs on the digital counterpart of a mixtape were easier to compile that less attention and care were devoted to the act of compiling them. I don’t think that kind of transaction will ever depreciate if music is still part of it. *** I’ve begun to confuse the absence of a person with the absence of their music. I’ve begun to confuse the presence of a person with the sound of their music. I’ll give you an example:
It’s not when I visit the house where my Pa once lived that I perceive his absence most clearly. That might proceed in part from my Nana’s refusal to move anywhere else and curatorlike preservation of the home they once shared. Regardless, it’s when I listen to a song and think, I know exactly who would love this song, and that person is him, and the music sharing comes to a sad, jolting halt that I know what it means for him to be gone. It got worse when my Grandma Laura died. Unlike my Pa’s heart attack, her death was anticipated, slowly, painfully ambled toward. At one point, she gathered her grandchildren around her chair and presented us with paper butterflies, glued to adjustable clips so that we could attach it to something. It was supposed to be her way of being with us, even as her mobility slipped away. I cried in the bathroom: Because of what it meant, I both wanted and didn’t want it in the most severe way. Six years after her death, in the process of moving in and out of college dorms, I lost the butterfly. One of the most fragile, most important belongings I have ever had, and ever will have. Telling my mom was much more shameful, much more distressing than any Catholic sacrament I had ever been forced to participate in. How could my grandmother ever be present if I lost the object in which she vested that presence? I don’t know, but I can tell you that I turned to music. “Paper Butterfly,” I titled it. The caption adds, “favorite songs of and songs inspired by the favorite songs of my grandma, Laura Leigh Schmidt
(1948-2012).” It’s a playlist on Spotify, with a foundation of Paul Simon and Queen (her favorites), a few songs of special significance interspersed (Elton John’s “Your Song”: the song my mom told me my uncle and Grandma Laura danced to at his wedding) and, of course, songs I wish I could play for her. Yusuf’s “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out.” Paul Simon’s not the only one with the voice of an angel. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals’s “Stars.” I can’t look at the stars / They make me wonder where you are. Aretha Franklin’s “You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman.” Tell me what that feels like. That’s more than translating across a synapse. It’s the letter I’ll never send because I can’t. It’s a language for grief, a less painful iteration of the imagined conversation, where at least the silence, still impervious, is disturbed. *** So I’m confessing once and for all: I’m your Spotify stalker. I can’t tell you how many essays and sorrows and long nights your playlists and inadvertent recommendations have gotten me through, so what I should say next is thank you. Thank you for luring me into the worlds of dream pop and contemporary R&B, worlds I’m not sure I could have found the entrance to without you. Thank you for dismantling the concept of “guilty pleasure,” for listening publicly, so I can also listen publicly to songs I worshipped in ninth grade, when I need them to remind me of what that time felt like. And no, I’m not proud of this one, but thank you for showing me you’re alive when sometimes I wonder. When I haven’t heard from you in a few days, sometimes I stakeout the “Friend Activity” sidebar. Then I’ll see your name and your song and the speaker with the arcs representing sound, and I exhale. You’re okay. It’s post-punk, so you’re probably not happy. But the music is on, so you are alright. In adequate hands, for now. *** I’ve used playlists as the language of my grief, so, naturally, I’ve also used them to try to make legible fleeting, off-mark feelings that could have thickened into something like love. “Could have” because I should preface this with another confession, that I forgot how the story goes. It was the same promising, blinding boy-meetsgirl, followed by the same violation
of boundaries, the levying of power dynamics, for which boy expresses guilt and girl comforts boy. (Who comforts girl?) But between points A and B of course, there was music. There were songs that said, I’m trying to figure out my feelings for you. There were careful recommendations that said, You might understand this, even though no one else has. The songs added up in our minds and told us what we wanted to believe about one another. For me, that was that I found a man who wasn’t just luring me in with feigned respect for boundaries and limits, who wouldn’t take advantage. (I was wrong.) For him, it seemed something more like I was the antidote to some part of himself, with involuntary powers of healing. (He was wrong, too.) These song statements and misrepresentations were housed in Spotify’s collaborative playlist function. We had two of them; especially in the beginning, I would contemplate my contribution obsessively. I tried to calculate all the ways it could misfire, both in terms of whether he would actually like it and whether it would say what I wanted it to say. And I would wait for his response song, check the playlists obsessively, listen the moment he added something. One day, close to the end, at a time where I was somewhere between wanting to see him often and feeling like I was supposed to want to see him often, I was walking to work. It was cold and I’d forgotten the earmuffs he’d once complimented. To make matters worse, my hair was pulled back, so the wind gnawed mercilessly at both ears. I inserted an earbud in each, numbness still blossoming, and queued the most recent songs he added to one of the playlists. One was about finding a reason to live in another person, which he had promised I wasn’t, that he wouldn’t let one person be that, but the song still had warmth. Another was about a couple’s atypical, wonderfully awkward track to falling in love. I felt a flood of warmth, starting with my ears. His songs playing in them, their lyrics I figured might as well be his words, warmed me from the inside out, swirled around my head, dizzying, almost fashioning a pair of earmuffs out of thin air and a few well-sung notes.
But between points A and B, of course, there was music.
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Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FESTIVAL COVERAGE
ALBUM REVIEW
New female film festival fascinates NATALIE KASTNER Daily Arts Writer
THE NEW YORK TIMES
Hynes redefines ‘mixtape’ JIM WILSON
Daily Arts Writer
In the truest sense of the word, a “mixtape” is a compilation of songs that come from multiple sources. This definition harkens back to the days before digital playlists. Mixtapes were not endlessly augmented, so they were often made with a certain vibe or theme in mind. In the mid to late 2000s hip-hop scene, though, the definition began to change. At this time, a mixtape was essentially a free album that could not be held accountable for any sort of uncleared sample or copyright infringement. Entire careers were made off of this platform. Take Lil Wayne for example: Some fans only listen to mixtape Weezy. That’s how popular mixtapes were for a time. Today, the definition of a mixtape is changing once again. Mixtapes are being released for profit, but they are intended to be taken less seriously than a normal studio album. With his latest release Angel’s Pulse, Blood Orange, also known as Dev Hynes, combines each interpretation of the mixtape into one final product. Hynes said during the tape’s short promotional period that after each album he creates, he also creates a mixtape of sorts to serve as an epilogue. He usually gives these mixtapes to friends and random passersby, but for the first time, Hynes is sharing one of these tapes with the world. Angel’s Pulse serves as the epilogue to Hynes’s phenomenal 2018 release Negro Swan. It fleshes out
ARTS 7
any incomplete ideas and wraps up this chapter of Hynes’s career. With this mixtape, Hynes explores the different sounds presented on Negro Swan and experiments with their strengths and limitations in a context that is not meant to be taken as seriously as an album. With that said, the sound is not cohesive throughout, true to the original definition of a mixtape. Angel’s Pulse is a collection of songs that Hynes felt effectively represented this moment in his life. Despite the implications of the word “mixtape,” Angel’s Pulse deserves to be taken seriously. It’s
Angel’s Pulse Blood Orange Domino Recording Company
lighthearted, but that doesn’t mean it’s not heartfelt. Opening track “I Wanna C U” is bouncy and loved up. It ponders Hynes’s relationship with the person trapped in his head. It’s very sweet sounding, but the repetitive nature of the song makes Hynes seem almost tortured in a way, as if performing the song is the only way to make the person in his head manifest themselves in real life. In stark sonic contrast to “I Wanna C U” are “Dark & Handsome” and “Benzo.” The songs depart from the light tone of “I Wanna C U” to a more contemplative and somber sound, but they share the same themes and suggest
the mixtape’s overall concept. “Dark & Handsome” yearns for days long gone as Hynes’ sings, “Nothing lasts forever, and I told you / Everything you need to know is not true / Lyin’ to myself because it hurts you.” “Benzo” continues this theme of yearning for something that is not there. He laments, “Open the door, leave with arms exposed / Outside, I saw where I belong.” Hynes knows what will make him content, but the only way he can get there is if he can leave the past behind him. Angel’s Pulse continues this theme of yearning for an altered past with the heartwrenching “Birmingham,” a reflection on the 1963 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama that tragically took the lives of four children, and “Baby Florence (Figure),” a track in which Hynes assures his partner that he will help determine where their relationship went wrong. However, mixtape standout “Gold Teeth” seems a stark departure from this theme. The track is stacked, featuring Tinashe, Gangsta Boo and Project Pat. It’s highlighted by braggadocio and talks of life in the streets over a chopped sample of Project Pat’s “Rinky Dink II/We’re Gonna Rumble.” Everything on the track screams assuredness: Project Pat’s gruff delivery on the refrain, Gangsta Boo’s empowering verse and Hynes and Tinashe’s lush, confident chorus. Despite all this, it still falls perfectly in line with the vibe of the mixtape. It presents a desire to be someone who does what they want, when they want to do it.
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On July 11, Nevertheless Film Festival, founded and directed by University FTVM alum Meredith Finch, launched its inaugural run at the Michigan Theater. The festival assembled a wide variety of featurelength and short films, all created by female-identifying filmmakers. The name was inspired by women’s rights motto, “Nevertheless, she persisted.” Within the film industry, equal representation behind and in front of the lens has been, to say the least, concerning. In 2017, USC Annenberg conducted a study which found that across the top movies from 2007 to 2016, only four percent of the respective directors were female. However, filmmakers who identify as female make up at least half of the leadership behind every film presented at Nevertheless, as proclaimed in every program given out at each showing. Between actors speaking publicly about the need for more women in the film industry — like Regina King vowing to make future projects 50 percent female during her Golden Globe acceptance speech — and sexual misconduct running rampant around the industry, the festival sets a much needed precedent for the next generation of filmmakers. Two films were screened opening night: “Throat Singing in Kangirsuk,” directed by Eva Kaukai and Manon Chamberland, as well as “A Colony.” directed by Genevieve Dulude-De Celles. The former was a three-minute short film, which managed to blow my mind in just that amount of time. It depicted the rugged Arctic terrain of the directors’ home of Kangirsuk, a village in Quebec, Canada, while they throat sang their way through the short. The guttural and, at first, borderlinefrightening throat-singing acted as a
complete contrast to the peaceful, snowy landscape. Next was the full-length film “A Colony,” screened in French with English subtitles. Sometimes, I find that watching a movie with subtitles adds a layer between the viewer and the film which can hinder emotional connection, but the subtitles did not take away from the immersion. Language was one of the many themes throughout that added to the endearing and fragile nature of the piece. Along with showing films, the festival held panels that were free to attend. Connecting film audiences with these filmmakers gave a perspective to movies that many in Ann Arbor have yet to experience. Held in North Quad at Michigan, the various filmmakers spoke on their creative process as well as what drew them to their respective projects. The main objective of these panels being to connect film audiences with filmmakers, a privilege afforded to both parties. Every filmmaker exuded excitement and gratitude. It was surreal to see such high-quality work and then get the filmmaker’s perspective on it. After certain showings, viewers even had the option to head over to HopCat afterwards to share a beer with the filmmaker. Nevertheless Film Festival was a refreshing and soul-fulfilling break from this summer’s superhero movies. As I entered the Michigan Theater, women smiled at me from the welcome desk encouraging me to take whatever swag I wanted. Scattered along their table were pins with “the future of film is female” emblazoned on them. I shyly took two of those with anticipation of adorning it on my rapidly deteriorating backpack for senior year. Not only is the festival socially beneficial, but the selection of films was easily the most emotionally nuanced I’ve seen this summer. I’m looking forward to seeing what they have in store for Ann Arbor next year.
The festival assembled a wide variety of feature-length and short films, all created by female filmmakers.
8 NEWS
Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Hundreds protest detention camps downtown Coalition rallies to end inhumane coditions’ at United States-Mexico border at Friday night ‘Lights for Liberty’ rally CLAIRE HAO
Daily Staff Reporter
Hundreds of community members gathered at the Federal Building on Friday night for the Ann Arbor: Lights for Liberty vigil, joining more than seven
hundred events planned around the world to bring awareness to and demand an end to conditions at immigration detention centers along the southern U.S. border. Waving homemade signs and candles, protesters filled Liberty Street from Fourth Street to Fifth Street, which was closed off for
Classifieds
the event. The mission statement on the official Lights for Liberty website said the events are planned to call out the “inhumane conditions faced by migrants.” “We are a coalition of people, many of whom are mothers, dedicated to human rights, and the fundamental principle behind
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
Release Date: Thursday, July 18, 2019
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR RENT
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Like challah bread 5 Obligations 10 Pistons’ org. 13 Broadway seductress 14 Threepio’s pal 15 Take the show on the road 16 *Goof off 18 Stunt legend Knievel 19 Suit parts 20 Gross sales, on an income statement 22 Juices up 24 *Mecca for sci-fi and superhero fans 25 Jessica of the “Fantastic Four” films 26 Mysterious power 28 Votes against 29 *Trace-amount precipitation 33 Burden 34 Co-star/co-creator Issa __ of HBO’s “Insecure” 35 Prefix with -gram 36 Quick drink 39 *Object of Jason’s quest 42 Oil cartel 44 Commotion 45 __ Stefani, returning coach on “The Voice” 46 *Make flashy modifications to 49 Puts on Facebook 50 Alerts on the road 51 Often-dystopian conflict 53 “Er, I’d rather not” 54 Freelance for extra income ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues 58 Start of D-Day? 59 Like Navy SEALs 60 Run like heck 61 Nursery roll 62 Intuit 63 Watson who played Hermione in Harry Potter films DOWN 1 Sprite 2 Muck 3 Car storage spot
4 Sonia Sotomayor’s alma mater 5 Pub flier 6 Greek Cupid 7 Approx. 1,055 joules 8 Depp’s “Lone Ranger” role 9 Genesis city of sin 10 Beginner 11 __ Aires 12 “Over the Rainbow” composer 15 AT&T and Verizon 17 Pack animal 21 __ gland: organ that secretes melatonin 22 Extreme diet 23 Forearm bone 24 Life-saving proc. 26 Mideast airline 27 Took to court 30 Monastic garments 31 South African capital 32 Recon target 36 One may trend on Twitter
37 “Law & Order: SVU” actor 38 Pilot products 39 Sticky-toed lizards 40 Wear (away) 41 Chanel fragrance for men 42 Words that begin the line before “Deny thy father and refuse thy name”
43 Determined precisely, with “down” 46 Dull sounds 47 Caravan stops 48 Functional 49 More, on a score 51 Dampens 52 Roller coaster cry 55 Racket 56 Quick flight 57 Eventful chapter
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By John-Clark Levin and Jeff Chen ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
07/18/19
07/18/19
ENJOY THE SUN WHILE READING THE MICHIGAN DAILY!
democracy that all human beings have a right to life, liberty and dignity,” the website reads. As migrant families fleeing violence and poverty from Central America continue to be apprehended on the southern border in record-breaking numbers, an independent watchdog of the Department of Homeland Security reported “dangerous overcrowding” in migrant holding facilities. Held for days, weeks or sometimes months past the 72 hour limit for short-term detention, migrants awaiting processing live in “squalid” conditions and often without necessary medical care. Twenty-four immigrants have died in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement care thus far, including seven children. In late June, Congress approved a $4.6 billion aid package for these detention facilities, passing a less restrictive Senate bill in a compromise by the House of Representatives. On Wednesday, the House Oversight and Reform Committee conducted a hearing on detention conditions. Discovery of a secret Border Patrol Facebook group in which former and current agents joked about migrant deaths and threatened Latinx legislators has also provoked further outrage and an investigation into the group. The vigils come ahead of ICE plans to begin arrests and
deportations of undocumented individuals in 10 major cities this coming Sunday. Ann Arbor Lights for Liberty organizer Corky Wattles reminded the audience of this fact as she began the event. Wattles led the audience in chants of “Don’t look away” before her opening remarks and explained the latter half of the event would be “solemn” and “in mourning” of border conditions. In her speech, she particularly urged young people in the audience to vote and become involved in activist efforts. “Kids, hear me now: if everyone gets involved we can take our country back, the land of liberty and compassion,” Wattles said. “Not voting is never an option… Doing nothing is no longer an option.” Earlier in the night, Wattles told the audience the event staff was collecting donations for several organizations. Rebeca Ontiveros-Chavez, an attorney at one of those organizations, the Michigan Immigrants Rights Center, spoke about her work representing hundreds of children in immigration court for deportation proceedings and other immigration matters. “I want to make absolutely clear that it is not unlawful to seek asylum in the United States,” Ontiveros-Chavez said.
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COURTESY OF CLAIRE HAO Individuals gather for the AnnArbor: Lights for Liberty vigil at the Federal Building Friday.
Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MICHIGAN IN COLOR 9
Love language ALYXANDRA CHARFAUROS MiC Podcast Editor
When the Motherland Finds Home in Your mouths, My heart Beats as fast as You Speak. I Hear the Sun You Both Grew up under. Teach Me to Taste Light on My tongue; so that every time I Open My mouth, I Meet You Back Home. for my grandparents in memory of nana (1938-2017) and tata (1938-2018) (far right) photo from high school graduation, june 16, 2017 Courtesy of ALYXANDRA CHARFAUROS
10 SPORTS
Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan has options as it tries to replace studded senior class AKUL VIJAYVARGIYA
Summer Managing Sports Editor
Carol Hutchins often touted the 2019 senior class as one of the best she’s ever had. After falling out of the top-25 for the first time in a decade, the seniors took it upon themselves to right the ship. A 12-10 start was followed by a 31-1 record heading into the postseason, giving the Wolverines an opportunity to host a regional as the No. 15 seed. And though Michigan fell to James Madison in the winnertakes-all game of the regional, Hutchins was effusive in her praise of her seniors. If the Wolverines want to replicate any sort of the success they had this year, they will need to fill the voids the senior class is leaving. With the offseason already in full swing for the softball team, The Daily looks at possible replacements for each vacant position. Second baseman Not only will Michigan need to find a new leadoff hitter but it will be searching for its new anchor after the departure of two-time All-American Faith Canfield. Following a quiet freshman year where she was backup to former
four-time All-American Sierra Romero, Canfield took the reins in 2017 and became another household name. She started every single game for Michigan the last three years, posting a minimum batting average of .391 each season including a .404 average in 2019. Her .617 slugging percentage and .482 on-base percentage this past year both were team-highs — exactly what any team wants out of its leadoff hitter. However, Michigan has its options to fill the gap. Sophomore Morgan Overaitis seems like the most logical fit at this position as she played 32 games during her freshman campaign and earned nine starts. Her best performance came against Illinois State as designated player when she hit two-forfive with two RBI, showing her ability to get hits with runners in scoring position. Then there is standout incoming freshman Julia Jimenez. Though she primarily played shortstop and third baseman throughout high school, her infield instincts might be able to translate to second base. Her high school batting statistics were nothing
short of spectacular, either. The No. 13-ranked recruit, according to Softball America, hit at a .520-clip with 31 RBI during her senior year. Perhaps her most impressive statistic, though, is that she struck out just six times in her high school career, proving that she has the ability to continue the legacy of the last two Wolverine second basemen. First baseman If there was one position in the lineup that wasn’t set at the start of this past season, it was the first baseman. But by the end of the year, Alex Sobczak proved to be deserving of the spot. After a convoluted college career where she showed flashes of potential, Sobczak broke out in her final season, batting cleanup and tied for the team lead in home runs with 10 while finishing second in RBI with 42. It seems likely, though, that junior Taylor Bump will take over. Though Sobczak ended up beating her out for the starting job, Bump continued to earn playing time on defense, especially in the postseason, due to her reliable glove. Bump will need to prove that she can produce consistent results in the batter’s box, though, which could
make or break her case for the starting role. Catcher Though she ended her final season with a non-contact knee injury in the regional, Katie Alexander left her mark on the Wolverines. She contributed 10 home runs to an offense that struggled to put balls over the fence and had just one error, maintaining a fielding percentage of .997. However, if the end of the season was indicative of who can replace Katie Alexander, it seems like sophomore Hannah Carson will get the green light. Carson, a top-25 recruit out of high school, played the entire regional, batting at a .417-clip with two doubles and an RBI. She also showed great maturity behind the plate, committing no errors on the year. Designated Player After a turbulent career at Michigan, Mackenzie Nemitz persevered through injuries and fluctuating playing time to solidify herself as designated player. Sister of former Michigan great Nikki Nemitz, Mackenzie had a batting average of .288 with five home runs and 31 RBIs. She started 41 games for the Wolverines and even showed that
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Rising sophomore infielder Morgan Overaitis is an option to replace two-time All-American second baseman Faith Canfield next season.
she could play third baseman when Madison Uden was in a slump. In the postseason, rising junior Lou Allan pinch hit for Nemitz and showed f lashes of potential to get on base. Driving home a crucial RBI as a pinch hitter in the Big Ten Tournament final and even earning a start at designated player in Michigan’s most important game of the year against James Madison. Allan was given plenty of opportunities to capitalize once she came back from the injury that has hindered her for much of her college career. Assuming that she can stay injury-free, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Hutchins inserts her into the starting lineup next season. Jimenez could also be another option to replace Nemitz if Overaitis wins the second baseman position. With her impressive batting average and .940 slugging percentage in high school, Hutchins might want Jimenez to contribute to the Wolverine offense right away. Center Fielder As a staple of the Michigan offense and defense the last two years, Natalie Peters started almost every game for the Wolverines. With a .352 batting average during her senior season, she had the third-most consistent bat on the team. She also was the best baserunner for Michigan, stealing a team-high 15 bases on 16 attempts. Losing such consistency at the top of the batting lineup and speed in the outfield will not be an easy task for the Wolverines to replace, especially when their options have not received much playing time. The most experienced replacement would be rising sophomore Grace Chelemen. She primarily entered games as a pinch runner, showing that she could replicate Peters’ speed and baserunning, but she only received seven at-bats on the season and produced just one hit. On the other hand, there is No. 28-ranked incoming freshman Lexi Voss. Her .644 batting average was topped off by 19 home runs and 70 RBI in her senior campaign. This type of power is significantly different from Peters’ slap-hitting style and Voss has the ability to add another dimension to a Michigan offense that lacked power last year.
Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS 11
Wolverines’ newcomers have ability to make immediate impact DANIEL DASH
Daily Sports Writer
Out with the old, in with the new. This fall, the Michigan volleyball team will welcome a highly-touted group of freshmen to Ann Arbor. The class is comprised of outside hitters Jess Robinson and May Pertofsky, setter Madison Dowd and libero Amber Beals. Robinson, an in-state product from Troy, was selected to Volleyball Magazine’s Fab 50 — a prestigious list of the best high school seniors in the country, as voted on by a panel of Division I coaches. She tallied 1,714 kills, 588 digs, 122 aces and 101 blocks in her first three high school seasons en route to Prep Volleyball AllAmerican honors. Her 6-foot-2 front row presence was felt across the nation on the club circuit, earning her the No. 8 spot in Prep Volleyball’s national recruiting rankings. “We see (Robinson) as an elite national recruit,” said Wolverines’ head coach Mark Rosen in a release. “We’ve been tracking (Robinson’s) development for quite some time, and we truly feel she’s one of the top players nationally in the 2019 class. She’s a local player and plays for a local club team, so we’ve been able to
see her strong development and believe her ceiling for development is limitless. She’s a phenomenal athlete, but she’s still very young in her development and has a lot of room to grow. “… I think she’s somebody that can impact us really early in her career, but we definitely feel that she’s an elite recruit with great room to develop who has the chance to be an elite collegiate player.” Rosen was attracted to Robinson’s ceiling throughout the recruiting process, but he also values her versatility. She has experience as a middle blocker, where Michigan struggled last season following then-redshirt junior Cori Crocker’s ankle injury. Robinson could see playing time at either the middle position or the left pin this fall. While acclimating to the college level, Robinson’s most impactful attribute could be her vertical leap. “Robinson doesn’t just jump off the page, she nearly jumps out the building,” wrote Drew Ellis of Prep Dig, a volleyball prospect evaluation website, last September. Pertofsky, the Wolverines’ other early signee, hails from Los Angeles, Calif. The Max Preps All-American racked up three AllLeague Gold Coast MVP awards
during her high school career. At 6-foot-1, she brings formidable size across the front row. Like Robinson, her versatility could lead to immediate playing time. “(Pertofsky’s) strength and what she’s going to bring to us is that she could play multiple positions,” Rosen said. “She can play in the middle, on the right or on the left. She’s a good physical athlete that is fast, explosive, jumps well and has a good arm swing. She has all the tools that will allow us to put her in a position to create an impact for us and allow her to be very successful. We’re leaning (towards using) her as a middle blocker, but there’s a lot of options with her, which makes it very exciting. “(Pertofsky) is used to winning at the highest level so she’s coming in as someone who is ready to compete at a high level, and I think she’s going to be a great addition to our program.” As for Beals, she brings just about everything to the table that Robinson and Pertfosky lack. She could see an opportunity to make an impact this season as a defensive substitution or serving specialist following the graduation of Maddy Abbott, who played that role in 2018. The Columbus native, who earned Junior Volleyball Association All-American honors
DARBY STIPE/Daily
Michigan coach Mark Rosen is bringing in a freshman class that may contribute early.
in high school, will compete with rising senior Kyleigh Hamacher for such duties. A late signee, Dowd rounded out the class in May after flipping her commitment from Georgetown. She was a finalist for Michigan’s coveted Miss Volleyball Award and, like Robinson, played for Legacy Volleyball Club. Dowd will battle it out with rising senior Katerina Rocafort for primary backup setter duties this fall. Rosen has established a strong pipeline from Legacy to Ann Arbor. Crocker, rising sophomore outside hitter Abbey Malinowski and a handful of recent program alumni all came from the club. On the other hand, Pertofsky played
for Sunshine Volleyball Club, the same program as rising redshirt junior Ellie Brooks. But, regardless of where they came from, the incoming freshmen will be tasked with helping Michigan succeed in the Big Ten gauntlet immediately. “We’re really excited about this class,” Rosen said. “They’re all very different in terms of how they’ll impact our program, but they’re all very athletic and they’re all players that are used to winning. They’ve all played on great club and high school teams that are used to winning and competing at a high level, so I think they all have a chance to come in and make us better.”
Howard announces new coaching staff hires for upcoming season JORGE CAZARES
Summer Managing Sports Editor
Michigan men’s basketball coach Juwan Howard announced new staff hires Monday. Most notable among the additions is the return of Jay Smith to Ann Arbor. Smith will serve as the director of player personnel and development. Howard and Smith share a relationship dating back to Smith’s time as an assistant coach for the Wolverines from 19891996 and was part of the effort that helped recruit the Fab Five. “There are many people who have helped me throughout my career; however, Jay Smith is someone special who I have a deep connection with and the utmost respect for,” Howard said in a press release. “He has
such an incredible passion for the game and his ability to relate with young men is going to be something invaluable for us. We are very fortunate to have him return to Ann Arbor and join our staff.” After his first stint with Michigan, Smith went on to earn his first head coaching job at Grand Valley State where he won the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament championships, leading his team to an NCAA Division II Tournament appearance. He was also the head coach of the Central Michigan basketball team for nine seasons which included an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Most recently, he spent the last three seasons as the head coach at
Kalamazoo College. “There are always interesting twists in this game,” Smith said. “That can be said for this situation. I have been through plenty over the last few years and loved the opportunity Kalamazoo trusted in me. However, the chance to help out Juwan and return to Michigan is something my family and I are excited about and thankful for.” Howard also decided to retain Chris Hunter as the Wolverines’ director of basketball operations. Hunter has spent the last three seasons in the director role and will begin his sixth season overall with Michigan. In addition, Howard brought back former guard Jaaron Simmons as the graduate manager. Simmons was a part of the 2017-2018 team that appeared
in the national championship game and will be working towards his master’s degree in social work. The final hiring Howard announced was adding David
Metzendorf as the team’s video analyst. Metzendorf is an Ann Arbor native and spent the past three seasons at Holy Cross as director of basketball operations and assistant coach.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Michigan coach Juwan Howard announced new staff hirings Monday.
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Thursday, July 18, 2019 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
After a season filled with questions, some answers for Michigan ABBY SNYDER
Daily Sports Writer
OMAHA, Neb. – For much of the season, there were questions swirling around the Michigan baseball team. Now, on the far side of an improbable ride that brought Team 153 to the finals of the College World Series – and on the far side of a crushing 8-2 loss at the hands of No. 2 Vanderbilt – the answers to those questions are starting to become clear. For a long time, there were serious doubts about whether any school from the Big Ten belongs in college baseball’s Top 25. They struggled with cold weather, struggled losing recruits to southern schools, struggled putting together consistently successful teams. But this season has proven that that’s no longer the case. Michigan was in and out of the rankings all season. But this year has cemented the fact that the Big Ten is quickly becoming a relevant baseball conference again. Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana and Illinois all put together teams that looked as if they could threaten to make postseason runs. In a few years’ time, with continued improvement from programs that are investing more and more into being national contenders, the Big Ten is beginning to challenge the notion
that only warm-weather schools can build baseball powerhouses. Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan have been ranked this season — Illinois and Indiana for weeks at a time. They’ve all proven that they’ve earned those rankings. So, yes, Big Ten baseball teams belong in the top 25. At the very beginning of the season, it looked like Michigan might be that Big Ten team. The Wolverines were ranked – albeit in the last five of the top 25 – and started the season on an eight-game winning streak with sweeps of Binghamton and the Citadel. But after a rough California swing and a devastating threegame sweep at the hands of No. 8 Texas Tech, Michigan fell out of the rankings, phasing in and out for the rest of the season. But this postseason run has made one thing clear: this wasn’t just a top25 team. It was a top-five team. This was a team that took down some of the best ballclubs in the country — the likes of UCLA and Texas Tech. This was a team that had the potential to be a national champion, a team that was one game away from that result, a team that was disappointed to finish second in the country. So, yes, Michigan belongs in the top 25, at least. At the beginning of the season,
junior left-hander Tommy Henry looked untouchable, allowing no earned runs in four of his first five starts. But nagging bicep tendonitis rendered him inconsistent through much of the second half of the season, and it became unclear if he could show up for Michigan when it mattered. But in the postseason, when his team needed him most, Henry became the backbone of the pitching staff. He threw a dominant, flu-ridden seven innings over UCLA to send his team to the College World Series, a masterpiece 100-pitch completegame shutout of Florida State, and a victory in Game 1 of the College World Series Final. He finished the season with a 3.27 earned-run average and a legacy of massive games on the collegiate sport’s highest level. So, yes, Tommy Henry can pitch when it matters. He can. He did. In his first three years with the program that both his father and grandfather played for, senior first baseman Jimmy Kerr was a nonstarter who had his moments. He fought to live up to the legacy of his father and grandfather who both went to the College World Series with Michigan. But after an offseason spent hard at work lifting weights and putting on bulk, Kerr finally
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Michigan coach Juwan Howard has two more scholarship spots left for the 2019-
came into his own. He hit a team-leading 15 home runs in his breakout senior season. Seven of those homers came in the NCAA Tournament. He started every game this past year and captained a team that made its first College World Series trip since his father’s playing days. His father went to Omaha twice in the eighties. His grandfather was the backbone of the 1962 championship team. It’s a tall legacy – but yes, Jimmy can live up to it. He can. He did. Above all, though, there was one question surrounding this ballclub:
can Bakich build a powerhouse program at Michigan? He’s certainly planted the seeds of one. This postseason run, this trip to Omaha, this appearance in the finals of the College World Series have proven that. But can he get back here? Can he recruit well enough to replace the losses of seniors like Jimmy Kerr and Blake Nelson and draftees like Karl Kauffmann and Tommy Henry? Can he cultivate a winning culture and a consistently-winning program that bring future Michigan teams back to Omaha? It’s time to find out. But as of now, all signs point to yes.
Michigan players find new challenge in Cape Cod Baseball League ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Editor
CAPE COD, Mass. — Jesse Franklin smacked a single, then motored into second on the throw home. Waiting for him there was none other than Jack Blomgren. Reunited briefly with his Michigan teammate, Franklin took the opportunity to mess around with Blomgren. Franklin and Blomgren are two of three Wolverines who headed to Cape Cod for summer ball after their second-place finish in the College World Series. Franklin plays outfield for the Brewster Whitecaps, Blomgren is an infielder with the Wareham Gatemen and left-hander Angelo Smith pitches for the Orleans Firebirds. The Cape Cod Baseball League, a summer league for college baseball players, is in some ways a far cry from Ray Fisher Stadium. Players trade in their dorms for host families, joining
a team of high-level players from all over the country. Sometimes, they play against their own teammates. The fields harken back to the old days of baseball. Many are located at high schools. Some still don’t have lights. All have real grass, not the turf to which Michigan players are accustomed, and players on the home team must tend to the field after games. The sounds are different, too — the “crack” of wood bats replacing the “clink” of aluminum ones. But in the end, it’s still the same game. “It’s awesome,” Franklin — who also spent last summer with the Whitecaps — told The Daily. “It’s a good shot to get a lot better, play with really good players, meet different guys from around the country and guys I’ve played against and just kind of share in baseball.” The College World Series threw a wrench into the Wolverines’ plans this year. Michigan wasn’t expected to even make it to Super Regionals, so coaches expected to have them
right away. Instead, the Wolverines didn’t come until halfway through the season. Franklin was in Ann Arbor for two days after the final game, then went home for a week before flying out to the Cape. He didn’t appear in a game until July 9, the 23rd of 44 games for Brewster. Smith and Blomgren didn’t play their first games until July 11 and 12, respectively. And there’s another element of collateral damage. Right-hander Jeff Criswell and outfielder Jordan Nwogu were also slated to come to the Cape, but Criswell decided to eschew it for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team and Nwogu stayed home to rest a quad injury he suffered against Vanderbilt. Still, the coaches are happy to have them — better late than never. “I’m always gonna have Michigan kids,” said Whitecaps manager Jamie Shevchik. “Their coaches do things the right way, I have a great relationship with the Michigan
coaching staff. … Some of these programs, their coaches do a great job of understanding where they are and what the Cape Cod means to them.” The Cape League is a little more relaxed than NCAA baseball. Instead of the bright lights and the pressure and the cheering fans like the College World Series or a home Michigan game, contests have an intimate feel. Little kids come on the field asking for autographs afterwards. In some ways, that’s a good thing, but it comes with its own challenges. “There’s no coaches here or academic advisers or people like that looking out for me,” Franklin said. “I’ve gotta be responsible for myself and warm up correctly and work out by myself and eat the right things and do things in my best interest.” Many players struggle at first on the Cape, whether because of the new wood bats, playing against different competition or simply
the adjustment of being in a new place. That’s certainly been true of Franklin, Blomgren and Smith so far. Franklin is hitting .273 with a .360 on-base percentage, but all of his hits have been singles. Blomgren is 1-for-5 with four strikeouts in two games. Smith had a scoreless 2.1-inning appearance in a loss, but then allowed two runs and two walks and committed an error in just 0.2 innings in his next. But no matter their final stats, playing in the Cape League will help each player improve against topnotch competition and get used to the way things are done in the pros — whether that be wood bats, the challenges of self-starting or playing games almost every day. Ultimately, that’s the most important part. “Just the opportunity to get better every day,” Franklin said. “You get to play so often and it’s always a challenge out here, so it feels like I’m getting better and that’s what I want to do the most.”