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Author discusses taking personal Regents approve action to mitigate climate change new $920 million Jonathan Safron Foer highlights new book at signing at Rackham Auditorium
hospital, address STEM concerns
Community members ask Board to tackle issues including child abuse, pedestrian safety LIAT WEINSTEIN & EMMA STEIN Daily Staff Reporters
RUCHITA IYER/Daily New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Safran Foer speaks on food sustainability in his latest book “We are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast” at Rackham Auditorium Thursday night
ALYSSA MCMURTRY Daily Staff Reporter
Best-selling author Jonathan Safran Foer spoke to a crowd of several hundred people at Rackham Auditorium for a book talk Thursday evening. The Ford School of Public Policy collaborated with the Literati Bookstore to host the event. Foer’s book, “We are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast,” focuses on changes people can make in their immediate lives to promote environmental sustainability.
Foer highlighted four major contributors to climate change: airplane travel, overpopulation, cars and food consumption. The way people eat is just as important as the other three since it also deals with dangerous pollutants, Foer said. “Eating is the only one of those that immediately addresses nitrous oxide and methane, which are two extremely powerful greenhouses gases,” Foer said. “I think there are focuses exclusively on fossil fuels. It’s good to have a focus on fossil fuels, but bad to have a focus exclusively on fossil
RESEARCH
New tech employed to produce embryoids
Team of researchers study early stages of human development, complications
fuels.” The discussion was moderated by Ivette Perfecto, a professor in the School for Environment and Sustainability. She asked Foer why he did not talk more about the political side of climate change. “Is this a tactical device because do you think that people would dismiss you … or do you truly think that capitalism has nothing to do with it?” Perfecto asked. Foer said he wanted to focus his book on a part of climate change that is not talked about enough.
“The focus of the book is individual action,” Foer said. “In the same way that I acknowledge the fossil fuel industry is a profound problem, but I don’t really write about it in the book because I feel like a lot of people are giving a lot of attention to it.” He acknowledged that, though the government needs systemic change, it cannot be done without some individual change. “The government needs our help and we need the government,” Foer said. See CLIMATE, Page 3
The University of Michigan’s Board of Regents met for their first meeting of the 2019-2020 school year Thursday. Regents Jordan Acker (D) and Michael Behm (D) were not present, and chair Ron Weiser (R) arrived late. University President Mark Schlissel began the meeting by thanking E. Royster Harper, vice president for Student Life, for her time at the University. Harper announced her retirement this week. “After an amazing four decades of service to the University and to generations of our students, among student life leaders in our nation, Dr. Harper has set the standard,” Schlissel said. “And it’s a very high standard. Throughout her career, including 18 years as vice president, she worked tirelessly to enrich the lives of students. She supported their academic and career aspirations, their health and their goals as people so they could reach their full potential.” Schlissel then discussed the University’s new measures to prevent sexual misconduct, including a new online module that is required for all employees. He said nearly half of the University’s employees have completed it so far. “Already, 47 percent of
University employees have completed training,” Schlissel said. “The senior leadership takes this very seriously, and I am pleased to report that all regents, executive officers and deans on all three of our campuses have already completed this training. The deadline for completion is December 31.” Ben Gerstein, Public Policy junior and president of Central Student Government, then took the stand. He started by discussing what CSG hopes to accomplish this year. “Our priorities for the upcoming year include elevating student voices in the potential renovations to North Campus, namely for an increase in North Campus’s health and wellness resources,” Gerstein said. “Additionally, we are acting on student concern surrounding financial barriers to academic inclusion and success, namely textbook affordability and the high cost of homework access codes.” Gerstein continued by expressing CSG’s support for the Washtenaw County Climate Strike tomorrow, and for the University in joining the Climate Change Coalition. “I want to acknowledge the activists organizing tomorrow’s Washtenaw County Climate Strike for highlighting an important cause through their activism and showing the urgency of action,” Gerstein said. See REGENTS, Page 3
ANN ARBOR
San Antonio-based artist opens exhibit AAPS allows on struggles at US-Mexico border students to
Efroymson Emerging Artist showcases experiences of undocumented immigrants ZAYNA SYED
Daily Staff Reporter
Pushing a strand of magenta hair out of her face, Ruth Leonela Buentello recovered from a tearful moment. Buentello, this
year’s Efroymson Emerging Artist in Residence, was recounting an incident in her hometown of San Antonio where nine migrants died in a case of human smuggling. The migrants, who were undocumented and had most
likely just crossed the U.S.Mexico border, died after spending hours in a Walmart van without air conditioning in the middle of a notoriously hot Texas summer. “They were begging for their lives,” Buentello said.
“And no one published their names, their family members. … I just don’t know how to not feel and not say something.”
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leave class for walkout
School district gives ‘OK’ to participate in strike if parents say they approve
Daily Staff Reporter
LEAH GRAHAM & AMARA SHAIKH
A team of University of Michigan and University of California, San Francisco researchers developed a new technology able to efficiently produce human-like embryos, also called embryoids. The research was published in Nature on Sept. 11. Other scientists have created embryoids in the past, which are made by coaxing human stem cells to behave and organize into structures similar to ones found in very early human embryos. The researchers specifically use pluripotent stem cells, which are able to differentiate into a variety of cell types. The new technology uses a microf luidics device in which scientists first insert pluripotent stem cells and then add chemicals that stimulate the cells to develop into human embryo-like structures.
Ann Arbor Public Schools will allow students to leave class to participate in the “Global Climate Strike” on Friday if their parents approve. In a letter to parents that was posted online by the organizers of the Washtenaw County Climate Strike, AAPS Deputy Superintendent David A. Comsa said the schools aim to provide a safe environment for students on campus. “We are clear that our students are expected to be in school and to remain on school grounds,” Comsa wrote. “Students may only be excused from our campuses with parental permission in advance of an offcampus event. Our work with our student leaders is focused on activities on our campuses. With advisement from law enforcement, we discourage our students from gathering at any sites off of our campuses.”
MICHAL RUPRECHT
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RUCHITA IYER/Daily LSA Institute for the Humanities presents ‘Yo Tengo Nombre’ by San Antonio-based artist Ruth Leonela Buentello at the Institute for Humanities Thursday.
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Vol. CXXVIII, No. 137 ©2019 The Michigan Daily
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................5
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News
2 — September 20, 2019
MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers
TUESDAY: By Design
WEDNESDAY: This Week in History
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THURSDAY: Twitter Talk
FRIDAY: Behind the Story
B EHIND THE STORY Every Friday, one Daily news staffer will give a behind the scenes look at one of this week’s stories. This week, LSA junior Emma Stein wrote about Michigan’s ban on flavored e-cigarette products.
“I think my favorite part of the story was that the sources were able to be anonymous, and they were able to be fully open with what they wanted to say. Because vaping is a super important part of the social scene here… but it’s not talked about. Everyone’s talking about the ban, but no one’s talking about what’s going to happen next. So I think that starting an open dialogue about it was really important, and I liked being a part of that.”
Emma Stein: “Whitmer’s ban of flavored vape products could lead to jail time, cause students to turn to cigarettes”
ALEC COHEN/Daily
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
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A public university should not be in the business of deciding which of their students get to host speakers or speak their minds. It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that our rights are protected, and if the First Amendment is being trampled on or amended by speech codes or unfair treatment, then it is absolutely within their purview to stop that from happening.”
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Earthfest welcomes environmentally conscious organizations, nonprofits Event provides platform for students to interact with groups fighting climate change JULIA FANZERES Daily Staff Reporter
The Diag was packed with students walking from table to table participating in Earthfest Thursday afternoon. The event was hosted by Planet Blue, an institution at the University of Michigan that leads, organizes and manages the University’s Sustainability Initiative. Earthfest is centered around the four themes of the University’s Campus Sustainability Goals: climate action, waste prevention, healthy environments and community awareness. Earthfest Sudoku Syndication hosts academic departments, student organizations and
growing impact of climate change on the planet, Earthfest seemed more pertinent than ever on campus to some participating students. LSA senior Vanessa Dinh noted how as a prominent university, the University should be increasing awareness of the climate crisis in light of a lack of change coming from political officials. “As a big university, we should be leading the change to more environmental issues because of a lot of the leadership in politics … they aren’t really thinking about that,” Dinh said. “It’s up to us and up to students and young leaders to take up that charge.” LSA senior Caroline Baloga, who is in the Program in the Environment, echoed EASY Dinh’s sentiments but was hopeful that students seemed to be engaging more with environmental issues. “I think the University of Michigan as a Big Ten school is kind of falling behind on sustainability, and I think that students are recognizing that,” Baloga said. “So, it’s really cool that there are all sorts of different organizations that are kind of focusing in on an issue of sustainability.” Students said they were interested in educating themselves and finding ways to make a difference in © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com reducing their carbon footprint.
community non-profit groups focused on sustainability, promoting their work on campus and in the Ann Arbor community. The brightly colored, sustainability-themed stands on the Diag included clubs and organizations that educate students on food sustainability, promote environmental sustainability and organize athletic adventures and trips around Michigan. Earthfest incentivized students to talk to orgs by offering free food depending on the number of stamps they received at different tables. In the midst of the
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LSA senior Kenzie Dalton was tabling for Camp Michigania and said she was impressed not only with the turnout for the event, but also with the commitment students were exhibiting. “I think it shows our faith in science, and that we trust the scientists, and that we are ready to move forward and do some policy changes to protect the earth,” Dalton said. “And the popularity of Earthfest shows that it’s important to a lot of students.”
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Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com Several Earthfest participants, including Deputy Editors: Matthew Harmon, Shannon Ors http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ LSA senior Isabel SILAS LEE and EMILY STILLMAN Nakisher, said they Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com planned on joining the Senior Copy Editors: Sadia Jiban, Olivia Sedlacek, Reece Meyhoefer Washtenaw County CASEY TIN and HASSAAN ALI WATTOO Climate Strike tomorrow. Managing Online Editors webteam@michigandaily.com Senior Web Developers: Jonathon Liu, Abha Panda, Rohan Prashant, Samantha The strike will take Cohen place Friday morning on ELI SIDER Ingalls Mall. Students, Managing Video Editor video@michigandaily.com faculty and community NA’KIA CHANNEY and CARLY RYAN members are invited to Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com walk out at 11 a.m. from Senior Michigan in Color Editors: Lorna Brown, Samuel So, Ana Maria their classes and jobs. The Sanchez-Castillo, Efe Osagie, Danyel Tharakan Assistant Michigan in Color Editors: Harnoor Singh, Nada Eldawy, Maya strike will culminate with Mokh a rally at noon, followed CATHERINE NOUHAN by workshops and Managing Podcast Editor performances throughout MADALASA CHAUDHARI and HANNAH MESKIN the afternoon. Managing Social Media Editors “I recently went abroad to Ecuador and learned about a lot of these things that activists are pushing for and that our strike is MOLLY WU pushing for tomorrow,” Creative Director Nakisher said. “So, I think ZELJKO KOSPIC RYAN KELLY Special Projects Manager Sales Manager doing it right now is a great opportunity for people to ANITA MICHAUD ROBERT WAGMAN Brand Manager Marketing Consulting Manager see and learn about things that they might not realize that’s happening in their The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during everyday lives.” the fall and winter terms by students at the University OF Michigan. One copy is
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Friday, September 20, 2019 — 3
EARTHFEST CLIMATE From Page 1
ALEC COHEN/Daily LSA sophomore Morgan Anderson talks to University students during Earthfest on the Diag Thursday.
REGENTS From Page 1 “CSG is encouraged by the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality and its joining of the Climate Change Coalition. We hope the University continues to take meaningful steps to reduce our carbon footprint.” The Board of Regents then unanimously approved the construction of a new University in-patient hospital next to the Frankel Cardiovascular Center. The hospital has an estimated cost of $920 million, will be 12-stories tall and will house 264 private rooms. It is expected to open in the fall of 2024. Regent Shauna Ryder Diggs (D) said the new hospital will help Michigan Medicine treat all patients to the best of their ability with new technology. She said the planning process took around two and a half years. “The team at Michigan Medicine has taken great care to consider the needs of both patients and families, both now and in the future,” Diggs said. “This new hospital will enable healthcare providers to quickly respond to complex cases with the highest level of patient
WALKOUT From Page 1 Six months after a previous Climate Strike in March culminated in 10 demonstrators being arrested after a nearly eighthour sit-in at the Fleming Administration Building, another protest is planned for Friday. The demonstration will begin at 11 a.m. on the Ingalls Mall outside of Rackham Auditorium. Naina Agrawal-Hardin, press liaison for Washtenaw County Climate Strike and a junior at Washtenaw International High School, applauded AAPS for allowing
EMBRYOS From Page 1 Jianping Fu, associate professor of mechanical engineering, led the team that has worked on the project since 2015. He said his team was able to generate embryoids with about 5 to 10 percent efficiency a few years ago, while the new technology is about 95 percent efficient. Yi Zheng, a post-doctoral research fellow in Fu’s lab, said he felt encouraged by all the attention the research received. “I published quite a few research papers before, but
safety, infection control and the delivery of state-of-the-art treatments.” T. Anthony Denton, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Michigan Medicine, then spoke about the hospital. He said a big reason the University needs to build a new hospital is to make sure there are enough resources and employees for all patients. “The challenge is access and capacity,” Denton said. “It’s been a running story for a while, but I would suggest to you that it’s a good challenge. It demonstrates that we are a provider of choice … being busy means that we are providing a service to our community. However, it does create access constraints for people who want to get into our hospital who can’t.” Denton concluded by saying Michigan Medicine is dedicated to environmental sustainability. He said part of the reason the hospital costs so much is because they tried to make it as environmentally friendly as possible. “We have been very committed to environmental sustainability for decades at Michigan Medicine,” Denton said. “We believe that it is so important to take care of our home and serve the community
… we believe that investment in the future will give us the innovation, it will give us the access, it will give us the capacity that we need to serve our future.” Public commenters at the meeting addressed issues relating to pedestrian safety, wrongful child abuse convictions and funding for STEM programs, among other concerns. Multiple commenters expressed concern about the lawsuit against Black Girls Code, a summer coding program at Wayne State University. In February, University of Michigan-Flint professor Mark Perry filed a claim against Wayne State alleging the school violates Title IX by holding a summer workshop aimed solely at girls. In response, Williams and about 15 other National Action Network members demonstrated outside the home of University President Mark Schlissel to call for Perry’s firing. Charles Williams II, president of the Michigan chapter of NAN, addressed the Regents about Perry’s claim and representation in STEM fields. Williams pointed out the lack of racial diversity in the University’s STEM programs and urged the University to
take immediate action against Perry. “If you begin to investigate the graduate programs in STEM and in other disciplines, you will see rarely African Americans admitted into your programs,” Williams said. “We know the University of Michigan fought hard for affirmative action … but what we don’t know is if their commitment is sincere. Where is the University of Michigan’s footing in Detroit?” Josh Mack, University alum and NAN member, emphasized Williams’s points and shared his own experience at the University as a doctoral student in the early 1970s. Mack said he faced social and economic challenges as a black student and added that he hoped the University would continue supporting STEM programs, including those that reach out to minority groups. “Our Constitution of the United States is designed to make our country a more perfect union,” Mack said. “With the STEM program, if we continue to support the STEM program and the Bridge program and the (Women in Science and Engineering) program, it continues to make the University of Michigan a more perfect learning
institution.” Community members involved with Torn Family, an organization dedicated to overturning false convictions of Shaken Baby Syndrome, addressed the Regents about cases related to University hospitals. Douglas Smith, a retired professor of pathology at the University and a board member of Torn Family, called on the University to hold a formal discussion about wrongful child abuse convictions in an academic and scientific setting. Smith said although LSA and the Law School held a day-long conference a few years ago to address the issue of Shaken Baby Syndrome, representatives from the Medical School refused to participate. “The courtroom is a terrible place to have a scientific or medical debate,” Smith said. “We need to have academic platforms for debate. But as long these faculties refuse to acknowledge that there is something to debate, it won’t happen … This Board would be doing a great service for the education of doctors and the safety of families if this debate were to happen.”
students to leave class. “While AAPS can’t legally encourage students to leave class, as organizers we are happy to see that our work has pushed AAPS to acknowledge our movement and the right of all students to be part of this historic moment fighting for their futures,” Agrawal-Hardin told The Daily. “We hope that in future we can work even more closely with AAPS towards transformative action on climate justice.” Comsa said administrators would work to maintain order. “In all cases, students are supervised, whether they choose to participate or not,”
Comsa wrote. “We encourage all parents/guardians to speak with their student(s) about the messaging related to this event, including anticipated student walkouts, and ways in which students can constructively and safely express their viewpoints.” Comsa also clarified that students are not being required to take part in the walkout. “We will respect the rights of all students, whether they choose to participate or not,” Comsa said. “Thus, we work with our student leaders and coordinate supervision and procedures to assure student safety on our campuses. No student will be required to
participate in any studentled activities, including walkouts.” In contrast, University administrators have not made any announcements excusing students and staff from classes during the strike. LSA freshman Porter Hughes created a petition calling on the University to “dismiss all students, faculty, staff, employees, and all other associated personnel during this time so that all who wish to participate may without fear of punishment or consequence.” “I think the University has a responsibility to ensure that civic engagement maintains a core part of its mission by
not only talking the talk but also by walking the walk and allowing people to go and participate in the event without fear of retribution or punishment in any way, shape or form,” Hughes said. Hughes said the petition is meant to be sent University President Mark Schlissel, and that he’s trying to get in touch with other administrators as well. The University should recognize how impactful the climate crisis is for students and for their futures, Hughes said. “Climate change is affecting us in our everyday lives and is going to have an even bigger impact in our near future,” Hughes said.
miscarriages can happen and serious birth defects can form as well,” Fu said. “I think we are very excited and very hopeful that this system … has generated a reliable, experimental platform for answering fundamental questions about human development.” Scientists have a good idea of what happens for the nine months of pregnancy, but have had trouble understanding the preimplantation stage because the embryo isn’t easily accessible during this period. The 1984 Warnock rule has also made it difficult to research preimplantation — the Warnock rule, also
known as the 14-day rule, bars researchers from studying human embryos beyond 14 days of development for ethical reasons. Fu said there are no ethical guidelines for embryoids yet. He hopes embryoids aren’t subjected to the 14-day rule because they do not contain certain cell types, so they are unable to develop into a baby. The lab has followed the 14-day rule so far by only culturing the embryoids for four days, Fu said.
none of them generated so many interests and attentions from both academia and the public,” Zheng said in an email to The Daily. “It is very interesting to read about other’s comments from totally different perspectives. I feel quite proud that my research is found useful and important by the top scientists in the field, all my hard work finally pays off.” LSA junior Gillian Rubenstein said she read the paper after finding a link to it in a newsletter from Nature. Rubenstein, who is interested in gender and health, said she’s excited for the possible implications the research has
and the fact it’s emerged in the reproductive field. “(Stem cell research) doesnt seem like, so far, it’s gotten into the reproductive field, so I thought it was really exciting that potentially we could create embryos out of stem cells,” Rubenstein said. Fu said the new technology could aid scientists in learning more about what he calls the “black box of human development.” This is the first few weeks after a sperm fertilizes an egg and the embryo implants into the wall of the uterus, called the preimplantation stage. “During this period, many
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Foer emphasized individual action is truly engineered toward the person and is not a one-size-fits-all program. He mentioned a plan that focuses on a plant-based diet and limited travel, saying clean eating was much easier than less travel. “Acknowledge and accept who we are, acknowledge what our limits are,” Foer said. “I find it relatively easy to be a vegetarian. I find it rather difficult to control the number of f lights I take.” Regardless of what action someone takes, Foer emphasized the importance of taking any action at all. He said simply accepting the reality of climate change isn’t permissible. “Intellectually accepting the truth isn’t virtuous in and of itself, and it won’t save us,” Foer said. “If we accept the fact of the reality, that we are destroying the planet, but aren’t willing to believe it, we are no better than those who denied the existence of human-caused climate change. And when the future distinguishes between the two kinds of denial, which will appear to be a grave error and which an unforgivable crime?” Perfecto then brought up the instance of Puerto Rico, the U.S. territory devastated by a hurricane. “I think that more and more, because of these climate catastrophes, people that didn’t know, are knowing, and the people that knew, are more compelled to do something,” Perfecto said. “Do you agree that things are changing?” Foer agreed that things are changing, but said he worries Americans emphasize resilience too much after a natural disaster and do not talk about how things are getting worse. Foer ended his discussion by offering up the idea of climate change as a chance to start again, rather than an ending. “We are so used to thinking of climate change as endings: the end of the polar ice cap, the end of coastal cities, the end of tolerable weather,” Foer said. “But we never think about it as an opportunity for a beginning. Maybe that is the ultimate altercation of climate change is not ‘we’re doomed,’ but ‘we’re at the beginning.’” LSA sophomores Natalie Suh and Katie Kulie are fans of Foer’s work and were pleasantly surprised by the event. “I had read his book ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close’ in high school, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to see a New York best-selling author talk,” Suh said. “I didn’t know what to expect, really, out of this. It seems so different from ‘Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.’” Kulie said she likes how Foer tells a story, acknowledging the trials and tribulations without being too depressing. “He’s really good at framing things that are traditionally considered super negative as positive, but also still being realistic about it, which I think is something that is a struggle,” Kulie said. “You don’t hear stuff like that in the rhetoric about climate change these days.” Both Kulie and Suh said they plan on attending the Washtenaw County Climate Strike Friday and hope it will be the beginning of real change. “I hope that the University of Michigan officials are listening and actually see this as a powerful statement and not just, ‘Oh, the college kids are at it again’ and actually pay attention,” Suh said. “I think if there is more of a diverse group of ages and identities, it will be more of an impactful statement.”
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Opinion
4— Friday, September 20, 2019
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KIANNA MARQUEZ | COLUMN
Our mentality toward saving the environment
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Rethinking “electability”
he notion of “electability” has played a prominent role in the Democratic primaries. Voters overwhelmingly view former Vice President Joe Biden as the most electable, and Biden’s campaign has overtly sought to position him as having the best chance of defeating President Donald Trump. Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., along with many commentators in liberal media circles, have pushed back on Biden’s perceived electability, arguing that bold new ideas are needed to energize the Democratic base. Still others have argued that “electability” is a meaningless notion since no candidates have an identifiably better shot of beating Trump. While the latter camp is correct in claiming it is too soon to make meaningful predictions about the eventual winner of the general election, careful analysis of political trends can yield relevant assessments of electability. The evidence suggests that Biden does indeed enjoy an advantage in electability, particularly compared to Sanders and Warren. However, this advantage is not necessarily for the reasons many assume. Biden’s electability stems from his ability to appeal to a broad coalition including independents and voters who flipped from Barack Obama to Trump in 2016. In the aftermath of the 2016 election, political analysts poured over exit polling data and found a primary culprit for Hillary Clinton’s defeat: white, working-class voters who flipped from Barack Obama to Trump. These voters are disaffected by globalization and mistrustful of the government. They are seeking a candidate who appeals to their concerns. In the months following the 2016 election, many political pundits assumed that winning back these voters was key to retaking the White House. Now, however, the social rhetoric implies the Democratic party should prioritize mobilizing the base and turning out high numbers of reliably Democratic voters, particularly young voters and African Americans. Both of these objectives are important, but Clinton’s defeat was far more complex than a failure to appeal to these demographics. Young voter
turnout was actually higher in 2016 than in 2012, and Clinton did not significantly underperform with young voters relative to Obama in 2012, meaning young voter turnout cannot adequately explain Trump’s surge in 2016. Sanders and Warren are the clear favorites among young primary voters, but I believe there is little evidence that nominating a liberal firebrand would boost young voter turnout enough to significantly affect the election. Young voter turnout has fluctuated somewhat throughout the years but has always lagged far behind older voters, even in the years Democrats nominated very liberal candidates like George McGovern or Michael Dukakis. This suggests that merely nominating a more liberal candidate is not enough to solve young voters’ low turnout as Sanders and Warren have implied. African American turnout, on the other hand, fell sharply. While this could be partly due to Obama’s absence from the ballot, Democrats clearly need to do a better job of appealing to African Americans. Some have argued that Biden would fail to do so, given his gaffe-tendency and controversial legislative track record, but polling consistently shows Biden as the top choice among African American primary voters. If Biden cannot turn out African Americans in the general election, there’s little reason to think his primary opponents could do better, given that Biden is the demographic’s most-favored candidate. Of course, young voters and African Americans are not the only members of the Democratic coalition. Currently, Biden is the second-most favorably viewed candidate among all Democrats, behind Warren. If turning out the base is indeed key to beating Trump in 2020, it is difficult to see how Biden is in a worse position than his more progressive colleagues. Where Biden does have a clear edge is in appealing to the moderate swing voters. Trump won independent voters in 2016, but they have soured on his presidency and oppose his re-election bid by a sizable margin. These independents do not want to vote for Trump, but far-left policies do not appeal to them, and the proof is in the poll numbers. A majority of voters say they would not vote for a
socialist, which is especially troubling for Sanders, who openly describes himself as a “democratic socialist.” Any far-left nominee would have to pivot back toward the center to avoid having the “socialist” label stick, and this could be a tall task for many of the candidates who have endorsed unpopular policies such as decriminalizing unauthorized border crossing and singlepayer health care. Biden is one of the few Democratic candidates to oppose these policies, which positions him better among moderate swing voters compared to his more liberal primary opponents. While voters are skeptical of far-left policy positions, they routinely express support for a “generic Democrat,” and Biden, as the mainstream former vice-president for a popular former president, is arguably the most generic Democrat among the top-tier candidates. This helps explain why Biden currently leads Trump by as many as 15 points in head-tohead polling, a significantly larger lead than those of any of the other candidates. This lead is far from a guarantee that Biden can beat Trump, but it’s an optimal position to start in and indicative of Biden’s broad appeal to voters. Electability may seem like a trivial matter in a primary that has featured complex policy debates on health care, immigration and foreign policy, but polls routinely show Democratic voters believe the ability to beat Trump is the most important quality in a candidate. Biden’s electability may not be the most inspiring reason to support his candidacy, but it is nonetheless a powerful motivator for Democratic voters, and they deserve an honest assessment of it. Moreover, the current conversation on electability demonstrates Democrats have not learned from 2016. Trump is unpopular, but the eventual nominee cannot rely solely on his unpopularity to win. Rather, the Democratic nominee must be able to build a broad coalition that holds together the entire base and reaches out to moderate swing voters. Biden offers the best chance of doing this, and his perceived electability is no myth. Noah Harrison can be reached at noahharr@umich.edu.
SUBMIT TO SURVIVORS SPEAK The Opinion section has created a space in The Michigan Daily for first-person accounts of sexual assault and its corresponding personal, academic and legal implications. Submission information can be found at https://tinyurl.com/survivorsspeak2019.
A
s an engineer studying at the University of Michigan, I am relishing the opportunity to occasionally take classes that don’t require me to solve an equation or perform a calculation with only one correct answer. In my English class this semester, we are discussing what it’s like to write during a time of extinction, a topic that has been generally analyzed with many indefinite answers. In an article we read about the numerous current perils of climate change, journalist David Wallace-Wells juxtaposes his grim, pessimistic attitude with the optimistic attitude of “the scientists” he refers to. In doing so, he prompted the entire class to discuss whether or not it’s more reasonable to think about our climate strife optimistically, like “the scientists” do, or realistically, like he does. Just as the nature of the climate debate plays out, I have come to realize there is no definite answer for how we should be feeling toward our impending doom. I don’t necessarily see the reason for projecting optimism toward our climate change issue because of the euphemistic nature that optimism is generally presented in. In sugar coating the facts of extreme weather events with evasive rhetoric, our leaders are doing the ultimate disservice to the scientific truth behind the natural disasters occurring more and more frequently. In naively believing we can reverse climate change, we are not accurately conveying the gravity of the situation for others to understand that it’s going to require more than just desire. A common theme was brought up in our class discussion regarding the motivation that people have behind the phrase “think of the children.” The danger of using this phrase to justify why we should act to preserve our society for the future is the assumption that
there will even be a future for our children to live in. We are also assuming this future will exist where we will have, unknowingly and distressingly, handed over the responsibility of the world to the next generation. In the same way, we are merely assuming that a sustainable future will exist without showing any drive, other than sheer desire, to actually make it happen. Approaching the climate issue with an overarching sense of optimism simply projects false realities that are most likely not as attainable as they are painted out to be. While it may seem that, because I am opposing optimistic approaches, I would be completely supportive of realistic approaches, I have to acknowledge that realism comes with its own danger regarding the climate issue as well. The single danger that comes with being realistic about the fate of our environment is the emotional instability and overwhelming anguish we will have to face. We will have to accept the hard truth that our planet is probably doomed at this point and that an overwhelming amount of deaths are inevitable despite what we do from now on. As Wallace-Wells highlights, “No plausible program of emissions reductions alone can prevent climate disaster.” With that being said, approaching the climate issue with an overbearing sense of realism may simply be too much for us to endure. At the end of the day, I think “the scientists” that WallaceWells refers to represent people of various professions who adopt an urgent attitude rather than an optimistic one. These types of people trust that good change can happen because we, as humans, are capable of – or are going to make ourselves capable of – figuring out a way to get us out of our own mess. As should be
for all of us, they understand that the alternative, which is ultimately suffering extinction as a result of making our planet uninhabitable – is “simply unimaginable.” They know that we must all act together with urgency, because there is no choice but to devote ourselves to improving. If the situation is as severe as it is, why aren’t we all making this the top priority in our lives? Why is it not a “have to” and is instead more of a “probably should?” As a young person in our society who still has the opportunity to choose the avenue which I will pursue, I worry that continuing to try to work for an improved, sustainable future will not be worth it. In her poem about the end of the world, Joy Harjo refers to the kitchen table as the center of life and suggests that the world will end with everyone around the table – when it will be too late. I fret about if the work that I have been preparing to do my whole life will not matter anymore. I am unsettled by the day when, after all I try to do to save our world, it will not have mattered, because what mattered was that all of us tried. Going forward, I ask you to adopt a sense of urgency like “the scientists” have toward our looming climate issue. We need to understand that we are the only ones who can reverse this in our favor, and we should be urging each other to work towards making our “impossible” goals possible. The careers and the lives that we are all going to have will either help us get through the pain or help us end the root of that pain. As difficult as it may be, I urge you to ref lect on what you’re doing to make this world a better place in a way that solves the problem rather than runs from it. Kianna Marquez can be reached at kmarquez@umich.edu.
CHLOE PLESCHER | COLUMN
The hidden, online world of pro-anorexia
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s body positivity has grown in popularity on social media, eating disorders such as binge eating, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa have become more understood by American society. Social media accounts and movements, like I Weigh, have protested the diet culture impeding Americans by criticizing society for pushing diet pills and fads. Instead, people are encouraged to value themselves beyond their bodies. However, while body positivity is clearly beneficial, an opposite movement still slithers through social media. Pro-anorexia, or pro-ana for short, is the online promotion of weight-loss eating disorders, mainly anorexia and bulimia. Pro-ana developed with the internet, beginning its online presence in the 1990s and continuing today through online forums, blogs and popular social media. However, each pro-ana medium is different in its approach. The most extreme are those who believe in Ana (anorexia) as a goddess they must worship and follow. There are commandments, prayers and creeds dangerously dictating how people must live to become a true anorexic. The second level are those in forums or social media accounts who believe anorexia is good, but not in a religious sense. For example, they do not worship anorexia or bulimia as a goddess, but they still believe in the disease as a lifestyle. Rules and tips regarding food and exercise are still shared to encourage themselves and others. Ana buddies are formed to motivate others through their fasting, purging and exercising. When rules are broken, pro-ana users abuse each other to trigger them into not eating. This level bleeds into the final one: those who have an eating disorder but do not see it as a blessing. Yet, they still take to social media to post “thinspirational” photos and quotes, using the websites as self-motivation to continue their harmful behaviors
while simultaneously encouraging others to recover. While the harm these websites cause is obvious, pro-ana is an addictive distraction. Pro-ana sites and blogs are a playground to capture vulnerable people and keep them in their eating disorders. The websites serve to justify dangerous, disordered behaviors and breaks the temptation to recover. Yet, proana is readily accessible. Finding pro-ana is as simple as a Google search, where photos of emaciated women pop up with accompanying quotes. Rhymes such as “skip dinner, wake up thinner” and “hungry to bed, hungry to rise makes a girl a smaller size” are there for anyone – including children – to see and become influenced. Furthermore, the top result after searching pro-ana is a link to the hashtag on Twitter, followed by pro-ana websites. With a simple scroll, adults and children can find accounts posting goal weights, body photos, new diets and tracked calories. Pro-ana is a treacherous world easily preying on the vulnerable. Anorexia is the mental illness with the highest mortality rate, with 20 percent of the deaths being from suicide, but pro-ana still deserves to be taken as seriously as suicide. Consider the case of Michelle Carter, who was rightfully sentenced to 15 months in prison for encouraging her boyfriend to commit suicide. Pro-ana does the same but on a wider level, yet only Pinterest and Tumblr have banned the content. Even a Google search of pro-ana does not prompt links to the National Eating Disorders Association hotline, as it does when someone Googles “prosuicide.” Obviously, pro-ana is more sneaky and subtle in its suicidal ideations, as websites and accounts continue to fly under the radar. However, action must still be taken to make pro-ana harder to find, and search engines providing resources is an easy way to further prevention. Eating disorders are painful and hazardous illnesses, and it is
time search engine enterprises and social media companies treat it seriously. By allowing the promotion of anorexia and other eating disorders, companies become partially responsible for the development and continuance of such disorders. There is no value in allowing such easy access to pro-ana content. Especially since proana views eating disorders as lifestyle choices and not diseases, the risks of eating disorders are overlooked. Pro-ana validates and worships unhealthy, skeletal bodies, and it pushes people to slowly kill themselves through starving, purging, abusing laxatives and over exercising. Social media companies like Instagram and Twitter can join other companies in removing pro-ana content. Instagram has already made strides by banning 17 pro-ana hashtags in 2012, marking them against their terms of service, though this actually made the problem worse by encouraging alternative hashtags – so Instagram can do more. There are still more than 250 hashtag variations open. With technological advancement, Instagram can afford a team to find the current hashtags and block them. Of course, new variations will form and users will continuously find ways to share content – drug addicts always find a dealer. But banning hashtags does make pro-ana harder to find, especially for newer viewers and children. Additionally, the recommendation algorithms can be reformed to screen hashtags before promoting them in a feed. Banning pro-ana content is time-consuming work, but it is necessary to help prevention of eating disorders and suicide.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com Chloe Plescher can be reached at chloebp@umich.edu.
Arts
5 — Friday, September 20, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FESTIVAL COVERAGE
Riot Fest day two is a sweaty, smoking punkmess CLARA SCOTT Senior Arts Editor
The second day of Riot Fest began with a large blow-up cherry and a burgundy slip dress. The latter was donned by Cherry Glazerr’s always-on frontwoman, Clementine Creevy, and the former teetered in the background of their set. With the level of noise coming from each instrument, you would have expected it to pop. But no, it held up throughout their raucous and entertaining set, a whimsical piece of mythology that encapsulated the group’s ethos perfectly. Standing three feet from the front of the stage and the aforementioned cherry balloon, I was struck by a jolt of pure happiness. For the first show of Riot Fest’s second day, we were already off to a great start. Cherry Glazerr played for over an hour straight, with each band member thrashing to the music as Creevy’s ethereal voice carried through the air. I had seen them perform at Detroit’s Fillmore theatre in 2017, just as their star was beginning to shine in the rock scene. It was nice to see how they’d grown from a smaller, derivative outfit to a full-force group of seasoned performers. Their group is an interesting mix of classic punk and pop-punk influences with a lighter, almost folkinspired flavor. It was a natural fit for Chicago’s Riot Fest crowd, which was mixed in a similar way — from hardcore punkers to lighter, more hippie-esque festivalgoers, there was something there for everyone on that sunny Saturday in Douglas Park. After dancing extremely poorly throughout the entirety of Cherry Glazerr’s set, I meandered across the fairgrounds and realized an artist I had been meaning to see was 50 feet away from where I was standing. That artist was upcoming rapper PROF, who is, I would say, what we all wanted Macklemore to be but never got from him. PROF’s set was a hilarious 45 minutes of him questioning why he was even playing there (which one could reasonably ask at a largely punk festival) and a rap performance that knocked it out of the park. The rapper threw water into the crowd, threw it on himself, bantered with his DJ and performed songs from his most recent album all at the same time, building a rapport with the crowd with every move he made. His beats were solid, his flow a pleasant nod to old-school. He is definitely one to watch.
Walking soaked from PROF’s audience to the next stage, I couldn’t help but giggle at the wonder of it all. You could hear the battling basslines of multiple performers echo across the battered grass, smell the smoke from vapes and cigarettes mixing in the afternoon wind, catch the laughter of each group who had ventured back for another day. It was honestly delightful. What was also delightful came in the next hour, when I elbowed my way to the front of the crowd for glam-rock throwback band The Struts. Their set was a blast from the past, in the best way possible. The Struts, composed of four incredibly talented musicians in shiny costumes, bounced onto their stage with fervor. Frontman Luke Spiller was clad in a brilliant red getup reminiscent of Freddie Mercury’s early costumes, and the rest of the band wore similar outfits to push their image even further. The songs blended into one another perfectly, with Spiller effortlessly throwing in anecdotes between each performance that ultimately segued into the next song. It was great, it was hot and it was something that not many musicians could do in this day and age. If Greta Van Fleet is what happens when a band blindly copies one from the past, The Struts have ultimately become more than the sum of their influences. Parts of their set reminded the audience of Queen, of Black Sabbath, of the late ’70s in general — but they were themselves, not anyone else. The music was good, and sometimes that’s what sets you apart in the end. As the sun began to go down and lines formed at every stage to prepare for the mainstage headliners, an anticipatory buzz fell over the crowds. First, I made my way over to the Wu-Tang Clan’s performance, for which they were predictably late. After waiting for 20 minutes in the photo line, we were finally there: I couldn’t believe that I had made it one foot from the members of such a celebrated heritage group, but there I was. Joining most of the original lineup was a new addition, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s son, aptly nicknamed Young Dirty Bastard. Their show was brilliant, if somewhat slow. But its been decades since they burst onto the scene, and the audience knew that. We were celebrating their genius while listening to it, joining the group members in a rehashing of their very beginnings with a full performance of their album 39 Chambers. The rest of the night was a blur. From running to the Slayer stage
COURTESY OF CLARA SCOTT
only to feel the literal sweat of the metal legends on my own skin in the photo pit, to a knockout performance from the British post-punk icons Bloc Party, I was riding an emotional yo-yo back and forth happily. My eardrums were near the brink of collapse, but the smile on my face was immovable, plastered across my cheeks like the Joker. I could feel the bass in my bones, the arms and legs of the audience members around me, the eyes of each performer crossing mine as I tried to get the best shots and sounds of the night. Though blended, my memories are fond. Those last two acts were a frenzied mix — sadness that I would be going home the next day, ecstatic joy of true togetherness. We were dancing with legends that night, and everyone knew that. Walking home from that second day at Riot Fest, my skin buzzed with the energy of everyone I had seen that day. I can almost feel it now.
TV/NEW MEDIA NOTEBOOK
2019 Emmys predictions from The Daily’s TV beat DAILY TV WRITERS Daily Arts Writers
As a summer birthday baby, I’ve always felt spiritually connected to the Emmys — the forgotten birthday, if you will, of awards season. Sure, your friends tell you they’ll remember it when everyone is back at school, but you know the truth. In the same vein, everyone pretends that they’ll continue to respect the Emmys, but by the time the “golden girl” (the Academy Awards) rolls around the following spring, the Emmy Awards is expected to retreat back into obscurity. No longer. The TV beat has made it our mission to prove that television’s biggest night not only matters, but might — just might — be a superior night to the Oscars. After all, despite the annual hype surrounding the event, the Oscars always prove to be a gargantuan disappointment in some way: “Green Book” was not nominated purely as a joke? Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper didn’t make love on stage?
On the other hand, with nominees including “POSE,” “Killing Eve” and “When They See Us,” the Emmys make the Oscars look like the slice of male-dominated Wonder Bread that it is*. Nearly every category is a close race, predisposing the night to be one chock-full of must-see moments. So, for those of you born without a crippling addiction to television, we, the TV beat, are to give you a brief cheat sheet on who to root for. Hopefully, you will exit this piece with some conversation points that will make you sound like the most cultured person in the room wherever you happen to be postEmmys on Monday morning. We’ve got a good feeling about our predictions. We’re about 75 percent sure that our predictions will be 100 percent right. You’re welcome. — Ally Owens, TV Beat Editor *The Emmys are not nearly as diverse on the production side as my brag would substantiate ... but for the sake of the argument, it’s still better than the Oscars.
HBO
Lead Actress in a Comedy Series: Julia LouisDreyfus, “Veep” It physically pains me to have to make a choice in this category. Every actress nominated is a driving force of my favorite shows, proving time and time again that women are, in fact, funny, and actually are at the top of today’s comedy game. That being said, there is one woman on that list who inches above the rest, sitting atop the unreachable throne of Queen of Comedy that she’s been crafting for decades. I speak, of course, of Julia Louis-Dreyfus and her performance in the seventh and final season of “Veep.” Dreyfus bids the infamous Selina Meyer farewell in a season of power-hungry mania that resolves with barely a glimpse of regret. If her delivery of fast quips and gutpunching insults won’t get the gold for her, the final prolonged stare she graces an empty Oval Office with sure will. — Samantha Della Fera, Senior Arts Editor Comedy Series: “Fleabag” The only justified way to award this category is in a sixway tie. Trying to choose “The Good Place” over “Schitt’s Creek”? “Barry” over “Russian Doll”? It’s a tedious task: Comedy is delivering today’s best television, scoffing as we duel over which show is best. The underdog winner here is Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s glorious “Fleabag,” a dark comedy with talk-to-the-camera direction that makes “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation” look like high school video projects. As Waller-Bridge’s titular Fleabag grapples with trauma through sex and humor, she is introduced to a hot priest that everyone, including Fleabag herself, has no choice but to fall head over heels for in the most painful way. Once you witness the fourth wall break that will send a cold shock through your entire body, you too will know why this show should be walking home with the statue. — Samantha Della Fera Lead Actor in A Drama: Billy Porter, “POSE” If Billy Porter is not awarded this title, you have my word that I will punch a hole through my Samsung television. Carnegie Mellon-educated and Broadway-trained, Porter’s resume already exceeds what is commonly expected of a “conventional” leading man in television.
Jason Bateman, you’ll always have a place in my heart, but Billy simply is a stratosphere above what has been listed (in name only) as his competition. Even without context, Porter’s portrayal of Pray Tell on “POSE” could still beat out the most talented men in Hollywood. However, when you combine Porter’s raw performance ability with the important social work he is doing — representing the strength and kinship of queer-found families — you have to wonder, do I really need to call Saul? — Ally Owens Lead Actor in a Comedy Series: Bill Hader, “Barry” While “Schitt’s Creek” patriarch Eugene Levy and Ted Danson’s demonic Michael on “The Good Place” are also worthy contenders for this prize, their brilliant performances seem almost one-note in comparison to Bill Hader’s as the titular hitman in “Barry.” Playing a character who is on a quest to put his dark past into the shadows in order to pursue a serendipitous acting career, Hader is even more impressive in the show’s second season, as he is forced to display a much wider range of emotions than the stoic, repressed and awkward version of the character seen in the first season. Second season Barry is given the ability to show development, and Hader juggles the inherent complexity in playing such a role with tremendous skill. — Sayan Ghosh, New Media Beat Editor Limited Series: “Chernobyl” Possibly the most stacked category of the entire night, the “Limited Series” title will probably be bestowed upon one of the largest TV phenomena of recent memory. I mean, how many other television shows can transform a destroyed nuclear site into a destination for influencers? Moreover, HBO’s “Chernobyl” doesn’t just have popularity on its side, but also an impressively well-crafted world lain before audiences by the writers, as well as a stellar performance by Stellan Skarsgård.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
BOOK REVIEW
‘Namiya General Store’ an epistolary coming-of-age SARAH SALMAN Daily Arts Writer
When I was younger, I fantasized about receiving letters. Not just any letters — letters from myself in the future. In these letters, future Sarah would chronologize my milestones and regrets. The information could be anything from a tip on an upcoming exam (I’m looking at you, physiolog y) or a clue about who I will marry. What could I do with that knowledge? Would I even believe it? While characters in Keigo Higashino’s “Miracles of the Namiya General Store” don’t get letters from themselves, they do get letters from the future. “Miracles of the Namiya General Store” follows a series of interconnected vignettes, each telling a touching tale about a specific character’s internal conf licts with Mr. Namiya and his letters. Before the Namiya General Store had its time travel capabilities, it was simply a mom-and-pop shop with an old man as its owner. At the beginning, the letters and their responses weren’t serious at all. In fact, they would be most aptly dubbed as riddles. People would stop by the Namiya General Store and drop the letters off in a little milk crate. At 5:30 a.m. each morning, Mr. Namiya would get up, read through the letters and post his reply.
“Tell me how I can get an A+ on a test without studying or cheating on anything,” one visitor writes in “The Miracles.” And Mr. Namiya responds with, “Ask your teacher to test you on yourself. Since you’re the topic of the test, whatever you say will be correct.” These silly prankster-like questions, however, were soon replaced with serious questions. Instead of dismissing these letters,
DESIGN BY TRINA PAL
Mr. Namiya slaved over thoughtful replies. Halfway through the work, Mr. Namiya eventually dies on September 13th. Each year, however, on the anniversary of his death, time stops at the Namiya General Store. Whoever stumbles by has the ability to communicate with people in the past. We don’t learn of the Namiya General’s backstory until we’re halfway through the novel. Instead, the novel is framed by a set of three teenage delinquents — Kohei, Atsuya and Shota — who happen by the Namiya General Store by chance. Interestingly enough, the three boys take on the role Mr. Namiya once filled and earnestly answer the letters that file through the milk crate. It’s easy to fall into the trap of tedium with a structure like the vignettes of “The Miracles.” Each chapter is like another exposition: new setting, new characters and new conf lict. I initially worried that I would dread each chapter, hoping to return to familiar characters like Kohei, Atsuya and Shota. Thankfully, this is never the case. Each story is sing ular and surprisingly touching. One follows the story of a man with the pseudonym of “Floundering Musician” who struggles between his duty to the family business or following his dream to pursue a career in music. Another is of an Olympic fencer named “Moon Rabbit” who oscillates between taking care of her terminally ill partner or throwing her all into
her training. Like the letters sent to Mr. Namiya, some stories are hilarious. Others are heav y, delving deep into familial problems that had me fighting tears. Keigo Higashino proves to be a masterful storyteller, demonstrating expertise outside of his traditional crime and mystery novels. As always, I’m eager for his next translated work.
The Miracles of Namiya General Store Keigo Higashino Yen Press Sept. 24, 2019
Arts
6 — Friday, September 20, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM: ROUNDTABLE REVIEW
Three critical takes on Quentin Taratino’s ‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.’ TL;DR: not good. JULIANNA MORANO Daily Arts Writer
SAMANTHA NELSON Daily Arts Writer
IAN HARRIS
Daily Arts Writer
It’s interesting to me how the “love letter” analogy is tossed around by critics. Sometimes, it’s called for. Hanif Abdurrqib writes a love letter to A Tribe Called Quest in “Go Ahead in the Rain.” Damian Chazelle writes a love letter to Los Angeles in “La La Land.” Other times, however, it can be used to justify disfigurations of love and, untimately, conceal their harm. Recently, it has been invoked in misguided praise of Quentin Tarantino’s three-hour, mostly meandering but ultimately vindictive opus, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.” The film does not exactly have a premise; rather, it drifts from (white) Hollywood figure to figure. Instead of a liberating drift, though, these lengthy, indulgent scenes mire each character in discomfiting fantasies of their director. Tarantino’s Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie, “I, Tonya”) is a ditzy starlet who goes to a theater and enjoys watching herself play the sexist part she got in a movie. Tarantino’s Bruce Lee (Mike Moh, “Empire”) gets his ass kicked by a white, widowed stunt man (Brad Pitt, “Deadpool 2”), and it’s extra vindicating because Tarantino portrays Lee as a boastful, overrated martial artist. Did I say widower? The stunt man, Cliff Booth, is also suspected of killing his wife, but she was rude to him in a f lashback, so Tarantino’s justice is that the stunt man probably got to take out his wife for free. Still, this is a Tarantino film, so instead of even looking for a premise, let’s instead call it his “excuse for a violent climax.” In “Once Upon a Time,” that excuse is the haphazard interweaving of the Manson Family, partway into the backdrop, partway into the secondary cast. In a single scene that contains the violence Tarantino usually seems to prefer to distribute more evenly throughout his films, the two stars of the film, Booth and Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Revenant”), are attacked by
COLUMBIA PICTURES
Manson Family members, but in Tarantino’s reimagining — complete with death-by-f lamethrower — the (white) Hollywood guys win. That seems to be the ultimate, gruesome and vindictive point Tarantino is making. What does that leave the audience with, or Hollywood with, aside from a lust for violence and the unchecked ways of Hollywood’s past? I don’t know if Hollywood wants to be avenged, and even less sure that it needs to be avenged. What it needs much more than vindication or even love is renewal. “Once Upon a Time” doesn’t offer that, or anything more than its director’s problematic fantasies. — Julianna Morano Over the course of my time at The Daily, I’ve reviewed a lot of lower quality Netf lix films. As cringe-inducing and painful as
I get that the late ’60s music, street children and druggie vibes were reminiscent of a romanticized decade, but that sort of nostalgia simply is not enough to carry a whole film.
COLUMBIA PICTURES
If you’re going to make a mind-numbingly boring movie, at least have the courtesy to make it brief. “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” spans close to three hours. And we are aware of every minute passing (really though, I checked my phone more times than I’m proud to admit). If you have intentions of seeing Tarantino’s latest f lick, tread lightly. The sea of rave reviews deceived me, and you may fall destined for a similar fate. — Samantha Nelson
some of these new releases about high school antics and poorly executed heists can be, I would opt to watch them all on repeat if it meant erasing the trainwreck that was “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” from my memory. I’ve always prided myself on the fact that I’ve never walked out of a theater in the middle of a movie. Watching “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” was the first time I wish I did. No amount of over-buttered popcorn or Twizzlers could have amended my movie-going experience. Despite having two dynamite, A-list actors at his disposal, Tarantino’s picture f lounders. As a former die-hard (now tempered) Leonardo Dicaprio fan, you can imagine my disappointment when his character, Rick Dalton, turns out to be a dull paperdoll of a man. A ref lection of the movie as a whole, Dalton is straight up boring, minimally developed and has no real chemistry with his co-star Brad Pitt. I get that the late ’60s music, street children and druggie vibes were reminiscent of a romanticized decade, but that sort of nostalgia simply is not enough to carry a whole film. I’d perk up at every glimpse of a turning point, only to be let down again and again when no forward momentum was maide. I’m traditionally a fan of Tarantino’s non-linear filming style, but there are far too many pieces in “Once Upon a Time” left not only unconnected, but permanently unresolved.
Rarely do I change my opinion on a movie. While that may not be the most constructive way to critique films, it’s honest. My gut reaction to “Once Upon a Time” was total disinterest. I found the first two hours of the film to be unbelievably boring, to a degree that completely shocked me. I’ve felt a lot of things while watching films by Quentin Tarantino, but never boredom. The last act of the film, which has been praised for its shock and audacity, entertained me in the moment, but left me feeling “so what” by the time the credits rolled. I’m about to sound hypocritical given I just said I don’t often change my views on movies, but “Once Upon a Time” has caused me to re-evaluate my entire relationship with Quentin Tarantino. As a young adult I loved his films. I thought they were funny, clever and exciting. But that feeling of “so what” that haunted me after I watched an alternative history in which Sharon Tate is never killed and the Manson murders never happen slowly began to extend to the rest of the Tarantino canon. You can make movies where Jews get to kill Hitler and Jamie Foxx gets to shoot up racist slave owners. But so what? Yeah, it would be nice if a lot of the bad shit that’s happened over the course of world history didn’t happen. But it did. I’m still working through what that means; more specifically, that I don’t think Tarantino movies “mean” anything. Maybe that’s fine. Maybe just being entertaining is enough. But in an increasingly complicated world, I don’t know how much room we still have to enjoy uncomplicated catharsis. — Ian Harris
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A most ‘Wicked’ summer ELI RALLO
Daily Arts Writer Release Date: Friday, September 20, 2019
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
HELP WANTED
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 “... harmony in the motion and magnitude of the __ ... ”: Copernicus 5 Out, perhaps 9 Maintain 14 Stable newborn 15 Particle in a beam 16 Lifetime parent 17 Asian tourist city 18 Initial game payment 19 Lengthy sentence 20 What included a top hat, for Lincoln? 23 Prohibition __ 24 Support gp. founded under FDR 25 Like Yosemite’s El Capitan 26 Unvarnished inventions? 31 P&L report column 32 Symbol of ease 33 Part of a baby’s repertoire 34 Stops lying? 37 One often stands alone in a split 38 Devote, as time 40 Gp. inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017 41 They’re often seen on trees 42 Disposed of 43 Citi Field catcalls? 48 “The Night They Invented Champagne” composer 49 Mentalist Geller 50 Sch. in Manhattan 53 Joe-induced speaking clarity? 57 Get around 58 Food stamp? 59 67, for Beethoven’s Fifth 60 Invisible turnout? 61 Unlikely 62 Olive Oyl’s mother
45 Followed 30 Scandinavian 46 Confused mess roofing material 47 Ubiquitous 34 Whistle-blower YouTube button 35 Down with the flu ... and a hint to 36 Deep South four long Across cuisine DOWN answers 1 18 or 21, typically 37 Pesto ingredients 51 Squeak or creak 38 Poker-faced 2 Court rival of 52 Take back 39 Nave seat Rafael 53 Prop for Chaplin 41 New Zealand 3 Bill for shots 54 The Bard’s river bird 4 Picket fence 55 Biblical hunter 42 Reception aids piece 56 Atmosphere 44 1959 Fiestas hit 5 Assembled 6 Small chocolateANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: covered candy 7 Classic accusation 8 Moccasin leather 9 Asked for ID 10 Victory wreath 11 Lestat de Lioncourt creator 12 Promises at the altar 13 YMCA part 21 Mongolian tents 22 Butter used to deep-fry samosas 27 Agreement word 28 Mimicry 29 Geological time span 09/20/19 63 Wound up 64 Goes after 65 Go around in circles?
By Kathy Wienberg and Lewis Rothlein ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
09/20/19
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When I had the opportunity to see “Wicked” on Broadway again this summer, I didn’t expect the piece to strike me differently than my previous viewings. My preconceived thought: Once you learn all the lyrics, have a vague awareness of the blocking and have each costume memorized there’s no room for surprise, right? Wrong. “Wicked” is more than a tourist attraction and an entertaining spectacle — it is a call to action. I used to leave the Broadway smash hit out of my favorite musical list whenever someone asked. It felt cliché for someone who loves musical theatre as much as I do to admit that my favorite musical isn’t some niche, hipster, singer-songwriter Broadway musical that nobody has ever heard of. “Wicked” is the story of the land of Oz before Dorothy and the yellow brick road. It follows brazen, emerald skinned Elphaba, an astute, misunderstood young woman sent to boarding school to look after her sister, wheelchair-bound Nessarose. In an unlikely turn of events, she falls into a friendship with bubbly girly-girl Glinda and the two go on a journey together through the world as they know it, working for the world Elphaba hopes Oz will become. “Wicked” is a whirlwind of emotions and manages to land humor, heartbreak, feminism and friendship all within the span of two hours and 45 minutes. It is also the first Broadway show that ever left me speechless — a difficult feat to accomplish. The first time I saw the show was in 2006 with my mother in Philadelphia. At the age of seven, I’d been exclusively listening to the CD soundtrack since I’d received it for Christmas. We drove to Philadelphia and played the soundtrack twice through on our way there, singing along and swapping roles in our two-woman production. I can’t remember the experience of seeing the show, but I remember walking to the bathroom with my mom after the curtain call. She was sobbing. The piece had emotionally affected my mother, a 33 year old woman, to the point of tears, and I didn’t understand if they stemmed from sadness or from wonder. Afterward, I asked her if I was Elphaba or Glinda, hoping she’d tell me I was the beautiful blonde with the sparkly bubble and pink glittering
gowns. Instead, she told me I was Elphaba: smart, fearless, brave and filled with heart. As a seven year old concerned mostly with exterior image, I was disappointed that my mother didn’t see me as the “popular” good witch whom everyone adored. When I saw it most recently this July, 14 years later, I brought new experiences and pieces of my ever forming identity with me. “Wicked” revealed itself as my favorite musical — unabashedly, without a shadow of a doubt. In its simplest reading, “Wicked” is about a young girl who does not fit into a society because she looks different than the majority. When you look past the dazzling production numbers, immaculate set and intricate costumes, the plight of Elphaba can be compared to the wider sociopolitical sphere in the United States and our individual stories as well. In the Gershwin theatre this July, in a country where slews of racist, homophobic, xenophobic and sexist things happened just that day, I realized the necessity and urgency under the glamour of this piece of theatre. “Wicked” is about love, yes, a heterosexual relationship between a cisgender man and a cisgender woman. But it is about more than that. It is about a female friendship, a friendship that pushes itself to the limits and almost flounders more than once. The book is genius as it sets up Elphaba and Glinda to careen into the catty stereotype of fighting over a man, a common trope both on stage and in film. But instead of this man, Fiyero, destroying their relationship and showcasing both leading ladies as airy half shells of female characters, his character is a device in making their friendship a feminist relationship. Glinda urges Fiyero to leave her to be with Elphaba. She does this because she recognizes that her love for Fiyero pales in comparison to her desire for both Elphaba and Fiyero to be happy. Her mature choice to walk away from Fiyero so that her best friend can be happy and pursue her dreams makes her the hero of the story. In Glinda I see my mother, I see all of the female friends who have put me before themselves, I see the women who have become my sisters, who have changed my life for good.
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Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, September 20, 2019 — 7
In loss to Notre Dame, Michigan In victory, all ‘M’ needs is one goal shows signs of improvement TEDDY GUTKIN Daily Sports Writer
Trailing by one point in the fifth and final set, the Michigan volleyball team watched as a Notre Dame serve sailed into the corner, seemingly headed out of bounds — giving the Wolverines a chance to extend the set at least two more serves. That hope quickly faded as the shot barely landed inbounds, earning the Fighting Irish (7-2) a 15-13 win in the set and a 3-2 win in the match — sending Michigan (6-3) home emptyhanded despite holding a 2-1 set lead early on. In the deciding set, the Wolverines battled back from an 11-8 deficit to tie the score at 13 apiece. Ultimately, however, Notre Dame toughed out a kill and then the aforementioned service ace to seal Michigan’s fate. “To me, I don’t look at it like the final plays are any more important than the first ones,” Michigan coach Mark Rosen
said. “The first plays are just as important as the last ones. I don’t think it’s any different than what happened in the middle of the set or what happened in any set.” Before falling in the final set, Michigan appeared to have the momentum after taking two straight set wins. After dropping the first set, 25-23, the Wolverines saw senior outside hitter Sydney Wetterstrom net four consecutive kills in the second frame to outlast the Fighting Irish and secure a 29-27 win to deadlock the match at one game apiece. In the following set, Wetterstrom scored an ace to put Michigan up 6-1 early, and the Wolverines capitalized on two Notre Dame errors to go up one game. “(Wetterstrom) was great today,” Rosen said. “She’s someone who’s really experienced and brings a lot of personality and fire to the team.” In the fourth set, Michigan found itself ahead 22-20, but lost
the set after the Fighting Irish scored five of the set’s final six points. Even though his team wasn’t able to pull out a win late, Rosen saw improvement from his squad. “We worked really hard the last ten days to get better at (some of our weaker areas),” he said. “Tonight we were significantly better. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough, but at the same time that’s part of the growing process.” The Wolverines won’t have to wait long to see the Fighting Irish again, as the two teams will meet at Crisler Center on Sunday afternoon for the second game of a home-and-home series. Rather than focusing on the task at hand, though, Rosen is instead looking for his players to focus more on their own growth over the past ten days. “Our growth in the last 10 days has been really significant,” Rosen said. “And that’s what we focused on: are we getting better, are we improving, are there areas we can improve on?”
ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily
Senior outside hitter Sydney Wetterstrom netted four consecutive kills in the second set of Wednesday’s match against Notre Dame.
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Junior goalkeeper Hillary Beall helped guide the Wolverines to a shutout win over No. 23 Penn State on Thursday.
MEGAN CHAPELLE Daily Sports Writer
Some wins only take one goal. In the first 10 minutes of the Michigan women’s soccer team’s game against No. 23 Penn State (4-4-1 overall, 0-1-0 Big Ten), junior midfielder Sarah Stratigakis passed the ball to sophomore midfielder Meredith Haakenson. Haakenson capitalized on the opportunity and fired a shot into the upper right corner of the net — scoring the only goal of the game as the Wolverines won, 1-0. Michigan (6-2-0, 1-0-0) started strong in Thursday night’s match. The Wolverines took the first shot of the game in the 5th minute, aiming at the bottom left corner of the goal, but the Nittany Lions’ goalkeeper Amanda Dennis denied it. This near miss bolstered Michigan’s determination and ultimately helped the team score minutes later. “They came out with really good energy at the start of the game,” said Michigan coach Jennifer Klein. “That helped them put the ball in the back of the net.”
This initial enthusiasm soon faded. Haakenson’s goal marked the Wolverines’ last shot for the first half. After they showed up on the scoreboard, Penn State dominated the rest of the half. The Nittany Lions then made six attempts on target. “We’re playing against Penn State. That’s an incredible team with a tactical strategy,” Klein said. “It’s a credit to Penn State we weren’t able to make any more shots.” Junior goalkeeper Hillary Beall led Michigan’s defensive effort and allowed the team to hang onto the lead. She made three saves, including a key save in the final 10 minutes of the match to secure the win. “We continue to improve defensively,” Klein said. “They stuck together and blocked shots. Hilliary Beall made incredible saves, and she played fantastically. She had great footwork and was able to push the ball out.” At the start of the second half, the Wolverines’ offensive struggles seemed to persist. The Nittany Lions came out strong and had a shot within the first
30 seconds. But Michigan soon found the energy it opened the game with. Minutes later, the Wolverines began pressuring again. They made an impressive six attempts on goal during the second half — double the amount of Penn State. They didn’t convert any but kept the ball away from the Nittany Lions and out of their goal. “Each half had momentum that shifted back and forth. You get that ebb and flow with two quality teams. That’s what makes a good soccer game,” Klein said. “In the second half, we were able to take more shots and make them have to deal with us more.” Michigan dominated the second half and prevented Penn State from making it on the scoreboard. The Wolverines proved that sometimes, it only takes one goal to be victorious. “Preparation and commitment to the game plan helps us perform well and focus,” Klein said. “It’s how we get results. We will continue to focus and prepare for each game. We have hopes of winning the Big Ten Championships.”
Leading by example Wolverine captains, Will Lockwood, Luke Martin, Griffin Luce and Jake Slaker, hope to set the tone early in the year MOLLY SHEA
Daily Sports Writer
Sitting there Wednesday, watching practice, you couldn’t tell anything had changed. The motions were the same. The drills. The pace. The intensity. But something was different. There was no Mel Pearson in skates with a stick watching over practice. No assistant coaches. Just the players led by their captains. During the preseason, the NCAA mandates teams have two days off from practicing.
On one of the days, optional practice can be held, but no coaches are allowed time on the ice. During these practices, responsibility for keeping the intensity falls upon the shoulders of the four letter wearers — the captain, senior forward Will Lockwood, and his three classmates, alternate captains defenseman Luke Martin, defenseman Griffin Luce and forward Jake Slaker. “Really (the) goal is if you guys are just watching practice, we don’t want anyone to be able to tell that there are coaches, that there aren’t coaches,” said
Martin. The occasional preseason captains’ practice isn’t the only time these four have the opportunity to lead practice. From May to August, captains lead on and office workouts, too. However, they aren’t completely left in the dark. The coaching staff, though aren’t able to get directly involved,
provide the players with all the things they need to successfully imitate the day-to-day conditions the coaches foster. Scribbling instructions on a sheet of paper and passing them to the captains, the coaches leave the rest in the players’ hands. It’s ultimately up to the captains to make sure the drills are being done right. Not running too short, not running too long. And most importantly, making sure the intensity is there. “There’s a lot of us just pushing ourselves and pushing each other,” said Slaker. “We’re twenty, twenty-four, twentythree years old, so we gotta push each other. We’re adults now, we don’t have to have a coach on the ice every time we get better.” The hyperfocus on intensity levels stems from the hope to mirror game conditions. In a game, the physical play is upped. The speed. The stakes. Treating practice like a game can help the team prepare for those tough moments faced in the season like holding a lead in a close game or finding the back of the net to break a tie. As for how the four captains go about keeping the intensity, the styles vary. Lockwood strives to lead by example and set the bar high for the younger players so they know what’s expected of them. Martin takes a more vocal approach. “It’s fun to sort of lead the pace,” Martin said. “To be the couple voices that are pushing guys. Like I said we’re really not going out there and just going through the motions. We’re really getting something out of it and getting better every day.” And the progress of the
It’s fun... to be the couple voices that are pushing guys.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Senior defenseman Luke Martin serves as one of the alternate captains on this year’s Michigan hockey team.
players in the practices doesn’t go unmonitored. Normally during a captains’ practice, the coaches catch brief glimpses from the mezzanine level of Yost. Though unable to sit among the other coaches due to obligations to attend the Big Ten coaches meeting, Pearson made sure to check in. He called up Lockwood to check in. Mel asked if he had any advice, opinions or thoughts on the drills he’d left for them to do. The most notable comment Lockwood offered up about the skate? The intensity. But even with all the emphasis placed on intensity by the captains, Martin admits there’s still a slight turbulence
transitioning between the summer sessions and practicing with the coaches. “It’s different,” Martin said. “It’s just higher pace. Everything’s just quicker … But it’s really good to be back. Obviously these first couple weeks are all about just grinding through, but at the same time just trying to stay as fresh as you can. It’s a long season.” But with just seventeen days laying between the Wolverines and their season opener against Windsor, there’s no time to be wasted. And they’re full speed ahead, whether coaches are allowed to be at practice or not. “... Because, really, if you need the coach to push you, this probably isn’t the right program for you,” Martin said. “You should be pushing yourself.”
These first couple weeks are all about just grinding...
POLICY TALKS @ THE FORD SCHOOL
SAMANTHA POWER Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations
Author of The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir September 2019
T H I R D A N N U A L VA N D E N B E R G L E CT U R E WEISER DIPLOMACY CENTER LAUNCH SERIES
The Education of an Idealist A conversation with Professor John Ciorciari
Wednesday, September 25, 2019 4:00 - 5:20 pm Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Annenberg Auditorium, 1120 Weill Hall 735 S. State Street
Free and open to the public. Reception to follow. Info: fspp-events@umich.edu fordschool.umich.edu
@fordschool #policytalks
Hosted as part of the Ford School's Conversations Across Difference Initiative.
Sports
8 — Friday,September 20, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Once dreaming of Wisconsin, the Bredeson brothers found a home THEO MACKIE Daily Sports Editor
here cause it’s where I wanted to come. And when I say that, a lot of people don’t believe me. But we were raised by the same parents, with the same values, in the same house and it’s really no surprise that we both value the things that Michigan has to offer.” Still, playing sports together was an integral part of each of their childhoods, even before football entered both of their lives in eighth grade. Their dad, Mike, played center at Illinois State in the 1980s, but didn’t see the point of his sons playing football before middle school. So instead, Mike used his skills as a home builder to build a full hockey rink in the Bredesons’ backyard, complete with full boards and everything. On their local travel team, Ben played up a
year so he could be in Jack’s age group. “Those are probably the best memories of childhood sports we have is just messing around on the ice rink,” Jack said. “You go down there every night until your toes are frozen and you come back.” The timing worked out perfectly. Ben got too big for hockey right as football gave him and Jack another sport to play together. Once Ben grew out of hockey, football became his primary focus. For a time, Jack thought it would be his too. With their positions naturally lining up across from each other every day at practice, fights between the two became so common that coaches banned them from matching up with one another. “Lot of cheap shots,” Jack
said. “Lot of awkward rides home from practice.” But sometime mid-way through Jack’s junior year of high school, he decided he would be playing baseball in college. And with that decision, a pair of dreams died. The brothers wouldn’t be football teammates in college, as they had always talked about. And they wouldn’t be going to Wisconsin together, as they had always assumed, because the Badgers don’t have a baseball program. For a year, as Ben — a heavily-recruited four-star — learned about college football beyond Camp Randall, it seemed that Jack’s senior year of high school would be their last together. Then came Jim Harbaugh. “Once they made the Harbaugh signing (in Ben’s
junior) year of high school, that’s when things really changed and where Michigan kinda blew up the charts for him and passed a couple other schools,” Jack said. “So once that happened, I guess the dream and hope of going to school together became more of a reality again.” Before Ben even made his official visit in November of his senior year, he was committed. The official visit was a mere formality, mixed in with casual trips down to Ann Arbor to see Jack and go to games. “When I came out and saw Jack, just his personality, he likes to run the show,” Ben said. “So he was taking us all around Ann Arbor showing us — he’d been here for two months but it seemed like he’d been here for two years.
Jack Bredeson remembers the routine perfectly. Every Saturday morning in the fall, his high school football team would wake up sore from the previous night’s game and go straight into a two-hour lifting session at 8 a.m. Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wis. was 30 minutes west of Milwaukee. Or, more importantly, an hour east of Madison. Because seven Saturdays in the fall, that’s where Jack and Ben Bredeson raced to. As soon as lifts ended, half of their team changed as fast as possible, piled in a car and sped up to Camp Randall in time for 11 a.m. kickoff. “That’s just what you did,” Jack said. “You went to Badger football games, you grew up Badger fans. It was awesome.” So before Ben became a two-time All-Big Ten left guard at Michigan and before Jack’s four years as pitcher for the Wolverines’ baseball team, Camp Randall was the dream. The conscious part was that they would play football together — Ben on the offensive line and Jack at defensive end, where he played in high school. Wisconsin was just the world they came from. “All Ben and I knew growing up was Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin,” Jack said. Five years later, Ben is careful to note that coming to Michigan was not a joint decision. Going to college together was a childhood dream, but once the recruiting process became real, that dream dissipated, with each of their personal paths leading them to Michigan separately. “Everyone likes to make it this big deal in my recruiting process,” Ben told The Daily this week. “It really was not. ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily He was excited for me to come Senior guard Ben Bredeson followed his brother, Jack, to Michigan after the elder Bredeson had already committed to play for the baseball team.
And he did an outstanding job and made me excited and reassured my choice of coming here.” For the next three years, neither missed a home game for the other. If the baseball team was at home, Ben would finish practice, walk across the parking lot from Schembechler Hall to Ray Fisher Stadium and watch his brother pitch. Last summer required a slightly longer trip — 10 hours to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. Between summer classes and offseason workouts, Ben only made it out for the last two games, but as he drove across Illinois and Iowa, emotions took over. “It’s the last baseball game he’ll ever play and just how many hundreds of baseball games I’ve gone to see him play,” Ben said. “And I was going to go to the final one. It was just a very emotional moment for both of us and just kind of surreal. Like it really hadn’t hit me at the time that that chapter of his life was going to be over. But I’m happy that I was able to catch every single one that I did.” Jack’s back home now in Hartland, catching up on lost time with their younger brother, Max. This weekend, the whole family will pack into Camp Randall, just as Jack and Ben did in high school, only wearing different colors. By now, Ben’s well-versed in talking about Wisconsin. Every year around this time, the inevitable questions arise about his past and the decision that took him across Lake Michigan. But as he talks about Jack and what Michigan gave them, his voice still cracks a little, even four years later. “Those last three years when he and I were here were the best three years of my life.”
Runyan’s return a boost to O-Line FOOTBALL BEAT PREDICTS
MICHIGAN 2-0 2-0 WISCONSIN #13
#11
ALEC COHEN/Daily
ARIA GERSON: 21-17 Wisconsin It’s a close game dominated by two of the best defenses in the country, but Michigan doesn’t quite have its offensive wrinkles ironed out, and the home team pulls it out.
THEO MACKIE: 20-16 MICHIGAN
Michigan’s offense is too talented to not figure it out, even if Donovan Peoples-Jones is still sitting. And, as we saw last year, Wisconsin isn’t dynamic enough to take advantage of Michigan’s secondary.
MAX MARCOVITCH: 28-20 Wisconsin Something tells me if this game is in November, we’re having a far different conversation. But it’s not — and this Michigan offense has too many questions right now to go win a tough conference game in a hostile environment.
ETHAN SEARS: 24-10 Wisconsin This offense isn’t ready to go on the road against a defense of Wisconsin’s caliber yet. The Wolverines come out of Madison with their season undergoing re-evaluation.
Senior left tackle Jon Runyan is slated to return to the starting unit after missing the first two games due to injury.
ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Editor
Jon Runyan and Ben Bredeson sit next to each other in every meeting. They practice together and have started 13 games next to each other on the offensive line as the left tackle and left guard. At 7:30 on Wednesday morning, they were together with offensive line coach Ed Warinner, watching film. But for the Michigan football team’s first two games this season, Bredeson took his normal spot on the line while Runyan sat and watched, out with an undisclosed injury. Instead, Bredeson played next to redshirt freshman tackle Ryan Hayes, who is talented but inexperienced and hadn’t developed the same level of trust with Bredeson. But Runyan is expected to be back this week, just in time for a marquee matchup with No. 13 Wisconsin. “Jon and I played with each other now going on year two and he and I just know everything that the other’s gonna do, a telepathic sense of it just from being next to the guy for so long,” Bredeson said. “He’s got that experience level for a Big Ten road game that we’re about to go into, so it’ll be nice getting Jon back. I’m excited
for that.” In games, offensive linemen — who are just feet away from opponents waiting to maul them — opt not to use full sentences to communicate. So instead, Bredeson and Runyan have a type of code, little words and nonverbal signs they use to talk to each other in-game. This weekend, that will be especially important. Camp Randall Stadium is the kind of place where the noise can suck the life out of you. Communication is vital — especially since Warinner noted that communication wasn’t always there when Bredeson and junior center Cesar Ruiz committed multiple false start penalties against Middle Tennessee and Army. And that’s an area where Runyan can make a big difference. “They know they have to rely on each other for everything on that side, it’s like a pilot and a co-pilot,” Warinner said. “Their whole life is intertwined four hours a day or whatever. They hang out off the field, and so I think that just trust and confidence. And they had a good run together last year, and I think they’re excited about getting that rolling again.” On Wednesday, Warinner detailed what it takes to win the
line of scrimmage against a team like the Badgers. It starts with preparation, watching the film and knowing the schemes. The Wolverines will have to make sure they’re in top shape physically to match Wisconsin’s intensity and play a full four quarters instead of starting slow, as they have a tendency to do. And they already know they’ll have to be able communicate in front of tens of thousands of rowdy fan who decidedly aren’t on their side. Warinner has faith in the offensive line to do just that. “We had our best practice yesterday since we started in August, without question,” Warinner said. “And so that’s encouraging because with the bye week, we had a little extra time to work on those guys and so I think our guys are very confident in what they’re doing and they’re doing it with a great demeanor.” And Runyan’s return brings more than just his chemistry with Bredeson. Runyan earned All-Big Ten honors last year, and he brings talent, experience and veteran presence that could be a boon to the offensive line. When asked about how Ryan Hayes could factor into the rotation in the future, Warinner gave an answer that spoke volumes. “We’ll work through that,” he said, “after the Jon Runyan era.”