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Tuesday, October 8, 2019
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City Council rejects prior zoning plan for Packard
Council also passes resolution to create marijuana licensing review board KATHERINA SOURINE Daily Staff Reporter
ALEC COHEN/Daily Van Jones, CEO of REFORM Alliance and political commentator, disucusses collaborating with people of different backgrounds as part of his keynote address at the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Summit in Hill Auditorium Monday morning.
Van Jones discusses DEI, importance of collaboration
Schlissel, Sellers give remarks at Diversity, Equity and Inclusion summit EMMA STEIN
Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan held its 2019 Diversity, Equity and Inclusion summit on Monday to discuss the importance of embracing DEI on campus and in the broader community. The event featured remarks from University President Mark Schlissel and Van Jones, CEO of REFORM Alliance, political commentator and host of The Redemption Project and The Van Jones Show on CNN. The event took place at Hill Auditorium and
drew a crowd of more than 1,000 community members. The summit began with Chief Diversity Officer Robert Sellers welcoming the crowd and describing the University’s DEI goals. Sellers had a message for those who criticize DEI initiatives for focusing only on marginalized identities: that’s the point, he said. “DEI is often criticized, and it’s often criticized based on the belief that DEI efforts are only about designating resources and attention to benefit some specific particular people to the exclusion
of other people,” Sellers said. “And those particular people are the individuals who have traditionally been underrepresented or marginalized or considered a minority. I’m here to tell you this morning that when it comes to the University of Michigan DEI plan, they’re absolutely right. Our plan focuses on a myriad of forms of diversity and commits to provide attention and resources to those who hold identities within these forms of adversity that have traditionally been underrepresented, marginalized,
under acknowledged.” Sellers then discussed how people have multiple identities, and how most people have been marginalized at some point in their lives. This is an advantage and a way for people to find common ground and create solutions, he said. “The DEI is a benefit to all of us, and thus is relevant to all of us,” Sellers said. “We all hold identities in which we are privileged as well as identities in which we have traditionally been marginalized or underrepresented. See DEI, Page 3
Ann Arbor City Council had its first October meeting this Monday, discussing issues such as a Packard Road rezoning ordinance and marijuana legislation. The meeting began with a proclamation from Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor and Ann Arbor Fire Chief Mike Kennedy to kick off Fire Prevention Week. The Ann Arbor Fire Department and the National Fire Protection Association are collaborating to promote the national 2019 campaign, with an emphasis on ensuring smoke detectors are functioning and practicing fire safety plans. Lisa Jackson, vice chair of the Independent Community Police Oversight Commission, then spoke on the progress of the commission, created last March after citizens expressed concern over
GOVERNMENT
Policy talk Panel reflects on life of James focuses on Foley, safety of journalists abroad LGBTQ+ Wallace House emphasizes understanding U.S. hostage policy court cases
Domestic Policy Corps and Out in Public host Samuel Bagenstos to discuss civil rights issues JULIA FORREST For The Daily
The Domestic Policy Corps and Out in Public, two student organizations within the Ford School of Public Policy, hosted Samuel Bagenstos, Supreme Court civil rights litigator and University of Michigan law professor, on Monday afternoon. About 30 students attended the event to hear the discussion of three pending Supreme Court cases centered around LGBTQ+ workers’ rights in America. The Department of Justice appointed Bagenstos, where he served as the principal deputy assistant attorney general for civil rights from 2009 until 2011. He worked as a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and has published numerous articles in both academic and non-academic publications. Currently, he is a University of Michigan Law School professor specializing in civil rights and constitutional litigation. He remains an appellate and civil rights litigator, having argued four cases in front of the Supreme Court. See POLICY, Page 3
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EMMA RUBERG Daily Staff Reporter
Wallace House, a University of Michigan organization that sponsors fellowships for journalists and hosts events recognizing journalists’ work, held a panel event Monday night discussing the importance of returning American hostages home safely. The event centered around the story of freelance
journalist James Foley, who was captured in Syria Thanksgiving Day 2012 by terrorist group ISIS and held for two years until he was killed in 2014. Diane Foley, his mother and founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, and Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, were the panelists. The event was moderated by Margaux Ewen, the executive director of the
Foley Legacy Foundation. Lynette Clemetson, director of the Wallace House, began the event by discussing President Trump’s recent decision to withdraw troops from Syria. She told the audience Diane Foley would be reading a statement from the foundation about the Trump administration’s decision. “This decision sends a message that those who take our citizens hostage will not face American justice,” Foley
said. “We implore President Trump to hold these ISIS fighters accountable for their barbaric human rights crimes against our citizens and to protect our country against the spread of terror, should they escape.” Before beginning the panel’s conversation, they played the trailer for a documentary produced by the foundation: “Jim: The James Foley Story.”
See FOLEY, Page 3
the transparency of the selection process. The 2014 shooting and death of Aura Rosser by an Ann Arbor police officer highlighted the need of the commission and City Council unanimously passed a resolution to establish to police oversight board in October 2018. Jackson described the commission’s primary vision to foster a transparent and mutually beneficial relationship between the Ann Arbor Police Department and the community. She described the numerous trainings undertaken by the police department and encouraged individuals to file complaints through the committee. Jackson said they are optimistic to work with newly sworn in Police Chief Michael Cox. “Transparency is at the heart of earning and growing that trust,” Jackson said. “We want to hear feedback, we want to get criticism and we want to learn.” See CITY, Page 3
GOVERNMENT
Dingell addresses fossil fuel concerns U.S. Representative joins other speakers to answer questions on the environment LILY GOODING For The Daily
U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., led a town hall at the Wyandotte Boat Club to address the public’s environmental concerns on Monday evening. The event featured a panel of ten speakers, including state Sen. Stephanie Chang, state Rep. Cara Clemente, spokespersons from Friends of the Rouge, Clean Water Action and other members of environmentally oriented organizations. Around 100 audience members from the community attended, including a group of student volunteers representing the Sunrise Movement. The event began with a welcome from Dingell, who thanked the Wyandotte Boat Club for hosting. After a reminder for the audience to remain civil, the panel opened the conversation up for questions. The first questions concerned the preservation and protection of Michigan’s waters and ecosystems, specifically regarding clean water and the prominence of invasive species.
ALEC COHEN/Daily Diane Foley, mother of freelance journalist James Foley, discusses the government’s inaction after her son’s death in a panel event presented by Wallace House at the Ford School of Public Policy Monday.
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ASHA LEWIS/Daily Extinction Rebellion protestors stop traffic to urge Ann Arbor politcal leaders to take action on climate change at the Central Campus Transit Center Monday.
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University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription avoid, that President this.” rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. Schlissel said in Generate Sudoku and and Godoku Godoku puzzles puzzlesatatsudokusyndication.com! sudokusyndication.com! Generate and and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku professors. According to the University Record, the group will recommend revisions by Feb. 28, 2020. The University began the process of firing tenured School of Music, Theatre & Dance professor David Daniels in July. Daniels has been on paid leave since August 2018 when baritone singer Samuel Schultz accused Daniels and his husband of sexually assaulting him in 2010. In January, Daniels and his husband were charged with second-degree criminal sexual misconduct. The case is still ongoing. The Daily’s reporting revealed the University awarded tenure to Daniels in May 2018, despite the
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FOLEY From Page 1 Ewen first asked Foley about her decision to start the foundation after James’ death in 2014. Foley explained she was inspired by the government’s inaction and wanted her family to do something in his honor. She also commented on what has happened in the five years since the foundation was started. “After Jim was executed, I was angry, I was really outraged,” Foley said. “I really felt that our government had deceived our family and totally abandoned us. It just seemed like we had to do something. Here we are five years later and no one has been held accountable for Jim’s death, really, and the challenge continues.” The panelists also discussed how U.S. policy differs from that of European countries; the United States’ does not negotiate with terrorist organizations, whereas other countries may. Many of the journalists held with James Foley were from these countries and were eventually released by ISIS, as a result, Simon said. “U.S. policy historically has been that the U.S. does not negotiate with terrorists, does not make concessions to terrorists,” Simon said. “Many of the other countries around the world look at the issue much more pragmatically. French hostages survive, about 75 percent of the time. Spain has the best record in the world, everyone of them has come home. There’s a 25 percent survival rate for American hostages.” Simon acknowledged the issue is difficult to solve, but emphasized he believes there are things the United States can learn from the
POLICY From Page 1 During the event, Bagenstos talked about the LGBTQ+ workers’ rights cases that will be heard in front of the Supreme Court on Tuesday. He also gave a brief history of LGBTQ+ workers’ rights in America and discussed what arguments can be expected to be heard at the hearings. The three cases being presented to the Supreme Court tomorrow all involve people who were fired from their jobs after their employers learned of their sexualities: a case where a skydiving instructor told a client he was gay; a case where a social worker
CITY COUNCIL From Page 1 Additionally, more than 15 community members spoke against the 2857 Packard Road Planned Unit Development rezoning ordinance, a conditional zoning agreement introduced in 2016. The zoning would shift eight acres of property along Packard road from R1C single-family residential to R1E, a single-family residential zoning which allows for greater density. The developer is Jim Haeussler of Saline-based Peters Building Company and the construction costs estimated at $2.6 million. The community members cited several reasons to discontinue the council’s support of the ordinance. According to these members, the area is one of the last affordable neighborhoods in Ann Arbor and subsequently has a diverse population. Members in and out of Ward 3 arg ued for environmental and historical preservation of the neighborhood and brought forth concerns over traffic congestion if the development were to
policy and actions of other countries when negotiating for hostages. “I think the one thing the Euorpeans have done well, where the Americans have really failed, is no American citizen should feel alone, without the support of the government, when they are going through something like this,” Simon said. “I mean, that is cruel to leave families to grapple with these … not only does the American government not support them, but they are threatening to put the families in jail for seeking the return of their loved ones.” LSA sophomore Natalie White, who is interested in journalism but did not attend the event, commented on how she would expect the U.S. government to react when journalists are captured abroad. “Journalism allows information to spread from source to people, which sounds incredibly basic, but is truly so important,” White said in a statement to The Daily. “Journalism is what connects all the classes and what allows all people to have access to knowledge of what is going on in the world around them.” At the end of the event, audience members were able to ask questions of the panelists, both through question cards and Twitter. The first question asked dealt with whether the panelists believe Americans fare worse in captivity than people from other countries, as well as how governments paying ransoms impact journalists who are still being held. “I mean we are hated in the world, especially at this moment in time,” Foley said. “Westerners are targeted anyway, because of various western coalitions. But
in Georgia joined a gay softball league; and lastly a case in Michigan about a transgender woman who wrote to her employer about her transition. “Because there is such widespread discirmination against gay, lesbian and transgender individuals in the workplaces… in recent years a number of individuals, lawyers and activists have sought to use pre-existing sex discrimination laws to challenge this kind of discrimination,” Bagenstos said. Bagenstos then gave a brief history of the preexisting sex discrimination law, Title VII within the 1964 Civil Rights Act, that prohibits racial discimination
be pursued. Community member Emily Epstein moved to the area several years ago and urged the committee members to reconsider the proposal. “I find it difficult to believe that elected servants would have such a poor command of current economic conditions, and your interrelationships its specific demographic groups, like the soon to be refugee middle class,” Epstein said. “These are not starter homes, or starter households. These homes house real and noble people. The vast number of retirees that live in my neighborhood will be pushed out as property taxes rise with absurd housing costs under this proposed PUD.” Councilmember Ali Ramlawi, D-Ward 5, expressed his hesitation in moving forward with the site plan during the second readings of the ordinances. “The PUD should provide public benefit, and I frankly don’t see a lot of it,” Ramlawi said. “When you have 80 percent of area residents petitioning against it, that just speaks volumes.”
News absolutely. I think once they found out Jim was American he had one of the worst treatments of any of the hostages.” To conclude the event, the panelists discussed how journalism has been affected by the Trump administration, as well as how journalists are treated abroad. “The Trump Administration really assisted the Saudi government in covering up that crime, it’s reprehensible and that really sends a message to enemies of journalists and enemies of journalism and those who want to persecute journalists that there will be no consequences in terms of their relationship with the United States,” Simon said. White also explained how she believes the Trump administration’s rhetoric regarding journalists affects their safety. “I think that the president telling the general public that any group is a threat risks that group’s safety,” White said. “I think that journalists often have to be more aware now of their situations and surroundings, especially when interviewing groups that may see them as a threat.” Foley reiterated her belief that students should continue pursuing journalism, despite job insecurity, criticism from the public and possible safety risks. “I would encourage them, (being a journalist) would be a very noble task,” Foley said. “But also be honest. It’s hard to make a living and it can be risky. So if (students) want to be journalists, they need to become highly skilled at protecting themselves. But I think it’s so important — we need them. It’s critical, journalists are so important. Without them we wouldn’t be free.”
in employment and also prohibits sex discrimination in employment. “Title VII wasn’t something that (government officials) were going to take very seriously in enforcing,” Bagenstos said. “It took a lot of work by feminists acitivists and litigators over the next several years to get the government to take that seriously and eventually by the late ‘60s, early ‘70s the EOC and the Supreme Court and the lower federal courts began to take sex discrimination really seriously and you see all sorts of major changes in sex discrimination litigation.” After giving this brief history, Bagenstos opened
On the other hand, Councilmember Julie Grand, D-Ward 3, said since the council moved to push the plan forward in the past, they must continue. Grand and Councilmember Zachary Ackerman, D-Ward 3, expressed concern over the land owner clearcutting the trees in the area without the development.
The PUD should provide public beenfit, and I frankly don’t see a lot of it.
“I think it would be dishonest of me to ask for it, and then reject it,” Grand said. “Even though I understand that there’s a lot of really good intent behind wanting to keep the things you love about your neighborhood. I don’t
DEI From Page 1 This is not to say that all forms of privilege and marginalization are the same, but it does mean that we all have some common experiences that we can access.” Schlissel then took the stage to express his pride in the University progress towards achieving more diversity, equity and inclusion. He said DEI goals are integral to the University’s values and mission. “Our achievements thus far are a direct result of so many members of our community joining together to not only advance our values, but to live them,” Schlissel said. “To share them broadly and instill them in all parts of our mission as a public university. This includes thousands of people, faculty, staff, students and supporters, past and present, who care deeply about our University… at the University of Michigan, diversity, equity and inclusion are values inseparable from our excellence in research, education and service.” Keynote speaker Van Jones began his speech with the assertion that being able to work collaboratively with people from all different backgrounds is integral to success. “The main point is this: I don’t care if you’re Black, White, Latina, Latino, Asian-American, NativeAmerican, I don’t care what faith you are, I don’t care what gender, expression, sexuality you are,” Jones said. “In this new century, the absolute prerequisite superpower for success is how do you perform in a radically diverse environment. That will determine your success or your failure in this new century.” Jones remarked on the different consequences marginalized people face versus privileged people for illegal activities, using the example of his time as a student at Yale Law School. He said he saw other Yale students breaking more rules than people in housing projects, but he noted how the people of color and the
the room up to questions regarding Tuesday’s cases. One audience member asked about the impact the outcomes of Tuesday’s case will have on the LGBTQ+ community. “What’s at stake here is something that is dramatic in terms of its effect on individuals in terms of saying, look, you have to not have the sexual orientation you have or you have to not have the gender identity you have if you want to keep your job,” Bagenstos said. “There’s a lot at stake in these court cases.” Public Policy graduate student Kate Bell, an organizer of the event, spoke to The Daily about the relevance of this policy talk in light of the pending LGBTQ+ cases.
think this plan, in terms of housing type, is actually a horrible plan.” The official ordinance to pass the amendments of the plan needed eight votes to pass, but only six members voted in favor of it. Because of its contingency on the first ordinance passing, councilmembers unanimously voted against the site plan. The council also discussed the city code of Ann Arbor in regards to marijuana retailers, microbusinesses and designated marijuana consumption facilities. Councilmember Jane Lumm, I-Ward 2, pushed for an amendment to limit the proximity of marijuana businesses to schools and child-care buildings. “It’s not a matter of if marijuana is coming, but exactly when and under what set of specific reg ulations,” Lumm said. Councilmembers later voted unanimously on a resolution proposed by Lumm to establish a body to review and oversee responsible marijuana use.
Tuesday, October 8, 2019 — 3 poorer people from the housing projects are the ones that ended up with a criminal record. “We have this false view of reality. I saw more drugs used at Yale University than I ever saw in a housing project, period,” Jones said. “I saw more rule-breaking, I saw more norm breaking, I saw way worse behavior at Yale than I ever saw in a housing project. And yet, when those kids got in trouble at Yale, nobody called the cops. At best, they went to rehab, or Europe… But four blocks away, in the housing projects in New Haven, Connecticut, four Black kids doing fewer drugs, selling fewer drugs with less money almost all went to prison in the ‘90s. And they came back 10 years later, 15 years later, 20 years later. Now they’re drug felons. And those same Yale students in positions of power say ‘Well, I can’t hire these people, they’re drug felons.’” In 2018, President Donald Trump signed into effect the First Step Act, which is a bipartisan bill aiming to prepare incarcerated people for re-entrance into society, encourage earlier release dates and place emphasis on rehabilitation in the prison system, according to FirstStepAct. org. Jones helped pass the act and claimed it passed because of bipartisan work in Congress. “When you have this many people behind bars, you offend the core sensibilities and the core values of both political parties,” Jones said. “At our best, progressives and democrats believe in something called justice, we don’t like it when majority groups run over minority groups. At their best, conservatives care about something called liberty, individual rights, individual dignity and limited government. Well, the incarceration industry is running over the concept of justice and liberty… You’ve got to learn how to work across ideological lines, racial lines, to get something done.” Jones concluded his address by discussing how the
“As mentioned, Michigan is one of the states that currently does not offer protections in the workplace for LGBT individuals and so this is something that will directly affect our members who choose to remain in this state,” Bell stated. Another Public Policy graduate student, Monika Anderson, commented on how this policy talk broadened her understanding of the Supreme Court’s role in decisions on certain issues. “The politics of political appointees to the court can really shape what direction we take issues in this country,” Anderson said. “Despite what the general public of the country may think, or polling numbers
University’s DEI initiatives can prepare students to succeed after graduating and can help the world by creating solutions through collaboration in a diverse environment. “We’re developing a capacity for people to at least work across difference, to recognize the battleground and deal with that effectively, but never lose sight of the common ground and be able to deal with that effectively too,” Jones said. “And if this University community is going to be able to have the impact it needs to have, central to the mission has to be this idea of diversity, equity and inclusion.” In a panel discussion after Jones’ speech, LSA senior Dim Mang addressed how emotionally draining it can be to be a student activist and leader working on DEI. “Something to keep in mind, especially from a student perspective, is how much of a burden this work is for us, for people of color,” Mang said. “I’m a first-generation college student here, first-generation immigrant as well. And I think that a lot of my peers, especially in groups like the Arab Student Association, La Casa and the Black Student Union is that along with our school work, along with our personal relationships with family and friends, continuously coming in day in and day out, putting in this work trying to be representatives of our community is a toll and it’s taxing and its draining.” Jones responded by saying Mang is right — it is emotionally taxing. It’s not fair that she and other student leaders have this burden to bear, but it will make them and the community stronger in the long run, he said. “As tragic as it’s going to be to say,” Jones said. “As hurtful as it’s going to be to say, by you doing extra, just like when you go to the gym, and someone says ‘you have to pick up the 200 pounds and I’m going to pick up the 100 pounds.’ That’s not fair, but you’re going to be stronger tomorrow.”
may show, there’s a lot of power that Supreme Court holds, that might not necessarily always match what the country is.” Kate Bell emphasized why this talk and other policy talks organized by Out in Public are so essential to students here at the University. “Especially at the Ford School, unless you’re specifically taking a class on labor, labor policy, you’re unlikely to hear things like this,” Bell said. “One of the main goals for Out in Public specifically was to have a space for queer identifying folks within our program to come and talk about things, but also a place to discuss policies that will directly impact our lives.”
Opinion
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A
Impeachment is risky but necessary
fter a whirlwind week in which records emerged that President Donald Trump pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi opened a formal impeachment inquiry against the president. Given the severity of this abuse of power, it seems likely that Trump will become the third president in U.S. history to be impeached. Impeach ment w ill be div isive, polit ica lly risk y a nd un likely to lead to conv ict ion in t he Senate. Impeach ment is a lso wholly just if ied a nd urgent ly needed. Ef for t s to impeach Tr ump have sw irled since t he ea rly mont hs of h is presidenc y, but never ga ined sig n if ica nt t ract ion. Ea rly impeach ment votes in 2017 were deemed premat ure by Democrat ic leadersh ip a nd ea sily defeated. In 2018, Tr ump wa s crim ina lly implicated in law yer Michael Cohen’s t ria l for brea k ing ca mpa ig n f ina nce laws, but wa s never cha rged due to exist ing Just ice Depa r t ment g uidelines aga inst indict ing sit t ing president s, a nd t he mat ter wa s overshadowed by t he impending relea se of t he Mueller repor t . The repor t did not exonerate Tr ump, but fa iled to prov ide smok ingg un proof of collusion or obst r uct ion of just ice a s ma ny had predicted, a nd public suppor t for impeach ment ebbed. Now, w it h t his latest sca nda l, impeach ment is f ully wa r ra nted a nd crit ica lly needed to defend democrat ic r ule of law. Tr ump’s closest a llies have r ushed to h is defense, but ma ke no m ista ke, t he deta ils of t he sca nda l a re absolutely da m n ing. To recap: In May, Rudy Giuliani, Trump’s personal law yer, planned to travel to Ukraine and meddle “in (the) investigation” against Biden’s son. Giuliani canceled his trip after backlash over the clear impropriety of his objectives. Giuliani later spoke to Ukrainian diplomats in Paris, but Ukraine found “no wrongdoing ” after conducting the investigation. On July 18, Trump delayed $400 million worth of military aid to Ukraine, which is currently in a proxy war against Russia. On July 25, Trump spoke with the Zelensky over the phone. A reconstructed record of the call shows that Trump told Zelensky the U.S. is “very good” to Ukraine, but said he “wouldn’t say that it’s reciprocal necessarily.” Zelensky then brought up
m ilita r y a id a nd a desire to “buy more Javelin (m issiles),” to wh ich Tr ump im mediately responded, “ I would like you to do us a favor t hough.” Tr ump went on to a sk Zelensk y to invest igate “Crowdst rike” (a debun ked conspirac y t heor y t hat Russia wa s not behind 2016 elect ion inter ference) a nd “look into” t he Biden invest igat ion. Zelensk y prom ised to “look into t he sit uat ion” a nd Tr ump responded t hat bot h Giulia n i a nd At tor ney G enera l Willia m Ba r r w ill be in touch. In Aug ust , Giulia n i met w it h Uk ra in ia n of f icia ls aga in. On Aug. 1 2, a wh ist leblower f iled a compla int about t he incident , deta iling t he ca ll a nd a n appa rent ef for t by t he Wh ite House to cover it up by h iding t he records in a system reser ved for ult racla ssif ied document s. The law requires wh ist leblower compla int s to be repor ted to Cong ress, but bot h t he Wh ite House a nd t he Just ice Depa r t ment adv ised t he Of f ice of t he Director of Nat iona l Intelligence aga inst relea sing t he compla int , a nd t he compla int wa s not repor ted to Cong ress unt il Sept . 9 — a lmost a f ull mont h a f ter t he compla int wa s f iled. That day, Tr ump lif ted t he hold on m ilita r y a id, but t he back la sh wa s a lready g row ing a nd t he
Impeachment is fully warranted and critically needed to defend the democratic rule of law. impeach ment inquir y wa s a n nounced on Sept . 11. Sum ma rized brief ly, Tr ump w it h held m ilita r y a id to Uk ra ine to pressure Ukraine’s president into investigating Biden, his potential 2020 opponent, and the White House then tried to bur y the evidence. In other words, Trump used the powers of his off ice to attack a political rival and then f urther used his powers to cover it up. This is what dictators do. Trump’s actions constitute a clear threat to the integ rit y of our democratic institutions, and the impropriet y of the situation cannot be overstated. Abuse of power was the second article of impeachment against President R ichard Nixon. Experts say extortion,
briber y, breaking campaig n f inance laws and obstruction of justice are among the crimes Trump and his aides may have committed during the affair. Impeachment is absolutely warranted in response to this latest scandal. Many of Trump’s defenders and some of his critics have pointed to the political impacts of impeachment as an arg ument against it. As the arg ument goes, the public is against impeachment, and some speculate the impeachment will backfire on Democrats in 2020. Public opinion on impeachment is malleable and will largely depend on how well each side sells their case, but there is plenty of evidence that the public will back impeachment. Suppor t for i mpeach ment ju mped d ra mat ica lly a f ter news of t he Uk ra i ne sca nda l broke. A s of now, by a ten-poi nt ma rg i n , a major it y of A mer ica n s suppor t t he i mpeach ment i nqui r y. Not ably, suppor t for i mpeach ment is g row i ng a mong Democrat s, i ndependent s a nd Republica n s. F u r t her more, when pollsters a sk whet her it is appropr iate for a president to a sk a foreig n gover n ment to i nvest ig ate a polit ica l r iva l or w it h hold a id to a cou nt r y for persona lly benef icia l pu r poses, voters say no by a 30 a nd 48 -poi nt ma rg i n , respec t ively. These nu mbers show t hat t he public over whel m i ngly disapproves of what T r u mp did, a nd suppor t for i mpeach ment cou ld quick ly g row as more det a ils emerge. The chances that impeachment removes Trump from office are low but not zero. While many Republicans like Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Mike Braun, R-Ind., have rushed to Trump’s defense (while simultaneously admitting they haven’t even read the complaint), other Republicans have acknowledged the severity of the situation. Moreover, former Republican senator Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., speculated 35 of his GOP colleagues would vote for impeachment if the vote were secret, suggesting that Republicans could be open to impeachment if the political winds shift. But even if impeachment is destined for acquittal in the Senate, Democrats have a duty to impeach. The Ukraine scandal reveals the president believes himself to be beyond reproach, acting with reckless disregard for the law. Noah Harrison can be reached at noahharr@umich.edu.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.
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Doing more than an Instagram story
ow often do you stop and memory loss” that the greater evaluate what we, as majority of millennial Americans University of Michigan actively choose to subscribe to, directly following students working to every important better the climate, catastrophic event. are doing to create a Women and health space for marginalized care have become communities, minority collateral damage groups and people of in the process. color to share their For example, the truth? To an individual abortion restrictions who fits within received a lot of heat those categories, this in early 2019 and the isn’t a far-fetched VARNA passionate voices question. Perhaps a KODOTH that took a stance better question would be: How often do your social have since then quieted or identities pervade your thoughts subsided entirely. Why is it that or influence the work you do? Of especially when the social justice these core identities, which ones issues at hand are centered upon affect you most often and which marginalized communities or minority groups, the problem is ones affect you least often? For the sake of real-world discussed nonstop for, say, two application, let’s deconstruct weeks while all of us post and these questions by using a share stories of it on Snapchat nationwide issue: women’s and Instagram? And why, at the health care. It’s truly ironic how moment it stops being “trendy,” women’s health care isn’t that at is it all of a sudden like nothing all, since women aren’t even the happened? The only individuals primary decision-makers. It’s who continue to remember more accurately described as the cases like Trayvon Martin are domain of elite policymakers, the families and the Africanthe majority of which do not American community members hold an education rooted in public health or medicine yet make large-scale decisions for women about their bodies and their health. According to the American College of Healthcare Executives, less than 20 percent of executives in leadership at hospitals or public health systems are women. Paradoxically, this is a stark contrast to the 80 percent of mothers who are the primary health care decision-makers in their homes and for their families, as per U.S. Department that are affected by it. I agree that there is a benefit of Labor data. One then wonders why men in higher places act to posting on your stories and entitled to controlling the health spreading awareness, but I care policies set forth at the urge these posters to commit to educating themselves on the issue federal, state and local levels. That being said, on the as a whole. Don’t post about the flip side, the Association of worsening environmental state American Medical Colleges of the Earth and then continue now report a female majority to use straws, print single-sided class profile and the percentage and waste water. Don’t post about of female physicians is steadily female empowerment and then go on the rise as per a 2016 census talk negatively about the women study. It’s happening: Women in your own circle behind their are making cracks in the glass backs. Don’t post about a global ceiling. However, the crux of the humanitarian crisis and then not situation is that this is absolutely take the initiative to seek out all not the time for us to sit back and other unbiased media and news let this phase run its course as we, articles. Remember when all your Instagram followers turned their unfortunately, quite often have. I am exhausted and disturbed Instagram profile pictures blue? to see the continual “short-term Do you recall what that was for?
The change we need will not result from women advocating for themselves.
It’s a sign of solidarity with the people of Sudan. But solidarity isn’t only applicable at certain points of the year. It’s a yearround effort, day in and day out, 24/7 until justice for all is achieved. This isn’t to say that you’re not allowed to switch out your profile picture, but don’t halt the educational process happening behind the scenes. The reality is this: currently, progress in women’s health care is driven by women who are advocating for fellow women. LGBTQ+ individuals are primarily involved in the fight for LGBTQ+ pride. We need to do better. We need to show up for each other. When a social justice issue arises or a humanitarian crisis is taking place halfway across the globe, that is an opportunity for you to selflessly be involved and support those around you. The change we need will not result from women advocating for themselves. Instead, it will result from a shift in perception such that all health care professionals, of all genders, recognize and respond to inequalities and lack of diversity in leadership roles and senior positions. Please note that this does not require you to be in a position to “solve” the problem. Instead, pursue options in which you help to create a safe space for that community to discuss the problem at hand. Recently, during an interview for the South Asian Awareness Network, a social justice organization at Michigan, I was asked to respond to the following question: “What does POC solidarity mean to you?” That’s when I started to see the University community in a more static state rather than a growth state. We’re lucky because POC solidarity is achievable here in Ann Arbor, where diverse communities and multicultural organizations exist and put on a wide variety of cultural events. There is potential that within the University community, we can bridge the gap between the privileges we hold and underserved communities in our backyards and internationally. We can do this simply by allowing the voices of those who deserve to be heard to take charge of their narrative. Varna Kodoth can be reached at vkodoth@umich.edu.
TIMOTHY SPURLIN | COLUMN
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Pay attention to the economy
very time I open my laptop to write, do homework or do anything productive, I am always faced with a difficult choice. Can I complete the task at hand, or will I get distracted by the likes of Twitter, Facebook, YouTube or Reddit? These sites, and others, are what I have deemed the “horsemen of the productivity apocalypse” simply because they are always there in the distance, ready to kill whatever productive momentum I have at any given moment. In all seriousness, social media has become a major problem in today’s day and age. Not simply just for issues of productivity but also for problems such as raising risks of anxiety and depression, massive privacy faults and the spread of disinformation, to name a few. Sites such as Facebook at one point were revered for their innovation and impressive growth; now people scorn them for selling off data and spreading misinformation. How have we come so far in such little time, and what is to be done? These problems generated by social media are not by accident; in fact, they are quite by design. Depending on what kinds of people populate your feed, you may have heard of the term “the attention economy” before. The essential idea is that digital companies, such as Facebook and YouTube, are all competing for your time, i.e. your attention. Every minute you spend on their site generates revenue by way of selling ad space or tracking data to sell. Because social media platforms have a direct incentive to keep you on the site, one of their primary objectives is to design algorithms that accomplish just that. This is why we see features such as endless feeds instead of pages to click through, or constant notifications to draw us back in. However, these intentional design features have also brought more insidious consequences.
These types of algorithms are literal addiction machines. Every time we get a like, mention, comment or follow request, our brains get a quick shot of dopamine — the chemical responsible for sensations of pleasure. The problem is, over time, our dopamine receptors can build up a tolerance, and all of sudden we need more stimulus to reach the same “high” — this is the basic science of addiction. In a business model that values only attention and time, social media platforms want people addicted to their site so they log in more frequently and stay on longer. The consequences of operating this machine are serious. A 2017 study published by the Journal of Affective Disorders found that “more time spent using social media was associated with greater symptoms of dispositional anxiety” in adults aged 18-22. It also found that more daily social media use was linked to greater odds of having an anxiety disorder. Furthermore, in another study published in the University of Chicago Journal of the Association for Consumer Research, smartphones may “impair cognitive performance by affecting the allocation of attentional resources, even when consumers successfully resist the urge to multitask, mind-wander, or otherwise (consciously) attend to their phones—that is, when their phones are merely present.” In even more grave circumstances, sites such as YouTube have come under fire for promoting hateful or shocking content in the recommended sections as a way to keep users watching. YouTube has said this is a flaw in an ever-changing algorithm, but the logic is intuitive: People are curious and are more willing to click on shocking or controversial videos, which become more popular, and thus the algorithm shows it to more
people. YouTube has an incentive to promote these videos, as our attention via watchtime translates to ad revenue for the platform. To be fair, this type of attention based business model is not unique to modern times. In the past, newspapers would often print attention-grabbing front page headlines to increase sales. The birth of 24-hour cable news in the ’80s also brought a flair for the dramatic to keep consumers from changing the channel. The main difference here is that these other examples didn’t follow people around wherever they went, and didn’t see the same negative effects that we are seeing now in such a magnitude. So how do we fix the problem? Personal choice and responsibility are ultimately important considerations. Meditation, scheduling no-screen times and setting other app limits are a great way to reduce the negative impacts of the attention economy. For me, deleting social apps from my smartphone in order to take away the temptation has proven to be an effective, albeit imperfect, way to combat the system. But as with any addictive substance, there needs to be greater accountability. Limiting features such as endless scrolling, pervasive notifications and demonetizing hateful or shocking content are all possible solutions that these companies ought to take to help curb the issue. Many of these design flaws result from an era of the internet that is now rapidly changing. We can no longer let an entire industry profit from products that cause addiction and anxiety. When many of these companies were founded, the internet was a brand new frontier without rules or precedent. It was a digital Wild West. But just like the Wild West of old, its time may be coming to an end. Timothy Spurlin can be reached at timrspur@umich.edu.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, October 8, 2019 — 5
HUMOR COLUMN
FILM REVIEW
I (still) am not sorry BECKY PORTMAN
Daily Humor Columnist
WARNER BROS
We really didn’t need ‘Joker’ ANISH TAMHANEY
Joker
Daily Arts Writer
“Joker,” directed by Todd Phillips (“The Hangover”) follows an alternative origin story for the infamous DC Comics villain as he transforms from a downtrodden stand-up comedian to his more familiar persona, Gotham’s most vengeful maniac. The Joker (or Arthur Fleck, as we first meet him) is played by Joaquin Phoenix (“Her”) in another Joaquin Phoenix performance. In other words, he takes character acting to its extreme, presenting the villain with a dark electricity, a fierceness that hadn’t previously been captured by other renditions of the Joker. As in any of his roles, Phoenix goes all in here and totally carries the film. Unfortunately, despite Phoenix’s genuinely impressive dedication to the character, the narrative is dry and unnecessary. The concept of a Joker origin story could be compelling, though his usual role as the ideological counterpart to Batman’s rigid morality is entirely absent. Instead, what Phillips delivers is a hollow, static product of aggressive and threatened fantasies. There is no transition of ideas, no intellectual momentum — only a lonely man beaten by all of society to the point of bloody retaliation against the culprits. And according to Phillips, we are all to blame. Many of the film’s early scenes that shame, embarrass and bludgeon Arthur plead for empathy from the audience. And admittedly, they work. In particular, Arthur has a condition that causes him to laugh in uncontrollable, random spasms. When these occur in public, he is physically unable to explain himself and is coldly demeaned by those around him. He even has a tiny laminated note explaining this tendency, and seeing the card’s grimy, creased edges is a reminder of how frequently he must have to pull it out on a given day. Phillips makes overt, breathless attempts at political commentary with regard to Arthur’s lack of agency in Gotham. The healthcare system is weak and unresponsive, a trash strike has left mounds and mounds of garbage bags littered on the streets and the working class is immobile on the economic
State Theater Warner Bros. Pictures ladder. The real problems with the movie arise when Phillips uses these political issues to justify the violence that the Joker commits. Of course, this endorsement is not overt, but when we spend such long and intimate stretches with a man like Arthur, the filmmakers clearly want the audience to understand his motivations. If one examines his anarchic ambitions for what they are — the euphoric dreams of a murderer made a fool by the system one too many times — “Joker” might not even be interesting enough to merit the discourse it has created. Many times during the movie I was reminded of another messianic symbol of masculinity and working class revolution: Tyler Durden from “Fight Club.” The important contrast between Durden and Fleck, though, is the depth to their madness. Where I think Durden intentionally becomes becomes self-parody, as conforming and soulless as the world he hates, Fleck falls into this trap without knowing it. Many audience members in my theater evidently fell into the gleeful gravity of the Joker too, laughing hysterically at some of his carnage. Phillips even placed a few jokes into Fleck’s killing spree, which were more cringey than anything else. Recently, the director received backlash for complaining about the difficulty of making comedy amid “woke culture,” and the more I reflect on “Joker,” the more it feels like a self-portrait. Toward the end of the film, a cackling Joker is asked what he thinks is so funny. “You wouldn’t understand,” he replies raspily. Maybe for Phillips (and those in my screening who laughed so frequently) there is something cathartic about watching Arthur Fleck wreak havoc on a society that refuses to understand him, even when his bloodshed is portrayed with such irresponsible glee. But I guess I wouldn’t understand. And I’m OK with that.
’Tis the season for atonement, folks. If you have been a dedicated reader of this here column, which I am certain you are, you will know that I am a big fan of apologizing. I apologize for everything, from taking up space to Jeffrey Epstein. Maybe it’s my midwestern upbringing or my Jewish guilt or my genitals, but I am always apologizing for one thing or another. I apologize for men who make me feel uncomfortable. I apologize for making myself vulnerable. I apologize for being too loud, too goofy, too honest, too much. As women we are taught to say sorry before we know what we are apologizing for. We are trained from a young age that our existence is a burden, that our presence is annoying, that our words aren’t heard. But I am tired of saying sorry into the void. When I wrote a similar listicle to this one last year, in honor of Yom Kippur, it came from a place of hope that this year I wouldn’t second guess myself, I wouldn’t apologize when I didn’t need to, I wouldn’t say sorry for who I am. Ultimately, I think I failed my New Year’s resolution, because I am right where I was one year ago. I am writing with the same false confidence in the same coffee shop (Comet Coffee) at the same table (the one on the right closest to the counter), drinking the same drink (an oat milk latte), wearing the same T-shirt (a vintage tee featuring the season two cast of SNL), listening to the same songs (something by Mitski), thinking about the same damn things (I really need to stop biting my nails this year, I mean it). Some things never change. Sure, there are some apologies I really should make, like to my landlord for tearing out a chunk of my drywall trying to hang a “Frances Ha” poster and when I told you I couldn’t hang out because I was busy but actually I was just rewatching “Fleabag” for the seventh time. Still, I have made a tradition of taking the time and ink of The Daily to let everyone know what I won’t be atoning for this year. So here it is folks, my day of anti-atonement, my soliloquy of non-sorries, my listicle of laments, what I will not be atoning for this year: I will not atone for boasting my 500+ LinkedIn connections. It’s an accomplishment whether it gets me a job or not. I will not atone for writing listicles in replace of prose for my Daily Humor Column. It’s punchy and fun and I like it. I will not atone for paying actual, physical money to see the “Downton Abbey” movie when
BOOK REVIEW
I could have just rewatched the show for free on PBS. It was the most calming movie-going experience I have ever had and the plumber was hot. I will not atone for going to career fair without a folder. Who even knew that was a thing? I will not atone for using mouthwash in my bed when I am too lazy to get up and brush my teeth. I will not atone for listening to podcasts at the gym. I will not atone for telling people I am 5’7” when I am actually a tall 5’6”. I will not atone for grinding my own coffee beans. It’s pretentious but it tastes better, OKAY? I will not atone for my loud watch. I know it ticks and tocks, it’s a goddamn watch, Brenda. I will not atone for using a strand of my own hair to pick food out of my teeth when I don’t have floss on hand. Ask anyone with long hair, they do it too. I will not atone for my Pinterest boards, of which there are many. I will not atone for using Google Maps to get home from the MLB. I have no sense of direction. I will not atone for not knowing what I’m doing after graduation. I have time to figure it out, Aunt Judy! I will not atone for announcing when I go to the gym — “I’m going to the gym, everyone,” “If you need me, I’ll be at the gym,” “Just going to my happy place, the gym, I’m going to the GYM,” — because people should know that I am svelte and fit and swole. I will not atone for calling my mom between five and 15 times a day. She is a joy to talk to and I walk a lot. I will not atone for wearing the same leggings I wore yesterday just inside out. It’s clean enough and I haven’t done laundry yet this month. I will not atone for listening to the “Succession” theme on repeat, it’s a banger. I will not atone for my Glossier addiction. I am just trying to be the Bratz-doll “Euphoria” influencer I know I can be. I will not atone for calling dress pants “slacks.” I will not atone for dying my hair blonde and telling people it’s natural. Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s none of your business. There it is, dear reader, another year’s worth of not sorries, another 365 days of beg your pardons, 525,600 more minutes of excuse you. Let’s hope this year is one filled with less regret and more release, less apologizing and more actualizing, less concern and more confidence.
COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
Class and narrative in Grupo Corpo challenges the ‘Orchestra of Minorities’ line between force and craft LUKAS TAYLOR For The Daily
When is empathy evil? Appreciating others’ experiences carves out the space for solidarity in which people with privilege take action. But imagining others’ experiences implies the possibility of understanding their trauma. “Stepping into the shoes of others” requires one to assume they know what trauma is happening and how others would react. People’s pain is often situated across boundaries of race and class. To empathize across those lines, one must squint to make out a fuzzy image of what is happening to others. They must further distort their own experience, alter their assumption of how the victims should react. On top of this, advocacy through publicizing others’ trauma can erase and paper over the reality of others’ experiences. But then, what’s the alternative? Not empathizing whatsoever means victims’ stories aren’t heard. Could literature help create a more innocuous empathy? Chigozie Obioma’s “An Orchestra of Minorities” gracefully sheds light on how class and race affect the effability of another’s pain. At heart, it’s a charming love story. Chinonso is a Nigerian peasant farmer who meets Ndali, an upper-class woman. Obioma shows his mastery of class-based symbolism right off the bat: The two meet as Chinonso saves the upper-class woman from an attempted suicide. Despite their differences in status, the two fall in love after a chance meeting following the incident. Naturally, Ndali’s upper-class family disapproves of their relationship, and the novel focuses on Chinonso’s attempts to win the affection of her family.
An Orchestra of Minorities Chigozie Obioma Little, Brown and Company Jan. 18, 2019 Here, the author begins to hint towards his mastery of remixing classic English stories (“Romeo and Juliet,” in this case) with tales of contemporary race and class. Chinonso’s journey to redefine his ascribed status is defined by humiliation at every turn. In a particularly difficult chapter, he’s made to valet a party that Ndali’s brother invited him to. Eventually, though, Chinonso makes a journey to Cyprus to obtain an education and better match Ndali’s class (she plans to become a pharmacist). If the story in Nigeria highlights his class identity, his time in Cyprus showcases his racial identity. Obioma shows how Africans must continuously be aware of their ethnicity, with people confusing him with Black
celebrities or asking to touch his hair. The story is explained through the narration of Chinonso’s “guardian spirit” or “chi.” This spirit must recount and justify his actions in a “trial” to Nigerian Igbo deities. Through his narrator’s omniscience and bias toward the protagonist, Obioma subtly parodies and pokes fun at usual Western storytelling. The trial is also a brilliant symbol for society’s judgment of Chinonso while showing the shortcomings of empathy. This is reflected in the plot, as even Chinonso’s love, Ndali, doesn’t truly understand his struggles. Obioma offers a page spread of complex charts, graphs and lists at the start of the book to help explain the Igbo Cosmology. Heaven is broken down into domains, and the composition of man is conveniently summed up in a venn diagram. Both the universe and the process of reincarnation share their chart: The life cycle circulates the Earth and Spirit worlds. Although initially intimidating, the spread’s significance becomes apparent over the course of the novel. This is less to do with appeasing Western Promethean impulses to box and map the Igbo Cosmology conveniently and more to help the reader navigate the book and its contents. The Cosmology is overwhelming at first like Chinosmo is overwhelmed in Cyprus. But, as with any novel, this empathy crafted by Obioma has shortcomings. A privileged reader can simply close the book. Chinosmo is trapped in his situation. Throughout the novel, Obioma masterfully balances the reader’s empathy and their realization of the fruitlessness of the relating. The story’s similarity to “The Odyssey” and “Romeo and Juliet” allows the narrative to be tangible and understood for Western audiences. Obioma’s brilliant prose and descriptions reinforce this. Still, the deities’ trial reminds the Western reader of their inevitable shortcomings of real understanding. The meta-commentary of the trial does a great job of making readers acutely aware that Obioma sees them as an agent in this story. Moreover, the fragility of pure empathy is reflected in the story: Throughout the story, Chinonso finds it difficult to communicate his situation to Ndali fully. This is most apparent through their correspondences while Obioma is in Cyprus and at the story’s conclusion. This empathy compels readers, giving them a glimpse of a (well done) perspective they haven’t experienced. As a whole, Obioma’s book showcases the complex interactions involved in empathy. Communicating one’s genuine experience is difficult even to omniscient deities or the ones people love the most. It must be even more complicated between people one has never met. The book’s prose, groundbreaking commentary and experimental narration style more than earn its place in the 2019 Booker Prize Shortlist. Whether or not it takes the prize, “An Orchestra of Minorities” is a gripping read. The book leaves a lasting effect on the reader’s perception of how race and class affect every aspect of one’s lives — even something as pure as love.
ZOE PHILLIPS For The Daily
By the time the Power Center’s lights had dimmed for the final performance of Grupo Corpo’s weekend stay in Ann Arbor, I had long settled into the comforts of being an audience member. The shimmering curtain, red folddown seats and whirring small-talk of everyone around me had helped to wind down my busy Sunday afternoon. When the curtain lifted, the stage remained quiet. The first dancer came flying downward from the air above the stage floor. The move was an intelligent tactic on behalf of choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras — it grabbed my expectations and threw them out the window (or perhaps more accurately, into the wings). In doing so, Pederneiras woke up my drowsy Sunday-afternoon brain and asked for my attention in the following two-act performance. Unfortunately, the show failed to be this engaging throughout. The Brazilian modern dance group performed two 45-minute works — “Bach” and “Gira” — which were touted by the University Musical Society’s preview as “wildly different.” Contradictingly, I noticed a lot of similarities. Grupo Corpo’s dancers are inspiringly powerful, but this power comes to a fault. The performers use every ounce of themselves. They whack their leg extensions into the air and actively push their bodies into the ground when landing a jump. They dance with an energy that tinkers on the edge of losing control (sometimes, it looked like they actually had). Their necks jolt back toward their spines with abandon and their arms disregard the anatomical limitations of a shoulder joint. Their willingness for power dismissed my want to respect the fragility of a human form. In the beginning, this was exceptionally satisfying. I was entranced by the freedom engendered in their lack of fear. After a while, though, the novelty wore off. I longed for more subtlety but only saw their rote power increase
by every spin, whirl, jump and jolt. “Bach,” set to music by Marco Antônio Guimarães inspired by the style of J.S. Bach, relied heavily on the power and dynamism of its score. Throughout, the sounds of organ and strings pierced the refined air of the theatre. The remnants of Bach’s well renowned melodies were certainly detectable, but this music was designed to make a thoroughly modern impression. To match this drama, a set of long poles lowered from the ceiling and the dancers sifted through the new architecture by hanging and swinging from above while action continued onstage below. This dimension provided a new sense of space, but over time the performance came to depend on the poles too heavily. As they became less new, I shifted back to the unchanging energy of the dancing and realized there was little left to maintain my initial excitement. On the surface, “Gira” did appear different. Both men and women wore long white skirts that swirled alongside their jumps. The supple fabric added a new layer of grace to especially rigid movements. Based on the spirits of an ancient religion, the dancers remained on the side and back of the stage while they were not moving, cocooned away in black seats with individual overhanging curtains. Their presence made for a sense of community but was also mysteriously reminiscent of death. Much like the poles in Bach, this paradox catalyzed my engagement. Also like “Bach,” however, the theme grew old before the end of the work. As the final curtain lowered I blinked in disbelief at the performers’ stamina but was left bored by the ongoing applause. I was ready to get out of the theatre. The evening had slathered an even level of force across the stage but failed to reach the subtlety required to fill the nooks and crannies hidden deep below. I couldn’t find the specificity that I latch onto in a live performance, and as I meandered home and slouched onto my couch I could already feel the dance’s memory floating away, lost among the sea of indistinguishable jolts, kicks, spins and undulations.
GRUPO CORPO
Arts
6 — Tuesday, October 8, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV REVIEW
MUSIC REVIEW
‘Bless the Harts’ doesn’t deliver us anything new SOPHIA YOON Daily Arts Writer
DBPM RECORDS
‘Ode to Joy’ lacks... joy JONAH MENDELSON Daily Arts Writer
Wilco has lived under the shadow of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot for almost two decades. Some of their best work (“Impossible Germany,” “One Sunday Morning”) has come after their landmark album, but they’ve struggled to release a full project that measures up to such a lofty expectation. They always will. Skeletal and moody, Ode to Joy is the most cohesive and consistent Wilco album since Sky Blue Sky. However, it lacks the highs that Wilco are capable of reaching. Maybe it’s wrong to expect Wilco to continue to produce at their high-water mark forever, but it’s hard not to feel a little disappointed whenever they put out another capable but unremarkable project. However, if you let go of the expectations Wilco has labored under for the majority of their existence, Ode to Joy is a successful album, always pleasant and often beautiful.
Ode to Joy Wilco dBpm Records
The sonic palette is subtle and tasteful, varied enough to avoid monotony but consistent enough to lend the project an overarching thematic sensation. The songs across the album are made cohesive through a few choice production qualities — crunchy snares, textural guitars, gossamer piano — as well as through their simple, plaintive lyrics. Jeff Tweedy’s voice has always possessed a charmingly wavering, wistful timbre; his aging vocal cords
only intensify this quality. Unfortunately, it is possible to have too much of a good thing, as his vocals now evoke frailty and weariness to a degree that can grow irksome. “Bright Leaves” is a prototypical atmospheric Wilco piece: Instruments flit in and out of the soundscape accompanied by glitchy electronic elements while Jeff Tweedy croons a doleful melody about somewhat cryptic relationship problems. The singles “Everyone Hides” and “Love Is Everywhere (Beware)” are much stronger in the context of the album. The latter, a folksy waltz, is one of the more successful outings on the project, thanks in large part to a vivid guitar riff during the chorus. Ode to Joy is not perfect. This project is the opposite of catchy — as soon as you stop listening, the memory of any given song fades immediately. While that’s not necessarily a bad thing, the album can certainly drift towards tedium, and it dips in quality towards the middle. “White Wooden Cross” is one of the weaker lyrical cuts: Jeff Tweedy, when passing by a roadside memorial, imagines that his loved one is the one whose demise the cross marks. This makes him sad. While such simple moments of imagined grief can be relatable and powerful, Tweedy doesn’t really go much beyond the surface of how those brief flashes of mortality affect us. Sometimes concision is insufficient. The quality of the lyrics throughout is inconsistent. Sometimes Wilco succeeds in being straightforward and profound: “I’ve tried, in my way, to love everyone” is the type of thoughtful simplicity Wilco tends to excel at. Sometimes they come off as half-baked: “High in an old dead tree / That plastic bag is me / That’s where I want to be” falls well short of the depth and clarity that Jeff Tweedy has shown himself to be capable of in the past. There is a fine line between pensive and soporific that Wilco spends most of Ode to Joy flirting with. Ode to Joy is weary, the sound of the thoughts that float through your head right before a nap after a long day, the sound of a brisk fall morning as you slowly wake up. I suspect that this album will blossom with reflection and repeated listens. Time will tell.
Remember when you were a little kid and you would fall asleep on the couch after a “Spongebob Squarepants” marathon? You’d wake up in the middle of the night, and there was always some adult cartoon playing. It was always a little weird, a little creepy and impossible to figure out what was going on or who the show existed for in the first place. That show was “Bless the Harts.” It’s about a family from the American South, and while it’s a slightly different take on yet another white American family, there’s nothing particularly inspiring or unique about it. The pilot jumps right into the life of the Hart family, who live in a small town somewhere in the South. There’s a star-studded cast, with Kristen Wiig (“Big Mouth”) playing Jenny Hart, Maya Rudolph (“Big Mouth”) playing Betty Hart, Ike Barinholtz (“The Twilight Zone”) playing Wayne Edwards, and Kumail Nanjiani (“Silicon Valley”) playing Jesus, for some reason. The bulk of the story is centered around the family’s struggles from living paycheck to paycheck — in the pilot, the family’s water gets shut off. Jenny finds out that her mother, Betty, has been hoarding these stuffed animals called “Hug N’ Bugs” in a storage unit, in hopes of selling them for a fortune in the future. Throughout the episode, they try to auction these stuffed animals off on the internet, only to find out that they don’t hold any value anymore. The show makes small historical jokes, as the Hug N’ Bugs were all inspired by a historical figure. At some point, Jenny says, “Good news, Nelson Mandela Super Soaker Hug N’ Bug. I’m setting you free!” which elicited a nose-exhale laugh from me. The rest of the jokes were at this caliber or lower, which offers little to nothing
fresh in the world of comedy, especially in the realm of adult animation. The southern smalltown living is also a trope that we’ve seen plenty of times before, but the show didn’t put much effort into putting a twist on it. There was the staple mom’s dumb boyfriend, the staple southern religiosity and the staple “this’ll sell for a fortune later” hoarder. The main issues with the series are its lack of originality and unwillingness to push boundaries. With the vast collection of adult animation out there today, there’s nothing about this show that makes it stand out amongst the others. But perhaps this is too harsh. It’s possible that I, an East-Coaster, was not the target audience for this kind of show. After all,
Bless the Harts Pilot Fox Sundays @ 8:30 p.m.
I’ve never spent more than a week in the South, and that’s certainly not enough time to pick up on the intricacies of southern small-town living. But if they were going to make this show targeted toward a niche audience, then it might have been set up to fail anyway. Perhaps over the course of the season, the writers will learn to dig deeper and find relatability in the specificity of the circumstances, and the audience can grow to larger than that small portion of the country.
YOUTUBE
BOOK REVIEW
Empathy against all odds in Kevin Barry’s ‘Night Boat to Tangier’ ANDREW PLUTA For The Daily
Kevin Barry develops every word of his novel “Night Boat to Tangier” with contrasting magnetic forces. The reader is wholeheartedly repelled by the despicable tendencies of supposed protagonists Maurice Hearne and Charlie Redmond. Yet somehow, Barry’s captivating style re-attracts the reader, familiarizing him with the most unfamiliar of lifestyles and impulses in a manner akin to that of a compelling nature documentary. Barry’s coverage of these longtime partners in crime begins well past their prime. They sit in the decrepit port of Algeciras and wait for the title boat to Tangier in hopes that Maurice’s long estranged daughter, Dilly, will arrive or depart onboard. Dilly is the primary source of empathy throughout the novel and a beacon of purity in each flashback Maurice and Charlie recall. She represents the innocence that Maurice and Charlie have long surrendered — the two hope to save her from a problematic lifestyle like those they had led their entire lives. Despite his paternal concern for Dilly, Maurice is expertly depicted as a contemptible human being in just about every flashback that Barry provides. Maurice possesses few memories not involving mistresses, drug smuggling or assault. Despite his constant reflection, his most damning personality trait is his inability to take responsibility for his actions, even in hindsight. He had no choice but to perpetually cheat on his former partner, Cynthia, since he had a suspicion that she herself could have been cheating. His prior heroin use was inevitable since it was so placating for his anxiety, and the Irish
are an inherently anxious group of people. By all accounts, Maurice is incorrigible. This makes Barry’s ability to garner any empathy at all for Maurice nothing short of a magic trick. He is only able to work his miracle through the juxtaposition of the regret he feels for his invisibility in Dilly’s life and the lack of regret he feels in every other facet of his life.
Night Boat to Tangier Kevin Barry Doubleday Sep. 17, 2019
This tense question of regret is exemplified through the generally brief back-and-forth dialogue that Maurice and Charlie share as they kill time in the port of Algeciras. In the very first pages of the novel, Barry cements their thuggish personas through their concise, unemotional responses to one another. These segments are so well executed that the reader may find themselves questioning Barry’s own past — his ability to take on a criminal voice comes about a little too naturally. The only time his voice partially breaks is when Maurice considers his shortcomings as a father or whether he will find Dilly. In spite of the initial disgust he feels toward Maurice’s lifestyle, the reader cannot help but hope that Maurice gets his second chance. Unfortunately, Barry’s creation of
empathy for a wholly detestable character does not make for a perfect novel. At times, the dialogue and reflection at the port feel as though they are done too well. The format of these scenes is so unique and rich in voice that the flashbacks consequently fell short. While Maurice’s backstory is crucial to the payoff of the more reflective scenes, the more traditional presentation of his past tended to create a noticeable disconnect throughout the novel. Transitioning from a chapter of rapid-fire, authentic dialogue to one of more drawn out, albeit effective, description tends to disrupt the exciting tempo of much of the novel and leave the reader waiting for the chapter to end. Perhaps Barry did this somewhat deliberately, since the effect of the imbalance is the reader yearning to leave the excerpts of the life of crime characterizing Maurice’s younger years in exchange for a time period in which there is an actual chance for redemption. However, this is a very generous stance to take, and it’s more likely that these sections were not as effectively executed as Barry may have hoped. While not as terrible as the character they portray, Barry’s scenes set in the past simply cannot uphold the precedent of captivation achieved in present scenes. Kevin Barry’s novel is one that thoroughly impresses in its ability to both capture a voice so unknown to most readers and evoke empathy for characters with so few redeeming qualities. While the pacing of flashbacks is mismanaged at times, patient readers may not mind this shortcoming at all, and restless readers will still have their hunger for fast-paced writing satiated by the scenes in the port of Algeciras. Whether looking for a way to fill an evening or needing something to do until your own boat arrives, “Night Boat to Tangier” is a worthy use of your time.
Release Date: Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 How headless chickens may run 5 Argo and Titanic 10 Email asking for money, perhaps 14 Pedi partner 15 “A Confederacy of Dunces” author John Kennedy __ 16 Gyro bread 17 Ocular archshaping cosmetic 19 Like Felix Unger, e.g. 20 Forbidden regions 21 Mom’s brother 22 __ Lanka 23 1/60 of an hr. 25 “The cow is of the bovine __; / One end is moo, the other, milk”: Ogden Nash 26 Robby the Robot, e.g. 32 Miss. neighbor 33 High school stat 34 Loewe’s lyricist 37 Dog pack leader 40 One or more 42 Spanish “I love you” 43 Get by 45 Article in Die Zeit 47 Up to, briefly 48 Backyard cooker 52 N, E, S or W 54 Golf teacher 55 Portuguese saint 56 UPS driver’s assignment 58 Not one to pass up a porterhouse 64 King of Siam’s Broadway dance partner 65 Tentative “It’s a date” ... or a hint to the starts of 17-, 26-, and 48-Across 66 The Stones’ Jagger 67 One-eighty 68 Distort, as rules 69 Throbbing pain 70 Pro bono promise 71 Boats like Noah’s DOWN 1 Last word before digging in? 2 BLT condiment
3 10 C-notes 4 Put the __ on: squelch 5 Attic function 6 Sewing machine inventor Elias 7 Corn Belt state 8 Outmoded TV type 9 __ symbol 10 Wing measurement 11 Where Reds play 12 In the least 13 2018 Best Actor Rami __ 18 Hard to find, to Caesar 21 Like some expectations 24 Feeling poorly 26 Palindromic address 27 “Enchanted” film title girl 28 Naval officer on a cereal box 29 Beer initialism 30 “I’m on it!” 31 “We __ Farmers”: insurance slogan 35 Pianist Gilels 36 Winning streak 38 “Yeah, right!”
39 With jaw dropped 41 Affirmative vote 44 Do something human? 46 Stephen King’s kid lit counterpart 49 Awaken 50 Sometimes it’s unmitigated 51 Self-moving vacuum 52 Certain queen’s bailiwick
53 Greek column type 57 Word before part or heart 59 Sufficient, in texts 60 “Back forty” unit 61 Swerve 62 Kindle technology 63 Gps. of drinks 65 “The lowest form of humor—when you don’t think of it first”: Oscar Levant
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
By Debra Hamel ©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
10/08/19
10/08/19
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, October 8, 2019 — 7
Michigan power play refreshed in new system ‘M’ withstands pressure
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Sophomore forward Jimmy Lambert’s power play unit scored in Michigan’s 8-2 win over Windsor on Sunday.
BAILEY JOHNSON Daily Sports Writer
Jack Becker didn’t even need to look to find the open man. After Michael Pastujov’s shot missed just wide of an open net, his brother — senior forward Nick Pastujov — sent a pass to Becker, who was waiting on the edge of the left faceoff circle. Without a glance, Becker knew he had Jimmy Lambert wide open across the ice. The no-look pass hit Lambert’s stick right on the tape and a split second later, the puck was in the net behind Windsor goaltender Jonathan Reinhart. With the score, Michigan had its second power-play goal in three opportunities on Sunday. “I thought (Lambert’s unit) was spectacular,” said senior forward Will Lockwood. “They looked great. My unit needs work on a few things, we were a little sloppy … Cheers to them,
and we’re going to have to work on our unit a little bit.” The power play system is new for the Wolverines this year, but their performance Sunday wouldn’t show it. Three goals on six opportunities is an impressive showing, though it requires the acknowledgement that it came in an exhibition matchup against a team that doesn’t compete in any division of the NCAA. When Michigan coach Mel Pearson hired assistant Kris Mayotte to run the penalty kill this offseason, the move required associate head coach Bill Muckalt to run the power play. Muckalt decided to switch to a modern four-forwardsone-defenseman system, rather than the traditional three forwards and two blueliners. Through one game, the new system is paying off — and Muckalt, off recruiting in British Columbia, wasn’t even
I thought (Lambert’s unit) was spectacular.
in the building to make sure things ran smoothly. “I thought we didn’t score on some of our best chances on the power play, but it looked good,” Pearson said. Last season, the Wolverines finished 44th in the nation with a power play percentage of 15.6-percent. One game, especially an exhibition matchup, is an inadequate sample size to make claims about how things could go this year, but it was clear that both units looked more cohesive and creative than they did last year. “We added so much skill to the team,” Lockwood said. “We’re gonna have two really good units this year and two units that are going to be threats. I don’t know if it’s going to be a specific first and second unit. I think you can throw both units out there.” While having an extra forward opens up offensive
opportunities, there are risks associated with one fewer defenseman on the unit, and Michigan saw that firsthand on Sunday. As forward Alex Friesen’s penalty expired, forward Brady Pataki noticed him coming out of the penalty box and sent the puck up the ice to his teammate. Friesen found himself with a one-onnone opportunity in front of sophomore goaltender Strauss Mann, but Mann grabbed the puck out of the air and snuffed out the breakaway chance. “It’s a little scary,” Pearson said. “They got a little breakaway on it tonight because your forwards start on the power play (and) they’re not thinking defense. That happened to us the end of the year last year. Guys came out of the penalty box (and scored), so we’re going to have to address that for sure, but you’re going to have that creativity (with four forwards).” A year after their power play units scored just six goals on 54 opportunities in the second half of the season, the Wolverines’ power play looks refreshed. The new system seems to have injected some new life and creativity, and the balance between offense and defense with an additional forward is something that will come in time. As Pearson often said last year, special teams — the power play and penalty killing — is key to winning games. Last season, Michigan struggled in both aspects of special teams. This year, at least the power play looks to be on good footing heading into official games.
We’re gonna have two really good units this year.
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Michigan coach Jennifer Klein wants her team to get better against pressure.
MATTHEW CHANG For The Daily
Nicki Hernandez dribbled near midfield 20 minutes into the game. At the moment, there were no defenders between the junior midfielder and the goal. Nebraska goalkeeper Aubrei Corder saved her shot, but the breakaway provided the first hint of how the Michigan women’s soccer team would win the game. Sophomore midfielder Meredith Haakenson scored on the ensuing corner, en route to a 4-1 Wolverine victory in a game that was characterized by the Cornhuskers’ high pressure leaving them exposed at the back. The pressure from Nebraska caused problems for Michigan throughout the game, as the Wolverines tried to maintain possession of the ball in their own defensive third. They continually tried to pass out of the pressure from Nebraska, looking to play quick passes to their center midfielders to get the ball out of congested areas. But Michigan couldn’t always do so successfully, turning the ball over in dangerous areas and providing good opportunities for Nebraska’s attack. “It’s an area that we need to continue to get better at and be comfortable possessing with
pressure,” said Michigan coach Jennifer Klein. “I think we’re very capable of doing it.” The Wolverines demonstrated that capability in a few key moments, leading them to breakaways similar to Hernandez’s. 14 minutes after her initial breakaway, Hernandez scored by getting behind the Nebraska backline again, while fifth-year senior defender Sura Yekka scored her first goal as a Wolverine on a breakaway of her own in the second half. The relatively easy breakaway goals came from Michigan’s ability to break out of initial pressure from the Cornhuskers – once the first line of defenders was broken, the Wolverines always had a numbers advantage. Even with these goals, the Wolverines want to increase the number of times they successfully escape pressure and decrease the number of dangerous turnovers. However, it is not easy to maintain the composure needed to find the right pass. “The more we talk and communicate, the easier it is,” said sophomore defender Janiece Joyner. “That’s mostly what we try to focus on, to not panic in those situations, but embrace the challenge and work through it together.”
Juwan Howard bringing new energy Wolverines prepare to face Peters ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Editor
NATALIE STEPHENS/Daily
The Michigan basketball team feels a new energy under Juwan Howard as it enters his inaugural season.
ABBY SNYDER
Daily Sports Writer
It’s a tall enough task coaching in Ann Arbor at all. No matter the sport, expectations for Michigan teams, and an athletic department that spends the third-most among public schools nationally, are lofty. But following one of the greatest coaches ever to lead the Wolverines in John Beilein? How do you even begin to think about that? Juwan Howard’s message at Big Ten Media Day was clear: Beilein was great. But he’s going to be his own man. That’s how he’s bringing Michigan into the Howard era. “I’m sure a lot of people think, you have a lot of pressure on you to try to fill those shoes,” Howard said at Media Day. “All I can say is this: I’m not going to try to be like coach Beilein. He has his philosophy, his way of doing things. I have my philosophy, and I feel that works for our team moving forward.” Message received: new coach, new era. And as the team starts to get into the rhythm of practice, of a new coach, of a new team and a new basketball season, the storylines that will shape this new era in Michigan basketball
are starting to take shape. After a 10-season playing career in the NBA, and six years as an assistant coach for the Miami Heat, Howard has turned the talent he showed in his years at Michigan into knowledge of the game on par with the coaching talent leaving Ann Arbor. Beilein would often pick Howard’s brain in the offseason, and Howard’s plans for the team’s defense are already drawing comparisons to former assistant coach Luke Yaklich’s defensive wizardry. “He actually reminds me of Coach Yak,” said junior forward Isaiah Livers. “The defensive pressure, the defensive mind, all of that. His knowledge of the defensive side of basketball is just insane.” But, true to his word, Howard is running practices his way. It’s inevitable in some ways: Howard is a good 20 years younger than his predecessor. The wonder in his face and in his voice when he points at the block ‘M’ pinned to his lapel, the grin on his face when he
talks about his team and about the program he’s building in Ann Arbor — it’s impossible to ignore. The energy, the excitement that he’s bringing to Michigan basketball — it’s almost palpable. That enthusiasm that has embodied his approach to this new challenge hasn’t just showed up in quotes from on high, from behind a podium to a room of reporters. It’s in how he’s running this program. “The vibe is a lot different,” said senior guard Zavier Simpson. “It’s definitely a positive vibe. Juwan brings a lot of energy.” Youthful energy doesn’t preclude urgency, though. In preseason polls, the Wolverines were picked to finish fifth in the Big Ten. They disagree, and they’re determined to prove they’re right early on under Howard. “The vibe? Serious,” Livers said. “We all know where they’ve got us projected, and we do not like it. At all. We’re not supposed to like it.”
I’m sure a lot of people think, you have a lot of pressure.
Jon Runyan Jr. still plays Mario Kart with Brandon Peters on his Nintendo Switch. The former Michigan quarterback is better — Runyan estimates Peters wins 55 percent of the time — but Runyan still takes pleasure in taking his wins and rubbing them in. In those moments, it’s almost like the two are still roommates. Runyan and Peters lived together last year. On Saturday, when the Michigan football team visits Illinois — where Peters is now the starting quarterback — the two will be reunited as players on two opposing teams, fighting for two disparate goals. “I’m excited to hit a quarterback that’s on my team, actually — that was on my team,” said fifth-year senior linebacker Jordan Glasgow. “He was a good friend of mine while he was here and it’s gonna be fun to play against him and hopefully we put him on the ground a lot. Hopefully nothing happens, but I want to make his day as rough as possible.” From Runyan’s perspective, Peters was a quiet guy who kept mostly to himself. But sometimes, Peters opened up and talked about himself. After all, Peters didn’t have the normal career trajectory of a 6-foot-5, four-star quarterback Jim Harbaugh once compared to Andrew Luck. Peters was once anointed Michigan’s savior, coming into a 2017 game against Rutgers to raucous cheers after it was clear John O’Korn would no longer cut it. It seemed like Peters could finally be the quarterback the Wolverines had been missing. The feeling lasted for three fleeting games. Then Peters suffered a concussion against Wisconsin, could only watch as O’Korn was dreadful in a loss to Ohio State and looked utterly pedestrian in a bowl loss to South Carolina. That April,
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Illinois quarterback Brandon Peters will face his former team Saturday.
Shea Patterson was granted an instant-eligibility waiver and Peters’ entire career was thrown into flux. “He never really voiced any displeasures to me,” Runyan said. “After that 2017 season, he was full on board with trying to win this spot even with Shea transferring and not knowing his eligibility. And he battled really hard throughout spring ball and throughout fall camp and I think they declared Shea the starter halfway through camp. ... In the end he did what was best for him and he’s in a pretty good place right now (at) Illinois.” Runyan first heard that Peters wanted to transfer around December, when Michigan was beginning to prepare for the Peach Bowl, but he believes Peters was thinking about it before then — and who could blame him? But Peters stayed invested in the team every step of the way and once the season was done, he took a hefty course load before leaving for Champaign in order to be eligible for a graduate transfer. “He was always studying and I was always there just watching him,” Runyan said. “I felt bad for him, but he eventually did what’s best for him.” Peters’ main options were Illinois and a handful of MAC schools, and the process wasn’t always kind. Peters was gone almost every weekend taking another visit. Some schools strung him along, offering him
a visit, pulling it when they offered another quarterback, then begging for him back when that quarterback looked for other options. But with the Illini, Peters got a starting job, the reputation of the Big Ten and a new home less than two hours from his hometown of Avon, Ind. And when the Wolverines see him there, they’ll be nothing but happy for him. “I really liked Brandon a lot and he won us ballgames,” Harbaugh said. “ … Been following him, and I’d say the same for how he’s playing there at Illinois. Good player.” Normally, the perfect reunion for Michigan would be Peters playing a good game while the Wolverines still winning anyway — by a lot. But they aren’t guaranteed to get their happy ending. Peters left last week’s game with an injury, and he’s questionable for this week. After what Peters has been through, having to watch one of his team’s biggest games of the season — against his former team — from the sidelines would be a cruel twist of irony. So now, the Wolverines are just hoping they get to see him out on the field and in a better place — and, of course, leave Champaign with a win. Then Runyan will have bragging rights much bigger than Mario Kart. “He’s got his stuff going on, we’ve got ours,” Glasgow said. “But I wish him the best, except when he plays against us.”
Sports
8 — Tuesday, October 8, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Harbaugh comments on California NLI law ‘M’ keeps high energy MAX MARCOVITCH
NICHOLAS STOLL
Jim Harbaugh was asked an open-ended question Monday, as reporters searched for his thoughts on the California bill that was passed last week allowing players to profit off their name, image and likeness. As the hot-button topic of the college sports landscape, it’s more than a reasonable question to ask of the highest-paid figure in the state of Michigan. Harbaugh used the chance to expound upon — even flesh out — his own thoughts about amateurism, pay-for-play and potential reform options. “My feeling would be that college football is an amateur status,” Harbaugh said, before detailing several hypothetical options to alter the system. “I think the fair thing to do would be, not to restrict players to have to stay in college for three years. They could be drafted after their freshman year, they could be drafted after their sophomore year, they can be drafted after their junior year, their senior year. I would also make a rule that if they weren’t drafted, they could return. “And they could also be very productive, if somebody were to leave after their freshman or sophomore or junior year and they hadn’t finished their degree, they’d have the ability within a certain timespan to come back and finish their degree. That would be what I would suggest or propose.” After being pressed with a follow-up, Harbaugh said that he would, indeed, consider proposing that to the NCAA. That potential system would model that of college basketball, which is also rife with criticism at the moment. Still, though Harbaugh’s longwinded answers opened new avenues worth exploring, he hardly touched on the central thematic tension: compensation. Asked in a more direct manner about payment, he offered a different potential reform.
“I wouldn’t be against (payment),” Harbaugh said. “There could be a system that, like the scholarship, it’s really worth upwards of $100,000 or more, when you factor in room, board, food, travel, the many things. And that’s per scholarship, 85 players. You could have a system that cuts all scholarships in half — instead of 85 scholarships, there’s 42 scholarships. Forty-two players would play the scholarship plus the $100,000. If you did that across all sports, the budget could stay the same. It could be financially feasible. Kind of think the other way would be better. There’s amateur and there’s pro, and there’s no restriction for someone to take their shot at playing football.” Harbaugh’s off-the-cuff musings are relatively representative of the national conversation writ large; one in which, while the rumblings continue to grow, the concrete ideas of amending — or abolishing — amateurism remain in the introductory phase. Players, of course, will have their say in the matter as well. Asked throughout the week about the California bill, most Michigan players largely deflected answers. They pointed out that any reform would have no impact on their careers, and as such, they hadn’t
In its second game in 26 hours, the Michigan women’s field hockey team put up eight straight goals and shut out Michigan State in a dominating fashion. The complete game was made impressive by the quick turnaround from its game a day prior. Michigan had only a day to rest, gameplan and prepare for Michigan State after its 1-0 victory over Appalachian State on Saturday. The team game-planned for the back-to-back matches to be ready for the Spartans the next day. Though the score was close Saturday, Pankratz stuck to the plan and kept rotating players to keep their legs fresh. It was part of her game design — everybody had to be balanced and rested for their important matchup the day after. The Wolverines proved this strategy worked. There was zero hint of fatigue in Sunday’s outing. In fact, the opposite rang true, with the team buzzing with energy. The ninth-ranked Wolverines (8-3 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) routed the 24th-ranked Spartans (5-6 Overall, 0-4 Big Ten), 8-0. The win included a hat trick by sophomore midfielder Sofia Southam and the first career goal for freshman midfielder Nina Apoola. Perhaps the most impressive thing about the match was the amount of energy Michigan brought from beginning to end. The Wolverines dominated
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got pretty decent. And to give you an even better read, I went back out to Yost Monday to time myself in
Daily Sports Writer
ave you ever looked down on the the rink at Yost Ice Arena, watching the Michigan hockey team skate from red line to red line and wondered, “Maybe I’m faster than one of the guys on the team?” Well, the short answer is no. Odds are, you cannot skate faster than a Division I hockey player. And I’ll give you a hint, the long answer is also no, and I tried with more embarrassTIEN ing insight LE and headshaking performances. On Sunday night, immediately after the exhibition game against Windsor, the Wolverines hosted a “Skate With the Wolverines” event. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but in case you’re as slow on the uptake as I was on the ice, players met with fans in the rink to take pictures and sign autographs. Except for me. I didn’t wait in line to ask for pictures or autographs. I made my way to the unsuspecting players, asking for just one thing — speed. *** To give you some context on how fast the players were in our race, I’ll tell you about my skating ability first, for a point of comparison. I’m going to be honest and say straight up, I’m an average skater — and I work at an ice rink. In Memphis, Tenn., though, where I’m from, there were no nearby ice rinks. Before 2011, when a local suburb built an ice house about an hour away, the closest rink was a twohour drive to Mississippi. So my first time ice skating was December of my freshman year at Michigan, during a public skate session of Yost. I went on a weekly basis my sophomore and junior year and
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Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh believes in a separation of amateur and professional athletics on the subject of compensation.
peak conditions — no breakfast, no lunch and no sleep. Averaged on three attempts, here were my times: From blue line to blue line: 3.38 seconds. From the tip of the face-off circle to the far blue line: 4.70 seconds. A full lap around the rink: a mere 21.07 seconds. The fastest lap time with a standing start in the NHL is Connor McDavid’s 13.31 seconds. I guess you can say I’m pretty elite. *** The people behind the skate rental booth pointed to the hallway at the entrance of the arena. “We left all the skates over there,” they said, in spite of my
invested too deeply in the outcomes. Without push from athletes, though, there could be no such major reform. Many, specifically more experienced players, understand their role in that — if still stopping short of being the harbingers of change. “It’s really something that I’ve never really actually thought hard about,” said senior left tackle Jon Runyan. “But I think that basketball, and how they have it set up, where you can declare for the draft, go through the whole process, as long as you don’t sign an agent, and you can make a decision to come back to school … seems something that I guess is pretty reasonable.” In college basketball, players must remain in school for one year prior to entering the draft, and can declare any year thereafter. The rule to which Runyan is referring, which permits player to enter their names in the NBA draft and participate in workouts before determining whether to leave or return to school, has been met with near-unanimous approval from players. It does bring about difficulties for coaches in formalizing rosters in advance of the season, and has had a marked impact on the transfer market as a result. Players, in that scenario,
pleas that I couldn’t find them. I had dropped off my pair of CCM skates at the booth before the game, and anticipating that the players would be preoccupied with the fans until the end, I waited until the last
five minutes of the open skate before making my way down. But I couldn’t find my skates. By the time the workers found them, there was only one minute running on the overhead clock — indicating the time left for the event. I threw on my skates and made my way to the ice. Out of breath and out of time, I start circling around looking for the perfect prey. I stopped in front of goaltender Jack Leavy and looked up. My fellow Daily hockey writers were camped at the top of the press box on f loor five and had been peering over the ledge to watch me. “Him?” I mouthed to them, pointing in his direction. One of them shook their head. Smart. He’s 6-foot-5;
moved the needle. Players like Runyan will undoubtedly have a say in the future of the sport. But it remains Harbaugh’s opinion which wields the most power. His presence drives hundreds of millions in revenue each year. His salary exceeds $8 million annually. Throughout his career, his traditionalist reputation has frequently been misplaced — he is, in many respects, a player’s coach. Harbaugh’s openness to reform, if still vague, serves as an example of the rising tides readying to flood the landscape. Coaches, it seems, should prepare themselves or be washed away. “If you’re a tennis player and you’d like to be a professional tennis player at 17, you can be a professional tennis player at 17,” Harbaugh said. “To give the opportunity to somebody to be a professional football player when they’re 19, 20, 21. It’s not a long time. But the window to be a professional football player, if somebody’s good enough to do that, and then return and finish their degree probably would be appreciated and not taken for granted, and looked at for the value that it is — it’s hundreds of thousands of dollars for a college education these days, plus room and board, books and tuition.”
those strides would be lethal. I then shifted my attention to senior goaltender Hayden Lavigne. Again, I pointed and looked up quizzically. Two of them crossed their arms to make an ‘X’. Smart. He’s 6-foot-3; still too tall for comfort. Then my
eyes laid on Strauss Mann. Three thumbs up from my cowriters carried me to the front of the line where I challenged him to a race. “Hey, yo listen,” I explained to him. “I lost a bet with my editors, and so now I have to ask one of y’all to race me and write a story on it. You cool with that?” That was a lie, by the way. But he looked at me confusingly before seeing the credential I pointed to. He then nodded in understanding before smiling. “Wow, so you ask the goalie?” he retorted. “Alright, give
possession by out-hustling Michigan State, resulting in multiple offensive opportunities and out-shooting their opponents, 35-1. Michigan consistently swarmed the Michigan State offense,rarely giving them an opportunity to control the ball. The Wolverine defense challenged the Spartans almost immediately every time they received the ball. “Every game we have to come out with the same energy, and just really go from the start,” Apoola said. “Then we can get more goals and get more wins.” Beginning games with high energy continues to be an important mission for Michigan. The Wolverines feel confident in their ability to win as long as they play hard for the full 60 minutes. “We call it ‘60 in 60,’ ” said coach Marcia Pankratz. “We’re always striving to do that.” This philosophy — giving full effort the entire match — led to the relentless attack deep into the match, with the final goal coming with just 21 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. The strong finish in the energy-filled match is a good sign for Michigan and its ability to compete deeper into the season when back-to-back games become more common — including in the Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines, fourth in the conference, have shown their ability to stay fresh between games — an asset that will prove useful down the stretch.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz helped her team recover from a short turnaround.
me a moment.” He finished up taking pictures before skating to the blue line. “Alright, let’s do blue line to blue line,” Mann said, pointing end to end. I guess he
wasn’t ready for that full ice lap. People often tell me I can be intimidating on open ice. And it probably didn’t help that while Mann was getting ready, I kept telling to Alex, the Daily photographer next to me, that I was the greatest of all time.
But we lined up on the blue line and readied ourselves. And then we raced. Stride for stride, I honestly held my own. To be fair, Mann had to race after a game, in full pads and maybe (definitely) didn’t put full effort, but I’ll take a win. We crossed mid-ice at the same rate, but it’s the second half where I always make my
mark. With four strides, I pushed my way past Mann to beat him by centimeters. He leaned forward and stretched out his hand, but to no avail. I was a winner. Curling around the ice with me, he stretched out his hand, again, this time for a fist bump. “I’m tired from the game,” Mann said. I let him leave with his dignity, of course. Feeling a little bit more confident in myself, I spotted my next victim. Jake Slaker was leaning against the opposing bench. I looked up again for affirmation and was met with vicious nodding. “Hey Jake, how are you feeling about a race?” I asked. “Sure thing, just let me tie my skates,” Slaker said. He skated to the side and bent over to tie his skates. “Am I letting you win?” Slaker said, smiling. “Nah, go all out,” I said. “All out.” “Like should I give you a head start and then beat you, or should…?” Slaker said. “All out.” At first, we had decided on a full lap, with different start points, but after realizing how it would turn out, we both agreed to a blue-line-to-blueline race — for me. Slaker would start from the top of the faceoff circle, a maybe-20 foot handicap. “Let me know when to go,” Slaker said after the two of us lined up. “Alright. 3, 2, 1,” I said. “ Go.” It took him 3.36 seconds to beat me. He closed half the gap by the time we crossed mid-ice, and in the last few strides, he passed me, curling around with a smile. “That all you need?” he asked. Yeah, he had answered my question. Le can be reached at tntle@ umich.edu or on Twitter at @tientrle.