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Former UN Commissioner talks First license human rights, student leadership for recreational
cannabis given to A2 business
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein defined nine main threats in talk for Distinguished Lecture Series
Exclusive Brands aims to dominate local marijuana industry with new regulations HANNAH MCKAY Daily Staff Reporter
RITA VEGA/Daily Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein of Jordan, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaks on “Global Challenges to Human Rights Today,” in Weiser Hall Wednesday afternoon.
to speak broadly about the topic. Al Hussein’s record fighting for human rights globally, Tsutsui said, make him an ideal lecturer. “I can’t think of anybody who is a better spokesperson for human rights than the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,” Tsutsui said. Al Hussein began his lecture by defining universal human rights but quickly turned to criticize academics and universities for not doing enough to protect them. “On the face of it, you would have to believe that (human rights) are a weak force,” Al
JULIA RUBIN For The Daily
Around two hundred people gathered in Weiser Hall Wednesday night to hear Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, speak on the world’s greatest challenges to human rights. Sociology Professor Kiyoteru Tsutsui, director of the Donia Human Rights Center, said the Distinguished Lecture series invites speakers to campus who have both experience in human rights and the ability
Hussein said. “The mere fact that most universities don’t have human rights centers, and if they have human rights centers, they are small, usually underfunded, usually lodged in a law faculty, and even there, they struggle to find a position of prominence … Voldemort would be so proud.” Al Hussein identified nine main threats to human rights today: China, Russia, the United States under President Trump, authoritarian-minded leaders around the world, white supremacists, conservatives, leading
academics who attack the human rights agenda without proposing alternatives and economic elites. He argued as each of these actors work to erode the global infrastructure built to protect human rights, codifying protections into law is more important than ever. Al Hussein illustrated this point with the story of René Cassin, one of the original drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, who fought in World War I and lost over a dozen family members in the Holocaust. See RIGHTS, Page 3
At midnight on Nov. 1, 2019, the application for recreational marijuana licenses opened to Michigan businesses across the state. The Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency, part of the Michigan State Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, began accepting these applications as part of their efforts to implement new regulatory framework for recreational use in the industry. Ann Arbor’s own Exclusive Brands, currently an operational medical marijuana facility, was the first business to apply for the licence. Narmin Jarrous, executive vice president of business development at Exclusive Brands, explained they were well prepared to capitalize on the opportunity. “We had a pre-qualification approval before we woke up on Friday morning, we submitted our pre-qualification application at 12:17 a.m., and we were the first approval later that morning,” Jarrous said. Omar Hishmeh, owner of Exclusive Brands, said he
and his company prioritize being first to implement new developments in the industry. “It’s always been a priority of ours to be the first at about anything in the industry,” Hishmeh said. “Anytime any new emergency rules or anything comes out, we adapt to them; any new opportunities, we actively start to pursue them as soon as possible. Basically, just staying on top of everything we can to remain a leading company in the marketplace here in Michigan.” Exclusive Brands has its f lagship location in Ann Arbor and currently services patients with a diverse array of medical marijuana products. Jarrous explained the current scope of the business and their approach to managing production locally. “Exclusive Brands is currently operational as a medical marijuana facility, so we were one of the first vertically integrated marijuana facilities in the state, so we have a grow, process and provisioning center in Ann Arbor,” Jarrous said. See MARIJUANA, Page 3
CEO talks Facebook Executive Alvin Bowles leadership discusses community in business strategies VP of Global Publisher Sales & Operations presents as part of Yaffe Speaker Series in lecture
Refugees reflect on stories of freedom
Author, Michael S. Erwin discussed importance of ignoring e-distractions
LiNK event seeks to redefine perception of North Korea in U.S.
BUSINESS
JENNA SITEMAN Daily Staff Reporter
Alvin Bowles, Facebook’s vice president of global publisher sales and operations, shared aspects of his life that have been crucial to his career, as well as recent controversies surrounding Facebook at talk Wednesday evening. About 350 people attended the talk, which was part of the Yaffe Speaker Series led by Marketing lecturer Marcus Collins at the Ross School of
SOFIA URBAN For The Daily
Michael S. Erwin, CEO of the leadership development institution Character & Leadership Center, presented to about 100 people in the Annenberg Auditorium of the Ford School of Public Policy on the topic of, “In A Distracted World, Solitude is Practice for Tomorrow’s Leaders.” The event was the product of the collaboration of University of Michigan Athletics, The Barger Leadership Institute and the LSA Opportunity Hub, along with other organizations. Erwin, a New York native, graduated from The U.S. Military Academy at West Point with a degree in Economics in 2002. After three tours in Afghanistan, he continued his education at the University of Michigan, where he studied positive psychology and leadership from 2009-2011. With his diverse academic background, he founded the community-based combat veteran support non-profit called the “Team Red, White & Blue.” He also founded the nonprofit “The Positivity Project,” which focuses on empowering youth with the knowledge to build positive relationships with themselves and others. See DISTRACTIONS, Page 3
Business. The series showcases individuals in business who are restructuring their fields. At the event, Bowles discussed many of the factors that lead him to where he is today, such as a strong community. Growing up in Detroit, he relied heavily on his family’s community ties and cultivated his own. As a student at the University of Michigan, he said he found an intricate web of support from students and alums that he still uses today. After graduating, he went on to work for JP Morgan
& Chase, Sony, Time Warner and eventually Facebook. Bowles said a strong sense of community in Ann Arbor helped him get out of his comfort zone and achieve his goals. He said it was difficult relocating from Michigan to New York City, but he was able to stay in New York because of the connections he built with alumni who helped him feel confident in his own abilities. “I learned a valuable lesson: Comfort zones don’t make your life safe, they make your
life small,” Bowles said. “For me, New York was a foreign place… I didn’t have any friends and I didn’t know anybody but I leaned on my Michigan community, to be able to give me a sense of … family.” LSA freshman Dilpreet Kaur told The Daily she was motivated by Bowles’ story because his path unfolded over time, rather than following a predetermined track.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
CAMPUS LIFE
KRISTINA ZHENG Daily Staff Reporter
Liberty in North Korea, a student organization at the University of Michigan,, invited two North Korean refugees to share their journeys to freedom on Wednesday evening at Angell Hall to about 75 people. Jeongyol Ri and Ilhyeok Kim are representatives of LiNK headquarters in Long Beach, Calif., where they share their stories with audience members. Ri is now a current student studying mathematics at Seoul National University, and Kim is studying political science and diplomacy and Hankuk University of Foreign Studies in South Korea. LiNK is a nonprofit organization that aims to aid North Korean refugees in their journey to freedom. They have helped over 1000 North Korean refugees who have made the threethousand-mile rescue route to Southeast Asia to freedom and safety. The organization also hopes to redefine public perception of North Korea by shifting the narrative from the politics to the people.
MICHAEL BAGAZINSKI/Daily Alvin Bowles, VP of global and publisher sales and operations at Facebook, speaks about his career and experiences at Facebook at the Ross School of Business Wednesday evening.
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Vol. CXXIX, No. 22 ©2019 The Michigan Daily
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 CLASSIFIEDS................5
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2 — Thursday, November 7, 2019
MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers
TUESDAY: By Design
Anand Giridharadas @AnandWrites And while the university may or may not have the courage to stand up for the dignity of students, Ross should request, for the students’ sake, that the school be renamed for @UMich alumna Mary Frances Berry NorthCampus Turkey @NCampusTurkey We would have also accepted Mary Barkly hall, or Bursley-Barks. #umich
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mr grapes @llienoleonepoh people trying to outdo each other with the amount of work they have to do is peak umich culture & it’s so unhealthy
Emilio @emiliooo_15 One thing umich taugh me, is how to sneak into the dining hall
Dana Koch @danakoch Reminiscing about umichfootball big win over @ndfootball, fabulous fall foliage, and the 86th annual Michigan Mud Bowl benefiting @mottchildren
Buzz Aldrin @TheRealBuzz It seems like we have some friendly competition for the best marching band to honor the #Apollo11 mission! Fun fact- the #Apollo15 crew all graduated from @Umich
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ALISON ROH/Daily Pan-African Pulp, an exhibit by Meleko Mokgosi, is displayed at the University Museum of Modern Art Wednesday afternoon.
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University’s Winter 2020 Theme Semester will focus on Great Lakes LSA will offer classes, campus events focused on issues surrounding the region BARBARA COLLINS Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan’s Theme Semester for Winter 2020 will center around the Great Lakes. Sponsored by the School of Literature, Science and the Arts, the Great Lakes Theme Semester will feature classes and events focused on issues dealing with the Great Lakes region. English Department Chair David Porter, who serves as the Great Lakes Theme Semester Steering Committee director, said the committee hopes the theme semester will promote wideranging conversations about the history of the Great Lakes and how it has impacted the environment, culture and politics of the region Sudoku Syndication the University calls home.
“The Great Lakes Theme Semester will create a space for conversation on campus about the region we live in,” Porter said. “LSA traditionally has a global focus, and not as much attention has been paid to the specific region (where the University is located).” LSA senior Leo Chumack, a Program in the Environment major, said he thinks the Great Lakes Theme Semester will help students and faculty at the University pay more attention to the region. Chumack said he believes it is important for humans to protect the environment, noting the impact of climate change will be particularly significant in Michigan. “As climate change exacerbates, (the Great Lakes) are going to be an even more valuable assets than
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they already are,” Chumack said. Great Lakes to seek out job “We’re going to be running out of opportunities, we really are looking fresh water, and if it’s not me who’s for our next generation of leaders, not going to have access to this and Michigan is the best place to water, it’s the next generation that generate that from,” Read said. The Great Lakes Theme will be unable to thrive due to the elimination of this really precious Semester will also incorporate organizations from outside the natural resource.” During the Winter 2020 University like Great Lakes Now, semester, 54 courses will be a news outlet focused on the Great offered pertaining to the Great Lakes. Great Lakes Now Program Lakes Theme Semester. These Director Sandra Svoboda said courses will be featured in multiple her organization plans to become departments within LSA as well involved with the Great Lakes as across the Ford School of Public Theme Semester and is currently Policy, College of Engineering, in discussion about what their School for Environment, Taubman involvement will look like. Like Read, Svoboda said she and at the University’s Biological is excited the University is using Station. In addition to courses, other the Theme Semester to highlight events such as guest lecturers, films opportunities the Great Lakes and exhibits will be brought to bring to the region. http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ “This really offers an infinite campus. Multiple partners outside of the University plan to number of ways … that U of M, with collaborate on projects related this theme semester, can further an to the Great Lakes throughout organization, use their resources and network to have really dynamic the course of the semester. Jen Read, University events and opportunities in Ann Water Center director, is Arbor and beyond next semester,” a member of the Steering Svoboda said. Joel Stone, senior curator for the Committee and is working to create curricula centered Detroit Historical Society, said the around the Great Lakes. Read Theme Semester is an important co-teaches a master’s level way for the University to educate course primarily focused on students on the Great Lakes. “The (Great Lakes) resources are environmental case studies, which she said she plans to so important to who we have been, share with other professors who we are and hopefully who who would like to implement we’re going to be in the future,” them in their syllabi. Read also Stone said. “Everybody who lives in said her and her colleagues this area or everybody who lives in are planning a panel series the country should understand how that will bring in guests to talk important these resources are.” Although the role the Detroit about different topics related Historical Society will play in the to the Great Lakes. In learning about the Great Theme Semester has not been Lakes through these classes entirely defined, Stone said the and events, Read said she organization hopes to bring in an hopes students may consider intern from the University to work a career path geared towards with the collection as well as host lectures or symposia at the Dossin protecting the region. “Everything from that level Great Lakes Museum in Detroit. of appreciation all the way up to potentially getting students Read more at excited enough about the MichiganDaily.com
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U-M Engineering professors create robot food delivery service REV-1 vehicle designed to operate in car, bike lanes to transport items to customers ANGELINA BREDE Daily Staff Reporter
Two Universit y of Michigan Eng ineering professors have developed a robotic food deliver y ser vice that transports food from local restaurants to customers’ homes. Eng ineering professors Matthew Johnson-Roberson and Ram Vasudevan founded Refraction AI in May 2018, the company which desig ned the new autonomous deliver y vehicle, named R EV-1. The R EV-1 is a compact and light weight vehicle desig ned to operate in both car and bike lanes, maximizing safet y due to its small size. The vehicle uses 12 cameras, radar and ultrasound sensors to navigate and look out for possible obstructions while on the road — including potholes, trees, buildings and poor weather conditions. Johnson-Roberson said because of challeng ing road conditions in Michigan, Ann Arbor was a good place to launch an adaptable and safelyoperating robot. “Ann Arbor is a really g reat location for a couple of reasons,” JohnsonRoberson said. “A lot of autonomous vehicle deployment is happening in Arizona and California where the weather is the same ever y day and the roads are really wide and ver y f lat and have no potholes, so it’s not terribly representative for the rest of the United States. Most of the United States is not like Arizona, and so in that way I think this is a g reat place to deploy robots because you have to deal with a lot of the things that other people are just sort of avoiding, and I think it’s really forcing us to make a better robot.” Johnson-Roberson said Ann Arbor was also an ideal location to launch the new autonomous food deliver y ser vice due to its high restaurant densit y. “These robots are really desig ned to go bet ween a half a mile and t wo and a half miles— maybe three miles at max and so there’s a ton of densit y of restaurants (in this range),” Johnson-Roberson said. “If you think about how many restaurants are downtown, we can pick up from probably 40 places before we even have to go more than three or four
NORTH KOREA From Page 1 Ri was born in Pyongsong, North Korea, where he developed a passion for math. After earning first place in a math competition and a spot in the North Korean International Mathematical Olympiad Team, Ri made his first trip abroad to Colombia for a math competition. Through a translator, Ri shared how this trip to Colombia was his first taste of freedom. After travelling to South Africa and Thailand for more math competitions, Ri was able to experience the fullness of life outside of the North Korean regime. After being offered a job from the North Korean government, Ri decided he did not want to work for the regime. At his last math competition in Hong Kong, Ri realized this trip was his last opportunity to defect while abroad. As a result, Ri snuck out at night and sought asylum at the South Korean consulate. “I was so nervous, I felt like my heart would burst,” Ri said. Ri said his story has given
blocks.” Johnson-Roberson said he hopes to eventually expand the ser vice into cities outside of Ann Arbor, particularly Boston and other college towns like Madison, Wisconsin. During the pilot prog ram, Refraction AI partnered with local restaurants including Miss Kim and Belly Deli. In the f uture, they hope to expand to work with restaurants all across campus, as well as collaborate with MDining to open up a deliver y ser vice on North Campus and execute deliver y from their dining ser vice Fireside Café. Eric Joh, co-owner and operational manager of Belly Deli, said the restaurant was excited to partner with Refraction AI and believes the partnership will generate public attention for the restaurant. “ We thought it was a neat idea, and I think probably the f uture of deliveries will be automated,” Joh said. “ We thought it was prett y exciting what they were doing at Refraction AI, so we wanted to be a part of it. I think it’s going to increase business by generating a lot of publicit y; I think it generates a lot of public interest and it’s something ver y exciting.” Joh said the cost was one of the advantages of this ser vice over the traditional deliver y ser vices they use like Postmates and Grubhub. “If cost is an issue, people wouldn’t have to tip as much for an automated ser vice — it would already be included in pricing.” Joh said. “As of now it is a little bit cheaper than the other ser vices. The commission rate is slightly lower than the other deliver y ser vices we use. If they have enough vehicles on the road then I think most of the companies will use it because it’s more cost effective, but I think that’s way f urther down the road.” Johnson-Roberson has spent his career working on self-driving cars and other robots and said he wanted to create a robot that reg ularly interacted with humans and improved their lives. “I was disappointed that there’s still not a robot that touches your life ever yday.” he said. “ You go to school, you go home — you don’t see a robot. Maybe you
occasionally see a Waymo car but it’s not doing any thing for your life. It’s been my career building robots, and I want to build a robot that you get to see and for my neighbors and my friends… it makes their lives better and it helps to improve their day to day and interact with them reg ularly.” LSA junior Blaine Thompson is a frequent user of food deliver y ser vices and says he thinks the new autonomous deliver y ser vice would be usef ul for Ann Arbor traff ic and speed of deliver y. “Most of the time I look for the closest restaurants to avoid a big deliver y fee, unless I want something from a restaurant on North Campus or something,” Thompson said. “I would use a robotic ser vice like that mostly as just another deliver y ser vice, but having less cars on the road is always good for the environment and Ann Arbor driving. Likewise, it seems that it might be quicker than traditional food deliver y ser vices.” The ser vice had f ive robots during their pilot prog ram, and the founders of Refraction AI anticipate to expand the f leet to bet ween 15 and 30 robots into the winter and spring. Johnson-Roberson listed three major factors that separate this compact autonomous deliver y ser vice from a traditional vehicle and deliver y driver: safet y, environment and reliabilit y. He said the R EV-1 is less dangerous than a traditional larger vehicle and in the event of an accident, customers can only expect your food to get damaged — not a human driver. “ We have the idea that if you go slower and make something that’s lighter it’s a lot safer… and you can do it without having to have the same safet y requirements you would have for a bigger vehicle,” Johnson-Roberson said. “If you don’t have a person in it the safet y requirements are so different because if it’s a burrito inside, you don’t really care if the burrito gets damaged if the vehicle gets hit.” Each robot costs about $4,000 to build and travels at a steady speed of bet ween 10 and 12 miles per hour, putting the robot at less risk of damage if an accident occurs. Johnson-Roberson said
him a greater purpose to spread awareness of the North Korean people. “I am here because I want to work towards the day when no other North Korean has to give up their family and home in order to gain freedom,” Ri said. Next, Kim opened up about his own path to freedom. In 1995, Kim was born in Saetbyeol at a time when a devasting famine that affected around 2 million people had just begun. He explained how families who lived on a farm were required to give their food to the government for distribution to the military before allocating to the North Korean people. As a result, Kim’s father resorted to stealing grain in order to avoid starvation. Kim’s father was caught by the government and sent to a re-education center — what many have dubbed as hard labor camps — for four years. “If a family member commits a crime against the regime, the entire family, including children who are not even born yet, can be punished and ostracized for life,” Kim
said. After Kim’s father was released from the hard labor camp, Kim and his family were constantly being watched by not only the secret police, but also their neighbors, friends and community. Eventually, Kim and his family made the move to escape by wading through the river between North Korea and China. “North Korean children can’t even freely express their dreams and spend so much energy struggling to survive that they don’t even have hope for their futures,” Kim said. “For me, freedom is when I can decide whether I want to do something or not. But I had to risk my life for that freedom. I dream of a day when every NK child has the opportunity to pursue a life they think is worthy of living.” LSA senior Danielle Kim, president of the University’s LiNK, explained as a three-year member of the organization, she has worked to support North Korean refugees and hopes to share their humanizing stories with the University of Michigan community.
another benef it of the robot is that it is more environmentally conscious than a traditional vehicle because it is electric and does not rely on fossil f uels. “There’s really a lot of issues around sustainabilit y for using cars to do food deliver y, and so we thought one of the big ways that we can have a long-term impact is moving us away from using big fossil f uel-burning cars to do deliver y when we can do it with an electric vehicle that’s as light as a bike,” Johnson-Roberson said. Johnson-Roberson also mentioned the robot is more reliable than a traditional deliver y driver, due to lack of concerns about an employee getting sick or having to miss work. Additionally, he said the robots are ser ving a market need, rather than taking away jobs from human deliver y drivers who do not have sustainable jobs. “ We don’t think about that lightly and I think it is important to realize what the deliver y market is like,” Johnson-Roberson said. “Deliverers don’t get health insurance, they don’t have any job stabilit y, they’re dependent mostly on tips so it’s not a ver y sustainable job. We hope that we’re building something that’s a more sustainable industr y that treats its workers more fairly and that hopef ully that humans at the end of the day are going to be the ones that benef it from this.” He said the tele-operator employees working for Refraction AI will receive benef its food deliver y drivers t ypically don’t have. “ We’re not tr ying to exploit people to make this kind of business work,” Johnson-Roberson said. ‘ We think that there is a way to pay people a fair wage to do things like remote operation, and we can do that in a way where they are stable employees — they get health insurance; they get all the benef its that are important. We think that this technolog y, and not just this, but many of this autonomous driver technolog y is going to make big changes in our economy, and we would like to make sure we do that in the most ethical and most conscientious way.”
“I honestly think this event went above and beyond whatever expectations I had,” Kim said. “I am just so overwhelmed and so thankful for all the people who came out to support, and also the questions that were asked, and thoughtfulness, and also the stories … Hearing their stories first-hand and live was amazing to me.” Ri and Kim’s stories showed a tremendous impact on not only Danielle Kim, but also the audience. Throughout the event, audience members had the opportunity to ask questions and share comments, and one comment, in particular, truly moved Danielle Kim. “I really do think that after sharing their stories, they were able to change a lot of people’s opinions and perspectives,” Kim said. “At the end, someone made a comment that said something along the lines of ‘We have the utmost respect for you, and thank you so much,’ and I was just so overwhelmed. I think that’s what makes it worth it.”
Thursday, November 7, 2019 — 3
RIGHTS From Page 1 “He knew the devil of violence that slithers through all of us, and that is why we need law,” Al Hussein said. “And yet there is another factor in play today. Because human rights law is being trapped in the fault line separating competing ideologies … a liberal order, grounded in positive and natural law, and a more conservative one, rejecting the former’s more recent advances.” Al Hussein concluded his talk with a call to action for students. Young people, he said, must vote and be leaders in fighting for human rights.
DISTRACTIONS From Page 1 Erwin presented his book “Lead Yourself First,” and explained the importance of solitude in a world oversaturated with distractions. He said avoiding distractions is a crucial step in becoming a better leader. According to Erwin, the constant use of technology renders the average person perpetually stimulated and vulnerable to distractions. “When you look at the data the amount of information that the average mind processes today versus just 30 years ago, it is six times more,” Erwin said. Erwin described social media applications as a proponent of the “fear of missing out” phenomena, which drive people to fill time with more hollow technology based interactions and an overinvolved social calendar. “Especially this is relevant for undergraduates and graduate students. When you start thinking about the role that social media has played,” Erwin said. “It is very easy to create this anxiety around not being there. It is having a great impact on how we feel about our relationships and how we feel in our daily lives.” Erwin described how email inboxes overflowing with academic and work-related tasks push the brain to multitask. Erwin explains how multi-tasking, a traditionally valued ability in a leader, has been proven to decrease overall quality of performance by 50 percent. “When you have to do two things that require your conscious effort at the same time, your performance struggles significantly,” Erwin said. According to Erwin, modern day leaders face the pressure
MARIJUANA From Page 1 “So, we kind of do everything in house.” Businesses with recreational marijuana licenses will be able to tap into a whole new market of users. Jarrous explained the potential impact recreational licensing could have on the accessibility of the drug. “One of the biggest criticisms of the industry is that it’s been inaccessible to people for a really long time, and it’s easier to get clean tested marijuana if you’re wealthy, or if you’re better connected, or if you’re living in certain areas, and for a long time it’s been really unfair,” Jarrous said. Laurence Horowitz, a senior kinesiology student and president of Green Wolverine — an organization for students interested in business and dedicated to educating people about cannabis and the marijuana industry — discussed the potential effects of licensing on recreational usage. “I don’t think usage of the drug will increase or decrease with regards to the opening of these dispensaries for recreational use. It’s just going to be a matter of where the people who do use it go to get it,” Horowitz said. Horowitz said he believes the availability of legal recreational marijuana will affect product quality and consumer reception. “I think with regards to price, accessibility and stigma that’s going to be very good
“We don’t need bright people,” said Al Hussein. “We’re in need of smart people with a deep conscience. Smart people who are brave, and smart people who are willing to self-sacrifice …We need people with a deep reservoir of ethical thinking and a conscience that will make a difference.” LSA junior Lana Charara told The Daily she was inspired by the speaker’s work and message. “I just really admire the work (the speaker) has done in the past for human rights and his passion for these (kinds) of issues,” Charara said. “I was just really excited when I saw that he was speaking here.”
to stay activated in a state of productivity and respond to every stimulus. Erwin posits the modern dilemma for leaders is not the inability to find opportunities to lead, but to seek moments of reflection and to seek solitude. “Most people think that solitude as a place where you need to go out on your own,” Erwin said. “What we really did was say that it is a psychological state where your mind focuses on its own thoughts, free of distraction.” LSA senior Lexi Funk attended the event, and agreed with Erwin on the importance of solitude, telling The Daily it could be beneficial in working with other people. “If you try to apply solitude and to find it in your life, it can really benefit you so you are in a place where you can help others,” Funk said. Erwin urged the audience to view integrating solitude into one’s life as a process rather than an immediate habit for both the introverted and extroverted. Erwin cited mindful meditation, physical exercise or simply a 15-minute interaction cleanse during the day as steps toward training the mind in solitude and focus. “If you are someone that struggles with this, you cannot start with a grandiose goal,” Erwin said. “You have to be able to train your brain to focus. You incrementally grow. It’s going to feel uncomfortable.” Engineering junior Alan Gorbev told The Daily she believes these methods are worthwhile, especially with the busy schedules University students tend to have. “With the demanding schedule that (University of Michigan students) have, we want to spend our free time with those we care about,” Gorbev said.
for the consumer. People are going to be very happy about that,” Horowitz said. “With regards to quality, I don’t know how happy you’re going to see consumers, just because you’ve seen the quality of cannabis really dip in states that have recreational versus medical.” Jarrous also explained the process of working with local and state government to abide by regulations, and the expectations of the city, as well as the impact local culture has had on their business development. “We work with the local government to make sure that everything we’re doing has the most minimal impact on the residents of Ann Arbor, on the people surrounding us,” Jarrous said. “I think having such an open community and people who have been so accepting of it really catapulted us — really helped us out a lot.” Jarrous explained that since the original applications were cleared by the Marijuana Regulatory Agency within 24 hours of submission, they are waiting to begin the facility inspection phase of the licensing process. “We’re just eagerly waiting for them to come out and do their inspection, and then, theoretically, we can be awarded our license right after that, and, if everything goes smoothly, we’re supposed to be able to start selling on January 1,” Jarrous said.
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Opinion
4 — Thursday, November 7, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
JOEL WEINER | COLUMN
Equality under the law includes the President
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VARNA KODOTH | COLUMN
T
A major design flaw
here’s no denying writing requirement and the that the University of upper-level writing requirement. Michigan is a top-ranked As per the writing requirement, non-engineering public institution — STEM majors must not to mention the take one writing No.1 public research course freshman university. With the year and one writing ever-changing political course typically climate, social justice during senior year. issues and global If you hate writing, events, the curriculum there are plenty requirements set of options that forth are no longer technically fulfill fit to produce a wellVARNA this requirement rounded, globally KODOTH but do not actually aware student. From a fulfill the whole student’s perspective, there exists a gap between the objective behind a distribution For example, real-world skills required in requirement. professional work environments writing an Honors Thesis can be in 2019 and the distribution considered upper-level writing. requirements set forth by the Additionally, taking a lab 13 undergraduate schools and course that requires extensive experimental colleges within this institution. laboratory also potentially The majority of U-M freshmen write-ups matriculate into the College counts toward the upper-level of Literature, Sciences and the writing requirement. Here’s Arts. Currently, the LSA college- the reality: Writing a scientific wide requirements include, but write-up versus a personal are not limited to, the following: statement for graduate school seven credits in the humanities, applications versus an upperwriting requirement a first-year writing requirement, level an upper-level writing essay are different from one requirement, seven credits in another. It requires a distinct the natural sciences, seven in set of skills to accomplish each the social sciences, seven in task successfully. Therefore, the humanities, a quantitative knowing how to write a lab reasoning requirement, and report does not mean you a single race and ethnicity know how to properly reflect requirement — not to mention and write your own story in a other obligations. At first personal statement. This is what I urge the glance, this is a great spread of courses and disciplines with the University to do: Implement intent to produce well-rounded specific, tangible skill-based future professionals. However, competencies that are related that’s only on paper. From the to each major and remove administrative perspective, it’s the widespread open-ended important to re-evaluate how distribution requirements that these distribution requirements are often too overwhelming inform the thought process to be useful. Through these competencies, by which students select their established students will be exposed to courses. Four years ago, I committed diverse concepts, pushed to to attending the University of think critically and shown the Michigan in part due to the cross-over that exists between communication, flexible degree requirements writing, that made it possible for me understanding of the justice to pursue studies in both the system and additional topics STEM and humanities fields. outside of the discipline that However, I realized soon after they’re pursuing. By doing so, matriculating, that unless the University requirements you are taking the initiative will encourage students to be to explore a variety of course open-minded and to constantly subjects and majors that are not learn. Skills like writing or a specific to the defined major foundation in statistics will courses or the pre-professional prove to be helpful in their track you belong to, you are not future careers and will serve receiving as well-rounded of an as more than just a distribution requirement to check off on the education as you could be. The distribution requirements audit checklist. Another aptitude to consider typically elicit groans and complaints from students, enforcing involves requiring who seek an “easy A” course different types of writing every in order to graduate on time. single year. Let’s say freshman It’s especially apparent among year is an introduction to STEM majors in the first-year literary analysis and college-
level interpretations of a wide variety of texts. It is then pointless to a non-English major to take yet another literaryanalysis-heavy course. Instead, the purpose of the sophomore year writing course would be to explore another area of the English language such as creative writing or writing about social change. In junior and senior year, it’s most useful if the English courses are centered upon professional writing — personal statement writing, essays for summer internships, CV/resume writing for recruitment season, etc. Additionally, undergraduates on the pre-health track should be required to develop an understanding of global health care delivery systems and introductory public health concepts regardless of whether or not they are a student in the School of Public Health. Our future doctors, nurses, physician’s assistants, dentists and veterinarians need to be equipped to speak on topics related to health care policies and interventions that impact health in the greater population. Public health and medicinal work go hand-inhand. Therefore, it is essential to provide future health care professionals with experience in that collaborative approach rather than fulfill. On the other hand, undergraduates on the pre-law in LSA track should be required to not only understand public policy but also indulge in courses related to gender and health, race and ethnicity and cultural studies to develop a big-picture understanding of the populations to be dealt with as a professional. Changing the course requirements in this way will prepare University graduates to take on challenges in the workplace and send them out into the world to pursue innovative solutions to global issues. As college students, we are privileged to have unlimited access to a diverse range of courses, departments and world-renowned professors. It is incumbent upon us to take advantage of all the University has to offer. To only take courses that strictly fit your future vocation is a disservice to yourself. So it’s worth asking the question: At what other point in your career will you have the opportunity to explore multiple paths? Varna Kodoth can be reached at vkodoth@umich.edu.
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A
s the House of Representatives proceed with their impeachment inquiry, more evidence has come to light regarding a suspicious, almost certainly illegal, deal with Ukraine. While representatives consider how they will vote if and when the House holds a formal vote of impeachment, they ought to decide the same way they would in a civilan grand jury investigation. In an impeachment inquiry, the House’s role is similar to that of a grand jury during a criminal trial. It hears evidence and decides whether to proceed with charges – here called articles of impeachment. Since grand jury investigations are closed to the public, the Republican outcry about the House investigation being closed is completely unwarranted, especially when one considers that a Republicancontrolled House conducted a similar closed-door investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s decisions regarding Benghazi. In any other scenario relating to a public official, a grand jury would almost certainly decide to charge the defendant, but since this is the president of the United States it makes sense that the House is being so scrupulous. That said, if they determine that they have enough evidence to indict, they absolutely should because one of the most basic tenets of democracy is equality under the law. The understanding that a powerful politician is still subject to the same laws as a normal citizen undergirds our criminal justice system. People should have a reasonable level of confidence that being charged or not charged with a crime is a result of the evidence and only the evidence, and while the current system often does not actually follow this ideal, holding our politicians accountable for their actions is a step in the right direction. When people can flout laws, tyranny could follow. One of the first steps in turning a
democracy into a tyrannical state is to create a double standard between lawmakers and regular citizens. A distinction between the two could elevate a leader to a protected legal status that could reduce their accountability and thus would enable them to engage in activites considered criminal if done by normal citizens. This is a stepping stone to authoritarian rule because powerful leaders can begin to disregard the entire system of laws upholding our country, which prevents them from being responsible for the laws they create. If a lawmaker is free from answering to the rule of law, they can use it as a tool for their personal gain rather than as a foundation for our society.
One of the most basic tenets of democracy is equality under the law. The argument that, even if there is enough evidence to suggest that the president is guilty, impeachment would be too disruptive for the country is absurd. We as Americans are all expected to follow our nation’s laws, and that includes the president. The Office of Legal Council policy that Robert Mueller cited during his testimony to Congress this summer says a sitting president cannot be charged in a crime by a federal prosecutor because doing so would unconstitutionally undermine the president’s ability to fulfill his or her duties. That does not mean the president is above the law, rather that there is a different process for charging him or her with a crime. That obligation falls not on the Department of Justice but on Congress to investigate, impeach and ultimately convict a president. This different process
alone accounts for the higher responsibility of the president than a normal citizen. While being cautious with impeachment is important, failing to impeach because the president is considered “too busy” is a standard that protects every other powerful person accused of a crime. If anything, influential people in our society should be subject to more scrutiny than others because their actions have further-reaching consequences. Above all else, their positions are responsibilities, and that responsibility ought to be insulated against potential corruption. Furthermore, subjecting these influential lawmakers to their own laws will force them to examine any potential legislation or policy through a personal lens, which creates a powerful incentive to be an effective policymaker. Impeaching a president does not mean they will be removed from office, nor does it mean that they will be ineffective at their job. Though two presidents have been impeached in U.S. history, neither was removed from office. Impeachment is simply an agreement to charge the president with a crime, not convict. Subjecting a president to congressional scrutiny through impeachment ensures that their conduct does not betray U.S. interests or citizens. When the House evaluates the evidence brought to light by their impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, they should disregard Trump’s status as president. Working with foreign governments to undermine America’s democratic processes is an offense that should be considered with the utmost objectivity because it can be so detrimental to our nation. Allowing such crimes to go uninvestigated because of the president’s power could set a far worse precedent for future leaders than would passing articles of impeachment. Joel Weiner can be reached at jgweiner@umich.edu.
CHLOE PLESCHER | COLUMN
A
‘Tis the season of ignored history
s Halloween ends, Americans look forward to the next major holiday: Thanksgiving. Excitement for a day full of family, football and food fills the air and motivates students and workers to push through their stress for a day or two off. However, while the holiday is centered on gratitude and food, its true history is ignored — exchanged for the colonized version prominently told in classrooms and cartoons. The traditional story goes like this: in 1620, the Pilgrims set sail on the Mayflower for the New World. After a difficult journey, they landed on Plymouth only to barely survive the winter. But with the help of the Wampanoag tribe teaching them how to cultivate the land, the Pilgrims had a bountiful harvest in 1621 and shared a feast with the Wampanoags. While a sweet story, it is riddled with falsehoods — all wrapped in a bow. There is no mention of how the Native Americans had already established autumnal harvest feasts, how the Pilgrims viewed the tribes as savages or how the colonizers slaughtered the Pequot tribe 16 years later in the Mystic massacre. The story is not completely false, though. There was a feast in 1621 seemingly shared with the Wampanoag tribe. However, it was likely due to the Pilgrims’ desperation for food or to draft a treaty. The feast was not the stereotypical, happy gathering society depicts. In fact, there was not another such feast until 1637 after the aforementioned Mystic massacre, in which hundreds Native Americans were slaughtered, with estimates as high as 700, including women and children. Survivors were enslaved. Deemed by the leading Captain Mason as an “act of God,” the massacre marked the end of the Pequot War and demonstrated a brutal future for the Native people. The day after the massacre, Governor John Winthrop declared the colonizers’ victory a “day of celebration and thanksgiving for
subduing the Pequots.” As such, historians have proposed this celebration was a mixture of both events. Yet, the traditional story continues to be told. And it makes consumer sense. The story of Pilgrims, adventure and gratitude is heartwarming, especially when compared to the truth. The whitewashed version of Thanksgiving not only erases the history of the holiday, but it erases the entire history between colonizers and Native Americans. By telling stories about how Native Americans and colonizers got along, the history of genocide is ignored. We cannot change our history or how it has been previously told, but we can change how our history is told going forward. We can acknowledge the hurt our government has inflicted and the current crises Native Americans are facing. There are high suicide rates among Native youth, a homelessness crisis, violence against women and land and human rights issues. These are only a few issues Native Americans face, yet almost all are consistently not given adequate coverage by the news and other media. This does not mean Thanksgiving needs to be spent in shame and guilt. Instead, we should strive to recognize that traditional depictions of Thanksgiving are not historically accurate, and not everyone in America celebrates it in that way. For example, the United American Indians of New England work to educate others about the reality of colonizer interactions, teach the actual history of Thanksgiving and honor those who were slaughtered. They host a National Day of Mourning in Plymouth, Mass. The event is held on Thanksgiving, and it was started by Wampanoag leader Wamsutta Frank James. This event contrasts with the traditional Thanksgiving celebration, and it does not necessarily mean everyone in America needs to participate. Rather, the National Day of Mourning serves as an
educational example and as an opportunity for people to reflect on our nation’s treatment of Native Americans. The event reveals the history too many choose to ignore. The aforementioned Mystic massacre was the first major conflict between Native peoples in America. English colonizers paid no attention to who they killed, callously murdering American Indians in their path. Our American Thanksgiving marks the colonizers’ win and one of the mass slaughters of Native Americans. Obviously, our Thanksgiving now does not celebrate the brutality and genocide of Native Americans. However, it is still important to understand our history and acknowledge what our past people and United States government has done and continues to do. The government continues to mistreat Native American tribes, as seen with the Dakota Access Pipeline and federal control of Native American land. When we, as the victors, distort history to our favor, we are not only doing a disservice to Native Americans, but we are doing a disservice to ourselves. We can never know everything, but we can educate ourselves on our American history and learn from it. When we acknowledge that the Pilgrims and Puritans were not saints, and how the American Indians were brutally raped, murdered and enslaved, we can start a process of healing and reparations. There is nothing wrong with celebrating a traditional Thanksgiving. Eat your turkey, cheer for your favorite football team and relax with your family or friends. However, remember there is more to Thanksgiving than gratitude and the sharing of food. The U.S. has an ugly history with the Native Americans. So, as Thanksgiving approaches, remember the catastrophic history of the first Thanksgiving. Chloe Plescher can be reached at chloebp@umich.edu.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 7, 2019 — 5
STYLE COLUMN
FILM REVIEW
Velveteen Dreams: Less money, more mediocrity SAM KREMKE
Daily Style Columnist
NETFLIX
Netflix’s ‘The King’ is the worst kind of Shakespeare ELISE GODFRYD Daily Arts Writer
It is not impossible to adapt Shakespeare’s 400-yearold plays for contemporary audiences. In fact, certain films — “10 Things I Hate About You,” “West Side Story” and Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo and Juliet” included — prove that it can be done exceptionally well, bringing Shakespeare’s timeless plots back into our world with style, creativity and intent. “The King,” Netflix’s latest venture into historical drama, unfortunately does not earn a spot alongside these other films. Though it is true to its source material, almost too true, and is generally impeccably shot and acted, there is something missing. That something is energy — the lack of it ultimately becoming its fatal flaw. It is unfathomably boring, which is surprising coming from source material that is jam-packed with action, conflict and character development. I admire anyone who can get through it in one sitting. “The King” tells the more or less true story of Henry V’s ascent to the English throne in the early 15th century following the death of his father. Henry, referred to as Hal in the movie and played by Timothée Chalamet (“Beautiful Boy”), is forced to abandon his immature and womanizing lifestyle in order
The King Netflix to face the threat posed by the French army, led by Robert Pattinson (“The Lighthouse”) as the Dauphin of France. It is a classic monomyth, illustrating one person’s transformation from a boy into a man. Though Chalamet does his best to bring depth and
personality to Hal, one can’t help but feel as though the character would have been better portrayed by an actor who can better pull off the assertiveness and authority that’s expected of a king. Perhaps my perceptions of Chalamet as an actor have been muddled by my understanding of him as a quintessential “soft boy,” but I just don’t think he was all that convincing. And when the portrayal of a character whose arc determines the course of the entire film is less than excellent, everything else within the film suffers as a result. It is near impossible to feel invested in a movie when you can’t bring yourself to care about the fate of its protagonist. The film does have one saving grace, and that is Pattinson’s unabashedly ludicrous, wonderfully insane joke of a performance that feels so out of place that it becomes the best thing about the film. His accent, which sounds like a mix of both Tommy Wiseau and the most stereotypical French accent you could possibly imagine, is absolutely fascinating to bear witness to, and it, along with his equally bizarre dialogue, gives us a much needed break from the film’s overbearing seriousness. Pattinson’s hair, which channels the likes of “Shrek 2”’s Prince Charming, tops off what is easily one of the most memorable performances of this year. It is a shame he didn’t get more screen time; I think my overall opinion of the film would be much different if he did. “The King” is the kind of Shakespeare adaptation I could see being shown in a high school English classroom, and I don’t mean that as praise. It tells the story of Henry V as written by Shakespeare well enough, but without any elements of daring or risktaking that we know to be essential to the making of a truly worthwhile and necessary adaptation. I empathize with any students from the future who will be forced to watch it. The film’s swift and inevitable erasure from our collective memory should serve as a lesson to Netflix that no amount of money and no amount of star power can make up for a lack of passion.
BOOK REVIEW
Less than you’d think in Wilson’s ‘Nothing to See’ JO CHANG
For The Daily
Remove Mary Poppins’s umbrella, set Jane and Michael Banks on fire and you would have the basic premise of Kevin Wilson’s “Nothing to See Here.” After years of estrangement, Lillian receives a desperate letter from her once-best friend, Madison, asking her to take care of her two stepchildren, Bessie and Roland, in the wake of their mother’s abrupt death. Upon arrival to Madison’s wealthy estate, Lillian learns that the children she is now responsible for spontaneously combust into flames when agitated — in the following pages, she discovers that they like to bite people, too. The ten-year old children, much like Lillian herself, are social rejects — their unfortunate bowl cuts and tendency to burst into flames set themselves in stark contrast to their peers. Not that they have a chance to even meet other children, given that they are confined to an isolated house their father had made just for them, one fitted with a complete sprinkler system. The novel follows Lillian, Bessie and Roland as HARPER COLLINS they learn how to trust each other and break down the emotional barriers that they have erected in response to past traumas. Lillian’s working-class background situates her as a commentator on the lavish lifestyles of Madison and her husband, Jasper, providing readers with a steady stream of sarcasm and wit. It includes a healthy mix of humorous scenes, including trips to the local library to steal books about Dolly Parton and emotional reconciliations typical of a feel-good movie. All that is missing is
a musical number. But, even if this novel is an easy read, it is not a wholly superficial one. It could have been written very poorly, especially in regards to character portrayal. It would have been easy for Wilson to fall into the trap of typical binary character depictions by painting Madison as an evil-rich stepmother character, or Bessie and Roland as gentle but misunderstood children who just want their father’s love. But the characters that Wilson
Throughout 2019, there have been fairly consistent reportings of what economists call a “bull market,” meaning that consumer spending habits, especially within the umbrella of Fortune 500 companies, are indicative of a “healthy” economy. It goes without saying, of course, that there are questions to be raised about who benefits from such conditions, off of whose labor, what direction the money is going and to what extent those assessments are based off of mega-corporate valuations that ultimately have little to no effect on the average consumer. I’m not here to talk about the goings on of the DOW with any shred of authority on the matter — my idea of money is more or less rooted in how many pairs of indigo-dyed pants I can buy and random Twitter GoFundMe pages I can donate to without being restricted to a diet of fried bread and Trader Joe’s instant oatmeal. I can, however, reflect on my own experiences and relate them to things I’ve been told to believe and ways I’ve been taught to think. In a system that heralds money as its god and grants access to it through proximity to accepted ways of being, it pays to stop for a minute and make sure you’re being kind to yourself. Despite what those aforementioned reports have to say, it certainly feels as though retail is in peril. At the very least, it’s reached a saturation point: there are multiple covetable sneaker releases every week now, and pairs that were once nearly impossible to get without a $50 bot service or a “connect” are now sitting on shelves multiple days later. Sell-through at huge online retailers for very well-known labels appears to be slowing while size runs and brand indexes are growing rapidly in depth, and it seems as though everyone and their mother is running a cosmetics company backed by the deepest of pockets. It doesn’t take an MBA to take note of a number of markets that are self-multiplying right now, and that both means that financial success in those sectors will become more difficult over time and that major corporations will fail to adapt to their market and end up going by the wasteside. The latter can be seen most recently with Barneys New York, which could very well be hosting an online fire sale by the time this column hits print. The same thing can be seen with beauty bloggers, podcasters, models, influencers and other people who engage with their audience directly as an online media entity. Some of them are the physical manifestation of an eyeroll, making millions of dollars a year in ad revenue for reasons unbeknownst to anyone. Some of them are incredibly toxic outposts that amplify their audience’s worst qualities. Some of them are doing actual work, too, but the vehicles that allowed all of them to exist in the capacities that they do are the same ones
that have eroded the barrier between how we conceive ourselves and the market we operate within. As time goes on, identity is becoming radicalized with respect to its financial viability, and every personal expression can feel like a bid for tangible worth. This phenomenon can take on a special weight for those of us that already don’t have the easiest go of it. Queerness is often treated as an umbrella term for the LGBTQIA+ community, and it certainly can function that way in some contexts. But it also refers more generally to those who, to put it plainly, are denied access to capital gain. To be a person of color, to be a woman, to lie anywhere outside of the cis-heteronormative ideal, to live with mental illness, to not be “able-bodied,” to be born into poverty or to be born in an area without the resources necessary to live a healthy and fulfilling life, is to be queer in some way or another. But it is also to enter a forced and constant set of negotiations between self and exterior. There’s a simultaneous back and forth between authenticity and safety, between different ideas of what success means, what happiness means, what it means to represent a community, not to mention the never ending barrage of internalized feelings of never being able to have done enough. To have worked enough. As someone who feels most concerned about fashion and “personal style,” simply getting out the door can feel like a matter of life and death. As a child, I would melt into a small pool of cortisol at the news that the T-shirt I had planned for the day was not dry enough to wear. To this day, my answer to any version of that ridiculous ice breaker question “What couple items would you take to be deserted on an island?” is a mobile outlet and a handheld steamer. I often spend more money than I make because I feel that pressure to be the absolute best representation of myself at all times. I feel that need to treat the advantages I do have as some kind of zero-sum investment in what queerness can look like. That philosophy carries over into my writing, into my schoolwork, and that mindset is frankly untenable. The other day, my therapist told me that I need to “strive for mediocrity,” and that idea really stuck with me. Not because I’ve now decided to assimilate and coast on my privilege, but because the idea that everything needs to be perfectly executed is a truly cruel one. It’s one that we inflict on ourselves, and it’s one that we’re taught. For those of us that can feel the threat of subjugation, of violence and ostracization, that idea is only amplified. It can be easy to start feeling the weight of a community, but it’s important to remember that its entirety isn’t squarely on anyone’s back. Real, tangible value lies in taking a second to breathe, in reminding yourself that all anyone can do is go through their day doing the best that they can. We’re told that the best thing we can be is kind, but person that needs it the most is often yourself.
I feel that need to treat the advantages I do have as some kind of zero-sum investment in what queerness can look like. That philosophy carries over into my writing, into my schoolwork, and that mindset is frankly untenable.
POLICY TALKS @ THE FORD SCHOOL
Nothing to See Here Kevin Wilson Ecco Oct. 29, 2019
presents to us are flawed, angry, spiteful and, thus, much more human. Nevertheless, certain events in “Nothing to See Here” are settled in a way that is disappointingly lighthearted, just a bit too easy and optimistic. The ending is summed up neatly — it is predictable. While Wilson does a good job building up the plot to a certain point, he ultimately lets the crescendo fall f lat. The deeper issues of confronting emotional manipulation and damage are hinted at several times throughout the novel, but they are packaged very abruptly, even unrealistically, in the remaining few pages. Though these problems are logistically solved, there remains a dubious feeling of unresolve. When I turned the last page, I didn’t feel gutted — just mildly annoyed. There are f lashes of potentially compelling moments, but they quickly fizzle out. If there is a way to describe this novel, it would be to return to the Mary Poppins comparison and catalog it as a Disney movie in literary form. With a witty lead character, a tinge of romance and just enough altercations to make readers sweat but not cause damage that can’t be resolved neatly at the end, “Nothing to See Here” hints that there is something to see here, but not too much.
LTG JAMES CL APPER (USAF, RET.)
U.S. REPRESENTATIVE ELISSA SLOTKIN
LTG MICHAEL NAGATA (USA , RET.)
MODER ATOR: JAVED ALI
HARRY A. AND MARGARET D.TOWSLEY FOUNDATION LECTURE SERIES
Conversation on national security, service, and policy Monday, November 11, 2019 4:00 - 5:20 pm Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy Annenberg Auditorium, 1120 Weill Hall 735 S. State Street
Free and open to the public. Reception to follow. Information: 734-615-7545 or fspp-events@umich.edu
@fordschool #policytalks
Arts
6 — Thursday, November 7, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM REVIEW
SINGLE REVIEW: ‘IN MY ROOM’
BLONDED
NETFLIX
‘Man Without Gravity’ is a soaring take on humanity love with Oscar and his powers. These early scenes soar with naivety and hope, Daily Arts Writer capturing the pure imagination and joy that only kids can feel. It’ll make anyone yearn for a simpler “The Man Without Gravity” is a fantasy film time when differences seem to mean nothing. Decades pass without any heraldry, or even with the least amount of fantasy possible. It begins with Oscar, the titular “man,” born in notice, with simple jump cuts throwing the viewer a tiny Italian village. Right out of the womb, he into another time in Oscar’s life. It ingeniously floats in the air like a balloon and doesn’t stop. mirrors life, as the years go by without one His mother and grandmother are awestruck, realizing. The film uses multiple actors for both calling it both a gift from God and something out Oscar and Agata, as well as heavy makeup to age other characters, both of which are completely of an American movie. This is the first instance of the film’s convincing. As Oscar grows older, things become more intoxicating blend of classic fantasy and modern day. It frequently compares the stereotypical complicated. He has to choose how he will live. Will he hide his “fable” with its exceptionality, like modern versions: his mother begs superhero stories, him to, or share it reality television with the world, like and tabloid in his daydreams? news. Oscar’s Eventually Oscar miraculousness leaves seclusion and aside, his family tries to navigate raises him inside Netflix the modern their house world, where his and away from antigravity begins prying eyes. The to seem less like a fantastical conflict gift and more like a doesn’t have wizards, orcs or goblins. Instead, Oscar, played by condition. There are no epic quests or giant battles in this Pietro Pescara when he is little and Elio Germano (“Lucia’s Grace”) when he’s an adult, battles fantasy. There’s just one man and a multitude the universal trial of being different in a hostile of difficult choices. Being different isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and “The Man Without world. The effects used to make Oscar float are top Gravity” does not shy away from this. Prejudice notch. Seeing Oscar drift in and out of frame is and exploitation are abundant in the lives of one of the year’s greatest cinematic pleasures. people deemed “other” by the masses. There is To walk normally, Oscar wears a backpack filled no school of magic or valiant fellowships when with weights, just one of the small but fascinating living on society’s edges, and Oscar encounters ways that “The Man Without Gravity” gives its some of modern society’s worst — how it treats fantasy real weight, juxtaposing ethereal magic the marginalized. “The Man Without Gravity” is a fantastical with mundane facts of life. The most fantastical elements of the film, though, are its most human: concept but mirrors very human dilemmas, a colorful Italian villages, distant fireworks and story that could take place anywhere, and will affect everyone, everywhere. At one time or the simple act of holding someone’s hand. Oscar grows up watching Batman cartoons and another, everyone has felt alone in the world. believes that his powers make him a superhero, Oscar is less a superhero and more a beleaguered too. His mother agrees and says that, like Bruce man just trying to get through life like everyone Wayne, he has to keep his identity a secret. Oscar else and suppress what makes him different. is human, though, and eventually goes out into Yet “The Man Without Gravity” argues that, for the world. Venturing out on his own, he meets better or worse, our distinctions are what make Agata (Jennifer Brokshi), a young girl who falls in us so magically human. ANDREW WARRICK
Frank Ocean has not simply returned to the music scene — after more than a year of general silence, he’s made a powerful comeback with two singles released a mere 13 days apart. In terms of Ocean’s history, this is almost unheard of. As they say, it’s not a Frank Ocean album until he makes you wait four years to hear it. On Oct. 19, Ocean released “DHL,” which sparked the yearly discussion of whether or not he’ll be releasing a new album. In the interim, he’s been hosting a series of secretive nightclub events under the label “PrEP+,”
allegedly debuting new songs at each one. On Nov. 1, Ocean officially released a second single, “In My Room,” much to the surprise and joy of his fanbase. Only two minutes and 14 seconds long, “In My Room”
In My Room Frank Ocean Blonded definitely isn’t your average Frank Ocean song. It’s comparatively short and leans more towards Ocean’s elusive
rap sound, i.e. 2017’s “RAF,” than the bulk of his work. The single is objectively catchy, with a repetitive beat that actually makes the song a perfect loop of itself. With that being said, this song grows on you the more you listen to it. It might not be the most compelling single Ocean has ever released, especially when it’s competing with 2017 cult favorites like “Chanel” and “Biking,” but it definitely bodes well for what he might be giving us in the near future. — Gigi Ciulla, For The Daily
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW: ‘BRUISES’
The Man Without Gravity
UNIVERSAL MUSIC GMBH
After the great success of his tear-jerking person in the relationship. Capaldi is also hit “Someone You Loved,” Lewis Capaldi featured in the video belting the tune in a has given us another reason to cry with his desolate landscape and eventually going up in new music video for “Bruises.” A tune off his flames, burning as the couple’s scene becomes most recent album, Divinely Uninspired To A extremely hostile. Hellish Extent, “Bruises” reminisces on an old Peace is restored at the end of video, as the fighting crowds disappear relationship and all its fond memories, detailing and the couple is once again left alone staring the times when it’s hard ‘Bruises’ to remember why you into each other’s eyes. separated from someone While it’s not completely Lewis Capaldi clear whether or not you used to love. Like Capital Records “Someone You Loved,” they’ve reconciled, the “Bruises” is a compelling video ends with each ballad about heartbreak, person extending their and the video’s storyline pairs perfectly with arm out to the other as if they’ve reached Capaldi’s passionate delivery of the song. some sort of truce. Carefully crafted and wellThe video features a young couple in the delivered, “Bruises” is a simple approach to aftermath of their relationship, depicting a complex concept. Capaldi has once again flashbacks of the times when they were successfully captured difficult emotions, together as they intensely stare at each other. neatly packaging them into a brief video for us Tension builds as the video progresses, to cry along with. ultimately leading to a massive fight between two groups of prisoners representing each — Kaitlyn Fox, Daily Arts Writer
Release Date: Thursday, November 7, 2019
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Astrological Ram 6 Cleans out badly? 10 __-pitch softball 13 Dry up 14 Old photo hue 15 Equivocate 16 International waters 18 Scrabble vowel value 19 Focus of a modern crisis 20 Branch bit 21 “The Persistence of Memory” artist 24 Teleflora rival 25 Ice Capades setting 26 Word with string or sing 28 Washington post 31 Ulaanbaatar native 33 One concerned with bites 35 South of France? 36 Trifling amount 38 Former NBA exec Jackson 39 “Dumbo” (2019) director Burton 41 Off-leash play area 44 Like many courtside interviews 46 Pine detritus 48 New York Harbor’s __ Island 49 “Mad About You” daughter 51 __ Zion Church 53 Actor Alan 54 Runs 55 Audit 58 Holstein sound 59 Politically diverse ballot ... and an apt description of each set of puzzle circles 63 New Haven alum 64 L.L.Bean headquarters locale 65 River in some Renoir paintings 66 “Voices Carry” pop group __ Tuesday 67 Unaccompanied 68 Lauder of cosmetics
DOWN 1 Fitting 2 Root word? 3 Hot temper 4 Bouncing off the walls 5 Castaway’s salvation 6 Lived 7 Slanted page 8 Slant 9 KLM rival 10 Locker room feature 11 Red Square honoree 12 Luxury watch 14 They’re poured at bars 17 Many an animated Twitter pic 20 Picard’s counselor 21 Stops up 22 Vocally 23 Marinated beef dish 25 Harmonize 27 Grammy category 29 Game console letters 30 Member of the opposition
32 Attachment to a car or a boat? 34 Shy 37 Result of Googling 40 Natural table 42 Heist units 43 “How to Get Away With Murder” lawyer Annalise 45 Quick looks 47 Clobber, biblically
49 “Glengarry Glen Ross” playwright 50 Garlicky spread 52 Tonsillitis-treating doc 55 Row 56 Parts of hips 57 65-Across feeder 59 Texting format, briefly 60 Set for assembly 61 Dallas-toMemphis dir. 62 Simple top
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
By Sean Biggins (c)2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
TV REVIEW
‘Silicon Valley’ sticks to formula
a network that allows users to control their own data rather than storing it on a centralized server — to improve gameplay quality. Daily Arts Writer Richard orders him to stop, but Colin has the upper hand. He owns the gaming platform which makes up PiperNet’s largest user base. Although the Pied Piper team has made ethical exceptions in the With the amount of television being created, it becomes harder to sift through the options and differentiate between the garbage and past, Richard justifies them as necessary and promises they will be the gems. I spend a lot of time thinking about the television shows erased once the reality of their company is ensured. If he fires Colin I choose to devote my attention to: Is it being produced because to stick to his morals, PiperNet will be at risk of shutting down. a platform needs more original content? Does it have potential On the other hand, what Colin is doing goes against their defining to be a high quality program? Is there an enticing plot? Premium principle. Board members Monica (Amanda Crew, “Tone-Deaf”), broadcast channels such as HBO continue to produce consistently Gilfoyle (Martin Starr, “Drunk History”) and Dinesh (Kumail high quality programming with short seasons that contain tight Nanjiani, “Bless the Harts”) decide to let it slide because without narratives and complex plots. “Silicon Valley” continues this trend, Colin’s users, Pied Piper has no chance to succeed. Richard decides to take as it simultaneously wraps up matters into his own hands by old story lines and brings in new exploiting a marginalized and ones. vulnerable Jared (Zach Woods, Given the conversation “Big Mouth”), who is normally surrounding the tech industry, the voice of reason. He knows data collection and Congress, it’s Season 6 Premiere he is making the wrong decision fitting that the first scene of the farewell season to “Silicon Valley” but sees this as an opportunity to HBO get back on the inside. The two begins where it began six years Sundays @ 10 p.m. of them become responsible for prior — the protagonist Richard facilitating a blackmail scheme Hendricks (Thomas Middleditch, directed at Colin and driven by “Dream Corp LLC”) making a artificial intelligence. Naturally, fool of himself. Except this time, this backfires for Richard and he isn’t an aspirational one-in-amillion employee trying to make it in a cutthroat industry. Until the leaves Pied Piper with a huge data collection bag, and Colin’s board Season 5 finale, the success of Hendricks’s start-up company, Pied members are excited about the prospects of this new tool. Piper, was not guaranteed. Given the hard-fought battle endured It is this kind of storyline that suggests the final season will by Richard and his team over the previous five seasons, this makes ride its familiar formula success. Given that we only have six more one last season all the more satisfying — one in which Richard is no episodes, it’s hard to fault executive producers Mike Judge and Alec Berg for not messing with what has already worked so well. It will longer fighting the uphill battle. If only that were the case. The season opens with Richard continuing his winning rely on the fortunes and misfortunes of its characters’ peaks and streak as he presents himself in an unusually confident manner, valleys, all in the context of a single episode. Despite everything delivering a speech in which he promises that his company will that the characters have been through, the question that has driven not be corrupt like Facebook, Google or Amazon and collect user every season is what will ensure a successful end to an already data. Unfortunately, Richard soon learns that this is a lie. Richard successful series: Can this group of misfits succeed and create a unknowingly lies to Congress as the game developer Colin (Neil product that will make the world a better place? Richard has six Casey, “Big Mouth”) explains he does collect data on PiperNet — weeks to figure it out. JUSTIN POLLACK
Silicon Valley
11/07/19
11/07/19
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 7, 2019 — 7
Teske’s career night anchors Wolverines in season-opening victory DANIEL DASH
Daily Sports Writer
When Jon Teske’s baseline post hook grazed the left side of the rim on the opening possession, it didn’t take long for him to clean up his own mess. Instead of trotting back on defense, the senior center bulldozed into the paint to corral his own rebound. In one fell swoop, he landed on the other side of the basket and, as if on a pogo stick, sprung back up and finished the job with a layup off the glass. Grinding through the teeth of the defense set the tone for Teske’s first-half double-double in the
Michigan men’s basketball team’s 79-71 win over Appalachian State (0-1) on Tuesday night. He starred in the season-opener, dominating the paint on both ends of the floor and owning the glass. By the end of the night, he amassed 17 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. After winning the tipoff, firstyear head coach Juwan Howard called Teske’s number in the post. It worked, so he went back to his big man again on the next possession. Same result. By the first media timeout, Teske had accounted for the Wolverines’ (1-0) first 11 points. He sank his next four shots following the early missed hook, with two coming around the rim, another
from mid-range territory and the fourth from beyond the arc. “(Howard) drew up a lot of great plays, and fortunately I was able to finish around the rim,” Teske said after the game. “My teammates were able to find me. (I was) just using my height advantage well in the frontcourt … I was able to get a quick couple points in the first couple minutes.” Added Howard: “(Teske) got into a really good groove. He was very aggressive out there offensively. He did a very good job on rebounds in the first half, too. He was battling in there. … We all know he can shoot the basketball, he proved that tonight.”
At 7-foot-1, Teske’s impact on the glass and scoring ability anchor the Wolverines’ frontcourt. For a team that lost half its offensive production from a year ago to early departures, the presence of a center of Teske’s caliber can ease the transition. As a cornerstone of the starting lineup on a team adjusting to a new-look offense, Teske’s ability to score at all three levels provides a meaningful boost. He repeatedly created quality looks on the block against the Mountaineers, who have no players taller than 6-foot-9, but the going will get tougher against a conference littered with sevenfooters.
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Senior center Jon Teske scored 17 points, including 11 points in the first five minutes, to pace Michigan in its 79-71 win over Appalachian State on Tuesday night.
Behind Teske’s big first half, in which he posted 15 points and 11 rebounds, the Wolverines stretched their lead to as much as 30. Even when the ball wasn’t in his hands, the defensive attention Teske drew made him a difference-maker. “(Teske) was a big influence of that (lead),” said junior guard Eli Brooks. “ … His presence allowed me and other shooters to have open shots because they were so focused on him.” One of Howard’s primary responsibilities as an assistant coach with the Miami Heat was developing big men. On Tuesday night, the immediate dividends were apparent. Beyond Teske’s career night, sophomores Colin Castleton and Brandon Johns Jr. both saw time in the frontcourt. Together, they posted a combined 13 points on 5-of-9 shooting across 30 minutes. At times, they even shared the court with Teske — something that seldom occurred under former coach John Beilein. But in his first game at the helm, Howard tinkered with the idea. Soon after deciding to give it a go, Teske fed a slashing Johns for an easy first-half dunk. “It definitely is different,” Teske said. “I really enjoy playing big when Colin or Brandon is in there, I really like that. … It’s still early, so we’re still kind of playing around with lineups, too, seeing what works, what doesn’t, how we kind of mesh together.” The growing pains were equally as noticeable on Tuesday night. Even as the Wolverines suffered through a 27-3 Appalachian State run, Teske’s ability to draw doubleteams in the post created scoring opportunities for perimeter players off kickouts. Against the Mountaineers, Teske embodied everything that worked. And for Michigan, his steady presence could make all the difference in this transition period.
BY THE NUMBERS
Jon Teske
13 Teske’s 13 rebounds on Tuesday against Appalachian State set a new career high.
11 Teske scored Michigan’s first 11 points in the 79-71 win over the Mountaineers.
10 Teske became the 10th player in Michigan history to total 100 career blocks with his output last season.
8 Teske recorded eight doubledoubles last season, all of which came against Big Ten opponents.
Michigan struggling to play full 60 minutes Legislature introduces MOLLY SHEA
Daily Sports Writer
Playing consistently. It’s not something that can be taught. It’s not something that’s learned overnight. And it’s not something the Michigan hockey team has managed to do through the first eight games of the season. Sure, there’ve been some periods of good intensity. Occasionally, the Wolverines have a series of shifts where all the momentum seems to be with them. But these moments are seemingly always followed by spans of play that lack energy and speed. “I think I could take a period from this game, a period from that game and string it all together,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson. “But I can’t tell you we’ve had a game where we’ve had a good 60 minutes. Even in the shutouts. We can say, ‘Wow we won, 4-0.’ But we haven’t had that (complete) game yet.” Even though it’s early in the season, their inconsistent play has already cost the Wolverines some potential wins. Last Friday, Michigan jumped out to a two-goal lead halfway through the second period against No. 9 Ohio State. Then it happened — the mental focus
was gone. Within a couple minutes, the Buckeyes cut the Wolverines’ lead in half. A few minutes later, the game was tied. And when the final buzzer sounded, the Buckeyes had completed their comeback, Michigan allowing three unanswered goals. That game against Ohio State wasn’t the first time the Wolverines’ inability to play consistently throughout an entire game caused them trouble. On Oct. 19, the Wolverines faced Lake Superior State in game two of the weekend series. The previous night, they blanked the Lakers, 4-0, and after the first 20 minutes of Saturday’s game Michigan was cruising towards a victory, already ahead, 3-0. As the second period began, the Wolverines looked like a completely different team on the ice — and it was for the worse. Their play was sloppy and lacked control. The team that had earned a three-goal lead just 20 minutes prior was nowhere to be found and the scoreboard reflected it — the Wolverines’ lead was cut to one. The inconsistency that haunted Michigan last season was back in full force. “Definitely when you’re in
the lead, you don’t want to play scared or timid,” said sophomore forward Jimmy Lambert. “You wanna make sure you keep pushing the same way that got you in the lead. Because if you sit back and just try and coast to the end, they’re going to obviously put pressure on you, and if you’re not putting pressure on them, it makes it way too easy for them. That’s when you get pinned down.” Though Michigan managed to hold off Lake Superior State, that series wasn’t the only one where Friday’s energy and intensity didn’t carry over to Saturday’s game. On Oct. 26, the Wolverines traveled to Kalamazoo to play Western Michigan. Fresh off another 4-0 shutout win the night before, they looked to carry the momentum over to Saturday. But yet again, when the game started, Michigan fell flat. In the opening three minutes of the game, the Broncos scored two goals, and the Wolverines, who had dominated just 24 hours prior, crumbled. They weren’t disciplined. They were making careless turnovers. Michigan rebounded after the first minutes and stopped turning the puck over. But ultimately, it wasn’t enough
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Michigan coach Mel Pearson lamented his team’s struggles to maintain a high level of play throughout games.
to overcome the early deficit, as the Wolverines lost, 4-1, to split the series. “It might not even be a period,” Lambert said. “It might just be five minutes. Or even one play. You take it off. That can change the entire game. Making sure that you’re completely dialed in for the entire game is one of the biggest components for having a successful night.” But how does a team practice consistency? How does a coach push his team? For Pearson, the answer isn’t only one thing. In practice, he makes sure to include drills that create high levels of competition. Recently, the lineup has seen some changes in an attempt to motivate certain players to push harder. He even has one-on-one meetings with players to make sure they know what’s expected of them. “All we tell them is we expect nothing but your best,” Pearson said. “But what is your best? And we talk about that and we define that. Just give us your best. That’s all we’re trying to ask for. Then that’ll run into the games too. It sounds simple, but it’s hard to come down every day and practice and work hard.” The push for more consistent play doesn’t only come from Pearson, though. The whole team strives to motivate each other in the locker room to push harder. Senior captain Will Lockwood holds his teammates accountable when they’re slacking in games. And when Lockwood or the alternate captains slack off, one of the younger players will call them out on it. With Big Ten play having opened last weekend, Michigan learned how crucial it is to figure out how to play a consistent, full 60-minute game. And it needs to figure it out fast. “It takes every guy in order to play a full 60,” Lockwood said. “I think every team kind of strives for that and it’s not the easiest thing to do. I think our record would be a lot different if we’d been doing that (playing consistently) for the whole year.”
bill to allow player profit
EVAN AARON/Daily
The Michigan legislature introduced a bipartisan bill that would allow players to profit off their likeness, which would take effect in July 2020.
BENJAMIN KATZ Daily Sports Editor
Two Michigan legislators introduced a bipartisan plan Wednesday afternoon that would sanction current and future college athletes to profit off their name, likeness and image, according to an official news release. State Reps. Brandt Iden, R-Oshtemo, and Joe Tate, D-Detroit — both former college athletes — presented bills allowing studentathlete pay that, if signed into law, would go into effect July 2020. “We’re not going to punt on this issue. We’re going to lead,” Iden, once a tennis player at Kalamazoo College, said in the release. “College sports is a billion-dollar business, but these outdated NCAA rules treat the student-athletes at the heart of that business unfairly. Right now, student-athletes have no liberty when it comes to capitalizing on their own names and images.” The news comes a little over a month after California passed its Fair Pay to Play Act, that, similar to the proposed Michigan bills, permits student-athlete compensation for name, image and likeness starting in 2023. And just eight days ago, the NCAA Board of Directors voted to begin the process
of considering fair compensation for its athletes. The Iden-sponsored bill would entitle college athletes to receive money from third parties in exchange for using their name, likeness or image. Tate’s bill would legalize agents to enter into contracts with student athletes, currently considered a crime in Michigan. “Someone can set up a signing at their store and charge $25 per inscription, but the studentathlete providing that signature or inscription gets nothing under current NCAA bylaws,” Tate, a former Michigan State football player and co-captain, said. “Athletes who are struggling to get by and unable to even have a little walking around money are going to be able to enter into the market through their current craft, and that’s a positive and just development.” Michigan associate athletic director Kurt Svoboda offered The Daily a statement Wednesday regarding the newly-presented bills. “The athletic department does not comment on pending legislation,” Svoboda said. “As such, we have no official comment here.”
Sports
8 — Thursday, November 7, 2019
NICHOLAS STOLL Daily Sports Writer
Fall 2017, in New Bremen, Ohio — population of 2,973 — then-Michigan commit Paige Jones brought home the first state championship for her high school, simultaneously setting state records for kills in the state tournament (72) and kills in a match (47). Fall 2018, in Ann Arbor, Michigan — student population of 46,716 — Jones looked to prove herself as a freshman on a new stage, one much larger than ever before. Now in 2019, the star sophomore outside hitter has shown that her skills translate to the next level — and since her first start, she has just kept getting better. For Jones, this process all began in fifth grade, when she started playing club volleyball. The club she joined was in Columbus — a three-hour round trip drive three times a week. Fortunately, Jones’ hard work paid off, and it showed in her play. She was a menace on the court for opposing teams, and was already being recruited in her freshman year of high school. Michigan didn’t begin recruiting Jones until her sophomore year, but by the end of it, she was committed. “I came here for a visit and I just fell in love instantly with the campus,” Jones said. “It was not like any other campus that I visited. It was a true college town. I just felt like I was at home.” *** Jones wasn’t as obvious
a recruit as it may seem. At 6-foot-1, she was undersized at her outside hitter position. It was a concern Michigan coach Mark Rosen took into account. Rosen’s attention was turned toward her by his assistant coach Sean Byron and associate head coach/ recruiting coordinator Leisa Rosen — but Mark was still uneasy. Byron and Leisa had to approach the head coach, adamant about their judgement on Jones’ skill. “Mark, you need to just go watch her for a whole day,” Byron and Leisa said, according to Mark. “Just go to a tournament and sit on her court. And just watch her. Don’t watch anybody else, just watch her.” “So, I went to the tournament and I just sat down and I watched her,” Mark said. “And literally halfway through the day, I texted both of them and said we have to have this kid. She’s awesome.” From then on, Michigan’s recruitment of Jones was aggressive because they knew how great a fit she would be. “I think a lot of people missed on her,” Mark said. “I think probably a lot of people had that same inclination I did of, is she going to be big enough? And they didn’t take the time to go sit and watch her.” Her ability to adapt — aided by her years playing track and basketball in addition to volleyball — certainly helped
in her transition from high school to the Big Ten, one of college volleyball’s best conferences. The team was able to get in the gym early in the summer, helping Jones shift from high school to college play. But one of her most important assets in the transition was then-senior outside hitter Carly Skjodt. Jones was able to learn from her as a role model, on and off the court. Jones went on to finish her freshman year with strong numbers. She ended the season with 402 kills — second most on the team, only behind Skjodt — and led the team with 39 serving aces. But those are just numbers to Jones. Her main goal is to keep developing. “I’m not the best I can be,” Jones said. “You can never really be the best that you can be. I just keep coming into the gym working hard every single day.” Just like in high school, her effort has shown in her progress. This season, she leads the team with 303 kills and 30 serving aces, and she has 178 digs, 28 blocks and 14 assists. But most notably, she’s improved her hit percentage. Jones ended her freshman year with a .195 hitting percentage, not what the team was looking for at the outside hitter position. This year,
she’s improved tremendously, hitting at .260 through 22 games. “She still gets kills like crazy, but her efficiency has gotten so much better,” Mark said. “She’s continued to get better.” Jones is only in her second year as a Wolverine, but her skills and hard work offer a hint of how good she may be after two more years. “I think she has the potential to be one of the best outside hitters in the country,” Mark said. “I wouldn’t really want to put any limits or expectations on her because I think she could be the best ever. “Who knows?” *** For Jones, success stems from her beginnings. And she believes it is of utmost importance to give back. “Every single time I go home, I make sure to go into school, visit all my old teachers, visit the team,” Jones said. “Just making sure I go back to the roots where it all started and just get back. I think that’s super important. Because without them, without the people in the years prior, I wouldn’t be
where I am today.” Jones’ impact on New Bremen and its residents should not be understated. She puts in the time and effort to leave a positive influence on the town, and it shows. “Everybody knows who Paige is, everybody wants to be like Paige. She’s just a great role model,” said Diana Kramer, her high school coach. “Not only do I still have a relationship with her, but she still has a relationship with my four kids, with everybody in town. Everybody loves to see her.” Kramer goes on to tell a story about her second grade classroom. The kids were writing bio poems and the last line is “who dreams of”. A little girl in Kramer’s
Photo courtesy of Diana Kramer
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
“
class wrote “who dreams of breaking Paige’s records playing volleyball.” That’s the type of lasting impact Jones has left — a second grader, 12 years younger than Jones, wants to emulate her. “She’s made an impression on a lot of people,” Kramer said. “She’s just a really good person. She cares deeply about people. She’s very, very humble. She’s very competitive, but she finds ways to make the people around her better people.” Jones holds the town of New Bremen and its people dear to her. She puts in her time to visit and further develop the culture she helped foster. The town itself is definitely important to her, but what ties her to the town is something she
holds closer to her heart than anything else — family. She struggles to even explain how important they are to her, attributing a large part of her success to what her family has done for her and the time they’ve given up to help her. When asked about them, she is answering before the question is even finished. To any observer, it’s obvious where her giving virtue comes from, and she carries her family’s values to this day. Paige Jones left her mark at New Bremen, and now she’s well on her way to doing the same at Michigan. Her numbers are big and her leadership shows, but she knows she has even more left to give. All you need to do is just watch her.