ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-NINE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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NATALIE STEPHENS/Daily Students and staff gather around the Michigan Union to celebrate the reopening after 20 months of renovations Monday afternoon.
Michigan Union opens after Students react to restaraunts 20 months of renovation remaining closed on first day
Community members lined up around block in anticipation REBECCA HIRSH & HANNAH MACKAY Daily Staff Reporters
Twenty months and two new graduating classes later, the Michigan Union opened its doors Monday morning to more than 500 waiting students and alumni. The Michigan Union first opened in 1919 and has since served as a meeting space for various student organizations, study spaces and University programs. Renovation plans for the building began nine years ago through the student advisory group Building
a Better Michigan and its coalition with Central Student Government, the University’s colleges and various student organizations. The Union’s closed its doors in April 2018 for renovations and the building has been under construction and closed to visitors since. The Union celebrated its 100th birthday on the Diag in October and The Daily was offered a sneak peek of the renovations in December. After the doors opened, about one hundred people gathered in the courtyard of the Union to hear formal remarks from a variety of speakers, including E. Royster Harper, outgoing
vice president of Student Life, Amy White, director of the Michigan Union, and University President Mark Schlissel. Other visitors during this time previewed the student spaces and businesses housed in the Union. In an interview with the Daily before opening remarks, Regent Paul Brown (D) commented on the value of the Union for students on campus. “I definitely appreciated the building as a student here, and I’m glad it’s reopened to the kids and hopefully more useful than ever,” Brown said. See UNION, Page 3
Only a small handful of stores begin serving customers ALYSSA MCMURTRY Daily Staff Reporter
Following the announcement of the Michigan Union restaurant lineup in midOctober, only Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, Blue Market and Barnes & Noble opened in the newly renovated Union Monday afternoon. Other restaurants opening later in the semester in the Union include favorites such as Subway, Panda Express and the new addition of Panera Bread and Taco Bell. One of the biggest draws of the Union may be its restaurants. Susan Pile, senior
director for University Unions and Auxiliary Services, said the other franchises will be available to students in the coming weeks. “Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea, Blue Market and Barnes and Noble will be open,” Pile said. “The others will be open over the next couple of weeks.” Pile spoke about the process of selecting restaurants. Through student surveys and committees, Union directors selected which restaurants would be in the Union. “Some of the restaurants are returning, depending on where they were in their lease agreement,” Pile said.
A2 council Senate Assembly talks pay through discusses misconduct trials, governance affordable Group convened on Monday to share updates about faculty issues housing ANN ARBOR
JOJO RUBIN
Daily Staff Reporter
Executive Director of Housing Committee joins councilmembers, explores new living units JENNA SITEMAN Daily Staff Reporter
Ann Arbor City Council met Monday night for a work session in conjunction with Jennifer Hall, executive director of the Housing Commission. The discussion surrounded the creation of more affordable housing in Ann Arbor. Approximately 60 Ann Arbor residents attended the meeting. Hall said those with an annual income ranging between $20,00060,000, around 60 percent of Ann Arbor’s population, would be eligible for these housing units. Residents had concerns about these units, ranging from preserving historical chimneys to ensuring old trees remain in original locations. Positive features of the housing plan would be its walkability score, Low Income Housing Tax Credits and the possibility for the creation of mixed-use buildings. Hall said the building plan notes properties owned by the city that are not being used to their full extent, making them good candidates for a remodel. Hall, along with her colleagues, said the plan would require an experienced private developer, but the Housing Commission would still have autonomy over the plans. See COUNCIL, Page 3
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The University of Michigan Senate Assembly met Monday afternoon at the Michigan League to discuss the structure of faculty governance, changes to policy regarding faculty pay during University misconduct trials, the status of U-M Flint and the purpose of University Ombuds. The Ombuds is an independent body working to resolve conflicts between faculty members. MaryJo Banasik, director of the University’s Faculty Senate Office, began with a
presentation explaining the structure of the University’s faculty governance. “There’s an opportunity for the faculty to reach all these different levels of administration, but it really needs to be done through central faculty government,” Banasik said. “So when people do get involved — when they participate in faculty governments — that’s when faculty voices can be heard the most.” Ann Sales, a professor of Learning Health Sciences in the Medical School, raised concerns with the lack of
representation of University staff on faculty governance. “When we went through the list of who was involved in faculty governance as it’s currently set up, there are clearly some important groups missing,” Sales said. “So critical faculty are missing, as are lecturers and other adjunct roles, and I’m sure this gets addressed frequently, but are there mechanisms for this ongoing discussion?” Information professor Kentaro Toyama, chair of the Academic Affairs Advisory Committee, presented updates on resolved and ongoing policy
debates between the AAAC and the Office of the Provost. Toyoma discussed how issues of expediting tenure trials and cutting pay for egregious faculty misconduct have split the committee. He said he errs on the side of protecting faculty rights while recognizing the need to sanction harmful faculty. “(Faculty members) are paid through the time of the hearing until the final decision is made by the University whether to terminate them or not,” Toyama said. See ASSEMBLY , Page 3
“And some of them we went out for what’s called a request for proposal process where we work with University procurement. Any interested vendors bid on the spaces and we worked through a selection process identifying a diverse array of menu options and price points and menu types.” Many students said they feared most restaurants may not open until after spring break. LSA senior Alexandra Niforos admitted she was fearful she would not be able to enjoy the Union to its fullest in her last semester. See RESTAURANTS, Page 3
RESEARCH
Panel on MI water level talks climate
Experts weigh in on rising precipitation in Great Lakes during first talk of semester VARSHA VEDAPUDI Daily Staff Reporter
Approximately 100 students and faculty attended the first session of the LSA 2020 Great Lakes Theme Semester speaker series on Monday evening. The event was hosted by the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan Museum of Art auditorium. The session addressed key issues dealing with the rising water levels in the Great Lakes and their consequences. The panel consisted of four speaker presentations followed by a question and answer panel moderated by Richard Norton, professor of Urban and Regional Planning and Program in the Environment. Addressing the critical nature of studying the Great Lakes’ water levels, Leland Township Supervisor Susan Och shared an experience from her work when she was at a beach on Lake Michigan discussing rip currents. “A gentleman came out of his house, swaying with his cocktail, and gave me the best piece of advice I could ever use:
KYTO BATT/Daily SACUA Chair Joy Beatty discusses potential policies on sexual and gender-based misconduct at a SACUA meeting in the Fleming Administration Building Monday.
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ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily Miranda Lynch, LSA senior double majoring in Spanish and Program in the Environment, works in the clinic at the Human Society of Huron Valley.
Faculty, students reflect on initiative providing healthcare in Sri Lanka
‘U’ launches mentorship program for those impacted by civil war, tsunami SAINI KETHIREDDY Daily Staff Reporter
Nearly five years ago, University of Michigan faculty and students and the Grace Girls’ Home in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka teamed up to tackle diabetes care in low and middleincome communities. Now, organizers ref lect on the new mentorship programs taking place within the initiative. Grace Girls’ Home is a shelter for “at-risk” girls and the elderly displaced by the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka that claimed 40,000 lives, as well as the Sri Lankan civil war that ended in 2019, which resulted in more than 100,000 deaths. The shelter provides residents with housing, food, education and medical treatment as necessary. Dr. Naresh Gunaratnam, a gastroenterologist at Huron Gastro in Ann Arbor, founded Grace Girls’ Home in 2002, intending to address the needs of girls. In 2004, he started an elder care facility to house elderly people who had no children left to take care of them. “There’s no place to discharge them, so they would literally give them a mat and sleep on the grounds of the hospital, and the hospital would do their best to feed them,” Gunaratnam said. “You start accumulating a lot of these elders who had no place to go … At our best in 2004-2005, we were taking care of 300 people.” Grace Girls’ Home also provides residents with vocational training and skills after they leave the home. Sahr Yazdani, University alum and
medical student at Loyola University Chicago, started helping out at Grace Girls’ Home when she was 13 by tutoring the girls in conversational skills. Yadzani said this helped her realize the importance of the girls’ transitions from home. “I realized there wasn’t really a transitory environment for these girls living in the orphanage to living in Sri Lankan society,” Yazdani said. “We renovated these complexes that were existing on the Grace Girls’ home property … and wanted the girls who were older to live in this transitionary environment. We taught them financial literacy and how to go into the market and everything … just to introduce those ideas in conversation and such.” LSA senior Nikita Bazaj is the president of GraceEdu, an organization on campus that focuses on introducing these life skills to the girls at Grace Girls’ Home. “We’re doing a mentorship program with students at U-M and the Grace Girls who are in high school,” Bazaj said. “We’re putting two U-M girls with one girl from Grace, and the fall semester was focused on building a relationship with the girls and this next semester will be focused on teaching the girls individual team topics. We have a different team topic per month and for example, this first month’s is finance.” In addition to learning life skills, University fellow Anjan Saha has helped implement a recent program to offer the girls at Grace Girls’ Home new employment opportunities
as community health workers. Saha said ancillary care providers aren’t always as trusted as physicians in Sri Lanka. “A lot of trust is concentrated with the physician,” Saha said. “Ancillary care providers don’t necessarily receive that same level of trust. That’s obviously a very big component of our healthcare system and it allows the system as a whole to off load some of the workload that would otherwise fall under the responsibility of the physician.” Grace Girls’ Home has also partnered with the William Davidson Institute in the Ross School of Business, a nonprofit organization aimed at improving the delivery of care in developing countries. Gunaratnam said together, they will improve physician efficiency in Sri Lanka. “When we can’t create more physicians, we have to make them more efficient,” Gunaratnam said. “The physician’s role is to deal with the people who are at most risk for dying … We are saying instead of 90 seconds, give those patients five minutes.” In August 2018, Medical student Monica Choo went to Sri Lanka to help set up a study examining how effective the community health workers are at providing health care and patient satisfaction. Choo also created a curriculum to train the community health workers in doing their job safely and efficiently. “I also created a one-year curriculum to train them,” Choo said. “Ultimately, we want it to be a thing where
the girls can be accredited nationally and hired by the physicians and actually make a living. To do that, we have to have a real curriculum like any job. I took some time to create a one-year curriculum and we’re in conversation with US Aid right now to see how we can get that leverage and get it pushed through the Ministry of Health.” Saha said community health workers help alleviate congestion faced in the health system and implementing new vocational skills for those who cannot seek higher education. “As more and more patients started seeing them and experiencing what it is they had to offer, trust was sort of built over time,” Saha said. “Since then, the operation has seen maybe 400-500 patients in a number of provincial hospitals within the Eastern province.” Gunaratnam said the future implications of the government’s support in this new vocation will significantly improve patient outcomes. “The government will hopefully support us creating this new job and get these girls paid and so forth,” Gunaratnam said. “We believe (in) focused intervention, that means engaging with the girls leads to better outcomes … The patients like talking to the girls. They give them more time, they know them personally, there is a higher level of sympathy. When I visited, they said, ‘They give us good advice about the practical things. The doctor doesn’t have time to do that.’”
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UNION From Page 1 “It’s a valuable resource. The symbolism in the name alone is important for our campus and our time. It really is a place where we can all come together and be more united, and we can use it as a place to understand each other.” The remarks started with an introductory video, followed by an acknowledgment of the University occupying formally Ojibwe, Odawa, and Bodewadmi tribal land. Alphonse Pitawanakwat, lecturer in the American Culture department, and Ethriam Brammer, assistant dean in the Rackham Graduate School, delivered the acknowledgment. Schlissel then spoke about the singularity of the Union in higher education and the importance of the building. “For generations, the Michigan Union has been a place where students lead, a place of activism and a place of student-driven change that has made us a better and more important university,” Schlissel said. “It’s my hope that the Union encourages students from all different backgrounds and academic disciplines to interact and take advantage of the outstanding breadth and diversity of our great university.” As presenters were invited to speak, members of the Climate Action Movement lowered banners over the
ASSEMBLY From Page 1 “Now, this is generally okay if the case of the situation is someone hasn’t been able to teach very well, maybe they haven’t been able to fulfill their teaching duties, but it looks particularly bad when maybe they are, say, a sexual predator.” As part of the Senate Assembly’s ongoing effort to better connect the University’s disparate schools and programs, Greg Laurence, associate professor of management at U-M Flint, highlighted U-M Flint’s successes in hosting Yo-Yo Ma and Dr. Jane Goodall. He also touched on concerns with falling enrollment due to rapid
second-story banister delivering messages condemning the University for its alleged lack of attention to climate change issues. One banner read, “Stop fueling the next mass extinction.” This action followed a recent intervention of the group at the December Regents meeting. CSG President Ben Gerstein was invited to comment on the Union’s place as a center on campus for students. “Today’s reopening is a remarkable reflection of the power of student activism and the power of a collective student voice for change,” Gerstein said. “Since (the Union’s opening in 1919), this building has hosted some of the most significant moments in U of M student history, the constant reminder of the Michigan experience that occurs both inside and outside the classroom or lecture hall.” The formal remarks concluded with the raising of the Michigan flag above the Union, an event that was live-streamed and projected inside the courtyard. As the flag was raised, the Michigan Band lead a chorus of “Hail to the Victors” and streamers fell from the ceiling. In an interview with The Daily after the remarks, White said throughout its renovation, the Union needed the student vision. “As an alum and someone who spent a great deal of time at the Union, the ability to steward students’ visions
population decline in Flint and surrounding areas. “We are experiencing now four years of enrollment decline,” Laurence said. “Some of that may be attributed to the water crisis, and people around the state’s reaction to that. Systemically, however, if you look at demographics maps of the state, in a state of declining population, especially in the five counties that touch it, where 75 percent of our students come from, the population of those parts of the state is decreasing faster than elsewhere in the state.” Faculty Co-Ombuds Robert M. Ortega, associate professor of social work, and Michele Hannoosh, associate professor of French, ended the meeting
through the renovation has been a tremendous honor,” White said. “In the weeks and months ahead, as we see how the building welcomes back students to its spaces, it will be great to see all that as well. That’s an amazing part of the Union as well, that students make it their own and should make it their own.” The students The Daily spoke to said they appreciated the excitement surrounding student spaces and the free food handed out at the event. Taubman sophomore Kassem Chammout said he was excited to see the remodel. “It’s nice to see that there’s money going back into the University and it’s not being torn down,” Chammout said. LSA senior Angelina Adam also spoke of the differences between experiencing the building as a freshman and now again as a senior. “It’s really nice and updated but it’s retained the original architecture, which is really cool, and a lot of the history that is in it,” Adam said. “It’s just more open and modern now. It’s a lot nicer and a better experience. I also really like the art that they have now and how they brought in a lot of different faces that really show Michigan spirit.” LSA freshman Jessica Lim said she was excited about the abundance of study areas in the renovated Union. “It’s really bright, you can tell it has that new smell, I’m happy about it because
with a presentation on the purpose and structure of the University Ombuds. Ortega and Hannoosh led the assembly through their website and reminded them that the Ombuds can be a first step in resolving problems related to a conf lict between faculty or concerns about University policy. Other grievances with the policy included inconsistency between the timelines for employees and students when reviewing the preliminary report of their case, nonspecific language within the report and employees’ inability to appeal to the Office of Institutional Equities. SACUA chair Joy Beatty voiced these concerns, wondering aloud if
CITY COUNCIL From Page 1
RESTAURANTS From Page 1
“We would need to have expertise from a private developer, but we’d like to have some certainty going into that process, in advance, where we would pre-entitle the basic footprint of what the site would look like,” Hall said. The council discussed a variety of topics, ranging from the process of building new properties to parking difficulties in Ann Arbor. The two are closely related, as many of the sites that may be developed are parking lots. Community member Stephen Ranzini, president and CEO of University Bank, attended the event and spoke with The Daily about the future and new technologies. He said he thinks that despite the struggles with parking, in the future these struggles will become obsolete as self-driving cars and ridesharing becomes more affordable than personal cars. “Every futurist I’ve talked to is telling me that self-driving electric cars will be a reality in 10 years ... you know, that sounds ambitious right now because there’s still a lot of problems to solve,” Ranzini said. “But then again, 10 years ago, who was carrying a cell phone that had an awesome camera? Technology moves first slowly and then very rapidly.” Andy Tucker, Ann Arbor high schooler, discussed how the conversation on parking affected him personally. “The community cares a lot about parking,” Tucker said. “It’s been brought up in a lot of the discussions that they’ve had. I know that housing is really expensive and most can’t afford it. The discussion helped me because now I know more about it.”
“It is kind of a bummer for the same reason that I’m a senior and the restaurants aren’t open,” Niforos said. “I only have a month or so to use that resource. I did have two years of it, but at the same time it would have been nice to have this semester which was initially promised.” Niforos was able to see the Union before its grand re-opening. She was under the impression the Union would be “gutted out,” but was happy to see many of the old structures still intact. “I got to (see) the remodel
hopefully with all this new lounging and study area, it will de-crowd some of the areas that have been super congested,” Lim said. LSA freshman Pulak Taneja also said he heard a lot about the Union before coming to the University and anticipated its opening. “There was a real buildup for this because ever since we got here as freshmen we were told that the Union used to be open, but it isn’t open anymore,” Taneja said. “There was a lot of hype surrounding it and I got here a while back and I think it’s really stunning from the outside as well as from the inside. I’m excited to check it out and check all the other stories and everything this place has to offer.” Susan Pile, senior director of University Unions and Auxiliary Services, was excited to see the Union reopen to students and emphasized in an interview with The Daily how grateful she felt to have been able to work on the project. “This is the highlight of my professional career,” Pile said. “To be able to do this work at the University of Michigan with these students, staff, administration and with this building is a once in a career opportunity. This is a campus community, this is a student space. To now have it for students and alive with students, this is it. This is what it’s all about.”
employees would be allowed the opportunity to challenge a suspension. “What is the rationale for not providing an employee with the opportunity to challenge a suspension without pay?” Beatty said. “Why are the timelines shorter for employees than they are for students?” Cheney-Lippold also spoke at the meeting to discuss the University’s response to his decision to rescind a study abroad recommendation letter in 2018. Cheney-Lippold said he rescinded the letter because of his participation in an academic boycott of Israel organized by Palastenian activists. In response to the incident, the University moved to take away CheneyLippold’s sabbatical, freeze
last week,” Niforos said. “I love that they kept the integrity of it and just added a few modern aspects.” Business freshman Gretchen Ascher, an employee at the Union Sweetwaters, worked on opening day. She said the first day went well despite how busy it was. “It was super busy, but it was really good,” Ascher said. “We had a line out the door all day today. Everyone that was there for the opening ceremony was so excited to see it open as well.” When asked if students were upset about most of the restaurants not being open, Ascher said a few students she spoke to were unhappy. Even so, Ascher said most students
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 — 3
LAKES From Page 1 ‘You folks should do all your messing around with the lake in the wintertime because that’s when I’m in Florida,’” Och said. “It gives you an idea of the information we are learning tonight and the general public’s idea of what’s going on.” Guy Meadows, director of the Marine Engineering Laboratory at Michigan Technological University, discussed recent news about houses on Michigan shorelines being engulfed by the Great Lakes and the trends in precipitation and evaporation levels over the last 30 years. “The highs and the lows in the Great Lakes water levels indicate that we are seeing more extremes in both the upward and downward direction,” Meadows said. James Clift, deputy director at the Michigan Department of Environment, addressed the specific solutions the program is implementing. The solutions include infrastructure planning, reviewing shoreline protection permits and planning an upcoming High Water Summit to educate the community about rising water levels. LSA sophomore Janel
LaPalm said the event reminded her of how important it is to keep in mind the impacts humans have on the environment. “Environmental issues are very complex in that we have to find ways as humans who want to interact with nature to adapt to the constant change of nature, especially climate change,” LaPalm said. Engineering sophomore Zuly Tahiz Pasillas-Riquelme said she thinks water levels in the Great Lakes are an issue of concern and something people should be educated about. “One of the main takeaways was that the truth of climate change doesn’t typically hit the Midwest but the rising water level is a real problem for people living along the shoreline,” PasillasRiquelme said. Och concluded the evening by connecting the concerns with the Great Lakes to the larger, global issue of climate change. “I come across people who think climate change is going to happen to somebody else, far in the future and that it’s not a Midwest problem,” Och said. “And this might be a wake-up call.”
his pay and threatened to potentially dismiss him. Cheney-Lippold asked to meet with SACUA to discuss faculty political freedom. “The Dean’s office seemed to stop caring about faculty wellness at all,” CheneyLippold said. “I believe my case raises specific concerns regarding faculty academic and political freedom.” Senate Assembly Member, Sara Ahbel-Rappe, a professor in the classical studies department, pushed back against CheneyLippold’s decision to decline to write the recommendation letter, referencing discrimination within American institutions. She said the fact that CheneyLippold isn’t boycotting the United States is a double standard.
were excited about the new Sweetwaters location. “A couple of students were upset,” Ascher said. “A lot of people were excited to get their coffee and get their drinks, they were just really excited that we were open.” As a freshman, this is Ascher’s first time experiencing the Union. She said she and her friends will try to visit the space frequently. “It’s been hyped up by all the upperclassmen,” Ascher said. “There are so many great study spaces there and when the restaurants all open, I’m sure those will be popular. I live in West Quad, so I plan on spending a ton of time at the Union and I know my friends
do too. I hope I see a lot of familiar faces.” Niforos is also excited for underclassmen to experience something she felt was so important early in her collegiate career. “I think about all of the freshmen and sophomores who never experienced it and never got that resource because it was so integral to my first two years here,” Niforos said. Though many restaurants are closed at the moment, Union businesses are looking for new student hires. Pile said Union directors and the businesses are looking forward to hiring. “We would love to have, and I know the vendors would love
“Black people are shot everyday because they’re Black. I find it surprising when you say that you won’t write a letter for anybody going to Israel, and you would write one for someone in America,” Ahbel-Rappe said. The SACUA committee agreed that their original statement regarding the case was rushed and didn’t represent the true beliefs of SACUA members. Multiple committee members mentioned that CheneyLippold’s case was worrying because it showed the relative powerlessness of the faculty senate. Instead of having a say in the proceedings, SACUA’s statement was used to bolster the position of the University administration.
to have, student employees and for students to work in their operations,” Pile said. Pile emphasized the Union as a social hub and said she believes it contributes to the student climate. “Ultimately, the Union is about building connections and creating a strong sense of community,” Pile said. “That’s my hope for the space, that students will use it in a variety of ways. Whether that’s student org work or through meeting friends for social activities to planning programs in the building, to attending events, to just grabbing a bite to eat. That happens in lots of different ways and we’re excited the Union can offer all of those things to meet student needs.”
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M
Apocalypse within the Anthropocene
y adoration of tapirs began fifteen years ago after studying them for a second grade research project. They’re odd pachyderms with miniature trunks, panda-like faces and piglike bodies that make them look like they belong more in a Dr. Seuss book than a real-life zoo. Few other animals match both the charm and uniqueness that tapirs embody. While seemingly plump and lazy animals, they are powerful swimmers that have to worry about anacondas as much as jaguars as they scour the rainforests for food. Adding to their troubles is the everencroaching, overbearing hand of humanity. Logging operations have specifically pushed the Malayan Tapir, also known as the “Oreo” tapir for its coat pattern, to near extinction. As humans continue to expand their influence over the natural world and lead us into the sixth mass extinction, a future devoid of the world’s most intriguing animals, from tapirs to orangutans to cheetahs, seems likely. Scientists are debating whether the geologic age we live in should be renamed to the Anthropocene, or “the epoch of humans,” to reflect our vast, unquestionable power as a species. It is an honor not even afforded to the dinosaurs, with our history becoming inextricably linked to the planet’s on July 16, 1945, after the eruption of the first atomic bomb in Alamogordo, New Mexico. Radioactive materials settled onto the world’s rocks and thus into the geologic time frame, marking the beginning of humanity as a force of nature, with our impact as grand as any geologic or biological process on the planet. This power is something no other species has achieved and will be visible in the geologic record billions of years after Earth is far behind us. Perhaps the largest example of mankind’s godlike influence is climate change. Growing up in Nebraska, hurricanes and rising sea levels were hardly a concern of mine. The effects of climate change seemed too far removed from me — both geologically and temporally — to care all that much about. What I didn’t comprehend was the limitless myriad of effects a warming climate will have on the heartland of America as much as the coasts. Scientists
continue to discover that climate change deals with the increase of ancient plagues as much as the rise of sea levels. On the frigid Siberian tundra of the Yamal Peninsula, the soil can be frozen solid as deep as 1,000 feet. Within this natural freezer lies the highly preserved corpses of incredible artifacts, from cave lions to wooly mammoths. Amongst these prehistoric creatures are millions of corpses of Santa’s pal, the reindeer, also known as caribou. These impressive animals can roam in massive herds far above the Arctic Circle where few people survive. Caribou are not only adorable but dangerous, as they are natural carriers of the bacteria anthrax.
The largest example of mankind’s godlike influence is climate change. In the early 20th century, infectious bacterial diseases decimated millions of caribou throughout Siberia, causing their corpses to be preserved in the ever-frozen tundra. A record-breaking heatwave in 2016 dethawed one of these diseased corpses and the sustained anthrax spores along with it. The hundred-yearold “zombie” disease spread throughout a local herd before finding its way into the stomachs of local Nenet Siberians, who routinely consume the caribou. The bacterial disease spread rapidly, killing one child and forcing the Russian government to euthanize thousands of reindeer. Scientists worry that this is a prelude for what’s to come as the Arctic continues to heat up three times faster than the rest of the world — thawing the permafrost that contains millions of corpses, both animals and people. Human cemeteries, like the mass grave for Spanish Flu victims found in Alaska, may provide even more opportunities for ancient diseases to infect animals and people once again. While century-old epidemics may be one of the most bizarre effects of climate change, unfortunately, they are hardly the most concerning.
Now entering its ninth year, the Syrian Civil War has shocked and split the world, particularly over the refugee crisis. While this is often seen as the international effect of the war, internal migration within Syria may have also been one of the triggers that began the conflict. From 2006 to 2009, the nation experienced its worst drought in 900 years. This, combined with disastrous water management, pushed 1.5 million people to flee as crops failed in the rural regions of the country, effectively furthering social strife. Scientists concluded that climate change likely caused, or at least worsened, the drought by changing weather patterns in the region. The Syrian Civil War may be a foreshadowing for what much of the increasingly waterscarce world may turn into in the near future. Massive cities like Cape Town have already run out of water in the past and other urban metropolises, from Melbourne to Mexico City, aren’t far behind as the Southern Hemisphere continues to heat up. More than 140 million people may be forced to leave their homes due to climate change by 2050, according to the World Bank. With a changing climate being linked to human violence for the past 12,000 years, “water wars” are likely to break out as people fight over increasingly unattainable and precious resources. From landing a man on the moon to creating a global society, climate change has far from outshone humanity’s successes in the Anthropocene. Even so, it’s posing an existential threat to the survival of human society — and so many other species — as we know it. As most nations fail to sufficiently respond to the warnings of climate professionals and scientists, it may be time to curb the talk of future sea level rises to the more immediate and eye-catching threats confronting humanity, ranging from ancient plagues to “water wars.” Continuing with the same old rhetoric and warnings that have failed to scare humans from changing their ways means continuing to waste the precious time needed to avoid the potentially apocalyptic future lurking on the horizon. Riley Dehr can be reached at rdehr@umich.edu.
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Term limits won’t solve the problem comes with what is done to institutional knowledge. Only by maintaining a long career can a politician build the skill set necessary to achieve great things and overcome obstacles. Lyndon Johnson became the Master of the Senate by virtue of his longtime career in Congress, but if he had been kicked from the House after six years, that never would have been. Indeed, in states with term-limited politicians, the only people who stay and thus have more power are lobbyists and partisan staff. Partisan staffers have a politician’s ear over the more apolitical, legislative staffers due to the fact that politicians are more familiar with the campaign crew and more likely to look to them for advice. Elected officials don’t have time to build relationships with the apolitical staff, and the governing process is worse when those staff are cut out of the picture. Lobbyists also gain power because they pick up institutional knowledge by virtue of being the only people who survive the churn. As a result, representatives effectively end up dependent on them for certain information and will vote accordingly. Finally, we have term limits in a highly relevant manner already: our elections. If the voters can decide to end a politician’s term by voting against them, why then should they not be able to give them another term provided there is no criminality or lawbreaking? Term limits are a bad idea but a snappy soundbite. They drain institutional knowledge, empower lobbyists and do nothing to prevent corruption. These drawbacks ought to be enough to say no to term limits.
erm limits are a solution politicians limited by terms frequently championed will be less likely to need cash (because by both the left and campaign they run for fewer right as a way to terms). Another bring new people argument is that into office who offer term limits might be new solutions to a way to address the old problems. Term “revolving door,” a limits are an idea phenomenon where with widespread formerly elected support: Tom officials transition Steyer, one of the to lobbyists. billionaires running Unfortunately, for the Democratic ANIK both of these ideas nomination, voiced JOSHI are incorrect as his support for term limits. As did President Trump. term-limited politicians spend These candidates aren’t alone, less time with constituent but a lot of support does not services than their non-term limited contemporaries, but always guarantee good policy. A term limit already exists spend an equal amount of time for the presidency, but they are campaigning and fundraising. a somewhat recent invention: Fewer terms make constituent The 22nd Amendment, services less important. If a which codified two terms for politician only faces voters a few the presidency, was passed times, the incentive for strong during the Truman years constituent services decreases. as a response to Franklin D. With regards to closing the Roosevelt’s unprecedented four revolving door, Michigan is an terms. Before Roosevelt, most excellent example of that door presidents had stepped down being open. In 1992, Michigan in a show of respect to George voters checked the box next to Washington who had served the smooth-talking, slickedonly two terms. Presidential back saxophone player Bill term limits have also not Clinton and also voted in favor always been widely accepted. of term limits in the Michigan Limits Amendment, For example, in the late 1980s, Term President Ronald Reagan Proposal B. The limits were declared his support for a three two-year terms for the repeal of the 22nd Amendment House of Representatives and in an interview with British TV two four-year terms for the Senate. A few years ago, the personality David Frost. Reagan’s argument was Detroit Free Press investigated that people ought to have the the results of this bill and right to “vote for someone as they were pretty depressing. often as they want to,” and he Of the almost 300 officials was correct — representative elected from 1992 to 2014, 71 government works best when of them — nearly 25 percent — people can have their choice registered as lobbyists or ended of leaders. Term limits trample up working as consultants or over this right and choice and paid advocates. Having a rate in doing so create a worse, more this high calls into question incompetent governing class, the efficacy of term limits and thus damaging the experience questions the continuation of the blind promotion of term for all members of society. Usually, one reason people limits in other states and at the champion term limits is to federal level. The most significant address corruption. First, with term limits proponents argue that issue
MIN SOO KIM | COLUMN
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ne of my graduate student instructors last semester was Asian. Her English was not necessarily perfect, as she carried a little bit of an accent, but I never had trouble understanding what she was saying during discussions. Every now and then, she would get ahead of herself — as we all do — trying to answer questions. One day, from the back of the room, I heard someone say, “I have no idea what she’s saying.” I thought him speaking over her was disruptive, but decided not to bring it up at that moment and instead settled with giving him “a look.” The discussion ended some 20 minutes afterward, and as we were all getting ready to leave the room, I heard the same guy jokingly ask his friend if they should switch to a different section, where the GSI could speak better English. I’m an international student from Korea who first came to the United States as a high school freshman. Trying to adjust to a completely new environment, I had one major concern: my English. I started learning English at the early age of five, thanks to my wise and perceptive parents. Somehow, I was able to speak the language without much accentuation, and as the years went by, I improved. At one point, I was asked by one of the teachers in my school, a native English speaker, if I was born in an English-speaking country. That felt good. For someone traveling all the way to the other side of the globe for the first time, by himself, as a 15-year-old, I was confident about my language skills and knew I wouldn’t have any problem communicating with the people I was going to meet. High school was great. Although it was one of the most stressful times in my life, it still remains one of my dearest memories. But there was one thing: I, who spoke almost perfect English, was accepted more as a friend and a student, when compared to my best friend who had a slight Korean accent. This dynamic made me think an American accent was an important distinction that made someone’s English more acceptable than another’s. I luckily never lost the
Anik Joshi can be reached at anikj@umich.edu.
How is my English? confidence I carried with me to the U.S., a confidence I developed from the validation I felt by not having an accent. Speaking without an accent nearly became an innate quality of mine: I did not have to constantly remind myself that I was not a native speaker. College is also great. By the time I got to Ann Arbor, I had already forgotten about the whole accent issue. And then I was unexpectedly reminded of the whole thing from that disruptive classmate. Following that day, I was more self-conscious about my nearperfect English. I had to think twice before I opened my mouth. I was afraid I might stumble through words or occasionally mess up the Ls and Rs, as they are sounds often fumbled by Koreans. I hesitated before saying the word “parallel.” An upcoming impromptu speech in my public speaking class suddenly felt like a nightmare. After spending a couple of days unnecessarily stressing myself out, I began to question the importance of an accent in speaking English. Is it really important or is it just another distinguishing factor that makes certain people sound better than others and nothing more? There was a brief experiment about the importance of an accent in English, conducted in Korea. Two groups of people, Koreans who only spoke limited English and native English speakers, listened to a speech delivered in English by Ban Ki-moon, the former Secretary-General of the United Nations. After the speech, both groups were asked to give remarks and assess the quality of the speech. Ban Ki-moon’s speech was targeted to a group of diplomats, so it was very eloquent and formal in manner and delivery, with an appropriate level of vocabulary used. The result of the study was interesting. Koreans who only spoke limited English generally thought the speech was a relatively poor one. Given Ban’s accent, they said it was hard for them to make out what he was saying. However, native English speakers responded by saying they did not have too much trouble understanding him and were very impressed by the quality
of the speech in general. So, the experiment — at least to a certain degree — proved the accent is of minor concern in evaluating a speech. The experiment also proved that native speakers tend to focus more on the content, not the accent, as much as those who don’t speak the language. The classmate who made those comments is an American and a native English speaker, I assume. What compelled him to make such comments? Of course, we must be wary when it comes to generalizations. In this case, I cannot assume that my classmate is like the native English speakers from the experiment who did not consider an accent to be of much importance. But the joke toward the end of the class made me think again. It made me reminisce about my high school experience and forced me to be conscious of my English for a while. What is clear, though, is that the comments made by my classmate were completely unnecessary. My classmate never switched to a different section after all. I don’t want to shed my classmate in a negative light per se. Nor am I writing this piece out of emotional reaction. The University is becoming more inclusive and diverse regarding students and faculty alike. There are a lot of international students like me, as well as professors and instructors from all around the world. Maybe some of them have such unique accents that they can’t go unnoticed. However, whether they have an accent shouldn’t be a central question or focal point. The question should always be how we can be considerate of one another and understand that we come from different backgrounds. As brightminded young adults, we should all work towards a more inclusive and welcoming environment. To do this, I politely ask that next time you see or talk to someone who has an accent, listen to what the person is saying, not to how the person sounds when they’re saying it. Min Soo Kim can be reached at kiminsoo@umich.edu.
Arts
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Tuesday, January 14, 2020 — 5
BOOK REVIEW
TV REVIEW
Hope amid desolation in ‘Where the World Ends’ EMILIA FERRANTE Daily Arts Writer
NBC
‘Extraordinary Playlist’ just might have the range ANYA SOLLER Daily Arts Writer
Amid the revival of the movie musical, NBC’s new pilot “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” seeks to capture the camp of Broadway classics along with modern millennial cynicism. A slightly magical premise and some genuinely funny moments make this show stand out from more formulaic sitcoms. Zoey (Jane Levy, “Don’t Breathe”), owner of the titular “Extraordinary Playlist,” works as a coder at a San Francisco start-up and struggles to connect with other people. After receiving an MRI during a small earthquake, she finds herself able to hear the inner thoughts of those around her in the form of pop songs and choreographed dances. With this ability, she discovers her male coworkers are targeting her for her gender, her crush Simon (John Clarence Stewart, “Luke Cage”) is coping with a death in the family and her near-comatose father (Peter Gallagher, “American Beauty”) is trying to reach out in his catatonic state. At first confused and terrified by her musical semi-hallucinations, Zoey gradually comes to accept that her telepathy can work to her advantage. By the end of the pilot, Zoey has secured a promotion at her start-up and has helped repair her family relationships. Unfortunately, Zoey’s powers begin to reveal things that she did not want to know:
Zoey’s love interest is actually engaged to another woman and her best friend and coworker Max (Skylar Astin, “Pitch Perfect”) is secretly in love with her. Employing the help of her eccentric neighbor Mo (Alex Newell, “Glee”) Zoey sets out to hone her newfound powers and avoid completely losing her mind to the music.
Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist Series Premiere NBC Sundays at 9 p.m. EST
“Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” has an undoubtedly ridiculous premise. It makes almost no sense. An MRI giving someone superpowers is too unrealistic for even the most absurd comic book. But it’s not a complete bust. At their best, musicals are campy and fun, so why not make TV the same way? After years of somber movie musicals like “Les Misérables” and box office disasters like “Cats,” there’s a distinct lack of truly joyous, respectably nonsensical music-
based media. The musical numbers of “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” are entertaining, the humor is self-aware and the characters are original and compelling. Overall, the silliness of the musical magic is balanced out by the genuine fun of the guilty pleasure sitcom format. The pilot sets up multiple storylines, establishing quick pacing. It does a good job of keeping the mood up when working against the idyllic San Francisco scenery. Still, the main issue with the pilot is its attempt to force tragedy into the mix. By introducing Zoey’s father as having a debilitating neurological condition that renders him unresponsive to most stimuli, “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” sets up tearjerker moments in his musical sequences that feel more exploitative than heartfelt. In equating Zoey’s quirky relationship drama with a family tragedy, the show doesn’t leave room to confront the more difficult themes of loss and grief that don’t mesh well with the pop soundtrack. Whether “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” can balance the wildly differing issues in the main character’s life with proper sensitivity remains to be seen. Regardless of this potential blindspot, the show had a promising start and has given itself ample room to grow and improve. If “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” can identify its weaker components, this show could fully capture the best aspects of the musical genre in a creative and innovative way.
Among coming-of-age stories, “Where the World Ends” by Geraldine McCaughrean is a bleak example. Nine boys and three men are stranded on what is essentially a large outcropping of rocks called the Warrior Stac, off the coast of their remote home in the British Isles. This part is true — there was a group of people stranded on a birding trip in the mideighteenth century — but the history is more an inspiration for McCaughrean than a factual base. Quilliam, the fictional main character, is a young teenage boy who, at the outset of the novel, is excited to gather birds from the Stac. His excitement quickly sours as the group is mysteriously stranded with no boat from the mainland to come pick them up at the end of their journey. The premise is clearly depressing, and the plot makes it seem like the book would be a chore to consume, leaving the reader with a vague sense of existential doom. Strangely, even after brutal depictions of violence, death, banishment and hunger, an enduring hope prevails at the novel’s conclusion. The boys themselves, as well as the birds that they hunt and rely on for survival, are symbols of perseverance. McCaughrean circumvents the possible problem of a tiringly masculine book as Quill learns early on in their ordeal that one of the other boys, John, is not a boy at all. What follows is a conflicted handling of gender pronouns as Quill tries to keep John’s secret for her own safety, while still acknowledging the gender identification she revealed to him. Meanwhile, John herself struggles with a complicated identity. She was pretending to be a boy at the behest of her mother, because she had never borne the son her husband wanted, so John “had always felt guilty since birth, after all, for not being a boy.” She knows she does not want to change her name or her personality, however — when one of the boys says he could never marry a John, she replies, “You can and you shall! ... I canna be doing with a new name.” John’s identity adds a layer of gender politics to the new society that
formed on the Stac. When the other boys try to exclude her from meetings on the basis of sex, she reminds them that she was included for many months when they thought she was a boy. Her very existence forces the boys to reconsider their traditional views of gender amid a survival situation. McCaughrean also deftly balances nature imagery and character description. She describes the Stac and its birds as beautiful, while still capturing the stark and unforgiving nature of the rocks on which the boys survive for nine months. In the beginning, when hope
Strangely, even after brutal depictions of violence, death, banishment and hunger, an enduring hope prevails at the novel’s conclusion.
is abundant on the Stac, the imagery is softer and more colorful — “The sunsets were feathery and pink. The brief nights were spark-filled with stars.” By the end of the book, when the Stac is no longer just an exciting symbol of manhood but also a bleak reminder of mortality, the descriptions become much darker: Quill is “impaled on the tip of a giant claw and held up close to the sky for cloud-beasts to squint at.” McCaughrean’s writing style transparently follows Quill’s feelings throughout, which not only strengthens the plot, but also helps her prose serve the overall emotional purpose of the novel. Even at the most desperate times, Quill retains a sense of wonder at the beauty of the Stac and an appreciation for the birds on it that give him life. Alongside Quill’s changing perceptions of his situation, the
novel’s descriptions of nature shift from an innocent portrait of beauty to a more nuanced acknowledgement of the danger and brutality that comes with that beauty. Several parts of the boys’ experience on the Stac makes it bearable. Quill almost obsesses over a girl named Murdina whom he met briefly on his home island. She came to his island from the mainland to teach the boys more about reading and writing, which is part of the reason why Quill felt so connected to her — to him, she represented education and storytelling. Quill is deemed “Keeper of Stories” because of his penchant for creating fantastical tales about the world around him that keep the other boys optimistic. Even on the Stac, the most desolate of places, he takes comfort in “collect[ing] words.” When Cane’s Bible is torn apart and the pieces go flying into the wind, Quill turns his literary eye on the situation and says the pages are “seeding the ledges and crags with words” that could give the boys “signs, warnings, encouragement.” In the darkest hours on the Stac, when everything seems hopeless, Quill’s eternal faith in the power of words is heartening to the other boys and to the reader. Quill’s storytelling streak gets him in trouble sometimes, like when it comes to one of the adults stranded with the boys, Col Cane. Cane represents the oppressive force of religion gone wrong, as he appoints himself minister of the group despite having no authority to do so. When Quill tells a story Cane thinks is too “pagan,” Cane accuses him of being a witch and he is banished, though not before being literally stoned by the other boys at the direction of the “minister.” Gradually, the boys begin to disregard Cane, and by extension adults and organized religion, in favor of their own freedom and ideas. Despite the despair of being separated from everything they know, the boys experience a remarkable degree of freedom on the Stac away from structured authority and society. This is perhaps the most important part of their coming-of-age story — they have an unprecedented amount of freedom that allows them to find themselves. On a lonely rock outcropping, “every boy is some manner of a king.”
Selena Gomez and selfempowerment on ‘Rare’ KATIE BEEKMAN Daily Arts Writer
Selena Gomez has seen it all. Lupus, a kidney transplant, publicized battles with anxiety and depression, an on-again, off-again ex-boyfriend who, you know, just happens to be Justin Bieber. With her latest album, Rare, she puts it all out on the table. “Oh, why don’t you recognize I’m so rare?” Gomez asks on the title track and album opener. This question and recognition of self-worth permeate through every song on Rare. Accompanied by soft, often midtempo, bubbly production and Gomez’s tendency to whisper and shout as much as she sings, this album crafts an atmosphere that feels prismatic. It’s pink and green and nice to f loat around in for an hour. It’s a celebration: both for Gomez’s hard-fought self love and for everyone else to realize their worth alongside her. On “Ring,” Gomez plays the bored and adored subject of many admirers’ attention. “Wrapped ‘round my finger like a ring, ring, ring,” she
sighs. The ring in the song later becomes the sound of the phone calls suitors keep making, but she doesn’t feel like bothering with. The production is playful, and it’s nice to see Gomez own her power after she’s claimed it for herself. However, Gomez jumps back into selfdefense on the addictive track “Vulnerable.” She declares her openness to the vulnerability of love, considering that “the only other option’s letting go” of the relationship. Gomez interrogates her potential lover at a rapid pace before diving into the chorus. “If I give the opportunity to you then would you blow it? / If I was
the greatest thing to happen to you would you know it?” she demands. Gomez makes the choice to fall for someone, feeling like they’re about to run away together on a secret mission. “People You Know” is simple and almost painfully repetitive, yet Gomez gets away with it. “We used to be close, but people can go / from people you know to people you don’t” she sings with indifference. The topic matter is so relatable that little else needs to be said for the message to resonate. It feels a little lazy to outline the arc of a relationship so succinctly, but it’s also fitting and upsettingly truthful. In “Cut You Off” the listener
And yet, Rare is necessary to the arc of both Gomex’s career and personal journey.
ALBUM REVIEW
INTERSCOPE RECORDS
hears the end of the BieberGomez saga once and for all as if it’s going down in real time. “Gotta chop-chop all the extra weight / I’ve been carrying for fourteen-hundredsixty days,” she admits to the mirror. The way Gomez slinks into this gradual realization is pleasantly reminiscent of her friend and singer-songwriter Julia Michaels’ style. On the closing track, “A Sweeter Place,” Gomez yearns for an escape. The song ascends above the already gooey, clap track, bubblegum tone of the album’s creation into a more sugar-coated heaven. Kid Cudi’s feature feels a bit out of place in Gomez’s daydream, but not enough to distract from what she’s getting at. Lyrics like, “Is there a place where I can hide
away? / Red lips, french kiss Rare is a building block my worries all away,” show for Gomez. It’s sticky sweet. that despite all of her previous Sometimes so much so that growth, she’s still it can feel stuck in selfgrowing. Perhaps the empowerment, best evidence no matter how of this need for important that theme is. And further growth is in Rare’s yet, Rare is missteps. “Kinda necessary to Selena Gomez Crazy” kicks off the arc of both Interscope Records to an intriguing Gomez’s career and personal start with juicy, imageryjourney. An filled lyrics, but artist equally falls f lat into a gentle and empowering, clunky chorus. “Crowded Room” a person who gives Gomez’s has endured a vocals space to lot but remains breathe and even shine, but well-intentioned, Selena Gomez does little else despite a feature is truly rare, and we should from 6lack. appreciate her for it.
Rare
Arts
6 — Tuesday Janurary 14, 2020
FILM NOTEBOOK
20TH CENTURY FOX
The memorable charm of ‘The Princess Bride’ SABRIYA IMAMI Daily Arts Writer
A number of movies could have quote-along showings with packed theaters full of diehard fans following along to every line of the film. But, from my experience, most of those aforementioned movies are part of some epic saga or franchise that has a hardcore fanbase — “The Avengers,” “Star Wars” and other major franchises. Which is great, of course (full disclosure: I am one of the diehard fans that could quote every line of “The Avengers”). But there are few movies outside of this category that can fill theaters with fans eager to relive the film with the characters. One of those rare movies is without a doubt Rob Reiner’s (“When Harry Met Sally”) “The Princess Bride.” I went to the Michigan Theater’s “Princess Bride” quote-along, not really knowing what to expect. Maybe a few people shouting out “inconceivables” or “as you wishes” and the occasional “my name is Inigo Montoya.” That’s not what I got. I got a packed theater, full of people who hadn’t just seen
“The Princess Bride” once or twice before, but people who had the movie almost entirely memorized. People were following along with
People were following along with the characters’ lines, making jokes to one another from opposite ends of the theater and absorbing this movie that is so undeniably loved. the characters’ lines, making jokes to one another from opposite ends of the theater and absorbing this movie that is so
undeniably loved. The thing about “The Princess Bride” is that it is an entirely new level of ridiculous. A prince named Humperdink (Chris Sarandon, “Fright Night”), a bizarrely gentlemanly sword fight, the notion of being “mostly dead”? None of these things strike anyone as being normal by any means, and in most other cases, details like these would be out of place. But in this movie, they’re perfect. This movie is unlike any other because the crazy, unbelievable moments complement the heartwarming scenes so well. To put it simply, for every scene where Buttercup (Robin Wright, “Forrest Gump”) literally flings herself down a hill in pursuit of Westley (Cary Elwes, “Saw”) — which is without a doubt one of the funniest (and most quotable) scenes in the movie — there is another scene where Westley jumps into quicksand without hesitation to save her. Every laughable moment has a lovable moment to match it. The audience at the quotealong knew that. They knew to laugh when Vizzini (Wallace Shawn, “Toy Story”) “outthought” Westley, they knew to boo the moment Prince Humperdink appeared on
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screen and they knew to cheer when Inigo (Mandy Patinkin, “Wonder”) finally avenged his father. They didn’t just quote the scenes; they matched Vizzini’s every lisp, Fezzik’s (André the Giant, “The Six Million Dollar Man”) gruff but sweet tone and the lilt of Inigo’s Spanish accent. They didn’t just know the movie; they were acting it out just as well as the characters were. The bizarre and completely unrealistic moments in “The Princess Bride” would annoy movie watchers for just about any other film, but not this one. Those details are what make the movie what it is: an absolutely iconic film that nearly the whole world has seen. This isn’t the kind of film you can just walk away from and forget. You remember it. Not just the “as you wishes,” but the whole beautifully constructed story. And because it has become one of those movies that everyone has seen and loved, it can have a quote-along that is enormously successful. “The Princess Bride” draws in people who have seen it before but are
“The Princess Bride” draws in people who have seen it before but are willing to see it again because they just love it that much. Not many other films can do that. This one is special.
willing to see it again because they just love it that much. Not many other films can do that. This one is special.
DAILY HUMOR COLUMN
How will you use that degree? BECKY PORTMAN
Daily Humor Columnist
One question has plagued seniors at this university for decades: “What are you doing after graduation?” As I begin the last semester of my college career in the Film, Television and Media program, I can’t stop hearing this inane question. Everywhere you go, everyone you speak to, every barista, every aunt and uncle, every student from your first year writing class, every Tinder swipe, every single person on this dying planet wants to know what you — yes, you — are doing after graduation. No matter how many times they ask, they will ask again. They will all ask until the question mark at the end wraps around your neck like a condescending scarf, or rather, noose. They wonder how your liberal arts degree will help you get a job. They ask why your parents paid tuition for you to watch movies. They don’t understand why you did not choose to study something more established or employable, like computer science or economics. They can’t wrap their heads around comedy as a profession, but they’ll ask: Have you seen “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”? Did you know that Joe Somethingstein interned at Saturday Night Live 20 years ago? He works in insurance now, he can put you in touch. Their college roommate’s son’s college roommate’s sister’s ex-boyfriend’s uncle works in entertainment, or was is marketing? Everyone wants to help you but they have no idea how. They want to give you a name, a number, a weak connection of Sudoku Syndication any kind to prove something,
perhaps to you but also to themselves. They want to be the ones who got you the job, so you won’t forget them when their kid needs a job. I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine, or I’ll pass your shitty excuse for a resume to some assistant at Warner Bros. who my sister knows from BBYO so you don’t forget where you came from. They inquire about your employable skills. You are more than proficient in Microsoft Office, but so is everyone. You spent years learning a language that no one speaks anymore. You used Photoshop once: naturally, you are an expert now. You have strong verbal and written communication skills, whatever the fuck that means. You can multitask, like that time you wrote an essay on Chaucer while simultaneously binge-ing “Love Island.” You are organized, but your room doesn’t highlight that (you are just super busy right now, if you were less busy, you would be way more organized). You are a team-player, as in you played on a little league team as an adult and you were still a benchwarmer. You are a problem-solver, you solve sudokus every day, even the medium level ones. You take initiative, you requested to follow him on Instagram before he requested to follow you. You have a positive attitude, you only cried twice this morning. You are a quick learner, you learned to use a tampon in the five minutes before Talia Shapiro’s pool party. They cross-examine you, asking about entry-level assistant positions, you can surely get one of those, right? Well, assistants need assistance only if you’ve had assistance in previously being an assistant. So, no. So, what are you doing after http://sudok graduation?
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Release Date: Tuesday, January 14, 2020
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Watering hole 4 African language group 9 Suddenly took interest 14 Québec street 15 Future oak 16 Way to go it 17 City near the Great Salt Lake 19 Has to have 20 Biceps exercises 21 Hosting a show, briefly 23 Tennis do-over 24 Breyers __ Cookies & Cream 25 “Be yourself,” nowadays 27 Arnaz-Ball production company 29 Muss, as hair 30 Magazine VIPs 31 Adjust to one’s environment 35 Old fast fliers 36 Casino advantage 39 Fleshy fruit 42 Barbecue spot 43 Can opener 46 Feathered friends 49 Beethoven’s “Tempest,” e.g. 51 “Be right with you” 55 Chimps and gorillas 56 Furry sitcom extraterrestrial 57 Chutzpah 58 Stick with a pin 59 Early American crop 61 Earth’s most central geologic layer ... or what can be found in each set of puzzle circles 63 Geographer’s volume 64 Tokyo-based watchmaker 65 No-frills bed 66 Filters (through) 67 Jacket material 68 “Very cute!” sounds
DOWN 1 Tacit rules of male friendship 2 Was a sign of 3 Set right 4 Passes a law against 5 Pressure prefix 6 “I’m innocent!” 7 Barely detectable amount 8 Far from cool 9 Serenaded 10 Stein filler 11 Like many summer shoes 12 Still being shuffled 13 Tablet crushers 18 “The Time Machine” race 22 Little point to pick 25 Spiral-horned antelope 26 Tricky plan 28 Vientiane people 32 Poisonous African snake 33 Stew morsel 34 Vietnamese New Year
36 Cookbook verb 37 Spinal segment 38 Bit of baby talk 39 Oftenabbreviated attire 40 Produce eggs 41 Put in the wrong folder 43 Pudding choice 44 Was humiliated 45 Laundry holders
47 “Easy to clean” ad claim 48 __-Cat: winter vehicle 50 DEA agent 52 Live 53 Muscular power 54 Start of a counting rhyme 58 Cattle poker 60 Microwave 62 Squeeze (out)
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Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, January 14, 2020— 7
Parris plays hero against Spartans Wolverines reinvigorate rivalry ARIA GERSON
DREW COX
Daily Sports Editor
Daily Sports Writer
Sean Bormet saw the look on Mason Parris’ face and knew what was going to happen. The Michigan wrestling team may have lost its last four bouts. It may have nearly blown a 16-point lead to Michigan State. But the Wolverines knew that in the moment, none of that mattered, because they had a cheat code the Spartans didn’t: sophomore heavyweight Mason Parris. The look Bormet saw didn’t betray him. Parris got a takedown right off the bat. After 29 seconds he had his opponent pinned, a result that gave the Wolverines six points and sealed their 22-14 win over Michigan State on Friday night. “I was pretty confident that Mason was capable of pinning him,” Bormet, the Michigan coach, said. “I didn’t know exactly how fast he would get there. But the minute he got the takedown and got those arm bars, I could see the look on his face and he was gonna turn the guy and pin him.” This is par for the course for Parris, who is the third-ranked heavyweight in the country and has five pins in seven matches. But it’s less often he has a performance as vital as Friday’s. Coming off a loss to Oregon State and two lackluster invitational finishes, the 25th-ranked Wolverines knew the opportunity they had kicking off the Big Ten season against the unranked Spartans. The start of the match reflected that, with Michigan taking the first five bouts and building a 16-0 lead. But Michigan State mounted a comeback, taking the next four bouts — including a technical fall that sent the Spartans’ side of the arena into a frenzy. With only one bout
Whether Indiana wants to admit it or not, it has a rival in Michigan. Since the 2015-2016 season, the Michigan men’s swimming and diving team has traded first and second place finishes with the Hoosiers at the Big Ten Championships. Of the 17 swimmers and divers named to the 2019 All-Big Ten First Team, 15 came from the two programs. “I really like our rivalry with them, if they consider it a rivalry with us,” senior Tommy Cope said. One may attribute Indiana’s recent dominance over Michigan to Cope’s comment. The Hoosiers have notched backto-back Big Ten championships and third-place finishes at the NCAA Championships in the past two seasons. Back in November, Indiana handed the Wolverines their first loss of the season at a dual meet in Bloomington. However, on Saturday, No. 3 Michigan (4-1 overall, 2-1 Big Ten) redeemed itself by upending the fifth-ranked Hoosiers’ (6-3, 2-1) recent reign of dominance and giving them their first Big Ten dual-meet loss in four years, resolidifying the rivalry. “It’s really fun to go race
MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily
Sophomore heavyweight Mason Parris pinned his opponent after 29 seconds.
remaining, the Wolverines’ lead had shrunk to two. Many other heavyweights would’ve crumbled in that situation. But Parris embraced the pressure, stepped on the mat and did the deed. “I just saw their whole bench, Michigan State’s bench just getting off and getting really rowdy and everything and I mean, props to them, but I kinda knew what was coming up next with Mason Parris,” freshman Cole Mattin said. “Whenever that guy steps on the mat, you know there’s definitely a probability of getting six points on the board for us and I knew that was coming, no matter what.” There’s no one else Michigan would rather have in a close match, and there’s no environment in which Parris thrives more. From the moment Parris stepped on the mat, Bormet was excited — not just for his star wrestler, but for the Cliff Keen crowd, because he knew it was about to be on its feet cheering. Parris approaches every match the same, he says, but he
loves being the heavyweight, because it means his bout is always last. There’s always a possibility the match comes down to him. “It’s a lot of good pressure on me and it helps me wrestle better,” Parris said. “ … I just kinda wanted to get the crowd pumped up and put an exclamation point on the dual win.” So when Parris held his opponent’s shoulders to the mat after just 29 seconds, he lifted his arms up in response, getting the crowd loud as the fight song rang over the speakers. He flexed for the fans. He wanted an exclamation point, and boy, did he create one. The Wolverines all saw it coming. But they enjoyed it just as much. “I knew, especially who it was coming up next, Mason Parris, I kinda knew they didn’t really have a chance,” Mattin said. “I’m just being honest. “Mason’s obviously very, very good. He’s super talented, he’s great at what he does, and he just went out and showed it.”
I kinda knew what was coming up next with ... Parris.
against top-notch people,” Cope said.“That’s how I know if I am doing well in the sport or not. It’s good to race against similar people. Iron sharpens iron.” Saturday’s meet in Ann Arbor emulated the two schools’ tense, back-and-forth competition that has persisted over the years. In a meet where every dive and every race seemed to matter, both sides battled and exchanged first place finishes throughout the day. Impressive individual performances by Cope and junior Ricardo Vargas led the way for the Wolverines. Cope took first place in both the 100 and 200-yard breastroke (1:56.34, 1:58.97), with senior Charlie Swanson and sophomore Will Chan finishing behind him in respective events. A crucial first place finish by Cope in the 200yard individual medley (1:45.61) helped Michigan pull away in the latter half of the meet. Capturing the sentiment of the rivalry, Cope splashed the water around and pumped his fist following his victory in the individual medley to mimic Indiana swimmers’ ostentatious celebrations in previous races. Vargas, meanwhile, placed first in the 500 and 1,000-yard freestyle with times of 4:21.85 and 9:01.82, with sophomore Patrick Callan
and senior Felix Auböck placing second and third behind Vargas in the 500. Even when Indiana took first place in events, Michigan found ways to garner points in close races to secure second, third and fourth places. In the 200-yard butterfly, senior Miles Smachlo and Vargas finished second and third behind the Hoosiers’ Brendan Burns to pick up seven points for their side. Smachlo avenged himself to edge out Burns in the 100-yard butterfly with an impressive finish of 46.84. In the diving well, although Indiana’s Mory Gould finished first place in the 1-meter and 3-meter events, junior Ross Todd, senior Jake Herremans and junior Chris Canning placed behind him in both events. The trio netted 18 points to cancel out the 18 points Gould won for his team. “Everyone was up and scoring,” Michigan coach Mike Bottom said. “When (Indiana) won an event, we were right behind them with two or three people. We took away their superstars with our team. And that’s how you win these meets.” Building off mounting midseason momentum, the Wolverines were able to rise to the challenge and prove why they have been right behind the Hoosiers in Big Ten rankings recently.
CAMERON HUNT/Daily
The Michigan men’s swimming and diving team has enjoyed a rivalry with Indiana since the 2015-16 season.
Off the blocks Michigan starts season by showcasing young talent in Wolverine Invitational, landing 25 podium finishes NICHOLAS STOLL
SPENCER RAINES
Daily Sports Writer
The pistol fired, sending the runners into motion at the Wolverine Invitational and signaling the beginning of the indoor track and field season for both the Michigan men’s and women’s teams. Out of 30 final events on Saturday, the Wolverines had 25 individuals land podium finishes in 18 events — six of which were first place. The unscored invitational featured Eastern Michigan, Toledo, Buffalo, Miami (Fla.) and professional non-collegiate athletes. Among them were notable runners Melissa Bishop-Nriagu — a Canadian Olympian who ran at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics — British Olympian Tiffany Porter and Olympic hopefuls Mason Ferlic and Shannon Osika, both former Wolverines. “So we invite those kids in, those young men and women in, when we’re not having a scored meet,” Michigan co-head coach James Henry said. “We want our kids to aspire that, ‘I want to be there’ and, ‘I’m right next to an Olympian,’ and they’re out there in the meet and they see this is what it’s like. . . . So we want them here so they can aspire to be a part of that.” But Michigan didn’t need to look far for inspiration. Both senior thrower Briana Nelson and junior thrower Courtney Jacobsen broke the previous school record of 19.53 meters in the weight throw. Additionally, multiple athletes recorded personal records, including high jumpers Jada Wimberly and Katt Miner — a junior and a senior, respectively. “Me and Jada wanted to
Daily Sports Writer
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
The Michigan women’s track and field team broke numerous school and personal records at the Wolverine Invitational.
be really relaxed today and not stressed about anything,” Miner said. “Our goal was just to make bar and just try to be consistent. And it just went way better than we both expected. But I think that’s just because we weren’t stressed about height or anything at all today.” Wimberly placed third by jumping over a 1.70-meter bar, besting her previous indoor record of 1.66 meters. Miner shattered her 1.71 indoor record by clearing a 1.80-meter bar and claimed first in the high jump event. “I think other meets, we put pressure on ourselves to make certain bars,” Miner said. “We end up just kind of getting really tense and not fluid through it, so moving through them was really nice. And then, when we got to higher heights, we were just kind of like ‘OK, let’s keep it going.’ ” Other first place finishers included sophomore Eric Harris in men’s pole vault, freshman Amanda Schaare in
Our goal was just to make bar and just try to be consistent.
women’s shot put, sophomore John Meyer in men’s shot put, sophomore Colton Yesney in the men’s 3,000-meter run and both the men’s and women’s teams in the 4x400-meter relay. Additionally, freshman distance runner Ericka VanderLende placed seconf in the mile, only behind Nikesponsored runner and Tokyo 2020 Olympic hopeful Shannon Osika. After a successful cross country season, VanderLende chose to work on her get-off and focused more on speed work during the winter. Despite the change going into her first indoor season, she still managed to finish favorably in her event. At the end of the meet, Henry gathered both teams together and had the athletes share not only their successes, but their disappointments and failures as well. “I want the kids to hear all levels of how well we’re doing so you can take that and become better,” Henry said.
“So if someone wet the bed, use that to get better. If someone had an average day, use that to get better. If the throwers or whatever had a great day, use that to step up. “So all action is a positive reaction.” The goal is to get better. That’s why Henry has been having his athletes practice this self-reflection for over 30 years and why he’ll have them do it after every meet this year. “It’s a process for all of our kids,” Henry said. “If you do well, it’s a process. If you do bad, it’s a process.” The results of the Michigan men’s and women’s track and field teams’ first meet make one thing clear — each Wolverine is in a different part of the process. Some broke school and personal records. Some ‘wet the bed.’ And some didn’t even make it to the starting block on Saturday. But one part of the process is clear — they are all expected to get better.
If you do well, it’s a process. If you do bad, it’s a process.
Every meet is a part of the process. From a non-scoring meet in early January to the NCAA Championships, there is value in every competition. Saturday, on an otherwise uneventful day, that value came from young athletes making their indoor debut for the Michigan men’s and women’s track team. “The biggest thing I’m always looking for is that the kids get some competition in,” Michigan co-head coach James Henry said. “They get to the line, they finish the line and they’re healthy.” A lot of freshmen did, in fact, get to the line and finish. In the 800-meter run, freshman Ben Jacobs sprinted to a fourth-place finish in 1:58. In the men’s mile, freshman Anthony DeKraker powered down the home straight coming in third with a time of 4:12, with freshman John Florence right behind him in fifth with a time of 4:17. Later in the meet, freshman Nick Trevisan came in third in the 3000-meter with a time of 8:43, surpassing several competitors who had taken an early lead over the pack. A solid showing from the men’s newcomers was duplicated on the women’s side. Freshman Samantha Saenz took fourth in the 3000-meter, covering the 15 laps in 10:02. And freshman Ericka VanderLende — coming off her All-American cross country season — took second place in the women’s mile with a mark of 4:49, losing only to Nike’s professional runner Shannon Osika. “In high school, I didn’t
really do a lot of hard stuff in the winter, and now I’m doing a lot of hard workouts,” VanderLende said of her transition to her first track season. “So I’m seeing a lot of big improvements for the indoor season.” VanderLende’s second place finish was only surpassed by one Michigan newcomer — freshman Amanda Schaare. Schaare won the women’s shot put with a throw of 15.22, besting the rest of the field by over two-tenths of a meter. “She redshirted last year. She wasn’t ready for the big leagues,” Henry said. “But she was trained to be a big leaguer, and she stepped onto the stage and she performed like a big leaguer. That’s just a part of the process.” Henry stressed the process for these young athletes. For him, it’s all about the Wolverines coming in and just getting better and committing to it, and all of these young competitors seem to be responding. “It’s a process for all of our kids, especially (Michigan co-head coach Jerry Clayton)’s kids, it’s important,” Henry said. “If you do well, it’s a process. If you do bad, it’s a process.” Schaare is a shining example of this, with her yearlong break from competition allowing her to be a force in the field events like she was on Saturday. “That kid spent the whole year training and not competing,” Henry said. “And when it’s her time to get on the stage, she shined.” So, if the athletes who suited up for their debut Saturday trust the process as Schaare has, then there’s no telling just how bright the future can be.
They get to the line, they finish the line and they’re healthy.
Sports
8 — Tuesday, January 14, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Assessing the state of Michigan’s frontcourt
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Sophomore forward Colin Castleton is averaging just 2.0 points on 21-percent shooting over his last six games.
DANIEL DASH
Daily Sports Writer
After the Michigan men’s basketball team lost to Minnesota on Sunday, Juwan Howard fielded the same questions that surfaced after Thursday’s double-overtime win over Purdue. On each occasion, the questions were rooted in the consistent success opposing Big Ten post players have sustained against the Wolverines’ interior defense. This time, though, the press conference took on a much different tone. Reclining at the Crisler Center podium after Michigan’s victory over the Boilermakers, Howard was repeatedly asked about Purdue forward Trevion Williams’ 36 points and 20 rebounds. He attributed it to his stubbornness, even flashing a grin at one point. But after Gophers’ center Daniel Oturu’s 30 points propelled Minnesota past the Wolverines on Sunday, there was no writing it off. And there was certainly no grinning. For Michigan’s frontcourt, this isn’t a new problem. If anything, it’s becoming run of the mill. Oturu became the third Big
Ten center to set a new careerhigh scoring total against the Wolverines this season, joining Williams and Iowa’s Luka Garza. At the core of Michigan’s problem is Howard’s refusal to double-team opposing centers in the low post — a strategy that leaves senior center Jon Teske with no help defense. “The coaching (is) stubborn, not bringing a double-team,” Howard said on Thursday. “I know Jon is like, ‘Well, can I get some help, too?’ … But at the end of the day, (Williams’) 36 points, those were on me — they weren’t on Jon Teske. He scored those on me.” Entering this season, it seemed as though Michigan’s frontcourt had the potential to be its strong suit. Given Howard’s reputation for developing big men, it seemed safe to predict Teske would build off a productive junior season and sophomores Colin Castleton and Brandon Johns Jr. would take the next step. As a unit, that hasn’t happened on the defensive end. Opposing Big Ten post players — Williams, Oturu, Garza, Michigan State’s Xavier Tillman and Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn — are averaging
a staggering 29.8 points on 55 percent shooting against the Wolverines. Yet from an individual standpoint, Teske and Johns have taken a step forward under Howard’s tutelage. Teske’s 14.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game both lead the team, while his expanded post repertoire has allowed him to become a reliable source of offense. In Johns’ moments of clear confidence, he’s shown flashes of high-level play against the Hawkeyes, Spartans and Oregon. And despite Howard’s best efforts, Johns’ biggest pitfall remains his fluctuating confidence. With Castleton averaging just 2.0 points on 21 percent shooting over the last six games, an opportunity has presented itself for senior center Austin Davis — who began the season as an afterthought — to crack the rotation. In the same span, Davis is averaging 5.8 points on a 65-percent clip. But Davis’ drawback remains his shaky defense, which underscores the team’s overall problem guarding the interior. The power forward position, too, has been uncertain since
Wolverines want more scoring from defensemen in second half of season BAILEY JOHNSON Daily Sports Editor
Mel Pearson has spent the last couple of weeks emphasizing Michigan’s need to get more offensive output from its defensemen. In Saturday night’s win over then-No. 14 Notre Dame, Pearson saw what he’d been pushing come to fruition. Sophomore defenseman Nick Blankenburg scored the gametying goal in the second period, and fellow sophomore blueliner Jack Summers followed with the game winner just a few minutes later. Blankenburg also notched an assist on senior forward Jake Slaker’s empty-net goal, and freshman defenseman Cam York made the pass to Blankenburg for his goal. It was just what Pearson was hoping to see. “We got some goals from our defensemen,” Pearson said Saturday night. “We’ve been talking about that the last couple weeks. We need to get more offense from our defensemen, just the way teams play.” On Monday, Pearson elaborated on why getting offensive production from the blueline is so key with the way teams play these days. “You can almost draw a line from the back of the boards through the dots up to the top of the circles and everybody packs it in and gives you the perimeter,” Pearson said. “Most teams are going to give you the outside. It’s not like basketball where you have to defend a 3-point shot or anything like that, so everybody just packs it in. And then you’ve got to try to get it through them and the goalie, so your defensemen are gonna have the puck a lot and they’re gonna have to make plays.” With Summers’ and Blankenburg’s goals on Saturday, the work the defensive corps has been doing in practice this season began to show up. Nearly every day in practice, the Wolverines run drills that require defensemen to have the
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Sophomore defenseman Nick Blankenburg tied Saturday’s game at Notre Dame.
puck on their stick and make a play to get it to the net. On Monday, the first drill of the day involved two forwards at the net front, working on tipping in shots from defensemen at the blueline. It was far from the only drill where Michigan’s defensemen were put in position to score. “In practice, when the (defensemen) are joining the rush, just trying to score and bury your chances,” York said. “A lot of times, you’re out there defending for a while and it’s hard to join the rush just because you’re tired or you’re out of breath or whatever, but just trying to get an extra leg and help out the forwards in the offensive zone as much as we can is big for us and will help us score goals.” Summers’ game-winner exemplified what York means about the defensemen helping the forwards in the offensive zone. As senior forward Will Lockwood worked through the top of the offensive zone with the puck, Summers moved toward the front of the net. It put him in position to receive a pass through the zone and send a backhand shot into the net’s top corner — a play typically made by a forward, but with Lockwood up by the blueline, Summers crashed down to take that spot. “(Summers’) goal, especially, I think that’s big,” Blankenburg said. “Kinda jumping down when
that forward comes up. I feel like that’s kinda what we envision when we want (defensemen) to jump up in the play, especially when we had possession in the (offensive) zone.” The Wolverines have particularly put focus on defensemen jumping up in the play to create odd-man rushes and add pressure in the offensive zone. Through the first half of the season, blueliners like senior Griffin Luce — who has 12 points in 117 career games — could often be seen joining the rush, even when it was unlikely they’d be scoring themselves. Simply having the extra person up in the play increases the chances of getting an outnumbered rush or the defending team leaving a forward wide open for a scoring chance. “Having a fourth guy in the rush, creating a four-on-two or whatever, you have a lot better chance of scoring and creating opportunities,” York said. “I think going into the second half, we need to do a lot more of it and it’ll help us out a lot.” Defensemen accounted for two of Michigan’s six goals in its sweep over the Fighting Irish — just its second sweep of the season. As the Wolverines look to string wins together and turn their season around in the second half, Pearson will be looking to his defensive corps to help make it happen.
junior Isaiah Livers sustained a groin injury on Dec. 21 and was ruled out indefinitely. This has caused Howard to tinker with a small-ball lineup featuring freshman wing Franz Wagner at the ‘4.’ With Livers on the shelf, Michigan has badly missed a vital piece of its offense. His conference-best 50-percent clip from beyond the arc preserves the necessary spacing for a formidable pick-and-roll. With Livers on the floor, defenses can’t afford to help off the perimeter when the ball-handler turns the corner, which is a major reason why the Wolverines are so successful out of the pick-and-roll. Michigan has shot below 40 percent from beyond the arc in all four games since Livers’ injury. When Howard was asked about Livers’ return date on Sunday, he dodged the question. For now, replacing him with Wagner — who can defend multiple positions and score at each level — attempts to combat that problem without overhauling the team’s offensive identity. “That group is very dynamic,” Howard said. “They have five skill guys. Franz is a very skillful guy that can put the ball on the floor and shoot with good length.” Against Purdue, Howard turned to that lineup for the final nine minutes of regulation and the entirety of both overtime periods. Three days later, it was on the floor for crunch time minutes in Minneapolis. While Wagner (34.5 percent) poses more of a 3-point shooting threat than Johns (27.3 percent), neither open driving lanes by occupying off-ball defenders as well as Livers. As a result, off-ball defenders can leave them to help stop the pick-and-roll. Perhaps Livers’ return will alleviate some of the spacing issues facing Michigan’s frontcourt. Until then, it remains uncertain whether Howard will be grinning at the podium going forward.
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WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS
‘M’ unable to lock in ABBIE TELGENHOF Daily Sports Writer
Lock-in. It’s the motto the Michigan women’s gymnastics team (1-0) adopted at the start of its season. Featured as a hashtag in each tweet from the team’s Twitter, and evident in every interview, the motto has come to define what the Wolverines strive to achieve each meet. However, in its season opener against Texas Woman’s University (0-1) and Washington (0-1), Michigan couldn’t convert its words into actions despite winning 195.650 to 195.350 to 189.850, respectively. The Wolverines looked lockedin at the get-go. They started strong on the vault, posting a 49.325 score. In her collegiate debut, freshman Gabby Wilson stuck the landing, earning a 9.900 score — the highest on the night. Freshman Sierra Brooks and sophomore Maddie Mariani both contributed scores of 9.875. “We came up with this new motto called lock-in,” Wilson said. “And I really tried to embody it.” The next rotation featured Michigan on bars. Senior Maggie O’Hara tied her career-best with a score of 9.825 — after a seasonending Achilles injury last season. Wilson won the bars event with a score of 9.875, while sophomore Natalie Wojick contributed a 9.825. The Wolverines were cruising. Then they fell apart. Brooks fell off the bars during her transition from high to low bar, resulting in a 9.100. And with the move to beam, Michigan disregarded their new motto completely. Wojick, the 2019 NCAA beam champion, fell early in her
routine. Overall, the team scored just 48.100 points, nearly one full point lower than its scores on all the other events. The lack of execution on staying locked-in to routines caused the Wolverines to fall behind in the meet standings. Going into the final rotation Michigan was losing to the Huskies by four-tenths of a point. Undeterred by the deficit, the Wolverines attacked the floor with newly-found focus — but continued to fall short. Wilson stepped out of bounds during a pass, and other errors were contributed by her teammates. The only gymnast to rise up from the adversity was Wojick, who rebounded from her error-ridden beam routine to post a score of 9.900, winning the event. In the face of numerous mistakes, the Wolverines managed to steal a win by just three-tenths of a point. Despite the win, Michigan was unhappy with its performance. “Quite honestly, I was very disappointed,” Michigan coach Bev Plocki said. “Very disappointed with beam and not very excited about floor either.” In the rest of their season, the Wolverines will look to capitalize on their larget contributors — the underclassmen. With four new freshmen, Michigan isn’t panicking. “I have to remind myself that there’s pressure,” Plocki said. “The freshmen are still learning how to handle that. So I’m not concerned for the season, I think we’re going to turn around the mistakes we made, and I think that we’re on track to have a great season.” Michigan is ready to lock back in.
I have to remind myself that there’s pressure.
When will it come together?
secrets of Michigan bubbled t’s just frustrating. As quickly as Brown’s conup at once on the court. Turn- fidence had reappeared, it Frustrating watching overs, turnovers, turnovers. a Michigan women’s basdisappeared. When driving No 3-pointers, no momentum ketball team that’s showed its to the basket, Robbins and swingers, no penetration. potential over and over again. Dilk were repelled and only Barnes Arico said they were Hillmon could find success Frustrating, knowing that pressing, forcing the extra even when under the basket — until Ohio pass. Johnson pointed to the just three State decided to defend the Terps’ athleticism, how the of its playonly thing working for MichiWolverines are still getting ers are gan. The bench, showcasing a used to competing against on their spark, perhaps, in the Michihigh-level opponents — a A-game, gan State game, returned to hangover from a weak nonthe team being seat-heaters. conference schedule. can comA dud’s a dud, though there They couldn’t springboard pete with were bigger fish to fry — a KENT off their defense, one of anyone. rematch with ranked MarySCHWARTZ the best in the conference, Frustratland. A chance to even the because they lost the ball at ing, knowscore, show this team can beat halfcourt more often than ing that one of the best in the country. they made a shot. rarely happens. That game wasn’t a dud, it was “So much of it is mental as Sophomore guard Amy Dilk an implosion. much as it is physical at this can cut apart defenses on her The puzzle, nearly compoint,” Barnes Arico said. way to the basket. Sophomore plete, fell apart. “But Naz Hillmon, Kayla Robforward Naz Hillmon can be Maybe now that the Wolunstoppable down low. Junior bins, Amy Dilk are better than verines came so close to realturning the basketball over forward Hailey Brown defies izing their potential, they’ll that many times.” her position, raining down only take a couple days rest And they are. In the second or a win over a struggling threes. Senior forward Kayla half of the game against the Robbins takes two steps, and Wisconsin to get their mojo Spartans, Michigan shot 77.7 suddenly she has a wide open back. A couple of games where percent from the field. Dilk layup. Senior guard Akienreh they’re in control, where they Johnson locks down opposing and Hillmon plowed through can get their confidence back. anything Michigan State defenses. After all, last season Michithrew at them, and in the After the Wolverines beat gan went through a January fourth quarter the Wolverines where it lost five of six games Michigan State on Jan. 5, didn’t turn the ball over. Michigan coach Kim Barnes before ending the season winAfter that high, though, Arico referred to multiple ning eight of nine. Michigan faced another rival plays when everything was This year, there are 13 in Ohio State. On the road, in a games left to put the puzzle clicking and where secondary barely inhabited arena. Just as back together. scoring targets came up huge, it seemed the team was clicknamely from the 3-point line. ing — its wheels oiled, rolling, “Sometimes we miss those, Kent Schwartz can be reached at coming for you — the Wolverand when we miss them it’s kentsch@umich.edu or, preferably, ines laid an egg. a different type of game,” on Twitter @nottherealkent. Barnes Arico said. “But tonight we made them, and that’s something our team works on every day, is making those shots and having the confidence to take those shots in big games, and tonight we did both of those things.” The problem is, when it’s against good opponents, more often it’s “most of the time” instead of “sometimes.” Brown and Johnson go cold from three. Dilk and Robbins get stonewalled in the lane. Hillmon is suffocated at the post. There’s no bench help, no spark. ALEC COHEN/Daily In Sunday’s 77-49 loss to No. 17 Maryland all the dirty Kim Barnes Arico’s team has shown potential but must play up to it.