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Ann Arbor, Michigan
U-M instructors ‘e-pivot’ to remote instruction for first two weeks of semester
With COVID-19 case counts at a record high, some faculty members decide to shift online
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NADIR AL-SAIDI, KAITLYN LUCKOFF AND GEORGE WEYKAMP Daily News Editors
The Graduate Employees’ Organization and some faculty members at the University of Michigan are calling on the administration to pivot to remote learning, or “e-pivot,” for the first two weeks of the semester in an effort to curb the recent skyrocket in COVID-19 Omicron cases. On Wednesday, GEO hosted a press conference via Zoom to announce they would take matters into their own hands, teaching remotely until cases return to a more manageable level Rebekah Modrak, professor of Art & Design, said the combination of rising hospitalizations, no remote options for students who test positive for COVID-19 and Ann Arbor Public Schools going online for the week of Jan. 3 outweigh the harms of two weeks of virtual learning. “If we are willing to look at the present reality, not as we may ideally want it to be, but as it is, what we see is that instructors are reporting high-numbers of frantic emails from students notifying them of an infection, a need to isolate, or delays in their travel plans,” Modrak said. Positive COVID-19 cases at the University are currently at their highest since February 2021. The U.S. also recently reported over one million new daily COVID-19 cases on Jan. 4. Lecturers’ Employee Organization president Kirsten Herold, who was also present at the press conference, said while the Fall 2021
semester was successful, too much is unknown about the omicron variant of COVID-19 to mandate in-person instruction. “A lot of (LEO) members want to teach in-person,” Herold said. “We are calling on the administration to allow instructor discretion – at least for the first few weeks … . We find the distrust in faculty members to make the right choice really disheartening.” Prior to Wednesday’s press conference, GEO held an emergency general membership meeting Tuesday to discuss the University’s decision to have an in-person semester. After the meeting, GEO sent an email, which was obtained by The Daily, to their members, saying 95% of attendees voted to endorse a motion to support an e-pivot. GEO president Joey Valle said at the press conference that hybrid learning is inevitable due to high numbers of faculty members and students testing positive for COVID-19 and having to quarantine. Valle said the complications with resuming in-person learning outweigh the potential benefits. “The University has repeatedly made the claim that classrooms are safe and there’s no transmission in classrooms, however after repeated asking, they have not provided the evidence of that,” Valle said. “ The University’s stance that people need to be in person … despite many unknowns on how omicron is transmitted within our University’s campus represents a situation that is very concerning for many of our members.” The GEO conference comes after U-M faculty penned an open letter to the campus community
Monday advocating for a short period of remote learning at the beginning of the term. The rapid spread of the omicron variant has led 1,475 community members to ask for remote instruction, according to the letter. The letter highlights similar concerns from students, faculty and families as hospitals are overwhelmed with positive cases. The letter says while the University as an institution continues to push for in-person instruction, the e-pivot is something faculty and students are personally deciding to participate in on the individual level. University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald told The Michigan Daily in an email that the signatories to the open letter represent a small percentage of faculty on the University’s campus and those who signed the letter aren’t necessarily instructors or planning on moving their classes remotely. According to Fitzgerald, the University has 5,200 instructors teaching classes to more than 50,000 students this term. “A classroom at U-M is, perhaps, the safest place to be in the entire state of Michigan,” Fitzgerald wrote. “As noted on our public dashboard, 98 percent of all students are vaccinated, 98 percent of faculty are fully vaccinated and there is an indoors (sic) masking requirement across the campus.” In an interview with The Michigan Daily, GEO Secretary SN Yeager said they would like to see the University reassess their decision for in-person learning after the e-pivot time period is over.
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‘I feel disrespected’: UMich students face long wait for quarantine & isolation housing
‘U’ experiences delays, prioritize on-campus residents in Q&I accommodations ANNA FIFELSKI Daily Staff Reporter
Update 1/8: The University of Michigan has updated its COVID-19 dashboard to reflect an increase in quarantine housing availability. University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald wrote in an email to The Daily that the increase reflects the University’s plan to house two students in two-bedroom quarantine housing spaces. Previously, each apartment housed only one student, regardless of how many bedrooms it had. When LSA freshman Ruide Xu — who lives in South Quadrangle residence hall — tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday, his first thought was to contact the quarantine housing hotline — only to be met with no response after multiple calls and emails. “We doubted if (the University of Michigan) has (sic) enough quarantine housing,” Xu said. “It feels like they’ve got very bad communication and management there and people are getting really confused when they need help.” Eventually, Xu said he was able to contact a representative from the U-M Division of Public Safety and Security but was informed that he was not on the quarantine housing list despite being enrolled as a student living on campus who tested positive for COVID-19. As of Friday evening, Xu has still not been relocated to the University’s quarantine and isolation housing and has been living in his dorm awaiting further instructions. Similar to Xu, other U-M students who have tested positive for COVID-19 have also struggled to find Q&I housing in light of the recent surge in positive COVID-19 cases. The increase in cases comes after the University announced they would be resuming in-person classes as scheduled on Jan. 5 despite calls for classes to be delayed or moved online for two weeks in response to the rapid spread of the omicron variant. Some instructors elected to e-pivot for the first two weeks of the semester. As of Friday, The University has reported 815 positive COVID-19 cases for the week of Jan. 1. The updated Q&I policies exclude students living off campus from University-
provided accommodations, according to Vice President for Student Life Martino Harmon. In a Jan. 6 email to students, Harmon wrote students living off campus who contract COVID-19 should “remain in residence” or “relocate to another residence, such as a permanent residence” for the duration of the isolation period. Harmon also said Q&I housing was 11.5% occupied. University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald wrote in an email to The Michigan Daily the University was anticipating an increase in demand for Q&I housing at the start of the semester and were thus prioritizing on-campus residents — a policy that, according to Fitzgerald, has been in place since last semester. “With the start of the term and many students moving back into the residence halls, and anticipated increased need for isolation for on-campus residents, Q&I space is being prioritized for on-campus residents and not available to off-campus students at this time,” Fitzgerald wrote. “That approach has not changed from the fall term.” In a separate email to The Daily, Fitzgerald provided additional resources for students who test positive for COVID19, encouraging those who get tested off campus to report their results to the University. “(Reporting positive tests) is the quickest, most effective way to get on the list for transfer to Q&I housing,” Fitzgerald said. “As our Student Life colleagues investigate some of these situations, they are finding that students are not uploading their test results.” Students can report their positive COVID-19 test results here. As of Jan. 7, Q&I housing occupancy is reported to be at 33.3% capacity. University spokesperson Kim Broekhuizen wrote in an email to The Daily that Q&I housing data is updated every morning at 8:30 a.m., and students who move into housing after the data is posted are not included until the next day. “It is not real time data,” Broekhuizen wrote. “As noted, Q&I is constantly moving students in, and out, each day. The numbers are always changing.”
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Daily investigation finds administrators knew of bullying claims against former CSE professor Previously undisclosed allegations of abusive behavior revealed against Daniel Genkin
ELISSA WELLE
Daily Staff Reporter
In July 2021, Rackham alumni Matthew Bernhard heard that the Georgia Institute of Technology was considering offering a job to thenUniversity of Michigan professor Daniel Genkin. Bernhard had repeatedly made UMich administrators aware of Genkin’s alleged academic bullying in the Computer Science and Engineering department. He decided it was worth making his concerns known one more time, this time via a Twitter direct message to an acquaintance and faculty member in Georgia Tech’s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy. “Hey, so word on the street is that (Georgia Tech) is making an accelerated tenure offer to Daniel Genkin,” Bernhard wrote in messages obtained by The Michigan Daily. “That’s possibly a really bad idea. Daniel is horrifically abusive to students and other faculty, a fact pattern that has followed him from Penn to UMich.” After receiving this message, the
Georgia Tech faculty member sent a screenshot of it to the interim chair of the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, Rich DeMillo, according to emails obtained by The Daily under a Freedom of Information Act request. The Georgia Tech faculty member introduced Bernhard to DeMillo via an email, obtained by The Daily, sent later that day. Within hours, Bernhard sent DeMillo a multi-paragraph description of Genkin’s alleged bullying at UMich. A portion of Bernhard’s email to DeMillo. Bernhard never heard back. But DeMillo included Bernhard’s allegations in a document obtained by The Daily detailing the numerous warnings Georgia Tech had received about Genkin’s alleged behavior. Document describing allegations obtained by The Daily under FOIA. Download Two weeks later, DeMillo announced Genkin’s hiring to Georgia Tech’s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy. A Michigan Daily investigation found numerous previously
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undisclosed allegations of abusive behavior against Genkin. These allegations span Genkin’s time at the University of Pennsylvania, where Genkin was previously employed as a postdoctoral researcher, and at the University of Michigan, where Genkin was a faculty member in the Computer Science and Engineering department from 2018 to 2021. The allegations range from pressure to falsify data to comments and actions insinuating physical violence. They also include alleged misogynistic and racially charged comments, emotional manipulation and unprofessional workplace behavior. The Daily’s investigation also found that administrators at UPenn, UMich and Georgia Tech were repeatedly made aware of these allegations, according to dozens of emails, messages and other documents obtained by The Daily. The Daily also found that complaints against Genkin were reported to UMich’s then-Office for Institutional Equity (now the Office for Equity, Civil Rights & Title IX). At least one of these complaints prompted an
investigation into Genkin’s behavior. The status of this investigation remains unclear. In an email to The Daily, Genkin disputed these allegations. “These [allegations] were investigated by Michigan’s CSE and found to be inaccurate or exaggerated,” Genkin wrote. “As a result, no disciplinary actions were taken. I was never contacted by OIE and have a clean disciplinary record across Penn, Michigan and Georgia Tech.” Genkin’s statement to The Daily. Blair Meeks, Georgia Tech’s Assistant Vice President of External Communications, wrote in an emailed statement to The Daily that “all of (Georgia Tech’s) typical hiring procedures including background checks, criminal record checks and reference input” were followed when hiring Genkin. DeMillo declined numerous interview requests, writing in an email to The Daily, “I am unclear what story you are asking me to share my side of.” “Some of your questions refer to past events at Michigan about which I have no first-hand knowledge,” DeMillo
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wrote in a later email to The Daily. “Other questions appear to be based on allegations that are flatly untrue.” DeMillo declined to comment on specific allegations and didn’t note which ones he believes are untrue. Michael Wellman, the current Chair of UMich’s Computer Science and Engineering department, said in an interview with The Daily that the department effectively addressed complaints against Genkin. “In this case, the actions … we implemented to address concerns about faculty behavior were effective,” Wellman said. “We investigated immediately, we supported the students, we set clear expectations for the faculty member for correction and improvement. We took decisive action, CSE did, in this case as soon as relevant information was brought to our attention.” This is not the first allegation of improper workplace conduct to be raised against professors in UMich’s CSE department. In February 2020, The Verge reported allegations of sexual harrassment against CSE
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professor Jason Mars. In May 2021, The Daily published an investigation regarding UMich’s handling of allegations of sexual misconduct against former CSE professor Walter Lasecki. The CSE department has also experienced rapid turnover in leadership. Chair Brian Noble stepped down in February 2020, weeks after allegations were reported against Mars. Later that year, Interim Chair Peter Chen abruptly stepped down in July 2020 for “personal reasons.” In January 2021, Chen was charged with criminal sexual misconduct, and that case is currently pending trial. Wellman told The Daily that CSE is more committed to improving the department’s culture than ever before. “CSE is, based on our experience, arguably more aware than just about any other departments about the necessity to ensure and to establish a strong community with a positive climate,” Wellman said. “And our faculty and staff are working on many fronts to achieve this.”
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Longtime LGBTQ+ activist Jim Toy, first publicly gay man in Michigan, dies at 91 Ann Arbor, Washtenaw County officials reflect on legacy and impact
KRISTINA ZHENG & DOMINIC COLETTI Managing News Editors
Jim Toy, a lifelong advocate of LGBTQ+ rights who was widely believed to be the first openly gay man in the state of Michigan, peacefully passed away on January 1 at the age of 91, according to The Detroit Free Press. As early as the 1970s, Toy was a prominent voice in fighting discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a master’s degree in clinical social work and helped to establish the University’s Human Sexuality Office — now referred to as the Spectrum Center — which became the “first campus center in history” committed to supporting LGBTQ+ individuals. “I’m saddened to hear of the death of Jim Toy, national social justice advocate, life-long champion of LGBTQ+ rights, pioneer of the @UMSpectrumCtr & 2021 @ UMich honorary degree recipient,” University President Mark Schlissel wrote on social media. “May we all honor his legacy by offering our
support to all who experience discrimination.” At a 1970 anti-Vietnam War rally in Kennedy Square, Detroit, Toy became the first man in the state to publicly come out as gay while representing the Detroit Gay Liberation Front. He later went on to become a founding member of the Ann Arbor Gay Liberation Front. Many local officials, including Washtenaw County Commissioner Jason Morgan, also spoke to Toy’s legacy and impact on the community on social media. “Jim Toy was and will always be a champion for LGBTQ rights and for our community,” Morgan wrote in a Tweet. “He was a mentor, friend and someone I admired. I am honored to have known Jim.” Ann Arbor City Councilmember Travis Radina, D-Ward 3, served alongside Toy at the Washtenaw Rainbow Action Project, which was renamed the Jim Toy Community Center in 2010. Radina shared on Facebook that Toy was a thoughtful and wise mentor, who went on to co-author the first official Pride Week declaration adopted by the Ann Arbor City Council.
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“Most people who are lucky to live as long as Jim did have experienced amazing and great lives,” Radina wrote. “But Jim wasn’t satisfied to simply live a great life for himself. He dedicated nearly all of his time with us to ensuring that others could live great lives as well — and to live them openly, safely and as our true selves, surrounded by friends and unwavering love.” Radina also noted Toy was a coauthor on Ann Arbor’s first non-
State of Michigan adopts new Congressional maps, reflects on engagement process Redistricting committee approves Chestnut, Linden and Hickory plans
Leaders of the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Committee (MICRC) held a news conference Tuesday to speak on the officially adopted congressional maps for the state of Michigan. Following years of engaging in community feedback, the commission adopted the Chestnut Congressional map, Linden state Senate map and Hickory state House map. The approved maps will be in place until the next redistricting cycle in 2031. The Chestnut map — which removes the state’s two majority-Black congressional districts — was backed by eight commissioners and gives Democrats a 7-6 advantage in the next election. The Linden map was backed by nine commissioners and leans 21-17 Democrat, a move that shifts the control away from Republicans in the state Senate for the first time since the early 1980s. The Hickory map was backed by 11 commissioners and leans 54-56 Republican. Throughout the drawing and consideration of various maps, the commission said they heard several concerns from citizens about gerrymandering and ensuring accurate representation for Michigan voters. The commission — led by 13 citizens randomly selected from more than 9,000 applications — had more than 25,000 comments from across the state over the course of 130 open meetings. The MICRC’s work is the first time in state history that an independent citizen-led commission handled the redistricting process. In 2018, Michigan voters approved an amendment to the state constitution that created the commission, requiring their work be done open to the public. MICRC Chairperson Rebecca Szetela said that the most exciting aspect of this redistricting process was the citizen participation. “This has been an exciting and invigorating process and I am so proud to have been a part of it,” Szetela said. “This is the first time that we have had citizens throughout the state have the ability to comment, participate and assist in the drafting of congressional districts, state House districts and state Senate districts, and that is a fantastic testament to Michigan and a fantastic testament to this commission that we were able to do it.” Commissioner Brittni Kellom agreed, saying that she appreciated the ways in which the commission was able to work together. “We live in a society where voting and trust and being a caring brother or sister to your fellow citizen isn’t always the value and I think we had an opportunity to reinstill that in Michigan,” Kellom said. “I think that that above all is a testament to what true democracy looks like. It’s a testament to what it looks like to work together and build community no matter what your race is, no matter what you believe in, no matter what you do in your personal life, so that has been the beauty of the commission.” During the press conference, the commission said they received significant feedback from citizens who were concerned with the lack of representation for Black residents in the state, particularly in the city of Detroit. Kellom said that if the commissioners had more time to draw out the maps and get to know areas across the state, especially Detroit, the final maps likely would have been different and more considerate of the Black population in Michigan. “I know Black people all over, and particularly in Detroit, will continue to do what they need to do to survive, which is to galvanize and to be active and to do what they need to do,” Kellom said. “Do I wish
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that there was more time to get it right? Absolutely, because I truly believe that the way that you answer and restore pain and healing is to give people a head start and a head start is not cheating when you’ve gone so long without.” Szetela said that while she believes the approved maps are in agreement with the Voting Rights Act, she said she is still concerned that a lack of data about Black voters, especially in and around Detroit, may have impacted the fairness of the final maps. “Unfortunately with this process being so data driven, there’s just an absence of data that we can’t analyze to determine that,” Szetela said. Szetela, Kellom and Commissioners Rhonda Lange and Erin Wagner all voted against a motion Tuesday morning that would have stopped the commission from considering new maps. If approved, however, this motion would have extended public comment by enacting a new 45-day period, which would have given the commission more time to consider other maps or draw new maps. Szelta said that an extension of time may have allowed for more fair maps to be drawn that would more accurately represent voters. “I think the biggest issue for us was just time,” Szetela said. “Unfortunately, we happen to have this inaugural commission come into play during a pandemic which created all sorts of challenges both with the ability for us to meet in person and with the ability to get data from the Census Bureau that assisted us in drawing the maps so despite that extraordinary challenge, we rose to the occasion, we worked really hard and we managed to get these maps done in a timely manner.” Moving forward, Kellom advised all citizens to examine the maps and continue to actively participate in voting and democracy. “I would tell the citizens to understand the map – whatever feeling you have on it – understand all three maps and what that means for you in the future, and then develop and devise and create and reimagine, just like we did, a plan that allows you to be the most successful and what that means and I hope as a commission, we can have opportunities to facilitate that conversation,” Kellom said. Despite conflicts in support for the approved maps, Communications and Outreach Director Edward Woods III said that having a citizen-run commission allowed for more fair maps to be produced. “In 2018, voters in Michigan, by more than 61%, said that they wanted voters, citizens, Michigan residents to draw the maps and not politicians so that they can have fair maps and prevent gerrymandering,” Woods said. “Tonight, we are happy to report that that has taken place.” Commissioner Douglas J. Clark said that he is proud of these maps and that the commission worked hard to represent all communities as best they could. “We just can’t meet everybody’s needs 100%, so we chose to move forward and do the best we could to get to that point and we recognize there’s probably some things that some folks like and other things they don’t,” Clark said. “There’s conflicts in everything that we went forward to discuss. We made it where we thought it represented the largest part of the society and I’m personally very proud of the products that we’ve produced.” The commissioners said that they do not plan to sue the commission moving forward, but they may still face legal challenges. Daily News Editor Kate Weiland can be reached at kmwblue@umich.edu.
discrimmination policy on sexual orientation as well as a strong proponent of adding sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression to the University’s nondiscrimmination bylaw. Flowers and memories can be sent through the Muehlig Funeral Chapel. No services have been scheduled.
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UMich reaches an all-time high of 815 positive COVID-19 cases for week of Jan. 2 N95 masks, isolation guidelines released for campus community
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On Friday, the University of Michigan COVID19 dashboard reported a record high of 815 positive cases so far for the week of Jan. 2. This number has increased since the University reported 676 positive cases for the previous week ending on Jan. 1. Most cases are linked to household and social gathering exposures, according to the dashboard update, and the majority of cases reported mild symptoms of sore throat and runny nose. The positive COVID-19 cases were collected from the Community Sampling and Tracking Program and the University Health Services, the latter of which reached a 26.9% positivity rate on Friday. Complete data for this week will be released on the COVID-19 dashboard on Jan. 12. Quarantine and isolation housing was at 35.1% capacity on Thursday before dropping to 33.3% as of Friday at 8:30 a.m. The University has received 22,000 submissions of booster information from students, faculty and staff from all three U-M campuses, University President Mark Schlissel wrote in an email to the campus community Friday. Submissions are currently being verified, and individuals may submit vaccine information here. Schlissel also announced that N95 masks will be available while supplies last at some on-campus COVID-19 testing locations. The masks will be available for anyone in the U-M community and can be found at any of the seven CSTP sites on campus in the coming days. Individuals do not need to be getting a COVID-19 test to receive an N95 mask. In addition, Schlissel called on U-M instructors to offer flexibility in accommodating students who are ill or quarantining this semester, including not penalizing students who may not have documentation of illness. “In addition, accommodation for illness can include activating video or zoom in equipped classrooms so that students who are out sick can see and hear the class…” Schlissel wrote. “Provost Susan M. Collins and I also recognize that in some cases, absences of instructors or large numbers of students due to illness and quarantine and isolation may temporarily warrant remote teaching.” Martino Harmon, vice president for student life, and Robert D. Ernst, associate vice president of student life for health and wellness, sent an email out to students on Thursday detailing information on what to do if students test positive.
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Jon Vaughn reveals cancer diagnosis, says it will not impact protest or regent campaign
Anderson survivor Chuck Christian shares fellow protestor’s medical condition GEORGE WEYKAMP Daily News Editor
Content Warning: The following article depicts sexual misconduct At the Dec. 9 Board of Regents Meeting at the Postma Clubhouse, Chuck Christian, a former University of Michigan football player and a survivor of former University doctor Robert Anderson, made an unscheduled appearance. Christian spoke with the regents about his experience with Anderson and his resulting fear of doctors – to which he attributes his stage IV cancer diagnosis. Christian – who has been camping outside University President Mark Schlissel’s house since Oct. 8 along with fellow Anderson survivor Jonathan Vaughn – said he knows many other survivors who have been diagnosed with preventable diseases because of their fear of doctors. “We’re still dealing with the trauma 30, 40 and 50 years later;
some of us can’t hold a job because Michigan didn’t stop Anderson,” Christian said. “One player said to me, ‘I have battled with drugs and alcohol for half of my life, all because I was raped repeatedly by the team doctor.’ Four of my friends have died in the last year because of their fear of doctors.” Christian then revealed Jonathan Vaughn has recently been diagnosed with cancer. “I just found out today that my dear friend Jon Vaughn was diagnosed with cancer,” Christian said at the Dec. 9 meeting. “My prayer is that it’s not the terminal kind like I have, and Jon will continue to protest in the camper in front of the President’s house…in public you say how sorry you are about what Anderson did, but in private victims are traumatized and abused. We are treated like animals.” Vaughn – who announced on Nov. 14 he is running for Board of Regent in 2022 and has vowed to camp outside of Schlissel’s house for 100 days or until President Schlissel and the Board of Regents agree to meet with him – sat down with The Michigan
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Daily to talk about his diagnosis and what it means for both his regent campaign and the ongoing protest. Vaughn said he first began to experience symptoms on Oct. 5 – three days before he began camping outside Schlissel’s house – when he noticed a lump on his neck. Vaughn said he later went to the doctor’s, where he was ultimately diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Vaughn said it was terrifying to be back in a hospital after his experience with Anderson, but Christian helped him put those
fears aside and take care of his health. “That first weekend when I found out I’m having conversations with Chuck and he was like, ‘you know, Jon, just don’t put this off like I did,’” Vaughn said. “That was when it kind of hit me … that I had compartmentalized so much – it was terrifying, obviously, to walk into a hospital for first time in many, many, many years, but once I got there, I realized that at some point in time, (I was) gonna have to break the cycle.” Vaughn said he will undergo surgery in January to remove
the cancer and Christian and Tad Deluca – former University wrestler and whistleblower for the Anderson case – will take over protesting while he is in surgery and recovering. “I will go in (to surgery) in the morning, they have to observe me overnight and then I (will be) released the next day,” Vaughn said. “I’ve already started talking to Chuck and Tad and some of the other survivors that, at that point, we’ll do a relay which I will hand off for one of my fellow survivors to sleep in the tent or the camper overnight, and then I’ll be right
back (after my recovery).” Vaughn said his diagnosis will not impact his regent campaign and he is working on creating a more concrete campaign blueprint to share with voters in the coming months. Over 950 Anderson survivors have been in ongoing mediation with the University since Oct. 2020. Vaughn and Christian plan to continue camping outside of Schlissel’s house until Jan. 16. Daily News Editor George Weykamp can be reached at gweykamp@umich.edu
NEWS
The Michigan Daily welcomes new class of editors in 2022 Next leaders share goals for upcoming year
RONI KAYNE & GEORGE WEYKAMP Daily News Editors
Now that the graduating class of Michigan Daily journalists, editors and developers have said their heartfelt goodbyes, it’s time for a chorus of enthusiastic “hellos.” After a staff-wide election on Nov. 12 and several section-specific elections throughout the past couple of months, The Michigan Daily is delighted to announce its 131st editor in chief and managing editor team. The editor in chief and the editorial page editors were elected by all sections of The Daily on Nov. 12. The managing editor and digital managing editor were appointed by the editor in chief and approved by The Daily’s management desk on Nov. 28. The management desk also chose a new editor of The Statement, the
FILE PHOTO/Daily
paper’s weekly magazine. Editor in Chief: Jasmin Lee LSA junior Jasmin Lee will serve as The Daily’s editor in chief for the 2022 calendar year. Lee previously served as a senior news editor overseeing campus life and student government coverage, as well as a member of Culture, Training and Inclusion. Lee said she has wanted to run for EIC since she began writing as a freshman and one of her main goals is to make The Daily more accessible to students on campus. “In the past, The Daily, (has seemed) like this big intimidating (place),” Lee said. “Although the work we do is important, and does take a lot of time, I just want to make sure either the ability to produce work on The Daily, or the ability to have access to the quality journalism that we produce, is open to everyone.”
Managing Editor: Paige Hodder LSA junior Paige Hodder will serve as the paperwide managing editor for 2022 and will work with Lee to create a community among Daily staffers. Hodder previously served as a summer news editor, a Daily staff reporter and contributor for The Daily Weekly Podcast. “One of my biggest goals is to recapture and redefine the kind of community that we create at The Daily,” Hodder said. “A lot of that has been lost to COVID it can feel really disconnected these days and I want to bring us back together as a newsroom, but then also cultivate a culture in the newsroom of listening and acknowledgement of shared knowledge.” Digital Managing Editor: Aya Salim As The Daily’s second ever digital managing editor, LSA junior Aya Salim will be responsible for
overseeing The Daily’s online presence and the six digital sections: photo, video, web, design, audience engagement and podcast. Before being appointed to her new position by Lee, Salim served as the managing design editor and worked on the video section as a videographer as well. After working in two different digital sections throughout her three semesters on staff, Salim said she plans to facilitate cross-section projects and support The Daily’s ongoing “online-first” initiative. “I’m really excited to see not only how print and digital sections can collaborate … but also just how the digital sections themselves can collaborate and do cool different projects,” Salim said. “And also how the digital aspects of The Daily can also contribute to accessibility.”
Business Manager: Aaron Santilli LSA sophomore Aaron Santilli, former senior account executive, will lead The Daily’s business operation section for 2022. Santilli said one of his main goals as business manager is to make sure staffers were compensated equitably for the work they produced. “(My goal is) ensuring that all employees of The Daily are paid (and) treated fairly for the work that they’re producing. So you know, I’m going to continue that in cohesion with Jasmin, the editor in chief, as well as Paige the (managing) editor,” Santilli said. Arts: Sabriya Imami and Lillian Pearce The arts section will be led by LSA juniors Sabriya Imami and Lillian Pearce, the 2022 managing arts editors. Both of them have previous experience as arts writer and Imami served as the film
beat editor while Pearce served as the book beat editor. A major part of their platform is to consistently put their writers at the forefront. To help arts writers make the most of their time on staff, Pearce said she and Imami plan to host workshops on leveraging Daily experiences in the job market. “As managing editors, Sabriya and I are planning out different workshops we could do to help (arts staffers) improve their internship opportunities or their interview skills,” Pearce said. “So we are really excited thinking about how we can support writers and Daily arts people in different (aspects) of their lives.” Imami said she and Pearce also want to produce more content featuring the local art scene to encourage the greater Washtenaw County community to read and contribute to arts articles. “There’s a huge music scene in Ann Arbor that we wanted to highlight and even all the local bookstores and booksellers, just to uplift the Ann Arbor community too,” Imami said. Audience Engagement: Evan DeLorenzo and Zoe Storer LSA junior Evan DeLorenzo and LSA sophomore Zoe Storer will serve as the 2022 audience engagement managing editors. DeLorenzo has served as a senior editor for audience engagement and an academics reporter for the news section. Storer worked as an audience engagement assistant editor as well as the audience engagement co-managing editor for summer 2021. DeLorenzo said the audience engagement section is responsible for keeping the University of Michigan community informed on The Daily’s content. “I just really love the thrill of breaking news and feeling a part of some online community. It brings a sense of importance and purpose to my
life,” DeLorenzo said. “It’s more than just like tweeting captions and whatnot, we’re bringing good content to the people.” Storer said one of her main goals as co-managing editor is to build cohesion within the audience engagement section because editors and staffers often have different experiences and responsibilities. “People who work on (our) newsletter have a very different experience than people who work on our Instagram or Facebook and Twitter,” Storer said. “So kind of (just) bringing all those groups together and then…continuing to create a platform where people in the campus community can find the most important news and book reviews and all that good stuff.” Copy: Caroline Atkinson and Ethan Patrick LSA juniors Caroline Atkinson and Ethan Patrick will be taking over as the 2022 copy chiefs. Both Atkinson and Patrick have previously served as senior copy editors and summer 2021 copy chiefs. Atkinson has also written for the arts section while Patrick has written Daily sports pieces. Patrick said their main goal is to restructure the copy section to give the senior copy editors greater responsibility and flexibility. “We are restructuring copy a little bit to try to make it less susceptible to burnout,” Patrick said. “One of our goals is to increase the power and responsibility of the senior copy editors … so we hope it’s more exciting for them because it’s a little more responsibility on their part, but it’s also just going to be easier for their schedule.” Atkinson said the planned restructure will also allow her and Patrick to spend more time looking holistically at each article to ensure all pub-
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News
4 — Wednesday, January 12, 2022
OVER 1,800 From Page 1 “I would hope that they would realize that they have not been transparent,” Yeager said. “They have not considered anyone they say that they’re considering in these plans and … I would like to see (the University) reassess their insistence that everyone be in person because saying everything’s in person when we’re all (individually) switching to remote is just ridiculous.” At the start of the Fall 2020 semester, GEO went on strike for two weeks in response to the University’s reopening plans amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Yeager later told The Daily in an email that the organization’s members do not plan to go on strike right now and would rather continue teaching, but in a safer manner. “Graduate students come to this university in part because we want to teach, which is what we’re currently doing right now, even if we’re doing so virtually,” Yaeger
DAILY From Page 1 Wellman also expressed his commitment to the faculty mentorship process. “But it’s also important to realize we do not discard people the first time they make mistakes, but rather we attempt to correct the problems,” Wellman continued. “In this case, the system we put in place to mentor a new faculty member to address identified concerns worked.” In an email on June 24, 2021, a Georgia Tech faculty member stressed the importance of getting Genkin to sign Georgia Tech’s offer letter for a tenure-track faculty position. “Michigan is also trying to make things better for him and we should not give them unlimited time to work on him to stay,” the faculty member wrote to DeMillo. On August 9, 2021, Genkin wrote in an email to a Georgia Tech administrator that he was “being pushed to resign UM” and that he “had his lab packed up.” Genkin’s email in which he said that he was “being pushed to resign.” Wellman said that he did not push Genkin to resign. “As I said, we made clear to him that he needed to correct the problematic behavior,” Wellman said. “We provided advice and mentoring about how to improve as a research advisor, including how to eliminate all the problematic behavior, how to reduce the stress that he was perceived as imposing on students. And we also introduced vigilant monitoring of his lab and paid attention to the well-being of students.” Angel Rodriguez was an undergraduate researcher in a cybersecurity lab when Genkin joined UMich in 2018. According to Rodriguez, Genkin was intriguing: young and eccentric with a flashy research history. “He basically disrupted the whole security field,” Rodriguez said in an interview with The Daily. A few months after arriving at UMich, Genkin allegedly approached Rodriguez about working for him in exchange for a spot in the PhD program. “I knew that I had a harder chance of getting into the PhD program because I didn’t have the grades for it,” Rodriguez said. “He told me that he could basically guarantee that I’d get in.” Rodriguez said he was enthusiastic about his “trial run” working for Genkin during the summer of 2019. But by the end of the summer, Rodriguez had reported Genkin to OIE twice. Genkin’s alleged bullying began with inappropriate comments. Rodriguez said he witnessed Genkin insult the speaking skills of non-native English speakers. Genkin allegedly called Rodriguez, an African American man, a “monkey” and allegedly made frequent comments about his weight. Once, Rodriguez said he watched Genkin keep a student feeling ill in the lab until the student started crying. In an interview with The Daily, Rodriguez said he filed his complaint with OIE because of this alleged incident. “I think that was the straw that really pushed me to report,” Rodriguez said to The Daily. “ (The student) really was afraid of leaving early because if (Genkin) saw … he
wrote. “So GEO’s current focus is not a job action, but supporting graduate students who are teaching, no matter what modality they choose.” Yeager said in order for GEO to go on strike, a majority of members currently employed by the University as Graduate Student Instructors or Graduate Student Staff Assistants would need to vote to do so. LSA junior Annie Mintun, speaker of the Central Student Government assembly, said at the press conference that she sees the e-pivot as an opportunity for students to have access to learning during an uncertain semester. Mintun, who is currently quarantining due to a COVID-19 exposure, said the e-pivot would be one of the only ways she could participate in her classes. “The only confidence I had that I would actually be able to actually participate this (week) was when I heard that instructors were coming together to provide online options for students like me who are in quarantine,” Mintun said. “I hope that the University will not punish these instructors who are taking it upon themselves to try and protect their
would go into the office and then criticize (them) and belittle (them).” On July 20, 2019, Rodriguez sent an anonymous email to OIE, a copy of which was obtained by The Daily. He asked about protections of students who report about the behavior of professors. “I have witnessed concerning actions from a faculty members that have made myself and others uncomfortable,” Rodriguez wrote. “Myself and others have refrained from reporting them because of the risks imposed on the students and faculty working directly or indirectly under them.” Rodriguez’s anonymous email to then-OIE. Elizabeth Seney, then-Senior Associate Director of then-OIE & Interim Title IX Coordinator, wrote back that the University’s policy “prohibits retaliation against an individual for reporting or otherwise sharing information about concerns of discrimination, including discriminatory harassment, on the basis of any protected class identified in the University’s Nondiscrimination Policy Notice.” Seney’s reply to Rodriguez’s anonymous email. Nine days after that, Rodriguez responded with a detailed anonymous complaint about Genkin’s alleged behavior. “Daniel will frequently insult, belittle, and generally not be conscious of the negative effects his words and actions have on the feelings of wellbeing, safety, and respect, of his peers and underlings,” Rodriguez wrote to Seney. “I respect his work, but I do not respect the hostile work environment he has created.” Seney replied, thanking him and writing that OIE would address the concerns which fall within OIE’s scope. Filing the anonymous complaint did not seem to improve Rodriguez’s working conditions, Rodriguez said. Genkin persisted in making “unreasonable” demands on Rodriguez’s work hours and research output, Rodriguez told The Daily. On August 12, 2019, Genkin questioned the 80 hours Rodriguez reported working over a two-week period in a message on Slack reviewed by The Daily. Later that week, Rodriguez said he went to Genkin’s office to ask him to approve his timecard. Rodriguez said that Genkin showed him what he claimed to be an unapproved lock on his door. Rodriguez said he cautioned Genkin against doing things he shouldn’t be. “If you tell anyone about it, I’ll get in trouble, and I’ll hang you,” Genkin allegedly replied, according to the second OIE complaint Rodriguez later filed. “I look back on it now and I still feel like I under-reacted to a lot because of how much I had on my plate at the time,” Rodriguez told The Daily. On Nov. 4, 2019, Rodriguez sent a message to graduate students about a new concern: Genkin was allegedly encouraging colleagues to falsify data before a fast-approaching academic paper deadline. Copies of this chat were obtained by The Daily. With Rodriguez’s approval, Bernhard wrote to Noble about this pressure to falsify data. Three other graduate students, four faculty members and one administrator were cc’d on this email, obtained by The Daily. Rodriguez responded in the email chain that Genkin often pressured others to bend
‘I FEEL DISRESPECTED From Page 1 LSA junior Kristina Wendling – who lives off-campus in a 10-person house – tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, the day before classes resumed. Wendling has been quarantined in her room since she has been unable to utilize University-provided accommodations and is unable to return to her permanent residence, creating an uncomfortable living situation with her nine roommates. “Usually I’ll check everyone’s class schedules and see when the least amount of people are around and that’s when I’ll plan when I’m going to go make food or when I’m going to take a shower, things like that,” Wendling said. Wendling said her roommates all attend in-person classes and while none have tested positive for COVID19 yet, she’s concerned about putting her roommates and other students at risk. “I just wish I could have gotten better help with the isolation housing because I’m just in a weird little bedroom here and I still share common spaces,” Wendling said. “So I’m just nervous.” LSA senior Bella Karduck lives in an off-campus residence where she shares a room and multiple common areas with other students. After first testing positive for COVID-19 in December 2021, Karduck stayed in Q&I housing. When Karduck tested positive with new symptoms on Jan. 3, she was denied University-provided accommodations and was told to reach out to the Dean of Students Office, which encouraged her to stay in her
students.” Valle said while there have been no documented cases of retaliation against faculty members who decided to e-pivot, there have been emails from faculty discouraging remote instruction. Valle also said if COVID-19 conditions continue to deteriorate, there is potential for the e-pivot to extend beyond two weeks. “The decision to make this a two week e-pivot was made democratically, rising out of faculty concern,” Valle said. “If we are in largely a similar situation two weeks from now, I imagine similar democratic processes might extend the e-pivot.” University President Mark Schlissel and University Provost Susan Collins also sent an email to the U-M community Monday — two days before the start of the semester — reiterating the University’s commitment to an in-person start on Jan. 5 and reminding students to continue masking indoors and self-report the mandated COVID-19 booster shots. “We expect these first few weeks of the semester to be
the rules. He wrote of the “numerous times” Genkin pressured him and his colleagues to circumvent “the safety committee … to cut costs and save time.” On Dec. 10, 2019, Rodriguez replied to the previously anonymous complaint to Seney by claiming it as his own. He included new allegations against Genkin in his reply. Rodriguez’s email to Seney in which he identified himself as the author of the anonymous OIE complaint. “I kept feeling a deep fear that I was burning bridges I may need during or after my undergraduate career,” Rodriguez wrote in his email to Seney. “The news of this report reached Daniel, and I strongly believe he knows it was me. I fear for retaliation.” Five days later, on Dec. 15, Rodriguez decided not to apply to the PhD program. Five days after that, on Dec. 20, Genkin submitted an application to a tenure-track faculty position in Georgia Tech’s School of Cybersecurity and Privacy. By April 2019, Bernhard was becoming wary of Genkin’s alleged behavior in the student office space he shared with Genkin’s advisees. He met with then-CSE chair Brian Noble to discuss this on April 19, 2019. “The first meeting, I felt good,” Bernhard said in an interview with The Daily. “I sort of laid out…my concerns about the department were not just Daniel-based. It felt good to have someone who seemed at the time like they were listening.” After that meeting, Genkin allegedly followed Bernhard out to his car to find out what information had been shared with Noble. “I couldn’t tell at the time if it was just total lack of awareness of social norms or … like, ‘I’m going to physically intimidate you and follow you around until you tell me what you’ve been telling other people’,” Bernhard said. Bernhard later initiated email chains, obtained by The Daily, with multiple graduate students and faculty members to discuss concerns about Genkin in Sep. 2019. One of Bernhard’s emails regarding his concerns about Genkin’s alleged behavior. Genkin’s alleged conduct severely disrupted the graduate student workplace, according to Bernhard’s email chains. In one instance, he allegedly used the shared graduate student office to drill into his Segway battery, filling the space with noxious fumes, Bernhard wrote in the emails. In another instance, Bernhard wrote in the emails that he witnessed Genkin yell at a graduate student until they cried. When Bernhard spoke with Genkin about this, Genkin allegedly replied that, “I can either go in there and scream at (the student) until (they cry) and then (they’ll) do the thing, or I can just do it myself.” (Italics in original text) In the same conversation, Bernhard wrote in the emails that Genkin allegedly said, “The only thing that gets professors fired is sexual impropriety and academic dishonesty.” In early Sept. 2019, Bernhard heard rumors of Rodriguez’s OIE complaint. “He’s been asking people if they want to go hunting for rats, apparently,” Bernhard wrote in a message to a peer obtained by The Daily. Over the next four months, Bernhard repeatedly met with Noble and other CSE faculty. Bernhard said that they consistently declined to take substantive action to address student concerns.
apartment. “The response I got from The Dean of Students Office was ‘Omicron is mild and highly-transmissible. So you can clean and try the best you can so your roommates don’t get sick,’” Karduck said. “So I posted in the Facebook pages looking for a place to stay kind of out of desperation so I didn’t have to drive home.” Karduck said she wishes the University offered more options for off-campus students who test positive for COVID-19 and can’t relocate to their permanent residence or isolate in their off-campus residences. Resident Advisors also discussed students living in residence halls who struggled to obtain access to Q&I housing after testing positive for COVID-19, according to messages obtained by The Daily. “A resident of mine came to me telling me that their roommate tested positive and when UHS finally got back to them, they told her that they had around a 300 call backlog and that Q&I housing is at capacity,” one message read. Another message said Hall Directors had been directed to inform Resident Advisors to refrain from speaking to the media, particularly regarding housing-related issues. A Resident Advisor in another residence hall confirmed the information in a subsequent message. A Resident Advisor who agreed to speak with The Daily on the condition of anonymity for fear of professional retaliation said the increase of COVID-19 cases in residence halls has made it difficult to continue with day-to-day RA duties. The Resident Advisor will be referred to as Charlie. “It has kind of made me scared to go on duty,” Charlie said. “Specifically, just going to the bathroom because
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com challenging and ask everyone to care for yourselves and for one another by staying safe and practicing kindness during what will be a stressful time for many,” Schlissel and Collins wrote. “Cases are very likely to increase, regardless of decisions we make about in-person work or classes.” In reference to Schlissel and Collins’ email, Silke-Maria Weineck, professor of comparative literature and German studies, told The Daily that the two narratives of taking care of each other while also teaching in person do not seem to coincide, and many faculty members will choose to prioritize their health and safety over in-person classes. “We got an email from Schlissel (on Wednesday) that said, ‘please be kind to each other, support each other, do what’s good for you, but also teach in person,” Weineck said. “It seems these two directives are incompatible. And I think many of us will choose to take the second part of the
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In one specific instance, Noble responded to Bernhard’s email to ask if any of Genkin’s behavior could be proven with something in writing. Noble’s response asking if anything was in writing. “The most common response from (Noble) was that his hands were tied,” Bernhard told The Daily. “Legally, (he) couldn’t do anything. There was nothing he could do to stop (Genkin) from abusing us. It’s just the system. It’s not really his fault, which was the one that really got to me.” Bernhard recalled to The Daily that Noble established rules in one of these meetings that Genkin would have to follow going forward. One of these rules was that Genkin could not enter the shared graduate student office space. After Genkin allegedly continued to enter the graduate student office space, Bernhard wrote to Noble. Noble responded via email to say that he had not yet spoken to Genkin. After months of meetings but little improvement in Genkin’s behavior, Bernhard told The Daily he and other graduate students had lost confidence in the department’s ability to address Genkin’s alleged bullying. “By this point, we were pretty upset that not only have we had to go through these fairly traumatizing experiences, but also that nothing was done,” Bernhard said. “The University as a whole didn’t seem to care.” Nevertheless, Rodriguez and Bernhard continued to make administrators aware of Genkin’s alleged conduct. In Feb. 2020, Rodriguez had individual meetings with Noble and Alec Gallimore, Dean of the College of Engineering. Rodriguez followed up with an email to Gallimore listing his recommendations to improve reporting to OIE. “Thank you for coming in and for this message,” Gallimore wrote in an email reply. “I’m also sorry. The behavior you describe has no place at Michigan.” In March 2020, Bernhard forwarded thenchair Peter Chen the previous emails between him, Noble, other faculty members and other graduate students regarding Genkin. Chen replied that he was “trying to get up to speed on this situation as fast as I can.” In a video chat later that month, Bernhard said that Chen acknowledged he wasn’t sure if he could do anything to help the situation with Genkin. “He seemed receptive,” Bernhard said. “It was obvious he was in fact finding mode. I felt really good after my one conversation with (Chen). And then nothing happened as per usual.” Even prior to his time at UMich, Genkin faced allegations of bullying. In 2017, Genkin worked in UPenn’s Cryptography and Information Security department as a postdoctoral researcher. According to emails sent by a student in the department between Jan. 2017 and Sept. 2017 and obtained by The Daily, Genkin was allegedly “passive-aggressive,” “manipulative,” “disruptive,” “toxic” and an “intellectual bully.” The UPenn Office of University Communications did not respond to repeated requests for comment by The Daily. Current CSE chair Wellman denied knowing about these allegations during Genkin’s hiring. “I had heard about (the UPenn emails)
certain residents who have community bathrooms that have tested positive have not been taken to quarantine right away. One resident in particular has been (taken to quarantine) but it took more than 24 hours. A positive test was reported yesterday around 10 a.m., and they just got taken today at around 1 p.m.” Charlie said their residents have elected to self-isolate when in close contact with a COVID-positive student despite University guidelines which do not require students with a COVID-19 booster shot who are asymptomatic to quarantine. “I think that students are probably going to be suffering because they’re trying to be more responsible than the University is,” Charlie said. Addressing circulating rumors of limited Q&I housing, University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald wrote in an email to The Daily about the current situation of Q&I housing. “Q&I housing is not full,” Fitzgerald said. “Today we are at about 12 percent of a total capacity of more than 400 beds. And the university is working to increase that overall capacity. There are delays in responding to students who have tested positive, but on-campus students will be relocated to Q&I housing as soon as possible.” The 12% referred to Thursday morning’s update. As of Friday, that number was revised to 35%. Xu also said the safety policies in the dorm were loosely enforced, making him feel uncomfortable. Prior to the winter 2022 semester, students were not required to wear face masks in their own residence halls, including in common areas. In December, the policy shifted, requiring all students in residence halls to wear face masks through at least Jan. 17, regardless of vaccination status.
recently that some students were saying that there were these known allegations, but we never received those and I can tell you as someone involved in the hiring, there was nothing in the record about that,” Wellman said in an interview with The Daily. The term “academic bullying” has been increasingly applied to conduct in higher education institutions in recent years. Researchers say that bullying thrives in research settings. In 2019, the Max Planck Society in Germany conducted a survey of workplace harassment of over 9,000 employees, 17.5% of whom said they had experienced bullying in a period longer than 12 months. Also in 2019, the science journal Nature reported that roughly 20% of the 6,000 PhD students surveyed said they experienced bullying. Of those, 57% said they felt “unable to discuss their situation without fear of personal repercussions.” In an interview with The Daily, Wellman said that Genkin’s alleged behavior had changed. “We did not receive any reports of incidents or problematic behavior of this sort after 2019,” Wellman said. Bernhard told The Daily he believes that the remote research requirements of the pandemic prevented Genkin from engaging in further alleged bullying. “We were all remote so it’s not like (Genkin) could have done the things he was doing,” Bernhard said. “It’s hard to say, was it even really a problem anymore?” Bernhard and Rodriguez both graduated from U-M CSE with their respective degrees in the spring 2020. Nov. 17, 2021, Rodriguez requested a copy of OIE’s investigative report regarding his complaints, according to details obtained by The Daily. Rodriguez was told via email that it would take up to 45 days for him to receive this report. He has not yet received a reply. Though Bernhard contacted Georgia Tech administrators July 6, 2021, Genkin had received his first offer letter in May. Genkin signed a second offer letter on June 26. Wellman confirmed that he spoke with DeMillo, the Georgia Tech interim chair, on July 13, 2021, as indicated in emails obtained by The Daily. “So I had a phone call with the chair of the department that hired him, and I guess what I’ll say is that we did not withhold any information about his situation or his performance at Michigan,” Wellman said. “I answered any questions that he had.” Georgia Tech completed a background check on Genkin on May 24, 2021. The background check, reviewed by The Daily, included a standard screening of any history of criminal, credit, driving or substance abuse. Records of Georgia Tech’s background check as obtained by The Daily. In response to continued concerns over his previous alleged behavior, Genkin wrote to The Daily that his current students are happy with his mentorship style. “The allegations raised are in stark contrast to positive feedback from students that are currently in my research lab,” Genkin wrote.
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“In classes, I feel very safe because everybody wears masks,” Xu said. “I feel less safe in the campus housing because people are just not wearing masks when they should.” Xu said because his roommate — who has not tested positive for COVID-19 — and himself are both unable to find alternative housing, they must coexist in their dorm room while wearing masks at all times except for sleeping. During a RHA meeting on Thursday, members expressed concerns regarding COVID-19 positive students remaining in the dorms for extended periods of time after receiving a positive test result. Members of the student body have also taken to social media to share their difficulties with being transferred to Q&I housing. Some students have said their MCards were frozen, denying them access to dining halls. Others have said that Q&I housing had forgotten to prepare meals for students in their residency. Broekhuizen denied both rumors of COVID-positive students’ MCards being frozen and that Q&I housing is forgetting to prepare meals for students. LSA junior Isabel Rodriguez critiqued the administration’s approach to the Winter 2022 semester and said that it didn’t account for the stress it put on students. “(They’re) just kind of saying, well, like ‘You guys can handle it. You’re young. You won’t get sick from it because you’re vaccinated’, which isn’t necessarily true,” Rodriguez said.
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Arts
6 — Wednesday, January 12, 2022
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‘Don’t Look Up’ is Adam ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ is the McKay’s most focused and MCU’s most daring movie yet least interesting film ZACH LOVEALL
MITCHEL GREEN Daily Arts Writer
“Don’t Look Up” is a film that plays things safe but thinks it is doing something brave. The film, co-written and directed by Adam McKay (“The Big Short”), is an allegory for climate change, providing audiences with the ambivalent reactions of the media and government leaders to the impending doom of the planet presented by a comet heading towards the earth. In this story, the comet is discovered by Randall Mindy (Leonardo DiCaprio, “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”) and Kate Dibiasky (Jennifer Lawrence, “X-Men: Dark Phoenix”), who continually try and fail to get people to realize the apocalypse is coming. The film delivers its story and overall message with a sense of self-importance that is unwarranted. Yes, it is important to sound the alarms and take action against the developing climate disaster, but anyone who is aware of the effects of climate change is likely already trying to do something about it. Not only that, but the majority of the people that will see this movie are already in that camp, meaning McKay and co-writer David Sirota (a journalist and former Bernie Sanders campaign advisor) spend two hours preaching to an echo chamber that already believes in the message. By the time Randall Mindy gives his Howard Beale-esque “I’m mad as hell” rant on live television towards the end of the film, he’s essentially just explicitly re-stating what the message of the film is to the few members of the audience that didn’t understand what took place in the previous two hours. The lack of subtle commentary isn’t necessarily a bad thing, in fact, it can be quite provocative and effective at times — see the ending of Spike Lee’s “BlacKkKlansman.” However, “Don’t Look Up”’s ideas are not elusive, bold or provocative in the slightest. Because the film’s climate change message has no weight behind it (given the audience’s preexisting understanding of its
drastic effects), it becomes nothing more than a perfectly adequate drama. It rarely feels boring, seeming more focused than the rest of McKay’s filmography. His previous two films, “The Big Short” and “Vice,” were very messy in their execution (for good and bad). Both tried to go for a hybrid drama-sketch comedy tone that only kind of works in “The Big Short” and doesn’t work at all in “Vice.” McKay has ditched that for the most part and “Don’t Look Up” then works as a fairly straightforward drama with some heightened, cartoonish characters. Docu-drama handheld cinematography and frantic editing, McKay’s trademark, are still here but feel more toned down than usual. Neither works particularly well (apart from the wild cutting taking place when Dr. Mindy is having anxiety attacks) and when the film’s cinematography doesn’t look downright ugly, it just looks fairly bland. It makes sense that this film was released on Netflix because it isn’t particularly cinematic; it looks like an episode of “Succession” with a bigger budget. “Don’t Look Up” so desperately wants to be this generation’s “<a href=”https:// www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-dr-strangelove-1964”>Dr. Strangelove</ a>,” that it not only tries to capture its tone but also references similar key details like its use of a World War II-era love song as a sign of the apocalypse. I appreciate what McKay tries to do in his films because his ideas in terms of content and form are quite unique compared to mainstream Hollywood filmmaking. They don’t always work — “Vice” really struggles and it took me three viewings to finally come around on “The Big Short” — but the attempts are never complete failures. His projects, including this one, always have potential, but he never finds the right balance in his execution, which leads to either wildly messy projects or an uninteresting final product. “Don’t Look Up” is unfortunately the latter. Daily Arts Writer Mitchel Green can be reached at mitchgr@umich.edu
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Daily Arts Writer
Before watching “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” I was extremely worried it would be bloated and not make sense. I am a big fan of everything Spider-Man, and I was afraid the movie would try to ride off of its MCU status instead of being good on its own. I was happy to discover that it did not do this, instead actually taking some major risks with its characters that ultimately pay off in a very emotional movie. The movie starts off right where “Spider-Man: Far From Home” left off, with Peter’s (Tom Holland, “Chaos Walking ”) identity revealed to the world. I am going to try to avoid spoilers as much as possible and just stick to what was shown in the trailers, and just a fair warning, watching this movie with as few spoilers as possible is the best way to watch it. The film is full of remarkable dramatic reveals — all of which are best left unsaid to those who want to watch it unspoiled. Willam Dafoe (“The Lighthouse”) is a national treasure. He plays one of many returning villains in the movie, but his Green Goblin is the ultimate villain out of them all. Willam Dafoe elevates the role in everything he does, fully immersing himself in the character in a way that I just loved. The Green Goblin is not just a crazy killer; he actually challenges Peter Parker ethically. Throughout the movie, Peter struggles to get everything he wants, attempting to return to a normal teenage life while still being Spider-Man. The Green Goblin wants to convince Peter that he is unable to use his powers to save everyone; he can’t live a normal life and will have to sacrifice his morals in order to win. Tom Holland’s Peter Parker stood out amongst other superhero movies for its lack of a true origin story. Audiences generally already know how Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man; they did not need to see it again. “SpiderMan: No Way Home” is the origin movie that the MCU never gave him. In this movie, we see Peter mature and make difficult decisions, fully coming into his role as Spider-Man and living up to the classic words of “with great power comes great responsibility.” This movie makes many bold choices with the character of Peter Parker, forcing him to choose between his personal life and saving as many people as possible, with Holland giving an extremely compelling performance that adds to the complexity of Peter’s decisions. The film rises above the heightened action scenes, giving some incredibly emotional interactions and confirming my personal undying love of Spider-Man as a character. That all being said, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” does have all of the usual MCU-specific problems: A lot of the
humor is very quippy (passable, but with occasionally cringey lines), the fights are full of quick cuts between CGI-ed characters and it still solidly fits within the MCU format of the first act being set-up, the second act being the hero struggling to beat the villain and the third act being a big action set-piece. Many people are getting tired of the repetitiveness of Marvel movies, and this movie definitely didn’t get rid of the highly over-produced aspects of the MCU. This movie is not perfect. I know some people complained about plot holes it created in the MCU canon, but I found the explanations to make enough sense that I could just go with the f low. The ending itself has confusing bits, but it seems like that is done on purpose to create anticipation for future movies. In all, “No Way Home” is still an engaging movie, which makes it that much more impressive. It drew me in despite the formulaic nature of most MCU movies, with the ties into the rest of the films never really distracting from the heart of the movie. It has actual emotional depth that will definitely make it stand out in the coming years of constant MCU content. I think overall the movie is one of the best representations of superheroes on the big screen, showing how they can really address moral questions, while still giving a blockbuster experience. be expected when they created this universe a decade ago. The sheer gravity of a decade, ten years, is in itself an ode to the passion of fandoms that really love what they create. Superwholock was a god. Today it is a house of memories built with love and care, its doors open to generations to come for several more decades. Daily Arts Writer Zach Loveall can be reached at zloveall@umich.edu.
‘Insecure’ finale tells us that everything will be okay, eventually Release Date: 12,8,2022 Date: Wednesday, Wednesday, January December 2021
JESSICA CURNEY
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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PREVIOUS PUZZLE: PUZZLE:
01/12/22 12/08/21
By Stowe By Craig Ed Beckert ©2022 ©2021 Tribune Tribune Content Content Agency, Agency, LLC LLC
WHISPER WHISPER “I don’t know how I feel about school”
“Quarantine housing?”
01/12/22 12/08/21
Daily Arts Writer
“I just want to fast forward to the part of my life when everything is okay,” Issa says to her ref lection in the mirror. It’s a statement that we can all get behind. Life has its trials and tribulations. Oftentimes, it feels like there’s no possible way to get through the storm. But the series finale of HBO’s “Insecure” is proof that things do eventually work out in the end; we just have to stop standing in our own way. Created and written by Issa Rae (“The Lovebirds”), “Insecure” is a dramedy television series partially based on her web series “Awkward Black Girl.” After blessing the screen with five amazing seasons, the show is a monument of significant representation of modern Black women within friendships, relationships and everything else in between. The finale seals the deal and confirms the legacies of the main cast in their exit from the show. It fast forwards to all the big moments that will happen between Issa (Issa Rae, “A Black Lady Sketch Show), Kelli (Natasha Rothwell, “Baby Shark’s Big Show!”), Molly (Yvonne Orji, “A Black Lady Sketch Show”) and Tiffany (Amanda Seales, “The Story of Our Times”), such as the girls getting together for Molly and Issa’s birthday party, Kelli starting a new chapter in her life and the girls visiting Tiffany after her move to Denver. However, the episode also illustrates struggles, such as Issa’s having to make the decision between being with Nathan (Kendrick Sampson, “How to Make Love to a Black Woman”) or Lawrence (Jay Ellis, “Escape Room: Tournament of Champions”) and Molly’s overcoming a sudden death in the family. At the end of it all, the episode tells the audience that everything will be
okay for the group of friends. While the series embraces interpersonal relationships between Black women, what stands out the most is the episode’s ability to show what it takes to make decisions confidently. When Issa invites Lawrence over for a tour of her new office space, she ref lects on what it took to get to where she is now, realizing it was her own anxious thoughts that kept her from her true wishes and hindered her potential. Issa is now consciously aware that she has full control over her life and that when she lets doubt stand in the way of making decisions, she has no one to blame but herself. The finale also portrays the true meaning of friendship. At moments, we see Molly grieving over a sudden death in her family. Fast forward to the night of her wedding, when Molly shows gratitude for her friendship with Issa. This dynamic shows that their friendship is what keeps Molly strong. With Issa in her corner, she believes that she can get through anything. “Insecure” does a fantastic job of making sure the viewers have an insight into some of the real-life dynamics between Black women. The finale inspires the viewers to have empathy for all the characters, not just Issa. By the end of the series, the women learn how to go through the motions of life and expect the unexpected. Sure enough, life throws a few curveballs, but choosing to stay firm with the decisions you make in those tumultuous times and relying on healthy friendships will see you through. Eventually, everything will be okay. Daily Arts Writer Jessica Curney can be reached at jcurney@umich.edu” s
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, Jaunary 12, 2022 — 7
Jessamine Chan’s ‘The School for Good Mothers’ is complex, messy and honest — like its main character MEERA KUMAR Book Beat Editor
“I am a bad mother, but I am learning to be good.” Jessamine Chan’s dystopian novel “The School for Good Mothers” is not perfect by any means — neither is its heroine, Frida. However, Chan has constructed both a novel and a character that demonstrate the desperate yearning and burnout of motherhood with a level of depth that few other works of literature have achieved. “The School for Good Mothers” focuses on Frida Liu, a Chinese American mother living in a nearfuture, seemingly normal version of Philadelphia, who is exhausted from fighting her ex-husband over custody of their baby, Harriet. Frida’s postpartum depression, Zoloft withdrawals and exhaustion produce a state of fatigue that leads her to leave the house and Harriet for a few hours. Upon returning home, she is confronted by the police and her ex-husband who send her to a rehabilitation camp for a year, where she will learn how to be a good mother. The middle portion of the novel is set in the “school,” located in an abandoned college campus, where mothers are subjected to strange, unspeakable horrors. If Frida doesn’t succeed, she will lose her ability to see Harriet. Motherhood is often talked about in art but until recently, has rarely
been contextualized in the limitations of humans. Maternal mental health, especially, is overlooked; more than one in ten mothers struggle with postpartum depression, but the topic has long been considered taboo. Frida Liu, Chan’s protagonist in the “School for Good Mothers,” is deeply depressed. She’s also a single mother fighting for custody. As Frida flounders, the novelist displays a tension between the needs of a drained mother and her baby. In demonstrating this tension, Chan undertakes a hefty task: to persuade the reader to see the humanity in a mother who did, in fact, neglect her daughter. The novel is an excellent, compelling commentary on what it means to deal with mental illness as a mother. Frida struggles against herself, attempting to change; however, a lack of support stemming from society’s refusal to see mothers as people sends her character further into heartsickness. “The School for Good Mothers” not only highlights the challenge all mothers face of being “good” in the eyes of society, but also makes room for the compounded pressure placed upon women and mothers of color to assimilate to the status quo. One specific way Chan accomplishes this is through the character of Frida’s ex-husband’s mistress and new girlfriend, Susanna. While Frida is away learning how to be a “good” mother, Susanna parents Harriet with methods that seem to be taken straight
from Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop: she is the epitome of white “woke” motherhood and pseudoscience, laden with essential oils and organic foods in lieu of medical necessities. Additionally, women of different races are treated differently by the “school”: white and Asian women are offered easier chores, while Black and Hispanic women are regularly forced to do taxing manual labor. Additionally, these mothers are offered less forgiveness by the government, as well as the camp’s administration. Frida is relatively privileged, yet she is constantly singled out by others for being “alien” — as the only Asian American person in the camp, Frida is judged as a function of her “otherness.” Chan demonstrates different levels of a specific racial hierarchy in “The School for Good Mothers” in a way that feels like a microcosm of American tensions as well as a perfect portrayal of how strict socioeconomic expectations of motherhood harm marginalized communities of color most. Throughout Frida’s time at the “school,” she is consistently corrected by her supervisors for being too cold and apathetic in her parenting style, while she feels she is simply mirroring her own more-thanadequate upbringing. “The School for Good Mothers” highlights the difficulties mothers face, especially those with intersectional identities: are styles of parenting normalized in marginalized communities simply
Why ‘Penguins of Madagascar’ is unironically my favorite show MEERA S. KUMAR Daily Arts Writer
Let’s be real — it has been a very trying time. For Gen Zennials like myself, our situation often feels bleak in general. So, as much as I appreciate the intensity and social commentary of “Squid Game” and company, it’s “Peng uins of Madagascar” that has my heart, even after all this time. We first saw the iconic foursome — Skipper (Tom McGrath, “The Boss Baby 2: Family Business”), Private (Christopher Knights, “Peng uins of Madagascar: the Movie”), Rico (Conrad Vernon, “Donkey’s Caroling Christmas-tacular” and John DiMaggio, “Inside Job”) and Kowalski (Chris Miller, “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish”) — that inspired the spinoff in the Dreamworks 2005 animated feature “Madagascar.” Skipper delivered what is arg uably the franchise’s most dearly remembered line: “Just smile and wave boys, smile and wave.” From that moment on, these wholesome Seal Team 6 wannabes established themselves as No. 1 on the field and No. 1 in my heart, and certainly deserving of their own show — one that was written with humor when so many shows today take themselves too seriously. They are, simply put, the perfect group. You have Skipper, the boss; Kowalski, the smart one; Private, the sensitive one, and naturally, Rico, the explosive one. Something for everyone! They aren’t trying to stamp out international terrorism, they’re trying to secure popcorn — and I like it that way. It’s nice to have a break from death and destruction while lost in peng uin exploits, which are especially funny because they believe their missions and foes to be equally serious. At the first sign of trouble, they snap into position as dramatic music plays and raise their f lippers into fighting positions. Their battles with Alice (Mary Scheer, “iCarly”) bring me a special joy. Zookeeper Alice is the Karen to end all Karens. She doesn’t just want to speak with the manager — she demands it. As the cast identifies in the first episode, for every Alice you destroy, more come in her place. In real life, you have to play nice with Zookeeper Alice. In this magical escape, the peng uins play to win and outsmart her
at every turn. She’s suspicious of them from day one, forcing the peng uins to go to extreme leng ths to divert her attention to ensure their secrets don’t become public. When Private accidentally becomes an internet star due to the zoo’s newly installed webcams, there are eyes on the peng uin HQ at all times. Luckily, Alice becomes the next overnight sensation when the camera swings towards her instead as she swings her hips to whatever is playing on her iPod. The peng uins aren’t just highly trained agents hardened by their harrowing missions gone wrong. The show is rife with softer moments, such as their protection over an egg that Marlene (Nicole Sullivan, “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”) finds and places in their care, although they each have rather different plans for its development. The egg ultimately belongs to a mother duck, but they still have room in their family for the little duckling all the same. The elite force is deeply pure, with goodness in their hearts, as much as they attempt to highlight their status as “trained professionals.” This is to say nothing of their rivalry with King Julien (Danny Jacobs, “All Hail King Julien”) — semi-affectionately referred to as “Ring tail” — and the lemurs. We all see ourselves in Maurice (Cedric the Entertainer, “The Neighborhood”) these days (read: exhausted), and while Julien is annoying, the show doesn’t try to pass it off as acceptable — we see the peng uins lose their minds over their loud, inconsiderate neighbors just like we do ours. At one point, the ambitious peng uins literally attempt to vacation on the moon via what seems to be an oversized trash can armed with road f lares to escape the lemurs — if only. Regardless, when Julien is in danger, Skipper and the boys still do everything they can to save him. Of course, no show is without its failures. I feel it’s my journalistic duty to acknowledge the work as a whole, so I mention the racist nature of the zoo’s gorilla characters and Mort’s (Andy Richter, “Elf ”) foot fetish, which are, to put it mildly, uncool. Still, “Peng uins” is there for you when you most need it. “Bring me your tired, your weary,” it says. “If only for 20 minutes, I will banish the darkness.”
misunderstood by a majority-white society? Or are they harmful? Frida turns this dichotomy over her mind, eventually believing in the inferiority of her parenting the longer she stays in “school.” Frida’s own parents, however, truly love and care for her; they support Frida while she struggles, and cry when they see her mistreated. Chan illustrates the difficulties and insecurities of childraising vividly: the competition, the enforced heterogeneity, the suppression. When mothers exist in an echo chamber of opinions of what is “best” for their child, they feel it is necessary to hide their complexities. Frida is consistently forced to hide multiple parts of her identity in order to be a “good mother,” which is a realistic depiction of the way many today are expected to parent. One of the story’s weaker aspects was its lack of commitment to other main ideas outside of or overlapping with the struggles of motherhood. At times, it seemed that Chan wanted to make a point regarding the issues that less economically advantaged mothers face, yet nearly all of her main characters were well-off. Chan also seemed to want to use the opposing “School for Good Fathers” to highlight the special pressure placed on mothers as opposed to fathers, but failed to make any deep cutting remarks on the subject, nor did the introduction of the counterpart “school” for fathers allow for any meaningful character development for the mothers. Other
thematic discrepancies, such as inconsistent characterization and the unclear explanation of the dystopian setting, left this novel feeling more like a first draft than a final and complete piece of work. The real triumph comes from the personal and intimate portrayal of Frida’s struggles trying to be “good.” Make no mistake — parts of the story feel too on-the-nose. A hallmark of good dystopian fiction is its plausibility and hypothetical history; however, aspects of “The School for Good Mothers” feel heavy-handed and unexplained, so much so that it was hard to accept as believable. The entire premise of Frida being cast off to a parental rehabilitation camp for leaving her baby alone for a few hours feels like overkill for a governmental system so vaguely addressed within the novel. Additionally, the lack of motivation provided for most characters in the novel made them feel like caricatures. “School” facilitators such as Ms. Khoury and Ms. Russo felt like one-note villains who were unsympathetic in their actions and words; it felt hard to believe that while torturing and separating troubled mothers from their children, they offered fake sympathies because they “get it” — they have a niece! However, if you strip these parts away, what’s left is the intense story of a complex character who is struggling against mental illness while trying her hardest to be a good mother. The middle section of the novel,
in which Frida is sent to the actual “School for Good Mothers”, drags. This isn’t necessarily a mistake — in fact, the novel’s form vividly portrays the deep depression into which Frida sinks. However, the unnecessary abundance of detail weighs the book down. This novel would be best read in chunks, because it can sometimes read as though the deeply flawed Frida is pulling the reader down with her. Still, in its redeeming parts, Frida’s emotions are so exhaustively detailed that they feel tangible: whenever Frida interacts with Harriet, whether it is through a phone call, a social worker or even through her thoughts, the stressful desperation is overwhelming. The most rousing part of the novel is the conclusion, which is a wild, vague reversal of the beginning that leaves the reader reeling in shock. While there were definite flaws within “The School for Good Mothers,” the book offers raw emotion from a complex antihero in a rare fashion. The quick bursts of feeling are enough to keep the reader going (but not fully satisfied) while slogging their way through the novel. Additionally, the small mentions of Frida’s parents trying their best to take care of her are incredibly grounding. The book isn’t perfect, but Jessamine Chan’s novel is nothing if not an intense, messy and sometimes beautiful portrait of motherhood that will make readers question their perception of what being a “good mother” really means.
‘The Power of the Dog’ is stunning and wonderfully acted, yet understateed to a fault ALVIN ANAND Daily Arts Writer
Prestige pictures, movies that are made to garner critical acclaim and win awards, are often more subtle and intellectual than their blockbuster and more commercial peers —or at least they pretend to be. They are usually helmed by a more singular voice and make attempts to respect their audiences by not spelling things out. Some moviegoers appreciate a movie that behaves almost like a puzzle, and they take pride in their success in solving it. But some prestige pictures can at times leave so few clues that the experience can become frustrating, and this is the case with Jane Campion’s (“The Piano”) “Power of the Dog.” That being said, the three central performances are all forceful and appropriate. Kirsten Dunst (“Melancholia”) as Rose is reserved and clearly full of opinions that she holds back to remain civil with her domineering brother-in-law Phil, who does not hide his distaste for her. As the movie goes on, her discomfort with his presence is communicated through looks and movement alone. Kodi SmitMcPhee (“ParaNorman”) plays her son Peter and is centered and seems very astute to the audience. The standout performance is the much advertised Benedict Cumberbatch (“Spider-Man: No Way Home”) as the previouslymentioned brother-in-law Phil Burbank. He is the most expressive and dynamic character, and his malice and desire for
control is visible from everything from the way he walks to the slightest facial twitches. This film is visually gorgeous and crafted with a precise understanding of movement and blocking. The way its atmosphere is built with meticulous and specific editing is comparable to other perfectionist auteurs such as David Fincher (“Gone Girl”). But Jane Campion has a style of her own, and it shows here: She uses every tool at her disposal to create a mood that is unique to this story and to her directorial approach. Cinematographer Ari Wegner’s (“Zola” ) use of light and shadows helps establish the power dynamics that are necessary for this film to function, and wide, landscape shots help construct the Western setting. Jonny Greenwood’s score elevates this, evoking memories of his past work — the orchestration resembles “There Will Be Blood” — and is equally important in building a tense, hostile atmosphere. All these factors combined make for a relentless, but slow and deliberate two hours of the characters (mostly Phil) doing what they can to assert their will and control people. In the first half or so, this works wonders, creating an intensity that is difficult to pull away from — watching Phil slowly and indirectly impose his will on Rose is hypnotizing. But during the second half, when the film focuses on the interactions between Peter and Phil, some of the major twists and turns of the plot are so subtle and glossed over that the ending comes across as weak at best, and incoherent
at worst. Subtlety and understatement are almost necessities in modern awardseason films, but there is a point where not spelling out every mystery can cease to be intelligent and rewarding and instead become obnoxious and unpleasant for the viewer. There are a lot of impressive techniques and skills expressed in “The Power of the Dog,” but the true story is too shrouded behind layers of pseudo-intellectualism, which keeps the viewing experience from being fruitful and fulfilling. It’s obvious that Campion and company wanted to create a masterpiece, but ironically they would have likely been successful if they weren’t so focused on making one artificially. Instead, I believe the song is meant to empower women to speak out when things don’t feel right and to claim the space they need to talk about what happened, without the fear of being slighted. Although “All Too Well” is specific to Swift’s personal experiences, her attention to detail is what makes the song all the more relatable to any listener; Swift’s story is powerful, but the real punch behind the song is the suggestion that the small moments matter and shouldn’t be ignored. “All Too Well” made me feel seen in ways that I’ve never experienced with a song before: There’s a special kind of magic that exists when you realize that you’re not alone in the pains you’ve suffered, and that it’s OK to feel even the small things deeply.
This image is from the official trailer for “The Power of the Dog,” distributed by Netflix.
Michigan in Color
8 — Wednesday, January 12, 2022
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Self-acceptance through love HUGO QUINTANA MiC Columnist
In high school when I was struggling with my sexuality, my future always looked blurry. Whenever I would think about my late 20s and 30s, I had no idea what my romantic life would look like. Everything was in the air. Would I ever come out? Would my family accept me? Would I ever be comfortable with who I am? Growing up as a closeted bisexual, I never really believed in love. I remember seeing Instagram posts in high school with captions writing about how in love the pictured people were, and I would ask myself how 16- and 17-year-olds could possibly know what love is. Looking back, I was just entertaining a very naive perception I had of others in love. I was jealous of everyone else dating and finding love interests; I wanted to be “normal” and easily find a partner, but that wasn’t my reality. Though I knew most of my friends would be accepting, I wasn’t ready to come out and was far from the idea of pursuing a relationship.
Though I dated girls when I was young, I knew that these relationships wouldn’t last. These romances were short-lived and made me feel better about myself. Yes, I knew I was gay, but these relationships were experiences that society and heteronormativity forced me to have. I didn’t come to terms with my sexuality until the middle of high school. Before then, I only had experiences with girls and hadn’t yet developed an attraction for guys. As these relationships ended and as I got older, I had to come to terms with who I was and “explore” a new side of myself I couldn’t ignore. In an attempt to explore my identity, I (unfortunately) downloaded Grindr, a “social media” app for gay men. As a 19-year-old newly-out person, I wanted to check out this community and what it had to offer. Though I wasn’t on the app to find love, it was a very … informative experience on what hook-up culture was like in the community. I had only come out a couple of months prior and was ready to check out this side of my sexuality, but I was definitely not trying to find love — especially through Grindr.
Endings as beginnings KARIS CLARK MiC Columnist
I think about death daily. It might be morbid, but meditating on the grandest mystery of our existence gives me a certain kind of comfort that you can’t get from anywhere else. Our modern American culture has no time for pondering or praying. No time for meditation. No time to imagine. There is no time for the mystical when we’re trapped on an egotistical carousel of capital accumulation and exploitation. We have been conditioned to spend our lives in service to our senses, entertaining ourselves with an excess of foods to eat, alcohol to drink, drugs to use, clothes to wear and media to mindlessly indulge in. And if we’re not doing that, we’re wearily working ourselves, interminably in pursuit of a comfortable career to uphold these luxurious lifestyles. What this way of living doesn’t entail
is an engagement beyond what can only be perceived with our five senses or understood by an interim intellect. We all know these subjective, shortlived sources of pleasure that we pride and provide ourselves with are always transient sources of gratification, yet we fill our days and nights chasing them, woefully missing out on the bliss that comes from connecting to the divine, the eternal absolute, which lasts forever. A friend of mine once said that our relationship to death informs our relationship to all endings in life. Or, as American author Steve Bouma-Prediger puts it, our “eschatology shapes (our) ethics.” Our attitude toward the ending of a day, a season, a year, an era, a class, a club, a project, a semester, a friendship, a romance, a piece of art, everything in our lives is a direct reflection of our attitude toward the end of our life — and what lies beyond.
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The information bubble of my working class family GUSTAVO SACRAMENTO MiC Columnist
There’s no mistake. They’re home. Children, even those with just an ounce of sneakiness, look for cues to alert them of when their parents arrive home. The sound of gravel being uniformly crunched by wheels can serve as a signal to hide any evidence of the candy we overindulged in or a sign to abruptly turn off video game consoles. One source of stimuli I seldom missed was a distinct blend of scents. Usually generated from the manual labor jobs my parents are employed in, this lingering concoction of smells could only be achieved over the span of several hours, the duration required for grease, gasoline and sweat to slowly embed themselves between individual cotton fibers. These aforementioned scents would arrive at two intervals clustered around the late evening, which is often when I’d either be reading about current events or completing homework. The former activity was a favorite pastime of mine. I was a gluttonous inquisitor that consistently consumed
articles through Business Insider and Bloomberg (prior to the existence of their paywalls). Regardless, I’d bury my attention into textbooks or digital screens as my parents attempted to decompress after an arduous day of work. This exact scenario unfolded over countless evenings throughout high school. Our household’s seemingly mundane routine proved to be transformative with each passing day, as I was becoming more embedded in different environments, like speech and debate club and eventually college, and drifting further away from the spaces my parents are left behind in. Social class has outsized influence over the connections a person forms based on physical and relational proximity, and these connections serve as important conduits for a wide spectrum of knowledge. Sociologists often refer to these concepts as social and cultural capital respectively. The advent of the Internet, and the tools and services that have followed, like Coursera and Google’s search engine, have often been promoted as great equalizers of information and opportunity.
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After being on the app for a couple of months, I met a guy who was different from the others I’d met. We had only met each other twice when I realized there was a connection that I had never experienced before. The second time we met, we stayed up late into the night and talked for hours — constantly finding things we had in common. Whether it was finally being able to experience what straight people often take for granted, or simply being happy that I was able to express romantic emotions, I was excited to feel normal in the privacy of my apartment, free from society’s judgment. During this time, I was sharing a one-bedroom apartment with a roommate who ended up moving out, giving me and my new romantic interest the opportunity to spend a lot more time with one other. He would come over, we would make dinner, drink wine and watch a movie. Back then, this was the only thing that was getting me through my Zoom classes and feelings of isolation in my lonely apartment. It was an experience that was so exciting and new. When he was over, everything felt so
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normal — something I never thought I would experience. Little did I know back then that I was falling in love. These moments felt so normal yet were the most exciting times of my daily life. If someone would’ve told me a year earlier that I would have someone I loved, I would’ve never believed them. Soon, these exciting dinner moments turned into an everyday thing. He slowly
began to bring his things into my apartment. His toothbrush and contact holder for just-incase situations ended up next to mine in my bathroom. Then came an extra day’s worth of clothes in his backpack, followed by his next day’s worth of Zoom school work, and all of a sudden his wardrobe was sharing what was now our closet.
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“Orientalism” and minority groups in West Asia and North Africa Since 1978, “Orientalism,” by late Palestinian-American academic Edward Said, has served as the basis for many academic courses focused on West Asia and North Africa. Widely considered one of the first works of postcolonial theory, it describes the West’s misperception and misrepresentation of the “Orient” — a term used by Westerners to identify Africa, Asia and their inhabitants in an exoticized and often disparaging way. But despite challenging Western academia and creating positive shifts within it, Said’s work also has major shortcomings that must be recognized, specifically regarding the narratives of indigenous minority groups in West Asia and North Africa. In “Orientalism,” Said describes the West’s harmful tendency of generalizing the “Orient” as one region with indistinct societies, cultures, structures and other qualities. This is most often done
the one thing the Orient could not do was to represent itself.” Everything Said stated regarding Western notions of Africa and Asia holds true. However, the irony behind Said’s argument lies in his own flawed conception of West Asia and North Africa. When describing the region, Said employs the terms “Arab World” and “Islamic World.” He often uses them interchangeably, failing to underscore the difference between the two. Noting this distinction is essential when challenging Western notions, which regard Arabs and Muslims synonymously despite one being an ethnic group and another being a religious group. Furthermore, not only did he employ the terms with minimal distinction, he also used them to represent a region with many non-Arab and non-Muslim identities. Minority groups such as Imazighen and Kurds typically do not fit the former category, those such as Arab Christians do not fit the latter, and others such as Armenians, Assyrians, Mandaeans and Yazidis fit neither of them. Nevertheless, they all natively reside in West Asia or
through art, as architectural styles and stereotypical clothing from one particular region appear in pieces meant to represent a completely different place. The generalization of different people groups and regions creates a false image of them, as their distinctiveness is erased. Further highlighting Orientalism’s harmful impacts, Said states, “the Orient and Islam have a kind of extra-real, phenomenologically reduced status that puts them out of reach of everyone except the Western expert. From the beginning of Western speculation about the Orient,
North Africa, which Said mainly identifies with Arabs and Muslims. Uncoincidentally, the groups in the last category have faced the most erasure throughout history because not only are they misunderstood by Westerners, but they are also misunderstood by the larger, typically Arab and/or Muslim groups from the same region. Using the terms “Arab World” and “Islamic World” further contributes to this erasure, as they fail to capture the diversity of the region by assigning it to a single identity. Said’s disregard for minority groups in
NEIL JOSEPH NAKKASH MiC Columnist
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his works on West Asia and North Africa has contributed to misconceptions by majority groups from the region. Many fail to understand that “Orientalism” was written from an occidental perspective, meaning its target audience was Western, mainly white, readers, not minorities native to the region. When minorities discuss the marginalization, discrimination and oppression their groups have undergone in their homelands, many members of majority groups use arguments from “Orientalism” and similar works against them. For example, many will deny the distinct identities of minorities, accusing them of having their identities influenced by the West’s negative perceptions of Arabs and Muslims. Ignorant responses as such add to the irony, as minorities were not just affected by Orientalism like their majority counterparts, but also impacted by it to a greater degree due to the lack of knowledge and active erasure of their identities in the first place. In particular, the case of the Assyrians provides a classic example of a minority group enduring oppression and misrepresentation from both Westerners and regional groups. As an ethnic minority that mainly practices Christianity, Assyrians have faced persecution for their ethnic and religious identities throughout history. Subsequent wars, ethnic cleansing and religious persecution in recent years have uprooted Assyrians from their indigenous homeland — regions of northern Iraq, southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran and northeastern Syria. Today, the overwhelming majority of them live in the West, where they continue to face a lack of representation. In southeast Michigan, for example, Assyrians who mainly identify with their religious affiliation, Chaldean Catholic — an identification used as a consequence of the issues at hand — comprise a community of 160,000 people, possibly greater than the number of Assyrians currently in Iraq, which stands at as little as 142,000. For reference, approximately 500,000 Assyrians reside in the U.S. One would expect more information to be available about such a large group in the diaspora, but to Assyrians this absence is not surprising. Much of the information about Assyrians online is inaccurate or deliberately divisive due to long-lasting impacts of ethnic repression in their home nations and Orientalist narratives pushed by Western missionaries.
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Why Joe Manchin is the leader America needs EVAN STERN
Opinion Columnist
O
ne Democrat, from a deepred state smaller than Idaho or Nebraska, has attracted attention from across the country for his bold moves in an increasingly divisive political landscape. He has been blasted by members of his own party and praised by his opposition. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., has suddenly emerged as a key player in U.S. politics. The senator, a moderate from West Virginia, has proved himself as a strong and capable leader willing to put country before party. With the next presidential election approaching rapidly, Manchin is the perfect embodiment of the leader America needs in the White House. Manchin has had a lengthy political career. He first served in West Virginia’s House of Delegates starting in 1982, before moving onto the State Senate and eventually securing the posts of secretary of state and governor. He then ran for U.S. Senate in 2010, where he has represented West Virginians ever since. A centrist, Manchin has played a key role in Senate negotiations throughout his tenure, often voting with Republicans. That oppositional posture has only become more pronounced since President Joe Biden took office at the beginning of this year. Manchin has wielded unprecedented influence over Biden’s agenda in the evenly split 50-50 Senate, where one vote makes all of the difference on many bills. His unique position has earned him the title of “most powerful man in Washington.” After months of negotiations, Manchin lived up to that title when he unilaterally sank Biden’s $1.75 trillion Build Back Better social spending bill in dramatic fashion, a core piece of the president’s agenda. Manchin’s announcement in December that he would be voting “no” on the Build Back Better bill was quickly met with a storm of criticism from fellow Democrats. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki accused the senator of reversing his position on the bill, stating the politician’s comments were “at odds with his discussions this week with the President, with White House staff, and with his own public utterances.” Sen.
Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., said Manchin did not “have the courage to do the right thing for the working families of West Virginia and America,” daring him to vote against the package on the Senate floor. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., said Manchin “has never negotiated in good faith” and was “obstructing the president’s agenda.” Undoubtedly, Manchin’s sudden announcement after months of progress on the bill — the price tag of which Democrats cut by half to appease Manchin and fellow moderates — was a shock to the political world. On the other side of the aisle, Republicans praised the senator’s move, with speculation mounting that Manchin was even considering flipping his affiliation to the Republican Party. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Republicans “would love to have him on our team.” Essentially, to many Democrats and other staunch supporters of the Build Back Better bill — which promised over half a trillion dollars to combat climate change, $400 billion for universal pre-K education along with hundreds of billions for child tax credits, paid leave and Medicaid expansion — it appears Manchin is now seen as the ultimate political enemy. Meanwhile, Republicans see him as a hero who stopped a pivotal piece of Biden’s agenda in its tracks, dealing a serious blow to the president’s political fortunes. It would be a mistake to assess Manchin’s behavior in these superficial political terms. The apparent death of Build Back Better may be a short-term loss for Democrats and a win for Republicans, but let’s instead shift our focus to how it would impact the country. Millions of Americans would have benefited from some aspects of this unprecedented spending package, but the Build Back Better Act had obvious, overwhelming drawbacks. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found the true cost of the bill was far greater than Democrats had advertised. If passed, this legislation would have contributed to our nation’s massive $29.6 trillion debt, which has swelled during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CBO determined the national debt would have soared by a staggering $3 trillion if the programs in the bill continued for 10 years, a likely scenario in this age
of deficit spending. This package would have presented an unacceptable risk as our nation contends with historic levels of inflation, new uncertainty surrounding the omicron variant and tensions with American adversaries like Russia and China. Manchin wrote his “Democratic colleagues in Washington are determined to dramatically reshape our society in a way that leaves our country even more vulnerable to the threats we face.” While it’s critical we help workers, parents, students and patients through social spending, it needs to be done in a far more responsible fashion. At the end of the day, if every politician were like Manchin, the Build Back Better bill never would have received the level of support it did. But most aren’t these days. The vast majority of our elected leaders would rather score political points by passing this bill rather than acknowledge the economic and political risks that it entails. For once, a politician transcended politics and put the needs of the country first, something Democrats and Republicans alike often cannot muster the courage to do. Every American — even the staunchest supporters of Build Back Better — should praise Manchin’s willingness to take a true risk and do what he earnestly believes is right for his constituents and the country. Sen. Manchin — someone who puts Americans first and politics second — is the leader we all need in these turbulent times. We should all hope Manchin seizes the opportunity and mounts a run for the White House in 2024. Less than a year into the Biden administration, it’s become clear the current president — whose approval rating stands at a historic low — has failed to solve multiple crises, from Afghanistan to COVID-19. On the Republican side, things don’t look much better. If former President Donald Trump enters the race for a second term, which appears increasingly likely, qualified Republican candidates may pass on a run for the Oval Office. Manchin should seriously consider making a bid for the White House. If he does, every American should turn out and vote for a leader who will put the nation first at every turn.
The danger of Instagays BENJAMIN DAVIS Opinion Columnist
Social media has a funny way of clouding our perceptions of ourselves. Being barraged with everyone else’s perfected versions of their lives, at least for me, makes it incredibly difficult to resist comparing and scrutinizing myself against others. This is my beef with Instagays. Instagays, attractive gay men on Instagram who have followings that surpass the tens of thousands, are an established facet of the culture of gay men. Surpassing the occasional thirst trap, these men post pictures that are aspirational, aesthetic, seductive and finetuned to take full advantage of social media algorithms. Each time an Instagay comes across my feed during my social media scrolls, a cognitive dissonance arises within me. On the one hand, they elicit my desire. On the other hand, they deflate my self-esteem because I will never measure up to their good looks and immaculate lifestyle. Instagays obscure the perceptions of how gay men see themselves and what
they expect the appearances of other gay men to be. There needs to be a wider recognition that gay men with rippling abs who party every weekend are a minority, rather than the majority, in the gay community. This understanding would help elevate the self-esteem of many gay men and recalibrate the expectations that we gay men have for each other. Instagram is a notorious enemy of self-worth. This app’s image-based interface makes it easy to see attractive influencers flaunting excessively glamorous lifestyles within a few taps. Facebook is aware that Instagram is taking a toll on the mental health of its users. According to insider research at Facebook, “Thirtytwo percent of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse.” Instagram creates a selfesteem addiction fueled by likes and followers. The app’s potent effect on mental health is all the more worrisome when looking at Instagays. And, the LGBTQ+ community historically has higher rates of mental illness, especially depression and anxiety.
The “test optional” debate hides the real inequities in higher education ALEX YEE
Editorial Page Editors
Julian Barnard Zack Blumberg Emily Considine Brandon Cowit Jess D’Agostino
Wednesday, January 12, 2022 — 9
These elevated rates of mental illness, combined with an app that is chock full of chiseled gay men living it up in the party capitals of the world, are a recipe for the destruction of gay male self-esteem. With a history of anxiety and confidence issues, I myself have fallen victim to late night social media scrolls that turn into self-loathing pity parties. Sometimes seeing a fellow gay man who is seemingly the most attractive, successful man who has ever existed triggers depreciative thoughts that make me feel lonely and defeated. Social media is not an accurate representation of reality. Read that last sentence over again until it truly sinks in. It’s a piece of wisdom we’ve all heard many times over, yet many of us still fall prey to the lures of that one Instagram page that reminds us of what we’re not and what we don’t have. Instagram is a doctored version of reality. It is Photoshop on steroids. Social media posts highlight all of the high points of one’s life and never the lows.
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H
arvard University recently announced an extension of their test-optional policy, which allows applicants to forgo submitting scores on the dreaded SAT or ACT. The policy, first implemented last year in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, will remain in effect until 2026. Though the University of Michigan has yet to decide whether they will follow suit, it is not unreasonable to suggest that administrators are considering the idea. Constructing an argument against the consideration of standardized testing in U-M applications is simple. Our student body does not mirror the racial makeup of the state of Michigan. As a public university, one of our institution’s fundamental goals is to serve Michigan residents. Analysis from the Brookings Institution indicates that the large gap in SAT test scores between different racial groups can be explained by family income, racially-related test anxiety and lack of adequate preparation. They also cite research that finds high school GPA predicts college success more accurately than an SAT score. Because SAT scores influence where students apply, are accepted and how much financial aid they receive, this gap perpetuates the underrepresentation of some racial groups within elite colleges and universities. Proponents of standardized testing could counter by arguing that even if this outcome is not ideal, the SAT is an objective assessment. Unlike personal essays which can have wildly different levels of quality assigned to them based on who is reviewing them, an SAT score is one number, easily comparable across candidates. Proponents of testing argue that removing the SAT from the admissions process could give less qualified students an unfair advantage over those who do well on the test. Yes, the average scores for Black and Latino test takers both fall below the College Board’s “college readiness” benchmark, but many within those groups score above average. When admissions officers are deciding between two competitive applicants, it could theoretically come down to a 4.0 GPA, 1200 SAT
and a 2.9 GPA, 1560 SAT. Relying more heavily on SAT scores would benefit the latter candidate, even if it was the former who worked harder in high school, as reflected in their GPA, but lacked the proper resources to succeed on the SAT. Again, noting the evidence that SATs are less predictive of college success than GPA, the emphasis on SATs appears unjustly important. Given the previously mentioned empirical link between race, income and test scores, underrepresented students applying to the University of Michigan would hopefully benefit from a shift away from tests. However, Meghan McArdle of the Washington Post argues that Harvard’s decision to continue being test-optional will benefit wealthier children instead, because they are more likely to have exemplary extracurriculars, grades and letters of recommendation. Without SAT scores, admissions officers can (or are forced to) justify their decisions using less quantitative criteria, making them less accountable and their process more opaque. And yet, in a larger sense, why has the debate over test-optional policies begun to dominate the larger conversation around solving educational inequality? Research that identified possible reasons for the racial gap in test scores also point to income and parental education as explanatory factors. Even if attending an elite school would give underrepresented students a significant boost in upward mobility, there are not many spots at Harvard, Yale, Williams or other small institutions able to commit an inordinate amount of resources to each student. Even if we accept that changing testing policies would increase the number of disadvantaged students attending those schools, that does not change the fact that, broadly, SAT scores show a lack of adequate primary and secondary education for a significant number of Americans. For students seeking other paths to higher education, they are behind, and different admissions policies will not change that. Instead of focusing narrowly on testing, policymakers should consider other methods of lessening inequality in college enrollment, starting by reevaluating how we finance public K-12 education. In 1994,
the state of Michigan passed a proposal that increased the sales tax by 2% and assumed control over the allocation of school funding, replacing the old system based on property taxes. Studies on the effects of this policy found that it reduced disparities in per-pupil spending between school districts and increased the percentage of students that enrolled in and graduated from college. The latter benefit was not concentrated among the poorest students, but this is perhaps partly explained by the decisions made at the district level to allocate funding towards more affluent students. Despite that, the reform demonstrated that investing in primary education can translate into better long-term education outcomes. Another policy, introduced by researchers at the University of Michigan, found that providing targeted information about financial aid to “high-achieving, low income” students resulted in a significant increase in applications and enrollment among that demographic. Students already qualified to attend the University based on current standards were not applying or enrolling simply because they did not understand the amount of financial aid they would receive. These kinds of policies, aimed at reducing economic disparities in college admissions, may or may not also reduce racial disparities. Given the correlation between race, education and income, one would hope that racial and economic justice can be achieved in tandem. Removing standardized testing might be the most efficient option to quickly reduce racial inequality in admissions. It is easy to implement and does not require additional spending by the government or parents. However, even setting aside concerns about admissions transparency, is the most efficient solution always the best one? We spend 12 years in primary and secondary education but only four as undergraduates. Preparation for a successful college career includes the skills and experience one gains throughout their educational career. By focusing almost exclusively on how to alter the admissions requirements such that different groups can get in, we avoid discussing the possibilities that bolder, broader changes to public education can provide for the average American student.
COVID-19: Episode 2 – Omicron Strikes Back PALAK SRIVASTAVA Opinion Columnist
This holiday season, between December 24 and December 31, airlines cancelled 15,000 flights nationwide. In New York City, Broadway shows are being cancelled left and right, dozens of restaurants are closing their doors and the recently elected mayor, Eric Adams, even cancelled his inauguration gala. Though not as severe, this soft lockdown feels reminiscent of the hard lockdown in March 2020. As a student, there is one parallel course of action that stands out the most. Schools gave students a two-week “break” in early 2020 which turned into months of virtual instruction. I fear a similar fate for my education now that many universities are delaying the date that students will come back to campus, and opting instead for two weeks of online learning. Understandably, a two week break may be terrifying to the student — of any level — who has had years of their experience ripped away from them. But we must be rational, and try our best to understand the damage that an unmitigated Omicron wave could do to our community. I do not want school to go back online. After losing a year and a half of my high school experience to virtual learning, I can’t imagine missing anything more. The loss of my last year of high school sports, the experience of finally being a senior and having time with my friends before we all went our separate ways has made me grateful for the college life I have experienced thus
far. As a result, I am less willing to let it go. However, as colleges across the country — both private and public — are starting their spring semesters online, my feelings have become more ambivalent. While I have a strong desire to go back, the decision to return to in-person classes is not that simple. As a New Yorker, I have seen how Omicron has ravaged the city. On walks to the nearby coffee cart for my daily fix of iced coffee, I am surrounded by COVID testing lines that have taken over every other block. Masks are back to being glued on faces, as no one dares to pull them down, even outside. Even my hometown friends, who I may not see again for months, have taken to self-isolating for fear of contracting the virus. After only two weeks of break, I am already aware of the dangers that lie in densely populated areas and what is at stake if the situation is not handled properly. As such, I fear what is to come of the University of Michigan and its population of over 48,000 students and 29,000 employees. With students returning from all corners of the country, and some from across the globe, the risks of rapid spread are high. Though there will be some who remain cautious, there will be many who won’t; whether it be continuing nightly endeavors at packed fraternities or simple carelessness like forgetting to wear a mask in public places, chances are high that we will be seeing a surge of Omicron cases on campus. If it really does come to that, we may be looking at an entire semester of virtual learning. Considering
this, I would gladly delay the gratification of fully in person classes if it means we will minimize the amount of time that we will be forced online. So, if the spread of Omicron is this serious and many colleges have already shut down for a week or two, why haven’t we? Without the notifications that used to inform us of positive COVID cases in classrooms, what are we left with? The requirement that students and faculty receive booster shots, the easily avoidable ResponsiBlue screening checks along with the University’s arguably lackluster contact tracing program and isolation policies will likely be hardpressed to protect our campus community from COVID-19. As such, it is the University’s responsibility to do more. Possible solutions include mandating regular COVID testing — even for fully vaccinated students on campus — as is the norm at several peer colleges and universities across the country. The University should also consider resuming communication about positive cases across campus, or even temporarily moving lectures online while keeping discussion sections in-person. The best course of action would have been to delay the start of in-person classes. But we should be cognizant of the fact there are scores of other actions outside of a full virtual pivot that University officials could take to make campus a safer place. Unfortunately, so far the University has adopted worryingly few of these common sense measures, measures which could hopefully maximize the amount of in person learning available this term.
Opinion
10 — Wednesday, January 12, 2022
Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream is yet to be fulfilled ANNA TRUPIANO Opinion Columnist
A
s Martin Luther King Jr. Day approaches on January 17, we must remember his dream that one day people of every race would be treated as equals. In his “I Have a Dream” speech, he famously urges his listeners to fight for their equality with peaceful protest rather than with violence. Despite the fact that this speech was delivered over half a century ago, in 1963, and was one of the most poignant and influential moments in U.S. history, his dream of racial equality has yet to be fulfilled. To ask for the idea of racial equality to be upheld is not an exorbitant demand; the current state of our nation, however, suggests that this demand may have required more than King expected. Though MLK Day is recognized as a federal holiday, Robert E. Lee Day is recognized as a state holiday in several southern states. The precise date of this holiday varies by state but often falls on the third Monday of January each year, as does MLK Day. Lawmakers’ justification for this dual holiday is the inconvenience of having two separate holidays in January. In Alabama in particular, the celebration of Lee is even grander than that of King. The antithesis of these two historical figures is notable, with one being a former Confederate general who fought for the rights of white slave owners to own Black people and the other being a civil rights leader who lobbied tirelessly for equal rights. The celebration of a man who owned almost 200 slaves, who fought against our nation’s foundations of racial equality and who was indicted for treason for attempting to divide the country, is disgusting, especially when it is seemingly designed to undermine the celebration of his exact opposite. Even if Robert E. Lee Day were celebrated on a different date than MLK Day, it would remain a major issue. Its celebration exemplifies how
the Confederacy has remained an influential and revered part of history for many Americans. The Confederacy’s persistence is further displayed in the many United States citizens who still proudly wave the Confederate flag today. While those who fly this flag may justify it on the grounds of Southern pride, it undoubtedly still carries the weight of racism and white supremacy. The continuing veneration of the Confederacy is just one of many examples of the racial inequality that still pervades our nation today. While Dr. King proudly advocated for rooting out racism, many people seem to have forgotten MLK’s message of the virtues of peaceful protest. While the vast majority, 93%, of 2020’s Black Lives Matter protests were peaceful, the other 7% resulted in nine people dying and over $1 billion of property damage. However, it is arguable that these violent riots are truly what opened the eyes of many. It’s easy to view this violence as an unacceptable repudiation of MLK’s message, a betrayal of the ideals that inspired the Civil Rights Act in favor of senseless violence. However, to hold this view would be to ignore the observations, and consequent changes of belief, that King made later in life. Toward the end of his lifetime, King’s popularity waned. He was abandoned by many of his white, moderate supporters and expressed the fear that white moderates might be a greater enemy to him than radicals due to their desire for order. These were the same individuals that King excoriated in his “Letter From a Birmingham Jail” for preferring an “absence of tension” to the “presence of justice.” This attitude explains a speech he gave right here in Michigan just three weeks before his assassination, titled “The Other America.” In this speech, he denounces the lack of improvements in standard of living for Black Americans in the previous years, despite gaining greater legal rights, and seemingly addresses those who would denounce riots as antithetical to his vision with
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the phrase “a riot is the language of the unheard.” Essentially, while he finds it regrettable that riots continue to occur, he recognizes that to condemn them without first eliminating the injustice that causes them is hypocritical and ultimately futile. It seems that the day King dreamed of was further off than he may have thought, and, even if conditions had changed radically in the months following this speech, his assassination a short time later means that he would never have been able to see it. The fact that nearly 54 years later his dream has still not been fulfilled has led many to lose hope. This is a mistake. Our generation is more socially aware than any generation thus far. While we may not have the capacity to change the current state of affairs right now, we do have the power to teach our children the ideals of racial equality. Our children can then pass these values to their own children. This will eventually lead us to a permanent escape from the society of inequality we live in; we may even see this change during our lifetime. The issue of racial inequality is wide ranging and multifaceted, so much so that I have barely scraped the surface of it. Rather than taking the day off of classes to relax on Jan. 17, I encourage you to really think about why we have this day off. Reread King’s most famous speech, “I Have A Dream,” and appreciate not only his rhetoric but the goal he had in mind. After taking time to understand his message, I ask that you consider how you will spread it. At any instance of injustice, we cannot hesitate to speak up, we must take efforts in extending this message to our friends, family and other relations. Our generation, especially Michigan’s leaders and best, has the capacity to make King’s dream come true. In doing this, we are making the dream of millions of other oppressed people come true as well. When this day finally comes, I am sure Martin Luther King Jr. will be smiling from afar.
Catching Up...
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Addressing the public health crisis of gun violence ALYSSA FLETCHER & DANIEL SILVERS Daily Contributors
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n Nov. 30, a gunman walked into Oxford High School in Michigan and opened fire, killing four and injuring seven more. The gunman was only 15 years old. This shooting came at the end of one of the deadliest years for gun violence in U.S. history, with almost 45,000 gun deaths so far. Fighting against gun violence is not an easy task, yet shootings such as the one at Oxford High School show that the time for change is long overdue. Gun violence is always an anomaly — until it hits your own community, family or friends. First, it is important to understand what gun violence means. It is violence in which a firearm (pistol, shotgun, assault rifle or machine gun) is used in a domestic or social setting to harm or kill civilians. Gun violence is a threat looming over us that has culminated in one of the most horrific public health crises. Why? There is a lack of transparency and research in gun violence data collection. Not only
is data limited, the background check process — which is meant to screen for mental health issues or other red flags — is glaringly deficient. As passionate advocates of bringing transparency to gun violence data, we made it our mission to carve through the opacity and find true answers. We sat down with Dr. Marc Zimmerman, professor of public health at the University of Michigan and co-director of University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, to hear about what he and the University are doing to effect change. A young soul from the Jersey Shore, Zimmerman immediately showed a keen interest in our passion to create transparency and awareness for gun violence prevention. He has been doing work on youth gun violence protection for over 30 years. Five years ago, he submitted a proposal to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for funding for teenage gun violence research and subsequently received $6 million in grant funds “to advance youth firearm violence prevention research.”
Zimmerman pointed out the role of demographics in the issue of gun violence. Sixty percent of all firearm deaths are suicide, most in rural areas, and mostly by white men over the age of 50. This data begins to introduce the necessity for us to change the narrative to protecting mental health instead of blaming gun violence on mental health. This is Zimmerman’s goal. Occasional national stories of mass shootings increase stigmas about people with mental illness, when in reality, shootings are a daily occurrence. They are a result of the lack of mental health background checks, medical intervention and money for research. Zimmerman is bridging this knowledge gap and bringing clarity to the youth epidemic of gun violence. For Zimmerman and us, anti–gun violence efforts are not about taking away the 330 million guns in America, but teaching safer gun ownership and ensuring stronger background checks. It is a public health effort specifically poised at saving lives. To protect Americans, we need more data on how and why gun deaths occur. This data will lead us to solutions that
can be implemented to protect youths, make gun usage safer and provide transparent information to our government and medical professionals. Doctors are our first line of defense. According to Zimmerman, right now, doctors lack training on how to have a conversation with their patients about guns — including safe storage and maintaining strong mental health. When you walk into your doctor’s office, you’re asked if you use a seatbelt, if you wear a helmet and if you drink and drive. Similarly, you should be asked if your gun is locked in a safe location in your home. Dr. Patrick Carter, a colleague of Zimmerman’s and co-director of the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, found that less than 5% of older adult firearm owners discuss safe storage with their physician even though older adult suicides account for more than 30% of all firearm fatalities. There is a disconnect between the data provided and the practices within medical offices to prevent suicidal deaths. More funding is required to train doctors on how to ask patients meaningful questions related to firearm safety. Firearm
injury prevention starts with a conversation with a healthcare professional. With more funding and training, we can give doctors the power to limit the number of gun deaths. Students and teachers are also able to change the conversation and stigmas around mental health and gun violence. Nobody understands this more than Linda Beigel Schulman. Mother of Scott Beigel, a heroic teacher who sacrificed his life defending his students during the Parkland shooting of 2018. Linda has worked tirelessly to push for policies such as red flag laws at a national level and has become a leader in preventing further gun violence. Red flag laws allow officials to temporarily remove a firearm from those who present a danger to themselves and others. This law could prevent shootings like these in the future. 19 states and Washington, D.C., have already enacted this law. Michigan has yet to pass it. Schulman spends her days speaking with students, community leaders and advocates about her son’s story. By sharing her story with young people, she is trying to open the conversation and prevent another shooting.
Zimmerman and Schulman understand the importance of mobilizing a population against teenage violence and cutting to the root causes. For the first time in the past 20 years, the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH) have recognized gun violence as a public health crisis and have thus begun to award institutions, such as Michigan’s Firearm Injury Prevention Institute, funding. We need to keep this conversation moving forward, and to do so involves you. Red flag laws are just one policy that you can help advocate in the state of Michigan by writing a letter or calling your state representative. Increasing mental health background checks is another issue that requires attention and advocacy to increase the conversation of gun safety in medical practices. From the lack of funding for data on gunrelated fatalities to the necessary mental health focus that should be enforced in background checks to facilitating conversations within medical practices, there are many areas to leave an impact. It starts with having a conversation with your peers.
Sports
11— Wednesday, January 12, 2022
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan defeats Georgia in highest scoring season opener in program history SAMI RUUD
Daily Sports Writer
With the first routine of the season, sophomore Reyna Guggino raced down the vault runway and soared into her Yurchenko one and a half. She landed on the ground as the crowd, including a full student section, roared, her feet staying still to complete a stuck vault. Guggino’s vault scored a 9.900 and set the tone for the rest of the gymnastics meet on Thursday as No. 1 Michigan (1-0) defeated No. 15 Georgia (0-1) in its first meet of the 2022 season 197.750-194.500. The Wolverines ultimately won the meet by over 3 points and earned the highest score in program history for a season opener. The meet also marked the first time fans were allowed to watch in person in the Crisler Center since COVID-19 shut down the 2020 season. “It was amazing to have everyone in here,” senior Natalie Wojcik said. “Everyone was super involved, cheering the
TESS CROWLEY/Daily The defending National Champions, Michigan, had a strong start to the 2022 season.
whole time and participating in all our little traditions that we have throughout. And the student section was completely filled, so it was really cool to see their support and just to be here back with our families and all of our friends.” Following Guggino’s first vault, the rest of the vault rotation also delivered highscoring routines, highlighted by 9.900s from senior Abby Heiskell and junior Sierra Brooks. Every gymnast in the rotation completed a Yurchenko one and a half, which gave them an extra boost in their scoring, since the vault allows for a start value of 10.0. “In order for (the more difficult vault) to be a benefit, not only do you have to do them, you have to do them well,” Michigan coach Bev Plocki said. “Because if you do it and you don’t do them well, it will probably be a bigger deduction. But if you do them well… in theory it gives you a tenth, tenth and a half edge over someone else.” As the Wolverines completed their vault rotation, the Bulldogs struggled on bars,
giving Michigan a full point lead moving into the second rotation. The Wolverines continued their strong performance onto the bars, led by a 9.950 from Wojcik and a 9.925 from Brooks. Meanwhile, Georgia suffered another rough rotation on the vault with a fall. Michigan gained a 98.900-97.525 lead halfway through the meet. The Wolverines continued to increase their lead with a set of solid routines on the beam. Wojcik and Heiskell both stuck their dismounts, earning a 9.950 and a 9.925. When Heiskell finished her routine, she ran directly to assistant coach Maile’ana Kanewa-Hermelyn — who leads the coaching efforts for beam — to embrace her. The event has been a steady force for the team and was instrumental in its national championship title last season. “Maile has been amazing,” Plocki said. “Our staff is amazing, we complement each other so well. Scott and I both have more experience, which comes with age, but she’s been such a great infusion of young energy and some
new ideas. And she choreographed all of our floor routines, which I think are spectacular.” Michigan’s floor routines did not disappoint in the final rotation, where the team clinched the win. Junior Gabby Wilson closed out the meet with the highest scoring routine, earning a 9.950. Sophomore Naomi Morrison also assisted on the floor and throughout the rest of the competition, as she competed in her first all-around effort for the Wolverines. “(Competing in the allaround) gives me a confidence boost,” Morrison said. “I just want to be a steady force for this team, and I really want to put up scores for them and help our team succeed, and hopefully win a national championship again.” Michigan’s performance secured the win against Georgia, but also proved why it is the top ranked team going into the season. Its score of 197.750 was the highest for any team in the NCAA this weekend, as well as the highestscoring season opener for the Wolverines in program history.
Brisson guides Michigan to weekend sweep over Massachusetts NICK MOEN
Daily Sports Writer
While much of No. 6 Michigan’s core was away at the World Junior Championships, sophomore forward Brendan Brisson stayed with the team. At twenty years old, he was too old to make the cut. But after scoring two goals against No. 10 Massachusetts on Saturday night, he showed his continued influence on how the Wolverines perform as a whole. In Sunday’s final game to complete a sweep over the Minutemen, Brisson was electric from the get-go. Whether it was sticking up for sophomore goaltender Erik Portillo, rushing back on defense or firing shots on net,
his presence was immense. Brisson’s forecheck and backtrack aided his line in dominating the Massachusetts defense. “A lot of our chances in the line came off turnovers,” sophomore forward Matty Beniers said. “Forecheck and getting pucks back is huge for our line. We’re great with the puck, but sometimes it’s harder for skilled guys to get the puck back. We did that great this weekend.” In the final minute of the first period, Brisson picked up a loose puck deflected off the Minutemen’s goaltender and buried it for the opening goal. This wasn’t the only time his name would be blasted over the arena speakers; Brisson’s work continued after the break, sliding the puck to a wide open Beniers
and giving Michigan a 2-0 lead. “He’s a sniper and one of the bigger goal scorers I’ve been around for 40 years of college hockey,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said. “Anywhere near him he’s got an idea how to finish. The puck follows him. The puck comes to him.” Brisson’s defensive work also strengthened the Wolverines as a whole and gave them the edge. During a Michigan powerplay, a Massachusetts skater drove up the right wing; Brisson blocked his shot and didn’t let him get near Portillo. The Wolverines regained possession and took advantage of their extra man by tiring out the opposition and bombarding them with shots. Brisson was still hungry in the third, earning four shots. In the final moments when the Minutemen had scavenged a
Early 3-point shooting crucial in dominating win over Rutgers ABBIE TELGENHOF
Daily Sports Writer
Driving into the lane, senior forward Naz Hillmon kicked the ball out to senior guard Amy Dilk on the baseline. Catching, ready to shoot, Dilk fired up a 3-pointer, draining her first three since returning from a lower leg injury that she suffered in the first game of the season. In the No. 8 Michigan women’s basketball team’s matchup with Rutgers, sound 3-point shooting buried the Scarlet Knights early, sustaining a lead the Wolverines would never relinquish. The three from Dilk was just the beginning of a first half attack from behind the arc. In the subsequent offensive play, senior wing Leigha Brown knocked down a three from the top of the key. The backto-back 3-pointers capped off a 12-0 run to end the first quarter. Opening the second quarter, the Wolverines stayed hot from behind the arc. Junior guard Maddie Nolan buried a three from the wing to start the quarter. Nolan would go on to finish the game 4-for-4 from three, ending with 14 points. “I would take Maddie up against anyone in the conference shooting-wise,” Brown said. “I think she’s one of our best shooters.” Continuing the hot streak, senior forward Emily Kiser also flashed her extended range with a three from the corner. Brown knocked down another three late into the third quarter. In total, four players contributed from behind the 3-point line, tying for
JEREMY WEINE/Daily Michigan’s victory over Rutgers was propelled by its success from beyond the arc
the most in a single game so far this season. Michigan’s diverse 3-point attack throws a wrinkle into opposing teams’ defensive scheme. Keeping extra defenders out of the paint frees up Hillmon to work in the post and opens driving lanes for Wolverine guards. “We have a lot of depth in the guard position,” Brown said. “And a lot of people that do different things, whether that’s shooters coming off the bench, Amy coming out trying to create just as good as anyone. Our ability and the versatility that we have with that position. … I think that it’s really important to have that. A lot of teams don’t really have six or seven guards deep that can play so that’s definitely huge.” Coming out of the locker room, the relentless barrage quieted down in the second half. Michigan only had one 3-pointer the rest of the game. Yet there was no need for more. As the clock ticked down on a game Rutgers had no hope of winning, the Wolverines’ second
quarter storm of raining threes had already dashed the Scarlet Knights’ hopes. Michigan ended the game shooting 60% from three — and with a season high nine 3-pointers. “Maddie Nolan is such an unbelievable shooter, and she made some great shots but Leigha Brown really made them tonight too,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “And it was great to see Emily Kiser make one as well.” If Michigan can sustain this level of shooting, alongside Hillmon and Kiser in the post, the Wolverines could have a deep offensive rotation that keeps opposing teams on their toes. The combination will be needed as Michigan still looks ahead to the remainder of a strong conference schedule. As the No. 8 team in the country for the first time ever, the Wolverines have a new target on their back. “We’re in a position where people are coming for us on any given night,” Barnes Arico said. “We’re seeing everybody’s best shot. So we have to bring our best game and we can’t have lapses.”
goal, Michigan continued to find Brisson to design plays. He now leads the team with 14 goals, three behind Western Michigan forward Ethen Frank, the nation’s leader. His influence was seen in all aspects of Sunday’s matchup. When a scuffle starts on the ice, Brisson is likely to be in the thick of it. By the end of the second period, he had spent 4 minutes in the penalty box. Brisson’s ability to get in the opponent’s head and win the psychological game is an underappreciated skill — which he displayed on numerous occasions on the night. “He’s starting to play with more pace,” Pearson said. “I didn’t like his penalties tonight. He’s got to play with a little more emotional control. And that’s good because he’s getting his hands dirty. It’s just not the goal now.”
Brisson powers Michigan in sweep of Massachusetts
Brisson’s days in a Michigan uniform will likely come to an end when the season concludes, but it’s clear his respect and skill within the group will have a lasting effect. Opposing teams
JENNA HICKEY/Daily
tend to have a tough day on the ice when Brisson is present — and they can expect it to continue when they play the Wolverines. At least until the end of the season.
Sports Wednesday: Canceled games put one more hole in the sinking ship Less than eight hours before tip-off, it was announced that the Michigan men’s basketball team would not play No. 10 Michigan State on Saturday due LANE to COVID-19 KIZZIAH concerns within the Wolverines’ program. After being tested on Friday, the team fell below the Big Ten minimum of seven available scholarship players. Unsurprisingly, 24 hours later, it was revealed that Michigan wouldn’t meet the threshold on Tuesday and would also forgo its matchup against No. 3 Purdue. With each unscheduled day off the court, Michigan coach Juwan Howard is losing his most fleeting resource: time. After four unranked nonconference losses, Howard has repeatedly stated that his players have what it takes to turn it around — even when the number of those players available to compete has begun to dwindle. “It’s so easy to try and point out like, ‘What’s missing?’ ” Howard said after Tuesday’s loss to unranked Rutgers. “ ‘No leadership, no shooting, no defense.’ I have so much positive — I see so many great things.” Now, the potential Howard sees will have to wait until
at least Jan. 14, when the Wolverines are scheduled to play Illinois in Champaign. But Howard is familiar with COVIDrelated challenges. Last season, COVID19 was always a factor, whether it was looming as a constant threat or a present danger. Most notably, Howard and his team weathered a twoweek athletic pause extending from the end of January to the middle of February last year. As COVID-19 transitioned from a novelty to a constant reality, there came to be an expectation of what a team would look like after a COVID19 pause: off on its shooting, sloppy in its defense, generally sluggish from being locked out of the gym in the middle of the season. So, naturally, there were concerns that the pause would hamper a season that was off to a stellar start. “Well, there were some turnovers being made,” Howard told reporters after the first practice postCOVID-19 pause last season. “Some excessive fouling. Some wobbly legs. All that is expected when you haven’t been able to work out, play basketball, been sitting in your apartments, studying, having Zoom calls with professors and tutors, haven’t been able to get in the gym. When you have a layoff like that, you’re gonna have some rust. Gonna be winded.”
But the Wolverines didn’t lose an ounce of momentum. Michigan shook off the rust with a road win against Wisconsin, a performance that snowballed into a five-game win streak. In just his second season in Ann Arbor, Howard proved himself not just as a coach that could shape talent but one that could withstand adversity. Of course, there are very few resemblances between this season and last. Last season, the Wolverines went into the COVID-19 pause with a 13-1 record and a No. 4 ranking. After the first half of this season, Michigan is solidly unranked with a firmly mediocre record of 7-6. Potentially more importantly, last year’s pause was athleticdepartment-wide, a result of COVID-19 outbreaks in other programs. While this year’s break will likely be shorter, there’s a difference between getting players back in shape after they’ve been sitting in their apartments versus bringing players back after potentially having COVID-19. And, there’s a difference between facing a pause while trying to keep a team at the top of its game and trying to revive a team that’s limping through conference play. The question of how big that difference is — and whether Howard has what it takes to overcome it — will have to wait.
S P O R T S W E D N E S DAY
Weapons of umass
destruction
Michigan marches past Massachusetts, 4-2, sweeping key weekend series PAUL NASR
Daily Sports Editor
F
ollowing the regular season and conference tournaments, the NCAA deploys PairWise, a mathematical ranking system, to seed its postseason hockey tournament. Facing the defending NCAA National Champions, the No. 6 Michigan hockey team received a prime chance to boost its PairWise rankings entering the second half of the season. On Sunday, it was clear that the Wolverines understood the stakes. Michigan (16-6-1 overall, 7-5 Big Ten) fired on all cylinders, defeating No. 10 Massachusetts (10-6-2), 4-2, for a pivotal series sweep. “If you’re a competitor and you’re a player, you want to play in these big games,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said. “… I thought our players were dialed in, I give them
a lot of credit.” Both teams’ forceful backchecks highlighted much of the first period. Michigan and Massachusetts made plenty of entries into its offensive zones, only to be swarmed by defending skaters who consistently broke up odd-man rushes. Yet, as the game wore on, the Minutemen’s backcheck weakened while the Wolverines’ held strong. The development ultimately gave Michigan the edge, as crisp passes and clean zone entries dislocated and overwhelmed Massachusetts defenders, guiding the Wolverines to a comfortable 3-0 lead by the end of the second period. “All week, we did a great job just preparing for what they were going to bring,” senior defenseman Nick Blankenburg said. “At the end of the day, every guy on this team laid it all on the line this weekend. … Everyone played for each other and everyone played the right way.” Nearly midway through the first period, Portillo corralled a
shot from Minutemen forward Ryan Sullivan into his pads, and as Massachusetts skaters whacked at him to dislodge the puck, officials declared the puck frozen and a scuff le ensued. As referees cleared the scene, the puck sat harmlessly in the middle of the crease. Portillo kept the puck out of harm’s way throughout the contest, totaling 28 saves in another strong showing. On the other end, with less than a minute left in the first period, the Minutemen made their first costly defensive error. Sophomore forward Matty Beniers took the puck behind the left post, and Massachusetts goaltender Matt Murray easily poked the difficult-angle shot away with his stick. The puck slid towards a conglomeration of skaters left of the crease, but no one was able to control it as sophomore forward Brendan Brisson skated in from across the ice, snapping it past Murray.
The momentum carried over into the second period, where Massachusetts saw its chances dwindle by the minute. Michigan dominated the Minutemen’s power play over the first two minutes, and less than four minutes into the period, the Wolverines struck again. Sophomore forward Kent Johnson speedily entered the attacking third without a contest, finding Brisson in the slot. Brisson shifted to his left before finding Beniers on the right side for a raucous onetimer goal. “I think it was a result of us just working harder than they were,” Beniers said. “They were working really hard, they played a good game, but I think we were just a little bit better than them.” Throughout the first seven minutes of the second period, the puck practically lived in Michigan’s offensive zone, and the Wolverines seized control of the game. Michigan outshot Massachusetts,
7-3, in that span and didn’t look back. While the Wolverines remained in command, freshman forward Dylan Duke added insurance. Securing his own rebound following a pad save from Murray, Duke launched the puck over Murray’s right pad for Michigan’s third goal. A shorthanded goal by Massachusetts forward Bobby Trivigno with six minutes left in the third period couldn’t derail the Wolverines, and junior forward Johnny Beecher’s second emptynet goal of the weekend sealed the deal. With the Big Ten standings tight and the conference schedule returning to full-swing, Michigan enters its final stretch with muchneeded momentum and another signature victory to add to its resume. “The gang’s all back together,” Pearson said. “… Just really proud of our team.”
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