On Wednesday, the University of Michigan’s Center for Campus Involvement hosted Festifall on Ingalls Mall, providing thousands of students with the chance to explore the various student organizations, academic programs and departments at the University.
This year, the central campus portion of the event was split into three sessions instead of two and the Diag was closed for construction. As a result, most tabling occurred on Ingalls Mall and in front of the Rackham Auditorium.
In an email to The Michigan Daily, Jennifer Walker, lead manager for CCI Student Organizations, wrote about the large size of the event.
“With more than 1700 organizations on campus, the event showcases the wide variety of interests and passions that students bring to the University community,” Walker wrote. “This year, 982 student organizations and university departments, along with 25 vendors, participated in Festifall across two events: one event on Central Campus and one event on North Campus.” Walker also wrote the event was created to let students explore the diverse organizations on campus and find ways to get involved in campus life.
“Festifall is a cornerstone event for the University of Michigan student experience,” Walker wrote. “More than just an event, it’s a celebration of the vibrant and diverse student organization culture on campus. By bringing together hundreds of student organizations and university departments in one place, Festifall gives students a unique opportunity to explore their
interests, meet new people and build community.”
In an interview with The Daily, Rackham student Ren Kamykowski, Peer Facilitator for the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, said she hoped to increase the center’s visibility on campus through Festifall.
“We really believe that it’s important for us to be out here and in community with people,
making sure that our name is out there, that our resources are out there, that people know about us and are comfortable to come see us (and) check out our resources,” Kamykowski said.
LSA senior Isabella Hack, FirstYear Relationship Sexuality Talk facilitator for SAPAC, told The Daily in an interview she wanted to promote the center’s services to everyone, but especially students who may be new to campus.
“I think that the biggest thing for us is making sure, one, that first year students know where to go when they need help, regardless of what kind of help that is,” Hack said. “Then, for everyone, making sure they know there’s opportunities to volunteer, know there’s a safe space on campus for any reason that they really feel comfortable with.”
In an interview with The Daily, LSA junior Ryan Hong, president
of Global Medical Missions Alliance, said he hoped Festifall would help his organization to recruit more members.
“We’re just looking to find new members,” Hong said.
“Since we’re a new organization that started last year, we’re just looking to expand our reach on campus, just to let people know the love of Jesus. We’re looking to make a Christian fellowship on campus that looks to serve the community locally, but also abroad through missions such as to Mexico.”
In an interview with The Daily, LSA freshman Addie Scott said she particularly enjoyed the energy and experience of attending Festifall.
“I kind of like the energy here,” Scott said. “It’s really fun, and everyone’s really nice and you get a bunch of free stuff. There’s a lot of really cool opportunities that I didn’t even know existed, and that it’s worth checking out.” Walker
Michigan Medicine discontinues gender affirming care for minors
The University of Michigan will no longer provide gender-affirming care for individuals younger than 19 due to a federal criminal and civil investigation.
EMMA
SPRING Daily News Editor
The University of Michigan, along with Michigan Medicine, announced Monday that they will no longer provide genderaffirming care — including puberty blockers and hormone therapies — for individuals younger than 19, citing a federal criminal and civil investigation against the institution.
In an email to The Michigan Daily, Mary Masson, director
of public relations at Michigan Medicine, confirmed the ban.
“At this time, we will be discontinuing these therapies for all individuals under the age of 19,” Masson wrote.
The shift comes as genderaffirming care has become the subject of nationwide legal battles following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in January restricting such treatments for minors. The Trump administration also cut federal grants supporting transgender
health research earlier this year. While access to genderaffirming care remains legal in Michigan, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched an investigation in June into the case of a physician assistant who alleged she was fired by Michigan Medicine for requesting a religious exemption from performing gender-affirming care. In mid-July, the University and Michigan Medicine received
a subpoena from the HHS as part of a national probe.
Two weeks later, on Aug. 1, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the administration’s use of criminal prosecution threats to restrict care and pressure health care providers.
In the statement issued Aug. 25, University Public Affairs officials acknowledged the seriousness of the decision and wrote it would continue working with affected patients and families.
“We recognize the gravity and impact of this decision for our patients and our community,” the statement read. “We are working closely with all those impacted, and we will continuously support the well-being of our patients, their families, and our teams.
We are deeply grateful to our clinicians for their unyielding commitment to providing the highest quality care, and to all of our team members for their dedication to helping our patients, and to supporting
each other, as we navigate these changes together.”
Research has found that interruptions in genderaffirming care are associated with elevated risks of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and self-harm among transgender youth. Such therapies are not unique to transgender care, and have been prescribed to treat conditions such as precocious puberty — when children begin puberty unusually early — and other pediatric endocrine conditions.
The Michigan Daily sat down with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II in Ann Arbor Wednesday afternoon for a campaign event during Festifall. As a candidate for the Democratic nomination in Michigan’s 2026 gubernatorial election, Gilchrist discussed what sets him apart from other candidates, how he plans to support Michigan residents in the face of changing federal legislation and improving affordability in the state. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
The Michigan Daily: With your background in technology, local government and as lieutenant governor, what perspective do you believe sets you apart from other candidates in the 2026 Michigan gubernatorial race?
Garlin Gilchrist: I graduated from here with a degree in computer engineering and computer science, wanted to be
a software developer and I felt like I had to leave Michigan to pursue the opportunity. What I want to do is, first and foremost, build a Michigan where people know they can stay and succeed regardless of what they want to pursue. Now my background, having worked in technology as a software developer, is unique. There’s nobody else in the country that has my background who’s a statewide elected official. I understand what that means specifically for creating opportunity for Michiganders going forward, where you have artificial intelligence and other forms of technology that people have a lot of anxiety about — specifically what they’re going to do to the industries that matter in Michigan. I understand that technology; I’m the person who can make sure those companies don’t take advantage of Michiganders and that we have a human-centered approach to our economy going forward.
TMD: The state Senate recently released a report that said Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” could create a $2 billion hole in Michigan’s budget, specifically through cuts to Medicaid, forcing state leaders to make tradeoffs between other funding priorities. How would you address these challenges as governor?
GG: The Trump administration basically committed a hostile act of violence to the people of Michigan with that legislation that is, frankly, something that’s going to bring a lot of death. I call it a “MAGA murder budget,” not a beautiful bill, because there are people who get their health care through Medicaid who are going to die faster. There are hospitals in rural Michigan that are going to close because of those Medicaid cuts. There are people, kids, who are going to be hungry because they’re not going to get the food assistance that they need. That is really dangerous for Michigan. My focus is prioritizing the people who are getting hit hardest, fastest and deepest by
this legislation: pregnant women, children, seniors, people living with disabilities, especially developmentally disabled adults. We got to triage those impacts, and I’m really focused on making sure that we can take care of those people.
TMD: As students, many of us are thinking about whether to stay in Michigan after graduating or move elsewhere. As lieutenant governor, you’ve led efforts to fund Michigan’s infrastructure workforce and expand housing. Looking ahead, how do you plan to make Michigan a place where young people want to build their lives and careers?
GG: I’ve been to all 83 counties in Michigan at least three times and in every single community people tell me about their concerns about affordable and available housing. I’m 42, but I talk to people my age and younger who don’t feel like they’re ever going to be able to afford a house. Part of what my work has been thus far is to put 40,000 new units of housing online across the state
of Michigan. I’m going to continue to make sure people know that they can live here in Michigan, that they have a pathway to be able to forgive their student loans while they’re committed to living here in Michigan. When I say “stay and succeed in Michigan,” that means afford to be able to stay and succeed and pursue your dream. I want people to know that they’re going to have job prospects that are broad, that aren’t just focused in one particular industry of mobility and manufacturing. I want people, regardless of what your ambition is, to know that you can do it and pursue it here in the state of Michigan.
CONTINUED AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Student Body President Eric Veal Jr. talks campaign goals and presidential search
The Michigan Daily sat down with student body president Eric Veal Jr. to discuss the new University of Michigan presidential search process and more.
EDITH PENDELL Daily News Editor
In preparation for the 2025 school year, The Michigan Daily sat down with student body president Eric Veal Jr. to discuss his role in the new University of Michigan presidential search process, his administration’s progress toward their campaign goals and his plans for the year ahead. Responses have been edited and condensed for clarity.
The Michigan Daily: Can you reflect a bit on the progress you’ve made towards your campaign goals since you were sworn in in April?
Eric Veal Jr: Last semester was a great time rebuilding our student government and putting forth a vision for what student government should look like and what student government is supposed to do for students. We kind of carried that same energy into our campaign, and on the campaign trail, we talked about really rebuilding student trust, rebuilding what students know student government is and making sure that students across campus know that student government is your conduit for change, advocacy and support.
We’re already building relationships with the Ann Arbor Tenants Union. I’ve been talking with administration about the need for new dorms on campus, as well as the renovations going on on North Campus, as well as talking with the University’s Board of Regents about what it means to have a student voice with the Regents, whether that looks like a liaison position or a student regent.
TMD: You are the only undergraduate student on the Presidential Search Advisory Committee. What are your goals in this search process?
Veal Jr: I think the hugest thing for us is being sure that students on this campus know that in this search process they are valued, and students have the right to have an opinion on who leads this institution and has a vision that is studentcentered and student-oriented.
TMD: What have you been hearing from students about the search?
Veal Jr: One thing we’ve been hearing from students across campus is that they want someone who cares about them, someone who they can trust and someone who they can believe in. I think, for far too long, we have had leaders
that have not built relationships, but taken photo-ops. I think that it’s hugely important to the success of our university to have a president who has relationships and who has the ability to reach across campus divides and bring us together as one campus.
TMD: What are your biggest goals for this upcoming term?
Veal Jr: Visibility is huge for us.
I think, at the end of this term, if people can tell me what student government does besides the New York Times subscription, I think that’s a huge “W.” But when this administration is over, I want to be able to say that we provided more resources for students on campus; we provided alternatives for students who have felt like they don’t have a home on this campus. I want us to be able to say that we have provided a safe environment for students on this campus in regards to what’s going on at the federal level. One thing that I’ve been talking with administration and working across departments at our university to do is ensure that students know that someone is fighting for them, someone cares about when they say they don’t feel safe or someone cares when students are scared that their funding will be taken away.
TMD: As the student body president, you are able to meet with
administrators and faculty leaders in a way that other students might not be able to. What do you bring to those interactions with powerful people on campus?
Veal Jr: I should not be the only student able to get in those rooms. Students should be able to reach out. They should be able to come in with us. I think we’re looking at our administration being one of the most aggressive student governments that there has been. I’m talking to our colleagues at other Big Ten schools, and I’m telling them things we’re doing, and they’re like, “We couldn’t imagine having that much time with our administrators,” or having the relationships that we are we have been able to rebuild over the past five months that we’ve been in office. It’s one thing to be in the room, but it’s another to command it. One thing I’ve been trying to do every time I’m in the room is to make sure that they understand that students care, whether it’s something as simple as the routes to North Campus or something as big as the investments they’re making in dorms on campus.
TMD: Within the last year, many student protesters have expressed resentment towards the University administration. What are your goals in terms of public demonstrations and free speech on campus?
Veal Jr: I’ve been building a relationship with administration, but also building a relationship with students on our campus. One of the big things with that is making sure that, in those conversations, we’re chipping away at that adversarial relationship, that students on our campus understand that I am here to represent them, not the University administration. I’ve talked to the dean of Student Life as well as the President’s Office about different ways to increase students’ feeling comfortable to voice their opinion. One way that we’re doing that is becoming a co-sponsor on Political Speech in the Public Square, and that’s an initiative where students can get up and voice their opinion in the Diag.
About 100 community members gathered outside the Alexander G. Ruthven Administration Building Wednesday afternoon, where U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who represents Michigan’s 12th Congressional District, joined organizers calling on the University of Michigan to divest its endowment from companies tied to the Israeli government and to stop what speakers described as administrative repression of proPalestinian speech. The noon press conference, titled “United Against Genocide, United Against Repression,” followed months of demonstrations over the ongoing Israeli military campaign in Gaza, including a weeks-long encampment in the spring of 2024 and subsequent disciplinary and legal proceedings, which were dropped in May. Regents previously said the University does not take institutional positions on political matters, including divestment. Stephen Ward, associate professor of Afroamerican and African Studies, served as the emcee for the event and introduced a lineup of speakers, including students, union leaders and recent alumni facing
disciplinary charges related to various demonstrations over the past three years.
Before the start of the event, Social Work student Mallery Bee said in an interview with The Michigan Daily she feels the University’s recent stances on divestment reflect a broader trend of authoritarian politics in the U.S.
“I think we need to be getting loud about the rise of local fascism and the investment of our places of education in that fascism,” Bee said. “I think no one should be funding genocide, but least of all places that are supposed to educate and protect us.”
A statement from a former Office of Student Conflict Resolution student staffer — identified only as “Ariana” — was read aloud by Graduate Employees’ Organization President Hiab Teshome, who framed the statement as a resignationstyle rebuke of OSCR’s tactics. Ariana’s critique came amid reports of heightened scrutiny of the office, which recently filed a new round of formal complaints against 11 protesters involved in demonstrations since 2023.
“I sincerely believed in the office’s abilities in restorative justice practices for the betterment of the campus,” the statement read. “It quickly became clear that OSAR had more interests in exerting power over
students and bending the need to the University of Michigan Board of Regents.”
U-M alum Eaman Ali who was charged and found responsible by OSCR for violating the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities at two protests, also spoke to the attendees, saying she felt the University unfairly portrayed students as violent.
“They accuse us of community harm and violence despite the (University) police being the one who immediately pepper sprayed and brutalized (us),” Ali said. “Somewhere along the way, the University thought they could convince us that protesting against genocide is violence, but investing in a genocide is not.”
Michael Mueller, a recent doctoral alum and one of the 11 students charged by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel, spoke from a distance after being restricted from stepping onto University property under his disciplinary sanctions. To allow him to address the crowd, demonstrators shifted toward the public sidewalk and passed him the megaphone. Mueller noted that while state prosecutors dismissed criminal charges tied to the encampment, disciplinary proceedings through OSCR remain ongoing.
Nia Hall, the vice president of GEO, directly accused the administration and Regents of
attempting to stop dissent on campus.
“Right now, at (the University), students, staff, faculty and community members are being charged, banned for protesting, for demanding that our tuition dollars and labors not be invested in genocide,” Hall said. “This repression does not come from an abstract force. It comes directly from our administration and our Regents, masquerading as a champion of our learning, deploying every insidious tactic they can to crush dissent.”
When Tlaib took the microphone, she invoked Constitutional rights and the University’s history of student activism to buttress calls for institutional change. Meanwhile, on the sidewalk, a passerby shouted “go home,” to which protesters answered with chants of “free, free Palestine.” Members of a volunteer organization Meta Peace Team stood behind Tlaib during her remarks to help monitor safety.
“I don’t have to be an attorney to know this, just so you’re clear,” Tlaib said. “Constitutional rights of your students, of faculty, of alumni, do not end when they come on campus. I could not believe an alum had to stand on the public sidewalk to be able to participate in the
conference.” CONTINUED AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
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UMich to close CSCAR, longtime statistical consulting service
This month, the University of Michigan disclosed they will phase out Consulting for Statistics, Computing and Analytics Research.
EMMA SPRING Daily News Editor
The University of Michigan’s Consulting for Statistics, Computing and Analytics Research, established in 1946, provides free software support and consulting on data analysis for all University researchers in need of assistance. This month, the University disclosed they will phase out the unit.
According to an August 13 newsletter from the Office of the Vice President for Research, OVPR leaders framed the closure as a restructuring to better serve the entire campus.
“This transition is necessary to help OVPR serve a wide range of needs on campus more effectively,” the newsletter read. “This transition will occur in a phased manner to minimize the disruption to those obtaining statistical consulting from, and those working for, the
unit. For investigators who have contracted for statistical consulting with the unit, and investigators who currently have dedicated effort on a sponsored project through the unit, OVPR will arrange continued support.”
According to data provided to The Michigan Daily by CSCAR Interim Associate Director Hyungjin Myra Kim, the unit fielded more than 2,300 consulting requests between January and November 2024. While researchers in the Medical School accounted for the largest share at 17%, faculty and students across LSA, Public Health, Engineering, Information and other units also make heavy use of this service.
Kim said in an interview with The Daily CSCAR was not consulted by Arthur Lupia, vice president for research and innovation, about the decision. Concerns from community members prompted a petition signed by graduate
students and postdoctoral students urging the administration to keep CSCAR open.
“At no point were we informed of any desired changes or areas of concern,” Kim said. “It would have been valuable to have the opportunity to introduce him to our mission, highlight our contributions and share what we value as a team.”
In an interview with The Daily, Brady West, former CSCAR employee and research professor in the survey research center, echoed the same frustration. He said the plan for closure came as a surprise, especially since according to Kim’s data, the unit’s entire operation costs the University the equivalent of three and a half full-time staff members.
“I know for a fact that CSCAR was blindsided by the decision,” West said. “I have no idea why OVPR did not reach out to former employees to discuss this further and I still have not heard any
justification for the decision. CSCAR’s budget is literally a drop in the bucket relative to the vast amount of service that it provides.”
In an email to The Daily, Lupia defended the decision, saying the changing campus research landscape justified the closure.
“The decision helps to better align the office’s focus on emerging research requirements and ensure resources are directed to areas where the research office has unique responsibilities,” Lupia wrote. “In past decades, CSCAR was the only campus source for statistical consulting. That is no longer the case, and we are coordinating with campus partners and others to offer these alternatives going forward. In the coming weeks, we will roll out new arrangements for obtaining these services.”
Community members said there are few comparable alternatives. The Michigan Institute for Clinical
and Health Research provides similar data support, but charges for services at a base cost of $93 per hour for biostatistical support.
Kentaro Toyama, WK Kellogg Professor of Community Information and Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs member, compared CSCAR’s role in statistics to another wellestablished campus support center.
“CSCAR is like the Sweetland Writing Center for statistics,” Toyama said. “CSCAR provides in-depth methodological guidance about using statistics for research to the whole university community.
Nothing (is) comparable, as far as I know, either in accessibility or quality.”
West warned that the closure could undermine researchers’ ability to compete for funding and publish their work.
“The ability to write CSCAR into research grant proposals, receive free advice on research
School of Public Health evaluates pause in Epidemiology PhD applications
methodology or seek assistance when revising the statistical aspects of peer-reviewed journal articles that have received revise and resubmit decisions will all disappear,” West said. “Frankly, the entire research enterprise across the three campuses will suffer significantly, and the quality of the statistical work that (the University) is doing will decline.” In an interview with The Daily, Rackham student Sidney Xiang said she has found CSCAR invaluable in her research work.
“Many of our research advisors refer us to CSCAR on a regular basis for statistical analysis issues or just to get a second opinion on stuff,” Xiang said. “A lot of data issues that come up in research are more subtle and idiosyncratic than what we encounter in coursework, and it’s really useful to see how the CSCAR staff approach problems in addition to the recommendations they give at the end.”
Epidemiological Sciences PhD program will be paused for the 2025-2026 admissions cycle in direct response to President Donald Trump’s federal budget cuts.
CHIARA DETTIN Daily Staff Reporter
On July 28, the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health announced its Epidemiological Sciences PhD program will be paused for the 2025-2026 admissions cycle in direct response to President Donald Trump’s federal budget cuts to
clinical research and graduate programs. Students who are set to begin in the fall 2025 semester will continue their studies as scheduled, but the following prospective cohort will not be able to begin until further notice.
Like most graduate programs, the Rackham Graduate School requires all graduate students to receive full funding in order to be admitted. Initiatives such as the Rackham Merit Fellowship Program provide some financial assistance for select students. However, the fellowship only covers up to three years of funding, falling short of supporting the typical four to five years Epidemiology students take to complete their program. As a result, students heavily rely on support from national research agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and National Science Foundation.
In an email to The Michigan Daily, Belinda Needham, chair of epidemiology at the Public Health School, wrote the decision to pause admissions was due to the lack of funding and the hope that the program won’t be overburdened, giving each student a fair chance at funding.
“Several of our current students
lost funding as a result of NIH grant terminations or delays,” Needham wrote. “Because we are committed to fully funding our doctoral students, this means that we need to find a new source of funding to support these students. Pausing admissions for one year helps ensure that we have enough departmental resources to support all of our currently enrolled students, including those who have been
impacted by federal funding cuts.” While the decision supports current students, the pause in the program may impact the future workforce. In an interview with The Daily, epidemiology professor Emily Martin said cuts may affect the field of epidemiology widely, especially in training future epidemiologists. CONTINUED AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
The Obsessions B-Side
IAN GALLMORE Daily Arts Writer
You can’t stop thinking about it. Your mind drifts off to it while you’re working, eating, sleeping. You’re one trigger word away from launching into a 10-minute rant, accompanied by a very necessary 20-slide presentation. People know you by it. You might even say you’re obsessed.
Maybe it’s that one TV show that you can’t stop quoting.
The movie you saw five years ago that changed your life. A song that plays at the perfect moment, or even that cute guy who sits two rows in front of you during lecture. Regardless of the source, obsessions drive who we are. They become core parts of our personality, imbuing us with distinct sources of pleasure (or pain). Sometimes, they’re healthy, giving us a break from the monotonous cycle of actions we call life. Other times, they’re toxic, forcing us to linger on things we’d be better forgetting.
Most of the time, they’re pretty neutral, a source of seemingly endless conversation fodder. Whatever the case may be, one thing is consistent: You can’t stop thinking about them. Take a moment to join us in our obsessions. Delve into the intricacies of young adult dystopias, the songs from childhood we can’t forget and the characters who can’t get over crushes.
If you can’t get us out of your head, don’t worry. Just embrace the obsession.
The unique aching obsession of teenage fangirling
CAMPBELL JOHNS
Summer Managing Arts Editor
Dan Howell and Phil Lester consumed my preteen years.
I thought about the YouTube duo all the time — while getting ready for school, while zoned out in class, while getting ready for bed. I listened to music popular in the fandom. I would even (poorly) doodle each of them in my notebook before going home and logging onto my Instagram fan account. Talking to me was a bit of a nightmare. I would not shut up about #hearteyeshowell and theories about their marriage or where they lived.
I was insufferable, and I miss it.
Loving Dan and Phil was a palpable, physical feeling. I was often so giddy about them I blushed or had to jump around my room. I was once so plagued by them that I was nauseous after reading a fanfiction where they fought.
My obsession has relaxed in recent years, as it felt so specific to my preteen misery. Maybe watching Dan and Phil and imagining them in love gave me hope that I too could find my way to love, especially as mainstream Queer representation lacked. Maybe I was just lonely and made them my friends, or I craved the interaction with the online fandom community. Whatever fueled my obsession, it spoke exactly to my preteen moment. It’s been over 10 years since my Dan and Phil obsession began, and there still hasn’t been anything that made me feel quite that insane. 2019’s “Little Women”
came the closest. I saw the movie in theaters at 15, and I felt seen in a way that changed my life. The film depicts an ambition that I hadn’t yet begun to let myself conceive, which I now see as part of the reason I dared to dream of college and writing. The parts of the story that still speak to me now are those most attuned to who I was when I first watched the film. I would never have admitted I wanted to write at 15, but could feel myself quietly admitting it after “Little Women.”
So much of the unrequited (but slightly requited) love between Jo and Laurie still destroys me in a way it couldn’t have without relating it to my teenage experience. The Meg I related to then, the girl who desired marriage and children, has turned into the Jo of my present, current me who desires freedom and a big, ambitious life. On every rewatch, I still find myself yearning for Meg’s life and her dreams, certainly representative of who I was on my first watch. I’m still — and hopefully forever — obsessed with “Little Women.”
It’s not just Dan and Phil and “Little Women” who defined my teenage years. I spent so much of my youth obsessed. “Dodie yellow” is still my favorite color. My morning alarm tells me to “seek a great perhaps,” and I ask people for their secrets because of a line in “All the Young Dudes.”
It’s impossible to know where I begin and my teenage obsessions end. Sometimes, I wonder if I’ll ever like something in the specific, painful way that I did in teenagehood or if everything truly ties back to who I was then.
After my exit from teenagehood, I’ve viewed this type of obsession as a purely teenage phenomenon. I have limited time, in my college years, to daydream about my interests in the way I did then.
But it’s more than just free time that fueled my obsessions. The specific loneliness of adolescence and the (maybe dramatized) suffering of my young life could seemingly only be bandaged by distracting myself with the things I loved. Any hour spent nourishing my interests felt like an hour caring for myself, something likely necessary for the development of any young person.
The wonderful thing was, my obsessions felt completely encouraged. Yes, “fangirling” is often demonized or made fun of for what feels like no reason except for girls enjoying things and being passionate. But I was so engrossed and impassioned, I rarely stopped to bask in the forced shame.
From my experience — the hours on my fan accounts, all of the time in my brain devoted to my interests — fangirling was the one privilege of being a teenage girl. Young boys are often taught to reject emotion, to push down their feelings and worship pure stoicism. While this means pushing down their anger, sadness and joy, it also means they push down their passions. As a result, internet stan culture booms with young girls feeling free to embrace their interests, without toxic masculinity encouraging indifference and weighing them down.
CONTINUED AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
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Virality is why films die in the cultural mind
Is film like fashion?
After reading Brett Byers’ article “Is Virality Killing Authenticity: Internet Culture is Destroying the Fashion Trend Cycle,” I’m beginning to think so. In the piece, Byers argues that social media has affected the fashion world. According to his research, the fashion trend cycle has five stages: introduction, rise, peak, decline and obsolescence. This cycle used to take years or decades to complete, but now, Byers claims, it expires within mere weeks. He attributes the shorter lifespan to internet culture — like fashion blogs, Instagram, etc. — which allows for the quick dissemination of information.
Film discourse may be suffering from the same issue.
The Dune franchise and “Challengers” are likely the best examples of this phenomenon in action. If you trust the internet, “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two” seemed like the biggest film releases of the past five years. Memes about the franchise’s score, desert setting and sand worms dominated social media. It reached such heights of popularity that “The Fall Guy,” an action film released two months after “Dune: Part Two,” parodies the franchise. A new type of beautiful, Academy Award-worthy blockbuster was apparently on the dusky horizon thanks to director Denis Villeneuve’s vision of Arakis. Now, we hardly hear a blip of it, and Hollywood has gone back to its typical, mindless blockbuster ways (“A Minecraft Movie,” “How To Train Your Dragon,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “Jurassic World Rebirth”).
Another prime example of this trend cycle was “Challengers.” Starring Zendaya, Josh O’Connor and Mike Faist, the film was a cultural phenomenon — at least,
for a few weeks. Everyone was talking about the film. Trent Reznor’s memorable score lent itself to hilarious reenactments.
Brook Barnes, a writer for The New York Times, thought the period of Hollywood chastity was over and that new, braver films were on the way. Hell, even I thought the success of “Challengers” and some of the films released before it (“Poor Things,” “Tár”) meant that 2025 was set for an indie revival — a new wave of Hollywood films akin to the ’90s sex noirs. Unfortunately, the loud boom around Luca Guadagnino’s tennis thriller has died out. The releases this year and the dry box office hits seem to indicate that if there is a revival, it’s definitely been postponed.
The fact that fashion and film trend cycles follow the same pattern — of huge popularity, of being the “it” thing and then disappearing off the face of the globe — can’t just be coincidence. In the same way that the “clean girl,” “cunty country,” “leopard,” “mob-wife,” “blokette” and “office siren” aesthetics suddenly boomed and then died, so did everyone’s obsession with “Saltburn,” “Anyone But You” and “It Ends with Us.” It seems that the film trend cycle starts with its promotion, analogous to the introduction and rise of Byers’ framework. A famous celebrity may
The Michigan Daily
Tuesday, September 2, 2025
ACROSS
1. "___ a fuse" (erupted into anger)
5. Rust-colored Halloween animal
11. Runners behind O-lines
14. Shakespearean king
15. Regulars, or their orders 16. Rock's ___ Speedwagon 17. Pro's opposite 18. Collectible figurine that wobbles
20. Artery opener 22. "Aladdin" monkey
23. Turquoise relative
24. Speechless
27. Wimp
28. Song for one
29. R&B
Crossword
star in the film (Barry Keoghan, Sydney Sweeney) with a household name directing it (Christopher Nolan, Denis Villeneuve). It could be part of a famous intellectual property (a superhero franchise, a video game, a book series) or simply concern a famous individual (biopics). Then, the peak hinges on the film’s potential for virality. If it’s plainly enjoyable, expect some buzz and then crickets (“Avatar: The Way of Water,” “Anatomy of a Fall”). If any part of the film is memorable, everyone on the internet collectively obsesses over it for a few weeks. And then, the decline and obsolescence: All the talk dies.
This pattern in fashion microtrends and the current state of film discourse reflects social media’s impact on us and the art we consume. Where Byers talks about how micro-trends kill authenticity by putting us on the conveyor belt of the next cool thing (not allowing us time to explore our style), the film trend cycle kills critical thinking. By reducing films into a shareable moment or a punchline, audience members, who perpetuate the trend cycle, drown out arts criticism, making it harder to critically engage with the art we love.
CONTINUED AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Awesome time
for its fleece
Low digit? 46. QB's gains
"All Eyez on Me" rapper Shakur 50. Freudian ___ (verbal error)
Pranked with Charmin, for short
Related (to)
Appetizer follower 73. Calculates a sum DOWN
BEN LUU Summer Managing Arts Editor
Rumaisa Wajahath/DAILY
Matthew Prock/DAILY
Oh, be honest — we all do it. A cute stranger on the bus who bumps shoulders with us as they find their seat; a class crush, who sometimes shares in our furtive, secretive glances during lecture; an old flame, who we haven’t seen in years but still think back on fondly, wondering if something could have been different, or if they
still sometimes think of us, too. It’s practically human nature: to daydream, to imagine futures that haven’t happened yet and likely never will, to rewrite the past and create a better, happier ending for ourselves. The fleeting fantasies we create to fill the world around us — familial, platonic or, as so often is the case, romantic — are nothing to be ashamed of, no matter how faroff or unrealistic they may seem. Well … maybe I should amend my statement. They’re almost
Am I a ‘Creep,’
never something to be ashamed of. Yet perhaps in the case of Alice, the protagonist of debut novelist Emma van Straaten’s “Creep: A Love Story,” shame is a term she should consider reacquainting herself with. (Ideally alongside others like “personal space,” “boundaries” and “restraining order.”) But who am I to judge?
With a full title like “Creep: A Love Story,” you know you’re in for a ride before you’ve even turned the first page. Following a
KAYA GINSKY Daily Arts Writer
I am obsessed with the songs I remember the best. The songs whose lyrics immediately come to mind upon the ring of the first chord. The songs I first heard many years ago, and continue to listen to through my 22nd year. I’ve listened to these songs hundreds, thousands and tens of thousands of times.
My old reliables bolster my every playlist, and I never skip them; I often skip other songs just to reach them.
I know this experience is not unique to me; everyone loves their childhood songs. We are addicted to nostalgia. We obsess over the familiar comforts. A song can evoke autobiographical, personal memories and vivid sensory experiences of the moment you heard it. It can bring back the comfort of childhood or the indescribable feeling of hearing a track that feels as though it was made for you and whatever challenge you faced.
Though I know I first fell in love with my favorite, most unskippable songs in my earliest childhood, what makes these songs so special to me is their lack of a tie to a single memory. They bring me back sometimes, but more often than not to a powerful feeling rather than a
too?
20-something Londoner searching for purpose in a life devoid of direction, identity and community, we begin the story with what feels, at the time, like the entire truth of Alice’s delusion laid bare before us: “You think you know what love is, I imagine, but you don’t. … Love is this: when it is your greatest desire to slice open His chest and crawl inside Him to rest. A compulsion to drink his blood, great copper gulps of it, to press yourself to Him, limb to limb, palm to palm, so that you might be absorbed. Burrowing inside His bones, becoming His very marrow. It is disappearing entirely into Him. This is the way I love Him, and the way He must surely love me.”
Thus reads the first paragraph of Alice’s story and also probably the most normal. The deified “Him” in question is Tom, a man with whom, the back cover totes, Alice shares the mundanities of domestic life, including — but God, certainly not limited to — an apartment, a bed and even, devastatingly, a toothbrush.
Only, Tom and Alice have never actually spoken to each other — for the past year, Alice has cleaned Tom’s apartment once a week, their only interactions a service
rendered and a payment fulfilled, all communication limited to the cleaning app they initially connected through.
Their lack of contact means little to Alice, though. She knows Tom loves her. He just might not know it yet. And really, that’s no problem at all — she just needs to talk to Him, and He’ll know they’re meant for each other. Their happy future seems inevitable. But as Alice schemes the perfect meetcute to finally bring her fantasies to life, her plans begin to crumble around her, forcing Alice to reckon with a reality that rips Tom — and herself — out of the happy ending she’s already written for them.
Told in a fluid, unflinchingly honest voice, “Creep” is nothing short of horrifying, placing the reader directly into the mind of the obsessed and keeping it there as it slowly turns up the heat. There, we feel every sensation taking grip, guiding the story in increasingly erratic and unpredictable directions. It works wonderfully as a paperback thriller, full of the familiar brand of shocking, unsettling moments that characterize the genre. Yet it’s in looking at this story further, as a tale of obsession and love,
I can’t stop listening to my childhood songs
single moment. Because I listen to them so obsessively, they don’t even feel like childhood songs anymore. They are tied to all of the moments I’ve had set to their glorious backtrack, far beyond my first memories as a kid in a car seat listening to my parents’ radio.
These songs are tied to countless late nights out with friends and my sister, sipping my first and last drinks of the night, running down a hot asphalt street barefoot as fast as I can and desperately trying to somehow escape and remain in my childhood. They are moments sitting and reading silently in the company of my life’s greatest loves, mere feet away, also reading; of swimming in the salty bay water that stings my eyes; and dipping my toes in the lightly lapping waves. The songs are first days and first moments and the repeated jokes and daily loving moments of friendships and loves and new learning experiences. The songs, from Tom Petty’s rock to Otis Redding’s soul to Jack Johnson’s beachy lullabies, are comprised of all the days and countless moments I have spent listening to them.
The first song I’d ever heard (in my likely biased memory) was Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ 1976 “American Girl.” I remember thinking for the first time that a song was about me. I was an
American girl! It was not a song about a woman or a boy or a man or a rockstar or a soldier or a lover or a friend — just a girl.
Many songs are about American girls and brunette girls and girls from the East Coast – representation in the media is a privilege I possess. But I remember as a kid it felt pointedly about me. The roaring guitars and whispering cymbals were for me, and every lyric was an ode to a life I was excited to live, filled with love, adventure and something nameless I’ve still yet to discover — and maybe never will. “Something that’s so close / And still so far out of reach,” somehow felt, and still feels hopeful to me.
This song makes me feel that I am always at the starting line of the proverbial “great big world / With lots of places to run to.”
Every happy playlist, every birthday or family barbecue soundtrack and every late night party or karaoke — that song is one of the first on every setlist.
Otis Redding’s 1967 “(Sittin’ on)
The Dock of the Bay” is another forever unskippable favorite, one that inspires me to slow down rather than speed up.
Though it’s not a love song and many of the lyrics describe loneliness — capturing Redding’s experience living solo on a houseboat — something about the song’s soothing beauty created a
This summer, I have been obsessed with dystopia. From books to movies, I have devoured any media set in the future, particularly those with an implicit message about the greater good of society. Diving deeper into literary dystopia, I devoured “I Who Have Never Known Men” and “The Memory Police.” These books are fascinating and contemplative, but I didn’t feel obsessed. I needed something that could balance the weight of impending futuristic doom with the immersion a good obsession provides. This is when I decided to circle back to the media that ignited my fascination for these futuristic tales. Better yet, the films that single-handedly carried me through the tumultuous journey of my teenage years: young adult dystopian films.
repulsion and self-loathing, that one gains a richer experience — one that, at its core, I believe all of us can relate to in some capacity. Because sure, we may not all be Alice now, but I’m willing to bet that we have all felt like her at some point. At its core, “Creep” is the story of a woman who wants, desperately, to be loved. By Tom, yes, but also by her mother, by her sister, by her coworkers and her old classmates and the stranger who sits next to her on the bus. By anyone, really. And still, more than she craves to be loved by anyone else, she yearns desperately for permission to love herself. Her obsession with Tom ultimately stems not from anything he has said or done that makes him particularly special, but her unflinching commitment to proving that he can somehow make her special in the way she believes him to be:
“O, believe me when I say Tom is mine, and when we are together I will be complete and shiningly whole, my immensity and ugliness dimmed by His brilliance, and it will be perfect and I will be happy.” CONTINUED
vision of a love song I will never shake.
Far before I knew romantic love, I knew what it was like to share a silent moment with someone you care about the most, to watch the tides ebb and flow and feel no need to move or do anything. I know and love the feeling of time well spent and well wasted. In that moment on the proverbial dock of the bay, nothing matters but the present. I never had to strive for this type of
love; it was right with me at home. It is also the perfect soundtrack for being alone, but never lonely, and finding the beauty in idleness.
The song features crashing waves and seagulls’ coos. As I grow up and face ticking time bombs that pile up yet never seem to detonate, the natural sounds of the sea never fail to calm me. Whether far from the water or sitting right on it, I find peace listening to Redding recount a whole day spent on the boat in the shining,
The teenage dystopian film obsession
There is nothing quite like the developmental period between ages 14 and 17. Hormones are racing and moods are swinging. It is during this period that one comes to realize that, not only are they changing, but likely, so is everything in their life. It truly is the peak time of instability, which is why teenagers crave media hyperfixations. These obsessions soothe the inner turmoil that often defines adolescence. Amid the realm of dystopian films, there are a few series that especially set the stage for teenage obsession. I like to call these “the big three”: The Hunger Games, Divergent and The Maze Runner series. Part of the allure of a film is how it relates to and represents our lives. And whether or not we realize it at the time, being a teenager inherently means thinking the world revolves around us and our big, new emotions. So, throughout the 2010s, angsty teenagers everywhere
concocted fanfictions, forums and fanbases to connect their own experiences to those within these dystopian realms. Looking back on this era, I began to think, what is it about these movies that made them the subject of so many teenage obsessions?
As far as films go, the big three have cracked the case on captivation. All adaptations from books and arriving in series of three to four films, they
each have striking similarities not just in their genre, but their formula. This formula guarantees the perfect balance of tension and action with emotion and hope. Beginning the same way, the setting is always a futuristic world where society has changed in some extreme way. There is always a life-determining game or test, often to twist the tilt of power in one direction. This immediately
brings a totalitarianism undertone to the narratives of each film. Sometimes this imbalance of power is shoved right in the audience’s faces (“The Hunger Games”), and sometimes it comes to light over time (“The Maze Runner”).
But either way, the characters have been put in a box, either literally or figuratively. How much the characters know about this box at the beginning of the story is more or less irrelevant, because illuminating twists will certainly be revealed along the way. This sentiment resonates with audiences because even though the setting is different, the message is universal. We look at societies under oppression, forced into totalitarian regimes, and we recognize a familiar pattern that haunts the world we live in. The goal is to control individuals, mandating perimeters to keep them suppressed and restrained. Restraining people from speaking up and acting out, as
idyllic peace of the shores.
“(Sittin’ on) The Dock of the Bay” is the first song on every lovey-dovey playlist I make, but also every playlist made for reflection and silence — whether in solitude or shared — for any season. I listen to it sitting idly hundreds of times a year, and each time, I’m grounded in gratitude for the unspoiled pleasure of “wasting time.”
CONTINUED AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
we see in these films, never succeeds.
For every robust power structure these films present, there is always a character who threatens to bring it down. This is the character who rebels against the status quo and seeks some greater change in the world they live in. Amid the chaos and conflict of each of their dystopian worlds, these characters are (seemingly) the only ones who can save the day — or, at least, begin to try. They reveal these films’ ultimate message: Our differences are what make us heroes, and ultimately, the only ones who can save us all. While it seems cliche, each film does take a unique twist to drive this message home. And maybe it is the grandiose action or detailed worldbuilding, but teen fanbases never seem bothered by these thematic similarities. In fact, it seems to only make their loyalties grow stronger.
CONTINUED AT
CAMILLE NAGY Daily Arts Writer
ABIGAIL WEINBERG Daily Arts Writer
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Lara Ringey/DAILY
LOLLAPALOOZA
Photos by Holly Burkhart and Georgia McKay
didn’t just live up to the hype. It raised the bar.
Day One: Thursday, July 31
With sunny 70-degree weather, packed crowds and the glow of stage lights, Lollapalooza 2025 lit up the heart of Chicago with unforgettable performances.
From chart-topping headliners to emerging artists, for four days
Grant Park became a living canvas of sound. This year’s festival drew about 115,000 people each day and featured more than 170 live performances across eight stages.
The lineup included stars like Sabrina Carpenter, Luke Combs and Olivia Rodrigo who drew massive crowds and had fans camping out at stages from the first rays of sunlight.
Beyond the big-name headliners, Lollapalooza hosted some of Chicago’s homegrown artists, celebrating the city’s local roots.
From the soulful R&B sounds of Ravyn Lenae to the indierock grooves of Ratboys and a special Chicago Made showcase curated by the city’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the festival honored the artists shaping the city’s sonic identity.
With record-breaking crowds, surprise guest appearances and historic firsts, Lollapalooza 2025
Lollapalooza kicked off strong with a genre-blurring lineup that set the tone for the weekend. The inaugural day featured artists like 2hollis, Alex Warren, Mark Ambor, Royal Otis and Dom Dolla.
On the Lakeshore stage, Magdalena Bay performed their newest album, Imaginal Disk , in its entirety, entrancing the crowd with their dreamy instrumentals and a stage adorned with glowing angel wings.
Over at Tito’s Handmade Vodka stage, Role Model’s crowd burst out of the stage footprint, signaling that he’s ready for a bigger stage. Gracie Abrams brought out Robyn during her set on the T-Mobile stage. They delivered a stunning duet of “Dancing On My Own,” a fullcircle homage to her Lollapalooza debut in 2022 when Abrams covered the song. At the Bud Light stage, Cage The Elephant’s audience supported the band (literally) as guitarist Brad Shultz crowd-surfed over the booming sea of fans.
Tyler, the Creator capped off the night with a headlining set that blended tracks off of his weeks-old album, DON’T TAP THE GLASS, and fan favorites
like “See You Again.” On the Bud Light stage, Luke Combs made history as the first country artist to headline the festival, widening its stylistic reach.
Day Two: Friday, August 1 Friday belonged to Olivia Rodrigo. It seemed as though the entirety of Lollapalooza packed into the T-Mobile stage area to scream every lyric back to her. She shared that her first ever concert was Weezer, then brought out the band itself for surprise performances of “Buddy Holly” and “Say It Ain’t So.” On the other end of the park, Korn took fans on a nostalgic ride, sparking large mosh pits and defining Lolla as a festival with generational crossover appeal.
The rest of the day packed its own punch. Djo was “back in Chicago” for his set at T-Mobile, while Bleachers gave the indie crowd their fix across the park at Bud Light.
T-Pain’s show, with a diverse set list including signature hits like “Bartender” and soulful covers like “Stay With Me” by Sam Smith, featured a videogame inspired stage design.
Performances from Wallows, Foster the People, Flipturn, Gigi Perez, Ammarae and Del Water Gap filled the rest of the day with sound and surprise, including Del
Water Gap’s announcement of a new album.
Day Three: Saturday, August 2
Saturday was a celebration of genre breakthroughs. TWICE broke ground as the first all-female K-pop group to headline Lolla, delivering a tightly choreographed, high-energy set that included the live debut of “Takedown” from “KPop Demon Hunters.” Rüfüs Du Sol’s headlining set ignited the crowd with their iconic blend of electronic and alternative music, and featured an impressive light show with bursts of color that flashed in sync with the beat.
Earlier in the day, Doechii delivered one of the most visuallyrich sets of the weekend, a fiery homage to ’90s hip-hop, and ended her performance by announcing her upcoming tour for Alligator Bites Never Heal.
On the other end of the park, Clairo’s set reminded fans of the beauty in simplicity, filling the stage with only her presence and captivating vocals. The Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra also reached a major milestone, becoming the first orchestra to perform a solo set at Lolla, weaving instrumentation into the festival’s ever-expanding genre tapestry.
At Perry’s stage, Two Friends kept the energy high all the way through their grand finale, where they used a 500-drone show to
announce that the album release party for Big Bootie Mix vol. 27 will be Chicago in 2026, because what’s a music festival without a little cheeky branding?
Other notable performances of the day included Max McNown, Marina, JPEGMAFIA, Damiano David, BossMan Dlow, Montell Fish, Wasia Project and Naomi Scott, each leaving their mark on a packed Saturday lineup.
Day Four: Sunday, August 3 Sunday’s lineup offered emotional peaks and playful energy. After cancelling last year’s performance, Dominic Fike reflected on his nerves about returning to the stage after time away. He ended by singing to his son, who joined him onstage, with a toy microphone. The Marías specialized in jazzy percussion, pulling their setlist from their debut, CINEMA, and their latest album, Submarine, as well as a magical cover of “Lovefool” by the The Cardigans. Throughout the day KATSEYE, Still Woozy, FINNEAS, Remi Wolf and Ian each brought distinct sounds to the park.
At Perry’s, Martin Garrix closed out the stage with a rare U.S. appearance, his first in Chicago since 2016, delivering a massive electronic dance music finale.
To close the weekend, headliners A$AP Rocky and
bringing out guests Earth, Wind & Fire to join her set for two songs, giving the set a retro flourish to get the crowd grooving even more.
A$AP made a grand entrance to the stage in a helicopter, arriving late, which forced his set to end abruptly at 10 p.m. due to the city’s curfew. Despite the shortened set, his energy was undeniable as he strutted across the stage through a metal detector and directed Lollapalooza’s videographer to point the camera to the crowd, rather than himself.
Lollapalooza 2025 was one for the books. From die-hard fans camping out hours before the gates opened to catch their favorite artists to those who swung by after their 9-to-5 to discover new bands, all festivalgoers enjoyed a weekend of oncein-a-lifetime surprises and diverse talent. A tapestry of sounds and people, this year’s festival wove together more genres and artists than ever before. Though the festival grows older each year, its tradition of pushing boundaries while honoring its roots remains strong.
Sabrina Carpenter delivered vastly different but equally magnetic performances. Carpenter struck her now-iconic “Juno” pose by tossing a miniature version of The Bean into the crowd. She surprised fans by
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Phil Christman, Lecturer, English Department
Education has to be plural, but it can’t be neutral. The minute you step into a classroom, you sign on to at least this much: Your students are living beings who matter and who need and want to grow, and it’s worthwhile to help them do that, for its own sake. Their minds are worth developing, whether or not that makes them or anyone else rich.
donors and the ultrarich, who are America’s de facto government — higher education administrators and lobbyists have said, in effect:
What I want in our next president is simple. I want somebody who understands that this approach was always doomed.
Re: The search for the next U-M president | From: Faculty and staff
On May 4, University President Santa Ono announced that he was departing from the University of Michigan. His controversial tenure — from his handling of pro-Palestine activism to his decision to cut Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs — has left many on campus seeking a new direction from U-M leadership. As the presidential search committee looks for potential candidates, here’s what U-M faculty and staff say they want from Ono’s replacement.
Rebekah Modrak, Professor, Stamps School of Art & Design
The 16th president of the University of Michigan must address the erosion of democratic practices at our institution, which has caused many faculty and staff to distrust university administration.
“When mistakes and violations happen, the new president must have the intellectual humility and integrity to acknowledge that a wrong occurred and to make things right.”
“Your students are living beings who matter and who need and want to grow, and it’s worthwhile to help them do that, for its own sake.”
For generations, American higher education has tried to justify itself in value-neutral, purely economic terms. There are no such things. To its various stakeholders — politicians, parents,
Julie Boland & Leila Kawar, President and Vice-President U-M Ann Arbor chapter of the AAUP
At a time when trust in leadership is fragile, we need a president who understands the need for shared governance and also how to communicate the importance of this principle in a compelling manner. Recent years have been difficult for universities across the country, but the answer is not top-down control — it is renewed collaboration.
“We may all disagree about politics and values, but at least we agree that universities are good for business.” This approach has failed utterly. The current American regime is destroying those parts of higher education that you’d have thought even the most spreadsheet-brained idiot would support — STEM medical research, lifesaving tech — in the name of an undirected “efficiency” that only helps us all go nowhere faster.
To have colleges at all — hell, to have free K-12, mass literacy, civilization itself — you have to have some baseline commitment to learning and to people for their own sakes. You have to understand that the economy exists to serve us and not the other way around. You can believe anything else along with that — you can be Hindu, existentialist, Christian, Marxist, even (it pains me to admit) the sort of imaginative conservative who has been driven out of conservatism. But you have to love the human mind and its capabilities, for their own sake, or you’re giving away the store.
“Our next president must embody shared governance values by educating our elected Board of Regents about the concerns of faculty, staff and students.”
Shared governance has long been recognized as essential, especially during challenging times. In 1966, another tumultuous time on college campuses, national organizations representing faculty, governing boards and administrators jointly formulated a statement that laid out the essential principles of shared
Elizabeth James, Program Associate, Department of Afroamerican and African Studies
“Our new president must have a vision. After examining what is happening on this campus, I urge the candidates to challenge us to do and be better.” Tapestry. A beautiful textile interwoven with multihued strands, each one unique, that together create a design. That’s how I view the University of Michigan. Having worked here since 1992 and as an alum of 43 years, I am constantly amazed by the array of people connected to this place. No better word describes us than one that is currently unsanctioned, so let’s use some others: we are unmatched in our heterogeneity, our multiplicity and our variety of constituents. This is our greatest strength, not a weakness, and any candidate for the position must be aware of this characteristic if we as a community are to thrive.
governance. The 1966 statement is a call to mutual understanding regarding the government of colleges and universities. It envisions this mutual understanding as based on a community of interest — among governing boards, administration, faculty, students and others — and as producing joint effort. Indeed, as the statement underscores, shared governance is essential for sustaining the welfare of the institution as scholars, administrators and governing board members come and go. At the University of Michigan, we have struggled to uphold the values of shared governance, shifting instead toward centralized, top-down decision-making. Our next president must embody shared governance
In considering who should take on the mantle of president, three characteristics come to mind. The first is an appreciation for our better traditions. The importance of legacy is a major concern at this institution, which I understand firsthand as
values by educating our elected Board of Regents about the concerns of faculty, staff and students. They must partner with the Faculty Senate and respond meaningfully to Senate resolutions that pass with overwhelming majorities. Our next president must restore authority to deans, department chairs and faculty committees, trusting them to make difficult academic decisions with insight and integrity.
According to the American Association of University Professors, a university in which “all the components are aware of their interdependence, of the usefulness of communication among themselves, and of the force of joint action” will enjoy increased capacity to solve educational problems and to respond to political decision making that impacts higher education.
“Our new president must have a vision. After examining what is happening on this campus, I urge the candidates to challenge us to do and be better.”
the child of an alum and a proud one myself. Academic excellence and powerful protests are both integral parts of our eminent history. The new president should be aware of the tremendous importance that these traditions play at the University, both formal and informal. If we are to stay true to the University’s reputation, we must continue to strive for educational distinction and listen carefully when voices rise to question its standards.
The second is an appreciation of our current strengths — we have an incredible staff who
works diligently to keep this university running, faculty who provide the knowledge base for our institution, alumni who constantly seek to support this educational facility and, most importantly, our students who are the reason for this place to exist. We are first and foremost a school. Anyone seeking the position of president has to take the time to assess the lay of the land and strategize how to move forward.
Finally, our new president must have a vision. After examining what is happening on this campus, I urge the candidates to challenge us to do and be better. We cannot remain tied to the past, gasping as a new, exciting reality emerges. The term “Leaders and Best” means nothing without change. They must be ready to face the future with courage and resilience. It will take nothing less to deal with the breadth and range of those who call this place home.
At a recent campus event, eminent German historian Geoff Eley spoke about the crisis of democracy under the current federal administration, outlining the special qualities of fascism — its need for authoritarianism, curtailment of civil liberties and dismantling of judicial proceedings. We could easily expand his arguments to the University. Indeed, non-accountability and the curtailment of democratic practices and shared government have brought us to crisis at the University. During my year as chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, I saw University administrators respond to reports of Standard Practice Guide violations and critiques of inequitable practices by becoming incensed at the whistleblower, rather than outraged by the violations. With such responses, many staff and faculty with significant expertise to contribute chose not to speak up for fear of retaliation. Faculty who have legitimate, valuable criticisms of policy are not invited to join
Silke-Maria Weineck, Grace Lee Boggs Collegiate Professor, Comparative Literature and German Studies
The greatest threat to the future — and indeed the very possibility of teaching — is not the Trump administration but the fungus-like spread of AI, particularly large language models such as ChatGPT, Grok, Claude, etc. We can (and must) fight MAGA vandalism, but when it comes to AI, we have already capitulated — or rather actively and enthusiastically collaborated in our own destruction. The next president must ensure that we are not cheer leaders for the tech industry, an industry deeply implicated in the current demolition of higher education. There is no thinking without
Ruthven administrators’ committees, which, more and more, seem performative rather than substantive. A president worthy of the job would eagerly seek out these voices. Faculty who attempt to hold administrators accountable by filing a grievance go through the monumental task of persuading a three-member Grievance Hearing Board — three scholars from different parts of the University — to first accept their case for hearing and then to spend weeks examining the evidence presented by both sides. And yet, in the past year alone, at least three grievance cases decided unanimously in favor of the faculty member were thrown out by the provost and the executive vice president for medical affairs. In July 2024, the regents ignored their own stated policies and, without consulting Central Student Government or SACUA, mangled the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, corrupting its proceedings from a restorative justice process into a punitive arm without due process, hearing boards or appeals committees. There can be no accountability without rule of law. The new president must respect the democratic role of impartial juries and recognize that the opposite —
reading and writing — reading and writing are thinking. And yet, we encourage our students to outsource core cognitive functions to a dangerous, resource-guzzling machine that cannot think. It also cannot reason, make ethical choices or tell the truth, becau-
absolute power vested in a single administrator — is akin to tyranny. When mistakes and violations happen, the new president must have the intellectual humility and integrity to acknowledge that a wrong occurred and to make things right. Among the most pressing needs that the next U-M president will face is to acknowledge and address the harmful actions and policies of the university leadership. The Guardian recently exposed the U-M regents’ shameful hiring of external security firms to spy on students, on and off campus. The Michigan Law chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union condemned the Division of Public Safety and Securities’ installation of thousands of high-powered surveillance cameras on campus. Over the past two years, we’ve seen our president shut down a CSG vote; the provost form a committee to assess the use of diversity statements and then ignore their original recommendation that departments determine their own rules; and hiring and budgetary authority shifted from the deans to the executive vice presidents.
Our 16th president must distinguish us from the fascists in Washington by championing democracy, embracing shared governance and fostering a culture of critical thought and justice.
“The greatest threat to the future — and indeed the very possibility of teaching — is not the Trump administration but the fungus-like spread of AI.”
se the truth is not a meaningful concept for an LLM. It can, however, wreak enormous havoc — not just by making us more stupid, but also by reproducing every bit of bias and error that pervades its training data, and in some cases, actively exacerbating mental and emotional health problems.
As faculty whose pedagogical mission is evaporating before our eyes beg the administration to save
the life of the mind, or what is left of it in the age of X, the central administration has been sending us never-ending emails hawking the newest UM-branded artificial intelligence software. I have never seen an example of institutional capture here that has worried and disgusted me more. I want, and we need, a president who understands that our task is not to “embrace AI,” as our Chief Information Officer suggests, but to study it, to analyze it and to bring the full force of our critical capacities to fighting its sinister momentum while utilizing it responsibly in areas where it is indeed useful. A president who understands that we are not educating students to become AI-fluent but to learn how to do the work AI cannot do. I hope we will find somebody who recognizes the magnitude of this assignment.
Kara Ayotte, President, University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council
“We need a leader that won’t hide from tough conversations or bow to outside pressure.”
and uphold the values that our university was founded on in 1817. We need a leader that won’t hide from tough conversations
“We need a leader that won’t hide from tough conversations or bow to outside pressure.”
Our next president needs to protect the rights of workers and students, work to undo the harm our last president created
Emmanuelle Marquis, Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, College of Engineering
“We need a president driven by the mission of common good.”
The 16th president of the University of Michigan must put the health and welfare of employees over profits. The University claims it cares about our well-
or bow to outside pressure. We need a leader that won’t let personal agenda or bias cloud their judgement. We need a leader that defends higher education, rese-
being. This might in fact be true, but only so long as we’re not ill or disabled. At this productivity-focused and revenue-driven institution, we’re expected to be busy superhumans. So, when real life events happen, such as accidents, illnesses or family care requiring us to take leaves, we become a risk to be managed, sometimes disposed of, at the hands of Work Con-
arch and innovation. Our next president needs to value and invest in scientific research and innovation. From a nursing perspective, we cannot do our jobs without evidence-based initiatives. We must understand that the University of Michigan is an academic and medical institution. Patients across the state, nation and globe rely on us for quality care — it is our obligation to give it to them.
nections, a little office within the Business and Finance unit. Many people have been granted the medical or family leave they needed; However, many others have experienced particularly cruel treatment, with significant impact to their personal and professional lives, but also significant loss for this institution. CONTINUED AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Put the liberal back in liberal arts
During my Advanced Placement European History class, I learned about “small-L liberalism,” which refers to the Enlightenment school of thought that champions individual rights and limited government. By reading John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu, I was surprised to learn that this ideology was far from its modern, “big-L” cousin that is now associated with the Democratic Party — and that ideological liberalism defied current partisan binaries.
Ideological liberalism also constitutes the foundation for many Western democratic nations.
Although Americans contest several rights, very few refute the idea that people should not have rights at all, highlighting the persistence and widespread acceptance of various aspects of ideological liberalism.
Beyond government, the legacies of ideological liberalism lie in education and what are referred to as liberal arts values, including problem-solving skills and intellectual curiosity.
I remember attending many information sessions during my college application process, where admissions officers lauded their school’s dedication to liberal arts values, including the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science and the Arts. While liberal arts also includes math and natural sciences, the humanities represent the center of this field and act as fertile ground for its principles of critical inquiry and free expression.
However, modern politics endangers the vitality of these
core values. Both conservative and progressive movements politicize the liberal arts, threatening the discipline’s focus on analyzing different perspectives and engaging in thoughtful debate. The two sides perpetuate the pursuit of ideological control of education and contribute to a hostile university climate. To restore this focus, students can depoliticize the liberal arts by returning to the discipline’s core principles and promoting productive conversation environments across all levels of education.
First, the political right weaponizes the liberal arts by curating a single-minded version of the country’s past, perpetuating the marginalization of underrepresented groups. For example, a recent Iowa law led to the removal of thousands of books with themes of gender identity or sexual orientation from K-12 public schools. Book bans kill the core of a liberal arts education by diminishing critical representation for young students and prohibiting viewpoint diversity in the classroom. Such bans censor meaningful discussions around controversial texts and eliminate safe spaces to further discuss these important themes.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump’s administration supercharges the attack on the liberal arts. In May, Trump signed an executive order that cut funding to the National Endowment for the Arts and stipulated that the agency deny grants to applicants who research Diversity, Equity and Inclusion or gender studies.
Conservatives often view DEI initiatives as facilitators of reverse discrimination or excessive language policing regarding collective guilt or privilege, while
framing gender studies as corrosive to traditional social norms. However, the conservative backlash is overblown and overshadows the benefits of well-implemented DEI programs and increased representation from gender studies. The funding restrictions represent a blanket attack against the artistic independence of non-profit organizations and universities, and they represent a concerted effort to perpetuate the exclusion of marginalized voices.
However, universities are complicit in this erasure by betraying their own liberal arts values to remain in the administration’s good graces. Most notably, in response to pressure from the Trump administration, Harvard, among many liberal universities, is considering the creation of a center for conservative scholarship, joining several schools across the country in an attempt to boost ideological diversity on campus.
While the centers’ emphasis on constructive dialogue and debate are admirable, the overreliance on texts from the Western canon and explicit tilt toward conservatism raise concerns about whether they truly achieve the diversity of perspectives that they champion. If the mission of countering politically liberal expression trumps the goal of intellectual diversity, then the centers fail to achieve their purpose, falling prey to the reactionary nature of politics and perpetuating campus polarization. The liberal arts’ freedom of expression depends on pluralism and should be free from a predetermined political ideology. CONTINUED AT
Your AI doctor is coming soon, and that’s a good thing
American consumers and increase the quality of care for countless patients.
estimated 795,000 Americans each year.
In the United States, public health crises, inequity and inefficiency have put overwhelming strain on our health care system. We spend more on health care than any other nation, yet have the worst outcomes among firstworld nations: Americans are consistently sicker, die younger and pay far more for basic medical needs than their foreign counterparts. High medical costs force millions of Americans to avoid necessary treatments each year, driving 41% into a cumulative $220 billion national medical debt.
With the current trajectory of health tech advancements, innovation could be the key to escaping our ongoing health crisis and improving our response to public health emergencies.
On June 30, Microsoft announced that its artificial intelligence-based medical program, Microsoft AI Diagnostic Orchestrator, correctly diagnosed 85% of diseases featured in the New England Journal of Medicine. When tallied against human doctors, the AI system diagnosed cases with four times greater accuracy.
As the effectiveness of these AI physicians continues to progress, we will have an opportunity to embrace an automated health care system that produces more accurate results at a higher volume and lower costs. In turn, this will reduce the cost burden for
Stripped, sick and silenced:
At the center of this issue is the limited supply of physicians. The process to become a doctor is rigorous and lengthy. It can take more than a decade to pass all the prerequisite exams, gain the necessary degrees and complete specialty training before becoming a doctor. We require this complex preparation process because American society cares about optimizing the qualifications and experience of those taking care of us.
Today, we are on track for a shortage of up to 124,000 doctors in less than ten years. Additionally, America has an aging population, as its population of Americans aged 85 and older — the age group most dependent upon health care services — is on track to quadruple by 2040. In particular, low-income and rural Americans face less access to physician care, causing excessive strain on existing resources and a snowball effect leading to poorer health.
While the difficult requirements to become a doctor are a driving force behind this shortfall, the solution is not to ease requirements or lower standards.
Beyond the need to increase the supply of medical care, there is also an urgent need to improve its quality. The life expectancy in America has steadily declined since 2014, while the chronic disease rate has skyrocketed. Our human physicians are misdiagnosing at an error rate greater than 10%. These failures kill and permanently disable an
By investing in AI physicians, America could expand its supply of physician care while improving quality and affordability. For example, if the higher-accuracy Microsoft AI expands to more diseases and starts diagnosing real cases, it could save hundreds of thousands of lives each year due to its more precise analysis. Additionally, with more individuals accessing broader affordable care, AI physicians could significantly reduce the about 45,000 per year death toll attributed to patients not visiting doctors due to coverage costs. There is a danger that, even with this new technology, the healthcare industry could simply replicate its existing practices of monopolizing and raising prices. If the U.S. government restricts AI healthcare via expensive licensing or deployment capacity, a select few wealthy providers could hold the healthcare market hostage and charge unfair prices due to high demand for care.
By preventing large monopolies from forming and creating an easy on-ramp for new AI healthcare providers to enter the market, the U.S. government could ensure that this AI’s cost-saving potential is fully realized. The government could also incentivize the production of open-source AI physicians, which would openly display their internal coding to prevent hoarding superior technology and information for higher prices.
CONTINUED AT MICHIGANDAILY.COM
The reality inside the Michigan Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility
Prison is meant to serve as a punishment, not a death sentence executed by black mold, abuse and indifference. Even though the state of Michigan was the first state to abolish the death penalty in 1847, in the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility — the state’s only prison exclusively for women — people still suffer in the shadows. Poor conditions inside WHV, such as health and privacy violations, have led to the gradual deterioration of inmates’ health and, in some cases, death. Michigan needs to do better by ensuring its correctional facilities, especially WHV, are up to code. In April 2025, Survivors Speak, a nonprofit organization, hosted an event at the University of Michigan to advocate for exposing the facility’s wrongdoings and wrongful convictions. Assembling concerned community members, formerly
incarcerated women and their families in the basement of the Central Campus Classroom Building, the group listened to WHV inmate Krystal Clark’s anguished voice pour out of a speakerphone, describing the conditions within the facility.
Clark, a 41-year-old mother of four, has been incarcerated since Feb. 9, 2011. She is serving time for armed robbery, assault with intent to do great bodily harm and second-degree home invasion. Clark is currently held at WHV, where poor conditions have severely affected her health.
In the few minutes she had to speak, Clark shared how her health has progressively worsened at WHV, including the development of facial paralysis, a symptom of unchecked black mold, which she has repeatedly voiced in other commentaries.
Black mold can cause respiratory system issues and allergic reactions, which, combined with a lack of hygienic practices in a prison environment, can lead to serious health issues. Inmates are also forced to scrub walls
with bleach before health inspections and state representative visits, hiding visible mold while the underlying danger remains, a practice condemned by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Mold in the Michigan Department of Corrections prison system is nothing new. Paul Egan, a Detroit Free Press journalist who has visited multiple correctional facilities in Michigan, has said that the mold issue is a longstanding problem that exists in the prison system. The WHV has received almost $500,000 in funding to repair leaky roofs, which are linked to mold growth, yet the problem still persists. When I spoke with him, Egan told me that he was consistently denied access to the WHV to investigate conditions.
This isn’t the first time the facility tried to ignore a health crisis. In 2017, a scabies outbreak began spreading through the facility, due in part to significant overcrowding. Scabies, a contagious skin condition that causes intense itching and rashes, and can spread quickly in close
quarters like prisons, lead to serious infections if untreated.
Prison officials ignored inmate complaints for more than a year, claiming the women were causing the rashes by hand-washing their clothes, rather than sending them to the prison laundry. The prison only took action once, after 39 inmates tested positive for scabies, finally acknowledging the problem and initiated corrective measures. The delayed response ultimately required a temporary closure of parts of the facility for 24 hours. This is not an isolated failure; it’s part of a pattern of neglect and denial.
Facility violations not only include health-related issues but also serious privacy violations. On May 6, 2025, Flood Law, PLLC filed a $500 million lawsuit on behalf of 20 women against defendants such as the MDOC and its Director, Heidi Washington, Deputy Director Jeremy Bush and Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The suit alleges that between January 2025 and March 2025, around 500 women were illegally recor-
ded naked during the searches, including while taking a shower and using the bathroom. Since then, more than 500 women have reported having their privacy violated by correctional officers at the WHV. Furthermore, the MDOC is facing another lawsuit against its former spokesperson, Chris Gautz, who is alleging sexual harassment and has resigned as a result.
Strip search issues in Michigan correctional facilities date back to at least 2012, when the American Civil Liberties Union called on MDOC to abandon a body cavity search where women had to spread themselves open, often under unsanitary conditions and sometimes in front of other prisoners. It took a coalition of more than 60 prisoners, the ACLU and other health-related organizations writing to MDOC — citing concerns about the procedure’s relation to the fourth and eighth Constitutional amendments — to abolish such strip search procedures.
Of course, it’s easy to think that people in prison deserve whatever negative consequences
await them. However, a prison sentence should be intended to provide accountability for one’s actions, not to punish them by creating a personal health crisis. These women should not suffer from chronic illnesses or die from black mold, especially since the United States Constitution bans cruel and unusual punishment. The WHV treatment also violates the Nelson Mandela Rules, developed by the United Nations to safeguard human rights. The Mandela Rules guarantee prisoners the right to humane living conditions. Correctional facilities should not enforce accountability in an unethical manner.
We are not here to relitigate anyone’s crimes. Instead, as students, adults, and taxpayers, we are all responsible for understanding where our taxpayer dollars go, especially when our society’s core foundations are violated. The WHV is just a 20-minute drive from the University; we should demand that a facility meant to serve justice upholds justice within its walls as well.
HUNTER RYERSON Opinion Columnist
CHELSEA COON & MAXYMILIAN STEFANSKI Opinion Contributors
Sunday’s match was a chance to set the tone for the Michigan volleyball team. In one of the season’s earliest matches, the team had a opportunity to knock off its host on the road.
And the Wolverines (2-0) took this chance as they dismantled Cincinnati (1-1), winning the match 3-1. After losing the first set, Michigan started newer players which turned out to be the key to winning the next three and claiming victory.
The first set started off strong for the Wolverines, as they built a 16-9 lead. This momentum quickly faded, though, as the Bearcats scored five out of the next six points. From that point on, the teams traded blows, as graduate outside hitter Allison Jacobs gave Michigan two chances for set point. However, this momentum was stopped in its tracks as Cincinnati repeated its earlier success, scoring a string of points to win the set, 27-25. After dropping the first set, the Wolverines knew that restructuring was the key to victory.
“We had to make some late adjustments … going into the second half with our lineup,” Michigan coach Erin Virtue said.
“I was really impressed with how our team responded with those adjustments, and with some people stepping up that came off the bench into set two.”
For a second it seemed like the second set might spell the same fate for the Wolverines. The teams kept trading points up until 9-9. However Michigan quickly took off, flipping the script as it scored five out of the next six points. The momentum from newer players gave the Wolverines the energy they needed to take the set, 25-17.
All three winning sets had stellar performances from those newer players. Sophomore middle blocker Jenna Hanes and junior opposite hitter Lydia Johnson both played the best match of their collegiate career, with nine and 13 kills, respectively. Johnson, who started after the first set, was electric, scoring back-to-back points while also assisting her teammates. Hanes, the only true sophomore to get a kill in this match, was equally powerful.
“The team was able to put me in a lot of good positions,” Hanes said. “Our passing and setting was really good. Having such a balanced offense made me be able to be free with the blockers.”
The next set also ended with a 25-17 victory and — despite a late push from the Bearcats — Michigan won the fourth set by a
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slim 25-20 margin. This secured a 3-1 victory over Cincinnati for Michigan on Sunday.
Alongside breakout performances from younger players, returning team veterans also played their part flawlessly, chipping in key hits while allowing newer members to shine. The Wolverines’ depth was on display as five players scored over five kills compared with Cincinnati’s three.
“We’ve been talking about how important our depth is going to be, and this weekend that showed up in a big, big way,” Virtue said. “We don’t come away with two wins without exceptional performances and calling to our bench. So that’s a really cool thing within our team.”
After a slow start, Michigan was firing on all cylinders on Sunday. The Wolverines are poised to continue the growth that the team embarked on under Virtue. With a mix of depth and standouts, Michigan is ready to face up against the powerhouses in the Big Ten.
The Wolverines led in every statistic except for digs, as its dominance in the score book reflected its dominance in the final three sets. Starting the season off strong, Michigan’s star players proved their worth and new players established themselves.
Sherrone Moore’s cherry-picked suspension
is yet another example of Michigan’s lack of accountability
JONATHAN WUCHTER Managing Sports Editor
The moment Sherrone Moore’s unprecedented midseason twoweek suspension was announced, the bizarre timing was obvious. The Michigan football team was set to play Oklahoma Week 2, and Moore made sure he’d be on the sideline to give the Wolverines the best chance to win.
Once again, Michigan subverted a consequence of its sign-stealing scandal, prioritizing winning over accountability.
Of course, the team and the athletic department are expected to act in their own best interests. But even if the Wolverines and Moore act entirely out of self interest, an athletic department with the University’s image in mind should have some concern for Michigan’s reputation.
Michigan offense in command despite narrow 1-0 victory against Bowling Green
The Michigan men’s soccer team clearly owned their matchup against Bowling Green. Poised is only one of the words that accurately describe the footwork, their speed and overall performance of the Wolverines’ offense. Yet, when all was said and done, the scoreboard displayed a narrow victory.
“I thought we played very well,” Michigan coach Chaka Daley said. “… I thought we dominated the ball… it’s just a little unfortunate that we didn’t capitalize more on possession and actions in the final third.”
The Wolverines (3-0-1) secured a 1-0 win over the Falcons (1-21) with a dominating offense that danced circles around their opponents. However, despite Michigan’s control over the ball throughout the matchup, its failure to execute the opportunities it generated culminated in the close scoreline.
From the start, the Wolverines were on the hunt, utilizing their speed to weave through Bowling Green’s defense. Michigan kept possession in its opponent’s half while searching for an opportunity to capture the lead. And just seven minutes into the matchup, graduate attacker Shuma Sasaki realized that golden opportunity.
Carrying that momentum forward, the Wolverines’ attacking core applied more and more pressure on a frustrated Bowling Green. For the following 10 minutes, junior forward Duilio Herrera’s speed and footwork drove the offense. Even when the frustrated Falcons attempted to railroad him with pushing, fouls and aggression, he remained in control. Whereas Bowling Green’s ball control seemed akin to dancing with big bounding steps, the Wolverines handled the ball with balance and grace.
But as the half came to a close, things began to go downhill for Michigan.
“I think we played really well in the start of the game,” Sasaki said.
“But immediately after like 20 minutes, the pace kind of slowed down a little bit”
While the skill of the Wolverines’ offense remained on display, their energy began to stagnate, giving their opponents more opportunities to break through. While their defense held on, the tides of the game could turn at any moment. As a result, Daley chose to shake up the lineup with four substitutions after halftime.
“Everyone’s expected to play, and you’ve got to be ready,” Daley
said. “We play another game on Friday, so that’ll be five and 14. It’s very, very challenging physically, so using more bodies is incredibly important.”
The substitutions revitalized Michigan in the second half, with the team tripling their shots on goal from the first half. In particular, the addition of senior midfielder Zach Martens allowed the attack to toil on. But for all of the shots attempted, not a single ball found its way into the back of the net.
It came down to sheer numbers. In the first two minutes of the half, three shots were taken, led by an attempt from Herrera. But with multiple defenders on him and no relief in sight, his shot was ill-fated from the start — a pattern that unfolded again and again. For every attack by the Wolverines, Bowling Green sent back nearly its entire team. Michigan attackers consistently met eight to nine defenders in and around the box as soon as they approached. Meanwhile, its offense simply didn’t push forward enough. There weren’t enough bodies in the box available for help as soon as an attacker needed it.
But the University’s goal isn’t really a fair result. The Wolverines are pursuing the lightest punishment possible, the least hindrance to their ability to win football games.
They don’t want to be held accountable. So they handpicked the games — a very likely win over Central Michigan and a matchup with Nebraska, which went 3-6 in the Big Ten last season — for Moore to sit out of.
“I don’t really want to talk about those (games),” Moore said Monday when asked about the decision to sit out weeks 3 and 4. “I just want to coach this game.”
The situation has often been compared to the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal that scaffolded their 2017 World Series championship. While debating the actual impact of each form of cheating is futile, the responses of each organization couldn’t be more opposite.
For one, the Astros fired both their manager and general manager after MLB announced their suspensions at the culmination of the investigation. Jim Harbaugh, of course, left on his own accord before the NCAA ruling. But a world in which the
“We appreciate the work of the Committee on Infractions,” the University said Aug. 15 in a statement. “But, respectfully, in a number of instances the decision makes fundamental errors in interpreting NCAA bylaws; and it includes a number of conclusions that are directly contrary to the evidence – or lack of evidence – in the record. We will appeal this decision to ensure a fair result, and we will consider all other options.”
prodigal former-quarterback who restored the program gets fired is hard to imagine.
Even if hypotheticals are thrown out, several former Astros players have apologized for cheating. That’s unnecessary for Michigan’s players who didn’t have knowledge of Connor Stalions’ activities, but no coach or administrator has uttered a sign of remorse.
Instead, the Wolverines’ strategy has been to play offense. They’ve fought back against every action the NCAA has taken, opportunistic of the organization’s waning authority to enforce punishments. So far it’s worked, even if Michigan’s appeal to the NCAA’s punishments — mostly fines and Moore’s three-game suspension — fails, no postseason ban or vacated wins are in play.
The NCAA also honored Moore’s self-imposed suspension for this season with no reservations about it being for weeks 3 and 4 instead of at the beginning of the season. That’s another success for the Wolverines as they’ll head into Norman with their head coach. The only repercussion is if they somehow stumble as big favorites against the Chippewas or Cornhuskers.
“I am glad that this part of the process has been completed,” Moore said Aug. 25 in a statement.
“I greatly respect the rules governing collegiate athletics and it is my intent to have our program comply with those rules at all times. I will continue to focus my attention on our team and the upcoming 2025 season.”
Even if Moore runs the most squeaky clean program that complies with every rule from here on out, it doesn’t change the fact that Michigan broke the rules. The football program didn’t comply and ever since, accountability has been its last priority — when Moore takes the field against the Sooners, it’ll just be one more example of such.
With a foul committed by the Falcons, the Wolverines made quick work of passing the ball to Sasaki in the wings. However, after two defenders marked him, it seemed to be the end of Sasaki’s offensive push as he passed the ball back to junior defender Matthew Fischer. But after drawing away the prying eyes of Bowling Green’s defenders, Fischer sent the ball straight back to Sasaki. With a burst of speed, he managed to sneak past the defense and score a shot deflected off of one of the Falcons’ very own giving Michigan a 1-0 lead.
North Carolina capitalizes on costly mistakes, sinks Michigan, 3-0
ELLIE RICHARD Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan field hockey team’s season officially began Friday, and this year, a new captain is steering the ship.
The Wolverines faced off against North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, marking the beginning of the Kristi Gannon Fisher era. Gannon Fisher assumed the head coaching position late last spring after storied coach Marcia Pankratz announced her retirement.
In Gannon Fisher’s first game at the helm, No. 7 Michigan (0-1) showed promise against second-ranked Tar Heels (1-0), pressuring the ball well and forcing corners upfield throughout the game. But a string of costly mistakes ultimately drowned out these efforts, capsizing the Wolverines in a 3-0 loss in their season opener.
“We worked really hard and we trusted our teammates — we just made some mistakes,” Gannon Fisher said. “A lot of their goals were our mistakes, and so consistency will be a big point of growth for us moving forward. We played really well for phases of the game, and then kind of fell apart for others.”
It didn’t take long for North Carolina to take advantage
of these lapses. Ten minutes into the first quarter, Tar Heel forward Ryleigh Heck slipped past the Michigan line of defense and entered the circle unmarked. She steamrolled her way to the net and then floated the ball over the shoulder of Wolverines sophomore goalkeeper Hala Silverstein to give her team the 1-0 advantage.
“It was just a breakdown in communication,” graduate defender Claire Taylor said about the play. “One of our sidebacks, I’m not sure if she was aware of the girl behind her or she thought (the ball) was going long, but on that one it was just miscommunication.”
Michigan managed to find some offensive rhythm following the defensive miscue. It drew four corners in the second quarter alone, giving it ample opportunities to even the score. Nevertheless, the Wolverines struggled to take advantage, leaving space for North Carolina to extend its lead.
And the Tar Heels did just that.
North Carolina caught a break in the form of a penalty stroke early in the third quarter, testing graduate goalkeeper Cayleigh McMahon shortly after she entered the cage in place of Silverstein. Despite McMahon’s best efforts, the ball squeaked past her on the
left post, giving the Tar Heels a 2-0 lead. While a savvy play from the goalkeeper could have kept the game to a one-score deficit, the original penalty in the circle set up the situation in the first place.
“In game, you have to focus on the next play,” Taylor said. “Especially in the backfield, you have to be super disciplined and super mentally checked in for 100% of the game. So, you move forward and you say, ‘OK, that’s not going to happen again.’”
Michigan tried to channel this mentality to spark a comeback, but the mistakes proved insurmountable — especially after it surrendered a corner goal late in the third quarter. Gannon Fisher believes that the team’s mistakes will serve as fuel for the rest of the tournament.
“We’ll come back Sunday super hungry because we know that we could have played a lot better than we did today,” Gannon Fisher said, “We were toe to toe with them, we just made some mistakes that cost us goals, so we have a lot to grow on.”
While the Wolverines mounted a valiant effort against one of the nation’s top teams, their mistakes eroded these efforts, leaving new coach Gannon Fisher to steady the ship before the weekend’s end.
LYRA SHARMA Daily Sports Writer
Ananya Kedia/DAILY
FIELD HOCKEY
Rigorous routine and controlling the controllables: Justice Haynes attacking each day to actualize his sticky notes
ZACH EDWARDS Managing Sports Editor
It’s been 19 years since Verron Haynes became a Super Bowl champion. After playing a year at Western Kentucky and then walking on to Georgia, Verron became a captain for the Bulldogs, a fifth-round pick and eventually a Super Bowl Champion with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
In 2006, when Verron won the Super Bowl, his son, Justice Haynes, was only 1 year old.
19 years later, Verron often finds himself gazing around Justice’s room. As he enters the time capsule of his son’s entire football career, what always catches his attention is the walls covered in sticky notes.
On each sticky note is a dream that Justice had at some point, dreams from when he was playing football at Blessed Trinity Catholic High School to dreams he has now as a junior running back for the Michigan football team. But Verron and Justice see them beyond just dreams.
“One of the things that I always preached was, it’s only a dream till you put it on paper — then it becomes a goal,” Verron told The Michigan Daily. “It was encouraging to see that when I went into his room, and it’s like, I look around and it’s so many sticky notes.”
Growing up watching his father play on the biggest stage in football, Justice always had high aspirations.
Today, when Verron glances at the sticky notes plastered all over the wall, some of Justice’s goals have either already been actualized — like graduating from college in three years — or are on the current checklist.
But Justice will never be content because, just like his father before him, Justice often chooses the hard path because of the innate competitiveness his father instilled in him.
“That’s something my dad instilled in me, never be outworked,” Justice told The Daily. “Have a certain confidence, swagger about yourself, and no one can take that away from you. And I feel like when you’re prepared and you work hard, you can have that
swagger, because you’re confident in your abilities, you’re confident in what you just produced.”
That competitiveness to never be outworked isn’t the only thing he got from his father. From walkon to Super Bowl champion, Verron continues to drive home principles of work ethic, strong morals and a loving community, all of which Justice continues to foster. But in many ways, Justice has exceeded what his father has taught him by approaching every single day the exact same way.
Controlling the controllable by attacking each day with the same routine and competitiveness has lifted Justice to where he is today. And it’s the precise routine that allows him to check off some of those goals on his sticky notes.
***
Every day starts with at least eight hours of sleep.
In the morning, Justice always exchanges texts with his dad. The relationship Justice and his father have was shaped by years of coaching, until about eighth grade when it transitioned into Verron
running and got to work. On the field, Verron strictly kept it to the fundamentals for Justice, but also passed down all of the preparation and mental tactics he had used. Then when it came time to pass Justice on to high-school coaches, they would shape him into an even better football player and young man — and Verron could now stick to being dad.
Taking those next steps, Verron and Justice’s entire family started to form his football support network. Verron would be the first one at games to watch warmups and would pray with Justice before every game, giving him advice when he asked for it.
“I’m very close to my family,” Justice said. “Not even just my dad because we played the same sport but my mom, just the way she pushes me. I mean, my mom, she’s my rock. My grandmothers, they’re my rock the way they push me.”
From his dad who had a direct impact on his football career, and now texts him every morning, to his mom and grandmothers that push him, Justice has a uniquely
“I want to go down as one of the greatest to ever play this game... I have to do everything in my power that I need to do and handle business.”
being one of his biggest supporters and being dad in the bleachers.
Having a Super Bowl-winning father, Justice was instantly around the game of football. Despite the proximity to the game, though, Verron wanted to make sure Justice started playing because he wanted to play and not because his dad played.
So Verron didn’t pressure Justice to do anything, and initially Justice wasn’t super committed. Until one specific game when didn’t play the way he wanted to, he lost and decided to flip the switch.
“He might have had a bad game, didn’t have the results that he wanted, but then he understood that he had to put in the work,” Verron said. “… So he came down to the gym, and he’s like, ‘All right, cool. I’m committed.’ So at that point, I knew he had gotten somewhere and got over a hurdle, a hump, and the light bulb came on in him.” They both hit the ground
strong family support network that he can go to whenever he needs, and has been since he started playing.
***
After getting eight hours of sleep and texting his dad, Justice fuels his body by getting hydrated, eating and stretching before working out, a process that Justice claims takes an hour and a half before he even begins his lifting.
The same preparation Justice does before a workout has its own rendition before games — even back in high school.
Justice started his high school career at Blessed Trinity. His freshman season, they won a state championship before change struck almost immediately. Longtime Blessed Trinity coach Tim McFarlin retired, the pandemic hit and the success of the program simply wasn’t the same caliber.
So Justice, as someone always looking for the most competitive and difficult environment, knew
it was time for his own personal change as well.
He looked for a high school that allowed early enrollment to college but also had strong preparation for the next level. That made committing to Buford High School and playing under coach Bryant Appling — whose reputation is sending players to the next level — an easy choice.
“He treated us like men, like how coaches treat us here in college,” Justice said of Appling and Buford High School. “Yes, you’re having fun, but at the end of the day, you have a job to do. And that’s how he runs the program. … We’re all competing every day. You got the elite of the elite. At Buford, we had elite guys. So I feel like that really prepared me as well.”
Appling didn’t give Justice the reins right away, but after observing just how eager and hungry Justice was for that competitive environment, it was an easy decision to put Justice on the field. And when it came time for the first game, immediately Justice made his preparation and work ethic that much more apparent.
“He always had his notebook from the week, every note he took in meetings,” Appling told The Daily. “He would go find a quiet spot in the locker room … going over his notes. I mean, from the first game that he played with us all the way to the All-American Bowl, when I coached him in San Antonio, he did the same exact thing.”
At every level and in every scenario Justice has the same approach — from his daily routine, to his pre-workout regimen, to the way he practices, to his pregame rituals. And with a five-star recruiting ranking, Justice was focused on preparing his game for the next level.
***
After getting his workout in, it’s time for Justice to put on the pads and play football. Much like every other aspect of his life, when Justice goes to practice that instinctual competitiveness comes out.
“I’m an ultra competitor,” Justice said. “I hate to lose. My dad used to always joke around with me, when I was a little kid he’d be like, ‘You got to let your sisters
win sometimes.’ … Because when I would play with my sister, say we were playing basketball, I wouldn’t let her win.”
So, when it came time to decide where to go to school, Justice initially picked Alabama. He saw the opportunity to work under coach Nick Saban and enter the most challenging and competitive environment with someone that won’t go easy on anybody.
But change struck again. With Saban retiring and the program going through a transition, Justice realized his football career would need to take a new trajectory to keep the same goal of being challenged every single day. And that brought him to Michigan.
The final thing before starting his end of day routine is watching film. And just like with everything else, Justice watches it every day to keep it consistent.
“The kid watches film with me every night after practice,” Michigan running back coach Tony Alford said Wednesday. “He sits with me and watches the tape and goes over it and he’s in this building an awful lot, so he studies the game.”
Having been recruited by Alford in high school, Justice knew what he brought to the table and it was just a matter of matching the Wolverines’ identity with his own.
And the choice seemed clear.
“Once we got on campus, Justice, his mom and I looked at each other and were like, ‘I don’t see anything
touching this,’” Verron said.
“Nothing compared after that.” ***
Now, it’s game time. Saturday against New Mexico will be Justice’s first game donning the maize and blue. Although Justice’s road has taken many turns throughout his high school and college careers, his approach, support network and routine has kept him grounded.
If he revisited his childhood bedroom, Justice would probably be able to take some of the sticky notes off of his wall — but there are probably still many left that he’s working towards. He believes Michigan is the best place for him to achieve those goals, and he’ll always do it his way.
“I feel like it’s my ability and my freedom of will to go out there and do everything in my power to possibly do (control the controllables) and then let the chips fall where they fall — I don’t ever want to leave that up to chance,” Justice said “ … I want to go down as one of the greatest to ever play this game. So in order for me to do that, I have to do everything in my power that I need to do and handle business.”
Whether it be a dream coming to reality or a goal on a sticky note coming true, Justice will never leave his present or future up to chance — instead, it will be a product of rigorous routine, competitiveness and controlling the controllables.
Like most other defensive linemen, the junior is tall, tough and explosive on the field. He’s calculated. He’s intimidating. He’s also one of the most humble guys you’ll ever meet.
In high school, when Pierce wasn’t on the field mowing down players on the opposing O-line, he would open doors for his teachers, help out fellow students who had dropped their lunch or volunteer to help coach Brother Rice High School’s summer football camp — the same one he attended when he was in sixth grade.
As such, in spite of his formidable presence on the gridiron, it was Pierce’s kindness that became his hallmark, with former coaches fondly referring to him as a “gentle giant.”
“He wanted to be great in everything that he did,” former Brother Rice coach Brian Badke told The Michigan Daily. “He was never bigger than anybody else. I always thought that was really unique, because a lot of times, sometimes these guys that are in positions that are five-star recruits, they think they’re too big for everything. He was never that way, very humble, very grounded.” Badke, who coached Pierce from his freshman through his
junior years of high school, first met Pierce in sixth grade when he came to the summer football camp. Almost immediately, Badke took note of his size, athleticism and — most of all — his big heart. A few years later, Badke was officially his coach and pulled Pierce up to varsity during his sophomore year. That jump to the next level came with trials and tribulations. During his years on varsity, Pierce battled through some injuries that limited his time on the field. Even when grappling with these setbacks, Pierce stayed grounded, still smiling from ear to ear.
Don’t let his kind heart and nonchalant attitude fool you
into thinking he’s easily pushed around on the field, though. It’s Pierce who does the pushing.
“When Trey was on the field, we were a lot better,” Badke told The Daily. “He was an extremely hard worker. He was dedicated to his trade. He really turned in to love the game of football.
“He was just a guy you wanted to be around. He made other people better.”
In his senior year, Pierce’s unwavering dedication to his teammates was reflected in his election as a team captain, an impressive yet daunting honor. It was a test at first, figuring out how to lead in his own unassuming
manner. However, Pierce excelled because he sets the tone through example — a skill he’s brought to Michigan.
Wolverines coach Sherrone Moore singled Pierce out as a “tone-setter” for the group this upcoming season, meaning Pierce has once again found himself to be someone his teammates turn to. A tender-hearted and down-toearth player, Pierce doesn’t need to be the most outspoken member on Michigan’s roster to shape the locker room. He simply sets the tone through his character.
But the gentle giant wasn’t always as stoic as he is now. Instead, Pierce’s signature
approach to studying the game comes from a foundation of confidence that’s been years in the making.
“Definitely a work in progress,” Pierce said Tuesday of his confidence. “You ask my coach, it’s definitely a confidence thing, definitely to come with more reps. As a freshman here, you got guys in front of you who are first-rounders, draft picks. Mazi (Smith) was here when I was coming in high school, so the standard is super high.”
Indeed, when he arrived in Ann Arbor, Pierce was already in a deep room. Notable names such as Smith and former defensive
Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant were all ahead of him, and Pierce didn’t see much action. But that didn’t make Pierce bitter – that’s simply not who he is. Instead, he viewed them all as mentors. And finally, his moment came.
Tensions were high when Pierce got called up to start for the first time. Michigan was about to go toe-to-toe at the ReliaQuest Bowl with an old foe: Alabama. While the bowl game might have been the end of the season for the Wolverines, it was just the beginning of Pierce’s journey.
“During bowl prep for the Alabama game, I realized, ‘Okay, I can do it with these guys,’ ” Pierce said.
That moment mattered, not just because it was a bowl game, but because it was something Pierce had been building towards all along. And while that game may have been a big step forward on the field, it didn’t change who he was off of it.
It’s easy to get caught up in things like Pierce’s size, strength or the way he levels opposing players on the field. But at the end of the day, that’s not what defines him, not even close. What stands out most about Pierce is how he acts when no one is watching.
Michigan’s gentle giant, Trey Pierce, is still the same guy he’s always been, opening A-gaps and doors alike.
Trey Pierce is a big guy.
linemen
ALINA LEVINE Daily Sports Editor
Grace Lahti/DAILY
Courtesy of Verron Haynes
FRESH START
SAM GIBSON Daily Sports Editor
Given all the hype and anticipation surrounding Bryce Underwood’s first collegiate start, naturally, all eyes were on the Michigan football team’s freshman quarterback Saturday.
Hours before kickoff, fans pushed up against the fences to watch Underwood step off the team bus. When he introduced himself as the starter in a prerecorded video on the jumbotron, cheers grew noticeably louder. His first pass attempt of the game, a checkdown to junior receiver Semaj Morgan, drew
Doing what was asked of him early and stepping up at times as the game progressed, Underwood threw for 251 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions to lead the 14th-ranked Wolverines (1-0) past New Mexico (0-1), 34-17, in the season opener.
“That was a surreal feeling being in the Big House,” Underwood said.
“I’ve been coming to the games since I was 8, 9 years old, so it’s just a surreal feeling to have the block
‘M’ on my chest and to score a
For the first quarter of the Bryce Underwood era, though,
Freshman Bryce Underwood in control versus New Mexico, leads Michigan to win
the former-No. 1 recruit wasn’t the main event. That honor goes to junior running back Justice Haynes, the transfer from Alabama whose arrival — like Underwood’s — was meant to revitalize Michigan’s offense.
It didn’t take long for the resurgence to begin.
On his third carry in a Michigan uniform, Haynes found sizable room to take it 56 yards to the house and his first score as Wolverine.
Haynes made the most of his next few touches too, converting a first down and bringing the Wolverines within first-and-goal. Facing third down the same drive, Haynes took a handoff from Underwood and — after a tough shoulder block from Underwood — ran into the endzone for the second time, virtually untouched.
Throughout both first-quarter touchdown drives, Underwood showed flashes of the playmaker Michigan believes he can be. On an early first down, he connected with senior tight end Marlin Klein for a 25-yard gain with a level of zip and ease that the Wolverines’ quarterbacks last year rarely exhibited.
Frequently, the ball was out of Underwood’s hand before the defense read the play, and Underwood’s threat as a passer spread out New Mexico’s scheme to allow Michigan’s backs more room.
After a field goal put the Wolverines up 17-0 in the second
quarter, Michigan looked on track for a smooth victory. Then some first-game nerves from Michigan and some tomfoolery from the Lobos surfaced.
Michigan’s defense allowed an 82-yard drive that ended in a unique fake quarterback run after stifling New Mexico to just two first downs prior. Minutes later, freshman wide receiver Andrew Marsh fumbled a punt return to gift New Mexico prime field position and another three points.
With the lead suddenly reduced to just seven and under two minutes until halftime, it was time for Underwood to step up. On 3rd-and-14 from his own 21-yard line, Underwood found sophomore receiver Channing Goodwin on a post route for 39 yards.
“When you have plays in the playbook that you’ve repped from spring ball till the summer and training camp, and you understand where people are going to be in spots, then you have confidence to make those calls,” Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. “So that’s what they went out and did. (Underwood) did it. Channing made a great catch and gave a great run.”
And 30 seconds were left in the second quarter when Underwood dotted Klein as he ran up the sideline and past the pylon to go ahead, 24-10. Leading all receivers with 93
yards and one touchdown on six receptions, Klein’s connection with Underwood was easily apparent.
“He’s going to put the ball wherever it needs to be, and that’s what he showed today,” Klein said.
After Haynes’ second touchdown of the game put the Wolverines up 34-17 in the fourth quarter, Underwood went three-and-out one drive and was sacked to end the other. Underwood wasn’t happy with those drives when they happened, and he remained unsatisfied long after the game concluded. Asked to grade his own performance, he gave himself a C-plus. But around a week ago, shortly after he was named the starter, Moore asked Underwood what his goal was for Saturday. At the time, Underwood kept it simple.
“It was just me and him,” Moore said Monday. “He said, ‘Do everything I can to help my team win. That’s it.’ ” Underwood didn’t rack up several touchdowns. He didn’t have a multitude of spectacular throws. He didn’t pass for 300 yards, or flash the speed his teammates promise he has. But he kept control of the football, rallied the offense and stayed cool under pressure en route to a 34-17 win. Consider his first goal as the Wolverines’ quarterback achieved.
Bela Fischer/DAILY Bridgette Bol/DAILY Design by Annabelle Ye
