In preparation for the Fall 2022 semester, the University created the Public Health Infection Prevention and Response Advisory Committee to advise on safety plans, University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald told The Daily in an Theemail. committee includes specialists from Michigan Medicine on infection prevention, University Health Services (UHS),
planning to ensure safe staffing levels if a work stoppage occurs.”
This week’s festivities marked the second in-person student org recruitment event since classes were canceled due to the COVID19 pandemic in March 2020. Last year, Festifall was conducted fully in person while Winterfest, the winter semester equivalent, was held virtually due to the spread of the highly contagious omicron variant of COVID-19.
The lawsuit, which names the University, the Law School and West as defendants, asserts that Beny experienced a hostile work environment created by her co-workers and employers throughout her time at the University.Thesuit claims that she encountered multiple instances of gender and race discrimination in her classroom and, upon reporting, the situations were not remediated by the University. The lawsuit references the Law School’s “lock step” payroll policy in which employees hired at the same pay rate are expected to receive equivalent raises, and the lawsuit claims that Beny was not given pay raises in lock step with a white male and white female professor who were hired at the same salary as her.
will vigorously defend itself and the Law School against the meritless allegations made by Professor Laura Beny in her complaint,” Broekhuizen wrote.The lawsuit describes several instances throughout Beny’s tenure in which she allegedly faced derogatory remarks and harassment regarding her race, gender and familial status, including from West. The suit asserts that the University and West are in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the Family Medical Leave Act of 1993, which prohibits discrimmination based on disabilities and protects the right for temporary leave.
Festifall returned to the University of Michigan this week with student organizations lining the streets of campus hoping to recruit the next class of promising students.Festifall began Tuesday on North Campus in the late afternoon before moving to Central Campus on Thursday for afternoon and evening sessions on the Diag and Ingalls Mall.
Devon Vaughn, program manager for student development in CCI, estimated that about 9,000 people, primarily students, attended Festifall on Central Campus, and about 3,000 people attended Festifall on North Campus. Vaughn said the in-person format allowed organizations to connect with students.
Daily News Editors
What percentage of classes will be taught in person for the Fall 2022 semester?
UMich plans for COVID-19 and monkeypox on campus: Free rapid tests, vaccination headline prevention strategies
Law professor sues ‘U’ for racial and genderbased discriminationMichigan Medicine nursesauthorize strike
Monday marks the beginning of the fourth academic year impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. And as the U-M community embarks on another school year, The Michigan Daily has you covered with the most frequently asked questions about health and safety on campus.
sites? Single-use antigen tests will be available at Community Sampling and Tracking Program sites for U-M students and employees. Fitzgerald did not confirm how many tests the University has reserved for the fall semester, but he wrote that “everyone is encouraged to have antigen tests on hand” in case they develop symptoms and need to test quickly.
“Patients can still expect to receive the same high quality care at our hospitals and health centers,” Masson said in the statement. “We are currently
The strike authorization comes after the MNA filed a lawsuit last month alleging the University violated the Public Employment Relations Act of 1947 by refusing to bargain over nurses’ workloads. Negotiations between
even some of the more random clubs. I’m looking for fun things to do outside of class.”
CCI)Vaughnexpected.”spoke on some of the more difficult aspects of Festifall and how the CCI plans to mitigate the challenges of such a large event.“Ithink really great connections are being made,” Vaughn said. “There are challenges, like (Festifall) is overwhelming. It’s huge. One of the things we’ve tried to do is offer a one-on-one appointment after Festifall for those who could use that kind of space.”LSA freshman Maddison Linker attended Festifall on Thursday and shared her thoughts on the event.
the School of Public Health, athletic department, leadership from all three U-M campuses and other university professionals according to FitzgeraldFitzgerald.alsowrote that University established the Department of Infection Prevention and Epidemiology in 2020 within UHS to oversee aspects of the University’s infectious disease response.
How will students be able to report COVID-19 results taken on an at-home test?
“Fully virtual (events) are such a challenge. You don’t have those moments of connection and face to face contact. Last year, we came back for the first time, and it was great, but there was a lot of hesitation,” Vaughn said. “This year, it felt a lot closer to what we saw in 2019 and 2018. The attendance was beyond what (the
IRENA LI Daily News Reporter
Daily Staff Reporter Irena Li can be reached at irenayli@ umich.edu.
“(Beny) felt that the administration had penalized her for having championed equality and making complaints about inequities at the law school,” the lawsuit reads.
Robert Ernst, U-M chief health officer, announced in an email to the campus community on August 18 that testing would be optional but “encouraged” for anyone who is not up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations required by the University last fall and winter.Fitzgerald wrote that the University’s COVID-19 response has shifted to encouraging individual risk assessment related to adoption of vaccination, testing, masking and social distancing.
COVID-19
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LSA junior Deniz Kirca, outreach chair of the Neuroscience Student Association (NSA),, explained that while his organization is conducting many in-person events this year, the NSA is still using a hybrid format.
Festifall brings crowds and success to student organizations
An FAQ section regarding the vote on the UMPNC website says union leadership sought
West was also implicated in controversy in March 2021, when he publicly apologized for featuring racist and sexually suggestive depictions of Asian women on his book covers. The suit recalls West’s apology and claims it was merely “lip service,” as he did not apologize to Beny for his continued race- and gender-based
excited and wanting to get back involvedEngineeringagain.” junior Nicole Baalbaki is the Director of Finance for the Syrian Student Association. She discussed the association’s tactics for recruiting new members at Festifall.“Ithink just playing some good Arabic music, Syrian music, teaching people about our culture, and who we are,” Baalbaki said. “Just being ourselves, showing what our culture is.”While some Festifall participants said they are planning for a primarily in-person semester, many said they will use online meetings in the early stages of membership.
“We are voting to authorize a work stoppage for the purpose of protesting the university’s alleged unfair labor practices,” the website reads. “We believe the university has failed to bargain in good faith, made improper changes to our working conditions, and has undermined our elected union … We just want the university to respect our rights, voice, and union.”Michigan Medicine spokeswoman Mary Masson said in a statement that the University was disappointed in the UMPNC’s decision to authorize a strike and that preparations are being made if a work stoppage were to occur.
The University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council (UMPNC) voted to authorize a strike Friday afternoon after months of unsuccessful contract negotiations with the University, according to a statement from the union. The authorization is not an announcement of an immediate work stoppage but would allow the bargaining unit to call for a strike at any Accordingpoint. to the statement, 96% of voting members voted in favor of the strike authorization. The release says the union would only call for a strike if they deem it “absolutely necessary” to protest the University’s alleged unfair labor practices.
University spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen told The Michigan Daily in an email that the allegations were baseless. Beny, who was hired at the University in 2003, remains as a tenured faculty member at the Law School, Broekhuizen added.
“This theme of (Beny) being a dominatrix has been constant in Dean West’s inappropriate sexist and racist comments towards (Beny) and it has influenced his discrimination and retaliation to her in the present,” the lawsuit reads. “(Beny) felt demeaned and horrified. (Beny) was a new single mother, her daughter being exactly one year old. No other single parents were on the faculty at (the University’s) Law School, to (Beny’s) knowledge and belief, and Defendant West never spoke to other new mothers, white women, on the faculty in the same offensive manner.”
Relaxed pandemic-era policies attract new members, restore feelings of normalcy at fall club fair
the University and Michigan Medicine nurses have been ongoing since March 15, with nurses having worked without a contract since the previous one expired on July 1.
make preparations for the viruses’ impact on campus this fall.
With the state of Michigan still grappling with COVID-19 and the monkeypox virus (MPV) reaching the state in June of this year, campus leaders have been tasked to
With a return to normal life on campus, many organizations felt this semester’s Festifall differed from the midpandemic. Public Health senior Meghna Singh is the president and programming chair of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at the University (AFSP-UM). The organization’s table was scattered with pins, stickers, flyers and candy on Thursday in the Diag. Singh talked about AFSP-UM’s recruitment process this semester.
The UMPNC is a branch of the Michigan Nurses Association, which published a statement on the vote Friday and said over 4,000 MNA-UMPNC members participated in the vote.
CARLIN PENDELL Daily News Reporter
The lawsuit claims that West made multiple inappropriate comments regarding Beny’s appearance, as well as the appearance of her female co-workers, and insinuated that Beny was a “dominatrix” on multiple occasions. Included in the lawsuit was one email in which West signed off with “Your humble minion.”
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Who was consulted in making plans for Fall 2022?
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According to Masson, the nurse’s union and the University are close to a resolution. The current proposal includes a 21% base pay increase in nurses over the next four years, the elimination of mandatory overtime and a $4,000 bonus for each member of the bargaining unit.The union said in the statement that members would be attending the next Board of Regents meeting on September 22 to “make sure (the regents) understand what Michigan Medicine’s administration has been doing.”
According to the lawsuit, Beny sought a meeting with West in 2014 on this issue, who claimed that it was a clerical error. West then applied for a retroactive pay increase for Beny, the lawsuit says.
“The energy is what’s different,” Singh said. “There’s definitely more people walking around checking out tables, versus a virtual environment, which we’ve done multiple times. It’s just not as successful. I’m glad to see people are
Will the University continue to offer free single-use antigen tests at on-campus COVID-19 testing
The University did not provide an exact percentage of classes taught
GEORGE WEYKAMP & RONI KANE
in person during the Fall 2022 semester. Fitzgerald confirmed that the University will be welcoming everyone back for a “fully residential” semester, but also recognized “the important role of technology, in the classroom and for other academic activities, to augment the learning experience and to address accessibility needs, consistent with pedagogical and programmatic needs.” It is expected that some courses will continue to be fully remote. Why are vaccine-exempt students no longer required to test weekly?
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Laura Beny accuses school of unfair pay practices and unlawful harassment
RILEY HODDER & IRENA LI Daily News Reporters
Laura Beny, University of Michigan Law School professor, filed a lawsuit in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan against the University and Law School Dean Mark West on Friday, claiming race, gender, familial and marital status discrimination.
authorization to strike because it believes the University has violated labor practices in its negotiations.
KATE HUA/Daily
“The University of Michigan
“The vote shows that thousands of nurses are united in standing up for their rights and demanding respect,” Renee Curtis, president of MNA-UMPNC, wrote in the statement. “We will not sit by while the university violates the law, especially when it comes to their refusal to negotiate over safe workloads. Nurses are ready to do whatever it takes to hold the university accountable.
Union alleges University officials have refused to negotiate in good faith
Over the two days, Festifall, organized by the Center for Campus Involvement (CCI), hosted over 750 student organizations, community vendors and campus departments seeking to engage and recruit students.
TESS CROWLEY/Daily
“I was a little overwhelmed at first because it seemed like a lot of people, but now that I’m here, it feels a lot better, and I’m very excited to be learning about all these organizations,” Linker said. “I love it. Other than the free items, I would say I’m really excited about joining the volunteering clubs and
Michigan Bureau of Elections estimates around 596,000 were valid, exceeding the 425,059 needed to be on the Opponentsballot.of the amendment have pointed to issues with spacing and errors in the text distributed to signers of the petitions rendered the results invalid. Reproductive Freedom for All lawyer Steve Liedel said that is not a legitimate legal reason to reject it.
VANESSA KIEFER Managing Editor vkiefer@umich.edu
If the Reproductive Freedom for All initiative is on the November ballot, it needs a simple majority vote to pass. If passed, the amendment would go into effect 45 days after the election. If the petition is not included on the ballot, the Michigan Supreme Court’s decision in Whitmer’s suit would determine whether abortion is constitutionally protected in the state.
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On the ballot this year are candidates for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, secretary of state, the Michigan legislature and local and state judges. Michigan voters will also decide on candidates for the boards of the University of Michigan, Michigan State University and Wayne State University, as well as ballot
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As of Sept. 1, the board has only approved one ballot initiative, which seeks to modify term limit and financial disclosure requirements for state lawmakers.
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The board is responsible for reviewing nominating petitions and statewide ballot initiatives, certifying statewide elections and overseeing other election practices, such as electronic voting systems.
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The state will begin mailing out absentee ballots by Sept. 29. All absentee ballots must be returned to a local clerk’s office by 8:00p.m. on Nov. 8; mail-in ballots must be postmarked Nov. 8 or earlier to be counted.Correction 8/30: This headline has been updated to clarify that only absentee ballot applications are available, not the ballots themselves.
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The proposed amendment would protect the right to abortion, contraceptives and other reproductive healthcare services in Michigan. The four board members split the vote along partisan lines, with board chair Anthony Daunt (R) and board member Richard Houskamp (R) voting against its placement on the ballot and vice chair Mary Ellen Gurewitz (D) and board member Jeannette Bradshaw (D) voting in favor.
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Proposalsmeasures.must receive a specific number of signatures in order to appear on the ballot — 425,059 for a constitutional amendment and 340,047 for legislation. As of August 29, only one proposal that alters term limits and financial disclosure requirements for state lawmakers is on the ballot. Five more have submitted signatures to the Board of Canvassers for review.
KATE WEILAND Managing Editor kmwblue@umich.edu KEITH MELONG/Daily Drag performer Zooey Gaychanel celebrates the local LGBTQ+ community with students on Palmer Field Sunday afternoon.ANNAFUDER/Daily Citizens participate in the March for Reproductive Rights in downtown Ann Arbor October 2021.
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“We are confident that we’re in compliance with the legal and statutory requirements for ballot proposals,” McConnell said. “In fact, hundreds of thousands of Michiganders have spoken: more than 730,000 registered voters — a record number — have read, understood and signed the petition.”
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According to the Detroit Free Press, Ron Weiser, current regent and chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, was booed by “hundreds” During the April endorsement, Epstein called Weiser a “crook” and stated that she was calling for his “immediate resignation” in front of the audience.Epstein is the co-owner of Vesco Oil Corporation in Southfield, Mich. and served as the Michigan chair for the Trump Campaign in
The tied vote leaves the Reproductive Freedom for All initiative off the ballot. In response, Reproductive Freedom for All, the group which sponsored the proposed amendment, is expected to appeal the decision, calling on the liberal leaning Michigan Supreme Court to put the amendment on the ballot.The initiative collected nearly 800,000 signatures, of which the
To apply for an absentee ballot, voters can either register online here before 5 p.m. the Friday before the election, or download and print the application and return it by mail or in-person to the local city or township clerk.
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Epstein and Vartanian will run against Democratic incumbents Katherine White and Michael Behm in the November General Election.
No criminal charges were brought against Epstein due to theInincident.aninterview with Bridge Michigan, Epstein called the allegations “fake news” and offered to provide a reporter with some “real tangible gossip” that “doesn’t involve (Epstein).”
Absentee ballots applications now available for November general election
Abortion remains legal in Michigan under a preliminary injunction blocking the state’s 1931 abortion ban, issued as part of a lawsuit filed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Whitmer’s suit requests the Michigan Supreme Court consider if abortion access is included in the state constitution.
ISABELLA KASSA Daily News Reporter
Republican delegates representing every Michigan county met in Lansing Saturday to nominate their party’s candidates for the University of Michigan Board of Regents, among other statewide positions. Lena Epstein and Sevag Vartanian were nominated as candidates for the Board of Regents following the convention.Bothcandidates were endorsed prior to Saturday’s nomination by the Michigan Republican Party during an April convention where Rudy Giuliani, former President Donald Trump’s former attorney, personally endorsed Epstein.
Michigan residents can now apply for absentee ballots for the Nov. 8 general election, according to an Aug. 25 press release from Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State.
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Darci McConnell, a spokeswoman for Reproductive Freedom for All, told The Detroit News the group adhered to all laws governing the petitioning process.
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The Reproductive Freedom for All constitutional amendment will not appear on the November ballot after the Michigan Board of State Canvassers tied on a Tuesday afternoon vote. The decision is expected to be appealed to the Michigan Supreme Court.
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“Every successful election we have held in Michigan over the last three years, voters have made it clear they want options for how and when to cast their ballot by choosing to do so absentee in record numbers,” Benson wrote in the release. “No matter what secure method they choose — whether voting by mail, local drop box or at their clerk’s office — Michiganders can be confident their vote will be counted and their voice will be heard.”
2016. Vartanian currently runs Vartanian Capital Management, an asset management firm in Novi,EpsteinMich. faced allegations of domestic abuse following a September 2021 incident in which she was arrested at Mackinac Island’s Grand Hotel for allegedly assaulting her boyfriend in front of her young child while under the influence of alcohol. The arrest came to light last month when Epstein’s ex-husband’s lawyer stated during their divorce proceedings that Epstein’s “behavior over the past year has been questionable and erratic.”
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Michigan board deadlocks on reproductive healthcare rights for November ballot
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“I’m kind of against perfectionism. Like, if a record is a remnant of my life as a musician, then it should be authentic to that and then willing to like, if there’s like a vocal mistake, then that’s what happened. It’s fine.”
follow up on the recent release of her sophomore album, one I had been waiting for since I heard that hypnotizing melody on a still-toocold Saturday afternoon. From her apartment in Brooklyn, New York, Talmers revealed in a virtual interview with The Michigan Daily the ins and outs of her latest record, Hope is The Whore I Go To, which she released on July 29. I asked her about the recording process, where she found inspiration and most importantly: Why hope, and why is she a Shewhore?explained that there is a Balkan saying that describes the state of mind in which people wait passively and continuously for something better — longing for a different job, a problem to be solved, a lover to love more strongly. The saying, “hope is the greatest whore,” refers to the human condition in which one waits for the world to change — nothing but a futile attitude that leads to frustration and wastedTalmers,time. a Michigander herself, said the concept for the album happened naturally, as a result of the effects of the pandemic on her life. She said, “(The album) is like, spurts of hope and spurts of something getting better or even being better finally, and then a sort of eventual letdown or realization that what you idealize is not coming to fruition.”
Since, Talmers has become my most listened to artist on the 2021 Spotify Wrapped, a music collaborator and a good friend.
contradictions and an unreachable journey toward the truth can give life meaning.
‘Smiling Friends,’ psychicpebbles and Sisyphus
Remember Me As Holy, and I grew enamored with everything she made — her heartbreakingly beautiful lyrics, the curation behind every melody and the wisdom behind every silence.
SAARTHAK JOHRI
A human, a whore, all that and more: Lily Talmers releases her latest album
She said, “There’s a sort of reductionist view (that) folk music or indie music is like being indiscriminately sad, and I like the way that this music is deeply sorrowful and grieving and disturbed in certain moments. But it’s also driving and groovy and exciting. I feel proud of this music because it’s not like a sort of simplification of itself, or like, you can’t pin it down in a certain way. And I think that represents my life, my inner life as a musician and as someone who is moved by music, and it represents what I listened to in a different way than the stuff I’ve writtenComposedbefore.”of 10 songs, Hope is the Whore I Go To is a perfect voyage of emotions. One can sway with “Hope, You Whore” and forget the weight of every word, every silence, every jolt. She sings: “To the rhythm of your interest, I will easily unfold / And make you promise to remember me as good” — in a nod to her incessant
Ever since I heard Lily Talmers sing “Hope, You Whore” live at 707 Lawrence St. in March of 2021, I have counted down the days until I could hear it again. Still a socially distanced and masked show, the song made all barriers fall and removed inhibitions; people began dancing — in their squares, mostly, but I recall about five attendees who linked hands and started turning in a manner resemblant of Matisse’s iconic painting, “Dance.” The melody of that song would be stuck in my head for weeks.Ihad met Talmers previously that semester when I interviewed her on the release of her debut album
I knew that whatever Lily Talmers released next was going to surprise me, and she did not disappoint. Her latest record is a mélange of impulses. One couldn’t pin it down in a genre, an era or a region. It is as cosmopolitan as it is crude — lyrics unfold like honeysuckle flowers, while the sound of drums faintly resembles the stomping of feet on a wooden floor in Greece. It is the world in the palm of her hand. Hints of L.A. Americana — the Blake Mills and Madison Cunningham type — of Brazilian Bossa Nova and of French Cabaret abound.
used to create comedy, but contrary to this infamous review, suicide is not the joke. Not only is the absurdism of the show not used to mock suicide, but it also teaches us one of our only ways to cope with such subjects. Suicide in its contradictions is absurd, and so is living. However, Sisyphus keeps pushing, and Naranath keeps laughing. At the end of the pilot, Desmond finds a purpose for himself and motivates the “Smiling Friends” employees to keep going on with their jobs. Hadel and Cusack, in the contradiction of combining their comedic and visual styles together to create their own absurd universe, put everything they had into their pilot and their response to the premise of suicide, what Camus referred to as “the fundamental question of philosophy.” However, in succeeding to air such a dense and well-received pilot and then being commissioned for a season, how did the two motivate themselves and find more to put into the show? What would Sisyphus do if he finally made it up the mountain, only to see a new peak emerge?
Content warning: This article contains cartoon mentions and philosophical discussions of suicide.
Their attention to detail is in itself absurd — every layer of animation is checked repeatedly to maximize its comedy. Hadel has discussed many driving factors of making the show at length, but the two major components are his personal philosophy of always being goaloriented and the need to leave behind a legacy. “Humans need to have goals or else
She encounters hope again in “Hope at Table, Talking Shop (La Solitude),” and she addresses her as a loving whore. Talmers describes hope as “a mirror of versions of yourself that you want to inhabit.” Throughout the album, her conception of hope ebbs and flows, but ultimately, like the human she is, remains unpredictable.
“Smiling Friends” is an Adult Swim cartoon that is insanely absurd on every level, and it potentially holds the secret of happiness. The animated comedy is about colorful cartoon characters operating a hotline whose sole purpose is to make their customers smile. It has made the Internet more than just smile, however: So far it’s garnered massive amounts of positive reception and earned plenty of memes, a full-length fan animatic and even a video satirizing praise of the show. As the show becomes the target of my weekly obsession, I find it important to discuss the impact of absurdism — both in comedy and by French philosopher Albert Camus — and therefore, the impact of the Internet on the show, starting with its creators.
Editor’s Note: This interview was conducted as a conversation between friends and does not intend to present an objective viewpoint or the perspective of The Michigan Daily.
Photos courtesy of Lily Talmers
“I’m really propelled by my hope in and love for other people, and that I’m always in cycles of being disappointed and that there’s a resilience that you develop in going on that journey, but sometimes it’s too much and you have to write about your grief,” she stated.
desire to remain kindly thought of. One is placed in a climactic movie scene with “Hope is a Human” — the strings vacillating, as if someone was making you spin until your surroundings became blurry. One can dance with “Life’s So Fun” while the world goes up in flames. It is ironic, satirical. It is the epitome of life.
Most of these musicians contributed to her previous record, which has resulted in a conjunct sonic growth that is clearly palpable in every song. These one-take songs reflect a mode of songwriting and producing that clearly enlightens the talent of each and every person involved in the project. “We didn’t make a lot of those very sterile momentary decisions. It was much more holistic as a whole, which is kind of the best way, I find, to do music, and also the best way that I can think about what I want from a song,” Talmers said. She mentioned that she felt “much more righteous and free” with songs being “more technically demanding of me as a musician.”Withthis record, Lily Talmers leaves the Midwest and makes the world her backyard, in what feels like the homiest and most intimate patch of earth. There’s no room in this record for monotony. It will make you celebrate that you’re alive, and then make you cry for just the same reason. It is not anonymous. It is grandiose but not brutalist; it is frustrated but not self-deprecating. It’s a cinematic opening, a folkloric village scene, a sweet lullaby, a soulfully defeated chant.Hope is the Whore I Go to is exquisite storytelling; a live performance; a one-on-one; a confessional; the things we cling to; the search for answers; solace in solitude; the life of the party. Yet another incredible album by an artist whose trajectory will flourish like the spring, persevere like perennial trees, age like fine wine and become, at every stage of one’s life, a hand to hold onto. And I can’t wait to follow along — like a dog on a leash, like the moon to the sun, like an encore to a good thing.
Camus rejects suicide as an answer to the agony of this absurdity because he sees it as a contradictory assertion of life’s meaning.
While you can disagree with the goals of humanity in his own philosophy, the display of his drive cannot be disputed, nor can the success of his show. From his failures, his friends, his fixation — Hadel has unceasingly marched his way upward. He and Cusack created something that is not only adored by the Internet — a refreshing dose of absurdism in the face of existentialist cartoons like “Rick and Morty” and “BoJack Horseman” — but has infiniteDoingreinterpretations.researchforthis article was the first time in my life I enjoyed reading YouTube comment sections, as everyone gives specific bits of what they liked on clips and compilations of the show. In their monotonous work, Hadel and Cusack gave the Internet a show that has absurdly enjoyable repetition, as I myself have watched the pilot seven times and the entire season three times.
Photo courtesy of
In the aforementioned song she sings: “She’ll embrace you for a moment, then she’ll turn and kill the mood / With some heinous imposition, like ‘I thought you understood’.” And yet, like in her song, “Saudades (Over Now)”, she says that “she doesn’t mind at all to hear about the lonely troubles I run into.” Talmers confesses that she always returns to hope at the end of the day, in hopes of being told that it will be alright.
you go insane. It’s better to be miserable and fulfilled than content but listless.”
for their cartoon characters to do is to exist how humans do. Hadel elaborates on that last part best: “… they’re just real. That’s the joke. They blink and they have heart problems … these characters don’t hit a wall and flatten out. If you hit a character in the head with a hammer, they would have like (sic) a seizure.” Unlike the invincible creatures stemming from the rubber hose animation era, the “Smiling Friends” cast holds up a chaotically cartoonish mirror to reality.This execution of the creators’ vision and transition to a mainstream format is believed to be attributed to their topdown management of the project. Part of most YouTubers’ unsuccessful transition to traditional media is due to going from an online site where they have total control over every aspect of production to the restrictions by traditional rules of TV and film teams. On the other hand, Hadel and Cusack — who had already been animating, writing and voicing their shorts successfully for years — were involved with every step of the cartoons’ production. Hadel commented, “… we’re probably one of the few rare shows where the creators are literally going through and like, approving every prop, every fucking finger on every character, like I say, we’re really getting a bang for our buck.” Unsure if the show would be greenlit, the creators gave the pilot their all. However, “their all” includes humor to the absurdest extent when the cartoonish main characters — Charlie and Pim, voiced by Hadel and Cusack, respectively — are assigned to a client named Desmond who holds a gun to his head, threatening to kill himself in front of them if they can’t make him smile.
In those years of global unprecedented changes, Talmers resolved to channel all her emotions into music. While studying at the University of Michigan, the Birmingham-born singer recorded and released two EPs. Her first studio record, Remember Me As Holy was released in March of 2021 and was composed of songs such as “Maybe It’s Madness,” “No Woman” and “Middle of America,” where she writes about the throes of living in the Midwest, feeling small in the vastness of it all and the itching desire to be remembered as something good.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Arts
Yes, this show is a comedy. In order to make light of a threat against one’s own life, we can talk about Albert Camus and, in the philosopher’s words, “broach the notion of suicide.”Todiscuss the topic on Camus’ terms, we have to “purge it of its emotional content and know its logic and integrity.” The previous two quotations come from The Myth of Sisyphus, Camus’ essay conceptualizing “the absurd” as the chaotic consequences of everyday existence — that is, the vast amount of contradictions in rational layers of irrational modern life as we know it.
To end your own life means that you can’t find the truth of life and you’ve decided that the truth is that you must end it. That very same contradiction is what defines absurdity — learning to find joy in these
trusted that impulse and kind of wrote down exactly what I thought should happen in the song.”
Lily Talmers
The pandemic propelled these thoughts that she turned into poetry. This period of time, nonetheless, also played a part in the magnitude with which her sound matured from her first album to the second.
The essay presents the Greek myth of Sisyphus — a mortal king who was punished for cheating Death by being forced to push a boulder up a hill for eternity, only to have the boulder always fall back down just as the peak is reached — as the absurd hero. Camus uses this as an allegory for the contradictory insanity and mundanity of everyday life but subverts Sisyphus’ suffering: “One always finds one’s burden again … this universe henceforth without a master seems to him neither sterile nor futile. Each atom of that stone … forms a world. The struggle itself toward the heights is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
She mentioned that Remember Me as Holy was recorded in the midst of the pandemic, at a time when performing the songs live was almost inconceivable — making it a much more stripped-down and intimate album than her latest one.
Design by Madison Grosvenor
It only made sense for me to
Wednesday, September 7, 2022 — 3
Let’s go back to Sisyphus left at the foot of the hill. Sisyphus strives to push the boulder and gets stronger. If Sisyphus and Naranath knew of each other, they could share laughs over their struggles. In the seemingly unrelenting absurd repetition of everything, “Smiling Friends” finds a way to make you laugh — and for a kid raised by the Age of the Internet and its artists, it always makes me smile.
Daily Arts Writer
Yearning for performance, Talmers and her incredible band recorded Hope is the Whore I Go To fully live. Composed of various U-M alumni, including Geoffrey Brown, Ian Eylanbekov, David Ward, Aidan Cafferty and Ben Green, Lily Talmers brought music to life, literally — “I
CECELIA DURAN Daily Arts Writer
Perhaps we can do more than just imagine when we look at the Eastern version of Sisyphus — Malayalam folklore figure Naranath Bhranthan, who pushed boulders up hills of his own volition to laugh wholeheartedly at the sight of them falling back to the ground. Interpretations of this particular version of the myth include the journey towards detachment due to any efforts toward materialistic happiness ultimately being in vain. However, we can stay at the surface and respond to absurdity the same way Naranath does — with laughter.Itistrue that the looming suicide of “Smiling Friends” is a plot point that is
“Smiling Friends” is made by YouTube/ NewGrounds creators Zach Hadel, an Internet-identified online goblin (known as psychicpebbles on the site) and Michael Cusack. Hadel is primarily known for his unique animations but has also made his way into other corners of the Internet in podcasts, Let’s Play channels and an uncannily accurate Trump impersonation beating the likes of late-night TV hosts everywhere. On the other hand, Cusack has his Internet animations in addition to more mainstream success with his Adult Swim show “YOLO: Crystal Fantasy,” Australian ABC Comedy pilot “Koala Man” and an absurd Australian “Rick and Morty” special. Hadel and Cusack uniting to animate a show together was a feat given the contrast in their styles — the former employs stylized smoothly-animated cartoonish characters in amusing and often hyper-violent situations, while the latter uses sketchy, often-jerky reflections of real life, deriving more humor from everyday awkwardness.Thevisualresolution of this conflict is “Smiling Friends”, a combination of the two creators’ character styles into a cast that makes the cartoon’s world as chaotic as possible, mixing media styles on top of the hand-drawn 2D animation, such as 3D animation, live-action and rotoscoping. Hadel and Cusack get their giggles from a variety of different jokes: conversational dialogue that is both manufactured and improvised, constant background gags that contribute to the show’s liveliness and the creators’ philosophy that the funniest thing
Disney World transformed me into a toy and a rat all in one week
As I approached the front of the line, I noticed that instead of a typical cart, each ride vehicle was a rat made to fit six guests. We followed Remy through Gusteau’s kitchen as if we were the size of one of his rat relatives.
The Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor has been a Magic Kingdom classic since I was a little kid. Mike Wazowski (Billy Crystal, “When Harry Met Sally…”) announces that instead of collecting screams to power Monstropolis, the crew must
In a universe as dense as “GoT,” the pilot episode of “House of the Dragon” does a stellar job of
can only be stopped if Westeros is united under a Targaryen ruler.
original plot of the movie that fans still understand the goal of the attraction), immersing the audience into that new story and referencing all the fan-favorite moments and lines of the films.
In the dragon skull cellar, the king reveals to his daughter a prophecy that has been passed from ruler to ruler. He says that the first Targaryen conqueror, Aegon, had a dream of “the end of the world of men” brought forth by a great winter from the North — one that
Emily Carey (“Get Even”) plays Otto’s daughter, Alicent Hightower,
AVA BURZYCKI Daily Arts Writer
In Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park, there is a section of land dedicated to the “Toy Story” series. Toy Story Land features attractions such as Slinky Dog, Toy Story Mania and Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Whether or not you enjoy rides, it’s almost impossible not to smile as you slowly catch onto the details surrounding you.
Jackie”). The episode then cuts forward to Viserys’s eldest child, the young princess Rhaenyra Targaryen (Milly Alcock, “The Gloaming”), standing by as the lords of the small council discuss the matter of Viserys’s succession. In doing so, the show quickly establishes the strict patriarchal nature of the lords of Westeros, who refuse to put a woman on the Iron Throne (sound familiar?).
As Viserys tells his daughter about this “Song of Ice and Fire,” he places a firm hand on his dagger, which watchful viewers will recognize as the same dagger used to vanquish the Night King over a century later. This wellplaced information frames the last events of “GoT” in a new light and gives book readers more information regarding the still unfinished series.
Design by Melia Kenny
Something I’ve always admired about the series is how well each movie portrays being a kid and growing up. “Toy Story” masters the portrayal of what every child wishes to see — their toys coming to life. The films also display the emotional bond a child can build with their toys, an attachment that comes to represent the hardships of growing up and letting go.
Toy Story Land is built so that each guest feels as though they too are a toy. Cast members refer to the land as “Andy’s Backyard,” and the rides and restaurants
on her girlfriend repeatedly; to get the elusive girl, she enters a competition of comparison that she was purposely set up to win from the start; to keep the luxu ries of being a hot woman on a powerful man’s arm, she inten tionally strays from her moral compass. The metaphor of fruit is used intentionally here, due to the unmistakable biblical allu sion of Eve’s name representing the original sin of desire.
Again, we, as guests, are put into the story. Just like in the movie, the monsters need to power Monstropolis. In this alternate story, we have become directly involved in their mission. That’s what Disney World seems to master — creating an alternate story (similar enough to the
‘House of the Dragon’ is on its way to win back bitter fans
Despite the messy arcs and dependence upon post-feminist themes, the story contains syn apses and shimmers of genuine insight into gendered power, female sexuality and the tradi tionally marginalized experience of womanhood. Unfortunately, the poignant, memorable lines are overshadowed by the fact they are all in the context of a novel that is either a failed satire or a genuine story of barely any thing more than two privileged women idolizing an insufferably powerful man.
As my last hoorah for the summer, I traveled to Orlando with some family and friends to explore the most magical place on Earth. For seven days straight, we arrived at the park at opening and left at closing, spending around 15 hours there each day and walking close to 70 miles by the end of our seven-day trip.
Three years later, we are back in Westeros. We’re not here to revisit the aftermath of the tragedy that was the original “Game of Thrones,” but rather to bear witness to another, earlier, clash for the Iron Throne. This time, it stays in the family — in more ways thanHBOone. Max’s “House of the Dragon” centers on the all-powerful Targaryen dynasty — ancestors of the now-infamous Daenerys Targaryen (Emilia Clarke, “Last Christmas”). Episode one, titled “The Heirs of the Dragon,” starts at the peak of the Targaryen’s reign over the Seven Kingdoms and sets us up for a bloody civil war, spurred, as always, by that ugly Iron Throne — which has now been updated with more swords to look even more menacing. In that vein, “House of the Dragon” stays true to its parent show. The Iron Throne causes the same bloodlust, anxiety and anger as it did in “GoT.” This, in conjunction with faces getting smashed in by axes, explicit brothel scenes and some incestuous tension, is a reminder from showrunners Miguel Sapochnik
“Toy Story”
LAURA MILLAR Daily Arts Writer
message of the film is that anyone can cook, and as inspiring as the idea that talent can come from anywhere is, it’s even more satisfying and encouraging to watch Remy prove it.
While at Disney, I learned that maybe I am a Disney Adult because of how much I love and appreciate Disney movies. These rides would mean nothing to me without what is at the foundation of each — a well-written story. And what’s better than truly jumping right in?
“Ratatouille”
The level of immersion in Toy Story Land is unmatched — I couldn’t help but feel like I really was among Woody and Buzz and the rest of Andy’s toys.
Throne.” Director Sapochnik brings the same talent that he brought to past “GoT” episodes like “Hardhome” and “The Winds of Winter.” He cuts back and forth between scenes of the jousting tournament to the labor of Queen Aemma Arryn (Sian Brooke, “Sherlock”), both of which are incredibly violent and bloody.
the art of Pixar storytelling and has rewatched the “Toy Story” series several times, there’s no better reward for a fan than being able to walk through the world that once existed only on screen.
collect laughter, a more powerful resource. Guests step into the theater, and the monsters we know and love appear on screen to perform stand-up and collect energy through our laughter.
“Monsters, Inc.”
desires. The couple often explores power dynamics, whether it be physically degrading or verbal ly disparaging Olivia’s body, or Nathan bringing in another girl to sleep with in front of Olivia’s masochistically voyeuristic eye. Eve is brought in as a third girl, making her very role in the trio’s dynamic one of female competi tion and comparison. Among the triangulation of male attention, Eve repeatedly claims to long for
The cast does a wonderful job of establishing their characters’ motivations and personalities early on. Matt Smith (“The Crown”) shines as Prince Daemon Targaryen, the younger brother of the king with a propensity for violence befitting the genre. The conversations between Daemon and Rhaenyra in the High Valyrian language serve to establish both the strong bond that the Targaryens have with each other and the superiority they feel over others.
The best moments of the pilot episode are near the end. We learn that both Queen Aemma and her newborn son Baelon die shortly after the birth, as evidenced by a funeral scene in which Rhaenyra unleashes her very first “Dracarys!” Viserys must now choose between allowing his reckless brother Daemon to remain his heir by default or breaking tradition and naming his daughter Rhaenyra as his successor. In a rapid turn of events involving a brothel, the king’s brother and the words “heir for a day,” Viserys names his daughter as his heir and banishes Daemon.
Desire is often ephemeral — it is confusing, fleeting and never fully known. Debut author Lillian Fish man knows this and uses desire’s fluidity as the basis of her novel “Acts of Service.” As one of the most anticipated books of 2022, her novel carefully navigates the
Cover art for “Acts of Service” owned by Hogarth.
SWARA RAMASWAMY Daily Arts Writer
Much like how my feet are still aching as if I were walking down Main Street towards Cinderella’s Castle, my mind is still stuck on the level of immersion I felt wandering through the worlds of my favorite Pixar movies.
I love living in a reality that is not my own; that’s why I read and write and watch movies. And that also happens to be why I go to Disney World.
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and together with Alcock, the two establish Alicent and Rhaenyra’s tender and complex friendship — one that is bound for a major falling out as the story progresses. Steve Toussaint (“Judge Dredd”) and Fabien Frankel (“The Serpent”) leave a lasting impression as the commanding Lord Corlys Velaryon and the charming Ser Criston Cole, respectively.Cinematically, “House of the Dragon” doesn’t miss a beat. This era of Targaryen rule is demarcated by an abundance of dragons, paired with a new score by composer Ramin Djawadi, which incorporates familiar melodies from previous pieces like “The Iron
and Ryan Condal that yes, this is still the same world.
entanglement of the sex lives of three New Yorkers of contrasting but highly complementary person alities.Asthe novel is motivated pri marily by the first-person nar ration of the self-aware and self-critical introspections of the main character, Eve, the reader is required to attempt to empathize with her. In the beginning of her arc, Eve feels discontent within her relationship and senses she needs something more than the long-term dullness of her girl friend Romi. Romi lives outside of Eve’s sexual desire; she is doting, respectful and sexually consistent.
Like Toy Story Land, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure’s main mission is immersion. But instead of being a toy, I became a rat. And it’s surprisingly pretty fun.
While following Remy through the kitchen on his adventure to become the best chef in France, I realized that I was becoming a part of his success. We helped Remy hide from Skinner (Ian Holm, “Alien”) and ran through the pipes of the restaurant to escape being caught. The main
As potentially the only “moral” redemption for Eve’s actions, she is in a constant internal struggle throughout the novel. She, much like the perceived target audi ence of young women, is being pushed and pulled by various power sources. Her societal pres sures, her sexual desire, Nathan’s seductive power and her desire to be morally “good” are perpet ually at odds. While standing on the cliff before jumping fully into the proposed sexual dynamic, Eve asks herself, “Was I still a person who would deny what I felt simply because I disliked it?” This constant dissonance cre ates tension between herself and every character within the novel, and potentially even more ten sion between Eve and the reader.
Lillian Fishman’s ‘Acts of Service’ is a sweetened bruise on the fruit of desire
The “Ratatouille”-based attraction in Disney’s Epcot is less than a year old, meaning that even as a frequent Disneygoer, I had yet to ride Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure. To prepare for the attraction and to make sure I would catch all the details, I sat down a few days before my Disney trip to rewatch Remy (Patton Oswalt, “Pets 2”) and Linguini (Lou Romano, “The Incredibles”) scheme in Gusteau’s kitchen.
surrounding you reflect that idea. If you look closely, there are larger-than-life footprints, created by none other than Andy himself. The outdoor dining spot is called “Woody’s Lunchbox.” To order, you line up behind a large lunchbox held up by a thermos about three times your size and sit on a piece of Babybel cheese large enough for two while you eat classic lunchtime meals, my favorite being the grilled cheese and tater tots.
Considine displays King Viserys’s anxious and fragile nature aptly, although the ill-fitting platinum blonde wig takes a while to get used to. Rhys Ifans (“The King’s Man”) plays Otto Hightower, the Hand of the King, with cunning and a drawl evocative of Tywin Lannister.
the attention of Olivia. Olivia is the antithesis of Eve in role and personality, and their innate fight for male validation is a central motivation of their dysfunctional threesome. Olivia is aroused by this competition, whereas Eve both relishes it and wants to break them out into a different world of fantasy — one where only the two girls are Thoughtogether.thenovel is nearly entirely confessional and intro spective, the reader’s empathy for Eve dissipates early. Due to her pressurized position in the dynamic, Eve follows the recent trend of harsh, unlikable female protagonists — and she may be among the most unlikable in this subgenre. But this is not to say that her character or thoughts were dull and predictable; rather, every single thought and action feels frustratingly razor-edged and seductive. In Eve’s truest fashion, she reflects that, “For the shine of life, I thought, immense teams of participants were required: Men were required, women were required, respect and disrespect were required, love and the lust of hatred were required.” She is not a character that can be limited — she reaches up to grasp every fruit of herSeductionsdesire. are the materialized fruits of Eve’s desire: the luxuries given to a woman who is objecti fied by a man with financial and social power and the ease given to a woman who forgets herself with in dominant heterosexual scripts. Despite her constant cognizant whines and contemplations, Eve eats the fruit whenever the oppor tunity presents itself. To attract objectifying attention, she cheats
Though Eve desires it, Romi refus es to shrink Eve into being just an object of desire. To combat this, Eve publishes her nude photos on an online forum, hoping for vali dation from self-objectification. As written in the closing sentence of the first chapter, against all her better rationales, Eve recognizes her sexuality — in spite of her ethi cal and moral dilemmas. This cre ates the first wave of dissonance between her external life and her internal abyss of sexual repres sion and presents the book’s cen tral fallacy: Rather than exploring the nuances of desire, Fishman instead depicts the oasis of illusory sexual power an allegedly emanci pated woman can have within the patriarchy.Tofallinto her freedom, Eve resolves to cheat on her girl friend, messaging a local woman named Olivia on the nude forum. She becomes engulfed in the rela tionship between Olivia and her partner Nathan, which hinges upon pushing sexual taboos and enabling the freedom of their
This image is from episode one of “House of the Dragon,” distributed by HBO Max.
The plot of “House of the Dragon” is adapted from a section of George R.R. Martin’s “Fire and Blood,” a novel detailing the Targaryen family history written in the form of a history textbook. What this means is that the showrunners were tasked with reconciling objective history with emotion, taking the time to flesh out historical accounts with rich storytelling. The episode opens with a prologue scene detailing the ascension of Viserys Targaryen (Paddy Considine, “The Outsider”) to the Iron Throne over his elder cousin, Rhaenys (Eve Best, “Nurse
In the parks, we are so immersed in this world around us that we again become children, and it’s difficult not to replay in our minds what it was like to be so attached to an inanimate object. Watching the films, I am reminded of what it is like to let go and grow up. Walking through the park, I actually lived through that.As someone who appreciates
As the final punch, Fishman wraps up her novel by includ ing a sexual misconduct lawsuit against Nathan — one where he clings to his claim of inno cence and which Eve treats with nonchalance and apathy. This alleged sexual misconduct feels distasteful in the rhetoric of the modern #MeToo landscape. Eve really only takes consideration of the allegations when she remem bers that Nathan is Olivia’s boss, which hangs over her head to further amplify their power dynamic. Additionally, the novel plays upon three harmful stereo types: the male-obsessed bisex ual, the cheating bisexual and a love triangle with two women in competition for a man. These ste reotypes build the unlikability of Eve’s character and ultimately destroy her merit. This is anoth er contributor to the overarching disparagement of feminist social and sexual standards.
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The toxicity of American work culture
The ability to assess the damage Putin’s invasion causes helps galvanize the public against these aggressive attacks. President Joe Biden has even gone so far as to publicly release intelligence reports regarding Russian military strategy in an effort to increase transparency.However, the second element to Putin’s original plan, to demilitarize and neutralize Ukraine, cannot be described by specific metrics. Beyond toppling Ukrainian democracy (which has a quantifiable impact, such as deposing Zelenskyy, adding to the mounting $600 billion in overall economic losses and increasing the already high rate of civilian casualties), Putin proposes a vague ideological takeover whose impacts remain“Neutralizing”unknown. Ukraine and absorbing it into the monolithic Russian territory would require Putin
Under the direction of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022 creating a chain of events that destabilized the region and threatened global democracy. In the intervening months, questions surrounding Putin’s precise motives for attacking Ukraine, his potential next maneuvers and his treatment of Ukrainian civilians have plagued the globalPutin’scommunity.strategy in conducting his full-scale invasion of Ukraine seems to follow a distinct pattern. The Russian president will launch a planned attack with quantifiable outcomes followed by a subtler, more insidious goal. A prime example of this phenomenon is Putin’s intention to first capture the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, as the planned attack and later ensure Ukraine’s “neutral status” as the insidious goal.
the city and campus was abandoned yearsWhat’sago. my point? The University of Michigan’s physical campus in Ann Arbor is outdated, and does not exemplify the sustainability goals we claim to have. Dropped into campus, an alum from the 1980s would feel right at home, except for a few shiny new buildings here and there, and the eye-popping rents advertised for off-campus housing. Of course, some things have changed, but our campus is far from boldly illustrating our sustainability ideals and spirit of innovation.
Have you looked into renting an apartment at the new 15-acre project on North Campus containing 2,500 student beds located over 104,000 square feet of shops, restaurants and services? Sorry, that’s the University of Southern California Village project; our North Campus features open fields and strip malls despite years of calls for a denser, more vibrant campus.
Hunger is Putin’s most devastating weapon of war
ROBERT
family and friends, Americans value working as hard as possible and making as much money as possible. Workism, the belief that work is not just a means to economic production but is also the center of one’s identity and purpose, is the cultural norm in the U.S., increasing overall stress and decreasing overall happiness.
AND KATE WEILAND Managing Editors
VANESSA KIEFER
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Why a single plan? Universityowned land is spread throughout the city, and our transportation, housing, electricity and other infrastructure are tightly integrated. Key University-owned parcels, such as along Plymouth Road, are opportunities for innovative mixed-use development that would serve both University and City goals. A unified plan would also allow both communities to consider their histories of racial and economic exclusion, from admissions to racial covenants and single-family zoning, and consider how future planning decisions could address injustice and foster greater inclusion.Good planning works at the scope of problems, not merely political boundaries.
Finally, did you hear about the new rapid transit system running through campus? Oh, sorry, that’s the University of Maryland at College Park, which is preparing for construction of the Purple Line light rail line, which will tie their campus even more closely to regional buses and trains. At the University of Michigan, giant diesel buses lurch around spewing fumes, and there is minimal coordination with the city bus system. The concept of a “connector” to serve
ELIZABETH PEPPERCORN Opinion Columnist
Infiltrating long standing institutions like Ukrainian schools, currency and agriculture does not have an estimated impact like that of a ballistic missile or an artillery rocket. However, it can be just as devastating, and regarding the food supply, more catastrophic than any other Russian offensive.
But a good plan is not enough.
One of my professors shared that while people in Barcelona “work to live,” Americans “live to work.” He continued to explain that with the value Americans put on work come stereotypes and social-influence levels tied to career paths. Instead of feeling valued for being a good person or spending more time with
What about the exciting new solarization initiative to add solar panels to 90 locations around campus? Wrong again, that’s Arizona State University. With the exception of a few arrays built by DTE over a decade ago on North Campus, not a solar panel or wind turbine can be seen. Maybe we should ask ASU how they did it?
Collaboration on planning, innovation the key to a more sustainable Ann Arbor
One of the best examples of this is the way American employers treat new parents. The United States is the only industrialized country in the world that doesn’t require employers to offer paid parental leave. The average paid parental leave is 12 weeks globally and 20 weeks in Europe. While most wealthy countries’ governments guarantee health care, the majority of insured Americans are insured through their employer. The 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act pushed Americans even more towards workism by replacing most of the welfare system with programs that made benefits contingent on employment.
The first element of Putin’s aforementioned plan is fairly simple to model and predict. Putin clearly seeks to depose Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Analysts have
estimated that the war has destroyed approximately $10 billion in Ukrainian business assets and damaged 14,788 miles of road. Putin’s war-path to capturing Kyiv (and his pivot to Donbas) is littered with discernible, calculable destruction.
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AMBIKA TRIPATHI | OPINION CARTOONIST
Moving Blues
On the city side, the “Comprehensive Plan” is simply a giant stack of often contradictory
plans and studies. There’s no single map showing priority areas for new growth. Recently, City Council became interested in upzoning transit corridors, but nobody has done a study about where and how density can be best added. Luckily, the planning commission started work this week to hire a consultant for a new comprehensive plan. It’s not rocket science — the urban planning methods to create growth scenarios are widely used by cities as diverse as Madison, Cleveland and Salt Lake City.
Further, the pressure that American workers face to put all time and energy into their careers leads to higher rates of burnout, disappointment and stress. According to research by the American Psychological Association, burnout in the U.S. is increasing every year, with 79% of employees experiencing workrelated stress in the month before the survey. Symptoms of workrelated stress reported included lack of interest, lack of energy, cognitive weariness, emotional exhaustion and physical fatigue.
Aya
Wednesday, September 7, 2022 — 5The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Oh, sorry, I got mixed up. That’s Michigan State. Here in Ann Arbor, the world-class separated bike lane on William Street mysteriously dead-ends at campus.
Did you hear about the new protected bicycle lanes on campus?
Given recent leadership changes at both the University and the city, Ann Arbor faces a unique opportunity to rethink the U-M campus and broader city through coordinated planning and implementation. With the selection of Santa Ono as the new University president, he and his team have an unprecedented opportunity to make some big changes to catapult our physical campus into the 21st century. The election of a slate of progressive, pro-development City Council candidates during the August primary means he’ll find ready collaborators in city government.Oncampus, the President’s Commission on Carbon Neutrality (PCCN) was a model for crosscampus collaboration and generated a report containing lists of many good ideas. At the city level, A2Zero demonstrates robust support for carbon neutrality, but also leaves many unanswered questions about how and where the ideas will be implemented. What we need now is planning and implementation that bakes these principles into key plans and bolsters our capacity to act.
If you’ve been away over the summer, you may have missed some exciting new developments here on campus!
restructuring the socioeconomic and cultural fabric of the country. It is extremely difficult to quantify the widespread impact of a weapon that dismantles Ukraine’s core identity as separate from Russia.
Both the University and city need new Master Plans, and they should be ideally prepared through a joint project, to serve as a concrete vision for implementation. The University Master Plan has not seen a major update since 1998, over 20 years ago. The PCCN described good ideas, like a campus connector and electric car charging, but not specifics about where and when they should be implemented that a plan could address.
Tess
Writing plans collaboratively can help get all the key stakeholders on the same page and build consensus.
In 2018, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution preventing the use of starvation as a weapon of war. Despite this action signaling a global condemnation of wartime hunger, Putin continues to leverage the food supply against Ukrainians by closing ports, blocking trade routes and decreasing the wheat harvest by an estimated 40%. Not only does disrupting agriculture catalyze widespread famine in Ukraine, it deepens global food insecurity and plunges the country into biological and economic collapse that could last far beyond the end of the invasion.
Although collaborative planning can lay the groundwork for implementation, it requires capacity for follow-through. Here the University can learn from the city, where staff leadership from a dynamic Office of Sustainability & Innovations and the Planning Services Department are a big reason so many exciting sustainability proposals have been approved recently, like work on electrification and solar power, parking reforms, changes to rules for accessory dwelling units and the transit-oriented development zoning district. The University’s planning function, operating with a small staff deeply embedded in Facilities & Operations, lacks the capacity and institutional mandate to lead.
Last semester, I was able to study abroad in Barcelona, Spain. While most of my classmates and roommates were American, I did get the chance to learn about foreign perspectives on the U.S. from my Spanish professors and other international students (from countries including Lebanon, Ireland and Egypt) living in my dorm. One of the most prevalent opinions of the U.S. was that Americans love to work. This became more apparent to me as my classmates and I experienced the summer internship recruiting process and are now considering our post-graduation options.
working 184 more hours annually than Japanese workers, 294 more hours annually than U.K. workers and 301 more hours annually than French workers. Eighty-five percent of male employees and 66% of female employees in the U.S. work over 40 hours per week. However, working more hours does not increase productivity. Some research estimates that out of an eight-hour work day, workers are only productive for three of those hours.
JaredDominicElizabethSalimCookColettiKristinaZhengGreenspanNickStollSabriyaImamiLillianPearceGraceBeal
AVERY CRYSTAL Opinion Columnist
These gaps in the U.S. system have resulted in Americans
Stanford
Lipsey Student Publications Building 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI tothedaily@michigandaily.com48109 Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. PAIGE HODDER Editor in Chief JULIAN BARNARD AND SHUBHUM GIROTI Editorial Page Editors Unsigned editorials reflect the of f icial position of The Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Although some new dorms are helping, a concerted effort to produce even more housing near campus is needed to stem the everincreasing number of students, faculty and staff forced to commute into Ann Arbor by car due to a lack of regional transit. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Longitudinal Employment and Household Dynamics dataset, the number of people employed in Ann Arbor who commute into the city has increased from 72,972 in 2002 to 90,651 in 2019, a 24% jump.
GOODSPEED Opinion Contributor
In addition to the unpopularity of total abortion bans, putting abortion rights directly before the people would eliminate the problem of running candidates who are pro-choice. In today’s political climate, it is generally true that Democratic candidates support abortion rights, while Republicans want to restrict abortion. Yet Republican voters are often more supportive of abortion rights than Republican candidates.According to the Pew Research Center, 38% of Republicans support abortion access, but, based on their voting habits, it seems that these people care about other issues that are important to them, such as cutting taxes, supporting gun rights or creating a strong southern border. People who support such policies are unlikely to vote for the candidates who support abortion access: Democrats. Putting ballot initiatives directly before voters eliminates the problem of getting people to vote for candidates who support other policies they don’t agree with.
his summer, social media was abuzz with information about the widespread private jet usage by many celebrities despite the negative environmental impact of private jet travel. Celebrities like Kylie Jenner were criticized for extensive private jet use, especially on short flights. Jenner had been documented taking a 17-minute private flight between two California cities, instead of a 40-minute car ride, which would have produced significantly fewer emissions. Jenner likewise drew ire for an Instagram post that critics said made light of her and her boyfriend Travis Scott’s private jet use.
Another possible consequence is the installation of water flow restrictors, which can reduce the amount of water supplied to the houses. However, it is unclear if any celebrities have faced these repercussions.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com6 — Wednesday, September 7, 2022
Given a moment to once again inch away from the former president with at least a little less political pushback, prominent Republicans stood by him. The party cast the event as nothing more than a political hit job; a belief purely detached from reality, yet the
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In arguably the most vulnerable moment for Trump since January 6 and its following impeachment, when the FBI conducted a search warrant at the Mar-a-Lago Club as part of a sprawling investigation into egregious mishandling of top secret documents, the near-unanimous and fullthroated defense of Trump by the GOP was quite astonishing.
As an iron-clad conservative, the idea that Liz Cheney would lose a primary, let alone lose a primary to someone who in some ways is to her right, would have been a foreign concept less than two years ago. As Trump and Cheney differed over made-up electoral fraud, and as January 6th and its subsequent impeachment and investigation played out, Cheney’s support among Republicans dwindled, all at the hands of Trump and hisForaccomplices.Cheney,past is prologue.
dominating sentiment within theItparty.was no surprise that the party that once asked for prison for Hillary Clinton over the supposed mishandling of an email server had a much different tone when it came to Trump’s mishandling of documents. But GOP politicians didn’t simply stay silent or tip-toe the issue, they ate up every bit of Trump’s claims about the events at Mara-Lago and ran with it. And notably, conservative media did the Moreover,same.
F or months, pundits have followed with close scrutiny Republican primaries nationwide in an attempt to parse out former President Donald Trump’s hold over the Republican Party. Though all of these primaries are relevant, no primary was as symbolic and reflective of political reality as the shellacking Congresswoman Liz Cheney (R-WY) received at the hands of Trump-backed HarrietCheneyHageman.hasbeen the most influential Republican to push back against the former president, most notably in her work on the January 6th Select Committee. She was ousted from her position in GOP leadership for her criticisms of the former president and had seen her political support collapse as a result of Trump’s attacks. Cheney wasn’t expected to win, but her loss, almost 40 points in margin, was even worse than expected.
When the Supreme Court voted in June to overturn Roe v. Wade, all eyes turned to the states. While states such as California and New York have affirmed the right to an abortion, many others have banned the practice and, as a result, put many women in harm’s way.Republicans argue that turning abortion back to the states is more democratic, as Roe v. Wade was decided by the United States Supreme Court, an unelected body. But the Republican supermajorities are not acting in accordance with the will of the people by banning abortion, as polling shows that 61% of Americans believe that abortion should be legal in all or most cases.The reality is that Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and without a 60-vote majority in the Senate or the abolition of the filibuster, there’s nothing Democrats can do to protect abortion at the federal level. But states can protect, and have protected, abortion rights through ballot initiatives and constitutional amendments.
One important reason that
The pollution paparazzi
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I want to emphasize that turning to the states is neither a perfect solution, nor a foolproof one. States have radically different laws regarding ballot measures. California, for example, has seven measures on the 2022 ballot, while Michigan has only one. There is also the risk of this strategy backfiring, as states could vote to abolish abortion. But considering current federal law (or lack thereof) regarding abortion, placing initiatives or constitutional amendments on the ballot is one way to keep abortion legal in states.
Placing abortion initiatives on the ballot is a necessary strategy that could lead to the expansion of abortion rights in states where it may not have been possible to vote in a sizable number of pro-choice officials.
However, it was recently revealed that many celebrities have exceeded their water allocation by significant amounts. Sylvester Stallone, Dwyane Wade, Kevin Hart and Kourtney Kardashian all received a “notice of exceedance” from the
puzzle by sudokusnydictation.com
Trump has endorsed this primary season, 212 of them have won. And while many of these have been petty ways
©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 09/05/22 Los Angeles Times
The topic of celebrities refusing to take action to help protect the environment has also been discussed surrounding a situation in California, where multiple celebrities have come under fire for their excessive water usage in the drought-stricken state. California is currently in the midst of the catastrophic drought, with the drinking water of more than 350,000 Californians having been imperiled in the last few years.
The typical recourse for water over usage, fines, is likely to be a much less effective deterrent against celebrities for whom a weighty fine is a mere slap on the wrist.
ISABELLE SCHINDLER Opinion Columnist at MichiganDaily.com
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Trump’s support among Republican voters has remained rock solid beyond the beltway, and perhaps even more so at the grassroots level. While it is true that polling suggests many in the party would rather Trump take a backseat in 2024, when push comes to shove, and he is offered as a choice, he wins. Polling has consistently shown the former President receiving 2-3 times more support than his leading competitor, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. All other politicians seldom notch double digits in polls where Trump is Similarly,included.the continued attempt to will Ron DeSantis to be the flag bearer of the GOP by the media and some in the party does not hold up to reality. Not only is Trump beating DeSantis by 2-3 times in polling, but he is doing so without attacking him. No one is better at labeling political opponents than him, and he has more control over his base than any Republican in the modern political era. His treatment of his rivals for the Republican nomination in 2016 demonstrated that clearly. still Trump’s GOP
a state-based approach is a strategy that Democrats should embrace is that, as noted above, abortion is supported by a majority of Americans. While 61% of Americans believe abortion should remain legal in all or most cases, 73% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in cases of health of the mother, and 69% believe it should be legal in the case of rape or incest, the same poll shows. As pregnant women in states with abortion bans report difficulty accessing a medically necessary abortion, many Republicans are pushing for laws that do not include rape and incest exceptions. If abortion votes are put before the people of a state, it is likely that voters will enact abortion laws that ensure access to abortions in these cases.
Taylor Swift’s private jet use was also critiqued after it was revealed that a plane she owned had the highest amount of emissions when compared to other celebrity private jets. Swift’s publicist addressed this issue, claiming that Swift herself was not solely responsible for the significant private jet use as she frequently loans her plane for others to use. However, this does not change the fact that regardless of who is flying, Swift’s plane still had a larger carbon footprint last year than over 1,000 average people combined.
Out of the 231 candidates
This state-based strategy would require national Democratic leaders to listen to their colleagues in state governments. Because each state has a different system for placing initiatives or constitutional amendments on the ballot, pro-choice advocates in each state would have to run their own campaigns. But the localized effort will be worth it if abortion access is protected in states where it otherwise would not be. In November, Democrats will see if the strategy works; abortion is on the ballot in five states, including Michigan and Kentucky — which are not solid blue states.
By Catherine Cetta Daily Crossword Puzzle by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis
09/05/22 ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: Release Date: Monday, September 5, 2022 ACROSS 1 Private stash 6 Pizza serving 11 Dell products, for short 14 Approximately 15 Weighed down 16 Flamenco cheer 17 *Many an aria 19 Tiny 20 “Will I __ learn?” 21 Dark maybecloud, 22 Noggin 23 1950s sitcom name 24 *Not apologeticquite 27 Historic Nevada city with a railway museum 29 __ suey 30 Salon offering 33 Ore-Ida nuggets 38 Here, in France 39 Name better left unsaid, or a description of the answers to the starred clues 41 Syrup source 42 Unlikely winners 44 “Best before” kin 46 Tune for two 47 Campus URL ender 48 *Persuaded with flattery 53 Frosted, as a cupcake 57 Periods of history 58 Horse rider’s strap 59 “Big Night” actor Shalhoub 60 Buddy 61 *In the near future 64 __-at-ease 65 Strainer 66 Plentiful 67 Stubborn beast 68 Great-grandparent, say 69 Big buttes DOWN 1 Scoped out with bad intentions 2 “Heavens __!” 3 Successfullyhandlesaroughpatch 4 Rushed 5 Greek andbetweenletterzetatheta 6 Sports replay type, briefly 7 Pointer or printer lead-in 8 “__ have a clue” 9 Cartoon frame 10 Music producer Brian 11 Confident stance 12 Blue-skiesforecastword 13 Far from swanky 18 Like a busybody 22 YA novel by Carl Hiaasen about a threatened owl habitat 25 Unreturnableserves 26 Hide from view 28 Red-ink amounts 30 Zip 31 __-friendly 32 Unexpectedmomentsof good fortune 33 “__ Te philosophicalChing”:text 34 Unwelcomepicnicguest 35 NFL six-pointers 36 Bar bill 37 James Bond, for one 40 “__ Be in Love”: Kate Bush song 43 “No __, no glory” 45 “I’m good with it” 47 Poet St. Vincent Millay 48 Old photo tone 49 Face-to-faceexams 50 __ Forces Day 51 “Pet” annoyance 52 Pillow feathers 54 Henhouses 55 “__ BobbystarringNetflixHolmes”:filmMillieBrown 56 Units of force that make up newtons 61 NNW opposite 62 Olive __ 63 Orange tuber SUDOKU SUDOKU MEDIUM 5 3 56 3 8 7 43 5 8 4 9 1 5 7 8 4 5 81 9 3 2 76 2 5 © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com! Sudoku Syndication http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/3/30/0910:03AM WHISPER “Go Blue!” “The sprinkler tent outside the Big House is more fun than the game” WHISPER By Fred Piscop ©2022 Tribune Content Agency, LLC 08/29/22 Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Patti Varol and Joyce Nichols Lewis 08/29/22 ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: Release Date: Monday, August 29, 2022 ACROSS 1 Threadedfastener 6 Grilled sausage, for short 10 “__ the night Christmasbefore ... ” 14 Slacks fabric 15 Lasso 16 “Howdisappointing” 17 John Steinbeck novel set in the Salinas Valley 19 Algebra, trig, etc. 20 Suffix with neat or beat 21 Whacks with an ax 22 Numericalrelationship 23 Make an attempt at 25 Delta Sigma __ sorority 27 Fourth film in a series starring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, and Dorothy Lamour 32 “If the __ fits ... ” 35 Loewe’s partner 36 Post-op recovery area 37 Iron-rich meat 39 Girl of the fam 40 Wild West film 42 Sailor’s yes 43 Cover stories 46 SupermodelBanks 47 Epic poem by John Milton 50 Feature of italic letters 51 Principality on the RivieraFrench 55 Provide food service for 57 Prom couple’s ride 59 Parking area 60 Actor Sharif 61 Grammy-nominatedKeyshiaCole hit song 64 Baseball glove 65 Apex 66 Evade skillfully 67 Poetic tributes 68 A++ 69 Helicopter blade DOWN 1 Potpourriemanation 2 Part of a dinette set 3 Full of uncertainty 4 Sinus specialist, for short 5 “Yippee!” 6 Make, as coffee 7 Drapery holders 8 Big galoot 9 Low card in a royal flush 10 Gazpachoingredient 11 “That’s too bad” 12 __-lock brakes 13 Nabe in London and Manhattan 18 Like many an alley cat 22 Fashionablynostalgic 24 Available for an appointment 25 Throat tissue 26 Shade on a paint color strip 28 Cease and __ order 29 Native American group 30 Cake prettifier 31 Subtle glow 32 High-five sound 33 “How’s it goin’?” 34 Exaggerate 38 Storm tracker 41 Mailing label abbr. 44 “Hamilton”creator__-ManuelMiranda 45 French river to the ChannelEnglish 48 Tips off 49 “__ rather than later, please” 52 Alaskan native 53 Time-share unit, typically 54 Playful river animal 55 “¿__ está usted?” 56 Bunched in with 57 Reading light 58 Currier’s partner 61 Fez or fedora 62 Green prefix 63 __-pitch softball
The state of Kansas gives an example of this idea in action. In August, Kansans voted against removing abortion rights from the state’s constitution by a whopping 18 percentage points, 59 to 41. Kansas is a red state; former President Donald Trump won Kansas by about 15%, meaning that a fair number of Trump supporters voted in support of this ballot initiative.
The impotence of fines as a deterrent against the wealthy speaks to fundamental inequalities of the climate crisis. The impacts of the climate crisis will almost certainly have a more pronounced impact on lowincome people — the vast majority of whom bear little culpability for the present crisis — with a recent Environmental Protection Agency study finding that “the most severe harms from climate change fall disproportionately upon underserved communities.”
DEVON HESANO Opinion Columnist
water authority for using substantially more water than they were allocated. Kourtney Kardashian’s property exceeded its June water allocation by over 100,000 gallons, and her sister Kim Kardashian was reported to have used nine years’ worth of water in just one month.
There is an understandable feeling of frustration and disappointment from many people about how wealthy, famous individuals do not use their resources for good. Many of these celebrities have immense followings and the money and connections to help make a difference on climate issues. Even some celebrities who have spoken out about climate issues have been accused of a double standard for their private jet use. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who have all supported environmental causes, have been criticized for taking private plane flights. Instead of using their power and privilege to help the environment, we see far too many celebrities setting the wrong example with their actions.
Other conservative states would also vote to back abortion rights, according to a New York Times analysis. For example, voters in Nebraska, Missouri and Florida would support abortion rights in a ballot initiative similar to that in Kansas, the NYT estimates. Not only would expanding abortion access in such states help the women in these states, but it would also mean that women who live in neighboring states that might have abortion bans wouldn’t have to travel as far to receive an abortion.
An unfortunate reality: it’s
While Cheney and others’ losses, and in turn Trump’s wins, have helped to illustrate a near-total changing of the Republican guard, one can also turn to multiple other aspects that have shown Trump’s cemented support.
OpinionThe power of states to protect abortion access
LYDIA STORELLA Opinion Columnist
to rack up wins, such as his more than 60 endorsements in uncontested races, many races have been true contests where Trump inevitably played kingmaker.Inmany of the biggest races in the country, it’s Trump’s handpicked radical candidates carrying the banner for the GOP. JD Vance in Ohio, Kari Lake and Blake Masters in Arizona, and Herschel Walker in Georgia are some who have won statewide. Former daytime television host Mehmet Oz was also carried to a tight victory in Pennsylvania by Trump, as was Dan Cox in Maryland, a radical who, with the help of Trump, overcame establishment figures. And down ballot, Trump has orchestrated almost a complete erasure of the 10 House Republicans who voted for his second impeachment.
Edited
With little time left on the clock, Michigan did what it had done the entire game; it survived. But by no means was the 0-0 draw a strong showing for the Wolverines.
day, speaking for the first time since Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh revealed his plan to start McNa mara in Week One and McCarthy in Week Two. “It was kind of a thing I wasn’t expecting by the end of camp. I thought I had my best camp and put myself in a good position.”
which goalkeeper Logan Kowal cyzk comfortably saved. But their best chance came a few minutes later when senior forward Derick Broche launched a ball into the Bowling Green box. It pinballed around before bouncing towards the left post where a charging senior forward Cameron Martin just missed the ball.
The ‘if’ here carries the most weight. At the moment, its condition doesn’t appear to be true.
“We’ve been working really hard on good communication and good organization (from the defense),” Pankratz said. “I think we’re gain ing confidence about stepping up and intercepting balls and keeping the pressure on.”
Michigan scoreless against Bowling Green in 0-0 draw
“What our team is known for, especially the forward line, is just high pressure all the time,” Rich ardson said. “We just like to put the defenders under pressure constant ly.”Michigan also flexed its strength on Despitedefense. Central Michigan’s attempts, the Wolverines kept the ball out of their striking circle, limit ing the Chippewas to just one shot — the only one they would get all game.
JENNA HICKEY/Daily
Daley’s right; Michigan has to find an offense. Because with just one goal in four games, surviving games will only get harder and harder for the Wolverines.
McCarthy, by contrast, was “electric” — “no question about it,” Harbaugh said after the game. McCarthy’s attributes, to be fair, are inherently more flashy than McNa mara. He is lightning quick and
“I think we came out with great intensity,” Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said. “I was really proud of our team for Throughoutthat.”the first quarter, the unyielding mindset from every Wolverine on the field proved effec
Sports
Yet, what is increasingly appar ent, is that Michigan has more options, and a wider playbook, with McCarthy under center. The razzle dazzle, whether it be cross-field throws or video game-esque jukes, is meaningless. A greater arsenal of in-game opportunities — whether it be through read options or whatnot — areMcCarthy’ssignificant.first highlight of the 2022 season, a scamper into the endzone off a read option, did not seem to be a call available to McNa mara.“They’re similar,” Harbaugh said of the playbooks for the two quar terbacks. “There’s a couple of quar terback runs. … JJ has that electric type of ability when he’s running the football. And I thought he acquitted himself really well.”
Then an offense that should be one of the nation’s best becomes even scarier. What if McCarthy adds that dimension while elimi
What would vault McCarthy into QB1, though, is if he showcases the capabilities that McNamara lacks; if he is electric while not turning over the football, if his mobility makes a tangible difference.
From the very first whistle, Bowling Green emerged as the aggressor, forcing the ball deep into
Harbaugh maintained that McNamara played a “really good” game Saturday, but it was not inspir ing. The performance — 9-of-18 for 136 yards and a touchdown — did not reflect McNamara’s declaration from fall camp that he was playing the best football of his life. That buzz has
blindsided, clearly, by Harbaugh’s decision, noting he felt “confident” in his fall camp performance.
nating his drawbacks: a knack for turnovers and bone-headed plays, which marred his freshman year cameos?Thenhe should be QB1.
This is the backdrop right now for Michigan’s quarterbacks. Every move is scrutinized, every errant throw conjuring a quick glance to the sideline and groans from the fans. It holds true for McNamara and, in due time, will for sophomore J.J. McCarthy, too. But right now, at this juncture in the nation’s most intense quarterback competition, it is most apt for McNamara.
JARED GREENSPAN Managing Sports Editor
TESS CROWLEY/Daily In their
MEN’S SOCCER
Yet Michigan has waited for McCarthy — through growing pains, gut-wrenching turnovers and an offseason shoulder injury — because his talent is apparent. His grand audition beckons Saturday under the lights against a woeful Hawaii team. If McCarthy does indeed light up the Rainbow War riors, will that really push him past McNamara?It’shardto believe that it will.
Cade McNamara is yet to lose the quarterback competition, but the job may soon be J.J. McCarthy’s.
thing, it really is everything,” Richardson said. “Every single line, you have to have that connec tion and that starts with commu nication. If you’re going to step up, you need to step up as a unit.”
But this was less of an earned draw. It was more of an escape act.
tive, preventing the Chippewas from running any form of offense. Not only was Central Michigan unable to create any shots off, they didn’t even get the ball into Michigan’s striking circle. And as all of the Wolverines’ lines locked in, the offense found further success. In the final three minutes of the opening quarter, sophomore midfielder Alana Richardson scored two goals, giving Michigan a 4-0 lead entering the second quarter.
McNamara is both uber-com petitive and a perfectionist; those, if anything, are his defining traits. He lamented an errant throw to senior receiver Cornelius Johnson, a would-be touchdown; he did the same with a pass that nearly turned into an interception in the red zone.
Against Bowling Green, Michigan’s offense remained dormant, taking only one shot on goal.
That is where, perhaps, we get a look into where the quarterback competition is headed. McNama ra’s performance against Colorado State, though uninspiring, could not have moved the needle signifi cantly. Would Michigan really take more stock in a so-so game against a Mountain West opponent than McNamara’s greater body of work, which includes a full season under center and a Big Ten Champion ship?But what if McCarthy brings that electricity on a consistent basis, add ing a new dimension to Michigan’s offense? Then the calculus changes.
Michigan’s box with a cross from center back Joey Akpunonu on the first play of the game. The ball floated around the box for a few seconds before midfielder Alberto Anaya ripped a ball towards the top of the net that a diving Evans just barely poked away.
Instead,fizzled.against Colorado State, McNamara fueled the narrative that Michigan can be good with him under center, just not great.
Michigan’s quarterback com petition is, contrary to popular belief, not over. Harbaugh is going to wait until after this week’s game to appoint a starter, a stance that he reiterated Monday. And, as he has maintained, the door is open to an ongoing rotation beyond this week end.“If things are exactly the same as they were coming out of camp, which was close to dead even, then we are going to have to, as coaches, find a way to maximize both of their talents for the best piece of the team,” Harbaugh said. “That remains a very viable option.”
touts superhuman arm strength; McNamara, meanwhile, is gritty and reliable. On a highlight reel, McCarthy is bound to stand out.
LINDSAY BUDIN Daily Sports Writer
“I’d definitely say it’s pretty unusual,” McNamara said Satur
the
“The hardest thing in this game is to score goals,” Daley said. “It’s definitely the most challenging thing because we’ve got a lot of moving pieces and freshmen playing with a new system. It’s challenging, tough to figure out, but we’ll get there.”
FIELD HOCKEY blowout Central Michigan, Wolverines
In moment after moment, Bowling Green found itself just inches away from scoring, but a mixture of bad luck for the Fal cons and defensive standouts from the Wolverines left the game notched at 0-0 and sent both teams home with a point.
Less than two minutes into play, sophomore forward Abby Tamer opened up the scoring for the Wol verines. After finding herself open near the left post, she put Michi gan on the board with a shot past the outstretched Central Michigan goalkeeper. Tamer continued to shine, scoring a second goal a minute later to add to the lead.
executed their “don’t let up” mentality to a T.
Coming out of halftime — even with a 5-0 lead — the Wolverines maintained the intensity they dis played from the start of the game. They continued to showcase their “don’t let up” mentality, prevent ing Central Michigan from taking a single shot and adding four more goals to their lead.
JENNA HICKEY/Daily
A well-placed through ball to a Bowling Green striker set up a prime opportunity within the pen alty box, but senior defender Ryan Schultz blocked the shot. The ball ricocheted to another attacker who once again fired a laser that was intercepted. Twenty seconds later, the Falcons lobbed a short free kick into the box, where it was headed twice, and knocked just past soph omore goalkeeper Hayden Evans and out of bounds.
“I think (it’s) that ‘don’t let up’ mentality, just continuing, no mat ter what the score is,” Richardson said. “The score isn’t what we’re looking for, it’s just the progress and how we play, because no mat ter what the score is … we should just keep playing hard.”
With just three minutes remain ing in Sunday afternoon’s con test between the Michigan men’s soccer team and Bowling Green, the Falcons found themselves in a familiar position — deep in the Wolverines’ attacking third and dominating possession.
And right now, the road is careening towards McCarthy.
Suddenly it caught a slightly over zealous Bowling Green defense off guard with a counter attack, slot ting pass after pass into and around the Falcon’s box, but failing to con vert on any chances.
“We knew it was going to be a tough, physical game,” Michigan coach Chaka Daley said. “They stood up sharp in the back and gave a good account of themself defen sively, but we went missing a little bit in the attacking side … but a well learned, tough draw … I think either team will just take the point and move on.”
SportsWednesday: Michigan’s quarterback competition isn’t over, but the door is closing
“We’ve had four games and two shutouts,” Daley said. “We just gotta get it going on both sides of the ball.”
After splitting the first two games of the season and struggling to excel on the road, the No. 3 Michigan field hockey team entered Sunday’s home-opener with the chance to cement its identity. In front of their home crowd, the Wolverines wasted no time showing exactly who they are.On Sunday, Michigan (2-1 over all) beat Central Michigan (1-2) in a dominating 9-0 fashion and outshot the Chippewas 39-1. With the state ment win, the Wolverines displayed more than just an ability to score — they showed their relentless mental ity.And with that ethos — charac terized by high intensity and strong communication — it didn’t take long to translate to on-field success.
As Big Ten play nears, Michi gan not only needs to find ways to win, but it needs to do so coher ently as a unit. On Sunday, it made a statement:TheWolverines know exactly who they are.
But this momentum quickly died out, and from the 55th min ute onward, the Falcons once again maintained control, and Michigan didn’t have a counter.
Early in the third quarter, Tamer netted another goal, com pleting her hat trick and extend ing the lead. Along with Tamer’s individual accomplishment, the Wolverines thrived as a team. Six different players scored and six more chipped in with assists. The prioritization of communication and playing as a unit was evident from start to finish.
Cade McNamara sat at his press conference Saturday afternoon, fresh off a 51-7 victory in Michi gan’s season opener, and spoke like a quarterback cognizant of his tenu ous job security.
“It looked like a first game, I felt like, on the offensive side of the ball,” McNamara, a senior, said. “We definitely need to clean that up and I’m gonna be a part of that.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Wednesday, September 7, 2022 — 7
That strong and coherent com munication is something Michigan has prioritized, not just from the defense, but from the entire team. It’s crucial to the identity it exhib ited on Sunday, and it’s something that continues to play a critical role in its“(Thesuccess.communication) is every
“I thought that he went through his reads very well,” Harbaugh said. “Great to see him playing super calm, cool and collected. He’s doing a great job, too. Really improved a lot, as you would expect going from his freshman year to his sophomore year.”This all brings us back to McNa mara’s press conference. He felt
CHARLIE PAPPALARDO Daily Sports Writer
In other words: If he is the quar terback that he is billed to be, and has been touted to be, since his commitment, then we might have an actual answer to the quarter back competition by Harbaugh’s superimposed deadline.
The Wolverines’ momentum carried into the early second half, when they recorded their one and only shot on goal of the contest,
In blowout win over Central Michigan, Wolverines demonstrate their identity
The game shifted to a more rhythmic pace, but throughout the entire contest the Falcons acted as the aggressors. They dominated possessions and won almost every 50-50 ball, but were never able to convert. Despite chance after chance where it seemed impossible for the ball not to find the back of the net, Bowling Green was sty mied by solid goalkeeping from Evans, along with gutsy plays from Schultz and sophomore defender JasonStartingBucknor.inthe tenth minute, the Falcons once again built momen tum, holding the ball in the attack ing third and pressing. But slightly wayward crosses and a solid save from Evans on a shot by Kale Nich ols snuffed out any opportunities to take the Michiganlead.struggled to find any real offensive footing until the final five minutes of the first half.
It’s not unusual for McNamara to be particularly hard on himself; he nitpicked last season, too, as most quarterbacks tend to do. But this season’s rendition made for a bit of a jarring scene: The Wolverines had just won by 44 points in a game where 84 players appeared, and yet McNamara spoke in short, terse phrases while sporting a stern glare.
of
RAM PING UP
Harbaugh noted that he judges each game based on three criteria: winning, getting better and staying healthy. And with year eight of his tenure as Michigan coach under way, he could categorize Saturday’s performance as a stellar start.
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“It just looked like a first game, I felt like, on the offensive side of the ball,” McNamara, who finished 9-of-18 with 136 yards, said. “We’ve definitely got to clean that up and I’m gonna be a part of that.”To move the ball against the Rams, the Wolverines leaned
JARED GREENSPAN Managing Sports Editor
Under first-year coordinator Jesse Minter, Michigan’s newlook defense flourished, ensuring that the game stayed out of reach. For one day, at least, the Wolverines did not miss Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo, with the defense generating seven sacks and consistent pressure along the line. Senior edge rusher Mike Morris, who contributed
Saturday, after an offseason of waiting, Michigan could officially beginTheanew.Wolverines wasted little time starting the season on a high note, crushing Colorado State, 51-7, in its season opener.
on last year’s bread and butter: the run game. While not quite the same bruising unit without Hassan Haskins, sophomore Donovan Edwards and junior Blake Corum produced 140 total yards and two touchdowns. Corum’s score late in the first half propelled a comfortable 23-0 halftime lead.
They did just that against the Rams, also forcing a pair of turnovers — one of the unit’s concerted efforts during the offseason. Senior cornerback D.J. Turner notched a 45-yard scoopand-score early in the second half to put Michigan up 30-0, erasing any concern of a collapse.
week’s performance, McCarthy flourished in the read option game, rushing for 50 yards and a touchdown — a performance Harbaugh dubbed as “electric.”
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you get the most blown coverages or muffed punts or turnovers, and there was really nothing (today),” Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. “… I can’t really think of any instance from the team where I didn’t think that we improved from today’s efforts. Good learning experiences across the board.”Senior Cade McNamara — appointed QB1 for Week One — engineered a scoring drive on Michigan’s second possession, needing just two plays to find the endzone. Junior receiver Roman Wilson caught a screen pass and burst down the sideline, juking out a defender on his way to a 61-yard touchdown, setting the tone for theBut,day. despite what the score suggests, the endzone became an elusive target for the Wolverines
“The thing that strikes me the most is, the opener is usually when
as the game progressed. On three occasions in the first half, Michigan settled for field goals after entering the red zone, with McNamara scuffling. Hampered by injuries to graduate offensive tackle Ryan Hayes and senior offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart, the Wolverines’ offensive line proved vulnerable.
“I just think it was a good warmup,” Colson said, candidly. “It was a good warmup game.”
In the public eye, Saturday marked the first step towards replicating — and perhaps besting — last year’s success. Not everything was rosy, but the Wolverines merely did what good teams do, avoiding any notion of anPostgame,upset.
Michigan’s receivers — highlytouted throughout the offseason — showed rust, too, with a couple of dropped passes.
With the outcome a formality, Michigan gave fans a treat by turning to its Week Two starter, sophomore J.J. McCarthy. In what may be a sneak peek of next
Michigan trounces Colorado State, 51-7, in season opener
defensive line played with a chip on its shoulder; the rest of the defense appeared to have mimicked that mantra,“There’stoo. been a lot of talk about that we lost a lot of guys,” sophomore linebacker Junior Colson said. “I just think we proved that we can still be dominant without them.”
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Throughout fall camp, the Michigan football team maintained that it had moved on from last season. Nonetheless, the Wolverines remained defined by last year’s successes — a triumph over Ohio State and a Big Ten Championship — as well as its death knell, a deflating loss to Georgia in the College Football Playoff.
