CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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GOVERNMENT
Legislation could allow two-parent adoption RITA MORRIS/Daily
LSA freshman Lauren Hubbard and Kinesiology freshman Danni Doppelt enjoy their snow day Monday by sledding on trays down the hill across from Stamps Auditorium.
Updated severe weather policy guided cancellation New assessment procedures led to snow day decision By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily News Editor
In October, the University reviewed and updated its guidelines for responding to severe weather. The results of the eval-
uation process took full effect Monday as classes were canceled for a snow day. Under this new protocol, called the Emergency Reduction in Operations, the University’s Division of Public Safety and Security spearheads evaluation of whether canceling classes is necessary, and reports their assessment to the University president, who makes the final call.
In a release Sunday night, DPSS Executive Director Eddie Washington wrote that dangerous road conditions had played a main role in his recommendation to cancel classes. “Snowfall totals of 12 to 18 inches with high winds are making the roads dangerous, especially for the many faculty, staff and students who live outside the city of Ann Arbor,” he said. University spokesman Rick
Fitzgerald said Monday that Washington’s recommendation was based on consultation with numerous sources, including the National Weather Service, the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County officials. Washington subsequently relayed information to individuals from the Office of the Vice President for Communications, the office of the Provost, UniSee WEATHER, Page 3
If passed, children of unmarried couples would receive benefits By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily Staff Reporter
State Rep. Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor) proposed a bill on Thursday to legalize unwed, two-parent adoption in Michigan. The issue originally catalyzed what is soon to be a U.S. Supreme Court case, DeBoer v. Snyder, challenging the constitutionality of Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban. Before taking their case to state and federal court, Hazel Park residents April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse were barred from completing a second-parent adoption for their child. Though the two initially sought to challenge this law, the case shifted to a broader consideration of samesex marriage. A couple would opt for two-
ACADEMICS
LAWSUIT
LSA launches new minors for Winter 2015 Options expand to include programs in Yiddish, Intergroup Relations, others By CARLY NOAH Daily Staff Reporter
From programs focused on language and culture to art and entrepreneurship, the College of Literature Science and Arts is offering five new minors beginning this semester. Three of these are completely new and offered in LSA: Yiddish Studies, Arab and Muslim American Culture, and Intergroup Relations Education. The other two — Art and Design and Entrepreneurship — were not formerly available to LSA students, but have been officially incorporated into the LSA curriculum. JoAnn Peraino, LSA curriculum and enrollment manager, said the qualifications for creating a new minor are often based student interest, though multiple departments cannot offer the same minor. Peraino added that once a minor has been created within a department, the department is responsible for overseeing that the minor is attracting student interest. “If a minor doesn’t seem to be taking off or one that has been in existence for a while begins to lose interest, we may retire minors,” she said. “But they typically stay on the books for
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 29 LO: 2
a long, long time. We haven’t retired any in a long time because all of our minors have at least a few students in them.” Intergroup Relations Education The minor in Intergroup Relations Education focuses on creating discussions around issues of social identity, inequality and discrimination. The minor, which is a minimum of 19 credits and a maximum of 22, begins with students enrolling in two core courses: Intergroup Dialogues and Foundations of Intergroup Relations. Following those classes, students must choose one of two tracks — either the Facilitative Leadership track or the Campus Communities and Research track. Students also elect one elective LSA course that is related to intergroup relations and complete the capstone course in intergroup relations. Kelly Maxwell, IGR co-director, said the Intergroup Relations Department celebrated its 25th year in 2013. “Last year our campus really began talking about issues of inclusion and became more involved with student activism,” Maxwell said. “It made us realize that it’s time to formalize the minor.” Last year, members of the University’s Black Student Union lobbied administrators to address a series of demands designed to address stagnant minority enrollment and campus climate, among other issues. In November, the UniverSee MINORS, Page 3
parent adoption if one member is either the biological parent of a child or the sole legal guardian in an adoption. The other member of the couple would not be either, but wishes to legally adopt the child so as to officially be recognized as its parent. Irwin’s legislation, House Bill 4133, would guarantee the same benefits to children of single parents or unmarried couples as those given to children of married couples. These benefits include health insurance, authorization for medical care and continued care by one parent in case of the death or separation of the other. “Studies have shown the importance to children of maintaining a safe, loving home with two stable parents,” Irwin said in a statement. “This bill will ensure that more children in Michigan can enjoy benefits of two parents who share all of the rights and responsibilities of parenthood.” In March 2014, U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman struck See ADOPTION, Page 3
Court rules in favor of former ‘U’ student Judge upholds defamation lawsuit against previous state official By SHOHAM GEVA and EMMA KINERY Daily News Editor and Daily Staff Reporter
DAVID SONG/Daily
Mayor Christopher Taylor discusses the city’s listing as a supporting municipality in an amicus brief for a Supreme Court case, DeBoer vs. Rick Snyder, at City Hall Monday.
Chief Seto talks decision following Rosser shooting Investigation results presented to City Council Monday night By ANASTASSIOS ADAMOPOULOS Daily Staff Reporter
During Monday’s meeting of the Ann Arbor City Council, Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto responded to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s decision not to press criminal charges against Ann Arbor Police Officer David Ried following the fatal shooting of Ann Arbor resident Aura Rosser. The meeting also addressed the city’s response to the pre-
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vious weekend’s snowstorm, as well as submitting an amicus brief in the case challenging the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, which will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court in the spring. During the police chief’s remarks, Seto expressed his condolences to Rosser’s friends and family and added that Rosser’s death was a tragic outcome of a justified response. He noted that Ried is a fine and professional officer with sound judgment. Rosser was shot and killed in November while two Ann Arbor police officers were responding to a report of domestic violence. The prosecutor’s report said Rosser approached the officer’s with a knife and declined to put it down when asked by police.
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“The community expects its officers to resolve a wide range of conflict,” Seto said. “When doing so, they have a duty to protect citizens who are in danger and they have a right to protect themselves. Both were required of Officers Ried and Raab on November 9.” Seto said while the Ann Arbor Police Department awaits the delivery of 86 body cameras, the department is developing training and policy for the use of cameras by police officers. He noted that he has added diversity awareness and autism awareness to the department 2015 training calendar. He also said he plans to continue working with the Ann Arbor Human Rights Commission in the coming See SETO, Page 3
Vol. CXXIV, No. 59 ©2015 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld a defamation lawsuit Monday against Andrew Shirvell, former state assistant attorney general, over his harassment of a University student. Shirvell was accused of antigay rhetoric against University alum Chris Armstrong, the first openly gay Michigan Student Assembly president. The Michigan Student Assembly is now known as Central Student Government. In 2010, Shirvell was fired after creating a blog titled “Chris Armstrong Watch,” which argued Armstrong was promoting a “radical homosexual agenda.” Mike Cox, Michigan’s attorney general at the time, wrote that the firing was not due to his exercising of his First Amendment rights, but for his “harassing conduct.” In 2011, Armstrong sued Shirvell for defamation. A year later, Armstrong won the case, which ordered that Shirvell pay him $4.5 million in damages. Shirvell appealed the decision shortly thereafter. See COURT, Page 3
NEWS............................ 2 OPINION.......................4 ARTS............................. 5
SPORTS.........................7 SUDOKU........................ 2 CL ASSIFIEDS.................6
News
2 — Tuesday, February 3, 2015
MONDAY: This Week in History
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers Before You Were Here
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles Professor Campus Profiles Voices
THURSDAY: Alumni Campus TwitterProfiles Clubs Talk
WE ALL LIVE IN A HUMAN-POWERED SUBMARINE
What is the HPS? It is a student-run design project team, so we design, build and race a human-powered submarine. The team is mostly engineers but we’ve got all kinds of people, all ages.
They get experience designing the submarine and then actually building it and then testing and raising it. We are also self-funded so we have business team that does fundraising. How does the submarine work?
year. I was interested in doing a design project team. It seemed like a very interesting challenge. There’s no real-life version of it. It’s just a completely brand new and weird concept. What do you look for in new members?
The pilot has an air tank. They are laying down in the submarine and they have pedals in the back. They are pedaling and that propels the submarine. When and why did you join? I joined the team freshman
ON THE WEB...
We are looking for people who are interested in something … very different. Some people join because they are interested scuba diving. Some people are interested in the business side because it’s really good to network with different people. — ANASTASSIOS ADAMOPOULOS
Aziz Ansari inspires bravery By MICHAEL FLYNN Aziz Ansari began his show with a joke inspired by “8 Mile” that he created specifically for his Detroit audience. The joke launched into the theme of his show: social relationships in the modern age.
THE WIRE
Professor Tobin Siebers dies By ANASTASSIOS ADAMOPOULOS Tobin Siebers, English professor and co-chair of the University’s Initiative on Disability Studies, passed away on Thursday.
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RITA MORRIS/Daily
LSA freshman Brittany Wright catches a frisbee at the North Campus Courtyards Monday afternoon.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
THE FILTER
FRIDAY: Photos of the Photos theWeek Week
FROSTY FRISBEE
Engineers race underwater Engineering junior Allison Ward is the president of the Human Powered Submarine team. The HPS designs, builds and tests a human-powered submarine and then participates in two races that alternate each year: the International Submarine Races in Bethesda, Maryland, and the European International Submarine Races in Gosport, England.
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The Body Monologues
Emerging Voices lecture
The anxiety of influence
WHAT: University community members will share stories about body image. WHO: University Health Services WHEN: Today from 7 p.m. to 8.30 p.m. WHERE: Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
WHAT: Professor Charisma Acey will talk about making water access a reality. WHO: College of Architecture and Urabn Planning. WHEN: Today from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. WHERE: Art and Architecture Building
WHAT: Prof. JP Park will discuss the interpertation of Chinese art in early modern Korea. WHO: Lieberthal- Rogel Center for Chinese Studies WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building
Chemistry series
Meijer behind the brand
WHAT: Discuss the role of RNA polymerase pausing in genomic transcription with a professor from the University of Wisconsin. WHO: Biological Chemistry WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Medical Science Unit II
WHAT: Executives fromMeijer and other companies will discuss brand management, digital marketing and merchandising WHO: Career Center WHEN: Today from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Michigan UnionPendelton Room
CORRECTIONS In “Greek organizations could face ‘U’ and state actions,” which appeared in print on Monday, the article misstated how individuals could be punished under state law. Farmington Hills attorney Joseph Lavigne said the group would most likely be asked to collectively repay resort damages. Report corrections to corrections@ michigandaily.com
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
President Obama announced a $4 trillion fiscal budget, the New York Times reported on Monday. The budget plan includes greater domestic spending through higher taxation on the wealthy and multinational corporations.
2
With the NCAA Tournament nearing, speculation regarding which teams are in or out is ramping up. Michigan’s hopes are slim, but the Big Ten has several teams that are near-locks already. >> FOR MORE, SEE SPORTS, PG. 8
3
Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIX was the most widely viewed Super Bowl game, CBS reported on Monday. The game accounted for 49.7% of viewership in 56 metropoitan areas.
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BUSINESS STAFF Madeline Lacey University Accounts Manager Ailie Steir Classified Manager Simonne Kapadia Local Accounts Manager Lotus An National Accounts Manager Olivia Jones Production Managers Nolan Loh Special Projects Coordinator Jason Anterasian Finance Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
Detroit’s layout continues to shape transportation, growth Native American trails form basis for spoke-wheel plan
City’s immense road and highway the French trader Antoine de la Illustration by Francesca Kielb system. Mothe Cadillac. On what is curBefore the arrival of Europe- rently the Detroit River, Cadilans, Detroit was a hub for numer- lac built Fort Pontchartrain du ous Native American tribes Detroit, with the French word that used several main trails for Detroit meaning “strait.” SubseBy LARA MOEHLMAN and travel and trade. These trails led quently, Detroit became a major PAIGE PFLEGER in different directions, but they French fur trading post until 1760, Daily Staff Reporters all joined together at one point. when the city was surrendered to These roads made up the spokes the British after the French and As The Michigan Daily contin- of Detroit’s “wheel” street lay- Indian War. ues to watch and report on Detroit out, and are known today as Fort In June of 1805, the city of shaping its future, we want to Street to the southwest, Michigan Detroit caught fire. At the time, reflect back on how the city got here. Avenue to the west, Woodward there was no formal fire departOur hope for this week’s Detroit Avenue and Grand River Avenue ment, so the citizens formed a History Series is that readers learn to the northwest, Jefferson Ave- bucket brigade to attempt to save something new about the city and, nue to the northeast and Gratiot their city. They formed a line from in turn, better understand what’s to Avenue between Woodward and the river and passed buckets into come. Jefferson. The “hub” of the wheel the city to try and extinguish the Detroit’s past encompasses a is where Campus Martius Park flame. The fire inspired Detroit’s winding and dynamic narrative stands today. city motto, “Speramus meliora; colored by the influx of immiJoel Stone, senior curator at the resurget cinerbus,” Latin for “We grants, migrants, riots, industry, Detroit Historical Society, said the hope for better things; it shall rise transportation and music. But spoke-wheel plan could be attrib- from the ashes.” what acts as the background for uted to Native Americans. Determined to rebuild the city these events is the actual city “They were here long before with Washington D.C. as a model, itself — its roads and buildings and anyone else, and they had estab- Augustus Woodward, newlytransportation appointed chief justice of the Sudoku Syndication systems that began lished trails,” he said in an inter- http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ as Native American trails and view with Michigan Radio. Michigan Territory, hired Canaexpanded to become the Motor In 1701, Detroit was founded by dian surveyors to help him plot the city’s new parks, streets and were here and living here, it was lots. Inspired by an urban plan- important to move them around ning movement in France, Wood- to business meetings, to go visit ward wanted Detroit’s layout to relatives in other towns, that kind be attractive and spacious, with of thing.” EASY major streets radiating from one In 1836, street signs appeared central spot. for the first time in Detroit. DownWoodward’s plan for the city town streets were cobblestone called for a “point of origin,” locat- while others were wooden plank. ed at the junction of Woodward Bicyclists were the first to push for and Monroe avenues, from which paved roads. each mile road in Michigan’s mile The mid- to late 1830s saw a road system marks their distance. massive growth in transportaFor instance, Seven Mile Road tion to and from Detroit. Stageis seven miles from the “point of coaches that ran between Detroit origin.” The center of Campus and Chicago were introduced, and Martius Park was chosen as the a Detroit to Pontiac railway was focal point because it remained completed with horse-drawn cars. the city’s central hub from Native The country’s railroad system was American trails. expanding at this time, too. While the city’s road system “Starting in the 1830s, Detroiwas being built, boats were the ters could get fresh oysters from main mode of transportation the East Coast because train in the Great Lakes and Detroit travel cut the distance down to region. just a couple of days, whereas two “Water was the primary way decades earlier it had been a couthat people moved around, to get ple of months,” Stone said. to Detroit,” Stone said in an interOver the course of the next 30 view with The Michigan Daily. years, trains spread across the © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com EASE BACK INTO IT. “That was really important ini- Midwest. Two main lines traveled tially to get people into the Great through Detroit: Michigan CenLakes region, and then once they tral on the south side of town, and
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then down the Dequindre cut ran another line that changed names several times. By 1854, the first Detroit to New York City rail was completed. In 1863, horse-pulled streetcars appeared on Jefferson and Woodward avenues. The fare was five cents. By the 1890s, three streetcar companies operated 66 miles of track within the city’s limits, and streetcars, called interurbans, ran between towns. Serving as a streetcar driver became a popular job in the city. One such streetcar driver was the uncle of amateur Detroit transportation historian H. Bernard Craig. Craig, a Detroit native, worked for the Detroit Department of Transportation for more than 30 years before he retired. He now spends most of his spare time in the library, researching Detroit’s nuanced transportation history. “A lot of people credit the streetcars for helping the development of the city because it provided the means for people to now move out a little farther,” Craig said. Detroit’s streetcars stopped running in the late 1950s, which
many attribute to General Motors. Called the Trolley Conspiracy or the Streetcar Transparency, many believe GM bought up the streetcar companies to remove the tracks and replace them with their newly designed GM motorbuses. The conspiracy was true in other cities, Craig said, but not in Detroit. The streetcar tracks in Detroit were so damaged that it actually cost less to purchase a fleet of buses than it would have to fix the streetcar lines. Buses also had the same capacity as streetcars. “Their buses could hold 50 passengers — the same amount of people that the streetcars could hold,” Craig said. The removal of the streetcar system made Detroit the largest metropolitan city without some form of a commuter rail service. Today, construction is underway for the M-1 rail that will run down 3.3 miles down Woodward Avenue from Jefferson Avenue to West Grand Boulevard. The rail will serve as a curbside transportation system, much like the streetcars of the past.
News
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NEWS BRIEFS
SETO From Page 1
DETROIT
Storm dumps most snow in 41 years The rumble of plows and roar of blowers shook many neighborhoods in communities across parts of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula Monday as road crews and homeowners worked to dig out from 1½ feet of snow and the Detroit area’s biggest snowfall in four decades. A slow-moving winter storm spanned about 24 hours after moving into southeast Michigan early Sunday morning. Coming with it were wind gusts that covered sidewalks, streets, roads and freeways with the quickly accumulating snow. “It is Michigan. It is February,” Gina Nitz of Roseville told The Detroit News while waiting at a bus stop Monday morning to get to work. “I just hope this doesn’t mean winter will last until May.” Students at hundreds of Michigan schools got threeday weekends. Morning shifts at some auto plants also were canceled, partly due to dangerous driving conditions. Police said freeway off-ramps were especially problematic.
DENVER, COLORADO
Colorado plunges into gun debate Senate Republicans advanced a bill to repeal expanded background checks for gun sales in Colorado. The law took effect in 2013 and was one of the most hotly debated issues of the year when Democrats passed it. At the time, they controlled both legislative chambers, but Republicans regained the Senate in November and have made undoing the law a priority. The law expanded background checks to sales conducted online and between private sellers.
HONG KONG
Reports show no cuts in Aisian stocks Most Asian stock benchmarks were relatively subdued on Tuesday as investors waited to see whether Australia’s central bank policymakers would announce an interest rate cut to help shore up economic growth. KEEPING SCORE: Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 dipped 0.4 percent to 17,479.92 while South Korea’s lost 0.3 percent to 1,947.14. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2 percent to 5,636.10 while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng lost 0.1 percent to 24,458.67. The Shanghai Composite Index on mainland China rose 0.8 percent to 3,153.43, rebounding a day after poor factory data dragged down shares. DECISION DOWN UNDER: There’s growing expectation that the Reserve Bank of Australia could announce a rate cut after its meeting today, following a recent surprise move by Canada, another commodity-producing country. With inflation easing as commodity prices slump, policymakers have more space to maneuver to bolster economic growth by cutting rates. But economists are doubtful that Australia needs to act just yet.
DONESTK, UKRAINE
Artillery fire kills at least 12 civilians Artillery fire killed at least 12 civilians in the main rebel stronghold of Donetsk on Friday amid fierce fighting between pro-Russia separatists and government troops as hopes for a break in hostilities were dashed when an attempt to call a new round of peace talks failed. Five people were killed as they were waiting for humanitarian aid outside a community center and two people were killed in the same neighborhood when a mortar shell landed near a bus stop. By the time an Associated Press journalist arrived at the community center, the bodies were taken away. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
months. “In the weeks following the incident I have witnessed a great deal of patience and restraint through many peaceful demonstrations that have occurred,” Seto said. “I am grateful to be the police chief in a community where its citizens can express their opinion in a peaceful and respectful manner.” Demonstrators marched through Ann Arbor Saturday protesting police brutality and the prosecutor’s decision, which characterized the shooting as an act of “lawful selfdefense.” The Council also addressed the city’s response to the severe weather and snow that accumulated over the week-
MINORS From Page 1 sity announced two of the IGR courses would also fulfill the Race and Ethnicity degree requirement. Maxwell added that IGR is a valuable addition to any major, especially given her belief that students must become global citizens who know how to discuss complex issues pertaining to diversity and inequality. “Students who earn a minor in intergroup relations education will develop the insight and skills to lead diverse organizations and work effectively across differences,” she said. Yiddish Studies The Yiddish Studies minor was introduced in an effort to provide students with extensive opportunities to study the Yiddish language and explore Yiddish culture from a perspective of a variety of disciplines. Students interested in the minor must take Elementary Yiddish. Yiddish Lecturer Alexandra Hoffman said the language prerequisite is necessary to give students basic competence in reading, writing and communicating in the Yiddish language. Hoffman added that the minor was created to showcase the expertise of the University’s Yiddish studies faculty, and to raise awareness about the language. “Just like any language, Yiddish is a whole treasure chest to rich literature, music, poetry, novels and history,” she said. “Michigan is really a hub of pretty fantastic and exceptional Yiddish studies professors. We have three levels of Yiddish language instruction here, which is unique.” Arab and Muslim American Culture The Arab and Muslim American Culture minor is designed to address the cultural politics of being Arab or Muslim in the U.S., as well as the contributions of these groups to American Culture. To complete the minor, which requires a 15-credit minimum, students take an
ADOPTION From Page 1 down Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban, allowing more than 300 couples to obtain marriage licenses. Later, the Sixth Circuit Court ordered a stay and later upheld the ban. The U.S. Supreme Court will review the case, as well as similar cases from Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio, this spring. Irwin said he first became interested in the legality of second-parent adoption when he worked as a commissioner in Washtenaw County. He said, in 2004, a local judge was granting adoption to same-sex parents until the Michigan court caught wind and ruled that all judges were prohibited from such action. Because of the “direct, local impact” Washtenaw County faced, Irwin saw the importance of granting second-parent adoption and decided to
end. City Administrator Steve Powers noted that Ann Arbor has received 14 inches of snow in the past 28 hours, reportedly the third largest event two-day accumulation since 1970. Since Monday afternoon all major roads have been plowed twice. “Our crews are working all hour shifts 24 hours a day and it’s expected that all local streets will be plowed by 1 p.m. on Tuesday,” he said. Powers said the city will clean dead end streets and will follow with downtown alleys and clear snow from sidewalks, parking lots and lanes and parks. The Council also unanimously approved a resolution that provided for Ann Arbor’s listing as a supporting municipality in an amicus brief for DeBoer vs. Rick Snyder. The case, which the U.S. Supreme Court added to its
2015 docket in January, challenges the state’s ban on samesex marriage. Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor (D) noted that the city has supported amicus briefs from district courts and appellate courts all the way to the Supreme Court, and said he is delighted City Council has supported the defense of right to marriage. “Equal protection of the law is fundamental to our society and if what happens come June is what we all hope happens come June, then that will be good day and that principle will be ratified and moved forward,” Taylor said. Finally, City Council approved the DTE Energy Co. installation of a solar panel at the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport. The license is effective for 20 years with the option of 10 one-year renewals.
introductory survey course in either Intro to Arab American Studies or The Middle East in Hollywood Cinema. Students then select additional courses offered by the Arab and Muslim American Studies program. Evelyn Alsultany, associate professor of American culture, wrote in an e-mail interview that the AMAS minor is unique to the University, the University of Michigan — Dearborn campus and San Francisco State University. “We see the AMAS minor as a unique and important opportunity for students given the large demographic of Arab Americans and Muslim Americans in Michigan and the current challenges to understanding Arab and Muslim identities in today’s political climate,” Alsultany wrote. She said students have already started declaring minors in AMAS, and some of whom have told her the program offers them the skills to develop a more complex analysis of today’s social and political issues, such as the “war on terror” and its representation in the media. Art and Design The Art and Design minor, offered through the School of Art and Design, is expected to have significant enrollment. JoAnn McDaniel, assistant dean for undergraduate programs in the Art and Design School, said she foresees the minor will be limited by the amount of space that the school’s facilities offer. “You can’t put 25 students into a studio class that is capped at 20 and works best for 16,” she said. “If you’re in a lecture class, you could just bring in some more chairs.” The minor is an 18-credit program. There is one prerequisite course, which can be a choice of a drawing course or a dimensional course, which can be fulfilled by several 2D and 3D studio classes. McDaniel said she hopes the minor program will be similar to the art major in that students can individualize their schedule to create a minor that works for them. “For instance, a student who
is in environmental studies and really interested in sustainability, they can do a minor in art and design with an emphasis on sustainability design,” McDaniel said. “If you were a creative writing student, you may find taking courses in graphic narrative and electronic books can really broaden and deepen the scope of that minor.” Entrepreneurship The minor in Entrepreneurship, offered through the Innovate Blue program, aims to foster an entrepreneurial spirit in the classroom through partnerships with businesses and local organizations. The minor is a 15-credit program available to any sophomore-standing student with a declared major who is in good academic standing. In addition to the 15-credit requirement, the minor also requires two semesters of substantial entrepreneurship focus through extracurricular activities. The minor comprises six core credits that will establish fundamental knowledge in creativity, innovation and business disciplines. Beyond those requirements, students will take a minimum three credits of elective courses that allow students to explore disciplinary areas in depth. The final portion of the minor is a 6-credit immersion program. The “practicum” section of the minor gives students the opportunity to experience real-world learning in front of a large audience. Jeni Olney, Innovate Blue’s academic advisor, said the creation of the minor was a grassroots movement by students who wanted an entrepreneurship curriculum on their transcript. “What’s really great about the minor is that we have the ability to pull from the multidisciplinary strengths from the University,” Olney said. “It’s really exciting because the minor isn’t getting turned down by any of the schools or colleges at the University because they see the value of the minor.”
pursue the issue throughout his career. “It was a tragedy here at the local level and we were now not allowed to reflect our local responsibility,” he added. He first introduced the bill to Michigan Congress in 2011 upon winning a seat in the Michigan House that year. Brad O’Conner, president of the Jim Toy Community Center, a resource for LGBTQ residents of Washtenaw County, lauded Irwin’s continual persistence in bringing up the issue in the face of continued pushback from opposing members in the Michigan legislature. O’Conner said by not passing this bill and similar bills, Republican representatives allow discrimination to persist within the state. “They have no interest in passing this; they would rather go as far right as possible,” he said. Irwin said the bill is mod-
eled after other states with similar laws, such as Oregon, California and Wisconsin. Irwin added that though the discussion has become directed at LGBTQ couples, in reality there are many couples that would wish to secondparent adopt, including other family members or unmarried straight couples. “It’s very sad because once again you have parents who are trying to step up to adopt children, in some cases very needy children, and the state is trying to prevent them from taking accountability for these kids,” he said. O’Conner said even if samesex marriage is legalized in the state, there is still more work to be done for LGBTQ rights. “We might have marriage equality but we still don’t have secondary adoption, we still don’t have protections in workplace,” O’Conner said. “You can get married but you can still be fired for being gay.”
MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 — 3
WEATHER From Page 1 versity Plant Operations and the Office of Student Life via conference call. Ultimately, the group decided canceling classes would be the best move — a suggestion that Washington ultimately delivered to University President Mark Schlissel. “Really recognizing that there is a significant number of University employees, faculty and staff who live elsewhere in Washtenaw County and beyond, and also recognizing that there are some students who are not necessarily in Ann Arbor … It was really that consideration of what conditions could be,” Washington said. The new system resulted from a task force to review University operation reduction procedures after some students, faculty and staff expressed concerns that the University did not cancel classes last year during a period of inclement weather in the first week of January, prompting a review of the University’s severe weather policy.
COURT From Page 1 In the decision released Monday, the Sixth Circuit Court upheld the charges brought against Shirvell, but removed damages awarded for false light invasion of privacy — which consists of publishing information that casts another person in a false light — because the court found that the jury in the original case used the same statements as the basis for both the false light charge and another charge. This reduced the total sum of the sanctions against Shirvell to $3.5 million. In an interview Monday afternoon, Armstrong’s attorney Deborah Gordon applauded the decision. She said based on Shirvell’s current financial state, she wasn’t sure if the full judgement would be recovered, but that the symbolic value of the ruling was also important. “Andrew Shirvell is unemployed, and as far as I know, he doesn’t have any assets,” she said. “So the odds of Chris Armstrong ever collecting the $3.5 million — not good, in my opinion. However, the judgement is priceless. Because that was the jury speaking, and the jury represents our community. Chris did this because he had no alternative. Shirvell would not retract the disgusting lies he told about Chris. He took them to national T.V. So we had to turn to the jury system and the courts to clear Chris’s name, which has now happened.” She said she wouldn’t be surprised if Shirvell chose to appeal, but added that she didn’t think it was realistic. Reached by phone Monday afternoon, Shirvell said he had no comment at the moment on the ruling. In a 2012 interview following the initial district court ruling, however, he hinted to the prospect of a Supreme Court appeal. ”(The case) will for sure be
The University later announced a cold day in late January. Following that cold day, University Provost Martha Pollack said in a Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs meeting that policies then in place were not sufficient to address last-minute cancellation of classes. “By the time it became clear that we were facing an extraordinary weather event, we realized that we didn’t have appropriate mechanisms to close the University even if we wanted to,” she said. “Closing a university is more like closing a city than closing a building. You can’t just close; there is a hospital, there is a police force, there are students on campus who need to be fed.” Though Monday’s snow day was the second cancellation of classes in the last year, Fitzgerald said closure will not likely become a yearly trend. “I think what we have is really a coincidence of two winters,” he said. “What will happen in the future is just impossible to predict.”
overturned on appeal either at the sixth circuit (court) in Cincinnati, or eventually at the U.S. Supreme Court — it may be a landmark First Amendment case,” Shirvell said at the time. The ruling also touched on the appeal of a federal court’s decision last year to dismiss a counter-suit filed by Shirvell against Gordon. The counter-suit alleged that she had worked with the attorney general’s office to fire him. Authoring the opinion for the court, Federal Judge Julia Gibbons wrote that the appeal was frivolous, and also warned Shirvell against pursuing further litigation in that direction. “As time went on, it became increasingly clear that (Shirvell’s) claims amounted to nothing more than speculation,” the opinion stated. “His failure to withdraw the allegations violated Shirvell’s continuing duty of candor.” In January of this year, in a separate case on the same incidents, the Michigan Court of Appeals also ruled against Shirvell, stating that he was not entitled to unemployment benefits after his termination. That ruling overturned a previous 2012 ruling by the Ingham County Circuit Court which said that the state could fire him, and he was entitled to the benefits. At the time, Shirvell said in a statement that he would appeal that ruling to the Michigan Supreme Court. Gordon said should the appeal occur, Monday’s decision could have an impact on that case as well. “I think that it’ll be important, as a matter of examining the law, that the Sixth Circuit court of Appeals has found that he violated the law,” Gordon said. “This whole idea of whether he should get unemployment benefits or get his job back, in part it’s going to turn on did you do anything illegal? Then it’s kind of a done deal because you’re not entitled to unemployment.”
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Opinion
4 — Tuesday, February 3, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
GABRIELLA MEYER
E-mail Gabriella at gabsmey@umich.edu
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS EDITOR IN CHIEF
AARICA MARSH and DEREK WOLFE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LEV FACHER MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
I
I am resilient
get sick a lot. Like a lot a lot. “My parents never let me skip school,” was a jealous line I got growing up. And why wouldn’t they be jealous? For kids who don’t get sick often, staying home once a week would seem excessive, perhaps luxurious. As far as they knew, I was watching cartoons and eating cookies all day while they were solving math problems. SYDNEY Of course, I wasn’t. I was HARTLE doing all of the schoolwork for that day from my couch, and I was catching up on sleep that didn’t come to me at night. The sleep was a big part of it. I got less and less sleep every weeknight, and by the end of the week I was exhausted to my breaking point. I’ve gotten migraines since I was in first grade, and they became more frequent in middle and high school. When I was overtired, the migraines came more frequently. I would wake up with them on Friday mornings and be unable to leave my bed. And that’s how it became almost weekly that I would miss Friday mornings. But only mornings, because I knew had a limited number of sick days and that I would end up needing those afternoons later. The afternoons were for illnesses — influenzas and other bugs that would crop up in school. I got my flu shot every year, and I still caught the dreaded virus every time it swept the building. I caught the cold in the winter and the weird cold that comes around in the spring. If it was contagious, I had it, and you could bet I would be at school with it in the mornings until it wore me down. Sick days were a strategy, and my sickness was managed like clockwork: I would be late to school on Fridays to sleep off my migraines, and I would leave school early whenever there was a disease floating around. It probably looked a little too neat. I worried people would think I was faking it. I wondered if I was faking it. I worried I was imagining my diseases, because it seemed impossible that anyone could have such a tendency for falling ill. It seemed so improbable that I tried to talk myself into believing I was imagining my headaches, joint pains, stomach aches and tiredness. I hated missing school and I couldn’t wait to get to college — the promised land of flexible schedules. I think most students can predict my disillusionment upon arriving at college. Large lectures can be skipped if you’re willing to put in the effort of teaching yourself the material. Teaching myself occasional lessons from home was something I was used to doing in high school. But small lectures, discussions
T
and labs almost always have an attendance grade worked into the syllabus. Don’t get me wrong: when class isn’t 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day, it gets a lot easier to attend. And I have developed a few tricks as my class standing got higher and I had more control over my schedule. I try to avoid scheduling my days in huge chunks of time so I can nap in between classes if I’m getting a migraine, and I don’t schedule work or classes for Friday mornings. But my control over the situation ends there. I’m still living at the whims of unpredictably falling ill. Because I rarely have more than two classes back-to-back, I’m pretty good at rolling out of bed and faking wellness for three hours before rolling back into bed. My philosophy is usually that if I’m not vomiting at that exact moment, I can be in class. It’s not always doable. Even with my strategies, I miss a lot of class. I always use up my allotted freebie days that the attendance grade sometimes allows. Then it gets trickier, because I have to start explaining myself. I’ve sent more “sorry, but I’m sick today” e-mails than I can count. Once I’ve sent the same professor multiple, I start to feel weird about it. I start feeling like I need to specify the problems I have in order to be believed, but I don’t want to tell everyone the details of my personal life just because they are assigning a grade. I’ve done it before (trust me, there are instructors on this campus who know more about my bodily systems than some of my doctors). But I don’t like it. I’m so used to combating disease that I don’t even bother doctors with symptoms I know how to handle. I rarely have a doctor’s note excusing me, which has never bothered me because I feel far too old to be bringing notes to the teacher (and most classes actually allot you a limited number of excused absences). A good doctor’s note would pass on information I don’t necessarily need my professors to know. For example, I got diagnosed with an auto-immune disorder last summer. I worry instructors might look at it differently than I do. For me it came as a relief more than anything else. It spoke to my susceptibility to illness, my pains, my difficulties sleeping. The diagnosis was validation: yes, you were sick, really. It was the reassurance I needed, but not information I need my graders to know. When I remember growing up, I don’t remember a childhood of illness. One of my childhood friends likes to tell me I was “sickly.” The word frustrates me, because it leaves me with the image of a paling child, frail and bedridden. That wasn’t and isn’t me. I’m tenaciously fighting to spend as much time at school as I can. I like to think I’m resilient. — Sydney Hartle can be reached at hartles@umich.edu.
A marriage of values
he song “Breakout” by OPM on “The New Guy” soundtrack said it best: “Don’t need no education, already know California’s a nation.” California is a massive state. With 38.8 million residents, it is the most populous state and third-largest geographically in the United States. It really is a mini-nation within the country. There was even a JESSE proposal to split California KLEIN into six smaller states this past year. It, of course, did not even get on the ballot. The point of this is to explain that California is a unique and diverse state. Drive east through the extremely liberal Bay Area, and you will soon end up in small rural towns that are not much different than those in the Midwest. Drive south and you will hit L.A. and San Diego, made up of large populations of Latin American Catholics and Hollywood divas. The Bay Area has its own social norms, demographics and political ideals that are very different from the rest of California. In the same way, so does Ann Arbor. When I first started researching the University, I came across a line that said: “Ann Arbor: The Berkeley of the Midwest.” Ann Arbor is a liberal hub in the middle of a conservative state. The actual University part of Ann Arbor is populated with people from these conservative areas. While they are young and educated, which makes them more likely to be Democratic, they still have the traditional values of a conservative home, most importantly when it comes to marriage. During my time at Michigan, I have noticed a certain fixation on marriage that was completely foreign to me. While the average age
of marriage for women in California is only 0.4 years higher than in Michigan, (26.8 versus 26.4 years of age, respectively), I feel like the discrepancy is much greater when I compare my experiences in the Bay Area to that 26.4 in Michigan. The Bay Area is a very career- and individuality-oriented place, and the idea of following a guy instead of your career is on par with being a Republican in terms of the stigma attached to it. Marrying your college or high-school sweetheart never seemed like a feasible or desirable goal to me. My parents are old, 60 and 65, and met each other well into their 30s. My mom got married in black. Many of my friends’ parents are divorced and not looking for a second marriage. While growing up in Palo Alto, these things just seemed like the norm, but after moving to Michigan, I was exposed to a very different lifestyle and way of thinking. The parents of my college friends are much younger than my parents, almost 10 to 15 years. None are divorced, most married their college partners and many started having kids at an early age. The people I have met in Michigan focus on the endurance of their relationships. They wonder, “Could I see myself marrying this person in 10 years?” Marriage comes up 100 times more in my conversations here than at home. By my junior year, it seemed like every one of my friends was in a long-term relationship and discussing the future with their significant other. The closest I’ve come to talking about marriage was this past winter break in Palo Alto, when I discussed an “alliance ceremony” with my close friend and her boyfriend, as they joked about having one instead of a wedding. Many of my friends from California are in some type of open relationship. Because many of my friends go to school out of state, they
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Devin Eggert, David Harris, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Victoria Noble, Michael Paul, Allison Raeck, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Linh Vu, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Derek Wolfe
I
No more no-fault
’ll never forget my first love. Our eyes first met when I was 17 and extremely impressionable. She was seven, but the age difference didn’t seem to matter. Her skin was velvet, her body was the color of the Gulf of Mexico and she had a moon roof LAUREN that seemed to RICHMOND extend for days. She didn’t have a name, and she didn’t have much to say. My friends and family liked to call her 2003 Ford Taurus. She gave me everything I had ever wanted: freedom. Using my new job at Jimmy John’s as leverage, I had finally convinced my parents that I was mature enough to handle the responsibility of my own car. Looking back, I’m pretty sure they were just tired of chauffeuring around my pre-teen brothers. I believe in life after love, but that didn’t make losing my Taurus any easier. The last day we spent together feels like yesterday. It was a freezing February afternoon, and we were heading home after a long day at Andover High School. A mile from home and bumping Jason Derulo’s “In My Head,” we turned right onto the winding west side of Hickory Grove Road. About 30 feet ahead, a Toyota Sequoia, bearing a striking resemblance to the grim reaper, was backing toward us on the wrong side of the road. Taurus was a fighter, but she was no match for black ice. I pumped her breaks with desperation as she honked for life. It was too late. At a speed of just 25 miles per hour, we slid 30 feet and collided into the Toyota, which made out with just a scratch. My car now resembled a pile of scrap metal. After dialing 911, the officer neglected to write the driver of the Toyota a reckless driving ticket, because legally both of us were at fault. Although I was obeying the
speed limit at 25 miles per hour, I was not driving “safely for the conditions.” The conditions of course, being an unsalted, pothole-ridden residential ice rink disguised as a road. I’m not the first, or last, Michigander to fall victim to Michigan’s dangerous roads. According to Michigan State Police, in 2013, 289,061 crashes were reported to the police in Michigan: 0.3 percent of these accidents resulted in fatalities, 18 percent resulted in injury and 82 percent resulted in property damage. Injury aside, as a teen I was extremely fortunate to have parents who financed both my car and the insanely expensive auto-insurance that comes along with every teenage driver in Michigan. In Michigan, drivers are legally required to purchase a minimum basic no-fault auto insurance. As of 2012, the average driver in Michigan paid $1,048.87 per year for auto insurance. Insurance rates are even more for teenage drivers, who are statistically most likely to be involved in an accident. In Detroit, the average law abiding driver pays $5,941 per year for no-fault auto insurance, the highest rate of any city in the United States Detroit Police estimate that 60 percent of drivers in Detroit are uninsured, and risk paying a $200 to $500 fine and a year in jail if caught driving without insurance. The average Detroiter makes $26,325 per year, and commutes 26 minutes to work. Working Detroiters are expected to spend 23 percent of their income on no-fault auto insurance. No wonder the city has seen a declining population the entirety of my existence. Sure it’s expensive, but if you pay for no-fault auto insurance, after an accident the insurance company pays to fix the car, right? Keep dreaming. Basic no-fault auto insurance in Michigan does not cover collision, and if you want it, expect to pay an additional premium. Collision insurance probably isn’t a wise investment when your car is worth about $3,500. No-fault auto insurance covers you in event of an auto
injury, as well as property protection, which covers up to $1,000,000 in property damage. Keep in mind a car isn’t considered “property.” Approximately 52,000 people were injured in auto accidents in Michigan in 2013, and 881 were killed. At a rate of 4.74 million registered vehicles in Michigan in 2012, Michiganders spent just under $5 billion on auto insurance. I have a hard time believing that auto insurance companies rightfully awarded anywhere near that amount to accident victims. No wonder Flo from Progressive is always so irritatingly peppy. Michiganders aren’t terrible drivers. North Carolina has a similar population to Michigan, and in 2013, their accident rate per licensed driver was 0.8 percent less than Michigan’s. The average annual snowfall in Charlotte, North Carolina, is four inches. Detroit’s average annual snowfall is 11.05 times higher than North Carolina’s: 51 inches. We need to be spending more on preventative measures, like infrastructure, salt trucks and snowplows, and less gambling on potential health care expenses. Lawmakers recently proposed a one-percent increase in Michigan’s sales tax, and voters will decide on this measure in May. If the tax passes, it will generate just over $1 billion in tax revenue to invest in our roads. No-fault auto insurance, forced on every driving Michigander, costs citizens more than $5 billion per year. If we used just one-fifth of this on our roads, we could probably prevent thousands of accidents from occurring in the first place. Nofault auto insurance paired with an increase in sales tax will financially cripple those already struggling in Michigan, especially in Detroit. If Michigan is going to increase sales tax to seven percent, we need to eliminate Michigan’s no-fault auto insurance requirement. — Lauren Richmond can be reached at lerichmo@umich.edu.
SEX. DRUGS. UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION.
LET’S TALK.
Edit board: every Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. Email: opinion@michigandaily.com live their lives four months at a time. For the four months they are in the same town as their significant other, whether it is home or college, they are monogamous, but as soon as they are a plane ride away, the commitment becomes more relaxed. They will still Skype, text and visit each other, but they also allow their partners and themselves to have flings with the people in their immediate environment. They try to enjoy the time they have with each other for what it is without putting the added pressure of “the future.” While the future can be a scary concept when in a relationship, it can also be exciting and enjoy-
able to imagine. Planning a life with the person you love can make the future a destination instead of an unknown. Michigan relationships understand this, while I feel the relationships I have witnessed in California overlook this pleasant aspect. But long-distance and longterm relationships are extremely hard. I have seen them cause arguments and sometimes ultimately destroy the relationships. Those four months away during summer are a hard obstacle to overcome. But I have also seen and experienced the jealousy and insecurity that arises from allowing someone you love
to have free reign for a majority of a year. I have had Michiganders tell me they could see me never getting married, living in a committed relationship but never committing to something as traditional as a marriage. This is inaccurate. While having interesting life experiences trumps finding someone to settle down with for the next decade, Northern Californians and Midwesterns both want to find someone cool with whom to hang out and watch Netflix until we drop dead. — Jesse Klein can be reached at jekle@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 — 5
In Kalamazoo, work begins to revamp the State Theatre Renovations include refurbishments to theatre’s marquee
KALAMAZOO, Mich. (AP) — Kalamazoo’s State Theatre is spending money to make money. Executive director Stephanie Hinman is in the midst of a renovation at the historic theatre that includes refurbishment and relamping of the marquee, removal of old curtains, rearrangement of some seating, cleaning and repair of dressing rooms, removal of old fixtures and replacement of cables behind the scenes. The work started with fixes that addressed the safety and integrity of the building and has moved on to production systems. The reason for the activity, which began this summer: “We’re putting money into it in hopes we can get our money back,” Hinman told the Kalamazoo Gazette. “We hope more people buy tickets and when more people buy tickets to the shows we’re able to provide this experience for everybody,” she said. Hinman’s father Roger Hinman put her in charge of the building and guiding its update in April. Her wish list of improvements could cost up to $5 million. Some of the work that’s already taken place includes painting and recarpeting the green rooms and fixing a roof leak. She’s considering adding air conditioning, which would allow the theater to operate in the summer. One of the most visible current
renovations: putting new curtains on the stage. “The materials are one thing, the installation is another,” Hinman said. “They don’t just cut them down. We had to demo the old ones. It’s a process. Everything is weighted and balanced.” Along with the actual curtains, workers have been replacing old ropes with new cables for operating the curtains, with workers cleaning as they go along and salvaging what they can of old materials. Jacob Wargo, production manager at the 1,500-seat theater, said one thing they wanted to save was the original fire curtain from the theater, which was designed by Chicago architect John Eberson in 1927 for $350,000. “The fire curtain was a signature item in all of his theaters,” Wargo said. “His go-to thing when he finished every theater was to put a mural on the fire curtain. He’s got about six of these Spanish courtyard theme curtains. The Palace in Gary (Indiana) is almost identical to this.” Back stage, workers have also removed old lights, many of which were wired with old asbestos wiring and work is being done to disconnect the huge old light panel. “My god, I love the panel. It’s really sweet,” she said, but it has to be moved to create more room, where space is at a premium. Hinman said that during the renovations, she discovered something she never knew about the theater — that there are a lot more dressing rooms and bathrooms than she knew about.
MIKE GROLL/AP
Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky, D-Long Beach, left, Assemblyman Carl Heastie, D-Bronx, and Luis R. Sepúlveda, D-Bronx, leave a meeting of the so-called Reform Caucus.
Heastie poised to take office in New York State Assembly Former leader to resign in face of corruption charges
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Carl Heastie, a Democratic lawmaker from the Bronx, is poised to take over leadership of the New York state Assembly on Tuesday after the resignation of longtime speaker Sheldon Silver amid federal corruption charges. Heastie had faced as many as four other contenders in the race to succeed Silver, but his final opponent conceded Monday and the Democrats who hold the Assembly majority nominated him with a unanimous vote. Republicans hold less than a third of the chamber’s seats and cannot block his selection. The 47-year-old Heastie will become speaker as the Assembly
heads into critical budget negotiations with the state Senate and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The speakership is one of the most important positions in state government, with the power to set committee assignments and control which bills get votes and which ones languish. In a statement, Heastie said he was humbled by his colleagues’ support. “He’s a good man and he’ll do a good job,” Silver told reporters as he left the Capitol on Monday. Silver’s resignation comes after he was charged with taking nearly $4 million in payoffs and kickbacks over a decade for his influence on real-estate legislation and medical grants. The Manhattan Democrat says he expects to be exonerated and will keep his Assembly seat. He led the Assembly as speaker for 21 years. Assembly Democrats had ini-
tially said they would wait until Feb. 10 to select Silver’s replacement, to encourage an open and deliberative process. That changed, however, as Heastie quickly locked up support. “The members felt that ... a consensus had emerged,” said Assembly Majority Leader Joseph Morelle of Rochester, who was briefly a candidate for speaker. “We need to move forward on budget deliberations ... to get back to work.” Heastie’s final rival, Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan of Queens, conceded minutes before the Democrats voted. “I lost,” she said. “I accept their judgment.” On Monday, Heastie met with a group of lawmakers known as the “reform caucus” because of their interest in government transparency and accountability. The meeting was closed to
reporters and other members of the public, however, and Heastie declined to answer reporters’ questions as he walked in. In a statement, Heastie vowed to pursue a series of ethics reforms including a new Office of Ethics and Compliance led by a non-legislator, new limits on how much outside income lawmakers can earn, and greater reporting of outside income and legislative stipends. Outside pay is a central issue in the case against Silver. “We must seize this opportunity for reform and enact the type of lasting change that will make the Assembly more open, transparent and accountable to the voters,” he said in a statement. Cuomo on Monday suggested his own proposals to overhaul legislative ethics rules and said he wouldn’t sign a state budget unless lawmakers take action.
Couple pairs art with wine in new business Franchise offers unique classes for local art enthusiasts in Traverse City
STEPHEN SENNE/AP
New England Patriots fans take photos at the Boston Marathon finish line Sunday, Feb. 1 in Boston, while celebrating the Patriots winning.
Boston snow storm leads to delay in celebration after Super Bowl victory Parade for the Pats must wait as snow blankets the city
BOSTON (AP) — The Super Bowl celebration for New Englanders and their beloved Patriots will have to wait another day as Boston continues to get battered by heavy snow. Mayor Marty Walsh said the city will postpone a planned victory parade through downtown until Wednesday morning. He said the city and team have both agreed to hold off on the parade due to Monday’s protracted snowstorm, which dumped more than a foot of fresh snow in the Boston area, making morning and evening commutes treacherous. “We thank everyone for their flexibility and patience during the planning of this parade and we look forward to celebrating with Patriots fans during better weather on Wednesday,” he said in a joint statement with the team. The city had announced earlier
that the downtown parade would take place Tuesday. But with weather continuing to worsen, Boston public schools preemptively canceled Tuesday classes, the fifth snow day in the past week. A decision to cancel the parade followed shortly after. Boston has seen a record 34.2 inches of snow over seven days, according to the National Weather Service. The previous sevenday record was 31.2 inches in January 1996. Following their 28-24 victory over the defending champion Seattle Seahawks in Arizona, the Patriots flew back to Massachusetts as scores of flights in and out of Boston’s Logan airport were canceled or delayed Monday. The latest snowstorm didn’t stop New Englanders from basking in the glow of their team’s fourth Super Bowl victory. Todd Penney, of Coventry, Connecticut, was still recovering from a heady night of celebrating as he prepared for work Monday morning as a town engineer. “My voice is very hoarse from screaming at the TV. I was all in
last night,” he said. “It will be a lot more fun for me to snowblow this morning after the Patriots’ win, than if they would have lost, that’s for sure.” Other fans recounted tense moments from the rollercoaster victory. “It was an exciting game, a nail-biter to the end. You don’t get to see games like that very often,” said George Vemis, as he cleared the sidewalk in front of his variety store in Whitman, south of Boston. Cheryl Happeny, a business analyst from Whitman, said the victory is especially satisfying because so many people outside of New England have been calling the team cheaters since the scandal over underinflated footballs in the Patriots’ winning game over the Indianapolis Colts erupted. “It was a sweet victory,” she said. “I don’t think it will quiet the critics. I’m waiting for it to heat up again. Everyone hates the Patriots because we’re breaking so many records. ...We’re like the Yankees of the NFL.”
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Mix paint, wine, social time. Stir with some instruction. End up a couple of hours later with something to hang on your wall, and perhaps a new friend. David and Nicole Leslie just opened a Painting With a Twist franchise in Traverse Cit y. The business offers artist-led sessions during which customers paint a copy of a picture, imbibe if they like and have
a bit of social time with others in the class. “We went to Colorado Springs and went to (a session). We had a blast,” David Leslie told the Traverse City Record-Eagle. They researched Painting With a Twist and discovered the 8-year-old company has nearly 200 franchises in 28 states. The concept revolves around the opportunity for anyone, even those with no painting experience, to create a painting from a blank canvas good enough to display at home. The Leslies hired four local painters to lead various sessions. Preparation for opening
the new business was hectic, David Leslie said. “I was sweating. I was losing sleep,” he said. “Then signups started rolling in. They’re easing my worries. Everything has fallen into place.” Participants sign up on the franchise’s website, www. PaintingWithaTwist.com/traverse-city. There, they choose from a selection of images in the company’s repertoire. That choice determines the session date. Sessions currently are held on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m. Another session is offered on Saturdays from 3 to 5 p.m. The Leslies also offer private parties in a separate room for groups from 10 to 35.
Arts
6 — Tuesday, February 3, 2015
STYLE NOTEBOOK
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM NOTEBOOK
Couture shows Political cinema and and high fashion ‘American Sniper’ By MARA MACLEAN Daily Arts Writer
Designers showcase their most luxurious looks For those who may be slightly confused, not to worry: fashion month doesn’t actually begin until Feb. 12. So, what are all of the street style photographers, magazine heads and fashion houses posting runway videos of? Some houses decide to create couture or pre-fall lines that are shown a couple weeks before fashion month. Unlike the ready-to-wear collections that are displayed in New York, London, Paris and Milan, the couture shows are really only directed toward a select few. Without the public’s needs in mind, designers are free to create gowns and suits with no monetary restraints. The front rows are filled with those who can actually afford a custom Chanel gown, and the collections are a beacon of hope in a world that is dictated by sidewalk sensibility rather than designers’ artistry. Basically, it’s a time when Raf Simons of Dior can make an entire collection with thigh-high latex boots and it is considered amazing. To begin, Valentino
did what it does best with serious embellishments and embroidery, this time with a Russian twist. Everything about the show was romantic, from golden bodices to dresses stamped with ‘Amore.’ A runway highlight was a sky blue velvet gown with a sheer high collar, which could have easily been a costume for Gwyneth Paltrow in “Shakespeare in Love.”
These bastions who defend the right of creativity As stated before, the Christian Dior show featured latex boots — lots of them. In addition to the multicolored rubber, there were geometric catsuits and painted raincoats. Heavily embellished minidresses and flouncy skirts were also in attendance. The real star of the show, the final piece — a black structured top, pleated embroidered ribbon skirt and a peek of colorful boots — showcased Simons’s modernist eye and ability to re-imagine. Amid a runway decorated with origami flowers, sock booties and elegant hats
prevailed. The collection paralleled the set nicely — simple, well-constructed tweed suits with sudden bursts of flowers adorning tulle-ridden skirts. The show ended with a jaw-dropping wedding gowns that paired an entirely sequinembroidered short-sleeved top and a train that looked like a white bed of flowers. Lagerfeld showed just how effortlessly he can reinvent the Chanel woman. Donatella Versace, in an effort to spotlight the woman’s curvy form, revealed a line of evening dresses with swirling insets of nude mesh. While the black, white, red and royal blue caused a whirlwind on the runway, the looks were not as exquisite as other collections. Striking, yes, as per usual with Versace, but, the line lacked the overwhelming aura of hopeful romance and superb craftsmanship found at Dior or Chanel. However, her vision and intention were showcased attractively, as can be seen in the white cutout jumpsuit that showcased Karlie Kloss’s form. Overall, the Spring 2015 Couture shows were entrancing spectacles. While you may not be able to pick out the latest trends or find new ways to wear your jeans and sweater, a quick glance through some photos from these bastions who defend the right of creativity and artistry is an absolute necessity.
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31 Petty peeves 35 Salt (away) 36 “Not __ deal” 38 Boston NBAer 40 Islamic prayer leader 41 Notable periods 44 Thrive 46 In some respects 48 That guy 50 Five-time Wimbledon champ Bjorn
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Warning: The following discussion of “American Sniper” contains mild plot spoilers. This is a defense of “American Sniper.” But it’s also more than that. It’s an attempt at understanding the role of cinema in a society so politically inclined, so blinded by its own ideological trappings that it has ceased to examine cinema for its cinematic quality but for its realism. The loudest proponents and detractors of this film alike extract the same meaning from it: validation of their own political leanings. What people have failed to see is that “American Sniper” rises above politicization to give to the public a narrative. Not the narrative, mind you, but a single perspective: of one American soldier delegated immense power, and how that power takes its toll on him and his family. As far as the media is concerned, there are two reactions that one ought to have after a viewing of the film: “Go America!” or “This is propaganda bullshit.” Of the former party,
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ACROSS 1 Pharmacy purchase 5 Figure (out), slangily 9 Early Yucatán settlers 14 German “a” 15 Irish New Age singer 16 Bite-the-bullet type 17 400 athletes? 19 “Star Trek” lieutenant 20 Trophy prized by actors 21 Watermelon eater’s discard 23 Austin-to-Baton Rouge direction 24 Flat hat with a pompom 26 40 polos? 28 Football club based in Lombardy 32 Many a casino visitor 33 Bank offering 34 Kelly of morning TV 37 Moral code 39 Texter’s “Horrors!” 40 4 tire inserts? 42 Squeeze (out) 43 Local news hr. 45 Mix 46 ESPN analyst Hershiser 47 Wife of Abraham 49 Chatty gathering 51 600 stand-ups? 54 Plea at sea, briefly 55 “Sadly ...” 56 Pouty expression 58 Repetitive musical piece 62 ACC team with a turtle mascot 64 1,500 thermometer units? 66 Gobbled up 67 Letter carrier’s sackful 68 Starbucks order 69 Sound from an angry dog 70 Sugar bowl invaders 71 Battle of Normandy town
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such subscribers include Blake Shelton and Charlie Daniels, and of the latter, Michael Moore and Seth Rogen. The Twittersphere has tended to align with either of these opinions as well. If you walked out of the theater believing one of these two assertions, then one of two things has happened: you watched the wrong movie or you watched the movie the wrong way.
Good film doesn’t take sides. It enlightens. To have these kinds of opinions after leaving the “American Sniper” that I saw is to admit that you either went into the movie with your own opinion already formed or that you only selectively paid attention. If you went into “American Sniper” believing it was an affirmation of American military ideals and/ or the idealization of a trained killer, then it actually does make perfect sense to have that “go America” or “fuck war” attitude, depending on your political leaning. But to do so isn’t fair to the filmmaker or to yourself. Because “American Sniper” doesn’t make a single statement about war, about America, about Iraq or about politics. So what is “American Sniper”? It’s the single narrative view from the perspective of an American soldier, raised on a set of values, constantly trying to reconcile those values, his love for his family and his anger with the atrocities he commits. And director Clint Eastwood makes this perfectly clear in the first scene: A sniper peering down his scope sees a young boy carrying what appears to be an antitank grenade, running toward a group of soldiers. Oversight cannot confirm if the boy is in fact carrying a grenade. They defer to the sniper’s judgment. He hesitates. The boy prepares to throw the object. The sniper has his finger on the trigger … cut. Watch the hesitation in Bradley Cooper’s eyes, how tense his face is; contrast that with the stillness of his body, the calm of his breathing. He is at once at peace and at war with himself. Above all else, this film is about internal conflict. And the film itself captures that conflict in its structure. Shifting between scenes of intense action with apprehensive home life, the film, like Kyle himself, is never still. There’s always something stirring: an enemy militant, a lingering memory. These are equally legitimate forces that eat away at a man’s psyche, at Chris Kyle’s psyche. By the time Kyle has finished his four tours, he is but a vessel of his former energetic, amicable self. Eastwood and screenwriter Jason Hall want you to know this. Sure, Kyle looks calm, he looks in control, but you, the viewer, know
what he’s seen. You can sense the burning underneath his skin. You should fear Chris Kyle. But it’s more complicated than that: A news clip of the 9/11 attacks, the screams of a young boy getting his skull drilled in — what is one supposed to feel then? Do we not echo Kyle’s initial enthusiasm or feel his sense of duty, his urgency? All of this goes back to that central idea: conflict. As you walk out of the theater, you should have not one idea, but multiple; you, like Kyle, should be trying to reconcile all of these contradictory emotions. You should sympathize with Kyle’s family, you should fear for them. Simply, you should think about the film you have just seen. Part of the controversy, I feel, stems from one’s inability to differentiate between “Chris Kyle the man” and “Chris Kyle the character.” I have never liked the label “based on a true story” because, once reading it, the viewer can only associate a film based on its ability to stay true to history instead of evaluating it on its own cinematic merits. The fact is, I do not know what Chris Kyle the man was like. I do not know if Bradley Cooper’s portrayal of him is accurate. I do not know the degree of factuality of the events of the film. What I do know is Cooper’s Chris Kyle is a haunted, imposing human who faced trauma, tragedy and suffering, who caused his family pain, who could never separate himself from the battlefield, who killed because he felt it was his duty, who killed women and children, could look them in the eye even if they couldn’t look back. It’s a testament to Cooper’s ability that he invigorates the film where the script is lacking and elevates the film above a standard character drama into a deep, thorough analysis of one man exposed to the harsh environment of war. Cinema can certainly be political, but to immediately ascribe a film “conservative” or “liberal” without analyzing what makes the film tick is a disservice. “American Sniper” is not a political film. It’s a contemplative film, a tense film and a sad film, but it neither upholds nor denies any ideology. I urge all to see it, not because it’s the best film of the year, not because of my personal leanings, but because it got me to think and reflect. Good art, really good art, doesn’t agree with you; it rebuffs you. It presents an entirely new way of looking at something once thought fully analyzed. It gets you to think, to question, check and re-check the facts, discuss, debate. Roger Ebert, I think, summed it up best: “We live in a box of space and time. Movies are windows in its walls. They allow us to enter other minds, not simply in the sense of identifying with the characters, although that is an important part of it, but by seeing the world as another person sees it.” “American Sniper” isn’t taking sides. Good film doesn’t take sides. It enlightens. It shows the best and the worst of society, of people.
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Arts
TV REVIEW
Key & Peele score
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 — 7
COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN
Considering the power of nostalgia
W COMEDY CENTRAL
Where are the dancing sharks?
By KAREN HUA Daily TV/New Media Editor
Sketch comedy duo deliver skewering sports satire While most of the nation prepared for this last weekend’s Super Bowl, in Hollywood, A KeeganMichael Key Key & Peele (“The Lego Super Bowl Movie”) and Jordan Peele Special (“Bob’s Burgers”) prepared Comedy Central for their par- Friday, Jan. 30 ody version of at 10 p.m. the big game. It’s widely known that the arts and sports worlds don’t mix well, but comedy pair Key and Peele, on their eponymous Comedy Central show, combined water with oil and had us in tears of laughter with their football-film intersectional special. The duo brilliantly weaved an hour of sketches into a satirical pre-game show, featuring explayers Bertram Skilling (Key) and Dante Pibb (Peele) on the fictional CCB sports network. Mocking the intense gusto of typical sports reporters, they made increasingly bizarre connections between the Patriots and Seahawks – finally ending in a comparison of the players to mac and cheese. Even though their content was hilarious, it was their performances themselves that carried these segments. They mocked the obsessive, jock-ish nature of sportscasters perfectly, and it was their comedic timing that made them so
delightfully awkward. Following, Key and Peele impersonated Seattle Seahawks players Richard Sherman (Key) and Marshawn Lynch (Peele) at a joint press conference, where they fully capitalized on the eccentric natures of each persona. Instead of the hyper-stringent (and often banal) conversations in typical press conferences, they instead addressed the issues with this year’s Oscar nominations (a subject Key and Peele’s artsy audience would appreciate much more). In their version, Sherman passionately ranted about the arbitrary additions and snubs for the best director nominees – most prominently Ava DuVernay’s for “Selma.” Meanwhile, they emphasized Lynch’s usual stoic, unresponsive nature when he contributed the sole line: “biscuits and gravy.” In their “East/West Bowl” sketch, Key and Peele displayed the wonders of costume and make-up, as well as the versatility of their looks and their acting abilities. In their lineup of player introductions, they announced themselves with the most ludicrous names, such as “Crème de la Crème” and “Grunky Peep,” with the most farcical accents and even more outlandish facial hair. Even more hilariously so, they cut between real NFL player introductions – real names such as Ha Ha Clinton-Dix from the Packers, Cornelius “Tank” Carradine from the 49ers and the Giants’ Prince Amukamara – and Key and Peele’s inventions. Their serious natures were a perfect juxtaposition to Key and Peele’s frivolous impersonations. Amid these segments of light-hearted humor, they also incorporated subtle social com-
mentary. In one of Pibb and Skilling’s sections, they alluded to the NFL and athletic industry’s racist implications. Timothy Omundson (“Galavant”) made a guest appearance, and as a white male, he lauded white players’ intellectual approach to the game versus African-Americans’ physical method. As he puts, the NFL is composed of black players possessed of “magical powers he learned from his grandma.”
Key & Peele had us in tears of laughter with their special. As the hour went on, the sketches became more and more bizarre. In their final piece, they used animation to create a robot named Enos – a darkly humorous sketch where a robot Super Bowl team led by Allison Janney (“Masters of Sex”) enslaves the whole world. Usually, sports satire exploits the excessively-enthused nature of sports fans. As comedians – writers and artists whose natures are quite contrary to those of football fans – it is easy to resort to the stock jokes about “balls” and hypermasculinity. However, Key and Peele’s characterizations are precise – a specificity that makes their nuanced humor that much more entertaining. Their comedic lens offers sports and comedy fans alike a ground of commonality during this Super Bowl season.
Alex G rocks Detroit with impressive set Daily Arts Writer
It’s Friday night and I’m pulling up to the Magic Stick Lounge with a good friend, her mother driving us as if we’re in middle school again, because I’m not going to pay for a $50 Uber to Detroit. There’s a line circling around the block. Maybe that’s just the line to buy tickets? my friend’s mother offers, though we know it’s not. We wait outside in the chilling 20-something degree air, making quick conversation with fellow fans of the three acts playing that night: Teen Suicide, Alex G and Pity Sex. I bought the $15 ticket only to see Alex G, a Temple University student whose first full-length album, DSU, was my favorite of 2014. I sincerely believe him to be the Internet’s best-kept secret, uploading songs – all recorded on his own from his apartment – to his Bandcamp since he was 17. Now he’s finally getting some attention from big names like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. Yet as I’m walking upstairs to the venue, which rests comfortably above a bowling alley, pizza joint and bar, I hear multiple people asking Who the fuck is Alex G? By the end of the set, they know who the fuck Alex G is. Preceded by the rowdy and
raunchy Teen Suicide, G’s calm onstage persona is refreshing. He doesn’t overdo the theatrics or engage in typical “rock star” behavior. The only thing that really comes out of his mouth is an appreciative “thanks” after every single song; he lets his bassist do most of the talking. Not to say that G doesn’t have stage presence – he is very much there. And his music, a dreamy mixture of pop, punk and rock, is completely engrossing, so any stage antics would have detracted from that.
I got those post-concert blues, and I got ‘em bad. While performing, he looks almost entranced. And as a member of the audience, you can’t help but feel the same, transfixed by this outwardly ordinary young adult as he sings about growing up and falling in love, then missing someone and falling out of love. His music is about figuring things out, and, while he’s performing, that’s exactly what he seems to be doing.
all this is the inherent sadness of the artist. For every sullen artist in recent memory with enough stature to have several hundred Google results after searching “quotes by blank, you can bet there’s at least one about the sting of memories or something of the sort. Memories are poignant things, and seem to attach to nearly everything, and that only becomes more apparent with age. When you’re young, it’s hard to grasp the concept of nostalgia when your life has been filled with so few experiences. I always thought it was the look adults get when they hear “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life” in a public place, when their eyes glaze over and a small smile appears on their lips. As I’ve gotten older, I can confirm this is true. There are about a million things in the world that make me zone out of present time for a moment and take a trip down memory lane, and about 999,999 are some formulation of art. These memories are often personal, and don’t always hold the same effect from person to person, but that is the beauty of nostalgia. I can’t listen to “Brown Eyed Girl” without thinking about dancing with my dad at a wedding when I was six. Diego Rivera
once said, “I don’t believe in God, but I believe in Picasso.” I may not believe in sappiness, but I do know that every time I look at a Diego Rivera painting, I’ll think of his print hanging in the kitchen I grew up in and smell my mother’s cooking. Little associations like these are everywhere in the art we consume, we just don’t always pay them much attention. Whether we like it or not, humans tend to crave the past, whether it’s in the art we consume, the people we surround ourselves with or the books we read. When done correctly, there is no harm in nostalgia or the feelings it brings along. Memories are a part of life, and even if they’re painful or not favorable, they’ve held enough of a purpose to change the way we see a little aspect of life (even if it’s in the form of a Cyndi Lauper song). Next time you’re struck down in Espresso Royale by a song you danced to at prom, don’t wave off the emotion as silly. Instead, pay it some attention. Everyone cries into their lattes at some point in life, it’s just one of many quirks that makes us human. Davis is taking her coffee with tears. To cry with her, e-mail katjacqu@umich.edu.
TV NOTEBOOK
CONCERT REVIEW
By RACHEL KERR
hen you live in a city as full of artistry as Ann Arbor, you get used to a few things. Wild-haired old eccentrics talking to themselves on the street, hearing more than one language in a single walk KATHLEEN to class and DAVIS being struck with sudden nostalgia listening to a song in a coffee shop. All these things are inevitable, but only one will make you cry into your latte. Nostalgia is a funny thing. It’s a feeling that sometimes makes you happy, sometimes makes you sad and sometimes inspires a creativity elicited by few other emotions. It’s essentially your mind saying, “Hey it’s me again, here’s that memory you forgot about that made you feel something for once.” We can’t control it, and once it’s in your mind, you can’t stop it. The most poignant nostalgia for me is always in a form of art, be it a song, a painting or a film. So why is it that art makes us feel the most for the past? Perhaps the explanation for
All I could think to say when asked about the show later is He’s amazing; he’s a god. The moment I got back to my room I began scrounging the Internet for interviews, photos, live performances, new songs – anything that would make the show last a little longer. I even went as far as to look him up on Facebook (we have one mutual friend, should I add him?) I stayed up until 3 a.m. wondering why shows like that ever have to end. I got those post-concert blues, and I got ‘em bad. Let it be noted that most of Alex G’s music isn’t available online anymore because it’s going to be officially released later this year. Let it also be noted that I haven’t listened to anything – seriously, anything – but Alex G since the showfive days ago. Do you know how frustrating it is to worship an artist whose songs aren’t on YouTube? Who only has one album on Spotify? Whose Facebook profile you can search for and actually still find? It’s hard. I want nothing more than to be back at the Magic Stick Lounge, humming along to the dreamy melodies of his music. But I guess I’ll have to settle for a few poor-quality live shows uploaded to YouTube. And hey, maybe he’ll even accept my friend request.
NBC
The Donald is always watching ...
Behind the scenes of ‘Miss Universe’ By HAILEY MIDDLEBROOK Daily Arts Writer
“Now remember, these women have been working their whole lives towards this magical moment,” says Natalie Morales, news anchor for NBC’s “TODAY” show and host of the 2015 Miss Universe Pageant in Doral, FL. She says it with a smile, the same manic grin frozen onto the faces of the 88 international beauties. But her eyes flash something else: a hunger, leering in a way that hinted at the cutthroat competitiveness behind the girls’ blowouts. The look confirms that the contestants have not only worked their entire lives to get to this stage, but that they’re here to beat these bitches. For the sake of world peace, of course. Fundamentally, the stakes in these competitions are high — even now, in a society teeming with powerful, confident women, the word “beauty” precedes the title “pageant” more often than not. Winners are colloquially referred to as “beauty queens” and professionally as “Miss (fill in the blank),” the reigning face of perfection. So even without the year-long stay in one of Donald Trump’s luxury New York City apartments, a lifetime’s supply of hair and skin products, the million-dollar wardrobe and endless plane tickets for an international tour, Miss Universe wins something much more personal: the gratification of knowing she is the most beautiful woman in the world. Losing, then, is a particularly
nasty pill to swallow, prompting feelings, I would imagine, that make you sympathize with the evil witch in “Snow White.” Despite what people have told you, regardless of your national beauty queen status, you’re no longer the fairest in the land (or in this case, the universe). And if your entire life has been devoted to winning this title, preening and polishing your body like a florist tending to his fragile roses, what happens when the crown slips from your manicured acrylics? In the case of Miss Universe, the $300,000 crown is not only awarded to the contestant, but to the country she represents — so naturally, both winning or losing has a big ripple effect, particularly in countries with strong pageant cultures. South American countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela consistently rank among Miss Universe finalists — Venezuela with seven Miss Universe titles, the secondhighest number of winners (topped only by USA with eight titles). What’s more remarkable is that Venezuela — and its neighboring countries, for that matter — haven’t always participated in Miss Universe. Since the pageant’s 1952 debut in Long Beach, California, only USA, Canada, Germany and France have been represented every year. Though looking at collective tallies, it’s clear who the pageant powerhouses are: 35 winners were from the Americas, 12 from Europe, 10 from Asia, four from Africa and two from Oceania.
No one knows the cutthroat culture of pageants better than this year’s Miss Universe, Paulina Vega from Colombia. The brunette bombshell started modeling at eight years old, which isn’t uncommon in Colombian culture — nor is it unusual to catch the pageant bug young. “While the inherent objectification of the contests and the values they convey to young women often provoke outrage and ridicule elsewhere, in the Colombian context the issue is more complicated,” said Carl Bower, a pageant photographer, in an interview with The Independent. Like Americans flooding into football stadiums, many Colombians gather to watch pageants. “(Colombians) often have a vicarious relationship with the queens, clinging to the Cinderella fantasy of magically transcending poverty,” he said. Seen in this light, Miss Universe — and beauty pageants in general — take on a new role in the lives of these women. In our society, beauty queens have become caricatures: airheads with phoney-baloney speeches and spray-tanned brats in “Toddlers in Tiaras.” But for others, pageants cultivate confidence and allow for selfexpression in countries where opportunities for women are drastically limited. To win the title of Miss Universe, then, is a magical moment indeed: a chance to be swept away by new experiences, and the opportunity to impact the world.
Sports
8 — Tuesday, February 3, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Big Ten’s NCAA Tournament outlook: Wisconsin, Maryland, OSU only locks Michigan on the outside looking in with six weeks left By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor
The Michigan men’s basketball team’s game Sunday at Michigan State was the first in a brutal stretch that includes Big Ten Standings four of seven 1. Wisconsin games on 2. Maryland the road and 3. Ohio State five of seven 4. Indiana against teams 5. Michigan St. in the top half 6. Purdue 7. Michigan of the Big Ten. In the end, 8. Iowa the Wolver- 9. Illinois ines dropped 10. Nebraska a heartbreaker 11. Minnesota in overtime, 12. Penn State 76-66, falling 13. Rutgers to 6-4 in the 14. N’Western Big Ten and 13-9 overall. As February begins and the clock starts ticking on the regular season with under six weeks until Selection Sunday, Michigan’s NCAA Tournament chances will start to move to the forefront of the conversation. The Wolverines are on the outside looking in right now, projected as the eighth team out of the field in ESPN’s Joe Lunardi’s latest Bracketology update. Though their strength of schedule is solid at No. 19, their RPI sits at a belowaverage 70, and they still have to weather trips to Maryland and Indiana as well as home games against Michigan State and Ohio State. The other games are at Illinois and Northwestern and home
dates with Iowa and Rutgers. The March matchups with Northwestern and Rutgers are close to must-wins, and Michigan would be well served to pick up another road win at Indiana, Illinois or Maryland. One of those, plus the two March wins, a home win over Iowa and a split of Ohio State and Michigan State would put the Wolverines at 18-12, 11-7 in the Big Ten. That would probably leave it up to the Big Ten Tournament. Anything less would make for a very anxious Selection Sunday. In six tries, Michigan still does not own a top-50 RPI win — the closest was against No. 59 Illinois. The Wolverines are also still hurting from two ugly losses — No. 150 Eastern Michigan and No. 183 New Jersey Institute of Technology. Elsewhere in the Big Ten, No. 5 Wisconsin, No. 17 Maryland and No. 20 Ohio State are likely the only three locks at this point, barring something catastrophic. At the bottom, Rutgers, Northwestern, Minnesota, Nebraska and Penn State are well outside the field. The Daily breaks down the chances for everyone in between: Indiana (6-3 Big Ten, 16-6 overall, RPI No. 34, SOS No. 43): The Hoosiers are about as close to a lock as it gets, but things could still go awry. They struggle playing away from home and play at Wisconsin and Maryland in the next three games. Lose both of those, and slip up at home against Michigan on Sunday, and Indiana is at .500 in the Big Ten. Things could get dicey at that point. Still, the Hoosiers are probably safe. They boast nice nonconference wins over RPI No. 17 Butler (at a neutral site), No. 22
Southern Methodist and No. 67 Pittsburgh, and their worst loss is at No. 78 Purdue. If they escape with road wins over Rutgers and Northwestern later this month, they should be OK. Michigan State (6-3 Big Ten, 15-7 overall, RPI No. 36, SOS No. 30): The Spartans are playing well and staying healthy, but they still need a few more wins to feel secure. After they missed out on three big-time chances in the non-conference season against Duke, Notre Dame and Kansas, their lone top-50 win is over Indiana at home. Michigan State has already lost to Maryland twice and only plays Wisconsin on the road, which would be a tough win to get. The Spartans could use a home victory over Ohio State. Other than that and a trip to Indiana, there aren’t a lot of opportunities on the table, and the Dec. 20 loss to Texas Southern was a setback. But Michigan State is a No. 8 seed in Lunardi’s latest projection, and would need to slip up several times to play its way out. Iowa (4-4 Big Ten, 13-8 overall, RPI No. 51, SOS No. 10): Lunardi has the Hawkeyes as a No. 10 seed in his latest bracket, eight spots from the bubble. Strength of schedule has Iowa in good shape, as does a sweep of Ohio State and a big road win at North Carolina, which is ranked No. 10 in the RPI. Moreover, the Hawkeyes’ worst loss is at Purdue, far from the Incarnate Word or NJIT debacles their Big Ten counterparts suffered. Plenty of minefields are still there: a home game against a dangerous Minnesota team, a trip to Penn State and a home-and-home versus Northwestern, any of which would be Iowa’s worst loss
of the season. A home win over Maryland would be helpful, but not necessary. Because the Hawkeyes have taken care of business so far, they should be alright. Purdue (6-3 Big Ten, 14-8 overall, RPI No. 78, SOS No. 72): The Boilermakers are Lunardi’s sixth team out of the field as of Monday, two spots ahead of Michigan. They clubbed Indiana at home Wednesday and boast a decent non-conference win over North Carolina State, but they’ll have to overcome some ugly losses: No. 110 Vanderbilt, No. 129 Gardner-Webb and No. 198 North Florida. As a result, their strength of schedule is low and their RPI even lower, and they don’t have another chance to knock off Wisconsin, the Big Ten’s premier team. At least a split of road games at Ohio State and Michigan State later in February would be nice, plus the Buckeyes come to town Wednesday. A sweep of Rutgers is likely necessary as well, but even then, Purdue is squarely on the bubble. Illinois (4-5, 14-8 overall, RPI No. 59, SOS No. 63): Quite simply, the Fighting Illini just need wins — lots of them. They’re not saddled with a terrible non-conference loss, and they picked up a nice win over Baylor in November. But they sit currently at 4-5 in the Big Ten, and this year, even a .500 conference record is cutting it close. Illinois has four tough road games remaining: Michigan State, Wisconsin, Iowa and Purdue. At least one would be nice. The Illini also have five very winnable home games in Michigan, Michigan State, Rutgers, Nebraska and Northwestern. If they avoid a bad loss there, they’ll have the opportunity to play their way in during the Big Ten Tournament.
The search for the perfect lineup W hen Danielle Williams was announced in the starting lineup for the Michigan women’s basketball team back on Dec. 19 at Crisler Center, more than a few fans JACOB scratched GASE their heads. The sophomore guard had played just 81 minutes her freshman season, with only one start under her belt. Days earlier, Williams wasn’t even practicing alongside the starters — she was on the scout team, trying to simulate Canisius players. Williams herself was surprised when Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico gave her the starting nod. “I think I surprised everyone,” Barnes Arico said then. “I told (assistant coach) Joy (McCorvey) and (assistant coach Megan) Duffy, ‘You guys are going to have to get her off the prep team — she’s going to start today.’ And they both looked me like, ‘What?’ ” The surprise move was just the most notable example of something Barnes Arico has shown all season: She’s not afraid to tinker with the starting lineup if she doesn’t like what she sees on the court. Three seniors — forward Cyesha Goree, forward Nicole Elmblad and guard Shannon Smith — have their places in the lineup secured, and so does sophomore guard Siera Thompson. But the fifth spot hasn’t been set in stone all season. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a defensive specialist like Williams, a lights-out shooter like freshman guard Katelynn Flaherty or a more experienced long-range threat like junior guard Madison Ristovski. On Barnes Arico’s team, everyone is weighed equally. For a team that currently sits in the middle of the pack in a
talented Big Ten, that constant reevaluation could be the key to staying on the right side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. “I think sometimes kids get complacent,” Barnes Arico said. “It’s our job as coaches to continue to challenge them to improve. When we see that other kids are really improving, we want to reward them and give them an opportunity for pushing themselves and doing the things we ask.” In December, it was defense the Wolverines were lacking. Coming off blowout losses to Princeton and Notre Dame with the Big Ten season on the horizon, Michigan desperately needed a spark to stop falling into early deficits. Enter Williams. Despite averaging just 11.3 minutes while making 11 straight starts, she picked up 19 steals — including six in one game against Eastern Michigan — and 32 rebounds. With her on the floor in the early minutes, the Wolverines’ defense thrived in victories over Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State. Most Big Ten squads wouldn’t start a player who only plays a quarter of the game, but in Barnes Arico’s system, any hardworking player can step into a starring role, depending on the team’s needs. Which is why, in Sunday’s tough loss to No. 15 Nebraska, Ristovski found herself back in the starting lineup for the seventh time this season. After first-half offensive droughts plagued Michigan in all six of its previous road games, Barnes Arico decided her team needed a fast start. The new lineup delivered, jumping out to a 20-9 run on the strength of five points and two assists from Ristovski. The Wolverines went stagnant on both offense and defense in the second half and let the upset slip away, but yet again, the new lineup did what it was supposed to. Much like Williams’ defensive presence, Ristovski’s experience on offense brought an edge that
RITA MORRIS/Daily
Madison Ristovski made her seventh start of the season Sunday at Nebraska.
looked like it might be enough to give Michigan its first road win against a ranked opponent. That experience is the same reason Barnes Arico is keeping one of her best pure shooters on the bench. After starting the first three games of the season, Flaherty was relegated to sixth-man duties after showing her inexperience and turning the ball over six times in a loss at Pittsburgh. She hasn’t made a start since, but the freshman has excelled in her new role, scoring 14.5 points per game and shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. “I fit in well (in that role),” Flaherty said. “I’m just happy that they have confidence in me to do that, and that’s what they want me to be. I think I’ve been successful at that, and I’ve helped the team, which really is the most important thing.” Flaherty’s prolific scoring ability — with her signature moment being a late game-tying 3-pointer in the Wolverines’ overtime victory over Ohio State — has made her a fixture in Barnes Arico’s late-game lineup,
yet another alternative to the offense-first and defense-first squads. But for Michigan, it’s not about searching for one perfect starting lineup. Barnes Arico cares more about evaluating things game by game, rewarding players who improve and making changes to the lineup whenever necessary. The fact that Flaherty is still fifth on the team in minutes without making a start since November shows that Barnes Arico doesn’t use the fifth lineup spot as a permanent solution — she uses it as a tool to address whatever problem Michigan is facing lately. Future success won’t come from finding one solution — it’ll come from finding the perfect offensive and defensive balance from the Wolverines’ many options. And if that means throwing a scout-team player with limited minutes into the starting lineup, so be it. Jacob Gase can be reached by e-mail at jgase@umich.edu and on Twitter @JacobGase.
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Andrew Copp and Michigan practiced outdoors at Buhr Park on Monday.
‘M’ gets fresh air at outdoor rink By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Writer
For the Michigan hockey team, there was a different feeling in the air Monday afternoon. A cooler one. Five days away from a rematch against Michigan State at Chicago’s Soldier Field, the 14th-ranked Wolverines got a taste of what hockey is like in the elements. The team trekked down Packard Road to nearby Buhr Park, where it had its first exposure to outdoor hockey this season. The change of pace and return to hockey’s roots was a welcome one for a team in midseason form. “It was a lot of fun,” said junior forward Andrew Copp. “Getting back to where it all started, I’d played at that rink a few times growing up, so it was cool to go back.” The coolness stayed throughout practice. Temperatures were hovering in the teens, but for Michigan coach Red Berenson, it doesn’t get much better. “It was perfect,” Berenson said of the conditions. “It was a bit on the cool side, but once the players get going, they warmed up pretty good.” Located in the middle of the 39-acre park and covered with an aluminum canopy, the rink is far from the fanfare of Yost Ice Arena. The video scoreboard, speaker system, championship banners and grandstands are replaced by fresh air, calming trees and sunshine. While children took advantage of Monday’s snow day by sledding down a nearby hill, the Wolverines made sure
to get a thrill of their own. “Once things got going, we had a lot of fun out there,” Copp said. “There was a lot of hooting and hollering, there was a lot of energy. It was good to get out there.” Added Berenson: “They liked it, and it gives them a bit of a taste of what it can be like, too. Whether it’s windy or sunny or cold, rainy, I’m just trying to help our team understand that no matter what it’s like, we’re going to make the most of it.” Michigan is also looking to make the most of its 2-1 loss to the Spartans in Detroit on Friday. Though the Wolverines hung tight for the entire game, the team couldn’t muster up the extra urgency to make a big play and tie the game. With another big game ahead, and a chance to respond to a loss for the first time since December, Berenson anticipates excitement all week, no matter the location. “We need more of that,” he said. “We need everyone to play with that fire. We’re not good enough to have passengers and expect to win. These games are going to be close, these goals are going to be precious and we need to take care of the puck.” The long season can grow old quickly if things start to go awry. Rather than sit back and wait for it to happen, Michigan looked to get some fresh air Monday. “It’s something that can bring the guys together, bring the team together and get us heading back in the right direction,” Copp said. “I think we’re all really looking forward to it.”
“We need more of that. We need everyone to play with that fire.”