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GREEK LIFE

Int’l board disbands SAM after vandalism

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LEFT: Ann Arbor residents Anthony Ellis and Trinity Gahm prepare food for a cook-out at Downtown Home and Garden for St. Patrick’s Day on Tuesday. TOP RIGHT: Adrian residents Jeff Hewitt and Connie Zilka share an afternoon drink at Hop Cat. BOTTOM RIGHT: A green colored drink from Big Time Burrito Cantina.

AAPD officers patrol city amid St. Paddy’s festivities Daily reporters ride along with Ann Arbor officers By DAILY STAFF Daily staff reporters filled the passenger seats of Ann Arbor Police Department and University of Michigan Police Department cars throughout the day Tuesday to get a taste of officers’ experiences on one of the most notori-

ously rowdy holidays of the the year — St. Patrick’s Day. Each reporter was assigned to an officer with whom they would spend the next few hours. 7:00 a.m. St. Patrick’s day shifts began early. With bars such as the Blue Leprechaun, Ashley’s and Conor O’Neills opening as early as 7 a.m., AAPD Lt. Renee Bush met fellow officers at 6 a.m. by the Cube to divide and conquer over bagels. For the alcohol prevention team, St. Patrick’s Day began

when the Ann Arbor police, along with volunteers from the University programs Beyond the Diag and Expect Respect, met to hand out cream cheese and bagels along with fliers that provided tips on how to “Stay in the Blue.” The group divided the bagels, split up and headed to their respective locations, focusing on popular bars. At 7 a.m. people were already lined up to take part in this day of drinking and merriment; there was a line of about 20 people in front of the Blue Lep-

rechaun, and an estimated 60 in front of both Ashley’s and Conor O’Neills. While the intent of giving out breakfast to the public was to help keep people who planned to drink in safe health, the gesture suggested the public and the police work together on major holidays to ensure safety for all celebrating. After handing out the bagels, groups reconvened in the Michigan Union to discuss how everySee PADDY’S, Page 3A

Former fraternity members must vacate chapter house by May 3 By EMMA KERR Daily News Editor

The University’s chapter of Sigma Alpha Mu was suspended and permanently closed by the fraternity’s international board of directors following its participation in a January ski trip that resulted in property damages valued at more than $250,000. In an e-mail to The Michigan Daily, SAM Executive Director Leland Manders wrote that residents currently living in the SAM house on Oxford Road will be forced to move out by May 3. He said he could not discuss future plans for the house. Current University chapter members will be placed on alumni status as a result of the board’s vote. According to Manders, alumni status means that the members cannot affiliate

ACADEMICS

ANN ARBOR

Fundraiser for homeless couple stalls

Class examines protests against police brutality

Residential College students consider #BlackLivesMatter movement By CARLY NOAH Daily Staff Reporter

Though demonstrators calling for an end to police brutality covered the Diag in December and marched to Ann Arbor City Hall in January, the #BlackLivesMatter movement is now taking center stage as part of a new class in the Residential College. In response to the deaths of two unarmed Black men in Ferguson, Mo. and Staten Island, New York at the hands of police officers, the Residential College has developed a seminar-style mini-course titled “Black Lives Matter.” The course is designed to give students a space to share their concerns and frustrations over recent incidents of police violence.

Charlie Bright, acting director of the Residential College, said the program originated during a meeting of faculty in the Residential College’s Social Theory and Practice major. Several of the faculty noted the significant amount of emotion their students expressed incidents related to police brutality . Following a grand jury’s decision not to press charges against the Ferguson officer who shot and killed an unarmed Black man, students held a vigil on the Diag and later organized a “die-in” in front of the Crisler Center after Winter Commencement. “There was a realization among us that an interdisciplinary program like ours had resources and perspectives to bring to bear on the issues raised, and the learning community of the RC had the framework to foster a thoughtful conversation about the concerns students shared,” Bright said. LSA freshman Darian Razdar, a student in the class, said See CLASS, Page 3A

with another chapter, do not have the rights associated with undergraduate membership and are ineligible for SAM scholarships. A press release sent to The Michigan Daily from the fraternity’s national headquarters stated that the actions of the University chapter violated SAM’s values and standards of conduct. According to the national office’s press release, senior members of the University’s SAM chapter refused to cooperate in the national office’s investigation of the incident, particularly by refusing to name the members involved in the ski trip and vandalism and the lack of action from bystanders in attempting to halt the vandalism. “It is regrettable that these vandals, as well as the officers of the chapter decided that avoiding personal accountability and/or university sanctions took priority over the welfare of the entire chapter; their lack of cooperation led to the university’s withdrawal of recognition of the entire chapter for a four-year period,” the release read. “Sigma Alpha Mu See SAM, Page 3A

Allegations of drug use call recipient’s story into question, organizer says By ANASTASSIOS ADAMOPOULOS Daily Staff Reporter BRIAN BECKWITH/Daily

Dr. Sa’ed Atshan, posdoctoral fellow in international studies at Brown University, speaks about being a gay Palestinian during the “Coming Out as Gay, Coming Out as Palestinian” event hosted by Arab Heritage Month at Rackham Amphitheatre on Tuesday.

Professor addresses stigma faced by gay Palestinians

Arab Heritage Month event embraces unique identities By SAMIHA MATIN Daily Staff Reporter

In honor of the University’s second annual Arab Heritage Month, about 70 students gathered in Rackham Amphitheater

Tuesday evening for a keynote address by Sa’ed Atshan, a postdoctoral fellow at Brown University, about coming out as a gay Palestinian. Atshan has served as a lecturer for peace and justice studies at several universities including Harvard, Brown and Tufts. Besides his work advocating for Palestinian rights, Atshan is also an active member of Al-Qaws, an organization that promotes

LGBTQ rights in Palestinian society. Sponsored by the Trotter Multicultural Center, Arab Heritage Month provides a platform for students to embrace their Arab identities. This year’s theme, “Arabiyon Ana: I am Arab,” was chosen to explore multiple aspects of Arab identities and their impacts and influences in the world. See STIGMA, Page 3A

The online funding campaign for an Ann Arbor homeless couple hit a significant bump Tuesday. Kinesiology freshman Michael Funkhouser, who launched the campaign earlier this month, said several people purporting to be family and friends of Mat and Danielle Chavez are now calling the couple’s story into question. Funkhouser posted an update on the fundraiser’s home page Tuesday explaining the allegations, and providing new options for the money’s destination. The campaign has raised $7,347 so far. Tuesday evening, Funkhouser announced the money would be given to a local non-profit for the purpose of helping the couple See FUNDRAISER, Page 3A

the statement Improving the climate of the Business School

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News

2A — Wednesday, March 18, 2015

MONDAY: This Week in History

TUESDAY: Campus Voices

WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers

THURSDAY: Twitter Talk

Yale cultural center director resigns

AMANDA ALLEN/Daily

Ann Arbor resident Brandon Finch wears a leprechaun costume in the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day on South University on Tuesday.

Rodney Cohen, director of the Afro-American Cultural Center at Yale University, resigned almost a month after 147 students signed a petition asking for his removal, the Yale Daily News reported. A campus-wide e-mail from Yale College Dean Jonathan Holloway sent Monday informed students that Cohen had resigned after findings revealed his vision for the cultural center did not align with the community’s. Complaints against Cohen had already been lobbied after his first semester in 2010, said petition organizer Micah Jones. The most recent petition discussed complaints about Cohen, including him rarely being present at the house and not making funding

opportunities easily accessible to students. The petition ultimately called for Cohen to step down. In a statement to the Yale Daily News from Yale’s Black Student Alliance, Jones said Cohen’s resignation was, “the best decision for everyone involved” and was appreciated by the community. NYU professor barred entry into United Arab Emirates Andrew Ross, an New York University professor, was not allowed to board an Abu Dhabibound Etihad Airways flight Saturday, The Washington Square News reported Tuesday. United Arab Emirates authorities informed Ross he was barred

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES

ON THE WEB... THE FILTER

Resident Evil

By KIM BATCHELOR Batchelor explains the features of Capcom’s newest addition to its third-person shooter franchise, “Resident Evil.” The company released “Resident Evil: Revelations 2 - Episode 3: Judgement” on Mar. 10, after having released Episode 2 Mar. 3 and Episode 1 Feb. 24.

The Crown

Solas

Hail Yeah!

WHAT: The Crown: Contemporary Construction of Self in America is an exhibit and series of programs by artist Shani Peters. WHO: Institute for the Humanities WHEN: Today from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Haven Hall, GalleryDAAS G648

WHAT: Solas is an Irish and Irish-American Celtic group. They have been praised by The Philadelphia Inquirer for their, “mind-blowing Irish folk music, maybe the world’s best.” WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: The Ark, 316 S. Main, Ann Arbor

WHAT: The U-M Student Philanthropy is hosting the 4th annual Student Day of Thanks. Students can thank alumni who have given $50 or less to the University. WHO: Office of University Development WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: The Diag

Alexander M. CREES lecture Masters recital WHAT: Tubist Jarrett WHAT: Rosamund Cannon Bartlett, writer, scholar and McCourt will perform

THE FILTER

Rolling Stones

WHAT: This lecture will discuss the role of Chinese music in contemporary Vietnamese traditional music performance. WHO: Confucius Institute at the University of Michigan WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League, Koessler Room

By MICHAEL FLYNN Flynn writes on the potential of a summer tour for the British rock band, pointing to a series of short videos released through the Stones’ Twitter profile as the buildup to a formal announcement. The videos have been given the hashtag #SatisfactionThursday

FRIDAY: Photos of the Week

STUDENT PETITION

SHAMROCK SMILES

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translator, will discuss the translation history of Anna Karenina and some of the less well-known aspects of the novel. WHO: Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building, 1636

Sonata for Cello in E Minor by Brahms, Telemann’s Fantasia in F-sharp Minor and more. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: Walgreen Drama Center, Stams Auditorium Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@ michigandaily.com.

entry into the country. Ross, a member of the Coalition for Fair Labor at NYU and the president of NYU’s chapter of the American Association of University Professors, planned to research labor issues surrounding migrant workers on NYU’s Saadiyat Island campus. The Coalition for Fair Labor condemned the travel ban and said in a statement, “The fact that professor Ross was barred from travel to the UAE, the site of NYU’s main ‘global network’ campus in Abu Dhabi, represents a gross violation of academic freedom,” The Washington Square News reported. — NEALA BERKOWSKI

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY

A geomagnetic storm is currently hitting Earth near the North Pole, Mashable reported. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that this storm could potentially interrupt electrical grids and radio signals.

For women in business, challenges can be even greater than average. Luckily, one group on campus looks to empower females in the workforce and change the conversation. >> FOR MORE, SEE STATEMENT

Microsoft announced Tuesday that the Internet Explorer line will not continue with Microsoft’s new web browser, Quartz reported. The decision means that the project will finally die.

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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.

Netanyahu wins after tight PM race in Israel Likud and Zionist Union parties must compete to form a parliament coalition JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to fend off a strong challenge from the country’s opposition leader in parliamen-

tary elections Tuesday, emerging from an acrimonious campaign in a slightly better position to form Israel’s next government. But with the sides nearly evenly divided, a victory by Netanyahu’s Likud Party still was not guaranteed. His chief rival, Isaac Herzog of the Zionist Union, said he would make “every effort” to form a government, and an upstart centrist party led by a former Netanyahu ally-turned-rival was set to be

CSG hears sustainability, coal divestment proposals

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the kingmaker. The country now heads into what could be weeks of negotiations over the makeup of the next coalition. Both Netanyahu and Herzog will now compete for a chance to form a coalition that commands a majority in the 120-seat parliament, a daunting task in Israel’s fractured political landscape. Netanyahu appeared to have a better chance of cobbling together a government with right-wing and religious parties that he calls his SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily “natural allies.” Herzog would LSA sophomore Joseph Hansel discusses the resolution to support the signing of the American College & University have to appeal to more ideologiPresidents’ Climate Commitment during the Central Student Government meeting on Tuesday in the CSG chambers . cally diverse parties. Either will likely need the support of Moshe Kahlon, whose new Kulanu party captured nine or 10 seats, according to polls. Kahlon, whose campaign focused almost entirely on bread-and-butter economic issues, refused to take sides. http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ “I am loyal to my way,” he told his supporters, saying he would Sustainability efforts outlined by the ACUPCC. He said work to form a government comat the University the University currently meets mitted to social justice. The LSA Student Government’s two of these tenets with certainty, The election was widely seen as Taking Responsibility for and possibly a third. a referendum on Netanyahu, who the Earth and Environment “The tenets that we currently has governed the country for the subcommittee presented a practice strongly are public past six years, and recent opinion resolution to encourage the transportation being available polls had given Herzog a slight University and University to all faculty, staff, visitors lead. By SAMANTHA WINTNER President Mark Schlissel to and students, along with our As the results were announced Daily Staff Reporter sign the American College and participation in Recyclemania,” on the nation’s three major TV University Presidents’ Climate Hansel said. stations, celebrations erupted at The Central Student Commitment. Recyclemania is a competition Likud’s campaign headquarters in Government Assembly passed The ACUPCC is an designed to bolster university Tel Aviv. several resolutions at their undertaking by a network recycling programs. “Against all the odds we meeting Tuesday evening, of colleges and universities The Ohio State University, the obtained a great victory for the including a proposal to support to address global climate University of Illinois at UrbanaLikud,” Netanyahu told the gathadditional off-campus lighting change. Signatories pledge to Champaign and the University of ering. “Now we must form a and the inclusion of the eliminate net greenhouse gas California, Berkeley, are among strong and stable government that University’s Sexual Misconduct emissions from certain campus more than 690 schools that have will ensure Israel’s security and Policy on course syllabi. operations and encourage already signed the commitment. welfare,” he added, in comments The body also approved a institutions of higher learning “The ACUPCC does offer a aimed at Kahlon. proposal to support the creation of to conduct research and network of different universities He said he had already been in a committee that would consider educate society on how to that we are in close contact with,” touch with all other nationalist the University’s investments and better the climate. Hansel said. “We plan to work parties in hopes of quickly formthe potential of divesting from oil LSA freshman Joseph Hansel, with all three of those schools to ing a coalition. and coal companies. an LSA student government examine how we can take their Netanyahu focused his camDuring the meeting, the representative, spoke on behalf of sustainability practices and either paign on security issues, while assembly also considered the organization at the meeting amend them or apply them to our his opponents instead pledged to proposals to provide funding Tuesday. University to make us the most address the country’s high cost of to MUSIC Matters and support Hansel said for a university to sustainable campus that we can living and accused the leader of the University’s participation join the network, it must agree to be.” being out of touch with everyday in a climate change reduction meet at least two of seven actions He said CSG support for this people. program. to reduce greenhouse gases as See CSG, Page 3A

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Assembly also approves resolutions to support additional off-campus lighting

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News FUNDRAISER From Page 1A

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Guest speaker Ron Scott, spokesperson for the Detroit Coalition Against Police Brutality, discusses his personal experiences with racial history in Detroit during the fifth meeting of the mini course “Black Lives Matter” in East Quad on Monday.

CLASS From Page 1A the course incorporates many different subjects, including socioeconomic class, environment, policing and colonial history. “Through it, I feel that everyone that participates learns about the historical and methodological underpinnings to many intersections of the Black Lives Matter movement; I know I have,” Razdar said. The course began in February and will end in April, culminating with a panel discussion involving University President Mark Schlissel and LSA Dean Andrew Martin. The panel will allow students and faculty to discuss the University’s plans to improve inclusion and diversity on campus — topics that have been a focus of campus conversation in the last two years. In November 2013, members of the University’s Black Student Union launched the #BBUM Twitter campaign —which garnered

SAM From Page 1A worked in cooperation with university officials and regretfully agreed with their request to close the chapter.” At the conclusion of the University’s judicial process in February, the University announced it would no longer recognize SAM as a campus organization. The University also requested that the national office revoke the chapter and take further sanctions. Sigma Delta Tau, the sorority that accompanied SAM on the trip to Treetops Resort in Gaylord, was placed on a two-year disciplinary suspension by the University. Four other Greek life chapters also faced sanctions for damages

STIGMA From Page 1A “This keynote address was particularly chosen because it was a really good way of tying in the way a person’s queer identity can affect their Arab identity,” said event organizer Farah Erzouki, a Public Health student. “We wanted to explore those interactions between two such marginalized identities.” During his speech, Atshan shared his story about struggling to come to terms with his sexuality. “I, alongside others, were constantly accused of being perverts,” Atshan said. “People failed to see that homosexual love is between two consenting adults.” Atshan also addressed how his sexuality affected his family. “Coming out as gay created

CSG From Page 1A initiative would show Schlissel that students are united in their support for campus sustainability, and would subsequently encourage him to sign the commitment. The proposal was referred to the resolutions committee. MUSIC Matters asks CSG for sponsorship Business senior Darren Appel, MUSIC Matters president, also presented a resolution asking CSG to provide funding for the MUSIC Matters 2015 concert and SpringFest. Since 2011, MUSIC Matters, one of the largest student organizations at the University,

national recognition— to allow students to share their experiences as Black students on campus. Each session focuses on a different sub-topic, organized to encourage discussion among students. The four course sessions to date have each dealt with a different aspect of racial inequality in contemporary society. The first half of each class in the course includes a presentation given by a Residential College faculty member and a guest speaker. Lectures so far have included “Police Violence in Black America: Past and Present” and “Bad Jobs, Black Lives and Young Workers.” After the presentation, students break into smaller groups to discuss the material and reconvene as a class to report back on their conversations. Razdar said the course empowers students, community members and experts in the field to all learn from each other. “Most of all I will take with me powerful knowledge which I can use both in my studies and activ-

ism,” he said. In an interview with the college’s blog, LSA Today, LSA junior Gina Goldfaden said she enrolled in the course because she wanted to discuss issues surrounding inequality with a wide range of people. “I enrolled in the course because I wanted the opportunity to have an extended dialogue on race, discrimination and social inequities with other students,” Goldfaden said. “The collaboration between a wide range of people from, in and around the University made me feel as though everyone was welcome to learn, share and discuss.” Bright said the class aims to open the floor for student discussion, rather than provide answers to problems. “We’ll discuss the problems raised by police violence and of the reactions of undergraduates — their fears and frustrations in trying to grapple with the implications they see in these incidents of police violence,” he said.

to the Boyne Highlands Resort in Harbor Springs during the same weekend, but the University’s disciplinary proceedings determined those damages were not intentional. In the weeks following the incident, CSG President Bobby Dishell, a Public Policy senior; Interfraternity Council President Alex Krupiak, an LSA senior; and Panhellenic Association President Maddy Walsh, a Business junior, released a public apology on behalf of SAM and the other organizations involved. Dishell said in a statement on behalf of CSG that the decision of SAM’s international board is an important step in ensuring justice for those involved in the incident. “We commend the University for remaining proactive in

its investigation and for holding the involved organizations accountable,” he wrote Tuesday. “We hope to continue working with the administration, and we look forward to achieving greater reparative progress in the weeks and months ahead.” In a statement on behalf of IFC, Krupiak noted that the ski trip incidents were unfortunate and disappointing. “Sigma Alpha Mu is not a fraternity recognized by IFC anymore as a result of the university’s ruling a few weeks ago,” he said. “We are confident that the Greek community will move forward from these events and will continue to have a positive impact on this campus.” Daily Staff Reporter Allana Akhtar contributed reporting.

repercussions for my family,” Atshan said. “The family honor was tied to my decisions. This is because sexuality is a topic that doesn’t come often in the public forum, especially in the Middle East.” Atshan is involved in several efforts to create a safer environment for the LGBTQ community, such as organizing the first Global Queer Palestinian Solidarity Movement. Atshan also briefly discussed Palestinian living conditions in the West Bank territory. “Their freedom is taken away from them,” Atshan said. “There is segregation everywhere between the Palestinians and the Israelites. Palestinian children come home to find their houses demolished, unarmed women and children are constantly interrogated by Israeli soldiers. It’s abso-

lutely heartbreaking.” Atshan concluded his speech by congratulating members of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality and the University’s chapter of Students for Justice in Palestine for launching campaigns to encourage the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement on campus, as well as for the opening of Edward Said Lounge in North Quad Residence Hall. “It’s important to talk about Palestinians and intersectionalities in an Arab context,” said LSA junior Hind Omar. “Events like these definitely create awareness, and there needs to be more about it. Palestine is a topic that nobody can avoid anymore.” Other Arab Heritage Month events include the Ann Arbor Palestine film festival, belly dance lessons and a group discussion on sexuality.

has planned a day of festivities in the spring to raise money for philanthropic initiatives. In the organization’s first three years, it raised $10,000 for C.S. Mott Children’s hospital, $50,000 for a need-based scholarship at the University and planned a leadership camp at the University for Detroit children. Appel said the festival would unite the entire University campus. “The idea behind SpringFest is that we have this decentralized campus — it allows everybody to come together for one day and sort of bring the campus and celebrate the University,” he said. Several other campus student organizations will be involved in the event, which will include a “Shark Tank” pitch competition,

a sustainability zone, live music, a fashion show and food trucks. “This festival brings between 40 and 50 student organizations together and celebrates everything that they’ve accomplished in an interactive way to engage with the students,” Appel said. In the resolution, MUSIC Matters requested a total of $8,000 from CSG — $4,000 from its Legislative Discretionary Account and $4,000 from its Sponsored Activities fund. Appel said this amount would render CSG an official sponsor of the event; CSG gave MUSIC Matters $10,000 for its 2014 event. The proposal was referred to the finance committee. Read the rest of this story online at michigandaily.com.

secure jobs and housing. The organization would steward the money, rather than give the funds to the Chavez’s directly. Funkhouser wrote in a Facebook post that people claiming to be Mat Chavez’s relatives had contacted him, warning that the couple was on the street because of drug use, not due to an illness that resulted in a lost job and ultimately homelessness. He added that he had reached out directly to Danielle Chavez’s family, who corroborated this story and said the couple should not receive the money. “If Mat and Danielle are on drugs and not responsible with what they are given or are not willing to accept the help that is offered, the charity would use the money towards helping the homeless community of Ann Arbor,” he said. The Michigan Daily could not confirm these comments from family members. Mat Chavez declined to comment Tuesday afternoon.

PADDY’S From Page 1A thing went and ways to improve next year. Bryan Baker, the University’s Division of Public Safety and Security’s liaison to the Office of Student Life, said he was happy with the way their initiative turned out. “I thought the bagels went really well this morning,” Baker said. “The students and the audience that we were trying to reach were very receptive to the messaging of us having them think before they drink and get some food in their bellies before they go out and have any type of alcohol.” Students were the targeted audience of the campaign, but Lt. Bush handed the bagels with attached safety fliers out to anyone who wanted them. “It’s an important message no matter how old you are,” Bush said. “We don’t want anyone going to the hospital or getting hurt — nothing is worth that.” In addition to this event, last Saturday, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center held a bystander intervention training session, hosted by Beyond the Diag at the Luther Buchele Cooperative House. The aim of these programs was to help inform students on how to react to potential dangerous situations and stay safe during the holiday and the weekend following. Baker said the outreach done this year, such as the free bagels, will continue next year. He reported the number of students drinking in the dorms the Saturday prior to St. Patrick’s Day was down by 50 percent from last year, but noted that Dance Marathon being held Saturday through Sunday was a contributing factor. “I think that we will continue on with these types of educational efforts and really getting out there and talking to the community.” Baker said. After the discussion was over, Bush went back to her duties as an officer and patrolled the streets, making sure to pass all of the popular bars and observe the crowd size in and out of the bars. By 9 a.m., the lines were gone and the bars were full. HopCat and Scorekeepers did not open until later on in the day, but Bush said that in previous years she remembers lines down the block in front of Scorekeepers, and that the amount of people out on St. Patrick’s day is really dependent on the weather and day the holiday falls on. 1:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. During the day, campus was quiet and most students attended class. AAPD Officer Jaime Crawford was assigned to traffic patrol as usual. She left the department around 1:45 p.m. and began her patrol. Not following a specific route, Crawford spent her traffic patrols cruising around town. Sometimes, she parked and used her speed laser to catch speeding cars. While most of the time on traffic patrol is spent driving around and looking for disobedience to traffic laws, Crawford was constantly on the lookout for abnormal behavior. On holidays like St. Patrick’s Day, officers like Crawford look

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 — 3A Funkhouser noted that he has no proof of the allegations and does not know if they are true, but felt that he had to inform the donors because he doesn’t want them to feel deceived. “I don’t have any, like, cold hard evidence either way,” Funkhouser said in an interview with the Daily. “I just know what Mat and Danielle have said. And I know what the people that know them and other people have said. As of right now I don’t know what’s true and what’s not true.” Before deciding to leave the money in care of a non-profit, Funkhouser laid out new options for donating the money raised. These included giving the money to Danielle’s parents to start a college fund for the Chavez’ daughters, giving the money directly to the couple, or refunding the donors — though he would have to check if this is possible and, if so, to what extent. He asked for donors’ feedback to determine which option he would choose. Funkhouser said he personally thought giving the money to the charity would be the best option. From his Facebook post, he explained that the money would still go toward helping the rest of

Ann Arbor’s homeless community if the Chavez couple is not eligible to receive funding through the charity. He added that most of the people who contacted him after he posted the update on social media and the fundraising page agreed that this would be the best course of action. “I don’t want anyone who donated or anyone who helped out with this to feel bad about happened because we still have the chance to make the money go to a really good cause,” he said. “We just have to figure out that cause now. So it’s a little disappointing but it’s not the end.” Funkhouser said the new developments were disappointing because the campaign had seemed to be so successful and for a good cause. “The original goal of this campaign was to help a homeless family get off of the streets and this solution will do that, whether that be Mat and Danielle or another family,” he wrote on the fundraising page. “I believe that by giving the money to a charity that is experienced in these types of situations is the most responsible decision at this time.”

for students who are displaying disorderly conduct. “We’re looking for people that can’t handle themselves, are stumbling and putting their own safety at risk,” Crawford said. The difference between issuing an Minor in Possession and delivering a warning is a gray area for many officers, Crawford said, noting that student interaction with the officer plays a big role. “Compliance and respectfulness can go a long way. The way you respond can determine if you get a ticket or not,” Crawford said. Crawford said she specifically looks for students who are posing danger to themselves. Though if the police see a house party, they will not always choose to intervene. “We’ll address parties if we get a complaint,” Crawford said. “We will also proactively make contact with a party if it’s spilling out onto the street, blocking pedestrian or foot traffic, if people are throwing glass or displaying destructive behavior, or if there are fights.” Back at the station, there are holding cells for civilians that have been arrested and may be taken to jail. Bush said though it is not common, belligerent students have been brought to these cells in the past. “Generally we write tickets, unless they’re really assaultive, in which case we bring them back here,” Bush said. St. Patrick’s Day has tended to be a busier holiday when it comes to tickets given out. The holiday is infamous for having a large amount of house parties and underage drinking. Bush said she believes this is due to the arrival of warmer weather. “Well, it is a holiday, and we do have people that want to celebrate that holiday,” Bush said. “Christmas, students are gone, and same with Thanksgiving. This is a sign of spring, and people have cabin fever; they want to get out of their apartments and dorms and have fun.” 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Officer Dennis DeGrand left the Ann Arbor Police Department for his midday patrol at approximately 3 p.m. Just 25 minutes into his shift, Officer DeGrand was dispatched to the scene of an assault near the entrance of the Main Street Party Store. Two witnesses described the altercation: an intoxicated white male directed racial slurs at a man before punching him twice. Both parties involved left the scene before Officer DeGrand arrived. The witnesses noted the assailant may have proceeded to enter the Heidelberg Restaurant down the street. The establishment’s bouncers said that he was denied at the door. Approximately one hour later, the officer received a call about a male lying semi-conscious on the couch inside Bubble Island. Upon arrival, paramedics were alrea dy on the scene, transporting a student on a stretcher into the ambulance. Several of his friends on the street noticed, and tried to plead with the officer and paramedics that he was fine, and asked they be allowed to take him home. They were rebuffed by the officer. “He’s incapacitated, passed out in a business, unable to take care of himself. So we need to take him

into protective custody,” DeGrand said. MIPs are very common among students, while DUIs and other forms of alcohol arrests are less common among students. “It’s not usually college students drinking and driving because they either walk or catch a cab to the bars,” DeGrand said. “It’s usually out-of-towners, who come into town to drink at the bars and then drive afterwards. If you’re in the drunk tank, it’s usually because you’ve been fighting or disorderly conduct. If you’re just drunk and haven’t done anything wrong you’ll go to the hospital.” 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. By the evening, things seemed to be settled down. Tony Ricco of the University Police saw no St. Patrick’s Dayrelated mischief during his shift. A member of UMPD for 12.5 years, Ricco described patrolling the streets as 90 percent quiet and 10 percent excitement. Ricco noted that there is increased enforcement for drunk driving on St. Patrick’s Day in Ann Arbor, though he issued no arrests during this time frame. Though he did spot a noticeably drunk man stumbling by the Power Center, he did not confront him because the man was not causing harm to others and appeared over the legal drinking age. As a UMPD officer, Ricco spent much of his night in University buildings; he helped turn off a fire alarm in Schembechler Hall, patrolled the mostly empty hallways of Angel and Mason Halls for non-students, faculty or staff members and also circled Michigan Stadium and Crisler Arena. His unique role as a University officer means that only University buildings and the streets adjacent to those buildings are within his jurisdiction, excluding Ann Arbor city bars, shops and even fraternity houses from his daily responsibilities. At the same time, Officer Anthony Petterle was on duty starting at 7:00 p.m. for the AAPD. Petterle, with the force for about three years now, said AAPD and UMPD work well together, helping each other when necessary and thus better serving the community. Petterle worked the second-latest shift of the day, the last being the “party patrol,” which is usually reserved for weekends and game day evenings. Much like for Ricco, Petterle didn’t have to attend to St. Paddy’s shenanigans between 7:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Petterle responded to a call about a domestic issue, issued a ticket for an expired license plate and helped get a car towed that was blocking a driveway. Along Main Street and Hill Street, green-clad students moved peacefully to the bars or back home. Petterle said he was basically looking to “keep the peace.” “A lot of people think we’re out here just trying to slam every single person we come into for an MIP or whatever, but most of the time we’re actually out here just making sure everyone’s having fun but being safe,” he said. Daily News Editor Will Greenberg and Daily Staff Reporters Andrew Almani, Isobel Futter, Emma Kinery and Lara Moehlman contributed reporting.

Opinion

4A — Wednesday, March 18, 2015

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

The ongoing civil rights movement Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com AARICA MARSH and DEREK WOLFE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS

JENNIFER CALFAS EDITOR IN CHIEF

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.

Finding our way there

magine, for a moment, the University suddenly devoid of women. All female students, professors, staff members and administrators vanish from campus. A multitude of seats in lecture halls and classrooms would be vacant. A number of classes would lack instruction from professors. Administrative issues would remain unresolved. The progress of research projects and initia- MELISSA tives would slacken. Dining SCHOLKE halls would operate understaffed. Portions of on-campus residences — without the contributions of staff members — would remain unkempt. Student organizations and committees across campus would struggle to function without a vast portion of their members and their leadership. Without its female writers, copy editors, videographers, designers, photographers and editors, the publication you’re currently reading would lack content to provide to the student population. In short, the University, as it currently stands, would struggle to function during this hypothetical scenario. Although the scenario I describe above is merely my own personal musing, March 8, on International Women’s Day, women vanished from advertisements, posters, publications and billboards throughout New York City in an effort to raise awareness of the gender inequality continuing to permeate our society. Sponsored by the Clinton Foundation, the disappearance of female bodies, in combination with displaying the web address Not-There.org, was meant to call attention to data compiled by the foundation’s No Ceilings initiative to measure and gauge the worldwide condition of all women. By entering the web address into a browser, members of the public were able to view a female celebrity-filled YouTube video explaining the disappearances, and they were presented with the opportunity to discover alarming facts and figures regarding the contemporary magnitude of gender inequality. Aptly titled, the campaign illustrates that gender equality remains out of reach for women throughout the globe. Of the numerous facts given to describe the current state of inequality, the website notes that the United States stands as “one of nine countries worldwide that doesn’t provide for paid maternity leave.” Highlighting the dangerous prevalence of violence against women, the No Ceilings initiative provides the statistic that “one in three women suffers physical or sexual violence” within society. The site also addresses issues surrounding the gender pay gap, inaccessibility to education, Internet service and child marriage. According to an estimate from the Clinton Foundation, “the Not There website had been viewed at least 104, 680 times” as of the evening of March 8. Gathering data and promoting a forum of discussion is crucial to making progress for women’s rights. Succeeding in its attempt to capture attention and garner support for equality among genders, the Not There campaign is certainly a poignant and powerful one. Katie Dowd, the director of digital strategy at the Clinton Foundation, noted in an interview that one of the goals of the campaign was “to create a moment that feels meaningful.” However, no matter how revolutionary the campaign was

in its commencement last week, the commitment to dismantling gender inequality must not remain limited to a single day. The effect of this campaign shouldn’t just be a noteworthy news event with a notoriety that fizzles out over time. In addition to the mysterious departure of women from newsstands and advertisements, another component of the campaign featured erasing the voices of females from contemporary music featured across roughly 186 radio stations owned by iHeartMedia across the nation. As a heavy critic of the usually oversexualized and over-photoshopped manner in which women are often portrayed in ads and magazines anyway, I found this removal of voices to be more significant. In my opinion, demonstrating the lack of voices is more important than a lack of today’s societal depictions. Providing spaces for women’s voices to be heard is instrumental to achieving true equality. In regards to remedying the ridiculous pay gap between men and women, I have often heard cultivating a larger number of women in STEM fields proposed as a solution. More women in STEM careers, as suggested by an article on the No Ceilings initiative’s website, would propel women into “some of the fastest growing, best paying, and highest-need fields in today’s economy.” Increasing the number of women in these careers would most likely aid in alleviating the pay gap as women with STEM careers earn 33 percent more than their female counterparts in other sections of the workforce. However, the pay gap is merely one issue, and equality isn’t obtained from the shifting of a comma on a paycheck. Women, in numerous fields, are absent from positions of leadership. According to the Center for American Progress, they possess 52 percent of all professional-level jobs, yet only 14.6 percent of American women hold executive officer positions. Women, in a profitable sector of the economy such as the legal field, consist of 45.4 percent of associates. Yet just 25 percent of women maintain the status of non-equity partners, while a mere 15 percent of women are equity partners at a firm. Returning once again to the influential market of advertising, women constitute three percent of creative directors. In other fields where shaping messages and opinion is at the forefront, men continue to dominate. Women in the film industry comprise only 16 percent of the directors, executive producers, producers, writers, cinematographers and actors responsible for creating the most profitable films in 2013. If this percentage were increased, more complex, intriguing and independent female characters would appear in our narratives. To move women toward our desired destination in society, we absolutely need to understand the data, raise awareness of the issues to both men and women and recognize the role women play in our world. However, rather than take away images of women, the next step needs to involve re-imagining the role women play in our society. We need women in the advertising, marketing and communication realms to continue redefining societal notions of womanhood. We need female representation in government and public policy to enact legislation necessary to improve overall living conditions for women. We need women with vast technological knowledge to continue advancing society. To achieve equality, society, overall, needs women in sectors and roles that are diverse.

Without women, the University would struggle to function.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

— Melissa Scholke can be reached at melikaye@umich.edu.

Send letters to: tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Decreasing asthma and environmental pollution TO THE DAILY: Did you know that Michigan has an asthma contraction rate 10 percent higher than the national average, and that southwest Detroit has the third-most polluted zip code, 48127, in the nation? Environmentalists have established a link between environmental pollutants and adult-onset asthma. In addition, pollution frequently induces asthma attacks in those who already have the disorder. We all directly or indirectly have people we know who have asthma; obviously this issue is immediate. The Clean, Renewable and Efficient Energy Act, which requires that electric companies in the state of Michigan, such as DTE Energy, have 10 percent of their energy come from

renewable resources, expires at the end of this year. The issue is that once 2015 ends, the act expires, and electric companies lack incentive to continue using renewable energy. In order to protect those close to us, we should all advocate for sustainable energy policies that keep us all healthy and worry-free. Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced that he hopes to expand energy policy so that we get 30 to 40 percent of our power from clean renewables by 2025. In order to persuade the Michigan Legislature to vote in the affirmative, he needs our help. It’s imperative that we all contact our legislators in order to aid Snyder in the passing of a renewable energy act, which would reduce air pollutants and thus asthmatic prevalence in Michigan for those around us and our posterity. Lotan Helfman LSA Senior

n Saturday, March 7, a video was leaked of students from the University of Oklahoma’s Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chapter singing a racist chant in unison. The chant included claims that Black students could never be a part RABAB of the fraternity, JAFRI using the n-word and making a reference to lynching: “You can hang him from a tree, but he’ll never sign with me. There will never be a ***** in SAE.” Since the incident, the University of Oklahoma’s SAE chapter has been suspended by the university and its national chapter. Two students who were identified as leading this chant have been expelled. The video is blatantly racist. Students lightheartedly chanted about lynching, an act that is a reminder of America’s grim whitesupremacist past, making it clear that the sentiments are in no way eradicated from our present-day society. Lynching was a way to strike fear into the hearts of the Black community both during and after the post-Civil War, to make them feel weak and like they would never be equal. To bring such a gruesome image back into the minds of Black Americans is unsettling, especially in this day and age. This incident was extremely shocking and eye-opening for many people throughout the nation, although in the eyes of many within the Black community, the only thing unique about this incident is that it was recorded. Megan Johnson, a Black student from the University of

Oklahoma stated, “Personally I was outraged, I was upset, but shocked was not an emotion that I had … These racist situations happen every day and we encounter them. It took this group of students to be on camera and caught for it to get national attention.” The incidence that was caught on tape goes beyond just the actions and beliefs of a few fraternity brothers on a bus. Rather, this was a small reflection of much of the racism that is still prevalent within the United States today. Although many Americans still deny that racism is a prevalent issue in America, racial inequality exists in education, the criminal justice system and finances, among others according to a Pew report. Racism infringes upon the rights of Black Americans, even at a young age. Black children are more likely to be suspended for the same infringement as their white counterparts, — even in preschool — and are more likely to be placed in juvenile detention throughout their schooling. This severely limits their ability to reach higher education, which is already impeded by the history of racism in America, which includes slavery and Jim Crow laws. The hope that many rely on is the idea that the upcoming generations are more racially accepting and open-minded than people of the previous generations. Although this generation is statistically the most diverse thus far, the reality, as highlighted by this incident,

is that whites within upcoming generations may not be as racially accepting as many may have previously thought. An evaluation of racial stereotype battery in the 2012 American National Election Study shows that 61 percent of white Americans under 30 view whites as more intelligent and hardworking than Black Americans, almost as much as their older counterparts; 64 percent of those 31 and older believe white Americans are more intelligent. As a community, it’s important to realize that racism still is very much alive today, and that the Civil Rights Movement didn’t end with a happily ever after just because we have a Black president. It includes every instance of racism that occurs in society today and it begins and ends with our actions. Many people have ignored the institutional racism and police brutality prevalent in our time. We should learn from the stories of our past and present, and ask ourselves what we want to tell our grandchildren about. I hope to be standing on the side of history that speaks for truth and justice. Malcolm X, a oncemisunderstood man, said, “I’m for truth, no matter who tells it. I’m for justice, no matter who it is for or against. I’m a human being, first and foremost, and as such I’m for whoever and whatever benefits humanity as a whole.”

It’s important to realize that racism is still very much alive today.

— Rabab Jafri can be reached at rfjafri@umich.edu.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Victoria Noble, Michael Paul, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Allison Raeck, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Linh Vu, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Derek Wolfe

The dangers of plastic

he week before Spring Break, my environmental psych class turned my whole world upside down. I’m sure any readers out there who are familiar with environment or psychology classes know that a little information goes a long way to ELIANA sending students HERMAN down doomsday spirals. Now just picture these two topics combined into one and then drop in a passionate guest speaker and you have a clear image of what caused me to question everything. Or, at least, everything I knew about plastic. And honestly, once the guest speaker opened my eyes, I realized I really didn’t know shit about plastic. Because who even thinks about it, really? It makes up my adorable reusable (and therefore eco-friendly, or so I thought) water bottle, my pitcher I use for water, my shampoo and conditioner containers, the knife-fork-spoon hybrid I eat all my meals with and god only knows what else. Plastic is everywhere and it’s wreaking havoc on our world and our bodies. No one even knows what it’s made of, because the people who make plastic do not have to disclose the ingredients that make it up. For example, in the early 2000s, when numerous studies came out explaining that the chemicals in the BPA plastic that make up most water bottles and baby bottles disrupt hor-

mones and cause cancer, most people were quick to leap onto the BPA-free bandwagon. I know my family was. Basically, during my entire childhood, I instinctively knew that BPAfree water bottles were safe. According to a Mother Jones article, BPA substitutes are unregulated chemicals made into plastic in privately owned businesses which do not have to release this information. Similarly, according to Journalist’s Resource, new studies have shown that the same endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in BPA can be found in its widely favored replacement. This information is frighteningly hidden. Until plastic is more closely regulated by the government, it will be impossible to know the breadth of danger that comes from these mixtures of chemicals. And plastic, the material that makes up throwaway packaging and non-reusable grocery bags, will never decompose into nature because, “due to the nature of plastic (it) often can only be ‘downcycled’ rather than recycled.” Some plastic is sent to be recycled in developing countries, which often involves open-air burning. But most plastic doesn’t even enter the shoddy recycling system. Thirty-four million tons of plastic were disposed in the United States in 2008, 86 percent of which ended up in landfills.

Landfills are deeply unsustainable and diminish land resources. Other options, such as incineration, dangerously release carbon dioxide and other air pollutants. It seems to me that the entire recycling and waste removal system needs to be revitalized. But until that day, try to creatively reuse plastics, maybe for flower pots or pencil cases. However, do not eat out or off of them. As well as increasing our risk for cancer and disrupting our hormones when plastic leeches from our water bottles and plastic dining ware into our food and water, it’s also destroying the only home we have. Change starts with a small step in the right direction, so switch from plastic to metal or glass today. I did, and my metal water bottle holds water in basically the same way! I’m sure some people will read this and think I am crazy for putting so much emphasis on avoiding plastic. It’s easy to write off these findings as pieces of propaganda and insanity, but that’s just being willfully blind. Scientists aren’t lying. It’s better to take preventative steps now by cutting as much plastic out of our lives as possible. It’s the only real chance we have at saving this glorious planet. And ourselves, too.

The entire recycling and waste removal system needs to be revitalized.

— Eliana Herman can be reached at erherman@umich.edu.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN MAKING LIFELONG FRIENDS AND BONDING AT FLEETWOOD? DO YOU LIKE GIANT TEDDY BEARS AND BEVERAGES THAT COST A MERE 50 CENTS? Check out The Michigan Daily’s editorial board meeting. Every Monday and Wednesday at 6 p.m., the Daily’s opinion staff meets to discuss both University, state and national affairs. E-mail opinioneditors@michigandaily.com to join in the debate.

Arts

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 — 5A

A&E

“I hear dead people.”

‘Returned’ mimics ‘Frozen on Ice’ is French predecessor DISNEY ON ICE

Prince Fuckboi.

faithful to film Movie adaptation exceeds writer’s expectations By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY Daily Arts Writer

“Why are you going home this weekend?” “I’m going to ‘Frozen on Ice,’ ” I said, straight-faced. AI don’t mess around when Frozen it comes to the on Ice “awesomely cool” new The Palace of age classic Auburn Hills (the tickets were free, so that didn’t hurt either). But no matter the ticket price, it was certainly a spectacle worth seeing. Before the show at The Palace, a cast of classic Disney characters glided across the ice gracefully to get the childdominated crowd prepped for the show. Princes, princesses, lions, fish and a nightmarish Pumba did rounds with their specific theme songs before the show got underway. Mickey began to tell Minnie (let the record show that they are married, NOT brother and sister, as I have thought my entire life) a story about true love, between sisters. It was a progressive message that most Disney stories haven’t yet embraced compared to the typical prince/princess story lines. Out of excitement for

“Frozen,” moments before the show began, I had a minor panic attack, a reaction friends who I brought for moral support successfully made fun of. Wait, will it be the actors’ voices? Or the ice skaters’ voices? Will it be the skaters singing? I do not give a shit about their voices. GIVE ME IDINA MENZEL AND KRISTEN BELL OR GIVE ME DEATH. After a vocally questionable intro with Sven and Kristoff, it was clear they kept near identical voices to the movie and the exact soundtrack recording for the musical numbers. Phew. Furthermore (and I guess more importantly than my burning questions) the ice skating adaption stayed true to the film’s plot points, with minor cuts due to restrictions by the live production. Elsa and Anna’s parents were not present in the performance (But do we care? They were kind of dicks). Anna falls into a fruit stand instead of a boat when she first meets ultimate fuck-boy Prince Hans. But no worries, the really important stuff is still there. Olaf’s head comes off as many times as I could’ve asked for, Elsa whips off her cape in her fuckyou-guys-I’m-awesome anthem “Let it Go,” and of course, there was an impressively large, inflated snow monster, which successfully scared the shit out of the young children surrounding me. The live production was impressive to say the least. It came with snow falling from the ceiling, sparks and the occasional flame. A contraption on the ceiling worked in tandem with

a staircase on the floor to give a buyable version of Elsa’s HGTVdream ice castle. The biggest disappointment of the show was definitely when several green balls (presumably trolls) rolled across the ice into a woodlands set. We waited and waited for people on skates to burst out of their balls into full-on troll-hood, but to no avail. Soon after Anna and Kristoff’s dialogue, the balls rolled away and skaters came onto the ice separately. A small, yet extremely disappointing moment.

GIVE ME KRISTEN BELL OR GIVE ME DEATH Sans some ball-enclosed Trolls, “Frozen on Ice” was everything I expected it could be. I got to sing “Let it Go” alongside an arena full of tiny humans, and believe it or not still got a little choked up when Anna saved Elsa. The iceskating added another aspect to the “Frozen” story, and the actors skated f lawlessly around the arena f loor for two hours slowing through dialogue and catchy musical numbers. Leaving Ann Arbor for the day and missing that party at Tower Plaza that was all over Yik Yak was totally worth it. “Frozen on Ice” was totally worth it.

By MATT BARNAUSKAS Daily Arts Writer

A bus full of high schoolers careens off a mountain side. Four years later, a girl named Camille Winship (India Ennega, “Treme”) climbs up B from the same spot the bus The fell. She walks home through Returned her town of Season 1, Caldwell, Episodes 1-3 Washington. She gets home, Mondays where her at 10 p.m. mother Claire (Tandi Wright, A&E “Jack the Giant Slayer”), having just lit candles at a shrine for her daughter, stares at Camille. While Claire stands silently shocked but happy, Camille remains oblivious, not knowing she’s been dead for four years and hasn’t aged a day. Based on the International Emmy-winning French drama “Les Revenants,” “The Returned” is a perplexing remake developed by the prolific Carlton Cuse who also produces A&E’s “Bates Motel,” a show which “The Returned” complements nicely considering both of their dark natures. At least for its first episode, “The Returned” remains largely, sometimes overly, faithful to its French counterpart and effectively captures a sense of psychological complexity and unease within its small town setting. Just like the idea of people returning from the dead, “The Returned” is a difficult show to initially wrap one’s head around. The show challenges viewers to think of the conse-

quences that a person returning from the dead might yield. None of the answers are exactly easy to grapple with. By primarily maintaining focus on the Winship family in its first episode, the show gauges the effects that a loss can have on a family and how this supernatural interference can further open these wounds. The home Camille returns to is drastically different than the one she left four years ago. Her parents are divorced, as her father Jack (Mark Pellegrino, “Lost”), is particularly embittered, angrily attending group grief counseling sessions led by Peter Lattimore (Jeremy Sisto, “Suburgatory”) – who is now seeing Claire. Meanwhile, her identical twin Lena (Sophie Lowe, “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland”) has aged four years and deals with her problems by partying at the local bar.

It challenges viewers to think about consequences. The family’s reactions to Camille’s return run the gauntlet of emotion. Claire’s initial happiness contrasts with the almost horror experienced by Lena. While Jack emotionally questions, “What kind of acceptance am I supposed to have now?” when talking to his wife and Peter, he reflects the inherent sadness of what Camille will have to face, saying, “She has absolutely no idea what she’s returned to.” The performance

of Pellegrino is the strongest from any actor in this impressively acted premiere. Jack is a troubled man who now has to wrestle with the guilt of seeing his daughter return to a broken home. Camille is not the only deceased to return though. There’s Simon Moran (Mat Vairo, “Revolution”) who wanders the town trying to find his bride-to-be Rowan (Mary Elizabeth Winstead, “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World”). And there’s the mysterious silent boy known only as Victor (Dylan Kingwell, “Big Eyes”), among several other plotlines introduced. There is an unease in the premiere regarding these returns. The night of the returns covers the town in shadows and characters attempt to navigate the unknown territory they are experiencing. The efficient use of the Dutch angle in cinematography makes several interactions with the title “Returned” feel effectively off, as though reality were rejecting the very concept that has been made real. The use of these techniques displays an influence of horror in the series which is further reinforced by turns “The Returned” makes near the end of its premiere. The success of “The Returned” lies in it being able to distinguish itself from its acclaimed predecessor. In the coming episodes, the show will need to take opportunities to diverge, tinker or subvert what came before instead of strictly following the blueprint of “Les Revenants.” The pieces are there for a strong debut season, but it’s up to Carlton Cuse and his writers to effectively adapt the source material beyond a simple copy.

VIDEO GAME REVIEW

‘Rainbow Curse’ is lazy game-making By JACOB RICH Daily Film Editor

“Kirby and the Rainbow Curse” looks absolutely amazing. Its unique blend of Claymation and CGI gives the game a fabulous, colorful D+ look that’s much more consis- Kirby tently appeal- and the ing than other games like “The Rainbow Neverhood” and Curse “Clay Fighter” that attempted Wii U video game exclusive Claymation Nintendo back in the ’90s. Unfortunately, it’s also totally boring. Its unique look just isn’t enough to make up for its lackluster level design and heavily flawed cooperative gameplay. “Kirby and the Rainbow Curse” is a 2-D platformer controlled

exclusively using the Wii U Gamepad’s touch screen. Kirby (whose limbs have been compacted in what we can only assume was a truly horrific accident) takes the form of a sphere, which the player controls using rainbow pathways he or she draws with the stylus. It’s the same system used in the early DS game “Kirby: Canvas Curse,” only it’s way less interesting here. Kirby can’t copy the abilities of his enemies, and the gameplay of “Rainbow Curse” feels empty without this staple ability that has consistently been the most interesting part of “Kirby” games throughout the series’ long history. Perhaps I have been spoiled by Nintendo’s other recently released platformers, like “Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze” and “Super Mario 3D World.” These games are highly regarded for introducing a new gameplay concept into every single level, always shaking things up enough to keep its solid base of platforming

mechanics interesting throughout. “Rainbow Curse” fails to reach this high bar. By the second world, I was tired of controlling Kirby with the stylus and the overly simple mechanics introduced as I progressed had me clamoring for complexity. I can remember most of the levels in “Super Mario Galaxy 2,” because of the new gameplay dimensions it introduced in each of its dozens of levels. I’d be hard-pressed to come up with more than a few innovative mechanics introduced in “Rainbow Curse.” The game tries to shake up the typically bland level design with simple vehicle-based segments. Sadly, these levels fail to interest after their initial impact, and they quickly become just as boring as their more standard counterparts. The game’s end-of-world bosses are initially moments of intrigue among the blandness, but only for the first three worlds. The bosses of worlds four through six are re-

NINTENDO

A Rainbow Curse doesn’t sound all that bad, actually.

skins of the first three bosses. It’s an inexcusable corner-cutting measure, proving that this game likely would have been better if it had more development time. The game offers cooperative play for up to four players, but this cooperative experience is heavily flawed. No matter what, the first player dictates the boundaries of the screen as Kirby (the other players follow along with Wii remotes as secondary “Waddle Dee” characters). While I played through World One with two other players, the newcomers were consistently

warped to my location after lagging behind or running ahead of me. Besides being able to attack foes, they had no agency over the level’s progression and quickly became frustrated. The co-op in “Rainbow Curse” typically boils down to “run around pointlessly while player one actually accomplishes things,” completely defeating the purpose of multiplayer. To make matters worse, playing in co-op mode adds a tedious mini-boss fight into each level, in which the non-Kirby players must defeat an enemy that

grabs and restrains Player One. It feels like a lame concession to the co-op players, with the designers acknowledging the lack of substantive multiplayer gameplay. If you’re looking for a great Wii U platformer, leave “Rainbow Curse” in the dust and head straight for “Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze,” a game with infinitely better level design and a whole lot more heart. “Kirby and the Rainbow Curse” was reviewed using a digital copy provided by Nintendo.

Arts

6A — Wednesday, March 18, 2015

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

CONCERT COVER

ALBUM REVIEW

Vic Mensa shows talent in Chicago Kanye cosign has potential, needs to drop live band By YARDAIN AMRON Daily Arts Writer

I bussed to Chicago this past weekend to visit a high school friend at Northwestern University and to escape the Ann Arbor bubble for a second. We went to a Vic Mensa show in the city Friday night, at some spotless meat shop with an indoor-venue in the back — stage, lights, visuals, second floor gallery; a lot of buttons, heels and man buns. Lux underground, you could call it. I had not heard of Vic Mensa, but I learned about his recent successes, coming off a feature on Kanye’s recent drop “Wolves” and a European tour that just returned from London and Paris. “That was all cool, but it’s about Chicago,” Mensa said to an eager crowd. It’s unclear how much of this is due to the “Kanye Effect” (hanging out with Kanye and earning his respect brings fame). There was a good-sized mosh already formed when we arrived – maybe 300 heads. We found some space towards the front right, by the un-dancy VIP section with its table of unopened waters. I liked feeling like a plebeian. A part of me wanted to mosh and completely let go for a night, but I was worried my friend wasn’t as keen, so we danced hard and sober among stiff people, even though I usually say I only can dance when I’m drunk. Mensa is a natural performer, which also helped, and held the crowd’s attention well. I chanted “Save Money” and “Los Angeles” when he told me to. I jumped up and down when he told me to. I turned my phone into a fauxlighter when he told me to. He did at one point ask the soundboard guy to “turn it up” because “I gotta keep these people moving,”

TRUE PANTHER

A face only Tobias Jesso Sr. could love.

Tobias Jesso Jr.’s melancholic ‘Goon’ VIRGIN EMI

“Kanye told me to get Thai food.”

but I still saw a talented kid my age with a few catchy songs, lyrical chops and serious potential. He mixes vocal melodies around his raps and makes you want to dance. There’s a lot to compare with Chance the Rapper, which makes sense considering the two plus a few other dudes make up a Chicago crew called “Save Money.” Think the next Odd Future. Looking at Mensa, I saw in him the moment I dreamed about when I was younger – traveling the world with a band and fame and all that. Sure I’m a bit envious, but of Mensa, not his band. If he wants to be a Chance-caliber superstar, he needs to either get some actual talent supporting him — not a drummer that can’t even follow a backing track with an electronic kit, and not a guitarist named Juicy Jack whose pick was more often in his mouth than his fingers — or, he needs to embrace what it means to be a solo artist. Take the low point of the show for example: Juicy Jack mistimed a sound cue at the climax of a new track, and while Mensa tried to save the moment by improving a vocal line, Juicy Jack took his

white tee in his teeth and shook his head offstage at some friends in the VIP section. Big-time performers sell their mistakes. But I believe it’s kind of silly there’s anyone onstage besides Mensa. The guitar and drums were more visual placeholders than anything, since he uses a pretty loud backing track. And the audience didn’t come to see anyone but Mensa in the first place. Why play the music any differently than how you made it? And if you think a band is crucial for a live performance, at least get a good one. Mensa can write solid verses and has a knack for squeezing syllables into small phrases. He can produce a catchy dance tune and performs like he knows he has it. But his lyrics aren’t on an Earl Sweatshirt or J.Cole level, and he doesn’t have the vocal chops of a Frank Ocean or Childish Gambino. At least not yet. When the show ended and the mosh-pit unpacked, there were a bunch of shirtless boys, dazed and smiling, dripping sweat. Mensa’s music clearly has power. I just hope the fame doesn’t get to him like it did for Mac Miller.

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39 Do-it-yourselfer’s nightmare 40 Homely 43 __ Mahal 45 Start of something big? 47 Delaware tribe 48 Presidential debate moderator Jim 50 Seminary subj. 52 Big primates 53 Select 54 Fencing blade

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Well, somebody woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Crotchety philosopher? Welldressed inmate? Mop-head teen? B+ Not quite. The above photo Goon displays the black-and-white Tobias headshot of Jesso Jr. pop star Tobias True Panther Jesso Jr., artist of the recently released 2015 album Goon. If the untamed mound of hair and moderately attractive frown didn’t give it away, this chap obviously isn’t the happiest moose in the market. His debut album seems, unsurprisingly, to reflect the musician’s pining, lonely heart. “Why can’t you just love me?” the rising star beckons us in a heartbroken first line. Sung with a sense of deflation more intense than a balloon in a vacuum, Jesso Jr.’s “Without You” is mopey, mushy and most likely your go-to during the Thursday morning thunderstorm. Throughout his 12-track record, the singer-songwriter certainly doesn’t win the variation award. “Without You” isn’t alone in its mellow melancholy — the vast majority of Goon

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Daily Arts Writer

sings of heartbreak and regret. Jesso Jr. confesses to making “you cry all those lonely tears” and bids “so long my only friend” above waw-waws of bluesy electric guitar and McCartney-esque piano. The titles don’t scream sunshine and daisies either: from “Can’t Stop Thinking About You” to “How Could You Babe,” it’s one lugubrious love after another. It’s the classic rainy day album: slow piano, light cymbals and 16 sad repetitions of “without you.” Despite the excess sadness, the gentle piano, light percussion and unique vocals that define the album aren’t so bad. The album is, in fact, very pretty. Jesso Jr. boasts an original sound — the artist’s voice is intentionally flat, poignant in its lack of vibrato and dynamics. Jesso Jr. asks, “won’t you come on home?” with gentle hesitation that translates into the beautiful authenticity of “Bad Words.” The piano in “Can’t Stop Thinking About You,” notwithstanding its simplicity, is rather alluring and the unison voices of violin and vocals in “For You” give the song an acute sense of purity. The ringing instrumentals, slow drum, light cymbals — it all adds up to soft, mellow bittersweet. The album’s content sports a sense of familiarity. Goon builds on an eclectic group of musicians

and styles, cultured with the aspects of all sorts of artists. The Beach Boys’ “Sloop John B” pours through the arpeggiated guitar of Jesso Jr.’s fifth number “The Wait.” Chopin’s “Raindrop Prelude” echoes in the closing sounds of “For You” and the groovy piano of Sara Bareilles shimmers in “Crocodile Tears.” Tones of John Lennon shine through “Without You” and traces of Paul Simon flicker in “Can We Still Be Friends.” And honestly, that’s part of the allure. Tobias Jesso Jr. appreciates, rather than shuns, the colors of past artists, giving his album a #throwbackThursday feel. It’s this quality — comfortable familiarity yet distinct individuality — that makes Tobias Jesso Jr.’s album so appealing. It’s nothing groundbreaking, but then again maybe “revolutionary” is over-rated. We’re not swept off our feet, and we don’t jump up and squeal, but Goon is a genuinely pretty album with pretty songs and we enjoy the listen. So, despite my initial kneejerk reaction to the repetitive melancholy, it’s endearing. Innocent, almost naive piano, jazzy cymbals, pained vocals. There’s a certain beauty in its mellow simplicity, and I like it.

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Romans don’t know winter By MARIAM SHEIKH Daily Arts Writer

Today it was a warm 61 degrees out. There I was walking to class in my trench coat, my short sleeve shirt and my ballet flats — clearly loving life. Listening to the sensual sounds of Drake in one ear, coupled with the noises of the non-stop honking of smart cars in the other (real talk, I have never been more afraid of being hit by a smart car than here in Rome). As I get closer to my school, I see more and more cool Italian students (they travel in packs, I need to be one of them) with their backpacks, perfectly coiffed hair and … parkas? Maybe it’s the fact that I hail from Michigan — OK it most definitely is — but Europeans don’t have any idea of what it means to be “cold.” The first day it hit 50 degrees here, some people on my program went to the beach. Now that may have been a stretch, but Romans seem to think there are only two seasons that exist, and they therefore dress accordingly — hot and cold, summer and winter. Apparently, we are still in the

thick of winter. Girls run around the streets of Rome with their fur hoods and their jackets zipped all the way up. Don’t get me wrong, underneath, they are dressed like Kim Kardashian post-Kanye (Her bleached hair is genius, don’t try to say otherwise). But here I am worried that sweater-weather is over and I didn’t bring enough spring clothes, and yet, I don’t know if the concept even exists here.

Spring clothes don’t exist here. Regardless of the fact that there is clearly a seasonal identity crisis occurring, the “springtime” clothing people (especially students) wear here is impeccable — knit sweaters with skirts and tights, skinny black jeans paired with their LBBs; guys in their peacoats with their fingerless gloves, it’s all straight out of a street style blog. All I can do at this point is copy and hope they think I’m one of them.

CHECK OUT OUR BLOG, BRO

IT’S PRETTY COOL

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Sports

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 — 7A

Wolverines kick off WNIT play ‘M’ places seventh WOMEN’S GOLF

at Wildcat Invite

By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan women’s basketball team is playing in the postseason, but it isn’t quite under the same circumstances it hoped to be in at this time of year. After missing out Cleveland on an NCAA State at Tournament bid, the Michigan Wolverines Matchup: will kick off Cleveland their Women’s State 19-12; National Michigan 16-14 Invitational Tournament When: run Wednesday Saturday night when 7 P.M. they take on Where: Crisler Cleveland State Center (10-6 Horizon League, 19-12 overall) at Crisler Center. “My staff met with each player individually (after the Big Ten Tournament), just to kind of refocus, regroup and talk about winning a championship,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico on WTKA Radio Tuesday morning. “Even if it is the WNIT championship, it’s something that hasn’t been done in Michigan women’s basketball (history).” Michigan (8-10 Big Ten, 16-14 overall) is coming off a disappointing Big Ten Tournament in which in-state rival Michigan State handily defeated the Wolverines two weeks ago, 69-49. In the game, Michigan was unable to get going offensively, shooting just 27.1 percent in its lowest-scoring output of the season. “(The Spartans) were super fired up,” Barnes Arico said. “They came out really sharp, really crisp, shooting the ball especially well, so it was a tough

By SAMANTHA MARSH For the Daily

SAN PHAM/Daily

Senior forward Cyesha Goree has struggled offensively recently, despite averaging 13.8 points per game this season.

game for us and a tough way to finish the season.” If the Wolverines want to bounce back from their performance in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, senior forward Cyesha Goree is going to need to step up. In her last two games, Goree has put up just two and five points, respectively, well below her season average of 13.8. Michigan’s 3-point shooting arsenal of sophomore guard Siera Thompson, freshman guard Katelynn Flaherty and junior guard Madison Ristovski will also need to step up its game after shooting just a combined 11-for40 against the Spartans. On the opposing side, Cleveland State comes into the game after being bounced from the Horizon League semifinals by Wright State, 99-87. The Wolverines and the Vikings have played three common opponents this season: Minnesota, Detroit and Eastern Michigan. Cleveland State is 1-3 in four contests against these opponents, splitting its season series with Detroit and dropping

its games against Eastern Michigan and Minnesota. Michigan, on the other hand, is 3-1 against the three squads, with its only loss coming in double overtime to the Golden Gophers. While the Vikings are 14-2 at home, they are just 5-9 away from campus, which gives the Wolverines an advantage at home, where they are 12-4. “They’re a team that has won 19 games,” Barnes Arico said. “But we feel extremely fortunate that they are coming to Crisler, and we have an opportunity to play at home again.” Cleveland State is led by first team All-Horizon League forward Imani Gordon, who leads the Vikings with 16.3 points per game, while second team All-Horizon League guard Cori Coleman averages 16.1 points. “Cleveland State’s a team that has been really solid year in and year out,” Barnes Arico said. “They have three primary scorers, two kids who average over 16 points per game. They really shoot a ton of (3-pointers). They do a lot of dribble-drive,

Michigan looks to keep up streak over Bowling Green By KEVIN SANTO Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan softball team hasn’t lost to Bowling Green since 2003, winning the last nine matchups between the Bowling teams. But that Green at doesn’t mean Michigan that anything is guaranteed Matchup: Bowling Wednesday, Green 7-12; when the Michigan 24-4 Wolverines will host the When: Wednesday Falcons at 4 P.M. Alumni Field in their final Where: Wilpon game before Complex Big Ten play begins Friday in Columbus. Michigan (24-4) is looking to cap off its non-conference schedule with a win against Bowling Green by applying lessons learned from a gutchecking loss to Kent State in the first game of its home-opening series last weekend. “We’ll just focus on being able to make adjustments quicker,” said sophomore left fielder Kelly Christner. “Obviously in the first game (Saturday), we couldn’t make the adjustment of laying off the high pitch. Even in the game (Sunday), we couldn’t do that until the end of the game. So (we’ll focus on) trying to adjust pitch to pitch or at-bat to at-bat, instead of game to game.” The Falcons (7-12) will enter Wednesday’s one-game contest riding the momentum of backto-back wins, but they will need to improve at the plate to upset the Wolverines. Bowling Green sophomore Aspen Searle stands to be the biggest threat in the batter’s box, having contributed four home runs and a .426 on-base percentage in 19 games played this season. But other than Searle, the Falcons have just three players with a batting average greater than .300 —

Michigan has six. And they will be facing a Wolverine pitching corps that has been excelling in the circle. Sophomore right-hander Megan Betsa and senior lefthander Haylie Wagner are coming into the game having allowed a combined five runs in three games against Kent State. There is one chink in the Wolverines’ armor that may be exploited, however. Michigan senior catcher Lauren Sweet suffered an injury in a play at home plate on Saturday. Michigan coach Carol Hutchins indicated that Sweet might need significant recovery time, but the diagnosis is not yet clear. Sweet will likely be replaced by freshman Aidan Falk on Wednesday. Though Falk put together a respectable performance behind the plate Saturday, Michigan will miss the experience and leadership Sweet has accumulated in her three years at the position. Losing Sweet’s bat will be a hard pill to swallow as well, given that she has tallied six home runs and 27 RBI so far this year while posting a .329 batting average.

Despite the setback, Hutchins emphasized that it won’t serve as a distraction, and that the team will still do what is necessary to win. “I want to see us continue (taking it) one pitch at a time,” Hutchins said. “Winning the (Kent State) series was big, and hopefully that can give us some confidence. To get where we want to go, we have to be able to chip away and win tight games.” Bowling Green right-hander Braiden Dillow will be the biggest threat in the circle, battling against a powerful Wolverines lineup that has hit 48 home runs this season. Dillow has a 3.79 earned run average through 16 games, and the other members of the Falcons’ pitching staff — righthanders Jamie Kertes and Briana Combs — have accumulated 4.59 and 4.74 earned-run averages, respectively. Bowling Green will be in pursuit of its first win over Michigan in 12 years when it arrives in Ann Arbor, but Michigan won’t soon forget the upset it suffered against Kent State four days ago.

ROBERT DUNNE/Daily

Kelly Christner is hitting .365 through Michigan’s first 28 games this season.

they get to the line a ton, so it is going to be a team that tests our defense and makes us get out and contest 3-point shots, as well as contain off the bounce.” The Wolverines have shown this season that they can handle most teams that lack height, and the Vikings fit right into that formula with just one player taller than six feet. But Michigan has also struggled down the stretch, having lost eight of its last 11 games. A win over Cleveland State could jumpstart a long run in the WNIT, as the Wolverines have just one opponent in their region with a higher RPI — Kansas State. A win would also stretch out the illustrious Michigan careers of Goree, senior guard Shannon Smith and senior forward Nicole Elmblad just a little bit longer. “I don’t think they’re ready to hang up their shoes just yet,” Barnes Arico said. “They want to put on that Michigan uniform again, so it’s really an exciting time for them.”

With underclassmen leading the way at the Wildcat Invitational in Arizona, the future looks bright for the Michigan women’s golf team. Freshman Kathy Lim started off the tournament strong with an even-par 72 in the first round with birdies on holes five, six and 10. Closely behind were sophomore Grace Choi and freshman Megan Kim with 74s, contributing to a team total of 296. The second round of play was suspended until Tuesday morning due to darkness, and the Wolverines fought hard despite different weather conditions, shooting a 298. Michigan coach Jan Dowling said she was proud of the way her team handled themselves. “The course that we played is desert golf so your ball can take a lot of unpredictable bounces that aren’t always great,” Dowling said. “They adjusted well and they were emotionally resilient throughout the whole week.” The team finished the final round with a score of 300, contributing to a team total of 894 for the tournament. “Our final round wasn’t our best round,” Dowling said. “But they fought hard, and because of that we ended up nipping some teams and finishing in the top eight.” Choi led the Wolverines and finished 16th overall after firing

a pair of 73s during the second and third rounds and finishing with a total score of 220. It was a productive day for Choi, but one particular highlight stood out to her. “On my 36th hole, I made a-25 footer in front of my teammates, so it was a pretty cool way to finish a long day of golf,” Choi said. Her individual performance aside, Choi is optimistic about her team’s improvement. “We are constantly putting ourselves up against the best teams in the nation, and that’s the only way to get better,” Choi said. Among those teams was Southern California, which finished first with a combined score of 834, 60 strokes lower than Michigan. Lim and freshman Emily White followed close behind Choi, shooting 225 and 227 respectively. After playing as an individual in the last tournament, White was able to rejoin the lineup this week. “She had a pretty solid tournament at the Hurricane Invitational,” Dowling said. “She deserved a shot at getting in the lineup.” Three freshmen made up the team of five, and Dowling relied heavily on their talent throughout the tournament. “Their potential is pretty vast,” Dowling said. “They’re a very hungry bunch. They are comfortable, they are really wanting to learn, and they are gaining a ton of experience.”

“Their potential is pretty vast.”

Sports

8A — Wednesday, March 18, 2015

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Goaltending solution a key Baxter building special before Big Ten Tournament

FOOTBALL

teams from ground up The coordinator is focusing on teaching the basics this spring By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan football team didn’t make a single field goal in practice Tuesday. But for special teams coordinator John Baxter, things are going just as planned. A year removed from his last stint at Southern California, Baxter is building his special teams unit from the ground up. After losing punter Will Hagerup and kicker Matt Wile to graduation, Baxter has his hands full tweaking the replacement candidates. “What we’re doing is what pro baseball players call ‘the bullpen,’ ” he said. “They’re just spinning balls into the net, they work the mechanics from the ground up, and that’s what we’re doing here. I’m taking these guys, and they’re kicking way less than they probably ever have, and we’re rebuilding them from the ground up. “Once the season gets going, it’s going to get hot out there, its going to get dicey, and if you can’t bring a kid back to some place he’s familiar with, he’s going to spend the fall lost.” Anticipated starter Andrew David doesn’t arrive on campus for a few months, but in the

meantime, Baxter is treating all of his players like starters. Sophomore Kyle Seychel, freshman Ryan Tice and senior Kenny Allen are all getting equal reps — albeit into the net. In addition to the kicking game, Baxter tried out 14 Wolverines in the kick return position Tuesday. “My job at this point is not to pick a starter, name a starter, or even think about a starter,” Baxter said. “My job is to build as much depth as possible. I’m just trying to build a GM car, where you can take a carburetor on an Olds, put it on a Buick and keep going — build as much depth as possible. “Someone will be standing out there at the stadium in Utah, but I’m not sure who it’ll be.” Regardless of who it is, there’s a good chance Baxter will know him well. The only coach who didn’t go on any of the team’s flurry of recruiting trips, Baxter stayed in Ann Arbor to help implement his trademarked and nationally utilized “Academic Gameplan” program, which focuses on strategizing academic success. With many players taking extra credits to create wiggle room in the fall, Baxter knows that building a program from the ground up requires persistent support both on and off the field. “(In the past,) we were drinking out of a garden hose. Today they’re drinking out of a fire hydrant,” Baxter said of

“So we need to help them sort through that chaos.”

academics today. “So we need to help them sort through that chaos. It’s one thing to say we have student-athletes — it’s another thing to live it.” On the field, Baxter’s grassroots special teams campaign involves a lot of strategizing, but not a lot of results. Not yet, at least. “Imagine being a swing coach in golf,” Baxter said. “If you’re going to break a guy’s swing down and make changes, you can’t expect him to be hitting great drives down the middle right away. There’s going to be some glitches. “But it’s March. I’m not really worried about March, I’m worried about September. So if we don’t take this time to make fundamental changes — their mobility, their core, all that kind of stuff — then we’ll never have a chance to change them.” For a team that made just 71.4 percent of its field goals and ranked 127th out of 128 teams in return yardage last season, Baxter knows the ‘swing’ won’t come right away. But with plenty of depth in all units returning to campus, he feels that the talent is there, it just needs to be discovered. “If you’re going to work on their swing, you’ve got to take the results away, because they’ll worry about the results,” Baxter said. “I’m not worried about the results. I’m worried about getting that swing right. The results will be there. “There are guys out there right now that you’ll say they’ll never see the field that will be on the field. There’s a guy that you don’t even know his name that’s going to make the play of the season, and I don’t know who it is either.”

JAMES COLLER/Daily

Zach Nagelvoort hasn’t been consistent enough to nail down Michigan’s starting job this season.

By ERIN LENNON Daily Sports Editor

Though this year’s Big Ten field looks far different than it did in the conference’s inaugural season of hockey competition, one thing has stayed the same: strong NOTEBOOK goaltending. Michigan State goaltender Jake Hildebrand stole the show in the regular-season finale against Michigan to secure his title as both the Big Ten Goaltender and Player of the Year. In doing so, the junior became the second straight netminder to earn both honors after Minnesota’s Adam Wilcox did last year. If the Wolverines can get past Wisconsin’s standout goaltender in senior Joel Rumple — who led the Badgers to a Big Ten Championship and an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament last season — they will face Hildebrand for the sixth time this season in the Big Ten semifinals Friday. Of course, Michigan will have to overcome its own goaltending woes if it hopes to advance past Thursday’s first-round contest. Having played 52 percent of the Wolverines’ goaltending minutes, junior Steve Racine carries the league’s worst save percentage (.892) among Big Ten netminders who have logged significant time. And though his counterpart, Zach Nagelvoort, is currently the conference’s second-best netminder on paper, the sophomore hasn’t been consistent enough to prevent Michigan from falling off the NCAA Tournament

bubble. In two starts last weekend, Nagelvoort allowed five goals. Saturday, he gave the Wolverines one of his best performances but was bested by Hildebrand in the 2-1 goaltending battle. He wasn’t stellar, but he kept Michigan in the game — something coach Red Berenson has been looking for in a starter all season. But against proven postseason goaltenders in Rumple and Hildebrand, the Wolverines will need to be stellar if they want a championship of their own. “I’m a one-goalie coach, but we’ve got two goalies,” Berenson said. WOLVERINES DRAW WISCO: As the No. 3 seed for the second straight year, Michigan will play the conference’s lastplace finisher. This year, the Big Ten bottom feeder was Wisconsin by a landslide. On paper, the quarterfinal matchup — which will take place Thursday night at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit — should mean an easy ‘W’ for the Wolverines. Michigan swept the Badgers in four games this season. And Wisconsin won just two conference matchups, compiling a 4-25-5 overall record and marking one of the worst seasons in program history. Then again, that’s what was said about Penn State one year ago. In their second year as a varsity program, the Nittany Lions entered the tournament having dropped 16 of 20 conference games — despite picking up two wins against

Michigan — before playing spoiler in St. Paul, Minnesota. Like Wisconsin, Penn State had skated with teams like Minnesota all season, as the Nittany Lions had eight conference games decided by one goal. They, too, were a young team improving by the day. Two 20-minute overtimes later, Michigan walked off the ice having been stunned, its postseason plans erased. So with nothing in terms of reputation or “status” to lose and a surprise Big Ten automatic bid to gain, the Badgers are as dangerous as anyone heading into the first round of the conference tournament. “The last two games they played here, they were a different team,” Berenson said. “I think they got a little confidence here even though they lost.” COMPHER COMING BACK?: Forward JT Compher is listed as day-to-day, Berenson said Monday. The sophomore left the game in the second period after taking a hard hit into the boards in East Lansing on Friday. He did not return in the third period and missed Saturday’s season finale at Yost Ice Arena. Compher has held one of Michigan’s hottest sticks down the stretch, having notched two hat tricks in his last five games. After a quiet first half, Compher — last year’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year — scored seven goals in four games to tie his career record for goals in a season (11). The final decision on his return will be made Wednesday after practice, Berenson said.

statement THE MICHIGAN DAILY

M ARCH 18 , 2015

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 // The Statement

Footnotes: Green beer and entitlement BY IAN DILLINGHAM

ast St. Patrick’s Day, I remember leaving the house with one of my roommates on a people-watching expedition. Before either of us partook in any of the celebrations, we wanted to take the time to take full witness of the carnage that was ensuing just south of campus. If you’ve ever been in Ann Arbor on a football Saturday, you can probably picture the scene: kegs, mud, orange construction fences, mud, bro tanks, funnels, mud, and music. The difference was the substitution of green for the customary maize and blue. As we walked passed an unnamed fraternity house on our way home for the afternoon, I noticed a group of middle-aged men and women standing on the sidewalk observing the destruction. They were all Ann Arbor residents and, despite the occasional shamrock pin, they were not there to celebrate. They were there to protect the students. As partygoers exited the fraternity’s backyard, I watched as these adults stopped particularly intoxicated boys and girls to check their condition, asked if they needed transportation, and — in the most severe cases — contacted the proper authorities to get students the help they needed. I remember immediately feeling embarrassed as a group of partygoers, obviously more concerned about preserving the health of the party than the health of their peers, gathered on the porch and heckled these Good Samaritans as they relayed information to paramedics and police. Though visibly disturbed, the vigilant group of Ann Arborites did not waver from their spot. They held their ground as two paramedics and a police officer entered the yard to retrieve a young girl who appeared unconscious. Only as the party began to dwindle down — presumably a shortage of green beer — did they move down the block to the next party. I don’t know any of the people that were in that group of citizens. They don’t know me. But, that

day, they were out there to make sure our student body was safe. At worst, they shut down a couple parties. At best, they may have protected someone from serious injury or death. This school is a worldrenowned institution and naturally elicits a sense of prestige — and a fair share of perks — to those fortunate enough to have the chance to enroll. But, like other universities across the country, it places students in an environment that breeds a sense of entitlement while simultaneously clouding students’ perceptions of the “real world” outside this twomile bubble. That entitlement includes a belief that someone else will step in to protect us when we do stupid things. While this becomes the case in practice, it should not be

the expectation. The old motto, “college is the place for making mistakes,” is not a free pass to make your safety — potentially your life — someone else’s responsibility. I didn’t end up drinking last St. Patrick’s Day. Witnessing so many “close calls” killed my desire to celebrate Christianity coming to Ireland and PBR coming to Hill Street. This year, I’ll likely celebrate with a non-green beer as I edit installments for next week’s magazine. But if the group of unappreciated guardians decides to do their holiday service once more, I hope they are at least treated with respect — maybe even offered a passing “thank you” for keeping watch over crazy crowds of kids decked in green.

T H E L I S T B U Z Z F E E D, B U T B E T T E R POST- GR AD DESTINATIONS If we lived according to TV/movie standards, everyone would move to New York or L.A. after graduation and live in apartments far exceeding our income. Here are a few more unique (and more realistic) post-grad options.

AU S T I N , T X

B A LT I M O R E , M D

C L E V E L A N D, O H

Often billed as a larger, more diverse, warmer Ann Arbor, Austin combines Texas eccentricities with the cultural offerings of a much larger city. In recent years young people have been flocking to this bay city because of its proximity to D.C. and its affordability. No longer the “mistake on the lake,” the Land of Cleves boasts a happening food scene and growing start-up industry.

4 DENVER , CO

Best for those who love the outdoors and appreciate a good bar, Denver is the definition of chill.

P O R T L A N D, O R

Known mainly as a hipster paradise because of the show “Portlandia,” this small city is calm and beautiful.

THE

statement

Magazine Editor: Ian DIllingham Deputy Editor: Natalie Gadbois

ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND

Editor in Chief:

Photo Editor: Luna Anna Archey

Jennifer Calfas Copy Editors:

Illustrator: Megan Mulholland

Hannah Bates

Design Editor:

Maggie Miller

Laura Schinagle

Jake Wellins

Managing Editor:

Emma Sutherland

Lev Facher COVER BY LUNA ANNA ARCHEY

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 // The Statement 3B

ON THE RECORD

#FORTHEKIDS

Becoming a Townie: How to read in Ann Arbor BY EMMA KERR

GRANT HARDY/DAILY

“There are no words to describe how these college kids impact our family.” –WENDY MUZZARELLI, whose daughter receives therapy treatment at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, and who benefitted from the fundraising efforts of this year’s Dance Marathon.

THE THOUGHT BUBBLE

LUNA ARCHEY/DAILY

“St. Patrick’s Day means being out and about. It’s the camaraderie, the high-spiritedness in the air — it’s all the good vibes.” –Washtenaw Community College student GAVIN HANERT

nn Arborites know how to read, but for newbies to the city, perfecting this takes some time. Moving to a new city is like getting a new credit card — you’ve got to think about every area of your life in which this personal information is recorded and update it. You don’t realize the full impact until Netflix is randomly canceled in the middle of your House of Cards episode, until you end up spending unnecessary time changing your Amazon information, until you can’t Venmo a friend on a Friday or until your new company cancels the card when they see an “unusual charge” in another state that your old company knew you visited every month. Moving means unexpected changes, unforeseen costs and unnecessarily spent time trying to figure it out. Once you’re done changing your mailing address, finding a new doctor in the area and whatever else comes up, you’re eventually going to have to find your reading nook — everyone must have a good reading nook! Luckily for us, Ann Arbor’s full of them, and the day will come as you are settling in to your new community that, if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to get away from it all in exchange for your fictional world, but this isn’t so easy. With a roommate and a rowdy hall, I remember moving to Ann Arbor and reading in the UGLi, which is completely laughable now. Sure, I knew how to read, but in this city, I didn’t really know how to read. Immersive reading is all about letting your novel consume you, but trying to immersive yourself in the wrong location can interrupt your thought process, detract from your reading experience and just generally violate the author’s intention for how their work was to be read. To read immersively, I highly suggest you get the heck off campus, especially if it’s a Saturday in the fall.

It wasn’t until I spent my first summer here that I realized just how vast the reading culture extends, and all of the prime reading real estate I had been ignoring. If you go far enough north of central campus, before actually making it to what I consider north campus, you will find two parks adjacent to one another that I have now discovered are called Broadway and Riverside parks, respectively. These are really just a couple patches of open space and a few trees, but they are settled on either side of the Huron River, making for an ideal summer spot. Without walking all the way to the Arb, having to deal with parking or the crowds that, at least for me, were a little distracting on summer weekends, you can sit nestled next to the river and trees with a good book for hours here. When Ann Arbor started to get a little chilly — and then when Ann Arbor became utterly unbearable — going to Literati to peruse books and then taking them over to TeaHaus became a regular routine for me. I’ve also checked out the

Dawn Treader, which I don’t think is great to read in, but it’s a pretty good, cheap Literati alternative. There’s also Kaleidoscope Books and Collectibles, if you’re into that sort of thing, which is conveniently next to my second favorite winter reading location, the Food Co-op in Kerrytown. (Although, as a fair warning, this place also gets a little too loud on weekends!) Practicing these patterns of good reading is the only way I have ever been able to hold myself to reading all of the lovely, perspective-shaking, thought-inducing novels I’ve read during my time at college. Spending my free time engulfed in the thoughts of Maya Angelou, Arthur Golden, Albert Camus, and George Eliot has a way of providing clarity to everything else, but being distracted by phones, roommates, and perpetual chatter has a way of ruining the experience. Go out into the world and find yourself a nook: it’ll do you and your mind some good, and you can explore the weird little corners Ann Arbor hides at the same time.

ILLUSTRATION BY MAGGIE MILLER

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 // The Statement

Rethinking Ross The unglamorous realities of a business school education By Zach Shaw, Daily Sports Writer

endall Cortez was immediately sold on what he was getting into. The sophomore was just getting settled in at orientation as a new member of the Ross School of Business, and was being introduced to his orientation group’s assignment. The idea was to use a competition to bring the section together while introducing principles of business to the newly admitted students. The goal: create a Kickstarter for a business that wanted to supply computers to underprivileged youth in Detroit. Cortez, who grew up in a lower-income Detroit family, applied to the Business School for social change and effective community action just like this. He was a business student for less than a day, and he was already living his dream. But almost as quickly as he was sold on the project, he realized that the dream was going to have to wait. There were roughly 85 other students in his group, and he got a taste of what happens when that many high-minded and motivated individuals are asked to collaborate and compete. “As we start working and separating ourselves into teams, you can see the alpha dogness in a lot of people,” Cortez said. “I like to be around a pretty diverse group, people who are knowledgeable and socially conscious, so I’m used to kind of stepping back, give your idea, and come to some consensus. But a lot of people came in feeling like they had the idea, they had to take charge. “Everybody is trying to take over and rule this room. That’s really not how to get things done, so I just immediately was sensing trouble. At first, I just tried to kind of bring the group together and even try to take a leadership role until I realized that no one was listening, everyone has their own opinion, nobody is willing to listen to anybody else’s thoughts.” Cortez could tell right away that it was trouble. Just a few rooms over, fellow Business sophomore Emily Yerington was struggling through a very similar experience. “I really didn’t know what to expect, so I was trying to be open-minded about it going in,” she said. “What ended up happening was that it became a shouting contest and it was actually very much male-dominated. That was the only experience I’ve ever had where I felt like I was at a disadvantage for being a girl.” “The only people that were getting their voices heard were these guys and most of them were bigger and almost scary.”

It’s no secret that the Ross School of Business is an elite institution. It regularly ranks among the top five undergraduate business schools in the world, and 92 percent of its students have a job offer within six months of graduation. Last year, 1,139 freshman — 19 percent of the University’s class of 2017 — applied to the Business School, a number that has continued to grow year after year. About 400 students were admitted at the end of their freshman year — accompanying about 100 pre-admitted students — to make up the entering sophomore class.

For whatever reason, many students love to hate the Business School. But if the Business School is so popular and successful, why do students want to leave? Both Yerington and Cortez left the Business School after their first semester, and roughly 3 percent of students drop the program each semester. Though the magnitude of the dissatisfaction will vary, stories of herd mentality, arrogance and a lack of a voice inside the Business School leave many dismayed and even upset with their collegiate path. “There is a lot of ‘Oh my god, I hate this place. I’m just here because I know I’m going to get a job,’ “ Cortez said. “When I decided to drop, I heard a lot of ‘Kendall, that takes so much courage, I wish I had dropped.’ There’s definitely a sense within the Business School that people who are in it love to hate it.” Always at the forefront of academic prestige and success, the school now finds itself at the forefront of a much less desirable position. The negative internal and external perceptions of the Business School are mounting, and the school must find a way to respond. *** For whatever reason, many students love to hate the Business School. Some people dislike the Business School for the building, already critiqued as overly extravagant with expansions on the way. Others dislike the seemingly endless supply of funds for students, artwork, and — of course — moving trees. Others still disapprove of the exclusionary culture, one in which students try to

separate themselves from the remainder of the student body, with exclusive classes, recruiting opportunities, and even a separate name. For Lynn Wooten, the associate dean for undergraduate programs, however, it’s the internal dissatisfaction that’s most problematic. A longtime researcher in strategy, management, and organizational behavior, Wooten knows the dangers of these competition-filled communities. “We try to reach out to every student and to practice what we preach with this notion of selfauthorship and finding your passion,” she said. “But no matter how much we say it, research says that students are going to follow their peers. You can come in wanting to use business for social change, but then you see everyone is doing finance. I’ve heard some students say they feel marginalized, and then they ultimately went into finance because they felt a big push to do so.” In total, around 40 percent of the Business School students go into finance, making it far and away the most popular component of business, though Wooten said there was similar peer pressure felt to go into accounting and consulting as well. Both Cortez and Yerington applied to the Business School with ambitions surrounding social change, but both felt that it wasn’t the peers that did the funneling into finance — it was the coursework structure. Beginning a business curriculum with quantitative and foreign concepts of accounting and business analytics only furthered the bitter taste, Yerington said. “I was never mainstream business, which is a vast majority of what Ross is.” Yerington said. “As much as they pretend that they aren’t about that, that’s exactly what they are. (The administrators and faculty) act as if they want to make us all individuals who are going to go out and change the world, but they make it so all of our resumes look exactly the same, our interviews are trained to be exactly the same way, and basically they just funnel you into paths and you’re going to be a little clone with everyone else.” Added Cortez: “They need to do a better job of letting kids know that there’s more to business than three fields … Yes, these are the most popular, but there’s a slew of other things that you can do and be happy doing with a business degree.” This narrow focus goes with what Wooten describes as a herd mentality — a process of assimilation and conformity that the dean sees as the school’s greatest flaw. There are a number

of factors that go into this practice, but Wooten believes the dynamic is already in place before the students enter the Business School. With this year’s introduction of a more flexible curriculum that will, for the first time, allow students to study abroad during the academic year beginning next year, along with enhanced programs to ensure a thriving culture and positive influences, Wooten said she feels that the next two years will be a major step for the Business School to increase student happiness. However, admittance and core classes begin in sophomore year, which means most students may already be a part of communities on campus. This may narrow students’ focus both academically and socially, hindering the influence of added programs. “The question becomes, how do we get people to find where they can thrive and fit into the culture, and how do we change the perception of the culture to make everyone feel welcome?” Wooten said. “That involves trying to get people to know each other better through teamwork and group projects. The focus on technical skills and quantitative specialization is a growing trend among most business schools, but, according to a 2012 report by The Wall Street Journal, employers don’t agree with this trend. Employers need “flexible thinkers with innovative ideas and a broad knowledge base derived from exposure to multiple disciplines,” but don’t find it in the business world because “the undergraduate degrees focus too much on the nuts and bolts of finance and accounting and don’t develop enough critical thinking and problem-solving skills through long essays, inclass debates and other hallmarks of liberal-arts courses,” the article read. Around the same time that the report came out, Wooten and fellow Business School administrators were beginning to finalize plans to join a growing number of business programs with redesigned curriculums. The changes are only beginning to take place, but it was clear from the start what the goals were. Through revised curriculum, supplemental programs and an enhanced support staff, Wooten and the rest of the administrators are looking toward customization and a sense of purpose for all 500 students in each grade level. “What keeps me up at night is thinking about how I can make sure Ross is the best business school and transformational experience for everyone,” Wooten said. “If I think about the changes I want to make, I want to have engaged

learning experiences inside and outside of the classroom.” The new design increased the number of business classes — something Wooten said had to be done to keep up with other schools — but also increased flexibility. For the first time, business undergrads are able to study abroad and now have the opportunity to schedule core classes to their choosing. But Wooten’s ultimate goal is to increase student happiness while continuing the same practices that make the Business School one of the world’s premier business programs each year. *** Cortez watched in dismay as his fellow students took over the project at orientation. He didn’t mind taking a backseat, but couldn’t quite grasp just how misguided the self-appointed drivers were. With the task of providing computers to Detroit youth, Cortez knew right away that this was a far cry from the environment of his roots. “A lot of people weren’t sensitive to Detroiters, Detroit kids,” Cortez said. “A lot of words or ideas that were problematic to me. ‘We have to save them, they’re not advanced enough,’ and as a native Detroiter, I’m just thinking ‘Really?’ There was just a lot of problematic stuff that I took issue with right away, and I could already tell that the environment was going to be different.” There are plenty of opportunities for the Business School to grow, but perhaps none are as measurable as the lack in diversity in the program. In the most recent cohort of accepted students, just 4 percent of the Business School bachelor’s degree program identified as an underrepresented minority. More remarkable is that that number is actually an improvement from each of the last two years. For Cortez, who is Black, this is far from ideal. “There’s definitely some added pressure,” he said. “Especially when I was first thinking about leaving Ross. I remember thinking, am I letting everyone down by leaving? What message does that send to everyone that helped get me there or might be trying to follow me? Is that a slap in the face?” Katrina Vegter, the school’s academic advising director, and Business School adviser Matthew Turner said this is a problem that goes beyond numbers and takes time and flexibility to solve. “We look at and meet every student individually,” Turner said. “We don’t group students together, so no one’s a minority when they meet with us. So we meet with students and let them know, ‘No, this is where you should be, there’s a place for you to be here.’ ” Added Vegter: “I’ve had female students come in and say that all the male members of their group expected her to be the secretary and take notes. So what are you going to say to them if that comes up again, what steps need to be taken? Because some of these problems aren’t going to leave once you get out in the workforce either. I think we play that role of helping students effect change, but those are tough issues

to overcome, as we’re seeing nationwide.” Programs enforcing awareness and inclusivity are put into place each year, but Cortez feels that having a dominant majority is a problem that can’t necessarily be solved, only improved upon. “I don’t know if there’s anything the school itself can do about that. How do you go about making sure that everybody (accepted to) Ross has the right motives? All you can do is read two (application) essays.” *** Just as the Business School’s heavy emphasis on group projects makes a cohesive culture beneficial for students, the school’s notorious curve can often turn students against each other. With participation, homework, assignments, projects, and exams all held to a curve or set standard, students are constantly competing with one another, making buy-in on programs to develop cohesion a tough sell.

“I saw dollar signs ... not a real institution that can help me change things.” “There are a lot of resources there already that students might not really come to,” Vegter said. “One of the challenges we face is teasing out what the student’s needs and finding out what is going to be the right combination of clubs and programs and classes to get the results. But we find things to get drowned out by the competition of it all.” Even though core business classes are curved to a B+ average, among the highest such curves at the University, Yerington felt that the lack of control over your own destiny can take a toll, especially when grades can vary wildly and not be made known until the very end of the semester. “I feel like if a teacher is doing their job, it should be possible for everybody to succeed,” Yerington said. “Even though they curve it high, it’s just a bad mentality when you’re not worried about how much you’re learning, you’re worried about how you’re doing compared to everyone else.” Added Turner: “The curve is a blessing and a curse. In the quantitative classes, most students find it awesome, but in qualitative classes, the scores become very tight. But again, it’s one of those things that out in the world, it’s something as simple as a small typo that can be the difference in who gets the job, so they’re kind of life lessons.” The real-world application is what Turner believes is the school’s greatest strength, but with students barely into adulthood with no idea of what they want to do for the rest of their life, is there a limit? Cortez felt that there was. An explorative

learner who’s now majoring in history and ecology, Cortez felt the core classes — which include accounting and business analytics in the first semester — weren’t conducive to finding one’s passion in business. Cortez could tell it was a problem in the classes, where the majority of students appeared bored, confused or annoyed at the material. When weighing the idea of dropping, however, Cortez suddenly found himself standing out with his beliefs. “I remember when I was thinking about leaving, people came up to me and said ‘You are crazy. I don’t really like it either, but you have to stay. This is great, this is how you’re going to get a job.’ ” he said. “I’m thinking about how that’s great, but I’m not going to like myself.” “If your motives aren’t right, like mine weren’t — I saw dollar signs when I saw Ross, not a real institution that can help me change things — it’s going to add up quickly,” he added. Though Cortez and Yerington are among a small minority of students who leave the program, the school’s staff notice. They also notice that, despite the favorable job and compensation prospects, business majors are regularly reported as among the least happy in school and the workplace nationwide. They notice the complaints from current students too, and constantly look to keep up with the increasingly aware and strong-willed student voice. “I think the student population is by its nature a group that’s really tough on us, constantly asking the hard questions,” Vegter said. “Why are we doing things this way? Why are we doing this? Has it always been this way? Can we do something differently? Students push us to think critically and keep up and strive to create new things and ideas.” With the help of the Ross Undergraduate Student Advisory Board, a council of students who report feedback from students on curriculum, programs and more, the Business School has undergone a series of changes, with more on the way. The new curriculum, which was piloted by this year’s sophomores, includes a sophomore seminar, increased flexibility in what classes to take and when and supplemental programs to ensure a sense of purpose throughout their three years. Next year’s incoming class can anticipate smaller class and orientation sizes, additional programs on diversity in the workplace, and an increased solicitation of feedback to ensure satisfaction for years to come. “We try to get students to think about business as not a job, but as a profession, a societal entity that has the potential to make a positive difference,” Wooten said. “People are happy when they find jobs that play to their strengths and also like who they’re working for and what they’re doing.” “Let’s create this roadmap, create this passion, let’s combine this business degree with other education and find a way to fulfill that passion in the short term and the long term and get them to see that potential that you have with that business degree.”

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 // The Statement

Women in Leadership Lessons fosters necessary conversations for young professionals

by Natalie Gadbois, Deputy Statement Editor

he statistics are well-worn but still concerning: women comprise only 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEOs. Only 9 percent of the top 250 films released in 2012 were directed by women. The contentious pay gap — argued by many as an effect of environmental choices rather than institutionalized sexism — does exist, with women making only 77 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earn. It can be a murky world out there for women, particularly those with professional ambitions. However, there are resources for young women hoping to move forward in their careers. The Business School offers a longstanding club called the Michigan Business Women, and, in the past year, a chapter of Lean In — the national non-profit organization dedicated to promoting equality for women — was introduced at the University. For women in the LSA Organizational Studies program, Women in Leadership Lessons — otherwise known as WiLL —fosters the complex conversations women need to have when considering their futures. The Organizational Studies major, a competitive program combining disciplines such as psychology, sociology and economics, hosts a wide range of students, from those pursuing consulting and non-profit work to environmentalism, public health, and marketing. WiLL was founded seven years ago as an OS group by professors and students who saw a need to support women as they began to enter their various workforces. Originally, the club was relatively unstructured, focusing on a few capstone events a year. Last year current LSA senior Jenna Fiore saw a new potential in the informal club, and she restructured it to build it into a support system with weekly meetings alongside the larger events. “The group was really small and I wanted to revitalize it, so I registered it as a formal group on campus, wrote a constitution, got a faculty advisor from OS,” Fiore said. The group is still small — around twenty-one official members — but this smaller atmosphere contributes to the intimate camaraderie and support found at the weekly meetings. *** It’s 9:00 a.m. on a Tuesday, and girls are shuffling in one by one to the Sophia B. Jones room at the Michigan Union. Quiet conversation ranges from Spring Break trips to upcoming group projects to advice on how to find summer housing. Fiore begins the meeting with an icebreaker: the usual highs and lows of the week and spring break highlights, plus one question unique to this organization: “Who is your female role model?” As the ten or girls go around, their answers are varied — some say their mothers, others mention public leaders like Malala Yousafzai and Michelle Obama, others jok-

ingly cite fictional characters like Julia from “Parenthood” — but there is a collective warmth as the conversation develops around inspiring women. It’s small, supportive gestures like this that show WiLL’s value, something that incoming club president Grace Fisher, an LSA junior, was initially drawn to. “We are able to share our experiences in terms of internships and give each other some recommendations, and help each other in a more professional capacity,” Fisher said. “But we also are able to have real conversations about women in the workforce.” WiLL holds resume, salary negotiation, and LinkedIn

workshops and hosts guest speakers addressing their paths as women in the workforce — all ways to educate members on how to navigate male-dominated spaces successfully. However, each week the group also discusses the broader social implications for working women by reading feminist articles and watching TED talks from speakers like Sheryl Sandburg, Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and author of “Lean In.” It’s this combination of goals — both to assist women in a still unequal world and directly address the problematic structures women face — that club adviser Sara Soderstrom thinks makes WiLL so empowering. “Some of (WiLL) has been focused on those individual skills that women can develop to navigate (the workforce), and other parts have been thinking more broadly,” said Soderstrom, an assistant professor in OS and Program in the Environment. “What are some of the types of changes that we would like to see? How can we see them through?” This multifaceted approach allows the group to be positive and supportive while still recognizing the issues women face, an aspect that was really important to Fiore.

“It’s easy to see WiLL as ‘Oh, women have all these challenges in the workforce, you need to discuss how to overcome them,’ but it’s not really just about that because it’s not straightforward like that,” she said. “There are other things, regardless of gender, issues that can come up and you want to be able to talk about them.” WiLL is in many ways a focused contribution to the increasingly widespread public discussion about women in the workforce. Both Fiore and Fisher recognize that the environment women face today is vastly different than the one women a generation before encountered. The popularity of movements like Lean In or actress Amy Poehler’s “Smart Girls at the Party” — an online women’s advocacy forum — show that gender inequality is at the foreground of the zeitgeist now more than ever. Soderstrom reflects this, admitting that as an Engineering undergraduate she didn’t fully understand the idea of gender inequality and misrepresentation. “I was naïve to a lot of it,” Soderstrom said. “With engineering, everything was so much focused on ‘how do you solve these problems?’ There is a right answer and a wrong answer … Not as much about the social navigation side. So I found myself recognizing the numbers piece, but not thinking about social dynamics side of gender in the workplace.” Soderstrom applauded the actions of the women in WiLL to proactively educate themselves about the future they face. Beyond the weekly meetings, on March 31 the organization is also hosting a public panel, titled “WiLL Presents: Working Women,” that will be open to students across all LUNA ARCHEY/DAILY majors and disciplines. This panel will feature four women from the Ann Arbor area — representing the Center for Education of Women, the Ann Arbor Community Foundation, the Conservation League of Voters, and the Ann Arbor Google office — as they answer questions about their careers, the obstacles they faced and the accomplishments they had. Fiore hopes this event will provide insight for collegeaged women as to what they can expect entering the workforce, which is why they focused on bringing in a wide range of speakers. “We tried to bring in people with different areas of expertise, at different places in their careers,” she said. Though WiLL is still reserved for OS students, both Fisher and Fiore hope that this flagship event will be a useful resource for women on campus as they begin to figure out what they want to do with the rest of their lives. WiLL’s goal is ultimately to empower women to be leaders in whatever path they choose, recognizing current obstacles but providing the support and the confidence to allow women to jump over them. To get to a place where female leadership is not the exception but the norm.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 // The Statement

ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND

Personal Statement: Undress the Doll by Aiko Fukuchi, LSA Senior

ntil I was eleven years old, my family would take trips to Japan each summer. I would help my aunt pick plums from a tree in her backyard, and she would tell me stories. But I don’t speak Japanese, so I wouldn’t understand, and we would laugh because of this, and she would continue telling me stories that I wouldn’t understand. We were such a great inconvenience to them, to my father, coming home with his American wife and his American children, who looked a lot like them but didn’t know how to interact and needed their translating father as their voice in every setting. At my grandfather’s house, my aunt would take me into a side room where she would dress me in layers of fabric — in a yellow kimono with beautiful patterns and sleeves that almost touched the floor. She would fix and put up my long hair with an elegant comb made of bamboo and tell me how beautiful it all was. My father came in and translated for her; he would tell me my actions should mirror the beauty of how I was dressed. Sitting around a low table in the main room of the house, we would light incense and candles in my grandmother’s shrine and someone would tell the story of how she had been stronger than many soldiers who cried and crumbled at the pressure of herding families to shelter during the fire bombings of WWII. Sometimes, my aunt would tell stories of running through streets surrounded by crumbling, flame-filled buildings with her mother, trying to find somewhere to go. But grandfather didn’t seem to like those stories, and, after a few years, they ceased to be recognized or shared to my knowledge. Shortly after the stories, a deliveryman usually arrived with boxes of sushi strapped to his bike. We sat at the table and ate together. There was a lot of talking; I didn’t understand anything. My dad would translate every now and then but had trouble carrying us through the quick flow of conversation and would eventually give up. So I would sit silently with my feet tucked perfectly under my legs, smiling at someone every so often to appear engaged and atten-

tive. After a few hours, someone would comment on how well-mannered I was. My grandfather would beam that my beauty and perfect manners — my sweet silence — was that of old, traditional, Japanese ways that had been lost on today’s youth, but I had shown that these ways had not been lost on me. “How could a little girl raised in America be more Japanese than all the little girls raised in Japan?” Everyone would laugh. I hoped he knew I was only so “perfect” because a language barrier restrained me from participating any further. As a child, to the relatives on my father’s side, I felt more like a paper doll than a part of the family. My cousins and aunts would gush over my snow white skin, paler than their own, and they would touch it, and I would feel naked, and my father would laugh and tell me that I am so loved, and I would think, there is a difference between praise and love, and I would tell him I didn’t feel accepted and he would tell me that this makes sense because I’m not truly a part of this world, of his world — I am only an American. *** Twenty crushes, thirteen big lies, ten weeks of being grounded, seven transitions to “new homes,” three cats, two dogs, and one “first love” later, I was beginning my first year of college. By then, most people I met didn’t call me by my name. I was more commonly addressed as “Asian Princess” and “Asian Goddess” and more often than not, felt like I was back in my grandfather’s house, folding my feet perfectly under my legs. I was picked up and spun, the same way I had been as a child. I was carried and talked to and talked at. Boys would place me on their laps and have conversations with other boys about topics I knew too little about to participate in. It felt the same. In my dreams, my aunt would take off my American clothes to make me into the Japanese doll she always wanted. Then men would unwrap me, layer by layer, to get to the Japanese doll they always wanted. My new nicknames found themselves a companion

when a boy, who was pledging for a fraternity, was given the pledge name “Hiroshima” for having sex with me. *** On the seventieth anniversary of Pearl Harbor, I’m standing outside, smoking a cigarette when two boys walk up to me. One asks me if I’ll feel Franklin Roosevelt spanking my ancestors into internment camps when I close my eyes tonight. The other asks me if spanking is what I’m into. They tell me they wouldn’t be surprised to find out the Asian princess is dirty in bed. We all laugh and they walk away while I stand there in shock, wondering how this was my reaction. *** When you ask me where I’m from, you want to know about my race or my ethnicity. You want to know about my history. You believe by knowing this about me, you’ll know so much about me. I imagine you don’t, but always wonder if you pick up on my sudden shortened breathing patterns due to the slight pinch of pain I feel when I tell you my mother is white and my father is Japanese. If you inquire further about family, trying to decide for yourself how Japanese I really am — or how white I really am — eventually you start to notice discomfort weave its way through my body language as my eyes disengage from yours, and my mind wanders somewhere else, because I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want to talk about how the strongest ties I feel to my Japanese heritage are through micro-aggressions and the consistent sexual objectification of my body, organized through other’s perceptions of my race, experienced in the country I was raised in. I don’t want to talk about how almost every person I meet feels they have the ability to judge “how Japanese I really am,” and that I don’t even know what this means. What am I being judged on? What is the criteria? No one will tell me and my Japanese father will tell me if I was really Japanese I wouldn’t have to ask, and the stinging tears that fall from my almond-shaped eyes know that he’s right.

Wednesday, March 18, 2015 // The Statement

V I S UA L S TAT E M E N T: S E L M A “ T h e M a r c h i s N o t Ye t F i n i s h e d ”

Over half a century ago, Martin Luther King Jr. preached at the Brown Chapel AME Church in Selma, Alabama — inspiring masses of people to risk their lives for freedom during the civil rights era. A teenage Ora Gamble was among those inspired and marched through the streets of Birmingham, where the Alabama State Troopers shot her down with a hose. At the 50 year anniversary of Bloody Sunday on March 8, 2015, Ora stood behind me as present-day State Troopers blocked the church to protect the tens of thousands of people who showed up for the jubilee. In front of us, Michael Brown Sr. led his family hand-in-hand, reminding us of how the fight for justice is not over. This union of past sacrifices and current movements was a constant presence as participants from the original marches crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge next to young marchers singing and holding signs for Black Lives Matter.

Photo Story by

Virginia Lozano

Alabama State Trooper Davis controls the crowds outside the Brown Chapel AME Church, where Martin Luther king Jr. used to attend services.

Activists Auriel Ebonie and Denetria Smith gather with a group to sing and chant for Black Lives Matter after crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge Sunday.

Members of the NAACP crosses the Edmund Pettus Bridge as part of the 50 year anniversary of Bloody Sunday.

Members of the Augusta, Georgia chapter of 100 Black Men, a national civic organzation, rest in the shade of the Selma town suburbs before the march toward the bridge Sunday.

A family waits for President Barack Obama to speak at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge Saturday.