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MichiganDaily.com

Weekly Summer Edition Ann Arbor, MI

July 15, 2015

CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY- FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

by Francesca Kielb

Artists flock to A 2 for 56th annual Art Fair Event organizers and officials prepare for four unique fairs

the 56th annual award-winning Ann Arbor Art Fair returns to Tree Town Wednesday. Occupying 30 Ann Arbor city blocks, Art Fair draws roughly 500,000 visitors to the city to browse the work of a variety of Michigan-based artists. Many visitors don’t realize, however, that Art Fair consists of four unique fairs: the “Original” Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, extending from North University southward to the Diag, the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, located on Main Street, the State Street Area Art Fair and the South University Art Fair.

By JACKIE CHARNIGA and LARA MOEHLMAN Daily Staff Reporter and Summer Managing News Editor

After a year of intense collaboration between local officials and event organizers,

inside OPINION

All in for Art Fair Aarica Marsh discusses support for A2 tradition >> SEE PAGE 4

NEWS ....................................2 OPINION ...............................4 ARTS ......................................8 SUDOKU................................2 SPORTS.................................11

According to Maureen Riley, executive director of the “Original” Street Art Fair, each individual fair reflects the unique personality of its location. “The character of the neighborhoods play heavily into the overall feel of each fair,” Riley said, adding that the State Street fair is known for its sidewalk sales while the Summer Art Fair showcases the many restaurants and shops that line Main Street, in addition to quality artwork. Riley said the “Original” fair is organized by a non-profit arts organization, which

explains the fair’s heavy focus on art over local businesses. “Our focus has always been on maintaining high-quality artistic standards. We remain small to accomplish that,” Riley said. “We also are committed to engaging the public in experiential and educational opportunities.” In addition to showcasing artwork, the “Original” fair offers art demonstrations, activities and other programs for students. Although the individual fairs offer different See FAIR, Page 3

ARTS

Art Fair: Untold tales of the Urban basement Urban Outfitters goes to extreme lengths, offering crowd-drawing sales By DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN Daily Arts Writer

A headband, a pair of TOMS, a skirt, a romper, two dresses, three pairs of jeans and two shirts: a list

of items I bought at Urban Outfitters last year — for approximately $120. About $11 an item. This is the magic of Art Fair. If you’ve never been to Urban during Art Fair: 1. I would recommend it because you can get half of a wardrobe for 100 bucks, and 2. It’s quite the production. As an Urban Outfitters employee, I help to set up tents outside the store just like any other vendor — an 80-foot tent for women’s clothing and a 40-foot tent for men’s clothing, all of which is on sale. This in addition to the

sale section inside the store, and on top of all the sale bins of shoes and accessories we put out in the front of the store. You can only imagine how insanely busy this makes us. With all five registers manned at all times and at least four mobile registers outside by the tents for people paying with cards, there’s still constantly a line of at least 10 to 20 people throughout the day. Our normal hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Our Art Fair hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. We have our normal fitting

rooms in the back, and we also set up temporary fitting rooms in the front of the store. They’re always filled; there’s always a line. And while I can’t give exact numbers, suffice it to say Urban makes a highly significant number in the thousands every day during Art Fair … on merchandise that is mostly five to 10 dollars. Even as an employee, I remain astounded by the amount of merchandise sold everyday that amounts to such significant profits. See URBAN, Page 6

2 NEWS

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SONIC LUNCH

Schlissel takes first international visit as ‘U’ president Trip to strengthen current ties with China and foster new opportunities By MAYA SHANKHAR Daily Staff Reporter

VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily

Joe Hertler and The Rainbow Seekers, a Lansing-based folk-soul-psych-pop band, play at Sonic Lunch on Thursday. Bank of Ann Arbor’s Sonic Lunch is a free outdoor concert that takes place at Liberty Plaza every Thursday at noon.

While many in Ann Arbor enjoyed the generally pleasant weather of the past few days, President Schlissel experienced a typhoon halfway across the world. Schlissel spent the past week in Beijing and Shanghai, meeting with Chinese research partners, University alumni, students and faculty on his first international visit as president of the University. James Holloway, University vice provost for Global and Engaged Education, accompanied President Schlissel on the trip. “China is a nation in which UM has deep historical ties,” Holloway said. From 1880 to 1881, James B. Angell, president of the University at the time, also served as U.S. ambassador to China. Angell played an important role in encouraging more Chinese students to study in the U.S. by creating scholarship programs specifically for them. Currently, the University is home to over 2,500 students from China. According to Holloway, China is the most popular destination for University students studying abroad, with 400 University faculty, students and staff living in China last year. “We have many successful research collaborations with the nation’s top universities” said Holloway of China. “This trip allowed President Schlissel to learn firsthand about the University of Michigan’s work in China”. The purpose of the trip was twofold, Holloway said: to strengthen previously existing connections in China through

direct leadership engagement and to develop new opportunities for University students and faculty to collaborate with China, a world leader in research. “The nation’s large population and wide array of academic and research institutions make it an excellent place from which to attract academic talent and establish the mutually valuable partnerships that UM needs to remain a worldleading research institution,” Schlissel said in a press release. The visit began in Beijing, where Schlissel and other University leaders met with China’s Vice Minister of Education, Huiqing Lin. They visited the University of Michigan’s Peking University Health Science Center Joint Institute for Translational and Clinical Research, a collaborative research center established in 2010. Twenty-five of the 29 departments at the University Medical School have been involved with the joint institute, working on projects studying diseases that affect both the U.S. and China. The president also visited Tsinghua University in Beijing, where the University has collaborations in energy, sustainability and the environment. The University is a partner in the U.S.-China Clean Energy Research Center, a $50 million project that both the U.S. Department of Energy and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology are involved in. From Beijing, Schlissel traveled to Shanghai, where the University helped create the UM-Fudan Joint Institute on Gender Studies, founded in 2005. The president then toured the Shanghai Jiao Tong University Medical School, and visited the UM-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, the 2014 recipient of the prestigious Andrew Heiskell

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is showing signs of serious slippage,” Ramirez said. “What the national figures do not show is the most serious trend: the indigenous Americas are slipping away at a higher rate, mostly to Evangélico and other non-Catholic groups.” Pope Francis came to Latin America to address a wide range of issues — many of which are seemingly not related to religion. “As peripheral countries, (Ecuador, Bolivia and Paraguay) represent this pope’s advocacy for the economically disenfranchised and vulnerable,” Ramirez said. During his tour, the Pope

emphasized the corruption of capitalism and encouraged grassroots organizations to combat economic inequalities. He also apologized for the horrific acts committed on the indigenous peoples in the name of Catholicism during colonialism. Pope Francis is widely regarded as one of the most popular popes in recent history and has distinguished himself from his predecessors with his simplistic approach. “With his prophetic encyclicals, pastoral style, administrative reforms and downscale lifestyle,

he has earned a hearing from sectors who previously would have disdained an outreach from his predecessor(s),” Ramirez said. Brian Porter-Szücs, professor of history at the University and expert in Roman Catholicism, distinguished Pope Francis from his predecessor, Pope Benedict. “Benedict was concerned about clarity– having a message that was unambiguous and rigorous even if that meant the church was smaller. He was a theologian,” PorterSzücs said. “Francis is the pastoral pope. See POPE, Page 10

‘U’ alum donates to Ross School Sam Zell gifts $60 million to be invested in student ventures By LEA GIOTTO Summer News Editor

A drug initially designed to treat arthritis may now be the biggest development in the last two decades in treating diabetic kidney disease, according to recent University research. Last week, University Medical School researchers and their colleagues presented results from a randomized, controlled study of the experimental drug baricitinib in patients with diabetic kidney disease. The results of the study showed

that, after six months, baricitinib substantially reduced a measure of kidney dysfunction called urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, or UACR. They also showed that baricitinib reduced blood and urine levels of IP-10 and sTNFR2, two compounds that indicate inflammation in the kidneys. Findings also indicted the only significant side effect of the drug was the onset of mild anemia among the treatment group with the highest dose, which was predicted based on previous findings. Frank Brosius, professor of internal medicine and a co-leader of the multi-institutional clinical trial, said his team’s new findings are significant because kidney disease is a large problem among diabetic patients and will only

worsen in the future. “Once diabetic patients get kidney disease, it leads to a host of other problems, so anything that we can do to prevent, forestall or treat diabetic kidney disease is extremely important,” Brosius said. Nearly 40 percent of diabetic patients eventually develop kidney disease. Because diabetes incidence rates are currently rising, especially in countries such as China, where half of all adults are now pre-diabetic, the results of this trial have implications on a global health scale, said Brosius. Matthias Kretzler, professor of internal medicine and co-leader of the study, said the new findings are a product of decades worth of research. See ROSS, Page 10

4 OPINION

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu EMMA KERR EDITOR IN CHIEF

AARICA MARSH EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR

DEREK WOLFE 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.

FROM THE DAILY

Dirty energy, bad policy

Not updating the renewable energy mandate is a bad decision

ichigan Republican lawmakers have introduced a set of bills in the Senate that seek to eliminate the mandate for renewable energy, which currently requires that 10 percent of energy provided by utilities in Michigan be renewable. These bills would allow the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines, to be determined by the market. Furthermore, these bills prioritize “clean” energy over renewable energy, and consider fossil fuel generation technology to be “clean,” so long as “at least 85 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions captured and permanently sequestered or used for other commercial or industrial purposes that do not result in the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.” These policies work against renewable energies and flagrantly disregard the importance of fighting against global climate change and the government’s role in doing so. It’s necessary for the government to promote renewable energies through mandates to allow them to develop into more cost-efficient and practical technologies. Failing to do could allow these technologies to fall into disuse, doing a great disservice to the environment and the humans who inhabit it. Allowing consumers to choose between established energy sources, which are extremely costly to the environment and are unsustainable, and renewable energies, which aren’t harmful to the environment, but are from fledging industries and thus pricier, would likely result in a decrease in renewable energy consumption. The government must mandate renewable energy consumption or consumers will choose cheaper energy sources, regardless of the effects on the environment. Consumers cannot be expected to weigh the long-term effects of global climate change and the benefits of affordable,

renewable energy sources in the future over their present needs to make ends meet; the government must step in to act on behalf of the best interests of its people. Furthermore, the energy bill introduced by the Senate includes potentially devastating changes to net metering. Currently, energy customers who produce renewable energy through solar panels are credited for electricity that they add to the grid in a process called net metering. If the new energy bill is made into law, customers who produce solar energy won’t be able to use the energy they make from their solar panels. Instead, the power that is

produced can be sold to energy companies at a wholesale rate and net metering as we know it will be obsolete. Amy Heart, from the industry trade association Alliance for Solar Choice, claims the new bill “dramatically reduces the amount of solar that’s going to be sold in Michigan because it reduces the economic value of it.” In March, Gov. Rick Snyder released an energy message that said he’d like to see 30 to 40 percent of Michigan’s energy needs met by a combination of renewable and efficient energy by 2025. Similarly, Snyder said it’s possible for Michigan to get 19 percent of its energy from renewable sources. Yet, like

the Senate’s new bill, Snyder did not include a renewable energy mandate in his message. Instead, Snyder is focused on reducing energy waste through programs that help citizens update furnaces, water heaters, insulation, etc. Snyder and the Michigan legislature, while valiant in their efforts to benefit all stakeholders, are misguided in their solutions. Without a compensatory reward, it’s unlikely that ordinary citizens who are focused on pressing issues outside of climate change will create the “demand” they’re supposed

to create. After all, in 2014, a Gallup poll found United States’ concern about climate change has dropped, with only 24 percent of respondents worrying a “great deal.” Michigan needs renewable energy because, no matter how aware people are, climate change is a major issue that needs strict, enforced policy in energy-eating nations like the United States. Snyder and the legislature must create better energy policy that benefits consumers and also actively promotes clean, renewable energy.

All in for the Art Fair

magine this: It’s Wednesday, 10 a.m. (Thursday if it’s 2016 or later). I watch as a volunteer trips over her feet crossing through two lanes of traffic at the North University and Fletcher Street intersection. She drops a handful of candle wicks AARICA in the middle of MARSH the intersection as she does a runwalk to the Diag. She’s on her way to the Art Activity Zone, which is sponsoring The Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor in their “Burning Bright at the Fair,” an art project that involves the creation of beeswax candles. She snatches them up, right next to my front car bumper as I wait at the stop sign in the crowded intersection. The streets of Ann Arbor are slowly coming alive as Fair goers trickle in from the outskirts, unloading in hoards out of AAATA buses and Trinity Park and Ride Shuttles. I took the wrong way to work, veering right to take Washtenaw because I thought it might not be as busy as my usual Packard Street route. That was a huge mistake. *** The Ann Arbor Art Fair actually consists of four separate art fairs combined for ease of services — the Ann Arbor Street Fair, the State Street Art Fair, the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair and Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair. The eldest, the Ann Arbor Street Fair is celebrating its 56th year. The others are 48-, 46- and 16-yearsold, respectively. Attractions at the Art Fair are highly expansive. Demonstrations on North University include printmaking, ceramics, photography, drawing and wood projects. Artist exhibits, in all

sorts of mediums, throughout all four fairs can be located on the official art fair map. The Diag will be host to the Art Activity Zone, where at least five “kid-friendly” art projects open to all of the public from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Art Fair Main Stage is located on the corner of Willard and Church Street and will feature artists such as the Cadillac Cowboys and Ann Arbor’s Keri Lynn Roche. This year, the Art Fair has four featured artists. Chuck Wimmer, Katie Hofacker, Dylan Strzynski and Ralph Rankin, that will be featured by Ann Arbor’s South University Art Fair, the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair, the Ann Arbor Street Fair and the State Street Art Fair, respectively. *** The streets are filled with booths, tents and stands, selling food, cheap crafts and cliché paintings meant for lakeside cottages. A variety of fair-goers crowd the streets, mingling with artists and other pedestrians as they make their way through the collections. I’m finally able to get to the parking spot I rent from a student who lives on Packard Street. I arrive at work after an eight minute speed-walk through a field of white tents. Maynard Street is covered with artist exhibits and stands with cute, but cheaply made earrings for sale at $10 a piece. I arrive at work and my coworker, running around hurriedly behind the counter, looks frazzled, her hair falling out of her ponytail in small, ombre wisps. Six people wait in line at the register as the two employees on shift scurry around, trying to finish their tasks and help the customers that keep piling in. I grab an apron and jump in. The day goes by in a blur. Our sales are higher than they’ve been all summer, and our stock is depleted. Twelve people came in asking for a glass of water; our store policy is to only give water glasses to customers who have bought something. I caved

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

and gave a glass to the 12-year-old. Who can deny a kid? I watched my boss chase five people down when they tried to use the bathroom without making a purchase. She’s maybe 5’2”, with a tiny frame and a demanding, but well-meaning, demeanor. Some pedestrians snuck by her without a second glance, freely using the restrooms and tables at their convenience. The worst, of course, is the rude customers — the people who believe everything is about them and everyone else should realize that. They exhibit disgusting behavior and make the transaction a living hell for everyone involved. Luckily, there are usually only a few of them. I finish my shift around 6 p.m. and find the streets have begun to

empty. I walk tiredly back to my car, preparing myself mentally for the next three days. The Art Fair, with its highly annoying hoards of people and parking nightmare, has its charm. It’s an annual tradition and a celebration of art. The original Art Fair’s goal, after all, is to “increase public knowledge and appreciation for contemporary fine arts and fine crafts by creating opportunities that connect artists, the Ann Arbor community and the general public to their mutual benefit, culminating in a top quality juried street art fair.” In the end, how can any celebration of art, no matter how pretentious, really be that bad?

How can any celebration of art, no matter how pretentious, really be that bad?

— Aarica Marsh can be reached at aaricama@umich.edu.

Tired of the Art Fair already? Infuriated by the pedestrians taking over your sidewalks for the sake of culture? Send your 550-800 word viewpoint to us today! E-mail tothedaily@michigandaily.com for more information!

“

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

This deal offers an opportunity to move in a new direction. We should seize it.”

— U.S. President Barack Obama said after announcing the Iran nuclear weapons deal in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

OPINION 5

Singling out streaming services

t’s no secret that someone presented with both a sweater on sale and the same sweater at full ANNA price will POLUMBOpounce on LEVY the cheaper sweater. No one likes to pay a lot for something they can get for less, especially if it’s not against the law. This seems to be a major contributor to why so many people love streaming services such as Spotify, Pandora and Netflix. The recent release of Apple Music on June 30 adds to the discussion about music streaming services and how streaming services add to the deterioration of the artist’s position. These services have become widely used because they’re cheaper than buying individual episodes or songs on iTunes or DVDs from Barnes & Noble. Yet, more recently, we’re learning just how low the royalties artists receive are. If we have annual award shows to honor our favorite singers and actors, don’t they deserve to be paid fairly? Performers spend years of their lives making albums and movies, and streaming services, such as Spotify, Apple Music and Pandora are known for often underpaying their artists, sometimes only paying them less than one cent per play. They deserve more. Before the release of Apple Music, Apple was set on withholding royalties to artists during the three-month free trial period for customers. On Pandora, for example, a song with one million plays means that the songwriter (or writers), make only $90. “Wake Me Up!” by Avicii, despite the fact that people streamed it more than 168 million times, only yielded $12,359 in domestic royalties from Pandora. That money was then divided amongst three songwriters and Avicii’s publishers. Less popular artists (in terms of number of listeners, stand to make much less). Pandora isn’t the only problematic streaming service. Spotify pays artists less than one cent for each time their song is played. To be more precise, they pay their artists between $0.006 and $0.0084 per play.

According to its website, Spoti- expect much change. Artists can fy says that its purpose is to allow take a page from Swift’s book and people to listen to content legally, pull their music off of Spotify, without having to pay as much as which will increase pressure on they normally would when one streaming sites to give artists purchases individual songs. It what they deserve. purports that streaming services But not every artist has the reduce piracy. ability to do so, and not every As of July 14, its website artist has the popularity behind claims there are 20 million paid their movement to make a similar subscribers with over 75 million impact. Services, such as Spotify active (free) users on Spotify. and Pandora, should rework their So there’s no doubt that more models so that they’re no longer and more people — who might free, but still allow for a free-trial otherwise use pirated copies of period. This would bring in money songs — are using these services. to pay the artists on those sites Yet, that still doesn’t take away better royalties. from the fact that these sites In fact, Premium subscribers are cheap and free because they bring in even higher royalties don’t pay their artists enough. to Spotify artists, so introducIn fact, a change in the way that ing users as paying subscribers these services operate would not is a start to changing the culonly benefit artists, but also the ture around the entertainment streaming sites themselves. industry that is gravitating There’s always the argument away from adequately compenthat these artists — Taylor Swift sating its artists. This would included — make so much money benefit both these streaming in sales every year that they services and artists. If these shouldn’t need to worry about streaming services paid their streaming sites profits. After all, artists more, these services’ revSwift made $80 million in 2015. enues would also increase from But that’s just the paradox. She new subscribers. is making that Fortumuch money nately, there because she been a “Sometimes you have to has has fans who good deal are willing of research see the outrageous and to pay for her that disgusting to understand done music, go to shows that her concerts, and reject the outrageous these streamread magaing sites busiand disgusting.” zines that put ness models her on the are not profcover and buy itable in the clothing because she endorsed long run, so a change would help the brand. People idolize her, and both parties. as a result, companies hire her to Finally, it’s up to the users of do ads and cover their magazines these services to force them to because she’ll bring in sales and pay artists more, whether it’s draw in readers. If we, as fans and not using Spotify, or agreeing to consumers, idolize artists for their pay for a premium subscription. music, movies and TV shows, buy It’s time something changed. magazines where our favorites Although it would mean paylanded the covers, watch them on ing a little extra a month for Jimmy Kimmel, put them under a subscription, or paying for a microscope in the tabloids, they songs on iTunes, it’s important have a certain level of fame and to think about the value of the deserve the reward that comes content. Do you go into a cofwith it. We shouldn’t expect them fee shop and expect free coffee? to be okay with giving us their When it comes down to it, artwork for almost nothing. ists and actors are no different That being said, to provide from the store owners that you artists with what they deserve buy merchandise from. Artists, from the public and from as anyone else, deserve to be streaming sites, we must work paid fairly. collectively. Every party involved — Anna Polumbo-Levy can be can help in various ways. Until reached at annapl@umich.edu. it’s a collective effort, we cannot

6 ART FAIR

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

URBAN From Page 1 I began working at Urban Outfitters last April as a parttime sales associate, but I had been to Art Fair the previous year, and I think the thing I wondered most was, where on earth do all those clothes come from? In the United States, there are 179 Urban Outfitters stores, and, in preparation for Art Fair, we get shipments from nearly all of them. Boxes of clothes, shoes and accessories come literally by the hundreds — one day, I swear, we got over 200 boxes — from all over the country. The process of sorting these boxes by their content is extensive and it’s all done in the grungy basement below the store and the bustling sidewalk. Ah, the basement. The basement of Urban is a kind of bittersweet place; it’s nice in the summer when it’s hot and you spend your shift in the wonderfully cool basement, listening to music and hanging up clothes from all those boxes. It’s not so nice when you have to carry over 200 boxes of shipment that are sometimes rather heavy (think: an entire box of jeans) down about two flights of concrete steps. Keep in mind, the boxes are big, a.k.a. hard to see over. It can be a

rather frightening experience. For weeks before Art Fair, we send about five people down to the basement every day for five hours to hang all of the merchandise. So, if there are five people in the basement, and at least five people upstairs on the floor, and this is still only a part time job, I pose my next question: Where on earth do all these people come from? The short answer: lots and lots and lots of interviews. In preparation for Art Fair, Urban hires 60 to 70 people. Yes, 60 to 70. They each get about one or two shifts a week, usually in the basement, work about 40 hours during the actual Fair as all employees do (it’s definitely an all-handson-deck situation), and then get let go. Considering we were still training people the Sunday before the Fair, it can be a very seasonal job. But, it’s worth it for the big fat Art Fair check. Employees also get to shop the sale a day early — a huge perk. There are some exceptions: depending on how many employees left Urban over the summer (especially in a college town, as people graduate or transfer, it’s a pretty high turnover rate), about 10 to 20 Art Fair hires get to stay on as official hires. But, considering how many are hired, chances of that aren’t that great. However, it’s usually pretty obvious

who wants and is good enough to stay; because we hire so many people just for Art Fair, there are a lot of people who might not get hired regularly, but we need the humanpower for the Fair. During actual Art Fair, managers from close-by stores also come to help out. We acquire more mobile point of sale systems. And because everything is so crazy, each employee gets a name tag with his or her schedule for the entire Fair written on the back, broken down by hour which, for Art Fair hires, mostly consists of running down to the basement to refill dwindling sale as people purchase items. Everything is hyped. And then, on July 19, everything goes away. Managers return to their stores, our basement returns to not doing much until next Art Fair and Art Fair hires go on their way. To be honest, Art Fair is probably my favorite thing about working for Urban. While it’s a ton of work for everyone, especially for all the managers who have to do even more in preparation, it’s by far our busiest and most exciting couple of days of the year. I’m kind of sad when it’s over, but it’s also fulfilling knowing you helped to pull it off. As consolation, the new outfits I buy and wear to work remain with me, a solemn reminder of those few days of Art Fair madness and that mysterious Urban basement.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

ART FAIR 7

Artist Profile: Royce Disbrow, potter par excellence Ann Arbor sculptor, Royce Dubrow practices craft By MATTHEW BARNAUSKAS Daily Arts Writer

Sometimes it takes a little while to act on a fascination. Such is the case for local potter and sculptor Royce Disbrow who took time out of his preparations for the Ann Arbor Art Fair to participate in a phone interview. “As a little kid there was a woman on TV who used to throw pots on some television show and I thought it looked like magic,” Disbrow said, “Then when my wife and I got married there was an adult ed. class on pottery and we took it together. I was able to throw pots and my wife was a fabulous glazer. That’s what

we did for a little while and my wife got pregnant and said, ‘I’m done,’ and I continued. That was in the ’60s.” Despite his delayed entry into the artistic field, Disbrow has been creating pottery for more than 40 years and is a member of the Potters Guild, a non-profit organization operating in Ann Arbor. “There have been some pretty incredible members of The Potters Guild and I’ve learned from all of them,” Disbrow said. “We go back of course to J.T. Abernathy who’s been at every art fair in Ann Arbor for the last 50-plus years. Bobbi Stevens who was also very active in the Potters Guild and was on the board of directors of the Street Fair for many years. People like that all have an influence and yet it’s remarkable how our work is all so different from each other’s.” Disbrow focused mainly on

sculptural work as he outlined his artistic process. “It all starts in your head of course. You get an idea for a pot or a design or something like that. Then you spend a few days to a few weeks working on prototypes and testing glazes to see what you end up with.” Disbrow said. “It takes many left turns in that process and so what you think you’re going to do when you start out usually isn’t what you end up with; usually it’s much better.” One left turn happened two years ago when Disbrow was working on eight-inch Queen Anne style chairs. When the pieces were fired, the legs began to warp and come up. Disbrow embraced the result and called the pieces Queen Anne Dancing Chairs, writing poems on the bottom of the sculptures to reflect their new form. Along with his ability to adapt

and change his pieces, Disbrow practices his craft with a striking mix of storytelling and self-enforced efficiency. “A lot of times as I’m making my pots, I make up stories and sometimes history for my own entertainment as I’m working,” Disbrow said. Along with giving each piece a unique tale, Disbrow, a former middle school history teacher, approaches his craft at times like a game, timing himself and emphasizing proficiency in creating his art. “It goes back again to my childhood when I read a book called ‘Cheaper by the Dozen’ and the parents were efficiency experts so they would time their kids, everything they did, getting ready for school or driving someplace. And so everything became trying to make everything more efficient,” Disbrow said. “So as I’m throwing a pot or extruding a pot, I time it to see how

many I can make in an hour or how many minutes it takes to make one and just try and get more and more efficient and sparring in my movements.” This effectiveness in production is more than useful for Disbrow, who’s been working nearly everyday since January in order to prepare for the Art Fair. In that time he has created around 400 pieces that will be displayed and available for purchase. Among these sculptures are Disbrow’s towers, several of which are miniature representation of Ann Arbor landmarks. The pieces have a standout surreal quality to them while maintaining the iconography of their larger inspirations, which include the University’s Law Quad, Engineering Arch and Burton

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8 ARTS

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

TV REVIEW

‘Masters of Sex’ f lashes forward to new issues

Season 3 will shape portrayals of feminism and sexuality on TV

UNIVERSAL PICTURES

merp

‘Minions’ lives up to expectations

By KAREN HUA Daily TV/New Media Editor

If the pilot and sophomore seasons of “Masters of Sex” haven’t aroused modern TV enough, season three penetrates even deeper A than before. Eponymously, Masters sexual tension has always been of Sex abundant; it’s the Showtime inner, personal tension that’s Season 3 Premiere harder to create. Season Three leaps 12 years ahead to 1965 when Dr. Bill Masters (Michael Sheen, “Frost/Nixon”) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan, “Mean Girls”) are about to publish their breakthrough book, “Human Sexual Response.” The episode cuts between the present at their press conference and a flashback to their lake house vacation with Libby (Caitlin FitzGerald, “It’s Complicated”) four months ago. The time jumps are slightly disorienting, though, as the show already illustrates character development brilliantly without the juxtaposition of past and present. Bill and Virginia have plateaued into familiar — even familial — intimacy with each other, but their closeness alienates them from their families. Virginia cannot stop her belovedly bespectacled Henry (Noah Robbins, “Aftermath”) from dating a cougar, from getting hit by a car, or from enlisting for Vietnam. She cannot curb teenage Tessa’s (Isabelle Fuhrman, “The Hunger Games” series) curiosity for drugs or her sexual advances toward Bill. The formidable Bill Masters, too preoccupied with his own work, cannot make himself emotionally available to the children he never quite wanted. When Bill’s son throws his manuscript into the lake in an explosive moment, Bill — usually disciplined and calculated — has no choice but to accept that there are some inevitabilities he cannot control.

MUSIC REVIEW MOVIEVIDEO REVIEW

By CONRAD FOREMAN Daily Arts Writer

SHOWTIME

“I’ll master your sex.”

The episode delicately captures the essence of parenting and uses it to examine the duality that exists in every individual. Deep down, Bill has good intentions, but his evasion of fatherly responsibility reflects the traumatic neglect he experienced in his own childhood. In previous seasons, conflicts with their children have stood in the shadows of larger adult issues, but the new season may pit familial issues against their professional lives. As Bill and Virginia head into the public spotlight, they force themselves to façade the friction of their private lives. They use sex to mask deeper emotional problems in their relationship. The pristine lake house attempts to mask underlying issues in the trio’s lives. Everyone zips up tightly and plasters on a smile, even in moments pregnant with discomfort. The episode especially highlights the tragic complexity of Libby as a character. Thus far, she has doormatted herself, hidden beneath her own immaculate appearance and her feigned oblivion about her husband’s affair with her best friend. She has emotionally prostituted herself in an attempt at connection with any willing individual. As homoerotic as her scene in bed with Virginia is, the kiss — her desire to be desired — is more tragic than titillating. However, Libby finally realizes in this episode that approval and love must come from within. She humbly and nobly announces that she will end her marriage with Bill. Though Bill is also a complex character to sympathize with, his separation

from Libby is a long-awaited breath of fresh air. Their divorce is one of the first events that strips down to the naked truth. Season Three insinuates that Libby’s own revolution is coming. A disclaimer at the end of the episode notes that the children’s plotlines are completely fictitious, a fact that other reviews condemn. However, the beauty of film is that fiction adds the dimension of modern interpretation. “Masters of Sex” is not meant to be a documentary or textbook. By adding fictional subplots and secondary characters, we identify how history is pertinent and relatable to society today. The episode elucidates the “revolution” aspect of Masters and Johnson’s medical research because even 50 years later today, human sexuality is still taboo. Set amid the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement, the show discusses multiple instances of female empowerment – when Libby independently ends her marriage, when Virginia insists on finishing her college degree – when women finally tear down the facades. Whereas “virtuosity” was most commonly used in terms of sexual chastity in the ’60s, “Masters of Sex” defines it as personal morality — doing good as a mother, as a wife, and as a woman for herself. “We are the sexual revolution,” Virginia says. “You’re pregnant,” Bill adds. In a climactic end, what Virginia chooses to do with her body in the upcoming season will shape the portrayal of feminism and sexuality on television here forth.

If you watched “Despicable Me” and thought I like that movie a lot but really wish there Bmore scenes with just min- Minions ions and no people then Universal you’ll love the Pictures summer’s latRave 20 & est animated feature, “Min- Quality 16 ions.” If you’re unfamiliar with the minions, don’t worry; the narrator (Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech”) offers a thorough backstory. Minions have been around far longer than humans, their existence dedicated to faithful service of the most despicable master they can find. And they have had to find a lot of masters, since keeping a master has been so hard for the minion tribe. After a litany of masters lost, three brave minions, Kevin, Stuart and Bob, decide to venture into the world to find a new master so their tribe may survive. When the trio comes into service of the world’s first female super villain, Scarlet Overkill (Sandra Bullock, “The Blind Side”), it seems they have achieved their goal, though things are never quite simple when dealing with a super villain. The film’s core strength, obviously, lies in the adorability of the minions. To enjoy the film it’s essential that you enjoy the interactions between and personalities of the minions. While minions don’t speak any one human language, their dialect includes plenty of phrases and words directly from Spanish and

French (and others). The heroic trio is designed to optimize the minions’ most endearing features: Kevin, the inspired leader; Stuart, the wild one; and Bob, the eager but simple-minded one. Every minion is voiced by Director Pierre Coffin, who also directed “Despicable Me 2.” The year of this adventure is 1968, and the film incorporates the era’s culture into its comedy. Between the minions walk through the set where the moon landing was faked, the film’s soundtrack laden with hits from the British Invasion, and a wonderful Abbey Road reference, the film clearly aims to make the experience a relatable one for parents and grandparents in the audience with their little ones. And, of course, the timeframe functions to catapult the minions into the service of the master we already know and love, Gru (Steve Carell, “Foxcatcher”). Sandra Bullock’s Scarlet Overkill never convinces us that she poses a great threat to the minions, but one shouldn’t expect anything but a happy ending from this movie (it is a “kids movie,” after all). Her punchlines are some of the film’s weakest, but her partner, Herb Overkill (Jon Hamm, TV’s “Mad Men”), delivers delightful silliness in small doses. One of the film’s strengths is its pace. “Minions” knows itself enough keep the runtime right at 90 minutes, which means the plot unfolds quickly. Any film can drag if bogged down by extraneous scenes, but that’s especially true of a film where the main characters speak gibberish and jokes are overtly silly. The film’s quick pace maintained throughout is its success.

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

NEWS/SPORTS 9

Diabetic kidney disease treatment found University researchers develop alternative use for arthritis drug By SANJAY REDDY Daily Staff Reporter

months, baricitinib substantially reduced a measure of kidney dysfunction called urinary albumin/creatinine ratio, or UACR. They also showed that baricitinib reduced blood and urine levels of IP-10 and sTNFR2, two compounds that indicate inf lammation in the kidneys. Findings also indicted the only significant side effect of the drug was the onset of mild anemia among the treatment group with the highest dose, which was predicted based on previous findings. Frank Brosius, professor of internal medicine and a coleader of the multi-institutional clinical trial, said his team’s new findings are significant because kidney disease is a large problem among diabetic patients and will only worsen in the future. “Once diabetic patients get

kidney disease, it leads to a host of other problems, so anything that we can do to prevent, forestall or treat diabetic kidney disease is extremely important,” Brosius said. Nearly 40 percent of diabetic patients eventually develop kidney disease. Because diabetes incidence rates are currently rising, especially in countries such as China, where half of all adults are now pre-diabetic, the results of this trial have implications on a global health scale, said Brosius. Matthias Kretzler, professor of internal medicine and co-leader of the study, said the new findings are a product of decades worth of research. He explained that, over many years, researchers gathered tissue samples from cohorts of patients and genetically ana-

lyzed these samples to identify groups of genes that were activated in the progression of kidney disease. According to Kretzler, these analyses helped establish the connection to arthritis. “After identifying these genes, we mapped them into networks of interacting genes, which led us to identify a signal transduction cascade called JAK-STAT, an inf lammation pathway implicated in arthritis,” Kretzler said. Collaborations amongst the University Medical School’s Business Development, the University research team and Eli Lilly & Co., the pharmaceutical company that first engineered the drug to treat arthritis, were crucial to the study. Kretzler said this collaboration made the strategy of repur-

posing the drug possible. “This is an example of how connecting very different knowledge domains can help make what we believe is a significant finding for treating a disease that has evaded any advancement in care for the last two decades,” Kretzler said. Future research aims to identify different target compounds that are involved in the same JAK-STAT pathway, or in other pathways that have connections to diabetic kidney disease. Once this is done, Brosius said researchers can tailor treatments to inhibit or activate the pathways. “We are looking for other pathways and targets that aren’t even related,” Brosius said. “We think that patients have different ways of getting to the same final point.”

Cindy Ofili stepping out from older sister’s Olympic shadow By SYLVANNA GROSS Daily Sports Editor

As Cindy Ofili lined up at the start line at the British Championships, she didn’t take her eyes off the 100-meter hurdles course. She didn’t glance at her older sister, Michigan alum Tiffany Porter, who now runs professionally for Great Britain. And she didn’t glance at Michigan coach James Henry, who has been at the helm of her training through her entire Michigan career and throughout the summer. She stared straight ahead and ran. The rising senior sprinter and hurdler crossed the finish line to place second 12.96 seconds later, right behind her sister (12.83). “Honestly, even though she is my sister, she was my competitor,” Ofili said. “In between rounds we shook hands, but other than that, we focused on ourselves. She’s one of the best in the world, so I know that I’m making progress by running with her. It’s a great experience and it was very special running against each other in the finals.”

It’s this discipline and focus that affirmed Ofili’s standout junior year. She went undefeated in the 100-meter hurdles through the outdoor season and finished runner-up at the NCAA Outdoor Championships. With her final time of the season, 12.60, she broke her personal record by .21 seconds and the school record by .13 seconds — a record previously set by Porter seven years prior. Her time also stands as the seventhfastest time in the world for the 100-meter hurdles. In the same day as her qualifying 100-meter hurdle race at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, she broke a second school record in the 100-meter dash, finishing in 11.39 seconds. Earlier in the season, she defended her title in the indoor 60-meter hurdles, clocking in at 8.15. She was named Big Ten Track Athlete of the Week six

times between January and April and received the prestigious Michigan Chapter Wilma Rudolph Award, among other athletic and academic achievements. “Every athlete at this stage is experienced and skilled,” Ofili said. “So you see a lot of similar mindsets. I’m definitely excited and I feel very accomplished. I did things I didn’t even imagine doing. I feel accomplished, but I still feel very hungry and very motivated for this coming year.” She currently holds the school record for the indoor 60-meter and 200-meter events, as well as the outdoor 100-meter dash and 100-meter hurdles. A large part of her motivation also stems from her coach. Henry has been the head coach for the Michigan women’s track and field team for 31 seasons. At the 2012 London Olympic

“I did things I didn’t even imagine doing.”

FILE PHOTO/Daily

Cindy Ofili took second in the 100-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Games alone, he had three former athletes competing, including Porter, as well as one graduate student. “My sister had a similar relationship with (Henry) as I do now,” Ofili said. “He loves us both and treats us like we’re great athletes. The thing about (Henry) is that he’s always had more confidence in me than I have had in myself. He’s always told me I had greatness. He knew I had this in me all along.” The four-time Big Ten Champion is preparing for her senior year “hungry” for the upcoming competition. Between now and the start of the collegiate season,

she will compete in China at the IAAF World Championships, already having clinched her bid alongside her sister at the British Championships. She is also enjoying her new role on the international stage as a soon-to-be professional, and states that it’s an “eye-opening experience.” Going into senior year, Ofili recognizes that she’ll be facing heightened expectations to perform and to succeed. She copes with the pressure by telling herself that her time as a Wolverine is a journey, and that with Michigan behind her, she hopes this is just the beginning.

10 NEWS

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

POPE From Page 3 This approach is going to be helpful in Latin America where the church has been losing members to protestant churches. Francis’ approach is very appealing and is going to be enormously helpful in Latin America.” Not everyone, however, was receptive of the Pope’s anti-capitalist messages. Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia, said Pope Francis was preaching socialism. In addition to social issues, Pope Francis addressed several environmental concerns as well: the impact of mining on ecosystems and the impact farming has on land and water resources. According to Daniel Levine, professor emeritus of political science at the University as well as a professor of political science at the Pontificia Universidad Católica of Perú, the Pope saw these issues as affecting the economic inequality the indigenous populations are experiencing. “For Francis, the environment is a religious issue,” Levine said. “The earth is God’s gift and we need to respect that gift and think about how our use affects all. What he is doing is precisely what someone

in his position can and should do: shine light on the issue, legitimize it as a matter for public discussion, take a position and show its implications. As for the criticism that he should leave science to the scientists, Francis does have a scientific background, more than many politicians who cite the science only to scorn it.” Before beginning his seminary studies, Pope Francis worked as a chemical technician. Ramirez does not see the trip as an overall success, however, in terms of maintaining the number of Catholic believers in Latin America. Ramirez said an increasing number of people raised in the church eventually leave it as adults. Citing a November 2014 Pew Research Institute report on Religion in Latin America, Ramirez said that of the 94 percent of Paraguayans raised Roman Catholic, only a population of 89 percent remain as adults. In Ecuador, of the 91 percent raised in the church, only 79 percent remain as adults, and in Bolivia of the 88 percent raised Roman Catholic, only 77 identify as Catholic as adults. “As a researcher and observer of ecumenical dialogues, I see that this trip is falling very short,” Ramirez said. “Perhaps that was not on the agenda at all. In any

case, it would have been an uphill slog in a hemisphere where Catholic prelates and elites still have trouble relinquishing the levers of political and social influence.” In what was seen as a controversial move for many in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis also invited gay rights activist leader Simon Cazal to his speech on Sunday in Asunción, Paraguay. Ramirez explained the significance of this invitation. “I wouldn’t expect him to reference the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision,” Ramirez said. “In fact, things are so bad for LGBT folk in Paraguay that the simplest gesture of compassion and pastoral solidarity may suffice for that meeting in that country.” Porter-Szücs saw the Pope’s decision to address such issues as LGBTQ rights as a step in the right direction for Catholics and nonCatholics alike. “His influence among nonCatholics is even more powerful,” Porter-Szücs said. “Now he’s every non-Catholic’s favorite pope because he’s talking about issues that transcend denominations.” Pope Francis will continue his oversea travels this fall with a trip planned to tour the U.S.

ROSS From Page 3 He explained that, over many years, researchers gathered tissue samples from cohorts of patients and genetically analyzed these samples to identify groups of genes that were activated in the progression of kidney disease. According to Kretzler, these analyses helped establish the connection to arthritis. “After identifying these genes, we mapped them into networks of interacting genes, which led us to identify a signal transduction cascade called JAK-STAT, an inflammation pathway implicated in arthritis,” Kretzler said. Collaborations amongst the University Medical School’s Business Development, the University research team and Eli Lilly & Co., the pharmaceutical company that first engineered the drug to treat arthritis, were crucial to the study. Kretzler said this collaboration made the strategy of repurposing the drug possible. “This is an example of how connecting very different knowledge domains can help make what we believe is a significant finding for treating a disease that has evaded any advancement in care for the

last two decades,” Kretzler said. Future research aims to identify different target compounds that are involved in the same JAK-STAT pathway, or in other pathways that have connections to diabetic kidney disease. Once this is done, Brosius said researchers can tailor treatments to inhibit or activate the pathways. “We are looking for other pathways and targets that aren’t even related,” Brosius said. “We think that patients have different ways of getting to the same final point.”

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Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SPORTS 11

Fifteen Wolverines play at NHL camps By CHLOE AUBUCHON Daily Sports Editor

JAMES COLLER/Daily

Alternate captain Boo Nieves left camp confident that he proved why the New York Rangers drafted the forward in the second round in 2012.

Boo Nieves heads home to New York for Prospect Camp By SYLVANNA GROSS Daily Sports Writer

TARRYTOWN, N.Y. — It’s been three years since the New York Rangers drafted Cristoval “Boo” Nieves in the second round (59th overall) of the NHL draft. And it’s been two years since he first participated in the annual Rangers Prospect Camp. In one year, he will graduate from Michigan and, depending on his performance, possibly transition from wearing maize and blue shirts to being a Blueshirt. But after a standard freshman year, a shaky sophomore year and a solid junior year, the senior forward might have figured out the key to consistency — confidence. “Between the first time I came to camp and the second, I would definitely say confidence is the biggest difference in me,” Nieves said. “Confidence in skating, faceoffs, everything around me. I think confidence is giving me a little more of a performance boost, and I want to bring that back to Michigan.” His execution during the Rangers’ camp at the Madison Square Garden Training Center in Westchester County, N.Y. certainly improved from his 20142015 collegiate season and his spring six-week workout with the Michigan hockey team. And his skating earned respect from

fellow prospects and potential future teammates. Fellow Big Ten hockey player and Rangers prospect, forward Vinnie Lettieri from the University of Minnesota, said Nieves is a “standout leader and (has) promising potential.” Nieves attributes his attention to detail — most importantly his need to get low, keep his stick controlled and become a better two-way player — to Michigan coach Red Berenson. “My goal is to make sure everyone knows it’s me every time I’m out there,” Nieves said. “I need to be engaged, be consistent and make something happen every time I go on the ice.” He added after the camp: “Leaving, I feel way better than I did walking in. I had a good start but a better finish. I think I did pretty well.” Most notable to the Rangers’ staff, sportswriters and a couple of fans in attendance was the physical difference between 2013 and now. With more muscle definition and standing a tad taller, Nieves was a formidable force on the ice. Nieves was also complimented on his skating and passing skills. Both were noticeably developed in contrast to his first year at the camp. The newly elected alternate captain for the 2015-2016 Wolverines did admit that his defen-

sive skills could use a little help. The forward also acknowledged his need to keep the puck on his stick longer and attempt more shots. Nieves, both at Rangers’ camps and at Michigan, has shown an affinity for setting up his teammates with passes rather than being more assertive with his own shots. His tendency to go for the assist rather than the shot has led to relatively low scoring statistics. He scored just seven goals his junior season, three as a sophomore and eight his freshman campaign, but had 21 assists in both his junior and freshman seasons and 19 as a sophomore. Despite the slightly disappointing statistics, Nieves said he plans to carry his “positive vibes” from training camp through to his senior season, while looking to increase his goal production. Aside from team goals, Nieves knows he still faces an uphill battle to staying in Rangerstown for good. The Baldwinsville, N.Y. native has connected with current and former members of the Rangers organization in hopes of bridging the gap between college and the pros. A lot of progress needs to be made, but one thing will stay the same. “I introduced myself as Boo,” Nieves said. “It’s my hockey name.”

Fifteen Wolverine team draft picks and free agent invitees participated in NHL Development Camps over the past few weeks, honing their skills and gaining valuable experience without affecting their NCAA eligibility. For the NHL hopefuls, the camps provide unmatched exposure to life in the world of pro hockey while giving participants on-ice training, off-ice workouts and the opportunity to meet fellow prospects, players and key members of the organizations they may eventually play for. Rising junior forward JT Compher, who was originally drafted 35th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, officially joined his new team for the first time at the Colorado Avalanche development camp, as his rights were traded to the Avalanche in June. He isn’t letting this opportunity go to waste. “These camps are a great time to learn about the professional lifestyle and to get familiar with the team that may have your NHL rights,” Compher told MGoBlue. com. “Which is important, as many guys have the goal to play professional hockey. Each camp is different but has a focus on skills and teaching you useful information that you can take back to use during the year at Michigan and throughout your career. The main thing is soaking in this information and learning from these different coaches.” Incoming freshman forward Kyle Connor echoed his future captain’s sentiments after his first skate at the Winnipeg Jets development camp, highlighting the opportunity to develop and hone his skating and other skills after the draft. The first-round 2015 Entry Draft selection — Connor was selected 17th overall by the Jets — isn’t letting the pressure of his top-pick status affect his game, or take away from the excitement of the whole experience. “I think it’s more excitement (than pressure) for me, definitely,” Connor told NHL.com. “I waited a long time this year and it was a

lot of fun this year. And now that the draft is over, I think it’s all hard work from here.” Fellow first-rounder Zach Werenski, who was selected eighth overall in the 2015 Entry Draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets, saw marked improvement over his week at development camp. The rising sophomore defenseman valued the opportunity to focus on aspects of his game that often go overlooked during the collegiate season. Rising junior forward Alex Kile was the only Wolverine to attend two different teams’ development camps as a free agent invitee. The Michigan native spent a week training with the Detroit Red Wings, his favorite team growing up. Kile joined former linemate Dylan Larkin, who decided to forgo his final three years at Michigan to sign with the Red Wings. Kile then immediately went to join another former linemate, Zach Hyman, at the Toronto Maple Leafs Development Camp. Two future Michigan teammates also trained together with the Minnesota Wild. Incoming freshman defenseman Nicholas Boka joined rising junior defenseman Nolan De Jong with the Wild over the past week. The Wolverines’ incoming senior class was represented at the camps by forwards Boo Nieves with the New York Rangers and Justin Selman with the St. Louis Blues Goaltender Zach Nagelvoort with the Edmonton Oilers, defensemen Michael Downing with the Florida Panthers and Kevin Lohan with the Washington Capitals and forward Tyler Motte with the Chicago Blackhawks rounded out the rising junior class for Michigan. While Werenski was the only rising sophomore to attend a camp, the incoming freshman class had a strong showing. Future Wolverines attending camps in addition to Boka and Connor included forwards Brendan Warren with the Arizona Coyotes and Cooper Marody with the Philadelphia Flyers as well as defenseman Joseph Cecconi with the Dallas Stars.

12 SPORTS

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

DELANEY RYAN/Daily

2015 graduate Haylie Wagner has posted a 2.14 earned-run average for the Pennsylvania Rebellion in her rookie season.

Softball stays busy over the summer in pros, world cup Wagner, Romero among softball players on Team USA, NFPL. By CHRIS CROWDER Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan softball team ended its 2015 campaign one win away from a national championship. There isn’t much improvement to be made, but with impact seniors like pitcher Haylie Wagner, catcher Lauren Sweet and possibly right-hander Sara Driesenga leaving the program, multiple Wolverines from last season’s successful team are playing this summer to hone their skills. Rising senior infielder Sierra Romero and Wagner highlight the Michigan softball players’ summer plans. Among the returning players, Romero earned a spot on the USA National Team, trading in her maize and blue uniform to don the red, white and blue. And Wagner, though graduated,

is continuing her softball career with the Pennsylvania Rebellion in the National Pro Fastpitch League. With every player playing softball in some capacity while school is out, The Daily recaps some of the Michigan softball players’ summer schedule, past and present. In the 14 games the USA National Team has played this summer, seven have been against international competition. The United States have only lost one, to Canada, but still bounced back to win the World Cup of Softball with a 6-1 victory over Japan. Wolverine alum Amanda Chidester hit a key two-run triple in the first inning of the championship game. The catcher, who graduated in 2012, has only started in two games featuring international competition, but has reached base in each appearance. In a July 1 battle against the United States Junior National Team, Chidester scorched a two-run homer in the second inning. The blast ended up being the difference, as the elder national team won, 3-2. Romero played the first three

“It’s a lot harder. This is a higher step up.”

games of the tournament, while not seeing action in the last four. She played well in her starts, knocking in six RBI, including three by way of a three-run-go-ahead homer in the first World Cup of Softball contest against Japan. Romero also faced off twice against incoming junior third baseman Lindsay Montemarano and the New Jersey All-Stars, with Romero’s side winning both of the matchups, 3-1 and 8-1, respectively. Montemarano batted once in each game and struck out both times. Romero played in the first matchup, batting three times, but recording zero hits. The Stars and Stripes will take the field next in the Pan American Games starting July 15 in Canada. As for Wagner, she is enjoying her time with the Rebellion, but has yet to record her first professional win in two starts. Her record stands at 0-3, but has a 2.14 earned-run average — good for 10th best in the league. Wagner does have a complete game and a save under her belt through five starts, so she is getting the hang of playing on the professional circuit. Wagner tweeted Sunday night that she is “so content with life right now.” Softball fans can understand why. She’s living her dream, playing the game she loves.

DELANEY RYAN/Daily

Rising senior infielder Sierra Romero is donning the stars and stripes for Team USA.

But as Wagner has learned in her rookie season, playing softball doesn’t get any easier after college. “There is definitely better competition here,” Wagner said in an interview with the ObserverReporter. “It’s a lot harder. This is a higher step up.” Wagner, Romero and the rest of the last Michigan squad are

continuing to play high-caliber competition even during the offseason. And in Wagner’s case, even after their collegiate careers are over. Instead of summer being a time of relaxation and recovery, for the Wolverines, it’s another opportunity to put in work. After all, the quest for a national championship never stops.

“There is definitely better competition.”