ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
SENATE ASSEMBLY
Consulting firm or not, faculty want a say in AST NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
Business junior Sumana Palle speaks during the Student Union of Michigan’s protest against the Administrative Services Transformation project at the Fleming Building Monday.
Protest voices staff qualms Students march with staff across campus against shared services By JENNIFER CALFAS Daily Staff Reporter
Through bitter winds and the frigid snowfall, echoes of “chop from the top” and “no AST cuts” resonated across the Diag. Marching from Rackham Auditorium to the Fleming Administration Building, almost 50 students, faculty and staff gathered Monday to deliver a letter to Rowan Miranda, associate vice president for finance. Miranda is one of the administrators involved in the implementation of the proposed Shared Services Center — but has come under fire because of his previous rela-
tionship with the consulting firm that designed the initiative. The center, a component of the Administrative Services Transformation project, would consolidate some University departmental staff members into a central location on State Street near the University’s Wolverine Tower, creating an estimated savings of $5 to $6 million per year. The transition would move almost 300 clerical employees to the new location and would require that they re-interview for their new positions. While University administrators announced that they will delay the transition due to a slew of faculty concerns and a 1200-signiture strong petition, the group assembled Monday to demand a full rollback of the AST initiative. Rackham student Brian Whitener, a member of the Student Union of
Michigan, said the letter delivered to Miranda includes a job application for him to fill out to be evaluated by the group of protesters. The gesture comes after staff members affected by the Shared Services Center were required to re-interview for their jobs with the University. Along with the Student Union of Michigan, members of the Graduate Employee’s Organization and Lecturers’ Employee Organization also participated in the march. Whitener said the mixed group of student and faculty participants reflect the importance of halting the AST initiative by demonstrating how it negatively affects the majority of the campus population. “We think that the University should be run in a different way and it should be run with the priorities of students, See PROTEST, Page 5
Senate Assembly discusses concerns over faculty involvement in staffing decisions By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA Daily Staff Reporter
The last meeting for the Senate Assembly’s calendar year brought about 60 faculty members to Palmer Commons Monday afternoon. Ultimately, the group decided to endorse two resolutions related to the Administrative Services Transformation initiative that the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs drafted at their meeting last week. To start off the meeting, SACUA chair Karen Staller provided a timeline for the University’s actions leading up to the AST, beginning with the use of Hackett consulting company in 2009. Hackett conducted a survey and analyzed data before suggesting the AST and IT Rationalization as potential cost management strategies by consolidating staff positions found to be redundant. Discussing AST, Staller acknowledged that the University is experiencing “tough times of belt tightening”
PA N C A K E PA R T Y
EMPLOYEE UPROAR
RESEARCH
Study: Even normal noise exposure can be dangerous
LSA faculty, staff hope to suspend project until 2016 Faculty debate AST at special meeting called by interim dean By ALICIA ADAMCZYK Daily News Editor
In a special forum called by interim LSA Dean Susan Gelman at last week’s regularly scheduled faculty meeting. About 250 LSA professors and faculty members met in Rackham Auditorium Monday evening to debate the controversial Administration Services Transformation project — which would consolidate some University staff in a central location and save the University an estimated $5 to $6 million per year. The group of faculty passed a motion that calls for AST to be delayed for two years. Its implementation would then be reevaluated pending “a more thorough” examination of alternatives, determination of costs and benefits, and consultation with the affected schools, colleges, faculty and staff members. American Culture Prof. Gregory Dowd, the chair of the American Culture Department, brought forth the motion. He hopes it will open further discussion on the consultation between faculty and top administrators, negating any consequences of a rushed implementation. Additionally, faculty members hope to increase the transparency of the decision-making process between administrators and the rest of the campus community, a common complaint of the administra-
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 22 LO: 8
tion’s handling of the project thus far. A copy of the resolution will be sent to University President Mary Sue Coleman; University Provost Martha Pollack; E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life; and Timothy Slottow, executive vice president and chief financial officer. AST was developed through an $11.7 million contract with Accenture, a major consulting firm, signed earlier this year. Since the University announced the plan, it has garnered criticism from diverse campus constituencies. Almost 1,200 faculty members have signed a petition against the transition, and multiple departments have sent letters directly to top administrators. Earlier Monday, about 50 students, faculty and staff delivered a letter to Rowan Miranda, associate vice president of finance and one of the leaders in implementing the proposed Shared Services Center initiative, demanding that Miranda should resign and reapply for his position. Miranda previously worked for Accenture’s higher education practice — which some have viewed as a conflict of interest with his current position. University administrators announced last week that they will delay the transition to the Shared Services Center until after April and continue to reevaluate the extent of the initiative in the wake of faculty outcry. Astronomy Prof. Sally Oey, a member of the Senate Assembly Committee on University Affairs, brought forth an amendment clarifying that the implementation would be reevaluated See PROJECT, Page 5
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
and that the painless parts of budget cuts, or “low-hanging fruit” like consolidating information technology, have already been implemented. She added that even after the administration officially postponed any ASTrelated action until April of next year, the faculty still has concerns about the program’s transparency and who makes the final decisions. “Last week the provost told the deans of all the schools to talk with their faculty (about AST), and we had our meeting in Social Work on Wednesday,” she said. This comes after department heads were originally told not to discuss changes with affected staff members—characterized by some as a gag order—which caused rumors and fears to grow about the AST initiative. The first resolution addressed the AST process, criticizing the use of an outside consulting firm — Accenture LLP — and claimed there was not “a meaningful participation of and evaluation by the faculty, resulting in inadequate consideration of the consequences and effects of this program.” The Senate Assembly endorsed the “suspension of the implementation of AST until its impact on the educational and teaching missions of the University can be fully considered and See CONSULTING, Page 5
Researchers link loudness to high blood pressure and heart problems By IAN DILLINGHAM Daily Staff Reporter
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS /Daily
Engineering senior Stacie Desousa makes a pancake for the Pantanal Partnership at the Duderstadt Center Monday.
HOSPITAL
Affordable Care Act could be costly for ‘U’ Young adults will have big impact on future of health law, experts say By IAN DILLINGHAM Daily Staff Reporter
Come Jan. 1, many Americans will receive health insurance — some for the first time — under the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. However, as the Dec. 23 enrollment deadline for health coverage in 2014 approaches, questions and NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM The Feminine Critique: Valuing women’s work MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS
uncertainty abound, both at the University and around the nation. Of particular concern for healthcare providers are reimbursement rates — the amount of money a hospital receives from insurance companies for providing care — which will likely change as individuals enroll in or switch insurance plans. In preparation for these impending financial adjustments, the University of Michigan Health System has been performing extensive sensitivity analyses, which allow administrators to estimate potential shifts in coverage within the population it See ACT, Page 5
INDEX
Vol. CXXIII, No. 55 ©2013 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
Does danger lurk in your iPod? Thursday, Public Health Assistant Prof. Richard Neitzel and a team at the School of Public Health published findings related to the dangers of prolonged exposure to noise. Neitzel said noise is often overlooked as a potential health hazard, both in occupational settings and daily life. While people often associate loud noises with hearing loss, prolonged exposure to even moderate noise levels may have other serious health consequences, including high blood pressure and heart attack. Following his research appearing in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, Neitzel said he hopes the paper will reenergize the conversation about noise as a health hazard — a topic that has seen little research over the last several decades. “(Noise) is something almost no one thinks about, compared to something like air pollution,” Neitzel said. “In a way, it’s like the wild west of exposures in that we tolerate it being there and haven’t looked into it much, really since the 1970s.” Neitzel conducted the first portion of his research in New York City, where he studied environmental factors that contribute to hearing loss. Surprisingly, he found that most people were “driving their own exposure” through See NOISE, Page 5
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 SPORTS......................6
ARTS....................7 SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6
News
2 — Tuesday, December 10, 2013
MONDAY: This Week in History
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers Before You Were Here
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles Profiles
THURSDAY: CampusProfiles Clubs Alumni
ECO-EXPLORER
high school; I was a really avid Boy Scout and eventually Eagle Scout. I went to a small, liberal arts college and through close mentorship they encouraged me to keep my options open and pursue a dual degree. What led you to start Michigan Science Art and the EcoExplorers programs?
What led you to study both art and biology at Wabash?
Michigan Science Art is a group of science illustrators. I was originally hired by the University to start an undergraduate concentration in science illustration so students could combine their art and biology interests. We’ve done numer-
As an undergrad, I was a pre-veterinary student planning on going to vet school, but I had always enjoyed art and drawing. My connections to the environment were really strong through middle school and
CRIME NOTES
ous projects, from book publication to exhibition design for the Smithsonian National Zoo and the Toledo Zoo. I live in a straw bale house that’s off the grid on a farm, which I designed and built myself. I teach sustainable food design, and we visit everything from factory farms to family farms to slaughterhouses, and with the student farm here on campus, students can think about food systems and environmental sustainability and how they can use creativity and design.
— ARIANA ASSAF
Taking a stand
WHERE: C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital WHEN: Saturday at about 8:15 p.m. WHAT: A subject and his acquaintance had an argument, but the acquaintance had left the building. An officer determined that no assault occured, University Police reported.
WHERE: 420 Maynard WHEN: Saturday at about 1:05 p.m. WHAT: The glass in a newspaper stand was found broken, University Police reported. The incident is said to have occured some time between 12:30 p.m. on Friday and 12:45 p.m. on Saturday. No suspects.
Down with the Sketchy circumstances blue lights WHERE: 1300 Block Catherine Street WHEN: Monday at 5:15 a.m. WHAT: An emergency blue-light phone in front of Med Science Bldg. 1 had been knocked over, presumably by a grounds vehicle.
WHAT: A lecture centering around understanding the mistreatment of minors who are involved in activites with college and University personnel. WHO: School of Social Work, Office of Alumni WHEN: Today at 5:00 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building, Room 1804
MORE ONLINE Love Crime Notes?
Get more online at michigandaily.com/blogs/The Wire
KIRBY VOIGTMAN
Newsroom
News Tips
734-418-4115 opt. 3
news@michigandaily.com
Corrections
Letters to the Editor
corrections@michigandaily.com
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Arts Section
Editorial Page
arts@michigandaily.com
opinion@michigandaily.com
Sports Section
Photography Section
sports@michigandaily.com
photo@michigandaily.com
Display Sales
Classified Sales
dailydisplay@gmail.com
classified@michigandaily.com
Online Sales
Finance
onlineads@michigandaily.com
finance@michigandaily.com
Matthew Slovin Managing Editor Adam Rubenfire Managing News Editor JAMES COLLER/Daily
Tae Lim, a Natural Resources and Environment student, browses through the Michigan Library’s book sale at the Hatcher Graduate Library Monday.
WHAT: Prof. Donald Sinta’s students will perform their recitals. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Moore Building
The PSU case: Latin jazz An analysis performance
WHERE: Michigan Union WHEN: Saturday at about 6:55 p.m. WHAT: University Police reported that staff found graffiti in a men’s bathroom,. A possible person of interest fled the building before officers made contact.
ANDREW WEINER
EDITORIAL STAFF
Used book sale Orchestra WHAT: Daphne Koller, performance co-founder and co-CEO of Coursera, presents “The Online Revolution: Learning without Limits” as part of the James R. Mellor Lecture Series. WHO: Campus Information Centers WHEN: Today at 4 p.m. WHERE: Arthur Miller Theater
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com Editor in Chief Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1252 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 anweiner@michigandaily.com kvoigtman@michigandaily.com
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Feud-and-run
FRIDAY: Photos the Week Week Photos of the
BOOK WOR M
Prof. combines art and biology Joseph Trumpey is an associate professor in the School of Art & Design and in the School of Natural Resources and Environment. He has undergraduate degrees from Wabash College in art and biology and received his M.F.A in medical and biological illustration from the University in 1992.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
WHAT: Incredible musicians will perform the original music of Latin jazz composer Alberto Nacif. WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: The Ark, 316 S. Main St.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
On Saturday, an article on CBS Denver discussed a memo that was released to all sworn members of the Denver Police Department the previous Thursday. The memo states that officers are prohibited from working anywhere marijuana is sold.
2
On Tuesday, an eviction notice was e-mailed to students, simulating the relocation of Palestinians. The Students Allied for Freedom and Equality asks students to take a stand. >> FOR MORE, SEE OPINION, PAGE 4
3
A sign outside a Sonic restaurant in Kansas City encouraged the Kansas City Chiefs to “scalp the Redskins” and send them “2 the reservation,” Fox News reported on Monday. Sonic has since apologized for the message.
mjslovin@michigandaily.com arube@michigandaily.com
SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Alicia Adamczyk, Katie Burke, Peter Shahin, K.C. Wassman, Taylor Wizner ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Ariana Assaf, Jennifer Calfas, Hillary Crawford, Ian Dillingham, Will Greenberg, Sam Gringlas, Matt Jackonen, Rachel Premack, Stephanie Shenouda, Christy Song
Melanie Kruvelis and opinioneditors@michigandaily.com Adrienne Roberts Editorial Page Editors SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Dan Wang, Derek Wolfe ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald
Everett Cook and Zach Helfand Managing Sports Editors
sportseditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Alejandro Zuniga, Jeremy Summitt, Neal Rothschild, Rajat
Khare, Daniel Wasserman, Liz Vukelich ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Greg Garno, Alexa Dettlebach, Daniel Feldman, Erin Lennon, Lev Facher, Max Cohen
Kayla Upadhyaya
Managing Arts Editor
kaylau@michigandaily.com
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Elliot Alpern, Brianne Johnson, John Lynch, Anna Sadovskaya ASSISTANT ARTS EDITORS: John Bohn, Sean Czarnecki, Max Radin, Akshay Seth, Katie Steen, Steven Tweedie
Adam Glanzman and Terra Molengraff Managing Photo Editors
photo@michigandaily.com
SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Teresa Mathew, Todd Needle ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Katherine Pekala, Paul Sherman, McKenzie Berezin, Ruby Wallau, Patrick Barron
Kristen Cleghorn and Nick Cruz Managing Design Editors Haley Goldberg Magazine Editor
design@michigandaily.com statement@michigandaily.com
DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITOR: Paige Pearcy
Josephine Adams and Tom McBrien Copy Chiefs
copydesk@michigandaily.com
SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Jennie Coleman, Kelly McLaughlin
Austen Hufford
Online Editor
ahufford@michigandaily.com
BUSINESS STAFF Amal Muzaffar Digital Accounts Manager Doug Soloman University Accounts Manager Leah Louis-Prescott Classified Manager Lexi Derasmo Local Accounts Manager Hillary Wang National Accounts Manager Ellen Wolbert and Sophie Greenbaum Production Managers 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.
Florida congressman loses Filner, ex-mayor of San in large investment scheme Diego, given sentence Rep. Alan Grayson lost $18 million to Virginia-based fake investor
Grayson by name. The Demo- no way to fulfill his obligations if cratic congressman on Monday a client’s stock portfolio did well. confirmed he is the A.G. men“That’s why (Chapman) is tioned in the documents. going to prison for a long, long Nothing in the court papers time,” Grayson said. “At least in suggests Grayson was anything the end, some kind of justice was but a victim of the scheme. Gray- served.” son, a former trial attorney, said In Grayson’s case, his stocks SAN DIEGO (AP) — When McLEAN, Va. (AP) — U.S. Rep. he has had a long record for performed astronomically well he was mayor of San Diego, Bob Alan Grayson of Florida lost $18 picking winning stocks, which while they were entrusted to Filner waited to be alone with million in a scheme that cheated formed the basis for his personal Chapman and his company, women to kiss, grope and manhim and about 120 other inves- fortune. Alexander Capital Markets. handle them without any wittors out of more than $35 million, The scheme worked like this: Lawyers for Chapman said it nesses, according to a probation according to court papers. clients would turn over their was the strength of Grayson’s officer’s report released after The Virginia man who ran the stocks to Chapman as collateral stocks that caused Chapman’s he was sentenced Monday to scheme, William Dean Chapman, for a loan, and Chapman would scheme to crumble. Chapman home confinement. was sentenced Friday in federal let customers borrow about 90 and Grayson negotiated a payFilner, 71, apologized and told court to 12 years in prison. Pros- percent of the stocks’ value. ment plan, according to court the judge he would try to earn ecutors say Chapman used the If the stocks did badly, bor- records, but it was not enough to the trust of those he betrayed money to fund a lavish lifestyle rowers could walk away and keep keep Chapman’s positions from and recover his integrity — a including a Lamborghini, a Fer- the money they were loaned. But collapsing. sharp contrast to his defiant rari and a $3 million home. if the borrowers’ stocks did well, “Because the return on A.G.’s resignation speech nearly four In most of the court papers, they would repay the loan with commodities investments were months ago in which he said he Grayson’s identity is protected interest, and Chapman was sup- so astronomical, ACM could not was the victim of “a lynch mob.” — prosecutors say only that an posed to return the stocks to the meet its obligations under the His attorney Jerry Coughlan elected official with the initials investor at their increased value. loan agreements,” defense lawsaid Sudoku Syndication http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ Filner dropped mood-alterA.G. was the primary victim — But, according to court papers, yer Whitney Minter wrote. ing medications when he became but documents twice mention Chapman sold the stocks and had In 2007, Grayson had $9.35 mayor. That, combined with the million in a stock portfolio that stress of leading the nation’s Chapman was supposed to be eighth-largest city, substantially holding as collateral. In that contributed to Filner’s behavior, year alone, the portfolio’s value Coughlan wrote to the judge. increased by 147 percent, to $23 Superior Court Judge RobMEDIUM million, according to a chart in ert Trentacosta sentenced Filthe court documents. ner to three months of home Chapman’s lawyer did not confinement and three years of immediately return a call. Chapprobation — the same punishman, of Sterling, Va., pleaded ment that prosecutors had recguilty in May but tried at Friday’s ommended in a plea agreement sentencing hearing to withdraw reached in October. the plea, saying he felt pressured “I want to apologize to my to plead and that he never intendfamily, who have stood by me ed to defraud. through this ordeal, to my loyal It is not the first time staff and supporters, the citizens Grayson, who represents parts of San Diego and most sincerely of the Orlando area, has lost tens to the women I have hurt and of millions of dollars in a fraud offended,” Filner told the judge scheme. In 2009, he won a $34 in a brief statement. “Certainly million judgment after filing the behaviors before this court a lawsuit in South Carolina today will never be repeated.” under federal racketeering Filner had faced a maximum laws against a company called possible penalty of three years in Derivium Capital. Derivium’s prison for a felony count of false business plan for hedging an imprisonment and one year in investor’s stock profile was jail for each of two misdemeanor nearly identical to the plan counts of battery. outline by Chapman. The former 10-term con© sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com WE’VE SEEN WORSE Grayson said he first entered gressman cannot seek or hold into deals with Chapman in elected office while on proba2003, well before the deal with tion and will be monitored by Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com!
Disgraced official bound to home for probationary period
SUDOKU
1
6 9
8
5
7
5
3
8 1
9
7
8 1
3 4
4 8
9
2
6
1 8
8
3
2 6
4
GPS during home confinement, which begins Jan. 1. The three victims in the complaint, who were not named, declined to attend the sentencing and didn’t seek restitution, according to the probation report. One said she wished Filner would be sentenced to three months in jail and would leave San Diego, while the others had no opinion on an appropriate punishment. Nearly 20 women have publicly identified themselves as targets of Filner’s unwanted advances, including kissing, groping and requests for dates. His accusers include a retired Navy rear admiral, a San Diego State University dean and a great-grandmother who volunteers her time to answer the questions of senior citizens at City Hall. Filner, who is twice divorced, pleaded guilty to the felony for what the probation report described as putting a woman in a headlock after a dinner party on March 6 and attempting to kiss her on the lips. The woman, identified as a longtime Filner acquaintance, told authorities that he kissed her eye and she elbowed him to get free. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor for kissing a woman on the lips without permission at a “Meet the Mayor” event on April 6, according to the probation report. The woman, who came to report alleged financial improprieties, told authorities the mayor had asked an aide to leave the curtain-shielded cubicle where they met. The other misdemeanor involved grabbing another woman’s buttocks at a May 25 rally to clean up Fiesta Island in Mission Bay. The probation report says the woman was posing with the mayor for a photograph taken by her mother. “Clearly, the defendant’s efforts to avoid detection by witnesses suggest he was aware his behaviors and intended actions were wrong and most certainly
inappropriate,” Charles Ledbetter, a San Diego County senior probation officer, wrote in his report. Filner disappeared from public view after leaving office Aug. 30, less than nine months into a four-year term. His attorney said Filner has been jogging daily, attending two counseling sessions a week and relying on family for moral support. He said Filner hoped to write about his experiences as a 1960s civil rights activist and member of Congress. Filner was undergoing psychiatric counseling and taking medications prescribed by congressional doctors “to help stabilize his mood and safeguard his mental health,” but he dropped medications after becoming mayor, Coughlan wrote to the judge. The attorney didn’t elaborate on Filner’s mental health issues in his memo and didn’t immediately respond to a phone message seeking further comment. The charges do not involve Filner’s former communications director, Irene McCormack Jackson, who expedited the mayor’s downfall by becoming the first to go public with sexual harassment allegations in July. She sued Filner and the city, claiming her boss asked her to work without panties, demanded kisses and dragged her in a headlock. Gloria Allred, McCormack Jackson’s attorney, told reporters that Filner was “one lucky man” for being spared jail time. She and McCormack Jackson sat in the front row during sentencing. Filner was elected San Diego’s first Democratic mayor in 20 years, vowing to put neglected neighborhoods ahead of entrenched downtown business interests. Two city councilmen seeking to replace him in a special election runoff — Republican Kevin Faulconer and Democrat David Alvarez — have embraced Filner’s neighborhoods-first mantra while scarcely mentioning the former mayor by name.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
Tuesday, December 10, 2013 — 3
Looting, violence spread as police strike continues
NEWS BRIEFS GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.
Grand Rapids parks recieve donation A Grand Rapids parks group has received an $189,000 grant to help make the western Michigan city a leafier place. The Grand Rapids Community Foundation is trying to help the city reach the goal of having a 40 percent tree canopy, MLive.com reported Monday. The grant goes to Friends of Grand Rapids Parks to help the nonprofit’s Urban Forest Project promote tree planting on private property. Two years ago, the community foundation gave Friends of Grand Rapids Parks a $254,000 to help launch the Urban Forest Project. The new grant will help the project recruit more citizen foresters and provide more community education and training, said foundation Vice President Marcia Rapp.
DETROIT
Government sells remaining shares of GM stock The U.S. government ended up losing $10.5 billion on the General Motors bailout, but it says the alternative would have been far worse. The Treasury Department sold its final shares of the Detroit auto giant on Monday, recovering $39 billion of the $49.5 billion it spent to save the dying automaker at the height of the financial crisis five years ago. Without the bailout, the country would have lost more than a million jobs, and the economy could have slipped from recession into a depression, Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew said on a conference call with reporters.
ORLANDO, Fla.
Zimmerman asks judge to drop charges ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — George Zimmerman asked a judge on Monday to change the terms of his bond so he can have contact with the girlfriend he’s accused of assaulting. Zimmerman filed an affidavit from his girlfriend that says she doesn’t want him charged with aggravated assault, battery and criminal mischief. In the signed affidavit, Samantha Scheibe — referring to Zimmerman as “my boyfriend” — said that detectives misinterpreted what she said and that she hasn’t been coerced into the request. Zimmerman was arrested last month after Scheibe accused him in a call to 911 of pointing a gun at her, smashing a coffee table and pushing her outside. Zimmerman also called dispatchers, denied pointing a gun at her and blamed her for the broken table.
ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE
Obama urges peace in Central African Republic President Barack Obama is urging the people of the Central African Republic to remain calm amid mounting sectarian violence. The White House says Obama taped the audio message Monday in Dakar, Senegal, as Air Force One was refueling on its way to Johannesburg for a memorial service honoring former South African President Nelson Mandela. Mandela died last week. Obama addressed his remarks to the “proud citizens of the Central African Republic” and said they have the power “to choose a different path” than the violence that led to more than 400 deaths in two days of violence last week between Christians and Muslims. Obama says he joins Muslim and Christian leaders in calling for calm and peace and says those who are committing crimes should be arrested. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
Argentina in chaos, five dead across nation
THAI SPOKESMAN OFFICE/AP
Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca takes questions from the media after the FBI released results of a federal probe, Monday at a news conference in Los Angeles.
Sheriffs formally charged and accused of corruption Eighteen deputies found engaging in civil abuse and beating inmates LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal officials say 18 current and former Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies saw themselves as being “above the law,” engaging in corruption and civil rights abuses that included beating inmates and visitors, falsifying reports, and trying to block an FBI probe of the nation’s largest jail system. The charges were announced at a news conference Monday after 16 of the 18 defendants were arrested earlier in the day. At least two are no longer working for the department and some of those charged were scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court on Monday. “These incidents did not take place in a vacuum — in fact, they demonstrated behavior that had become institutionalized. The pattern of activity alleged in the obstruction of justice case shows how some members of the Sheriff’s Department considered themselves to be above the law,” U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte Jr. said. Sheriff Lee Baca said at a separate news conference that he was troubled by the charges and
called it a sad day for his department. “Please know that I respect the criminal justice system and no one is above the law,” Baca said. He said the department will continue to cooperate with the FBI and that the arrested deputies who are still employed by the department will be relieved of duty and their pay suspended. He also defended the department, pointing to reforms since allegations surfaced in 2011, and said the problem wasn’t an institutional one. Four grand jury indictments and a criminal complaint include accusations that deputies plotted to impede the FBI by moving an informant in the jails and attempting to intimidate a lead FBI agent outside her house; that deputies unlawfully detained and used force on visitors to Men’s Central Jail, included detaining and handcuffing the Austrian consul general in one example, and in another, grabbing a man by the neck, forcing his head into a refrigerator, then throwing him to the floor and pepper spraying his eyes; and that deputies falsified reports to make arrests seem lawful or in another case, struck, kicked and pepper sprayed an inmate and made false reports to have the inmate charged with and prosecuted for assaulting deputies. The FBI has been investigat-
ing allegations of excessive force and other misconduct at the county’s jails since at least 2011. Among those charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice are two lieutenants, one of whom oversaw the department’s safe jails program and another who investigated allegations of local crimes committed by sheriff’s personnel, two sergeants and three deputies. All seven are accused of trying to prevent the FBI from contacting or interviewing an inmate who was helping federal agents in a corruption and civil rights probe. One of the investigations involved trying to see if a deputy would accept a bribe to provide the inmate with a cellphone, court documents show. The indictment alleges the inmate was moved to hide him and false entries were made in the sheriff’s databases to make it appear as if he had been released. In an attempt to find out more information about the investigation, one lieutenant and the two sergeants sought a court order to compel the FBI to provide documents, prosecutors said. When a state judge denied the proposed order, the two sergeants allegedly attempted to intimidate one of the lead FBI agents outside her house and falsely told her they were going to seek a warrant for her arrest, the indictment said.
Coalition wants Obama to limit NSA surveillance Eight companies publish open letter asking the president to limit programs WASHINGTON (AP) — Silicon Valley is escalating pressure on President Barack Obama to curb the U.S. government surveillance programs that vacuum personal information off the Internet and threaten the technology industry’s financial livelihood. A coalition that includes Google, Apple, Yahoo, Facebook and Microsoft lashed out in an open letter printed Monday in major newspapers and a new website, http://reformgovernmentsurveillance.com . The crusade united eight companies that often compete fiercely against each other, but now find themselves banding together to limit the potential damage from revelations about the National Security Agency’s snooping on Web surfers. Twitter Inc., LinkedIn Corp. and AOL Inc. joined Google Inc., Apple Inc., Yahoo Inc., Facebook Inc. and Microsoft Corp. in the push for tighter controls over electronic espionage. The group is immersed in the lives of just about everyone who uses the Internet or a computing device. As the companies’ services and products have become more deeply ingrained in society, they have become integral cogs in the economy. Their prosperity also provides them with the cash to pay for lobbyists and fund campaign contributions that sway public policy.
Monday’s public relations offensive is a by-product of documents leaked over the past six months by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. The records reveal that the NSA has been obtaining emails and other personal data from major tech companies under secret court orders for the past five years and scooping up other data through unauthorized hacking into data centers. Silicon Valley has been fighting back in the courts and in Congress as they seek reforms that would allow them to disclose more information about secret court orders. Several of the companies are also introducing more encryption technology to shield their users’ data from government spies and other prying eyes. Monday’s letter and the new anti-snooping website represent the technology industry’s latest salvo in an attempt to counter any perception that they voluntarily give the government access to users’ email and other sensitive information. Although the campaign is ostensibly directed at governments around the world, the U.S. is clearly the main target. “The balance in many countries has tipped too far in favor of the state and away from the rights of the individual — rights that are enshrined in our Constitution,” the letter said. “This undermines the freedoms we all cherish. It’s time for a change.” Civil liberties aren’t the only thing at stake. One of the reasons the technology companies have become a rich vein for crime-fighting authorities is that they routinely store vast
amounts of personal data as part of their efforts to tailor services and target advertising. By analyzing search requests, Web-surfing habits, social networking posts and even the content of emails, the companies are able to determine, for instance, the type of digital ads to show individual users. The NSA revelations have raised fears that people might shy away from some Internet services or share less information about themselves. Such a shift would make it more difficult for companies to increase their ad revenue and, ultimately, boost their stock prices.In a statement, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer said the NSA disclosures had “shaken the trust of our users.” Google CEO Larry Page and Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, two of the richest people in the world, also chimed with statements urging the U.S. to adopt reforms to protect personal information. U.S. intelligence officials have staunchly defended the electronic espionage, contending the NSA’s tactics have helped disrupt terror attacks. Officials also insist that the agency takes care not to look at the content of conversations or messages by U.S. citizens. Obama has asked a panel of hand-picked advisers to report on the spying issue this month and recently said he’ll propose the NSA use “some selfrestraint” in handling data. White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden indicated the administration expects to address many of the concerns raised in Monday’s letter after Obama’s advisers complete their review.
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Outbreaks of looting have spread across Argentina as mobs take advantage of strikes by police demanding pay raises to match inflation. Videos show people shattering glass doors and hauling out everything from mattresses and cellphones to baby carriages and beer. By Monday night, the death toll from the chaotic outbursts climbed to five as officers rallied outside negotiating sessions, citizens huddled inside their homes and businesses, and federal troops deployed to trouble spots. The trouble spread to at least 19 of Argentina’s 23 provinces, and most commerce shut down in many cities just ahead of the December holidays, when Argentina’s simmering social conflicts have a history of exploding in the summer heat. President Cristina Fernandez’s Cabinet chief, Jorge Capitanich, described the crimes as premeditated acts by groups that wanted to generate chaos and anxiety on the eve of Tuesday’s 30th anniversary of Argentina’s return to democracy. “In some ways, this amounts to the crime of treason,” Capitanich told reporters. He said that the national government was in continual contact with Argentina’s provincial leaders and that any salary dispute must be resolved through negotiation, not extortion. The government has sent federal police, border patrol officers and other security forces to hot
spots where people have armed themselves in fear of mobs. Prosecutors were put on alert to build criminal cases against looters, and Justice Minister Julio Alak warned that people coordinating violence through social networks would be charged. Looting first broke out in Cordoba province last week, damaging hundreds of businesses and leaving two dead and more than 100 people injured before the governor and police reached a deal that effectively doubled police salaries to 12,000 pesos a month. That’s about $1,915 at the official exchange rate. The national government initially blamed the phenomenon on Cordoba’s governor, a political rival of Fernandez. But by Monday, it was clear that even close presidential allies were struggling as police earning base salaries of less than 6,000 pesos a month staged copy-cat strikes across Argentina. A third victim died when his supermarket was set afire as he defended it from a mob in Almirante Brown, in Buenos Aires province, where Fernandez loyalist Gov. Daniel Scioli appealed for calm. The fourth and fifth victims were young men who were inside stores being looted in Entre Rios and Jujuy provinces. Scioli’s leadership was tested again Monday after a dozen more stores were looted in Mar del Plata and hundreds of police gathered in a central square, rejecting his offer to raise entrylevel salaries to what he called a “fair and reasonable” 8,570 pesos a month. Those officers were holding out for 12,500 as a base salary. Most others returned to work, the provincial government said.
Canada wants to claim resource rich Arctic land Plans made to ‘assert sovereignty’ and extend seabed into North Pole TORONTO (AP) — Canada plans to make a claim to the North Pole in an effort to assert its sovereignty in the resourcerich Arctic, the country’s foreign affairs minister said Monday. John Baird said the government has asked scientists to work on a future submission to the United Nations claiming that the outer limits of the country’s continental shelf include the pole, which so far has been claimed by no one. Canada last week applied to extend its seabed claims in the Atlantic Ocean, including some preliminary Arctic claims, but it wants more time to prepare a claim that would include the pole. Asserting Canada’s rights in the Arctic has been a popular domestic issue for Prime Minister Stephen Harper, though at least one expert on the issue described the planned claim as a long shot. “We are determined to ensure that all Canadians benefit from the tremendous resources that are to be found in Canada’s far north,” Baird said. Countries including the U.S. and Russia are increasingly looking to the Arctic as a source of natural resources and shipping lanes. The U.S. Geological Survey says the region contains 30 percent of the world’s undiscovered natural gas and 15 percent of oil. If Canada’s claim is accepted by the U.N. commission, it would dramatically grow its share. Countries must submit proposals to the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental
Shelf to request an extension of their nautical borders. Currently, under international law, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Russia and the U.S. —the five countries with territories near the Arctic Circle_are allotted 200 nautical miles from their northern coasts. Under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, exclusive claims can be vastly expanded for Arctic nations that prove that their part of the continental shelf extends beyond that zone. Baird said Canada’s submission last week set out the potential outer limits of the country’s continental shelf in the Atlantic — a claim of about 1.2 million square kilometers. He said that’s roughly the size of Alberta and Saskatchewan combined. Canada’s follow-up submission will include a claim to the Lomonosov Ridge, an undersea mountain range between Ellesmere Island, Canada’s most northern land mass, and Russia’s east Siberian coast. That claim would extend Canada’s claim 200 nautical miles beyond the North Pole. The submission that Canada filed with the U.N. is essentially a series of undersea co-ordinates that map what the government claims is the country’s extended continental shelf. Baird said it’s a mammoth task, and the government needs more time to complete the mapping in the Arctic and get its U.N. submission right. “That’s why we have asked our officials and scientists to do additional and necessary work to ensure that a submission for the full extent of the Continental Shelf in the Arctic includes Canada’s claim to the North Pole,” he said. The U.N. submission is also political, said Michael Byers, an expert on Arctic and international law at the University of British Columbia.
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, December 10, 2013
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Resistance comes in many shades
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MELANIE KRUVELIS ANDREW WEINER EDITOR IN CHIEF
and ADRIENNE ROBERTS
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
MATT SLOVIN 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
Reevaluating evaluations Centralizing course information has benefits for professors and students
A
s the fall semester comes to a close, it’s open season for course evaluations. Feedback from students is an integral part of the University’s self-improvement, explaining the professorial exhortations that go along with the evaluations. Unfortunately, few students are willing to fill out these evaluations. As much as students are responsible for filling them out, it is the role of professors to demonstrate the impact of these criticisms. Additionally, information regarding class structure, such as syllabi and evaluations, should be more centralized to allow students to compare courses. As it stands, rates of completion for the course evaluations is low with only 56 percent of students participating at any course level during Fall 2012. This rate tends to stay consistent from year to year — increasing by only 1.66 percent from Fall 2011. An obvious disconnect exists between students and faculty about of the importance of these evaluations. Professors and graduate student instructors need to make it explicitly clear how essential students’ feedback is to improving the course. Professors should set aside time at the end of the final class to give students the opportunity to complete the evaluation, which would highlight the importance of student opinions. Faculty should also ensure that students can see how their feedback may affect instruction changes in the future. For instance, professors should e-mail students after responses have been read, acknowledging common criticisms and praises for the course, and describing planned improvements. Providing students with information about how their evaluations are utilized demonstrates that their opinion is actually considered. Obviously, an increase in student participation would be more useful to instructors because they would have more
opinions and feedback to draw from. Evaluations also need to be documented in an online database that is easily accessible to students. A consolidated resource would allows students to consider the evaluation of their peers when they navigate classes on Wolverine Access. The average student perspective offered in these evaluations would provide a more trustworthy opinion than websites like Rate My Professor, which lends itself to participation bias and creates unreliable information. To assist students in selecting courses, professors should be required to upload past or tentative syllabi to one central website — allowing students to compare the workload and structure of different courses. The syllabus archive on the LSA’s course guide site does not contain all courses, leaving students without an adequate understanding of what their future class may look like. Providing better transparency in the course review system will ultimately demonstrate to students that it is in their best interest to contribute to the mutually beneficial program. In the meantime, providing students with time in class and feedback about changes based on their responses will increase participation — ultimately leading to improved instructor performance and better courses.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, James Brennan, Rima Fadlallah, Eric Ferguson, Jordyn Kay, Jesse Klein, Kellie Halushka, Melanie Kruvelis, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Adrienne Roberts, Matthew Seligman, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Send letters to: tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Court dismisses citation with no policy action TO THE DAILY: In October, a University of Michigan law student represented himself in court and successfully argued that the judge should dismiss his $25 parking citation. The city of Ann Arbor did not have the proper authority to ticket him. Unfortunately, you probably did not hear about this epic victory because the media didn’t cover it and the judge didn’t issue a written opinion. Despite a judge ruling that parking on lawns and lawn extensions is not illegal, Ann Arbor still issues these parking citations. On August 18, 2013, Law School student Jason Zolle, received a $25 parking citation for parking his car on his “lawn extension.” Jason parked on the seven-foot strip of grass next to the road on his side of the
the podium
“
street — there was no sidewalk. The Ann Arbor ordinance states that “no person shall park a vehicle . . . (1) on a sidewalk; or, on that portion of the highway located between the property lines and the curb or curb line.” Naturally, it seems ridiculous that Jason’s lawn is a highway. Interestingly enough, the state of Michigan and the city of Ann Arbor actually have different definitions for a highway. Two months later Jason appeared in court. Judge Christopher Easthope dismissed the parking ticket because the municipal ordinance justifying the citation was “void for vagueness as applied.” The judge stated that citizens should not need to guess at how ordinances will be applied. At the end of the day, Jason represented himself in court and successfully dismissed his $25 parking citation. Ann Arbor declined to appeal the decision. Jeremy Keeney Law student
The Feminine Critique: Do you agree that raising the minimum wage requires a change in culture as well as policy? Erin Kwederis analyzes how low wages contribute to the oppression of women. Go to michigandaily.com/blogs/ThePodium
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Because they restrict the pay, there’s exploitation. Players are worth more than the compensation they receive. That’s the bottom line.” — Professor of economics at California State University, San Marcos, Robert Brown said in his paper on the marginal revenue of NFL-caliber college football players from 2011. The Michigan Daily recently analyzed wthe direct revenues Devin Gardner made for the University at $5.5 million.
A
nyone who’s invested in social justice work — as loose and vague as the term is — knows that it isn’t easy. On most days it feels defeating and depleting to the point where you may guiltily question what you are doing or ZEINAB why you’re the one who has to KHALIL take this on. It can push you to distrust the world, recoil into your couch and start a “Scandal” marathon when you should really be working on job applications or doing the statistics homework that was due yesterday. But as much as it may bother some people, the vagueness lent to “social justice” can be useful in pushing us to rethink what anti-oppressive work looks like in different contexts. Resisting oppression — or at least its normalization — comes in different forms and sometimes in ways that we don’t highlight or value as much. While anti-oppressive work may evoke images of radical organizing or perhaps images of more reformist approaches that seek to fight “within the system,” maybe through negotiating with people in positions of influence, liberation comes in many more shades. Resistance can play out in the everyday small steps we take, in the seemingly mundane things we do, that, if intentionally proactive and subversive, can be powerful ways to disrupt the status quo. Rethinking resistance starts by dropping any lofty fixed image in our mind of what anti-oppressive/ liberation work looks like. Falling into what we think “social justice” or “activism” ought to look like or what it requires limits our imagination, and subsequently, the impact of our work. Truly challenging the status quo around us won’t happen by abiding by the script of the mainstream. Instead, we need to think of ways to define resistance work on our own terms; to make it fit the shifting needs and nuances of our everyday realities. If we want to survive in systems where our numbers are few or where there are many external restraints against us, we need to
imagine resistance that can function in spaces that aren’t welcoming or conducive of traditional forms of activism. This requires us to be more proactive in what we want to invest our energy in, and to find ways to be subversive in situations where activism isn’t deemed appropriate. By doing so, we can form ripples of resistance that incentivize us to hold back or, if we choose to engage, we find spaces that exploit and exhaust us. In rethinking resistance, we can start by refusing reactionary activism. While it is important to hold others accountable and make our voices heard when problematic issues come up, we shouldn’t allow “call out culture” to take center of our activism. Doing so keeps us from ever coming up with the agenda. Instead, we passively play out someone else’s script — one largely dictated by mainstream sources that choose to highlight issues based on their marketable prospects. These sources expect and hope that we will react to the news they put out. We can resist reactionism, not only in relation to pop culture and media, but also in daily settings we’re part of. Oftentimes in class, at work or in meetings, I am expected to react to things because of my views and identity. There are moments when I can literally feel gazes shifting toward me, waiting for “that girl” to respond because she always seems to have something to critique in response to the reading, to someone’s comments and so on. I’ve had to ask myself: what do I gain or benefit by engaging? Why am I constantly placed on the defense in this space? Why am I expected to always respond when I never signed up to play mock trial or be a show for someone to look forward to watching? There’s power in refusing to be reactionary in such spaces — in being silent when reactionism is the only way your voice is welcomed. Instead, let’s slow down, do things at our own pace and set
them on our own terms. Let’s learn through imagining and cultivating instead of responding and calling out. As one activist, Mauro Sifuentes, put it , “If the dominant forces are providing us with the majority of our material to critique, they are essentially formulating our resistance for us.” Of course, it is okay and often necessary to voice our disapproval for what’s in front of us. In some cases, it’s crucial to intervene and respond. While in other cases, refusing to respond may be just as important. But sometimes, a mix of the two is most effective: responding — just not in the ways expected of us. In many spaces, it can be difficult to directly intervene — maybe because you can’t afford to do so (perhaps in certain professional settings) or just that you don’t feel like teaching today. Find ways to make resistance fit whatever situation you’re in. Sometimes that means walking out altogether and refusing to dialogue or entertain triggering and problematic conversations and settings. If we can’t afford to remove ourselves entirely, sometimes resistance means disrupting the situation. It means making sure your discomfort and disapproval are felt and known even if you don’t want to explain why. Whether it’s through repeatedly sighing heavily, loudly rummaging through your bookbag, or completely derailing conversations — do what you need to do to literally disrupt, bend and destabilize oppressive frameworks. While such subversive behavior may seem passive aggressive or something that doesn’t address the “root of the issue,” remember that resistance comes in many forms. Fortunately, it comes in ways that allow us to preserve ourselves. It shouldn’t always be on us to react in the name of anti-oppressive work. Disruptive and subversive behavior in oppressive settings can be just as impactful and can save us energy on days where we need it for something else or just don’t have it.
Disruptive behavior in oppressive settings can be just as impactful as radical resistance.
— Zeinab Khalil can be reached at zkha@umich.edu.
STUDENTS ALLIED FOR FREEDOM AND EQUALITY | VIEWPOINT
Dorm room demolitions If you do not vacate the premises by 13 DEC 6 PM, we reserve the right to demolish your premises without delay. We cannot be held responsible for property or persons remaining inside. Charges for demolition will be applied to your student account. This is the message thousands of University of Michigan students awoke to Tuesday morning. Fortunately, the eviction notice was a tool of political satire intended to recreate a situation thousands of Palestinians confront on a daily basis. Even while this parallel was created on our campus, it’s impossible to understand the violent trauma associated with the uprooting and displacement of families and homes. We can only begin to imagine the physical, emotional and psychological loss that happens when homes and communities — embedded with memories, dignity and livelihood — are reduced to rubble. Since 1967, the Israeli government has demolished more than 27,000 Palestinian homes. Last month, Israeli authorities posted eviction orders on 200 residential buildings in East Jerusalem that will leave more than 15,000 Palestinians homeless. No alternatives are left for these soonto-be displaced populations. While University of Michigan students who received the mock eviction notices can rest assured knowing that they will not be forcibly uprooted from their cozy quarters, they also will not be subjected to the $19,400 fine Palestinian families are forced to pay if they refuse to demolish their homes themselves and leave the humiliating task to Israeli authorities. The discrimination against Palestinian and Israeli Arabs from their Jewish counterparts is disturbing. While Palestinian homes are unlawfully demolished, illegal settlements in East Jerusalem and the West bank continue to be built. While Palestinians are forced to pay hefty fines if they do not demolish their own homes, Israelis are paid to live in illegal settlements. In fact, most Israelis move to settlements not because of religious, ideological or political
reasons, but for the sake of economic convenience due to subsidies that make living in illegal settlements cheaper than in Israel. Of course, all of this is in gross violation of human rights. Under the Geneva Convention, any forcible population transfer is strictly forbidden. But the Israeli government does not have to answer to international law or human rights. Its blatant disregard for human dignity and survival is supported and made possible by us — the United States — who have vetoed a total of 41 Security Council resolutions that indict Israel over its numerous war crimes. So, what now? The so-called “peace process” has proven only as a way to buy time and protect the expansion of settlements that make a just resolution unlikely. Israeli settlements and their expansive network of checkpoints and segregated road systems fragment Palestinian land, break apart families and take huge tolls on the Palestinian economy. What Palestinian state can we speak of when 82 percent of the West Bank is under Israeli military rule and 61 percent of it is under full Israeli control? The miserable futility of the peace process is too evident by recent developments: While U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry tries to renew “peace talks,” the Israeli ministry announces the construction of 300 new settlement homes in East Jerusalem. The U.S. State Department described the move as “counterproductive.” In view of Israel’s legal and political impunity and the absence of real dialogue, it is time for us as students at the University of Michigan to take the stand that our government has yet to make. In 2005, Palestinian civil society called for a global citizens’ response to these injustices implementing boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel until it complies with international law. In doing so, Palestinian civil society has proposed a morally consistent, effective and nonviolent method to resist
the continued colonization and ethnic cleansing of their lands. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement has been endorsed by prominent figures, such as South African liberation leaders Desmond Tutu and Nelson Mandela, and is beginning to develop into a truly global movement. Just last week, the American Studies Association passed the academic boycott of Israeli institutions. Several American university student bodies, including University of California, Berkeley, have passed resolutions asking their universities to divest from all companies profiting from the Israeli occupation. The time is now for us to do the same. At its core, BDS is about adherence to human rights. It asks nothing controversial — only that we uphold our moral standards and practice what we preach. Divesting from Israel would mean divesting from companies that have explicit ties with the Israeli occupation — companies that engage in the likes of selling military technology that aids in the killing of civilians, managing racially segregated bus systems and providing services to illegal settlements. Our University has an established tradition of dissent and activism. This campus has historically been a space for students to raise their political and global consciousness and become harbingers of social change whether it was through prying open the doors of higher education to minority students, protesting the war in Vietnam, or divesting from South African Apartheid in 1983. By remaining neutral on the “Israeli apartheid,” we’re complicit in a system of oppression. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Our demand is that you recognize this injustice and divest from all companies that profit from the Israeli occupation. This article was written by members of Students Allied for Freedom and Equality.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
PROTEST From Page 1 who are the primary attendees of the institution, and workers, who are the primary motors of the institution,” Whitener said. While Whitener said he agrees that costs should be cut at the University, he believes AST is not the right way to do it. He said upper-level administrators’ salaries should be cut and the University should halt “needless and unnecessary” construction projects that cost millions. SUM has previously voiced its opposition to the $180 million Munger Graduate Residences — the University’s largest current construction project. “It is a stand-in for a larger logic of what the University should be and how the University should be run, and we’re opposed to that,” Whitener said. University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald said while it is too
ACT From Page 1 serves and better plan for income changes. Paul Castillo, chief financial officer for UMHS, noted that the analyses are only mathematical equations used to make predictions based on the current landscape. The majority of financial adjustments will occur in the coming year, once the system has been observed and analyzed. “It’s too early to tell what exactly is going to happen in the exchange marketplace today,” Castillo said. “This next 12 months is a very important time period for us to really observe what’s happening in the marketplace and incorporate those observations into our financial modeling.” As some individuals begin enrolling in health insurance for the first time, others may have the option to switch plans. These migrations between systems perhaps provide the most uncertainty for healthcare providers, since it will be difficult to accurately estimate the new demographics until the system has been in place for several months. The reimbursement that UMHS receives will strongly depend on what portion of their patients decide to take advantage of Medicaid or Medicare, which typically have lower reimbursement rates than private insurers. In any case, it will likely require the health system to find ways to be more efficient with the resources available. “If we were paid at Medicare reimbursement rates, we would actually see a lower overall payment level for the portion that migrates,” Castillo said. “Under either scenario, there is a prediction of lower reimbursement in total, but the reality is we don’t know if that’s going to be the case or not.” Regardless of the uncertainty, Castillo said the process of reform was necessary given the state of health coverage in the United States In 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated that 15.4 percent of Americans lacked health insurance, or 48 million people. “The elements of the Affordable Care Act that are attempting to provide access at a reasonable cost to a portion of the population that has historically had
News
early to predict the future plans for the consolidation initiative, University Provost Martha Pollack and Tim Slottow, executive vice president and chief financial officer, are currently speaking to concerned faculty members to gauge their opinions. “We will continue that important dialogue as we work together to evaluate the different options for structuring shared services in the near future,” Pollack said in a statement. Earlier this year, the University signed an $11.7-million contract with Accenture LLP, a Chicagobased consulting firm, to help facilitate the AST consolidation process. Miranda previously worked for the firm, but Slottow said in November Miranda removed himself from firm relations “to eliminate any possibility of real or perceived bias.” Rackham student Diana Sierra, a member of GEO, said the AST consolidation efforts would hurt the least financially stable staff
on campus and a disproportionate amount of women employees. “I see this as a very explicit attack on the workers at campus,” Sierra said. “You see that the University is trying to handle a socalled budget crisis on the backs of its most vulnerable workers, and I think that’s part of a bigger issue as to who has decision-making power on campus.” Although Sierra said that workers would be potentially laid off with the implementation of AST, University officials said in November that there will be no layoffs as a result of the new Center. Rackham student Paige Andersson said decreasing resources for the lower-level workers on campus sheds light on what she sees as the larger goals of the financial framework at the University. “The focus is away from education and the resources to provide an affordable education — which affects diversity and all sorts of other things — to basically enrich
people at the top,” Anderson said. Sierra echoed Anderson’s points about financialization at the University — one of SUM’s main issues. As the University’s Black Student Union recently made national news by bringing the experiences of Black students — who constitute 4.65 percent of enrolled students — on campus to light, Sierra said college affordability for students from diverse backgrounds should be the University’s top priority. While the University’s enrollment does not directly relate to the fight against AST, Sierra said it reflects a larger issue of who has the decision-making power on campus. “I think this initiative is part of a larger effort to really address those diversity questions in a way that is not an empty buzzword (like) the University wants to paint in their pamphlets, but that if you’re actually interested, you actually need to have people be a part of the process.”
difficulty getting access to insurance — I think those are good tenants,” Castillo said. Enrollment will be complicated for Michiganders In the state of Michigan, more than one million individuals — about 14 percent of the population — are currently uninsured. Given the confusion and issues with enrollment, many of these Michiganders may remain uninsured into 2014. “I would guess that less than half of the uninsured in Michigan will gain coverage by the deadline — probably substantially less than half,” said Public Health Prof. Richard Hirth, an expert on healthcare policy. Recently, however, healthcare coverage has not been the focus of criticism. Rather, the federal enrollment system — Healthcare.gov — has been facing the brunt of condemnation, primarily from conservative opponents, given its myriad technical issues and delays. Although recent reports have indicated improvement in the federal exchange system, it has yet to be seen whether modifications to the system will translate into higher enrollment rates. In contrast to the federal exchange, many states have been successfully operating independent enrollment programs. Fourteen states took this option when the law was introduced, granting them federal funding to establish their own healthcare enrollment websites. While preliminary results appear varied, several states, including Kentucky and California, are currently operating systems that largely outperform the federal exchange. Michigan had the option to establish a state-based exchange, but decided to utilize the federal system instead, a move Hirth said was motivated more by politics than other factors. “Not having a state-based exchange was largely political,” Hirth said. “You could make your political statement against the ACA, but ultimately, since you would have the federal exchange available, you wouldn’t have thought there would be that much of a consequence.” Hirth does not place blame, however, entirely on the federal government, which likely expected a larger portion of states to take control of their own enrollment sites. “I don’t think the federal gov-
ernment ever anticipated that they’d be doing the exchange for 36 states,” Hirth said. “That really contributed to a lot of the problems with the rollout.” Each state added to the system must be linked into numerous databases and calculations must be calibrated based on the state laws and regulations. This process is not only time consuming but also highly prone to error. “Health insurance is a complicated product,” Hirth said. “It’s more complicated than simply setting up a website to sell it.” Confounding the enrollment problems, Michigan Medicaid expansions, which will extend coverage to a large portion of the uninsured population, won’t take effect until March because of delays in approval by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and Michigan’s state legislature. Once in effect, Hirth estimates just over half of the previously uninsured individuals will be covered under an insurance policy. Under the expanded Medicaid qualifications, individuals whose incomes are less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level will receive coverage at little or no expense. Young adults are a driving force for cost While the long-term goal of the ACA is to reduce costs for patients and healthcare providers, this may not be the case in the coming year. Uncertainty regarding the demographics of the newly insured suggests the annual premiums for some plans may see an increase in 2014 as insurers equilibrate their expenses. “In the first year of the exchanges, the plans were guessing,” Hirth said. “They had to make their best projection as to who is likely to enroll in a plan and those projections are certainly at risk right now given the slow pace of enrollment.” More than 470,000 of the uninsured Michiganders, about 42 percent, are between the ages of 19 and 34, according to HHS. Although Hirth estimates the percentage of uninsured students at the University is in the single digits, these younger — generally healthier — populations have proven resistant to mandated coverage requirements. Many students with no income are essentially exempt from penalties for failing to enroll, which
are assessed through income tax. Without these younger demographics enrolling, there are fewer individuals to cover the cost of care for many plans, thus driving up prices for those who choose to participate. When Massachusetts passed a statewide healthcare reform law in 2006, which required citizens to obtain insurance or pay a penalty, the people in the greatest need of insurance — those with costly diseases and disabilities — were the first to enroll. With several weeks of enrollment remaining, Hirth said many legislators have been presuming that national enrollment would follow this pattern. “It remains to be seen whether the younger, healthier folks are discouraged from enrolling altogether as opposed to just waiting until the last minute to make a decision,” Hirth said. “We don’t know yet whether that Massachusetts experience will be followed given that we’ve had a lot more problems than they did.” Regardless of how they’ll be affected, some just don’t get it Helen Morgan, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology, teaches the undergraduate course, “Perspectives on Health Care.” In her experience, she has found that very few people are properly educated on healthcare options and policies. “The reality is that people don’t understand it,” Morgan said. “There’s so much rhetoric and there’s so much dogma and everyone’s just trying to figure out what is the actual reality.” Given the polarized opinions on healthcare reform, many individuals who see Morgan have received false information from biased sources. Moving forward, she said the University holds some responsibility, along with the administration, for educating the public on these issues. But even in these early stages of implementation, Morgan said some effects are already being seen in the health system. Most notable in her practice, she has been reminding patients that certain forms of birth control are covered under the new law. “Prior to the Affordable Care Act, I had a lot of patients whose insurance plans wouldn’t cover any contraception, so we had to make up these bogus reasons for why they needed something just so we could have the insurance company pay for it,” Morgan said.
Princeton fights meningitis outbreak Nearly 2,000 students given vaccinne in first day PRINCETON, N.J. (AP) — Princeton University has begun vaccinating nearly 6,000 students to try to stop an outbreak of type B meningitis in an unusual federal government-endorsed administration of a drug not generally approved for use in the United States. Seven students and one prospective student who was visiting campus have been stricken by potentially life-threatening type B meningococcal disease since March. None of the cases has been fatal. Scores of students were lined up in a campus center when the vaccinations became available
Monday. Nearly 2,000 received shots the first day. Vaccines are being given through Thursday, and a booster dose will be given in February. The vaccinations were recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccine is being made available to all undergraduates, as well as graduate students who live in dorms and employees with certain medical conditions. Taking it is voluntary. Under New Jersey law, all students who live in dorms are required to have a meningitis vaccine, but it does not prevent the B strain, which responds differently to vaccines from other strains. The strain is the most common in Europe and accounted for one-third of the meningitis cases reported in the U.S. last year by the CDC. Princeton’s is
the first outbreak of the B strain worldwide this year. On campus Monday, students were amused at the presence of reporters interested in whether they had gotten a shot, or planned to. “It’s hard to take it seriously even though I know it’s a serious situation,” Ryan McDonnell, a 20-year-old junior, said after receiving the vaccine. “I never considered not getting it.” He said that the experience, including filling out a consent form and waiting 15 minutes after the shot was given, took less than 30 minutes. Another 20-year-old junior, Jimmy van Thron, said he was planning to get the vaccine in coming days. “My mom’s a pediatrician, and she told me to,” he said. “So, gotta do what mom says.”
With the most recent case reported in November, the CDC said there was a strong likelihood of more cases despite steps taken by the university, including encouraging students not to share cups. The agency says it’s important as many students as possible get vaccinated to help halt the outbreak. The disease can be spread through kissing, coughing or lengthy contact. The Food and Drug Administration authorized the use of a vaccine, Bexsero, that has been approved for use in Canada, Europe and Australia but is not yet licensed in the U.S. Made by Switzerland-based Novartis, Bexsero is the only vaccine designed to ward off the strain. It is in the approval pipeline in the United States. The CDC said it does not consider it experimental.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013 — 5
CONSULTING From Page 1 properly evaluated in light of the diverse and often specialized needs of various academic disciplines and units across campus.” This resolution was passed unanimously, leading into a discussion about the University’s use of consulting firms. The resolution — drafted by
PROJECT From Page 1 after two years rather than just delayed for that amount of time. “It would allow people to have a meaningful dialogue,” Oey said. She added that there isn’t enough information right now to rush into a decision. Dario Gaggio, associate professor of history, said the motion should call for the implementation to be called off completely so as to avoid sending a mixed message. However, the faculty group defeated the amendment. Dowd stressed that the implementation of AST should be reconsidered only if the administrators and faculty members open a dialogue and properly investigate the costs, benefits and alternatives. “I think a number of us felt that ... we would be engaging in exactly the kind of, ‘we know better than you’ that we feel we are getting from the administration,” Dowd said. “Maybe there are parts of AST that are sal-
NOISE From Page 1 music, even though they may not think they’re listening to it very loudly. Subjects also suffered from involuntary exposure on subways and in the workplace. In a dangerous twist, Neitzel said the more serious consequences, such as heart attacks, occur at lower levels than required for hearing loss. Thus, individuals may not realize they are being over-exposed. Hearing loss has the potential to occur if a person’s average exposure over 24 hours exceeds 70 decibels, or about as loud as a normal conversation, according to Neitzel. “You can certainly have high noise during the day, you just need to have periods of quiet as well so it all averages out,” Neitzel said. However, for students, exposure can potentially be much higher. Attending a noisy party or rock concert can expose individuals to levels as high as 110 decibels, which represents a 10,000-fold increase from the minimum level necessary for hearing loss. “Any time you have ringing in your ears after noise — some people get a sensation that the sound is muffled — that’s basically the only way your body has to tell you that’s too much noise,” Neitzel said. “If you are leaving a noisy event, and your ears are ringing, or it sounds like you’re underwater, that’s a sign you got too much noise and probably
SACUA and eventually passed with 36 in favor, three opposed and one abstention — asserted that the “tens of millions of dollars” spent on outside consulting firms was unnecessary because “the University is a preeminent institution employing faculty with international expertise in fields including business, finance, information technologies, organizations and education.”
vageable.” Some faculty members had mixed feelings about the proposed motion and the amendments. Information Prof. Paul Edwards said the nature of the transformation may be widely misunderstood by faculty members. “I urge restraint on this,” Edwards said. “I do not feel that I know what AST means on any level. I feel that it has been deeply studied by the administration.” Although administrators sent out a letter in November that promised there would be no layoffs resulting from the transition, others at the meeting warned that the effects of AST and the Shared Service Center will occur by default without the actual implementation as employees quit to find more stable positions or their contracts expire without renewal. In a statement, Pollack said the University delayed the implementation to hear from more faculty and will continue the dialogue to evaluate different options.
ought to not do that again.” Many people ignore such ringing because it does not hurt, but Neitzel said ears do not actually hurt until about 125 decibels, which is well above the level necessary for hearing loss. Ann Arbor City Code of Ordinances states that individuals cannot undertake any activity that produces over 61 decibels of noise beyond their property line between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., the permitted level drops to 55 decibels. While this code provides basic protection from most noise dangers, Neitzel said most municipal police forces around the United States are ill-equipped or too busy to enforce noise regulations. “There are many towns where there are no rules at all,” Neitzel said. “Cities don’t have the resources on their own, for the most part, to take on noise as a problem.” Some cities, like San Francisco, now require concert venues to provide or sell hearing protection to patrons. But despite such efforts, noise hazards have yet to gain the same level of national regulation that other hazards, such as air pollution, have received. “Cities and counties are just sort of making it up as they go, rather than us taking a comprehensive look and saying let’s do this right,” Neitzel said. “Some cities have taken the right steps, such as Ann Arbor, but most have not.”
Weather forces 1,650 flight cancellations Snow and cold hit U.S. a month before usual MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Snow and bitter cold snarled traffic and prompted another 1,650 U.S. f light cancellations on Monday, and tens of thousands of people were still without power after January-like weather barged in a month early. The storm covered parts of North Texas in ice over the weekend and then moved East. Below-zero temperatures crowned the top of the U.S. from Idaho to Minnesota, where many roads still had an inch-thick plate of ice, polished smooth by traffic and impervious to ice-melting chemicals, making intersections an adventure. Many travelers wished they were home, and people in
homes without power wished they were somewhere else. Some of the most difficult conditions were in North Texas. More than 22,000 Dallas-area homes and businesses were still without power on Monday, according to electric utility Oncor. That was down from 270,000 on Friday. Dallas students got a snow day. More than half of the nation’s f light cancellations on Monday were at DallasFort Worth International Airport, dominated by American Airlines. About 650 travelers were stranded there Sunday night. Nationally, there have been more than 6,100 f light cancellations since Saturday, according to FlightStats.com, including more than 2,800 by American or its American Eagle regional airline. American emerged from bankruptcy protection and merged with US Airways on Monday.
Sports
6 — Tuesday, December 10, 2013
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Off the sideline, Val Driscoll makes her presence known By MAX COHEN Daily Sports Writer
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Freshman forward Tyler Motte will tangle with his older brother, CJ, the goalie for Ferris State, on Wednesday.
Late collapses troubling By ERIN LENNON Daily Sports Writer
Last weekend, Ohio State completed two comebacks against the No. 3 Michigan hockey team — one at Yost Ice Arena to send the game into overtime, the other in NOTEBOOK Columbus facing a 4-1 deficit in the third period. Perhaps the Wolverines, who fought back to win both contests, love drama. “It’s nice that we’re on the winning side of (one-goal games) most of the time, but it’d be nice to blow out a team every once in a while,” said senior defenseman Mac Bennett on Monday. On Thursday night, the Wolverines (2-0 Big Ten, 10-2-1 overall) completed their fifth overtime contest of the season — the third at Yost. Though the exhibition against the U.S. National Team Development Program had no reflection on its record, Michigan dropped its first game in overtime to the visible dismay of sophomore captain Andrew Copp. After the game, Copp was noticeably frustrated, his arms folded across his chest. “It’s kind of sickening,” Copp, a former NDTP player, said. The late-game collapse — in which the NDTP erased the Wovlerines’s 4-2 lead with less than two minutes remaining in regulation — is all-too familiar for a team that has had 10 of its last 11 games decided by one goal. And though Michigan has outscored opponents 15-3 in the first period this season, its trademark to allow early leads slip away is trouble-
some. DON’T BLAME DWYER: Though it doesn’t count, redshirt junior goaltender Luke Dwyer made his first-ever save in a Michigan uniform on Thursday night against the NDTP — the first time Dwyer saw the ice in four years with the program. But in just over five minutes in the third period and overtime, the Ann Arbor native surrendered a decisive three goals. After the game, junior forward Alex Guptill made a request. “Print this,” he said. “Dwyer is the definition of a Michigan man. He’s earned the opportunity to get out there, and we were really happy for him. Hopefully, he looks back at this and laughs.” The NTDP’s three goals came off what Copp called “the tail end of a string of mistakes.” The second, which tied the game with 23 seconds remaining in regulation appeared to be goalie interference. “He’s one of those kids that our team is excited to see play, but they didn’t go out and help him,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “The goalie can’t win the game himself, so it was tough. FINALS FATIGUE: When Michigan takes on No. 4 Ferris State on Wednesday in the thick of finals week, it will be missing one Wolverine due to a scheduled economics exam. Though Berenson would not specify which player would be absent from the lineup, he expressed frustration with the time conflict. “I understand that they have to take the exams,” Berenson said. “But that doesn’t help the team. There’s no question that they’re
really focused on schoolwork. We’re playing at home, and that’s why we don’t play the next week.” The Wolverines will play their final game of the semester during the midst of finals week, and are feeling the pressure in the classroom as much as on the ice. Though classes officially end Wednesday and the earliest finals are scheduled for Friday, most papers will be due before game time. “For me personally, it’s tough,” Bennett said. “I have a 10-page paper due and an exam. There a bunch of guys who have papers due and exams this week, so it’s hard.” MORE THAN ONE MOTTE: Freshman forward Tyler Motte will play in front of 100 of his closest friends and family on Wednesday when Michigan takes on the Bulldogs. Ferris State enters Wednesday’s contest as the WCHA leader, riding a nation-best 13-game winning streak behind junior goaltender CJ Motte — Tyler’s older brother. Standing just 6-feet tall in the net, CJ is 13-0-2 in 15 games this season and boasts a .925 save percentage. Meanwhile, Tyler notched his second assist of the season against the NTDP, his former team, on Thursday and has tallied five goals this season. “For me, it’s just another game,” Tyler said of the matchup. “(CJ) will have the same mindset. He competes hard every day. He’s been known as undersized, but he’s made up for it. He’s performed all three years that he’s been there so far, so it will be a tough task for us.”
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
This year’s Michigan women’s basketball team has been full of surprises. From lights-out 3-point shooting to steady rebounding, few could’ve predicted all of the things that have gone right for the Wolverines. But one of the biggest surprises of them all for Michigan has been the recent play of senior forward Val Driscoll. Entering the season, Driscoll, the team’s tallest player at 6-foot4, was just another question mark for the Wolverines, another player who hadn’t had many opportunities to prove herself. Driscoll didn’t see the court last season and was one of a slew of Michigan players who fell victim to anterior crucial ligament injuries. Before that, her playing time was minimal — 61 minutes in 16 games her freshman year and 19 minutes in six games as a sophomore. Things have changed for Driscoll this season. The Wolverines (6-3) entered the season lacking frontcourt depth, but the senior was one of the players who could provide it. Driscoll has played in all nine games and has totaled 171 minutes (averaging 19
“Being out there on the court now is an amazing feeling.”
DOWN 1 Home of the Texas Sports Hall of Fame 2 Villainous 3 Sultry stretch 4 Slow mollusk 5 Fr. holy woman 6 Drink with dim sum 7 Art Deco artist 8 “Be there in __” 9 Vacation with worms? 10 Nikon product, for short 11 Destined for one’s comeuppance ... or what the last words of 3-, 9and 25-Down are doing? 12 Navel type 13 Well-known 18 Queen, in Quebec 22 Additive sold at Pep Boys 25 Slogan on a Boston basketball fan’s shirt 27 Flinch, say 28 Long heroic poem
29 Pop, to baby 31 One, for Juan 33 Got some shuteye 34 Pitcher’s asset 36 Jewish wedding dance 37 Lead-in for prof. or D.A. 40 Show curiosity 45 More than heavyset 47 Not at home
48 __ and Herzegovina 50 Golf club part 51 Greeting word 53 John who married Pocahontas 56 Top pilots 57 Buds 59 Molecule part 60 Crunch count 62 Used a chair 64 Boxing’s Sugar __ Leonard
Around the Big Ten Conference By DANIEL FELDMAN Daily Sports Writer
Welcome to the first edition of Around the Big Ten, the Daily men’s basketball beat’s weekly
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
FOR RENT
HELP WANTED
!! 721 CHURCH ‑ CENTRAL CAMPUS !! Available Fall 2014, 1 bedroom apartments. Quiet, perfect for grad students, just one block from South University, near the b school. Free heat/water/parking! www.churchstreetrentals.com 734‑320‑1244. cimgtllc@yahoo.com
WWW.STUDENTPAYOUTS.com Paid survey takers need in A2. 100% FREE to join. Click on Surveys.
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
*AVAILABLE FALL 2014* Large 3 bdrm. house. On Campus. 945 Woodlawn. Contact Mike at 734‑276‑3876. ARBOR PROPERTIES Award‑Winning Rentals in Kerrytown, Central Campus, Old West Side, Burns Park. Now Renting for 2014. 734‑994‑3157. www.arborprops.com FALL 2 BEDROOM house with fur‑ nished attic suitable for 3. Includes dishwasher, disposal, laundry, central AC, parking, and all utilities except electricity for $1500. 734‑662‑7121 or gpmiles@aol.com
xwordeditor@aol.com
12/10/13
SERVICES
By C.C. Burnikel (c)2013 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
12/10/13
Have you purchased the
Football Book yet?
THE 2ND FLOOR NEW Luxury Apartments, Right on S. U. / Central Campus. Apartments come with the BEST Service, Amenities and All at REASONABLE RATES www.The2ndFloorSU.com UNIVERSITY TOWERS *NOW TAKING RESERVATIONS* Rent a FULL 2 bedroom w/ FREE HEAT as low as $1629.00. Great Loca‑ tion, Great Service and Great RATES!! www.universitytowers‑mi.com 734‑761‑2680
THESIS EDITING. LANGUAGE, organization, format. All Disciplines. 734/996‑0566 or writeon@iserv.net
good minutes have progressed and progressed,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. Driscoll’s role expanded once again in Michigan’s Big Ten/ACC Challenge victory over Virginia. In her second consecutive game as a starter, Driscoll set a career high with 12 points in the Wolverines’ rout, going 6-for-6 from the field. Smith’s imminent return means Driscoll’s role will change once more. Barnes Arico estimated that the injured guard practiced at about 75 percent Monday, moving more than she had since her injury. But Barnes Arico says Smith is still in pain, and her status for Wednesday’s game against Eastern Michigan is still undecided. When Smith is fully healthy, Driscoll’s improved play provides intriguing options for Barnes Arico — ones she didn’t think she’d have at the beginning of the season. Not only can Driscoll help relieve Michigan’s top three guards, who each average over 34 minutes per game, but she also expands the flexibility of the Wolverines’ matchups. “If we’re going with a smaller, quicker team, we might have to go with four guards,” Barnes Arico said. “If we’re facing a bigger team, we might have to go with two bigs. It’s nice now that we have Val playing so well that she could really give us that option.” After three years without meaningful minutes, Michigan’s tallest player has ensured that she is no longer just a face on the sidelines.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Says “I do” to 5 Harvest bundle 10 Bone below the knee 14 Big name in skin care 15 Sculpture subjects 16 Jay with a column in Popular Mechanics 17 Smokes 19 Speak wildly 20 Dated song 21 Computer repair pros 23 Fizzle out 24 2013 Literature Nobelist Munro 26 Words sighed after a defeat 28 Ice cream maker Joseph 30 Cultural funding gp. 31 Let loose, as pigs 32 Large group 34 Two-time Oscarwinning director Lee 35 Turkish general 38 Pop star 39 Fortuneteller’s deck 41 Corp. moneymen 42 Sidewalk eatery 43 Suffix for a school of thought 44 Chopper blades 46 Classic role for Nimoy 48 Highchair protection 49 Be a fink 50 “Zip it!” 52 “Aida,” for one 54 Sewn edge 55 Catches in a sting 58 Until now 61 Poor box deposit 63 “Tell me about it” 65 Kennel pest 66 “You’ve Got Mail” co-screenwriter Ephron 67 Complete failure 68 Civil suit cause 69 Philosophy test component 70 Shade trees
minutes per game), nearly triple her previous high. “You never want to watch your team struggling,” Driscoll said. “Even winning, you want to be out there helping them, supporting them and just doing it from the sidelines. Nobody wants to be in that position. Being out there on the court now is an amazing feeling.” When junior guard Shannon Smith, the team’s leading scorer, went down with a back injury against Texas Tech in the Barclays Invitational on Nov. 29, Driscoll replaced her and made her third career start the next night against No. 13 LSU. Despite her relative inexperience, Driscoll played perhaps the best game of her career on the big stage against the Lady Tigers. She set career highs with 11 rebounds, six blocks and 37 minutes. The Wolverines led for most of the second half and nearly pulled off the upset before losing in the final moments, 64-62. After three years on the sidelines, Driscoll provided more than just a fifth body on the court. She grabbed key rebounds and blocked shots throughout the near upset. “I think she started the beginning of the year giving us a good couple minutes, and a couple
Do the crossword, then order one.
look at the goings-on within the conference. Though Big Ten play is still three weeks away, the non-conference slate has provided plenty of excitement. Last week, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge showcased some of the best talent in college basketball, and the 15th edition of the competition didn’t ACC/Big Ten disappoint. The ACC Challenge jumped out to an early 79 69 lead in the 78 69 annual clash, win93 98 ning four 69 52 of the six opening 67 64 games. 61 71 Highlighted among 60 76 them was 69 48 ACC newcomer and 67 88 peren38 48 nial powerhouse 79 65 Syracuse 49 60 taking down Indiana, 69-52. After a close first half, the fourth-ranked Orange put the foot on the pedal and outscored the Hoosiers, 36-23, in the last 20 minutes to coast to a blowout victory. The other new ACC school, Pittsburgh, followed a similar blueprint to victory, beating Penn State, 78-69, after trailing by two at halftime. Michigan traveled to No. 8 Duke in the biggest game of the night, and the Blue Devils easily took hobbled sophomore guard Nik Stauskas out of the game on the offensive end to defeat the Wolverines. Michigan never truly challenged Duke in the second half and never managed to cut the deficit to closer than six. In Wednesday’s tilts, the Big Ten clawed back to force a tie in the challenge for just the second time in the event’s history. The all-time record moved to 10-3-2 in the ACC’s favor. No. 3 Ohio State kept its undefeated season alive, defeating future Big Ten member Maryland, 76-60. Wisconsin also remained unbeaten by defeating Virginia, 48-38. Despite shoot-
ing just 28.8 percent from the field, the fourth-ranked Badgers earned coach Bo Ryan his 300th career win with the program. They also continued their best start since 1993-94, when they went 11 games without a loss. In the primetime game of the night, No. 5 Michigan State hosted a North Carolina team that had already experienced some exhilarating highs and brutal lows this season, including losses to Belmont and a win against No. 6 Louisville. Wednesday night, the Tar Heels struck gold again as they defeated the Spartans, 79-65. North Carolina pulled away in the second half, playing at a fast pace to outscore Michigan State by 14 and give the Spartans their first loss to an unranked non-conference team at home in over a decade. The upset also opened up the door for a new team to take over the top slot in the nation. And after defeating UNLV Saturday, Arizona claimed it. Michigan will host the Wildcats on Saturday at Crisler Center with the opportunity to defeat the nation’s No. 1 team for just the third time in program history. The Wolverines last managed the feat on Dec. 13, 1997 when they toppled Duke, 81-73. Ohio State’s LaQuinton Ross was named Big Ten Player of the Week after he averaged 21.5 points and six rebounds in the Buckeyes’ wins over Maryland and Central Connecticut State. Indiana’s Noah Vonleh earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for the third time. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 15 points and 8.5 rebounds in the Hoosiers’ two games against Syracuse and North Florida. He is averaging 13.3 points and 10 rebounds per game this season. Here’s a look at the Big Ten standings, complete with national rankings: No. 4 Wisconsin (10-0 overall) No. 3 Ohio State (8-0) No. 23 Iowa (9-1) Illinois (8-1) No. 5 Michigan State (7-1) Minnesota (8-2) Purdue (8-2) Indiana (7-2) Penn State (7-3) Michigan (6-3) Nebraska (6-3) Northwestern (5-5)
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, December 10, 2013 — 7
ALBUM REVIEW
BLOOMING BAND
R. Kelly drops ‘Panties’ By JACKSON HOWARD Daily Arts Writer
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
University students Rowan Niemisto, Ian Klipa and Conor Anderson released their first album as Yada Yada this month.
Yada Yada emerges with ‘Daisy Chain’ Ann Arbor-based band finds its voice on debut album By JACKSON HOWARD Daily Arts Writer
Before local band Yada Yada was Yada Yada, they were Del Monte and the Drifters. And when that didn’t work out, they turned to Popliteal Fossa, better known as the back part of the knee. Not surprisingly, that didn’t really catch on either. “No one knew how to pronounce it. Or spell it. Or say it,” said drummer Ian Klipa, a junior in the School of Art & Design, laughing. “Not good for promotion.” The group finally settled on Yada Yada, and on Dec. 1, the band — consisting of LSA juniors Rowan Niemisto, Conor Anderson and Klipa — released their debut album Daisy Chain, a summery and contemplative collection of 10 songs that has been in the works for around eight months. Watching the three of them interact with one another in the house they share together in Kerrytown, it’s almost unfathomable to think that they only met each other during their freshman year living together in Bursley Residence Hall. They finish each other’s sentences, laugh at the same jokes and clearly understand one another on a deeply personal level. The creative process behind Daisy Chain reflects their closeness. “There’s no song that’s strictly one person,” Niemisto said, who plays guitar and sings most of the lead vocals, with Anderson adding, “Even if we just have
a riff, we run it by each other.” Coming from Marquette, Mich., Anderson grew up attending a local folk festival where he was drawn to roots folk and traditional fiddle music. In middle school, Anderson, the band’s bass player and occasional lead vocalist, was part of what he calls “basically a Nirvana cover band.” “I’ve always been making music and (Yada Yada) is just a progression,” he said. Luckily for the group, Niemisto’s father is a musician and has a home studio where Daisy Chain was recorded. It was a learning process for the band, as they were responsible for everything having to do with the album outside of mixing it, from setting up the microphones to arranging the music. None of the guys are actually music majors, and they had to find the right balance between focusing on music and school, though living together in one house — where the majority of the writing took place — certainly helped. Still, the process wasn’t all that stressful. “We all do our schoolwork and we take it seriously because we all love our classes” Klipa, who grew up in Pittsburgh, said. “Music for us is the fun thing, a relaxing thing. It’s not stressful writing the songs because there’s no deadline. Nobody asked us to put an album out.” The fact that nobody asked makes Daisy Chain’s existence even more impressive. Just through one listen, it’s more than clear that significant time and energy was invested in the project — despite its hiccups. The lyrics are thoughtful. The sound quality is professional. There are trumpet parts (on “Fossa” and
“Three Ghosts”), narratives (on “Spaceship Toothpick”) and no lack of extended instrumental breakdowns. Yada Yada maybe isn’t ready to debut on a larger, commercial scale just yet, but for three college students making music on the side, it’s an admirable accomplishment. “Sun Breaks,” the fourth track, is a highlight of the album. “I remember we did that song right about when it was turning from winter to summer,” Anderson said, and, with its sun-tinged guitars, longing vocals and oscillating dynamics, it certainly recalls the change from dark to light, especially in a state where the weather can range from apocalyptic to sublime. “We were very happy in the summer,” Niemisto said. With Niemisto going abroad next semester, the band is going on forced hiatus, and their plans for next year aren’t necessarily clear. Nonetheless, this past Saturday, Yada Yada beat out four other groups to win the University’s 3rd Annual Battle of the Bands, while Daisy Chain recently passed the 100 downloads mark on Bandcamp, an online platform for artist promotion. Soon, the members of Yada Yada will have to figure out their path after college and ultimately venture into a world outside the confines of Ann Arbor. But until that happens, they’re more than content — as they should be — with writing songs in their backyard, playing shows in friends’ houses and, more than anything, living life like any college student should by waking up everyday and doing something they truly love.
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
Yada Yada won the University’s third annual Battle of the Bands.
On the standard edition cover of his most recent album, Black Panties, R. Kelly, wearing a “Phantom of the Opera” B mask, plays an almost naked Black Panties woman like R. Kelly a violin. It’s a fitting cover, RCA considering that maybe no other artist in the history of popular music has dedicated the entirety of his or her work to worshiping the female form and everything that comes with it. For his past two albums, 2010’s Love Letter and 2012’s Write Me Back, however, Kelly ditched his sexriddled lyrics and sang in a traditional R&B form, making music more appropriate for a romantic and smoky 1960s jazz joint than a strip club in his native Chicago. That being said, while both albums were well received by critics, Kelly’s original fan base quietly clamored for the real R. Kelly, the self-professed “Pied Piper of R&B” who, on “Etcetera” off of 1998’s R., once begged his lover to hit the IHOP with him after a night of love making. R. Kelly has sold over 54 million records worldwide, been nominated for 24 Grammys and has a voice second to none, but — just as importantly — he has also created, defined and perfected a truly vulgar, incredible and addictive form of bedroom music that is unlike any other released in the history of R&B and pop music. Black Panties, friends, is the return of the R. Kelly who has been missing for the past four years. It doesn’t matter that he’s 46 years old or coming off vocal chord surgery. Nothing matters when you’re R. Kelly and you’re including an actual pair of black panties in the pre-order of your new album. This man was meant to sing sex music, and respectability be damned, he’s going to do it. The album begins with two songs dedicated to cunnilingus — because how else should an album called Black Panties start? “Do it ’til ya legs shakin’, ” Kelly sings on the chopped-and-screwed opener while Ludacris holds nothing
RCA
Men in Black ... Panties
back, bragging that “my tongue is like a Jacuzzi jet.” What’s provided here in clever songwriting is, unfortunately, oftentimes undermined by subpar and recycled production. Kelly is a great producer, but the beats on this album are underwhelming and sound like throwaways from past projects. “My Story” is more like an unfinished demo, while the lazy production on “All the Way” wastes a solid Kelly Rowland feature.
Back to being ridiculous. DJ Mustard, probably the most in-demand producer in rap right now, laces “Spend That” with his signature sparse piano, speaker-rattling bass and background chants. Kelly more or less pioneered the art of singing over hard-hitting hip-hop beats and he has no problems doing it to perfection on “Spend That.” What is slightly problematic, however, is a 46-year-old man singing about throwing money and making it twerk, and while it doesn’t feel too forced, it does make you wonder if it’s necessary. The album is frustratingly choppy at times, probably due to Kelly’s many attempts to appeal to a new audience, as he does on “Spend That.” The inevitable question, then, is how Kelly fits into the sound of R&B today. He can sing fine with the auto-tune, but he’s no Future, and his past music is more of an influence on artists like Frank Ocean and Miguel than it is relevant. Kelly’s
original fan base, which was in its early 20s for his first album, is now in its 40s. Who does he still appeal to? What is the genuine R. Kelly sound in 2013? The album’s centerpieces, “Marry the Pussy” and “Genius,” answer just that: two timeless and distinctive songs that only R. Kelly could make. “Genius” has Kelly proclaiming himself a sex genius over a dripping, sultry drumbeat and perfectly straddles the all too familiar line between vulgar absurdity and genuine romanticism. “Marry the Pussy” is probably the craziest song of the year, and though Kelly has a long and documented history of explicit ridiculousness, this one ranks near the top. He wholeheartedly personifies the pussy in question, and it’s not really clear whether or not he’s using “pussy” to represent a woman or if he is actually in fact proposing to someone’s vagina. “Pussy, would you marry me?” he pleads over a tranquil harp riff, bringing to mind a hilarious image that Dave Chappelle would have certainly parodied if he were still on air. “Come on dawg ... how many babies have been made off me?” Kelly asks on album-closer and standout “Shut Up.” A swelling and passionate dedication to his fans delivered in his trademark half-singing half-talking cadence, Kelly tells his haters and doubters to shut up while also reminding people of everything he has accomplished over the past 20 years. His vocals sound as strong as they’ve ever been, the production builds, and as he asserts, “it’s not the end of the hourglass,” you have no reason but to trust him completely.
ALBUM REVIEW
Childish shows off dark side By ADAM THIESEN Daily Arts Writer
Donald Glover is not supposed to make a record like this. The rapper-actor-comedian who goes by the stage name Child- Bish Gambino has proven Because the himself comiInternet cally on the sitcom “Com- Childish munity” Gambino and talented enough to Glassnote pull off jokeheavy charismatic rap songs, but Because the Internet is a stylistic departure from all of his previous work. The album sounds like more of a therapy session than any attempt at commercial success and, while intriguing at times, it’s bound to alienate the majority of Gambino’s fans. Because the Internet begins innocently enough with “Crawl,” the album’s second track, which shows off some dark and chopped-up, dubstep-influenced production tricks, but still features confident and clever verses from Gambino. However, the record quickly drops completely out of the mainstream. Not only are Gambino’s beats experimental, but he also plays around with plenty of flows and voices — going from disinterested and laid-back to tough-guy posturing to syrupy singing, often within a single track. It’ll be up to his fans to decide if this short-attentionspan style is idiosyncratic or just plain weird. Calling Because the Internet a hip-hop album doesn’t even begin to explain what it’s trying to be. Songs like “Sweatpants”
are perfect arenas for Gambino’s lyrical dexterity and cleverness, and “3005” would’ve been a great hit single for Drake; but these are the exceptions, the songs that stick out in a record built more around dream-like ambiance. The often aimless, tossed-off mood coupled with the funhouse of changing sounds imply that the album is meant as a manifestation of Gambino’s psyche. The problem, though, is that, while many of these songs may be meaningful to Donald Glover, the rest of us — without any sort of context — are left confused and disinterested. Gambino makes occasional attempts at letting us know how he feels, but most of these are vague and unarticulated.
Has Glover given up on getting laughs? Because the Internet is most frustrating in its middle, when the pop hits end and the songs become even more self-indulgent. Gambino’s musical talent jumps out at the most surprising moments (the end of interlude “The Party” suddenly features an excellent, angry and intense verse), but even the production becomes mostly dull here, lacking any feeling or surprises. Childish Gambino wants to be an enigma, but on this record, he’s usually not interesting enough to achieve that kind of mystique. The ambition of this experimental album is admirable,
though, and encouraging enough to foretell a more refined next effort for Gambino — hopefully one in which he focuses much more on what he actually wants to communicate. Most of these promising signs are located on the back stretch of Because the Internet. “Flight of The Navigator” begins with frustrating and pretentious computerized vocals but soon transforms into probably Gambino’s most vulnerable and personal song. It’s telling that Gambino seems to become much more direct and personal when he stops rapping. The only real verses on the last third of the album come in the final track, in which his familiar, quotable style of rapping is juxtaposed with Gambino’s softer inner thoughts, ringing hollow in comparison. Because the Internet raises a million questions about Donald Glover. Is he completely done with being an artist who makes people laugh? Does he even know who he is or who he wants to be? Is this all an act, or does he actually believe in the weirdness of this album? Does that even matter? The only thing for certain is that Because the Internet is Childish Gambino’s world. Chance The Rapper and Macklemore are both credited with features on the album, but they’re impossible to recognize on their tracks. There’s no room for them in Donald Glover’s head. Approached as a completely personal effort, an attempt by Childish Gambino to make music purely for himself, Because the Internet will probably be ridiculed by many, identified with and defended by some and, hopefully, given a thorough listen by Donald Glover’s psychiatrist.
Arts
8 — Tuesday, December 10, 2013
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALBUM REVIEW
Pop queen loses voice on ‘Britney Jean’ This isn’t the Britney Spears I remember By KAYLA UPADHYAYA Managing Arts Editor
A soft green flower set against a pink background branded the first CD I ever owned. My dad, with the help of a butter D+ knife, helped me free Britney Jean the pastel Britney Spears album from its excessive RCA plastic wrap, and I popped it into my long-gone boombox. It was ...Baby One More Time, and it was love at first listen. On the way home from a swim meet when I was eight, I got goggles stuck in my hair. And, perhaps because my cousin Maren was in town and Britney Spears seemed to score just about every moment we spent together in those days, I changed the words of “Lucky” to recap my harrowing tangled goggles experience. We sang it the whole car ride home. In fourth grade, when our science teacher challenged us to come up with a creative way to present on geology, other students showed up with dioramas and glittered poster boards and rock collections. I showed up with a microphone and a karaoke machine and performed a self-written rendition of “Oops I Did It Again,” changing the lyrics to be about the differences between metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks. Then, in ninth grade biology, I reprised this unique (read: useless) talent when I filmed an educational music video about nuclei, ribosomes and mitochondria called “I’m a Cell 4 U”
with my science partners Erin and Caitlin, co-starring Erin’s stuffed python. I could go on, but you get the point. Britney Spears’s songs — and my horribly uninventive parodies — have more or less provided a soundtrack for my life, whether I was on bus rides to and from show choir competitions, warming up on the tennis court or experiencing my first kiss. Yes, I’m a 21-year-old human woman with a few too many Britney feels. Which is why it should come to no surprise that Queen Brit’s latest release, Britney Jean, was one of my most anticipated albums of 2013, especially when the pop legend herself promised it would be her “most personal record yet,” the creative response to all of the personal problems she has faced in the past few years. “It has really inspired me to dig deeper and write songs that I think everyone can relate to,” Spears wrote on her website. Despite the fact that Spears co-wrote every piece on the 10-track album (likely a reaction to years of critics questioning her own contributions to her body of work), Britney Jean is about as personal as a shampoo commercial. Her promise of dark, probing material flies out the window, replaced by paintby-the-numbers lyrics communicating little more than “fame sucks, love sucks, sex rocks, so let’s dance about it.” Britney Jean conforms to every overplayed trend in today’s pop — robotic vwerps, thumping bass, hollow percussion, auto-tune — but only at their most basic, uninspired levels. It’s not that Spears has never conformed in the past, but her previous efforts work within the framework of Top-40 tropes in order to move the genre forward. Spears perfected pop on
RCA
“All eyes on me.”
self-titled Britney, and continued to strike a balance between conformity and innovation from there. She became the genre’s standard by mastering big pop’s most machine-made foundations, using the mechanical to express the emotional. Auto-tuned and over-processed vocals define Britney’s voice as an artist, and in her music, auto-tune isn’t so much a gimmick as it is an instrument used to highlight, contort and make a statement. “It’s Britney, bitch,” she asserts over 2007’s “Gimme More.” She knows who she is; she knows what she does, and she does it damn well.
Until now. Britney Jean drowns in the deafening screams of contractual obligation (as the eighth, it’s Spears’s last album required under her RCA contract). Brit doesn’t reinvent herself, but even more disappointingly, the album doesn’t even play to her strengths. Isolated moments hint at Spears’s prowess, but none offer the sexiness, artistry or longevity of some of her past power singles. A decade after my first listen, “Toxic” still gives me an intoxicating rush. Listening to the entirety of Britney Jean, however, feels like waiting for a sneeze that
never comes. Executive producer will.i.am does what he does best: rehashes dying EDM tropes and meets the minimal requirements necessary for club-readiness. The pre-released “Work Bitch” and “Perfume,” as well as the leaked “Alien,” satisfy — but pop shouldn’t satisfy; it should thrill. Britney Jean’s only thrilling track is also its most bizarre: a campy, dissonant duet between Brit and younger sister Jamie Lynn called “Chillin’ With You” that haphazardly stitches together metallic trance with sugary guitar sounds. It’s so weird it
works, a genreless enigma. And hey, weirdness is welcome on an album that all too often bores. And if nothing else, it at least informs us that Britney’s more of a red wine gal and Jamie’s more of a white. What has always drawn me to Britney Spears’s music is its escapism, the delirious, dreamlike seduction that bleeds through most of her work (and she epitomizes on 2007’s Blackout). Britney Jean fails to awaken that ecstasy within me. If I can listen to a whole Britney album and resist jumping to my feet to dance, there’s something very, very wrong.