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Thursday, July 3, 2014
ACADEMICS
Chemistry prof. earns $1 million grant, set to improve intro classes HHMI awards funds to encourage undergraduate interest in science
The 2,000 students expected to take Chemistry 211 next year are in for a surprise. Chemistry Prof. Anne McNeil was recently awarded $1 million from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to improve undergraduate chemistry education for the coming academic year. McNeil is one of 15 science educators to be selected. The institute’s stated purpose in funding each educator is to encourage more students to engage with science, math and engineering and maintain American leadership in those fields. McNeil’s main focus with the grant will be revamping introductory chemistry courses at the University, namely Chemistry 211, an introductory laboratory course, which she believes are important because they’re required for many science and engineering majors and careers and are often students’ first experience in a scientific lab setting. McNeil has observed that 37 percent of students changed their course of study after taking introductory chemistry courses, which she attributed to the class’s cur-
rent nature. “Chem 211 is a class that mostly freshmen take, either first semester or after they take General Chemistry,” she said. “The general consensus is that the class is kind of boring and not challenging, because it can be a recap of what students have already learned in high school, and many people lose interest.” McNeil said students’ first lab experience should be engaging because it’s crucial for success and eventual advancement in a plethora of careers. She added that she doesn’t want students to decide against being doctors because they didn’t enjoy their first chemistry class freshman year. Though time and large enrollment numbers have proved to be an obstacle in the past, McNeil plans to make the lab an opportunity for students to get excited about chemistry by allowing them the chance to make and test more of their own original hypotheses and creating lab exercises with more practical application, so they’re more relevant to students’ lives. One of the experiments she anticipates will be popular involves converting vegetable oil used in restaurants into biodiesel. While a large portion of higher education funding is generally allocated for graduate students, McNeil said she believes investing in undergraduate education is important because it’s the time that students begin fostering their interests and deciding on careers. See PROF., Page 8
By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA Managing Editor ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto takes notes on public concerns about game day road closures at a meeting at Pioneer High Tuesday.
City holds meeting on game day road closures AAPD Chief John Seto talks traffic and safety concerns for football Saturdays By EMMA KERR Daily Staff Reporter
inside
John Seto, Ann Arbor Police Chief, led a community meeting Tuesday to discuss traffic concerns and changes during University football games and the upcoming International Champions Cup game between Manchester United and Real Madrid. Following recommendations from the Department of Homeland Security in 2013 and a request from
the University, several roads were closed before and after football games this year. Planned modifications from last year’s closings include blocking off Main Street southbound one hour prior to kick off instead of three, prompted by community input. While Main Street northbound will remain closed three hours prior to games, both north and southbound traffic on Main Street will be open after the game. Community complaints expressed at the meeting included a lack of police officers directing traffic after the games, traffic control strategy alterations for the upcoming soccer game, making more one-way streets to create more movement out of the city post-game and the need for more communication
between attendees about what roads will be closed and how the traffic flow is managed. Various modifications, such as the Main Street closure, will occur for all seven of the Michigan football games this fall, including the Slippery Rock University game. Along with manual control of traffic lights, officers will be sent out to observe traffic and report issues, various streets will be closed and contingencies are being considered to deal with possible construction. Seto cited weather and a lack of available officers to execute more extensive traffic planning as the cause for extreme delays, specifically post-game. Another cause of the extensive traffic jam post-game is drivers not utilizing all available See FORUM, Page 2
NEWS
OPINION
ARTS
SPORTS
INDEX
Musuem of Natural History unveils exhibit on the history of the species.
From the Daily: DWSD must ensure rights of all citizens to water supplies
Two Daily Arts Editors chronicle their adventures at the iconic music festival
As three players head to the NBA, one coach holds out hope for a fourth
NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ...............................4 ARTS ......................................6 CLASSIFIEDS.........................8 CROSSWORD........................8 SPORTS................................ 10
Passenger pigeon
>> SEE PAGE 3
Water crisis
>> SEE PAGE 4
Electric Forest
>> SEE PAGE 6
Beilein’s vigil
>> SEE PAGE 10
Vol. CXXIV, No. 113 | © 2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
2 NEWS
Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Union unveils plaque honoring Coleman University president recognized for years of service, student life initiatives By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily News Editor
Tuesday, outgoing University President Mary Sue Coleman stood in the Michigan Union and watched as two students cut a ribbon to unveil her plaque on the wall next to a long list of former University presidents. “Coleman, a biochemist, always focused on the University of tomorrow,” the plaque reads. “Popular with students, she led during the worst economic downfall since the Depression, with new faculty hires, greater interdisciplinary teaching and research, a vibrant entrepreneurial culture, major building and residential life projects and the $3.2 billion Michigan Difference Campaign. A strong advocate of diversity in the classroom, she launched academic partnership on three continents.” The tradition of honoring University presidents on the Union wall began in 1994, on the 90th anniversary celebration of the
Michigan Union. Susan Pile, director of the Michigan Union, said she, the Michigan Union Board of Representatives and Coleman’s office had been organizing the ceremony for many months. She lauded the outgoing president’s achievements and tradition of excellence of the University she has continued. “Putting all of her accomplishments into such few words was a real art,” Pile said. “We’re just honored to be able to honor her.” LSA senior Kendall Johnson, a member of the Michigan Union Board of Representatives, spoke at the ceremony about the Union’s rich history in supporting student involvement and campus harmony. Johnson also drew on the significance of Coleman’s status as the first female president of the University, leading the way for future diversity in the school leadership. “There is also significance in adding a woman to the wall, especially a woman of integrity, responsibility, wisdom and determination,” Johnson said. “The legacy she leads will continue to inspire us for many years to come.” University alum Adam Kleven, a former MUBR chair, also spoke about the outgoing president’s commitment to students and stu-
dent life at the ceremony. Kleven said though studies are important at the University, experiences outside the classroom are the ones that truly benefit students in their lives after college. “Places like the Michigan Union, the Big House, the rec sports buildings, the dorms, those are the places that students will remember,” he said. Kleven mentioned several initiatives Coleman undertook to improve student life, including an investment of $170 million in renovations to campus facilities. Over her tenure, Coleman pursued a residential life initiative to renovate and reconstruct residential halls on campus, such as South Quad, Alice Lloyd and MosherJordan. He also touched on her fireside chats, held in the Union, during which would answer student questions and try to keep her administration’s actions transparent. Kleven said these chats demonstrated the president’s willingness to connect with students and hear their concerns. “While President Coleman is also leaving some big shoes to fill, I also think that she has laid the groundwork for a future where Michigan will remain a top-tier university and a university dedi-
cated to its students,” he said. After the unveiling of the plaque, Coleman also mentioned her efforts to improve and develop student life through the facilities they used, whether classrooms, residence halls or the Union itself. “I am so happy that under the leadership of Royster Harper, (vice president of student life), that we were able to come to an accommodation so that this iconic building will be preserved for the future,” said Coleman. “When I talked to alumni, whether they were from the last few years, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty years ago, they remember this as being a part of the campus.” The Michigan Union began as an all-male organization to foster a sense of unity among students. The Union building that resides on State Street was once the location of the house of former Judge Thomas M. Cooley. His house was demolished in 1916 and the Union opened in 1919. The original Union housed a bowling alley, barbershop and swimming pool. Today, the building is used as office space for various student organizations, numerous fast food restaurants and cafes, study rooms and conference areas.
FORUM From Page 1
of a likelihood that the game will be closer in score, so people will stay until the end of the game, unlike a football game where the score could be more lopsided,” he said. Neighborhood disturbance was also cited as a problem during the meeting, specifically when game attendants use them as shortcuts to avoid traffic. Another nuisance mentioned was the potential danger and annoyance of overhead helicopters in residential areas. Seto said he could not implement significant changes to State Street or nearby side streets because of the limited number of officers. “It’s a balance between security and inconvenience,” he said. Along with several city residents, Councilmembers Jack Eaton (D–Ward 4) and Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2) were in attendance at the meeting. The street closure resolution will be presented to them and the rest of city council July 7 for approval.
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roads, he said. “We also beefed up the communication plan so that people know that this should not affect post-game traffic, because prior to the meeting, we found out that many people were under the assumption that it was going to impact post game traffic, which it should not,” Seto said. “One of the biggest issues is that people go out the way they came in, not realizing that Main Street is open and would be a more expedient way to leave the city.” Seto said further conversation would be had about what changes needed to be made to the current traffic control plans in preparation for the August 2 soccer game between Manchester United and Real Madrid, which may pose different issues than a football game. “I’ve been told that as far as the soccer game, there is more
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Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
University museum opens exhibit on passenger pigeon extinction
‘U’ research suggests new approach to treatment of diabetes for older patients Study reveals need to reevaluate traditional insulin therapies By JOSH QIAN Daily Staff Reporter
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
A passenger pigeon specimen on display in the University’s Museum of Natural History
Once abundant, demise tells story of human impact on the environment By IAN DILLINGHAM Editor in Chief
In 1800, the world’s human population had yet to hit one billion. However, in North America, it was estimated that there were between three and five billion passenger pigeons. Now extinct, the species is making its posthumous resurgence at museums around the country this year, including one in Ann Arbor. September 1 will mark the hundredth anniversary of the death of the passenger pigeon Martha, the last known living member of her species. In remembrance of the event, the University’s Museum of Natural History is opening a new exhibit chronicling the life and demise of the species. The exhibit will focus on the species’ presence and subsequent extinction, as well as its impact specifically in the state of Michigan. However, the ornithologists and environmentalists who pushed for its development also wanted to demonstrate a broader theme about the historically destructive tendencies of human behavior in North America. Eugene Dillenburg, assistant director for exhibits at the Museum of Natural History, said the story of the bird could serve as a lesson — and a warning — of the potential for humans to drastical-
ly impact the environment around them. Starting in the 1800s, settlers in the eastern United States began hunting the pigeons, primarily for their meat. While the birds had previously been hunted by Native Americans, the increased strain on the population from the settlers led to their rapid demise. “It was an abundant and cheap source of protein,” Dillenburg said. “Free food from the sky — so in the space of about 40 years it was hunted to extinction.” By about 1880, the pigeon, which by many accounts was the most abundant bird on the planet at the beginning of the century, was hunted to virtual extinction. The few living specimens were primarily confined to zoos and private sanctuaries as individuals began to realize the lasting impact of such hunting practices. However, efforts to revitalize the population proved fruitless. Martha, who was believed to be the last living member of the species, died at the Cincinnati Zoo on September 1, 1914. Dillenburg compared the rapid extinction to “waking up one morning and finding that all the trees in Michigan were gone.” “A lot of animals have gone extinct over time,” Dillenburg said. “What’s unique about the pigeon — other than going from the most numerous animal to extinction — is that we know the date. So often an animal becomes rarer and rarer and, at some point, people say, ‘We haven’t seen one in a while; it must have gone extinct.’ Here we know the exact date that the last one died.”
The exhibit features artistic panels by Art and Design alum Kaisa Ryding. She got involved with the project during her studies at the University and worked on the design over the course of several months. “My experience with the project allowed me to truly understand the impact of human development on wildlife and the environment, and how important conservation of native wildlife is to local ecologies,” Ryding wrote in a statement. “Humans really did have a direct and harmful impact on the passenger pigeon, and did so out of ignorance of how much they could decimate its population.” Though a small contingent of conservationists attempted to stop hunting efforts as the pigeon’s population began to drop, scientists now believe the abundance of the specices was key to its survival. Once its numbers began to fall, the birds may have been doomed to their inevitable demise. “The passenger pigeons relied on their large populations so much that when their population was reduced to the thousands, they could not function as a flock, and very quickly died out after that,” Ryding wrote. Despite this theory, some scientists are exploring radical new measures to resurrect the species dubbed “de-extinction” projects. Using genetic sequences acquired through samples taken from preserved passenger pigeon specimens, these researchers believe they can, over time, reintroduce See PIGEONS, Page 8
NEWS 3
A recent study by University researchers may change how healthcare professionals approach the treatment of elderly patients diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. The study, which was sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Michigan Center for Diabetes Translational Research, demonstrated that the side effects of insulin shots might outweigh the benefits of the drug for patients over 50. The findings were published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Internal Medicine, a peer-reviewed journal providing clinically relevant research for practitioners. Internal Medicine Prof. Sandeep Vijan, a research scientist at the Center for Clinical Management Research at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, served as the lead author of the study. Vijan said the purpose of the study was to understand how the potential benefits balance against the side effects of glucose treatment and to identify populations who are least likely to see improvement in their quality of life with treatment. “This was a statistical simulation using data from existing clinical trials,” Vijan said. “We created a model that estimates the risks of developing diabetes complications in individuals based on a variety of factors such as age and glucose levels, blood pressure and cholesterol
levels.” He said older patients also receive less comparative benefit because the glucose treatment can take 15 to 20 years to show a measurable effect in the reduction of the complications of diabetes, including heart disease, visual impairment and kidney failure, whereas decreases in quality of life and other negative side effects present much sooner. “There is good evidence that the treatments themselves can reduce quality of life,” Vijan said. “For example, patients who take insulin typically gain weight, have significant risks of low blood sugars, and of course there’s the hassle of having to inject yourself with a medication as much as 5 times a day.” The study’s findings could have several implications across broader healthcare policy and the healthcare field. Currently, many organizations are graded on the proportion of patients under a specific A1c level. A1c is a lab test that shows the average level of blood sugar in a patient over the previous three months. However, Vijan said these approaches can be misguided because they encourage many patients to adopt treatments that cause more harm than benefit and providers to dictate treatment goals from a set standard, not a patient-centered approach. “We need to move away from predetermining specific glucose goals for all patients,” he said. “The most effective approach is to simply sit down with patients and ensure that both the patient and provider understand both the likelihood that the patient will have any benefit from treatment, but more importantly that providers understand how patients feel about the burdens of the various treatment options.”
If you enjoy debating the difference between bird species at 1:41 a.m. #rushTMD NEWS@MICHIGANDAILY.COM
4 OPINION
Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu IAN DILLINGHAM EDITOR IN CHIEF
AARICA MARSH EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
STEPHANIE SHENOUDA 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
Drying out Detroit DWSD must keep the citizens in mind when collecting funds n Monday, the National Action Network Detroit Chapter and several other community activists from Detroit gathered in front of Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s office to protest the controversial water shut-offs in the city. Starting in March, the Detroit Water and Sewage Department began sending shut-off notices to 46,000 customers whose bills remained unpaid. On June 25, the United Nations condemned DWSD’s cutoffs as an “affront to human rights.” While it’s important that DWSD receives funds to make up for their deficit, the department must also keep the lives of Detroit residents in mind when implementing programs to collect water bills.
O
It’s understandable that DWSD needs to collect money to continue funding water services, and in light of $120 million in unpaid water bills, the company must take action to correct this problem. However, shutting off citizens’ water, a basic human need, isn’t an appropriate solution. Sue McCormick, DWSD director, stated the majority of unpaid water bills stem from residents who can afford to pay but believe they can get away without paying their bills. McCormick also expressed the company’s willingness to help anyone legitimately unable to afford the cost. Therefore, DWSD must take an aggressive approach to pursue contact with nonpaying customers to discover each person’s circumstances and appropriately handle each case accordingly. If contacting
each customer fails to help, DWSD must take other actions — like requesting mayoral or governmental assistance — in solving payment issues. During DWSD’s initiative to shut off water, the Detroit City Council recently passed a bill to increase water bills by nearly 9 percent. At $75 a month, the average Detroit water bill is nearly double the U.S. average. Povertystricken citizens shouldn’t face an unreasonable cost for a basic human necessity, especially given the council’s justification for the increase. According to the Lansing State Journal, the increase stems from delinquent bills, yet increasing a cost because some can’t pay causes a repetitive cycle. Those unable and unwilling to pay their water bill will continue avoiding payments while the city will continue raising
water rates. This reality sets a precedent that punishes complying citizens, and with higher bills come more citizens unable to pay their bills which increases the risk of water being shut off. While the nearly 9 percent increase fails to correct delinquencies, it also furthers the poverty that struggling residents experience. While five dollars more a month towards water may not be much for some citizens, this increase is a significant amount to lower socioeconomic families — particularly those who already can’t pay their bills. Adding the risk of water being shut off only increases the stress that citizens experience. While programs are beginning to help citizens, DWSD must make sure all struggling families receive assistance and access to water.
K
Four deaths
laxons blared in my skull, jarring me violently from my brief respite; instantly I regretted nodding off with the pager so close to my ear. Despite the display’s glowing green backlight, the words themselves were impossible to read, obscured by ordinary 0300 MIKE YEE eye-blur and the myopic lens of acute-on-chronic sleep deprivation, but the message came through loud and clear: trauma patient en route to the hospital. In the emergency department, the team of nurses, paramedics and physicians donned protective equipment, talked idly and teased one another about the quiet shift thus far. The office watercooler chatter died abruptly as the doors slammed open. In rushed a stretcher bearing a shapeless figure, whisked immediately into the waiting trauma bay. A flurry of activity ensued as each person set to his or her assigned task, starting intravenous lines and placing monitors toward the woman’s head, while at her feet we began shredding clothing and searching for pulses. Yet even an inexperienced third-year medical student could see it was all wrong, pressures too low, wounds too many. We did everything we could, but ultimately it was too little, too late. Eventually the order came to halt chest compressions, signaling the end of resuscitative efforts. It was several more seconds before I realized that this was the first time I had ever witnessed someone’s death. The attending trauma surgeon must have recognized the look on my face — started my way, mouth hanging halfway open as if to speak — but just then a dozen pagers on a dozen hips began to chirp in crazed, chaotic cacophony: rollover accident, two injured, estimated time of arrival… At the Veterans of America hospital months later, I was assigned to care for a salty, middle-aged veteran with terminal cancer. Agonized by constant pain, bones riddled with tumors, his sole remaining pleasure in life seemed to be the daily haranguing of his medical student. After weeks of struggling, I finally managed to win his
grudging respect only after discovering that he had taken to hoarding pudding cups in his room. By unspoken accord, I ensured that any wayward desserts found their way into his drawer, and in return, he directed his ire towards others on occasion. On the penultimate morning of my tenure at the VA, I went to restock the secret stash of sweets only to find the vet’s bed strangely empty. When I asked if the patient was in the restroom, his nurse looked puzzled for a moment before casually responding, “Oh, he died.” Oh, he died. An offhand quip, but words that sank into me, weighed heavily on my chest, dense as lead, inert as stone. This was neither the time nor the place for contemplation, since there was much work to be done, as always. More importantly, I had a phone call to make, because the responsibility of informing the late vet’s mother fell to me. She had been planning on visiting later in the day — how could I ever tell her this grim news now? Whatever I had to say, it would be heartbreakingly too little, too late. On a late winter’s morning, the “code” team responded to an emergency in the University Hospital. I followed the feet of the senior resident ahead of me as he flew down the stairs, two steps at a time, while I awkwardly half-stumbled and half-fell behind him. Despite our best efforts, the patient did not survive the resuscitation. I had just witnessed my second death of the week. As for total number seen as a medical student, I had long ago stopped counting. Somewhere deep down, I thought that I might have felt a slight stirring where my heart once resided, but it passed quickly enough. One of the attending physicians took notice of me, led me aside, away from the commotion in the area of the nowdeceased individual. He threw his arm around my shoulders, gave me the old “You Can’t Save Them All” speech and encouraged me to contact him if I needed to debrief or decompress. It was a great talk, emphatically and admirably delivered, from-the-heart and perfect for the situation. It was also too little, too late.
We did everything we could but it was all too little, too late.
— Mike Yee can be reached at mayee@engin.umich.edu.
Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
I
Not your cutie
n the dark, the flashlight in my pocket chafes against my thigh and I watch northern Michigan huff out its puddingnight. Stars pout stupidly in the sky. A plane hobbles past; I say, “Is that a satellite?” My friend shakes his head no. CARLINA Somebody else DUAN calls me cute for dreaming. In the night, surrounded by a smattering of sand and beetles, I feel itchy. Exhausted. Filled with ache and temperature and unrest. Frequently, I’m told by others that I’m “small” or “cute.” Ironically, I feel neither. At home, I rifle through our cabinet and eat all the pita chips. I forget to sweep the floors. I overbook myself frequently; fall in love on the hour. Most days, I’m awkward and shy and filled with a windowless joy. People shake their heads. People point and call me “petite.” I’m five feet. The man carting cans of Coca Cola at Meijer tells me not to look at it as a diss. “Let’s put it this way,” he laughs, “You’re fun-sized.” At work, I’m called “cute” by a co-worker, who chirps out, “You’re just like, the cutest person I’ve ever seen!” and crushes me in a hug. A yellow dog hair rides her shirt collar, and I’m immediately filled with a watery rage. I have biceps. I clip my nails. I have hair that tussles down a wide back. I’m twenty years old, and I’m frequently pegged by others as “cute.” Cuteness and smallness are terms that are shoved into my world often — by strangers, friends, peers. They’re not intended as insults. After all, I’m five feet tall. I write poems. I eat sugar. I wear children’s size Nike sneakers. Fireflies light me up with glee. Still, the project of naming others can become onedimensional, squashing down, rather than lifting up. The word “cute” has its rightful place. In the daycare center where I work, we circulate the word frequently. Cute kids. Cute bangs and lost baby teeth. Cute Lego blocks shaped into castles and crayons. At my other job waiting tables, we discuss cuteness in the context of the elderly woman who slides into the restaurant in plum-colored shoes and matching sunglasses, dicing her dill pickle with a fork. Cute baby on
the patio, mashing his macaroni with a fat fist. Cute dog slurping from the water bowl. Cute, wagging tail. For all the times I’m forecast with the word “cute,” cuteness itself seems foreign to me. “Cute” doesn’t strut. “Cute” doesn’t drink its chocolate milkshake with bare feet, perched by the electric socket in July heat. “Cute” doesn’t place its hand on its hip, talking back. There seems to be a strange glossiness that accompanies cuteness. What is nonthreatening, easily cooed at, easily pet on the head — that’s cute. As a “petite” Asian-American woman, I find it incredibly important to redefine my own sense of space. I find it urgent to shout, to bust out of the words I’m given or made to wear. There’s wonder in shaping the world with my own two hands: Why “cute”? Why “small”? When frozen in these words, how can I do my own kind of snipping? How can I uncover? How can I groove or glow? Instead of settling into these names, it’s important that we roll into and out of them. The practice of naming with language has such a slow-churned power — it’s important that we don’t retreat. I aim to challenge myself to twist these words inside-out. Smallness, cuteness — I fall into that, and so much more. For me, what’s intriguing is that these terms have never aligned with how I feel. So the bigger project becomes navigating a world where I am seen as X, but shimmy into Y. While, at times, it’s frustrating to be pinned down into these terms, I also find that it introduces a sense of awe into my own work and the ways I practice self-care. I appreciate moments of self-hugeness much, much more. I ask questions. I can be cute or small, but I can also brim full of sass, song, trouble. In cuteness, in smallness — I do not rest. I am out-ofbreath, I run, I marvel. In a writing prompt, the poet Shira Erlichman encourages others to, “Snatch a potent name back from the air. (…) How do you make or re-make it? Shake the snowglobe of the name: what floats, what sinks?” For me, “cute” and “small” give me opportunities to claim mightiness and power in revolutionary ways. I can be cute, but I can also be dimensional. I can name myself — loud-mouthed, long-haired, tall-hearted, giant in wonder, giant in love. — Carlina Duan can be reached at linaduan@umich.edu.
OPINION 5
Unpaid, unfair internships
A
s a society, we’ve generally accepted the institution of unpaid
student labor. Many students, especially those from less privileged backgrounds, struggle with ZAK choosing between paid WITUS jobs that benefit them more immediately and unpaid jobs that benefit them more in the future. As it is, we accept that universities don’t pay most students who assist with their research, and that companies don’t pay most of their studentinterns. But why? There’s no good reason for students to accept that they won’t be paid for their labor. The struggle between choosing unpaid versus paid work is unnecessary if students opt instead to struggle against the employers who believe it’s acceptable not to pay students for their labor. Many employers claim that the special advantages of unpaid student jobs for the students justify the absence of wages. Internships and universitybased research assistance appear to be the most popular kinds of unpaid student jobs. Most students want to intern with certain companies or assist with university research because these jobs are in the students’ professional fields of interest and will therefore help them achieve their career goals. By interning and/or researching, students can gain specialized academic knowledge as well as develop professional skills, such as researching techniques, writing,
“
networking, etc. If nothing else, by the end of an internship or research assistantship, student workers can add references and bullet points for their résumés. These are, more or less, the advantages of unpaid student labor for the student workers. Although one can’t deny that these advantages do exist, they don’t constitute fair compensation nor a justification for not paying them. All workers deserved to be paid fairly for their labor. Students, like all other workers, should be able to receive the long-term benefits of their work experience in addition to fair wages. There’s nothing special about the jobs held by student workers that justifies the outright absence of wages and exploitation of their labor. Perhaps the biggest problem with the institution of unpaid student labor is that it limits socioeconomic mobility. The special advantages of unpaid student labor are advantages largely impossible to obtain from the paid jobs currently available. The wealthier students, who can afford to work for free, reap all the aforementioned advantages of the unpaid jobs. Conversely, of course, poorer students, who can’t afford to work for free, reap none of these advantages. Thus, the institution of unpaid student labor bars poorer students from these opportunities and, through this inequality, impedes upon their achievement of the so-called American Dream. The possible exceptions are college work-study programs. Students who qualify and complete all the necessary paperwork can participate in these programs and receive wages from their university for assisting with research —
but only wages that help pay for students’ “educational expenses.” The universities who employ work-study students as research assistants may appear altruistic in helping to pay students’ tuition, but really the relationship is quite pro bono. Universities should pay all students who assist with their research. Less privileged students should receive financial aid, but paying work-study students for assisting with research is not actually financial aid; it’s fairly paying the least privileged students the way that all student-workers should be paid. We ought to eliminate the institution of unpaid student labor. The feeble compensation that the employers claim they provide is inadequate, and we need not accept it. If students demand to be paid for their labor, everyone but the profitmakers will benefit — students will earn more money to help fund, among other things, their ridiculously high tuition costs, and one barrier of socioeconomic mobility will diminish. One important obstacle for this potential movement is that currently students aren’t properly organized. Any successful boycott or strike would require a vast majority of students to ban together against those exploiting them for their labor and together demand fair wages. The key component is for the working students to realize their power: the institution only continues to exploit us because we consent to it. We can be paid for our work if we are willing to organize and demand it. Students of the world, unite! — Zak Witus can be reached at zakwitus@umich.edu.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
If I had a rock, I would throw it at you right now.” —Florida judge John Murphy while arguing with a public defender over client’s right to a speedy trial. The pair then brawled “out back” away from court cameras.
6 ARTS
Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
DYLAN LANGILLE/Electric Forest 2014
Annual music festival in Rothbury MI is decadent, but not depraved By GIANCARLO BUONOMO Managing Arts Editor
“Unlike most of the others, we didn’t give a hoot in hell what was happening on the track. We had come there to watch the real beasts perform.” - Hunter S. Thompson, “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved.” Please forgive this predictable Hunter S. Thompson reference for a “Look Ma, I covered a music festival!” article. I only include it to admit at the start that I was wrong. I figured I would go to Electric Forest as a reporter. While my co-editor Adam covered the music, I would observe the festivalgoers, “the real beasts,” and report on their depraved excesses. There would be me, with my media bracelet and plaid shirt, furiously jotting down notes, and then there
ELECTRIC FOREST 2014 would be everyone else — the legions of electro-junkies in funny hats who eat tabs of acid like Listerine Strips. I imagined calling this article “Electric Forest is Decadent and Depraved.” Most of my preconceptions were based on rumors about Electric Forest; that it was much more than a music festival, that it had the best people-watching ever, that it was trippier than an MGMT video. These rumors were believable, considering that Electric Forest takes place in rural Rothbury, Michigan, specializes in the relatively niche genres of jam bands and electronic music and that the “forest” is an actual forest, so decked out with lights, lasers and shrines that it recalls something from Alice in Wonderland. In truth, none of the rumors turned out to be false. But now that I’ve returned from Rothbury, and gone over the pages of notes and hours of recordings I accumulated during my time at the festival, I cannot write this report with my original focus. Not because I feel the need to write about the music, even though it was amazing. Rather,
because I discovered that Electric Forest is less about the people who choose to come than it is about what this peculiar event allows those people, including me, to become. Electric Forest is not so much a music festival as it is a four day act of collective weirdness, heavily facilitated by the festival organizers and sustained by a pervasive spirit of community and non-judgement. I began to get an idea of this right when we arrived at the camp grounds. The actual festival area, the stages and vendors, is located on the Double JJ Resort, a sort of WildWest re-enactment spot heavily repurposed for one weekend every year. The attendees camp out in a complex of fields adjacent to the resort. These fields form a small city during the weekend, complete with named streets and neighborhoods. From my berth at the corner of “Airstrip” and “Maple”, I gazed out upon the expanse. Thousands of parked cars in neat rows, most with colorful tents next to them, filled the once-empty space like a psychedelic Hooverville. These people were clearly pros — many tents were adorned with banners and flagpoles featuring the logos of the classics: The Grateful Dead, Bob Marley, Sublime, all fragrant with years of accumulated incense and ganja. But it was inside the actual festival, a good ten minute walk from our campsite, that I finally encountered the masses of people. I’d never seen such a dazzling array of outfits. Some attendees were dressed in standard music-festival attire: girls in Daisy Dukes and flower headbands, guys in tank tops and flat-brims. But they were the minority. Some men wore top hats and tight suits like the Mad Hatter, and some girls wore only bikini bottoms with fanny-pack codpieces and painted marijuana leaves covering the tips of their otherwise bare breasts. Others wore Teletubbie or bear outfits, or giant Pikachu heads. One man I passed on Saturday wore only a Speedo and a small silver crown
fixed to his head at a rakish angle, while sucking on a large lollipop. Another was so adorned with ribbons, beads and feathers that he resembled an Aztec god. But the decadence doesn’t stop there. Many festivalgoers carry totems, which are long poles with anything on top. And I mean anything. Blow-up sex dolls. Bill Murray’s face. Simpsons characters. I saw one depicting a cartoon King of Kings, with a Mr. Skin-esque grin, and the words “PRAISE CHEEZUS” in big block letters, likely in honor of the String Cheese Incident’s combined 12 hours of stagetime. And of course, drugs. They’re an essential part of the festival, so ubiquitous and accepted that one pizza vendor put up a sign that read “DON’T FORM LINES. LINES ARE FOR YOUR NOSE, NOT SPICY PIE.” I’m watching Ms. Lauryn Hill and a guy to my left lights up a joint the size of a Sharpie. I’m raving along at Zedd, and a guy to my right vacuums a good quarter-teaspoon of coke into his left nostril. This overwhelming amount of, well, everything made me wonder “Is this where all the weirdos gather? Or is this where people gather to be weird?” I’ve concluded that it’s the latter. Of course, I don’t think that Electric Forest is where Mormon missionaries and Goldman Sachs executives congregate to let loose, but I did get the impression that Electric Forest provides a safe environment for ordinary people to abandon mainstream mores for a weekend. A guy in a hammock put it best in a remark to another guy in the hammock strung below his: “I’m going hard tomorrow, because I have to go back to reality after that.” Electric Forest is not only a retreat from “normalcy,” but also an oasis of kindness and togetherness. Festivalgoers go out of their way to accommodate each other. One girl entered a Port-A-Potty after a long wait in line, only to burst out and run after the previous occupant who had dropped a $5 bill. During a packed performance by Steve Angello, another
girl got tired and decided to sit down right in the middle of the crowd. Everyone, even those wildly dancing while rolling, made sure to give her space. At an event like this, people make themselves vulnerable by dressing in shocking and revealing ways, taking mind-bending substances, and then walking around an environment that is confusing even if sober. To have a good time requires a level of trust on everyone’s part, that their fellow attendees will not take advantage of them, and will even help them out if need be. I experienced this trust firsthand. On Saturday, I was sitting in the crowd at the Sherwood stage, vibing to Schoolboy Q and taking notes. I struck up a conversation with a couple sitting near me, Nick and Kat from Louisville. We chatted about Electric Forest and why people would come here. “We’re all here for the same thing: music and good people,” Nick said. As a red-shirted security guard walked around inquiring whether the numerous people smoking joints had medical permits, I remarked to Nick that I didn’t usually strike up conversations at concerts. “But at a place like this you should never feel like you can’t talk to anybody,” he replied. “ You can go up to anybody and be like ‘Hey, what’s up?’ ” At that moment, I saw a friend about 15 feet away, one who I hadn’t talked to in awhile. I immediately leapt up and moved towards her, forgetting that my phone, backpack and notebook were still on the ground next to Nick and Kat. I looked back anxiously, and they motioned towards my things and gave me a thumbs up, indicating that they would watch over them. Leaving your stuff with strangers probably isn’t something to make a habit of. But as Doctor Thompson said, “When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.” The going at Electric Forest is definitely weird — I viewed them watching my stuff as a matter of professional courtesy.
ARTS 7 ‘I Sing the Forest Electric’: EF14’s Two Distinct Subcultures Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
EDM-loving, Mollypopping kids overlap with older, jamband hippies By ADAM THEISEN Senior Arts Editor
Friday night at Electric Forest, Ms. Lauryn Hill, The String Cheese Incident and Zedd performed consecutively on the same stage. For an idea of how strangely those artists fit together, imagine watching a triple feature at a movie theater of “Do the Right Thing,” “Forrest Gump” and “Spring Breakers.” It was the same on Saturday night, with hippie jam-band String Cheese being sandwiched between the reggae of Stephen Marley and EDM star Steve Angello. The cultures of most music festivals can easily be described with one or two adjectives — urban Lollapalooza, rural Bonnaroo, glitzy Coachella — but what was most interesting about Electric Forest was that two entirely different subcultures coexisted, without ever really having to cross paths through the entire weekend. There were the hippies who came to smoke and drop acid (or whatever is was that was that people were calling “acid”) and see the jam bands (traditionally the most disrespected, most uncool kind of band), and there were the EDM kids, who mostly seemed collegeaged and came to take Molly and party like the farmland of Rothbury, Michigan was one gigantic frat house. Our first real encounter with anyone at the festival came as we were still in our car, waiting to get in. A woman probably in her 20s came up to the open window. “Have you guys seen Cheese yet?” she asked. “Nah, but we’re excited to.” “Right on, so you haven’t had, like, an ‘Incident’ yet. I’ve seen them six times already. They’re my favorite band in the world, and I’m trying to see them again tonight.” She asked us for money to help her buy a ticket, but when we told her we didn’t have any cash, she stayed extraordinarily positive. “That’s all right, ‘cause I just need positive vibes, and just knowing that you guys are sending me good energy and feelings is gonna help me out.” If you try to talk to any “serious” music fan about the relevance of
The String Cheese Incident, he or she will likely laugh in your face (before this weekend, I would’ve done this, too, if I’m being honest). Jam bands, as a whole and almost without exception, are thought of as goofy and toothless. Critics think of jam bands and they hear echoes of 10-minute wandering guitar solos and picture an older, granola munching fanbase. But while “the establishment” may immediately dismiss them, to many people, The String Cheese Incident is the biggest band in their world. Our North Dakotan neighbors at the camp site, for instance, had traveled all the way to Michigan to see “Cheese and whoever else.” I was ready to see what all the fuss is about. On Friday, after Ms. Lauryn Hill showed up late (as usual) but still put on a thrilling, energetic performance, Cheese went on stage. Frankly, I was bored. Maybe I had set my expectations too high, maybe I should’ve listened to them beforehand to know what I was going to hear, but the band just seemed average to me. I decided that the specialness was in the minds of the fans and not in the music, so I left and wandered the festival. When I got back to the stage where Cheese was still playing, though, I was intrigued. The band was in the middle of a fiddle solo, which usually doesn’t seize my attention, but something about the energy of the crowd excited me. As they kept playing, I waited out the parts where I had previously gotten bored and listened as they slowly but surely built up into towering, awesome crescendos. The String Cheese Incident is just a band that you need patience for, I decided, and resolved to see them again the next day. The Saturday String Cheese show was amazing as a pure spectacle, as a concert and as a sociological experience. Cognizant of and prepared for the music’s slow build, my expectations were met and then exceeded as the technically proficient group serenaded the crowd with its music — part country, part rock ‘n’ roll. More impressive than the band, though, were the fans. Not only was this the first festival experience I had ever had where everybody could breath freely in his or her own personal space, the Cheeseheads were unself-conscious and non-judg-
BRIAN SPADY/Electric Forest 2014
The “video game themed jam” during The String Cheese Incident’s show on Saturday night
mental. Many were shirtless, many were wearing tie-dye, and everyone was doing his or her thing, dancing in a loose, dorky, swaying sort of way while smiling and just being chill. When the band took a break halfway through, we all sat down in the big field, and I could really tell how much of a community we were. All of us crosslegged, talking and gazing at the lit-up stage with anticipation for the show to resume. It reminded me of my hometown of Livonia, where every year on the last Sunday in June (the same weekend as this year’s Electric Forest, in fact) we finish off our annual fair (“The Spree”) by sitting on blankets in the outfield of a baseball diamond and watching fireworks. To my delight, not five minutes after the band retook the stage, fireworks started exploding behind them, while an apparently video-game-themed jam resulted in a floating model UFO, stuffed Pac-Man and Pac-Man ghosts being held on fishing rods above the crowd, giant inflatable Mario coin cubes and (I kid you not) a full-costumed reenactment of the original “Donkey Kong” video game on stage while the band played. Ridiculous? Yes. But the kind of sensory-overload whatthe-fuck kind of display that no one will ever forget. The perfect end to the incredible show came when Ms. Lauryn Hill joined the band for a round of universally beloved covers that ranged from Stevie Wonder and The Beatles to
Bob Marley, closing with “Could You Be Loved?” However, at least half of the festivalgoers did not attend Cheese’s shows, a fact that I noticed when I stuck around at the same stage to see Zedd on Friday and Steve Angello on Saturday. The crowd seemed entirely different: younger, packed-in tighter, wearing baseball caps and tank tops. This was the college crowd that had come for pulse-pounding EDM, not oldhippie rock. Unlike, jam bands, EDM is actually considered cool. Many will tell you it’s the cutting-edge of modern music, and it’s mostly unconcerned by extra frills like guitar riffs or piano solos (or even vocals). EDM artists know that all their fans want are catchy hooks to dance to, and that’s exactly what they give them. Whereas the jammers took acid and smoked pot to loosen up, these fans took Molly to totally intensify the experience. They sweated, pogoed, threw glow sticks and flipped out in excitement for every new laser beam that accompanied a drop. While Steve Angello was a little too purely electronic for my personal taste, Zedd put on the kind of all-out 110-percent show that prospective festival-headliners dream of. Mixing into his set repurposed vocals from pop hits as well as his own smashes, Zedd punctuated every bass drop with a flash of lasers or jets of smoke firing from the stage, to the glee of the crowd. It was a 90-minute onslaught of
fun, danceable, energetic electropop beats, and it was just what the crowd wanted. Electric Forest catered to both subcultures by scheduling its artists against each other. At all times, one of the main stages would have a more modern, younger artist, while the other main stage would feature an older act (for example, ScHoolboy Q and Damian Marley played at the same time). Thanks to this setup, the EDM-loving, Molly-taking fratstars and the jam band hippie stoners could ignore each other, with each group enjoying its own music with its own people. However, these two groups had one big thing in common. When you really got down to it, neither was really there for the artists. EDM, with the exception of Skrillex and maybe a few others, has eschewed the typical instantly-recognizable rock-star status that usually comes with musical fame (it’s why Daft Punk insists on wearing those helmets). Would you really recognize Calvin Harris or Steve Aoki if you saw them on the street? No. As talented as they are, in the end, they’re just mediums to deliver the hooks and effects that fans want. On Saturday night, I noticed that The String Cheese Incident was the exact same way. The fans didn’t truly care who was up on that stage. They were just there for the music and for each other, dancing and sweating and tripping and rolling and smiling and instinctively just having fun.
8 NEWS
Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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PROF. From Page 1
“It’s a really unique program, but my interest is largely personal because I had a really fantastic undergraduate experience, and it’s important that other people can have that as well,” she said. “If you’re not excited and enjoying science in undergrad, you’re not going to want to go to grad school, or do research and have those opportunities.” In the next five years, beyond revamping Chem 211, McNeil plans to apply these concepts to classes offered at the University, and to Washtenaw Community RENTAL APARTMENTS NOW College students through sumavailable close to Ross & Law School mer immersion programs. She 1 year lease September 2014 ‑ August also hopes to create a two-week 2015 utilities included. summer program for high school Call:(734)834‑5021 students —including a hands-on lab — to foster and encourage an interest in science.
President’s House sees focus on preservation By SHOHAM GEVA Managing News Editor
One of the most striking aspects of the President’s House, currently the oldest building on campus, is the way it blends the past and present. In the hallways, original aspects of the architecture mix with the type of industrial fire alarms you’d find in University buildings on campus. When it was decided that the the study needed new windows to be more energy efficient as part of the ongoing, $1.3 million renovation project, architects planned to build them inside of the original ones, in a compromise between preservation and utility. In the bathrooms, the electricity outlets are updated to comply with code — the bathtubs, showers, and
counters themselves mostly stay the same. During a tour of the house, Henry Baier, associate vice president for facilities and operations, said for the most part, the focus of renovations has been on maintaining the historic nature of the exterior while still updating the interior, a balance he acknowledged isn’t always easy. When balancing between the two, he said safety, energy efficiency, and cost are top factors. Renovations are expected to be completed by the end of this summer, though they won’t be done in time for Schlissel officially assumes his position on July 14th. Thus far, Baier said, the project has been proceeding on track.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
$1.3 million in renovations are being done at the President’s House this summer.
Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ARTS 9
WEEKEND
ALBUM REVIEW
R O U NDUP
ANN ARBOR JAYCEES FOURTH OF JULY PARADE FRIDAY, JULY 4TH AT 10 AM NO COST WEIRD WORLD
Tom Krell, the man behind How to Dress Well
“What Is This Heart?” Stellar new album from genre-mixing How To Dress Well By KEN SELANDER Daily Arts Writer
“What Is This Heart?” by How to Dress Well challenged me. Manbehind-the-moniker Tom Krell’s soulful, high pitch voice is so tranquil A that I just want to sit back and listen How to to each song without actually pay- Dress Well ing close attention “What Is This to the lyrics or Heart?” various instruments that com- Weird World pose the album’s twelve tracks. But don’t get me wrong, “What Is This Heart?” is a lovely record that combines various influences, namely R&B, hip hop and indie, to create an emotional, dreamy album that avoids being dramatic. Most every song on the record has a very loose, serene feel to it and “Repeat Pleasure,” is no exception. It starts off lightly, with acoustic guitar strumming and keyboards that could easily double as the intro to a chick-flick. Krell’s fragile voice enters the track, and the song transforms into a smooth stream of music. Snare beats seem to line the borders of the song, preventing its peripheral elements from drifting too far off from the centerpiece that is Krell’s singing. If I didn’t pay close attention to the lyrics and instruments of
“Repeat Pleasure,” as well as most tracks on “What Is This Heart?,” they would all blend together, but not in a forgettable way. “See You Fall” possesses very calming qualities for this same reason. The violin intro gives off a feeling of mourning, but the accompanying strings counter this sadness by providing an upbeat feel. The tranquility of Krell’s high pitch vocals keep the song afloat, preventing “See You Fall” from drifting away into sadness, creating a driving balance that sustains a blissful feeling throughout the track. “A Power” is one of the album’s more sentimental songs. Krell discusses all sorts of emotions, finding ways to discuss common themes of being a good, loving person while avoiding sappy, cookie-cutter bullshit. Lyrics like “I want to be sympathy, went to seek sympathy, I want to die in peaceful quiet,” seem to procure real feelings from Krell, and frantic piano notes are a nice touch. “Face Again,” stands in direct contrast to the fluffier “A Power.” Unlike most songs on the album, the track has many lower tones that give a haunting, eerie vibe to the song. A demonic, low-pitch voice echoes and responds Krell’s vocals, possibly delving into his inner conscious. Powerful bass and feedback noises pulse throughout the song, painting a mental picture of a dim light flickering on and off during the climax of a horror movie. Interjected sound bites further the trippy nature of the song. The song finally lightens up when Krell muses “I don’t know what’s best for me,” which seems to support the idea that the demonic voice
might represent some internal or external voice pushing him away from such a loving, optimistic existence. In “What You Wanted,” the use of brass instruments in the background a strong snare and drum beat in the foreground, in combination with Krell’s smooth vocals, work to showcase the R&B influences of “What Is This Heart?.” After a funny accordion sampled intro, “Very Best Friend” develops a steady clapping beat that seems very true to hip hop, but maintains a secondary electronic feel with the accordion sample. These two songs find their primary influences in R&B and Hip Hop respectively, but that is not to say that songs like “Precious Love,” “Words I Don’t Remember,” and many more don’t take influence from both. To be honest, “Words I Don’t Remember” is so smooth, with a catchy, basic beat and some fun samplings, that I could easily see it being played in a club setting. The fact that Krell’s voice is both high pitch and smooth is definitely a testament to his vocal abilities. In true indie spirit, Krell decided to release “What Is This Heart?” on the album’s website prior to its release date (supposedly) without getting permission from his label, Weird World Releases. Whether or not he had permission or not is irrelevant to the album, because as far as I’m concerned this masterpiece should sell. The far-reaching influences of the songs make it easily enjoyable to fans of many genres that surprisingly flow together uninterrupted throughout the record.
Ready to celebrate our country’s independence but don’t know where to go? Come to the Jaycees Fourth of July Parade! This Fourth of July marks the Jaycees’ 24th annual parade. The parade will include an assortment of fun activities, including a children’s bike decorating contest, a t-shirt contest and the honoring of Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje. You don’t just get to observe the parade — you can participate. If you want to participate, your group must be in line by 9 a.m. for eligibility in the Spirit Contest, which will reward the most spirited entry $100. To participate, email parade@a2jaycees. org. Parking will be in the Maynard Parking Structure for participants. If you’re not participating, the parade begins at 10 a.m. and will run for about one mile. The parade will run through East Washington, South Main and East William Streets. BY MICHAEL SCHRAMM
TOP OF THE PARK
JULY 3 THROUGH JULY 6 POWER CENTER, RACKHAM GRADUATE BUILDING FREE TO $55 DEPENDING UPON THE EVENT Ann Arbor’s Top of the Park will finish its 31st season when the festival ends July 6. Several musicians and other artists will perform in various locations in the University campus area. Beginning in 1984, Top of the Park has hosted several notable performers including Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson and various others. Top of the Park offers a free kid-zone tent with activities for children as well as several movie nights throughout the four-week festival. On July 4, The Capitol Steps, a group of former Congressional staffers, will once again return to the Power Center with their unique comedic parodies. The event begins at 5 p.m. with tickets ranging from $40-$55. The last day for the festival is Sunday, July 6. With numerous different options to choose from, the Top of the Park festival is sure to please everybody. BY AARICA MARSH
10 SPORTS
N
Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Beilein’s refusal to leave
EW YORK — What started as a table of six was down to one. For more than four hours, John Beilein sat there. With Nik Stauskas, his parents, his brother and his agent, Beilein sat there, waiting, hoping for each of his former DANIEL players to hear FELDMAN their names. He knew Stauskas would hear his first. And when he did, when the Sacramento Kings selected him eighth overall, Beilein stood and applauded. “It was great,” Beilein said. “We started that recruiting process four years ago with them. And to have them be in this situation, none of us could have ever dreamed it would have gone this well for him. It’s a little bit of a fairytale for him.” With one player down, he collected a Kings hat and waited for his next player to be selected. Throughout the night, if you were following the draft on Twitter, you were expecting Yahoo Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski to reveal the next draft pick before it happened. John Beilein wasn’t aware of that. Minutes before the Oklahoma City Thunder picked Mitch McGary with the 21st pick, Beilein took to Twitter to warn the Michigan faithful to prepare for another Wolverines to appear on
the board. Was Beilein just being hopeful? Was he trolling Twitter? Or did he know something we didn’t? “We talk to a lot of people in the process, so I made the bold prediction there that it was coming up pretty soon,” Beilein said after the fact. “When you talk to different people, you find out different things. It was great.” With another Wolverine on the board, Beilein collected another hat. The count was at two. By this point, the attendance at the table started to fall. With Stauskas done with interviews, he departed the Barclays Center. Soon after, Nik’s father and brother were gone too. Nik’s agent soon followed. Eventually, Nik’s mother left as well. All that was left was Beilein. With Glenn Robinson III suddenly falling deeper and deeper into the second round, Beilein remained. Finally, with the 10th pick in the second round, Robinson’s name was announced. As the lone representative of Michigan and for Robinson in the building, Beilein was given a Minnesota Timberwolves’ hat as he smiled into an ESPN camera, saying “Go Blue” to the audience at home. With now three hats to his name, Beilein remained in his seat. While all the Michigan players expected to be drafted off the
board, Beilein was still holding out for one more pick. One more hat. And so Beilein sat, hoping to hear Jordan Morgan’s name resonate throughout the arena and out of televisions across the world. It was suddenly 11:45 p.m., and the last 10 or so picks remained. Beilein finally got up. So did I. Around the Barclays Center bowels I walked, hoping to run into this true Michigan Man that was finally leaving his post for the night. At 11:50 p.m. I found him. “Do you have any time for an interview?” I would have understood if he didn’t. He had been supporting his players all day, and I’m sure the last thing he wanted to do was hash over what had unfolded. But instead, Beilein wanted to talk. “How are you?” he asked. We walked around the basement level of the Barclays Center with his arm over my shoulder. In my opposite hand, I held a recorder. In his, the three hats. Beilein knew there were still 10 picks to go, but none of the teams left had worked Morgan out. “I tried to stay as long as I could with Jordan,” he said. We continued to walk, reflecting on the night’s events and the selection of the trio of
sophomores. “These young men have worked really hard to work to get to this point,” Beilein said. “Our staff has done a great job of developing them. And when I hold these three hats up, (I can say) ‘it’s a good day at the office — a really good day at the office.’ ” As we rounded the corner of the floor, Beilein decided he finally had to leave. “I have to go,” he said. “Where’s the exit?” It was nearly midnight. John Beilein finally left the building. Feldman can be reached at danieljf@umich.edu or on Twitter: @danfeldman31.
BY THE NUMBERS NBA Draft
5
NBA Draft picks out of Michigan the past two years, including Nik Stauskas, Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III this year.
23
Average pick number for this year’s three draft picks, led by Stauskas at No. 8.
2
2013 Michigan draft picks who made the NBA’s All-Rookie first team this season.
“When I hold these three hats up ... ‘it’s a good day at the office.’ ”
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
John Beilein had three NBA draftees already, but he stayed and hoped for a fourth.
Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTS 11
NBA DRAFT 2014
NBA Draft Recap: 3 Wolverines picked By DANIEL FELDMAN Daily Sports Editor
Nik Stauskas: 8th overall (Sacramento Kings)
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Zach Nagelvoort was selected by the Edmonton Oilers with the 111th overall pick in the NHL Draft last weekend.
Larkin, Nagelvoort exceed expectations By ERIN LENNON Daily Sports Writer
When it came time to decide whether Zach Nagelvoort would attend the 2014 NHL Draft at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia or watch it at home in Holland, Michigan, Nagelvoort’s dad, Scott, had a suggestion. How about a golf outing to keep down the nerves instead? So on Saturday, when the Edmonton Oilers selected Nagelvoort as the 111th overall pick, the Michigan hockey team’s breakout goaltender and co-Freshman of the Year was on the fairway. Messages from friends and family, not Twitter or the television screen, delivered the good news. “I actually got a text from my mom,” he said. Much like his stellar freshman campaign, Nagelvoort’s early fourthround selection came as a bit of a surprise, even to him. Though he allowed 2.20 goals per game and boasted a .929 save percentage in his first season in net for Michigan — both of which put him in the top 10 among NCAA goalies — Nagelvoort came into the Draft ranked No. 20 among North American goaltenders by the NHL
Central Scouting Service. And at the hardest position to project in the draft, even a seventh-round pick was no guarantee. Though a school-record 61-save game against Penn State at the Big Ten Tournament in March put an exclamation point on a draft-worthy season, Nagelvoort said he knew the NHL was a possibility in the first half of the season. “There wasn’t one game necessarily,” he said. “Just when my teammates started showing so much confidence in me, I knew.” He is the first Michigan goaltender drafted since Billy Saur in 2006. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia on Friday night, Michigan’s hometown hero and incoming freshman forward Dylan Larkin waited nervously as the first 14 team representatives stood at the podium and announced their respective picks. Then, at No. 15, Larkin became a member of the Detroit Red Wings, though he said he would honor his commitment to Michigan. Ranked No. 17 among North American skaters by the NHL’s Central Scouting Service, Larkin was projected to go within the top
“The captain (Steve Yzerman) pretty much says it all.”
20 for most of the year. But he — and seemingly every hockey fan in the state of Michigan — hoped he’d get to wear the same jersey as his longtime idol when Detroit went on the clock. “The captain (Steve Yzerman) pretty much says it all,” he said. “He was a true professional.” The Waterford, Michigan native and Ann Arbor-based U.S. National Team Development Program standout also became the first Big Ten player taken in the first round and the Wolverines’ highest draftee since defenseman Jacob Trouba of the Winnipeg Jets at No. 9 in 2012. “It was pretty special,” Larkin said. “I was pretty nervous, but just to hear your name was pretty special.” Larkin knew he would almost certainly fulfill his lifelong dream of playing a professional sport. Now, he will also get the chance to play for the team he grew up a fan of. Notes: Larkin was the first U.S.born player to go in the draft. In total, the Big Ten had 13 players or commits selected by NHL teams, tied with the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference for the second-most draftees. ... There were also 62 NCAA-affiliated players drafted, including five each from Boston College and Boston University. Michigan defeated both teams last season at Yost Ice Arena and will make a trip to Boston in 2014.
NEW YORK — Nik Stauskas may have joked before that he wanted to play with LeBron James. But the Sacramento Kings had bigger things in mind for him, making him Michigan’s highest draft pick in 14 years. With the eighth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Kings selected the former Michigan guard, making him the highest Michigan player selected since Jamal Crawford was selected eighth overall in the 2000 draft. “I can’t really put this into words,” Stauskas said in his first official press conference. “I’m just excited to be a Sacramento King. I’ve only heard good things about the city and the organization, so I’m excited to get to work.” The selection marks the second straight year a former Wolverine has been picked in the top 10. In 2013, the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Trey Burke with the ninth pick before trading him to the Utah Jazz later that night. For a team that selected a shooting guard in last year’s draft in former Kansas player Ben McLemore, it will be interesting to see if Stauskas will come off the bench or be a starter. Regardless, Stauskas will provide some relief to a team that finished tied for 27th in 3-point shooting last season (33 percent). After sitting at his draft night table with his agent, parents, brother and Michigan coach John Beilein, Stauskas unleashed a handshake with his father to express his gratitude for his night of nerves finally being over. Though Stauskas was nervous his father might get it wrong, he ultimately got it right. “It was planned last night,” Stauskas said. “I always throw up the three-goggles, so I thought it was more appropriate to do it here.” Mitch McGary: 21st overall (Oklahoma City Thunder) With the 21st pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, the Oklahoma City Thunder selected the former Wolverines forward.
Rumors floated around heading into Thursday night that McGary had a first-round promise from a team. More rumors indicated that team was the Charlotte Hornets with the 24th pick. As it turned out, McGary did have a first-round suitor, and Michigan coach John Beilein knew before anyone else. Not known for tweeting, Beilein beat all the media to the scoop, tweeting out minutes before the selection, “Another Wolverine about to go up on the board. #GoBlue #WeWork” And wouldn’t you know it, Beilein was correct. Acting as an oracle, Beilein predicted what NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced from the stage. Meanwhile, McGary will bring a physical presence to an already strong Thunder team. Anchored by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City fell two wins short of the NBA Finals. Though it remains to be seen how long it will take McGary to get back to 100 percent, as he is still recovering from lower back surgery in January, the Thunder clearly think McGary’s aggressive, fast-paced offense will fit in. Glenn Robinson III: 40th overall (Minnesota Timberwolves) NEW YORK — As the end of the 2014 NBA Draft first round came to a close, it started to become more and more unclear where Glenn Robinson III would land. Then, all of a sudden, his named was announced, and the Minnesota Timberwolves acquired his rights with the 40th pick. Robinson’s name first came up as a possible 29th pick of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had previously selected former Michigan forward Mitch McGary with the 21st pick. Instead, the Thunder selected former Stanford forward Josh Huestis. With the San Antonio Spurs up next, a team projected in some mock drafts to take Robinson, speculation remained as to whether Michigan would have three first round picks. Of course, not only did Robinson fall out of the first round, he fell nine more picks until Minnesota finally swooped in to pick up Robinson.
12 NEWS
Thursday, July 3, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Beating Blight
by Sam Gringlas
photos by Allison Farrand DETROIT — Like most of the places on Lyndon Street, Judy Sackett’s house is small, white and boxy. Her lawn is cut, the yard filled with flowering shrubs. A wooden bench sits under a large tree. But the story of Lyndon Street is complicated. The house next door is vacant. Plenty of structures are visibly marked by blight —their roofs caved in, shells scarred by fire. A block over sits a tract of empty land so vast that a family uses it to ride their off-terrain vehicles. Some of the residents mow the grass in the vacant lots near their homes just to keep their stretch of street looking okay. Detroit’s blight problem is no secret. But for years, community organizations and city administrations have struggled to find an adequate approach to tackle an issue spiraling so quickly out of control — until last winter, when an army of surveyors from Detroit’s newly convened Blight Removal Task Force set out to catalog the condition of every single land parcel. What they found is sure to directly impact the city’s efforts to beat blight. But on top of that, the report is also likely to color the ways in which neighborhood alliances, preservation networks, urban planners and residents think about their blocks and the futures they’ll have there. Blank Canvas Last fall, the Obama Administration helped establish a local task force charged with developing a plan to remove every single blighted parcel out of Detroit’s 380,000 parcels of land, totaling 142 square miles. In May, the Detroit Blight Removal Task Force released a prolific report not only detailing the scope of the city’s blight problem, but also laying out a set of policy recommendations designed to both keep blight from spreading and tear down the houses that couldn’t be saved. The cost of addressing blight on vacant lots, residential structures and small commercial buildings alone is
expected to top $850 million. Of the parcels in that group, 40,077 structures and 6,135 vacant lots require immediate attention in the form of either demolition or lot clean up. Another 38,429 structures display indicators of future blight. The report estimates 80 to 90 percent of those buildings will eventually face the wrecking ball. All together, about 22 percent of the city’s land parcels have structures destined for demolition. When the plan was presented to the public and city officials last month, Task Force co-chair Dan Gilbert, the chairman of mortgage giant Quicken Loans, compared blight to a malignant tumor “because, like cancer, unless you remove the entire tumor, blight grows back.” Sean Jackson is the 25-year-old Quicken Loans associate Gilbert appointed to lead the Motor City Mapping Project, the report’s mapping component. Jackson said dealing with blight is in many ways a precursor to improving most everything else in the city, including education, crime, unemployment and public health. Blight also affects the city’s image, especially in the eyes of potential investors and residents. “Having this image of being the blight porn city when people come here and they want to go to the Packard Plant and see the abandoned train station, that’s not what you want your city to be known for,” he said. “You want your city to be known for its tech community or its vibrant downtown or its arts and culture — not for having a ton of abandoned buildings in it.” Last winter, the Motor City Mauctioning vacant homes at a rate of two per day. Buyers are required to occupy and fix-up the house within six months of purchase. Last week, the auction reached $1 million in sales. Claire Nowak-Boyd, the executive director of Preservation Detroit, said her organization carried out its own building survey last year, in part to inform the land bank of houses prime for restora-
tion. While Jackson said most of the houses slated for demolition are the poorly constructed, midcentury box houses, Nowak-Boyd argues there are still some older houses subject to demolition that deserve saving. Last week, the Michigan Historic Preservation Network released a video called “Vacant, not Blighted.” “To look at every building as blighted and needing to come down is a mistake,” said MHPN preservation specialist Emilie Evans. In neighborhoods like the historic, tree-lined Boston-Edison neighborhood, the auctions are helping stymie any hint of blight by reoccupying the street’s few vacant houses. “It keeps hope alive and it keeps history alive,” said Raquel Robinson as she sipped a beer on the porch of her childhood home on Longfellow Street in Boston-Edison. For the rest of the story, visit www.michigandaily.com