ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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ENLIGHTENING
SENATE ASSEMBLY
Schlissel talks faculty involvement Faculty express desire for increased admin. transparency By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
MCKENZIE BEREZIN/Daily
LSA senior Carly Manes lights a candle for J Street UMich’s vigil honoring those killed in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in Gaza this past summer.
ARTS
Schoolboy Q to perform at Hill Auditorium in Oct. Artist adds to list of prominent rappers to hit A 2 By ADAM THEISEN Daily Music Editor
On Oct. 18, ScHoolboy Q will join the growing list of hip-hop stars who have played shows at
Hill Auditorium. With Chance the Rapper and 2 Chainz hitting the venue earlier in 2014, not to mention Earl Sweatshirt and Danny Brown both playing The Blind Pig in 2013, the bar is set high for Q. But, just as the chart performance of his number-one album Oxymoron cemented his place as one of the most exciting young rappers in the game
today, the fall show at Hill will be a chance to win the hearts of a Michigan crowd that has already seen their share of impressive concerts from top hip-hop acts. Big Ticket Productions, a student organization and concert production group at the University, is responsible for bringing ScHoolboy to Hill. Big Ticket has had a hand in previous hip-
hop shows in Ann Arbor, including J. Cole, Lupe Fiasco and Chance the Rapper. While Hill Auditorium has seen musical legends ranging as far back as Frank Sinatra, all the way through The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen and Bob Marley in the late ’70s, a glance at its shows in more recent years reveals fewer recSee SCHOOLBOY, Page 3
University President Mark Schlissel’s introductions continued Monday at this semester’s first meeting of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs. Though the University president doesn’t regularly participate in SACUA proceedings, the committee typically invites a senior administrator or notable campus figure to speak at each of its formal meetings. Monday’s main focus, at Schlissel’s request, was discussing faculty concerns that the administration could work to mitigate. Voicing a need for the administration to increase its transparency, SACUA members asked Schlissel’s opinion regarding where to draw the line between faculty governance and the jurisdiction of the central administration. Schlissel said faculty should largely take ownership of academic areas of governance, but conceded that responsibility for non-academic areas is more ambiguous. “The faculty needs to be involved and consulted early in the develop-
ment of administrative policies … but at the end of the day, administrative things are administrative things,” Schlissel said. Schlissel said he has made it his goal to reach out to all faculty in some form to make them feel fully represented in the University “machinery,” and to allow the administration to garner more “good input.” Comparative Literature Prof. Silke-Maria Weineck, a SACUA member, said quality facultyadministration collaboration would hinge on what Schlissel’s interpretation of consulting faculty will look like. Last year, the University’s launch of the Shared Services Center — which will ultimately relocate more than 100 department-level staff to a central building near Wolverine Tower — prompted vocal criticism from faculty and staff who questioned the administration’s transparency and equity in crafting the plan. Schlissel provided a few suggestions, including faculty representation in meetings with the deans of the University’s colleges and schools. The idea was well received, especially in the scope of a comment from Dentistry Prof. Rex Holland, another SACUA member. See FACULTY, Page 3
CAMPUS IMPROVEMENTS
GOVERNMENT
Fireside Café opens after renovations
Local leaders offer mixed views on ‘blue economy’
Six-month project creates new space for North Campus dwellers By STEPHANIE DILWORTH Daily Staff Reporter
North Campus just got a little more appetizing. Monday, the new Fireside Café in Pierpont Commons opened its doors after a six-month, $5.3 million renovation. The project is part of a series of Union renovations, which are funded in part by a $65-per-term student fee. E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, is an outspoken advocate for the renovations and encouraged the University’s Board of Regents to approve the projects in December 2013. At the ceremony, Harper expressed gratitude for the renovations and joked about past critiques of the North Campus café. “When you’ve been here for a while, like some of my colleagues, this is the end of an annual ‘Come to North Campus and get beaten up about how terrible the cafeteria is,’ ” Harper said. “I am thrilled because it means that I will not have to get that beating this year.” Harper said the dining space is a reflection of the hard work and persistence of the many faculty and staff members who recognized the need for better student dining options on North Campus.
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 65 LO: 46
“This celebration is not only about the beautiful transformation of a facility, not only about creating a welcoming place for students, faculty and staff,” Harper said. “We have just been doggone determined that we would have a facility here worthy of our students and our community. And I think we have managed to do that, in spite of hard economic times.” In addition to new fireplaces, the renovated common area includes an updated seating area and more windows to showcase a scenic view. There are also several new options for the hungry students who find themselves on North Campus, including dine-in and to-go options to accommodate those with busy schedules. For example, the Maize Blaze will feature unique, made-toorder items, while the Hearth will serve oven-baked pizza, sandwiches and other baked entrées. Other options include the “Greens. Grains. Soups.” salad bar, as well as Flare, which is staffed by a rotation of local restaurants throughout the week. Before the project began, a group of faculty, staff and students came together to discuss their goals for the space. Members from the student organization Building a Better Michigan and the Pierpont Commons Board of Representatives played a significant role in the project’s planning, according to Pierpont Commons Director Michael Swanigan. See FIRESIDE, Page 3
Great Lakes generally viewed as economic resource for state AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
By SHOHAM GEVA
Phil Deloria, LSA’s associate dean of undergraduate education, discusses success at Game Plan: Achieving Success at the University at Rackham Graduate School Ampitheater Monday.
Theme semester kick-off examines success, defeat Panel of varsity coaches, leading academics gives advice to students By ARIANA ASSAFF Daily Staff Reporter
To celebrate the Fall 2014 LSA Theme Semester, a panel of academics and coaches discussed achievement, happiness and even facial hair to more than 50 students and rising professionals Monday night in Rackham Auditorium. The theme, “Sport in the University,” combines courses in several disciplines as a means of exploring and researching the many facets of athletics. The panel, consisting of the University’s men’s basketball coach and women’s gymnastics coach, a linguistics professor and two
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administrators, discussed the theme’s aim. English Prof. Anne Curzan, an organizer of the Theme Semester, outlined the goal of the project: to blend the curricular and the co-curricular to look at the subject of sports from several different perspectives. To survey from academics and coaches, Curzan moderated the event, posing questions to gauge advice from the panelists on how to achieve success and — more importantly — how to respond to failure. Perhaps the most comical answer was given by Phil Deloria, LSA associate dean of undergraduate education: “Shave off the scraggly beard and never grow it back.” Deloria’s and others’ more serious suggestions were relevant to all students, including those who may not have clearly defined academic paths. Deloria made the point that
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experiential goals, though their outcome may not be as identifiable as those of more concrete goals, are still an important part of the learning process. “No experience is ever lost or wasted,” he said. “You just haven’t used it yet.” Women’s gymnastics coach Bev Plocki said because athletics in general are so perfectionistic, there can always be an element of failure. However, to her, the most important element of “failure” is learning to overcome it and try again. Men’s basketball coach John Beilein called failure “fertilizer for growth.” As perhaps the most well known panelist to the student body, Beilein led the men’s basketball teams through successful seasons in 2013 and 2014, finishing as the national finalist and the Elite Eight, respectively, in the March Madness See KICK-OFF, Page 3
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Daily Staff Reporter
Over the past several years, following in the footsteps of a decadelong push for environmental restoration, the idea of using the Great Lakes a driver of Michigan’s economy has culminated in a significant amount of political action at state and federal levels. Under the direction of a 2007 Act of Congress, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently conducting a long-term study of invasive species in the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin. U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (D–Bloomfield Township) has made the economic impact of the Great Lakes a focal point of his senatorial campaign through his Great Lakes Jobs Tour. “From a political perspective, it’s a good issue to pick up,” said Jennifer Read, director of the University’s Water Center and a former member of the Great Lakes Commission. “It’s not just the environment, but it’s closely tied to our economy in the region. A strong and healthy ecosystem, we’ve demonstrated, is reflected in a strong economy.” Recently released survey results from CLOSUP, the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy within the Ford School of Public Policy, found that at the local level the concept of a “blue economy” has been well See ECONOMY, Page 3
NEWS............................ 2 SUDOKU........................ 2 OPINION.......................4
ARTS............................. 5 CL ASSIFIEDS.................6 SPORTS.........................7
Arts
2 — Tuesday, September 9, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers Before You Were Here
THURSDAY: CampusProfiles Clubs Alumni
Prof. studies breast milk donation
What was the purpose of your visit to Brazil? I focus on helping moms with
breastfeeding. We were going to Brazil to learn from them. Usually, Michigan’s going somewhere to teach, and this time Michigan was going to let them teach us. We were going to learn more about their milk bank network, and to try to learn what components from their program we could incorporate here at Michigan. What was a major takeaway from your visit? People in the U.S. think of breast milk banks as pasteurizing the milk. In Brazil, their network educates about breastfeeding, promotes breastfeeding and educates the donor on the
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MEMORIUM
Pussy Riot
Campus vigil
By EMILIE PLESSET
By EMMA KERR
Members of the Russian feminist punk group Pussy Riot will speak at the Michigan Theater Sept. 18. Their organization, Zona Prava, stands against Russian President Vladimir Putin and advocates for LGBTQ rights.
Members of the University’s chapter of J Street held a vigil on Ingalls Mall Monday evening to commemorate the lives lost over the summer in the IsraeliPalestinian conflict.
POLITICS
DISCUSSION
Rep. Dingell hospitalized
Conspiracy theories talk
By EMILIE PLESSET
By JOEL GOLDSTEIN
U.S. Rep. John Dingell (D–Mich.) was admitted to Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit with abdominal pain Monday morning. Dingell’s office said in a statement the congressman is in good spirits.
University alum Jesse Walker discussed the history of conspiracy theories in a talk Monday at Hatcher Graduate Library. Walker is author of The United States of Paranoia.
FRIDAY: Photos the Week Week Photos of the
BOOK SMARTS
LACTATION CONSULTANT
Lisa Kay Arel Hammer is a clinical assistant professor and pediatrician in the University of Michigan Health System. She is also an international board-certified lactation consultant. Last August, she and a cohort from the University visited Brazil to study its breast milk bank network. New Brazilian mothers donate their breast milk to hospitals. New Brazilian mothers donate their breast milk to hospitals in a practice similar to Americans donating their blood.
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milk donation process. They can do all of those steps. They have succeeded because they have this broad comprehensive approach to breastfeeding promotion and support. Why are there fewer milk banks in the U.S.? There are milk banks in the U.S. It’s just smaller, but it’s growing. One of the reasons that Brazil has been able to expand is because of support from their Ministry of Health. It is catching on (in the U.S.). It’s just that we have a long ways to go here. — RACHEL PREMACK
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University alum Jesse Walker discusses his book, The United States of Paranoia, in Hatcher Graduate Library.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Beekeepers
Masters recital
WHAT: Beekeepers and enthusiasts are invited to learn about honeybee management and discuss the Ann Arbor bee population. WHO: Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
WHAT: Eric Laprade will conduct Franz Krommer’s “Partita,” Eugène Bozza’s “Octanphonie” and Gordon Jacob’s “Old Wine In New Bottles.” WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: Walgreen Drama Center
Film screening Festifall WHAT: Director and producer Zack Arnold will discuss “Go Far: The Christopher Rush Story” for the the 40th anniversary of the University’s Services for Students with Disabilities. The film chronicles quadriplegic and MDA poster child, Christopher Rush. WHO: Services for Students with Disabilities WHEN: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Alumni Center
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN DOUGLAS SOLOMON
WHAT: Students are invited to learn about more than 500 student organizations and campus departments, as well as promote their own organizations. WHO: Maize Pages Student Organizations WHEN: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: The Diag CORRECTIONS l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their second child, The Daily Beast reported. Doctors are treating the duchess at Kensington Palace. Prime Minister David Cameron tweeted his congratulations to the royal couple.
2
Maura Levine is spending her semester in Washington D.C. and has a firsthand view of the “real world”. She discusses the benefits of a job-skill building class requirement. >> FOR MORE, SEE OPINION, PAGE 4
3
Phoenix is experiencing the worst flooding it has seen in 44 years, The Arizona Republic reported. Schools and highways have closed and tens of thousands of residents have lost electricity. Rain has reached a historic high of five inches.
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Severe respiratory illness Afghanistan’s Abdullah hits hundreds of children rejects election outcome The cold-like germ enterovirus 68 spreads to 10 states CHICAGO (AP) — Hundreds of children in more than 10 states have been sickened by a severe respiratory illness that public health officials say may be caused by an uncommon virus similar to the germ that causes the common cold. Nearly 500 children have been treated at one hospital alone — Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri — and some required intensive care, according to authorities. The suspected germ, enterovirus 68, is an uncommon strain of a very common family of viruses that typically hit from summertime through autumn. The virus can cause mild coldlike symptoms including runny noses, coughing and
wheezing but Mark Pallansch, director of the viral diseases division at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said this summer’s cases are unusually severe and include serious breathing problems. “It’s not highly unusual but we’re trying to understand what happened this year in terms of these noticeable and much larger clusters of severe respiratory disease,” Pallansch said Monday. The virus typically causes illness lasting about a week and most children recover with no lasting problems. Cases have been confirmed in Missouri and Illinois. CDC said it is testing to see if the virus caused respiratory illnesses reported in children in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma and Utah. The states’ tally changes as specimens are confirmed or
test negative. A spokeswoman for Iowa’s public health department said CDC tests confirmed the virus in samples from patients in central Iowa and a Colorado hospital said it has confirmed cases. The CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a Monday news briefing that there are other viruses making kids sick. “Most of the runny noses out there are not going to be turning into this,” she said. Children with asthma and other health problems are especially at risk for the enterovirus, but reported cases include children without asthma who have developed asthmalike breathing problems, Pallansch said. He said no deaths have been reported in the outbreak. Dr. Mary Anne Jackson, director of infectious diseases at Children’s Mercy, said local cases began appearing in midAugust and they appear to have peaked in her area. Schuchat said the strain involved also appeared in the United States last year and in specimens from other countries. She said the CDC learned it had reappeared in this country last month when authorities in Chicago and Kansas City notified the agency about severe illnesses in children who had to be hospitalized. She said the virus was found in 11 of 14 specimens from Chicago and in 19 of 22 specimens from Missouri. Schuchat said the strain involved also appeared in the United States last year and in specimens from other countries. She said the CDC learned it had reappeared in this country last month when authorities in Chicago and Kansas City notified the agency about severe illnesses in children who had to be hospitalized. She said the virus was found in 11 of 14 specimens from Chicago and in 19 of 22 specimens from Missouri.
Presidential candidate breaks pledge to Kerry KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan presidential candidate Abdullah Abdullah said Monday that he will not accept the expected official results of the election, breaking a pledge he made to the U.S. secretary of state and injecting new tension into an already drawn-out political process. Appearing tired and nervous, Abdullah told a nationally televised news conference that he believes he won both times Afghans voted this year — in April and again in a June runoff. He accused election authorities of violating the desires of voters by ignoring widespread fraud and preparing to declare his opponent, former Finance Minister Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai, the winner. “We were the winners of the election,” said Abdullah. “We are the winners of the election based on the real vote of the people.” Abdullah’s announcement effectively pre-empts the country’s election commission, which is expected to announce the second-round results later this week following a weekslong audit process to weed out the many fraudulent ballots cast. The winner would succeed the outgoing president, Hamid Karzai. Abdullah and Ghani Ahmadzai had both pledged to Secretary of State John Kerry during a July visit to the country to abide by the audit’s results. The two also agreed to plans to form a government of national unity with participation of the losing side. That second agreement also remains in peril. The two candidates met face-to-face on Monday, but Abdullah said the talks are deadlocked over how powerful to make a newly created
position of government chief executive. Kerry made a second visit to Afghanistan in August in a bid to keep the peace. The two candidates then pledged to set an inauguration before the end of that month, a date which sailed by without a hint of finality to the now five-month-long election process. In Washington, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that Kerry had spoken with both candidates on Monday. “In our view, the audit process is still ongoing,” Psaki said. “Under the supervision of the United Nations, I think it was confirmed that part of the process had been completed. There’s more that needs to be done. Dr. Abdullah has indicated consistently that he will abide by the constitution, and so we’re continuing to work with the candidates to determine how we can resolve this moving forward.” Abdullah’s latest statement came one day before Afghans celebrate a national holiday to honor a former militia commander, Ahmad Shah Massoud, a hero in the country’s north, Abdullah’s power base. Massoud was killed two days before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in the U.S., and Abdullah asked the country for calm on Tuesday and told supporters not to mix their emotions over the election and Massoud. A spokesman for Abdullah had said over the weekend that “radicals” in his camp could foment violence if he is not given a share of power. On Monday, former Afghan defense minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said he believes violence could break out. “I think there is the possibility,” Wardak said in an interview. “There are some countries that want that. Both to our east and west,” he said, in apparent references to neighbors Pakistan and Iran. The U.S. has continued to
press Abdullah and Ghani Ahmadzai to form a national unity government, and President Barack Obama spoke with both on Saturday. Though Abdullah said the political process has reached a deadlock, he did not say he was pulling out of talks or that the idea of a national unity government was dead. Kabir Ranjbar, a member of Ghani Ahmadzai’s election team, essentially blamed Abdullah for being a poor loser and said he should accept the outcome of the vote given that the audit was aided and observed by the U.N. and the international community. Abdullah — who placed second in Afghanistan’s 2009 vote after what he alleged was massive vote fraud in favor of Karzai — did not say what he planned to do next. He said he would make a decision “based on consultations with the people.” Afghan election officials under international supervision have finished recounting more than 8 million ballots cast in the June 14 runoff after preliminary results showed Ghani Ahmadzai well ahead of Abdullah. Both candidates had teams of observers watching the recount until Abdullah — who believed his complaints of fraud were not being listened to — pulled his observers. At the request of the U.N., Ghani Ahmadzai then did the same. The international community had hoped for a smooth transition of power as most foreign forces withdraw by the end of the year. The U.S. wants the next Afghan president to quickly sign a security agreement to allow some 10,000 troops to remain to assist with counterterrorism operations and training Afghan forces. Karzai, the only president Afghanistan has known since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that ousted the Taliban, has refused to sign the accord. Both candidates have said they would sign it; one must be sworn in first.
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NEWS BRIEFS DETROIT
GM to offer car that will almost drive itself Cars that can talk to each other and almost drive themselves at freeway speeds are just two years away from the showroom, according to General Motors executives. The company announced Sunday that the semi-autonomous system for freeways will be an option on an unidentified new 2017 Cadillac that goes on sale in the summer of 2016. In addition, another 2017 Cadillac, the CTS, will be equipped with radio transmitters and receivers that will let it communicate with other cars, sharing data such as location, speed and whether the driver is applying the brakes.
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, Calif.
Weather slows Yosemite wildfire that dozens fled Cooler weather on Monday slowed the spread of a wildfire that forced the helicopter evacuation of dozens of people from the famous Half Dome rock in Yosemite National Park. “We were pleasantly surprised with high humidity and scattered showers throughout the morning,” said Kari Cobb, a park ranger. “So anytime you have weather like that it’s going to help suppress fire activity.” The fire, which had burned about 4 square miles of timberland, wasn’t threatening any buildings. The park remained open, but some campsites were closed. About 120 firefighters and 11 aircraft fought the blaze, which may have erupted from embers of a fire sparked by lightning several weeks ago, officials said.
SAN FRANCISCO
Federal court hears arguments over gay marriage’s impact A federal appeals court in San Francisco waded again into the debate over the constitutionality of gay marriage, with attorneys for both sides arguing over whether legalizing it would harm children. The three judges on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals — two of whom have ruled in previous cases in favor of gay rights — reserved many of their most pointed questions at the defenders of state bans in Idaho, Nevada and Hawaii. Judge Marsha Berzon appeared critical of the attorney defending two of the bans, saying he was sending a message that families headed by same-sex couples were “second-rate.”
MONROVIA, Liberia
WHO says Liberia will see thousands of new Ebola cases The United States and Britain will send medical equipment and military personnel to help contain West Africa’s Ebola outbreak, as the World Health Organization warned Monday that many thousands of new infections are expected in Liberia in the coming weeks. The current Ebola outbreak is the largest on record. It has spread from Guinea to Sierra Leone, Liberia, Nigeria and Senegal and killed more than 2,000 people. An “exponential increase” in new cases is expected in the hardest-hit countries in coming weeks, the U.N. health agency warned. “As soon as a new Ebola treatment facility is opened, it immediately fills to overflowing with patients, pointing to a large but previously invisible caseload,” WHO said in a statement about the situation in Liberia. “Many thousands of new cases are expected in Liberia over the coming three weeks.”
—Compiled from Daily wire reports
AMANDA ALLENDAILY
The new Fireside Café in Pierpont Commons on North Campus celebrated its opening on Monday.
FIRESIDE From Page 1 “Certainly what you see today is a result of some of those comments that we received from this specific community,” Swanigan said. He added that he is happy with the finished product of the café and with the feedback he has received from students. “I am absolutely thrilled with
SCHOOLBOY From Page 1 ognizable names. Nowadays, Hill more frequently hosts to classical music and folk concerts, with appearances from national stars now becoming fewer and further between. “We think that there’s been a huge gap in the entertainment department at the Uni-
FACULTY From Page 1 Holland said deans of each individual college have jurisdiction over a vast number of departments; for example, an LSA dean manages language, science and literature all at once. Schlissel said he plans to sit in on the deans’ meetings as a “fly on the wall” to learn more about the bureaucracy within each individual school and to see if there are any areas in need of improvement. Another contested topic was transparency of administrative salaries. Last spring, a large
ECONOMY From Page 1 received — but to a limited extent, and with varying impact depending on location. The findings come from data collected in the fall 2013 edition of the Michigan Public Policy Survey, a biannually administered study that asks local government officials across the state about a variety of topics. According to the survey, 99 percent of local leaders — which the study classified as a mix of city managers, mayors, township officials and county administrators and board chairs — agree that the Great Lakes overall are an important economic resource for Michigan. Regarding the lakes’ status as a local economic resource, this sentiment was most strongly rooted in coastal jurisdictions, with 71 percent of leaders saying they felt strongly that the
KICK-OFF From Page 1 tournament. Beilein offered his “WIN” acronym — what’s important now — as a tool for keeping objectives in line. As an example, he said in identifying what his players need to work on in any given practice, he may not have a solid idea going into it. However, once he pinpoints problems and how to solve them, he doesn’t let anything else get in the way.
how it turned out,” he said. “I am glad that we have this for the community and that it’s getting such positive feedback.” Swanigan also said he appreciates that the café offers longer hours and a more visible dining area so students are more aware of all that North Campus has to offer. Isaiah Bailey, vice chair of the Pierpont Commons Board of Representatives, echoed Swanigan’s sentiments, saying he is proud of the collaborative
efforts that went into the space’s design and renovation. “I think most importantly we had a group that was willing to work together through any challenges,” Bailey said. “In a few meetings, we even got to meet with the designers. It was a smooth process. It definitely could have been a lot tougher than it was.” Bailey also emphasized how involved students were in the project, and encouraged students to stay involved in the
future. “It’s interesting to me that somebody can come with a vision and put something like this together from what was already here,” Bailey said. “To have been in the Commons Café before and see what it is now shows what amazing work can be done when you get people collaborating together and you have top notch designers who are here and putting together something students can really enjoy.”
versity, in terms of getting the students involved and bringing shows that would unite the University and get the students excited,” said LSA senior, Bo Bradarich, co-president of Big Ticket. “We’ve really been trying to find our place there and get quality artists that students actually could get excited about.” ScHoolboy Q should defi-
nitely bring the excitement. After making his first impressions in the hip-hop world with the A$AP-Rocky-featuring single “Hands on the Wheel,” Q found himself somewhat overshadowed by his labelmate and Black Hippy cohort Kendrick Lamar and his critically-acclaimed smash, good kid, m.A.A.d city. However, ScHoolboy returned with February’s Oxymoron and its run
of hit singles, reestablishing himself in the top tier of young hip-hop artists. Extensive touring behind Oxymoron saw Q play Detroit and Grand Rapids in April, and his summer festival dates included a slot at Electric Forest in Rothbury, MI. Tickets for the show go on sale at 12 PM on Friday, Sept. 12, with supporting acts to be announced soon.
group of faculty signed a letter denouncing what they saw as high administrative salaries and called for bonus information to be made readily available to the public. Holland said since administrative salaries are funded with public money, information about bonuses should be public as well. Pharmaceutical Sciences Prof. David Smith, another SACUA member, said he doesn’t see a reason to keep administrative bonuses private. “They earn it; they deserve it … fine,” he said. “But I haven’t heard a good argument that says why they shouldn’t (make bonuses public).”
Not posting total salaries, Smith argued, could “give the appearance of something to hide. If you’re going to put it out, then put out the truth.” Schlissel said Smith’s logic was sound, but added that some of the money that composes salaries cannot be made not public, such as that of the University’s clinical faculty, who may be paid for the medical services they offer. He said the University is in competition with other health care providers and it is important for the institution to retain its clinical staff. The conversation regarding salaries ultimately segued into a larger talk about making the University a place where
everyone — faculty, administration and students alike — can do their best work. Schlissel asked SACUA members to consider “what it is about our existing environment that contributes to your ability to be a great scholar … and what’s missing.” This request aligned with Schlissel’s greater goal of making Michigan as good a school as any for the highest academic pursuits. Part of this endeavor, he said, will require the University to further enrich its intellectual environment. “I’m thrilled that Mary Sue (Coleman) did a lot of physical building,” Schlissel said. “Now maybe, we should be investing
lakes are an important economic resource for their local community. However, this number dropped sharply 10 miles inland, with only 21 percent of local leaders feeling strongly that the lakes are an important economic resource locally. Among local leaders more than 40 miles inland, the 58 percent of local officials disagree that there are valuable local economic benefits from the Lakes to be had on a local level. Tom Ivacko, CLOSUP’s program manager and administrator, said the differing assessments of the lakes’ importance by location, especially with such wide variation, was surprising. “We expected to see much stronger connections between local governments and the Great Lakes,” Ivacko said. “When you think about Michigan, you think about the Great Lakes. They’re such an important part of our history, our self-identity, that to see this relationship weaken so
quickly in such a short distance, we were pretty surprised by that.” When asked who should be responsible for protecting the Great Lakes, local leaders listed state government first, followed by the U.S and Canadian federal governments, the private sector, individuals, and then local government last. Ivacko said while this finding was surprising, it was tempered by several other factors, namely the fact that even though local government is listed last, 67 percent of respondents still said it should have some responsibility. “That’s still a pretty strong majority; it’s just much lower than state governments or the U.S and Canadian federal governments and so on,” he said. “But still, more than two-thirds think their own local governments should have some role.” Survey respondents also answered questions about proposed regulatory actions to
promote the restoration of the Great Lakes, several of which would result in direct or indirect costs to local communities. Here, the result was more positive, with the majority of local leaders supporting 10 of the proposed policy actions. Ivacko said the report demonstrated that overall, many local leaders understand the benefits of a “blue economy for the entire state,” but not necessarily for their own communities. “For any stakeholders who are trying to establish more of a blue economy within the state, I think these survey results are not necessarily a wakeup call, but they highlight that there’s a lot of work to do,” he said. “If other folks that are pushing for these kinds of economic ties had the same assumptions that we did going into this, I think this may raise some eyebrows about how much work they may have to do to strengthen those bonds between local governments who are not on the coast.”
Beilein also explained how to maintain drive in light of achievement. One point that was touched on several times throughout the panel was that it is much easier to know how to improve when one has not met a goal. “It’s a good feeling to have success when you know you’ve gotten it the right way,” he said. Robert Sellers, professor of education and psychology and vice provost for equity, inclusion and academic affairs, took the idea of learning and growing through failure a step further
with a personal anecdote of the proudest grade he ever received. It was an F in seventh-grade English. “Over four semesters, I finally got it up to a B, and I worked my butt off.” he said. “All the other As paled in comparison, because it was the F that made me actually work.” Since the students in the audience have begun their second week of classes, Deloria offered advice on how to stay focused and keep up with their work. He called on students to use office
hours to develop relationships with professors, which he cited as “all the usual stuff that students don’t do.” He said that the best thing students can do right now is to mark important dates from syllabi, and factor in how much time and preparation should go into each deadline. The LSA Theme Semester will host a series of events throughout the rest of the semester, which include film viewings, panel discussions and lectures, all of which are open to students.
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Opinion
Page 4 — Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
PETER SHAHIN EDITOR IN CHIEF
KATIE BURKE 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.
M
An applicable education
oving homes is one of my least favorite activities. Don’t get me wrong, my inner neuroticism fights with me every year because moving means positively placating the neurosis: cleaning out old clothes and giving away those articles that somehow manage to no longer see the light of day from the depths MAURA of my closet. It’s just that in college we have to do it too LEVINE often, moving out in May and moving back in during the last week of August. For most of us, this means the same suitcases being stuffed with the same sweats, Michigan shirts, winter boots and going-out clothes (what else do we wear in Ann Arbor, anyway?). But the end of this summer brought a particularly heinous twinge to my packing ritual as I packed not for Ann Arbor, but for Washington, D.C. Business suits and heels took up the space that is usually occupied by leggings and gym shoes. Like several other political science students this semester, I will be participating in Michigan in Washington, interning for the government and crying every Saturday because I’m not in town for football season. My academic internship will find me at the U.S. Department of Justice Environment and Natural Resources Division, and my adventuresome spirit will find me wandering around after work, seeing every museum possible and taking more pictures than my phone can hold. Applying to work at the DOJ was quite the ordeal. Security background checks to work for the federal government are extensive. Let’s just say answering the questions about every place I’d ever lived was the easiest part in a litany of brain-scratching — but that got me excited for what is to come. As an intern my duties will require me to view hearings on the Hill about environmental issues and report back to my office, along with other legal research chores. This internship matches what I want to do as a career in the future. Getting to the background check stage wasn’t possible without a long and rigorous application and interview phase, however, and before my introductory classes for Michigan in Washington last winter, I was frightened to start this process. After all, I knew nothing at all about applying for a government internship
or how to interview well. While I had plenty of classroom experience, my job-seeking and interview skills were lacking. To my surprise, there are quite a few helpful hints that are known by members of the Career Counseling team and others with experience. These hints on how to successfully get a job, internship or apply to graduate school should not be confined just to those who ask. Instead of having to take a class for distribution on campus at the University that is completely unrelated to our majors, such as the quantitative reasoning requirement for social science majors, I propose that students should be required to take a class that is meaningful and applicable to our lives. This class would prepare us for graduate school, internships or jobs in our specific fields by teaching us necessary interview and application skills, and therefore would be much more beneficial than wasting our precious tuition dollars on classes we don’t even want to take (like calculus as an Anthropology major). My suggestion does not come as a total shot in the dark. Historically, apprenticeships were the only way that people learned a profession and were thus prepared to enter the job market. Granted, I am not asking that we return to the 1700s. Rather, I am suggesting that students who have decided their field of interest be asked to look at all the possibilities for employment or further schooling with others in their major in a classroom setting. With the skills garnered in a class like this, all of the guesswork would be taken out of how to properly apply for a competitive job and how to interview well, depending on your field. Others may say that eliminating a distribution requirement would make a less well-rounded student, but these people would forget that certain undergraduates are already allowed to bypass distribution requirements. An example of this is the College of Engineering kids who aren’t required to take a language unless they want to. Based on this logic, why should those people studying the social sciences be required to take quantitative reasoning? A class giving us tools to advance our careers and look at all possibilities would be more worthwhile than an unrelated distribution requirement, and would give us the skills to succeed and compete in an ever-changing job market. - Maura Levine can be reached at mtoval@umich.edu.
DANIEL KARR | VIEWPOINT
An opportunity for the center The current political atmosphere of congressional gridlock and polarization leaves little room for the ideological center and its ideas. However, intense partisanship and the dysfunction it has caused may actually provide centrists with an opportunity to make their voices heard. With congressional approval ratings and productivity near historic lows, pragmatists have the opportunity to appeal to the American electorate by providing policy solutions that could satisfy Americans’ desire for a functional legislature. Even though hyper-partisanship makes it appear that there is nothing in common between the left and right, there is in fact common ground between both sides. For example, both President Barack Obama and former Republican U.S. Rep. Newt Gingrich have said that the U.S. corporate tax rate, the highest in the developed world, should be lowered.
Even though Gingrich and Obama are an unlikely team, their agreement reveals there is still some consensus on how to reform the tax code, a subject that is normally left untouched due to gridlock. More recently, U.S. Republican Sen. Rand Paul and Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton issued similar statements regarding the unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, further demonstrating that there are commonalities between politicians who usually don’t agree. There is room for compromise, but there is currently no voice to advocate for it. Centrists can fill this void by proposing policies that are widely supported, but would normally not pass due to partisanship. Although pragmatism and compromise may sound appealing, Democrats and Republicans must first change the way they negotiate and interact with one another. Primarily, the lack of bipartisan friendships in
Congress today is not conducive for negotiation, and former congressmen have actually lamented the decline in bipartisan friendships and expressed how they are crucial for compromise. Nevertheless, centrists are in an advantageous position to encourage bipartisan friendships. This will allow one side to better understand the perspective of the other and will create an environment for more productive negotiation. Whether it is leading the charge to pass a tax compromise, or encouraging bipartisan friendships, centrists have the opportunity to increase pragmatism and effective policymaking in Congress. Through these efforts, pragmatists can fulfill the lack of strong leadership in Congress and can work to rebuild the American public’s trust in government.
Daniel Karr is an LSA sophomore.
INTERESTED IN CAMPUS ISSUES? POLITICS? SEX, DRUGS AND ROCK’N’ROLL? Check out The Michigan Daily’s editorial board meetings. Every Sunday and Wednesday at 6 p.m., the Daily’s opinion staff meets to discuss both University and national affairs and write editorials. E-mail opinioneditors@ michigandaily.com to join in the debate.
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Ethical vs. practical
T
hings I thought about the United States government when I was too young to even comprehend the difference between the three branches: 1. The president is always a white man (wrong). 2. The RENNIE losing presiden- PASQUINELLI tial candidate becomes the vice president (wrong). 3. Our country aids other countries because we fear fatalities amongst their innocent civilians (wrong). Numbers one and two are objectively incorrect little kid theories. Number three, however, is not a definitive falsehood, but not hard to falsify due to current U.S. involvement in Iraq. On June 19, the Obama administration announced it would send 300 military advisers to assist the Iraqi government with Sunni extremist group ISIS. Fortynine days later, President Obama authorized limited air strikes in retaliation against the group. Thousands of non-Sunni Muslims and — more recently — Yazidis in Northern Iraq are being killed, forced to relocate, raped and sold into slavery. Even some Sunnis are being targeted. The Middle East is all too familiar with extreme civil conflicts stemming from religion. We aren’t too acquainted with that here at home, but our government tends to recognize that it’s an issue worth addressing. The American media is also doing a decent job with keeping the public updated
about our activity in Iraq. Entering “Iraq” into the Google search bar can do wonders for a thirsty brain; at least 10 pages of recent stories are displayed subsequent to hitting the enter button. Media coverage and consistent updates are justified considering a great deal of people are in the process of being exterminated. Iraq’s current crisis can be classified as genocide by factoring in executions, rapes and forced emigration. Rationally, I thought the Obama administration sent military advisers and airstrikes into Iraq this summer because of that reason. We’re buddies with the Kurds, anyway. But, if the United States jumped at every opportunity to support countries currently battling an oppressive group or government, news publications would be much busier than they presently are. Five other places in the world are in surprisingly similar conditions to Iraq’s. There’s a good chance that the average U.S. citizen has no idea that such repressive regimes even existed in the following countries, let alone knows that some may consider these situations to be genocide. The Central African Republic, two distinct states in Burma (Rakhine and Kachin), and Nigeria are experiencing extermination of portions of their population. The difference between other countries and Iraq? Americans are most fearful of ISIS because they’re a hazard to our country. Top officials have warned that ISIS is the “biggest threat” to the United States. The Central African Republic, both states of Burma, and Nigeria are all experiencing genocides due to religious conflict. Boko Haram, an Islamist extremist group in Nige-
ria, is violently targeting Christians in the region. This includes murder, rape and slave trade. The Nigerian Army and Air Force have killed more than 3,000 people through methods of “counter-insurgency.” The U.N. has made attempts at assisting all of these countries, and Secretary of State John Kerry has pledged to try to find Boko Haram terrorists. But the U.N. is not part of the U.S. government, and Nigeria has been placed on the backburner. Several may believe it isn’t our job to give assistance to other countries, but evidently that’s not the status quo’s workings. Our focus lies heavily in Iraq, and even a bit of our attention is on Nigeria. We view ISIS and Boko Haram as direct threats to U.S. values and our economy. ISIS’s violence and ideology are not the only factors that frighten American politicians. Increased instability in Iraq threatens U.S. oil reserves, chiefly because ISIS generates funds from oil in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, where we get about 8 percent of our oil. Similar to Iraq, Nigerian instability could also destabilize oil prices at home — we get about 5 percent of our oil from them — as well as threaten typical Christian values that our country tends to prioritize. The other countries’ conflicts do not pose even a slight threat to the U.S., on the basis of values or economics. So, is the U.S. an ethical actor that attempts to step in every time there is a seemingly alarming genocide? Three other countries besides Iraq prove the answer to that question to be a flat out “no.” Rennie Pasquinelli can be reached at renpasq@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Jaekwan An, Barry Belmont, Edvinas Berzanskis, David Harris, Rachel John, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu, Meher Walia, Mary Kate Winn, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe HARLEEN KAUR | MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Towel Head Moving back has been great after a long and busy summer. I was thrilled to see my friends again, excited to meet my new residents in South Quad and both nostalgic and ecstatic to start my last year here. But new years and people also bring new problems, and unfortunately Labor Day evening was a testament to that. Walking back to my dorm after a nice night with my family, we were approached by a man who appeared to have been drinking quite a bit. He asked my father for some money, and he politely declined and kept walking. The man became angry and started shouting after us as we walked away, including the comment, “Give me that towel on your head!” We continued walking down the street and were very close to my dorm when a truck of students drove past with the windows rolled down, I assume to enjoy the pleasant weather as we were. As they passed us, a boy in the back seat stuck his head out and yelled, “I love Ann Arbor, towel head!” Twice. In less than 10 minutes. Even as I write this, my anger, and also helplessness, from last night return. There was no point in engaging in conversation in either scenario, but the fear that entered all of us makes me wish we could have.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
A few minutes after the truck drove away, there was another truck that pulled up next to us while we were walking. I’m sure we all thought it, but my mom is the one who whispered it to me once we realized it wasn’t the case, “I thought they were coming back for more.” Living in fear is not something that I was taught. Rather, I was taught to hold my head high and practice my faith fearlessly, regardless of the consequences. This is what Sikhs have done throughout history and, though it has led to bloodshed and sacrifice many times, it is what we will continue to do. Yet there are many cases of blatant discrimination, bias, and exclusion that could be stopped, and that will help prevent these instances of misinformation and ignorance. Each time a Sikh is stopped by the TSA for a secondary screening in an airport, it shows the people around them that there is potentially something to fear under a turban, behind a beard or beneath dark skin. Each time a Sikh is not allowed to serve in the United States military or their local law enforcement due to his or her articles of faith, it tells them that their love for this country is not equal to others’. And when FIBA, the international basketball governing body, decided that they needed more time to decide whether
Standing together TO THE DAILY: In November 2012, we, J Street, stood on the Diag and held a vigil. Recent violence in Israel and Gaza left us feeling saddened and frustrated. Palestinians and Israelis were dying, and we mourned. We held up flags, we lit candles and we commemorated the lives lost and the families torn apart. Today, after a resurgence of violence this summer, we remain frustrated. With heavy hearts and determined minds, we are once more hosting a vigil on the Diag this Monday at 9 p.m. The events of the summer were not isolated; they are part of a long pattern. Such violence happened three years ago and four years before that. We know that the current status quo is untenable. If we do not diplomatically resolve this conflict, waves of violence will continue to disrupt any chance Palestinians and Israelis have for a viable, peaceful future. That is why we’re standing together and saying this must be the last vigil.
or not Sikhs can play basketball with their dastaars (turbans), it sent the message that it is allowable to exclude individuals for no reason but the fact that they look different. At this point in our nation’s history, it is unacceptable that we are still allowing certain individuals to face hate crimes and ignorance with no justice. The small messages that are sent on a day-to-day basis can create the long-standing message that a turban is dangerous or Sikhs are a threat. As a Wolverine, seeing a practicing Sikh with a turban on one of our athletic teams would be a dream of mine, but it might not happen since he or she could not go on to play professionally. When I walk down State Street or across the Diag, I want to know that the fact that I feel at home isn’t countered by the fear that others may have from their perceptions of my turban or my brown skin. I want to know that I don’t have to explain my identity or my presence to anyone around me, but I can just belong as one of the leaders and the best, just like everyone around me. The day that I feel truly fearless practicing my faith will be the day that I truly feel like a Michigan Victor, but until then, I’ll have to keep proving that I’m not just a “towel head.” Harleen Kaur is an LSA senior.
Send letters to: tothedaily@michigandaily.com To all who believe a life is a life, and anyone who dies from violence deserves to be remembered, we invite you to join us. We demand a future where Israelis and Palestinians live with dignity and respect, where exercising free and democratic rights in the absence of violence is not a privilege or a marker of temporary calm, but a given. We demand an end to this conflict. We invite voices who demand the status quo must change, who are willing to embrace the narratives, losses, fears and hopes of both peoples, who know there is nothing sustainable or acceptable about how this conflict forces Israelis and Palestinians to live. We invite the voices on this campus who have a hope and a path forward and who will join us in this insistence: We refuse to stand here in another three years. Ari Schoenburg LSA junior Max Ledersnaider Engineering junior
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Arts
ALBUM REVIEW
Tuesday, September 9, 2014 — 5
VIDEO GAME REVIEW
CULT RECORDS
Heartburn will ruin your night.
Karen O goes solo Recorded seven years ago, ‘Crush Songs’ a melancholic affair By GIBSON JOHNS Daily Arts Writer
When the lead singer of a band ventures out on her own, there is an unsaid expectation that her solo material C+ should present a departure in Crush Songs sound, feel and emotion from Karen O her previous Cult Records releases. Ideally, solo efforts should offer up a fresh enough approach in order to back-up her decision to (temporarily or permanently) leave the rest of her bandmates behind. Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman Karen O’s debut solo album Crush Songs does exactly that; it’s stripped back, melancholy softness is a drastically different sound than the explosive, postpunk rock that the Yeah Yeah Yeahs have reliably produced over the past 13 years. The 15-track album falls more in line with O’s previously released
solo material like “The Moon Song” from the Spike Jonze’s 2013 film, “Her” (interestingly, O recorded Crush Songs in the period following her break-up with Jonze in 2006 and 2007). Though O’s voice works well in this new setting, much of Crush Songs feels inexplicably unfinished. You’re often left wanting more from a song, which is perhaps the point. After all, the album is about crushes, the kind that leave you unfulfilled and questioning what comes next. And on occasion, the effect works. The sparse production forces the listener to get a better grasp on the lovelorn lyrics that, more often than not, serve as relatable quips about what it feels like to be wrapped-up in the prospect of a love that might never come to fruition. On “Body,” O sings about stepping back from loving someone by taking some time to work on yourself over tongue-clicking and christmas bells, provoking the listeners to reflect on their own experiences with having an unspoken crush. Despite some bright moments, too much of Crush Songs leaves you feeling unsatisfied. The entire album runs just over 25 minutes, with
some of the tracks not even reaching the one-minute mark. And for a debut album from a woman who has made a career out of producing fulfilling, genre-bending music with the rest of her band, it comes off as lazy even if she’s trying to be consciously concise. “NYC Baby,” one of the album’s most promising tracks, ends after 58 seconds and feels as though it’s missing a verse or two. As much as one must respect O’s new direction and sound, it’s difficult not to question her commitment to producing an album that feels complete and well-rounded. The fact that she recorded the album seven years ago doesn’t help her case either. For O, the form that these Crush Songs take might reflect their subject matter — crushes that leave you longing for more, unsure of where things stand or are unusually sad — but in the end, this approach doesn’t work. The album’s strongest moments, like the ethereal first single “Rapt” and the charmingly repetitive “Day Go By,” prove that there’s potential in Karen O’s solo efforts, but there simply aren’t enough fulfilling tracks like these to save Crush Songs from feeling hastily thrown together.
ALBUM REVIEW
Roadkill Ghost Choir’s debut LP an impressive mix of genres Florida group blends steel guitar with electronica By AMELIA ZAK For The Daily
Hardened by life on the road but motivated by many high-profile praises, Roadkill Ghost Choir is a young band trying B+ to figure out who or what In Tongues it wants to be. Roadkill This Floridian Ghost Choir group’s first Greatest Hiss full-length debut, In Tongues, is best described as an amalgamation of sounds and influences held together by talented musicianship and noticeably deep lyricism. Following its nationwide tour with Band of Horses and stops at this summer’s most important festivals — Governor’s Ball, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza — the band has established itself as one to be watched. Over the past two years of touring, the band has undergone obvious changes in its sound. Perhaps hardened by its time on the road, or just distracted by different influences, the band has transitioned from a folk, banjo heavy 2012 EP, Quiet Light, into a more indie rock feel. An obvious change has occurred in the band’s debut album that gears it towards back-to-back tours and sold out venues. In fact, it is clear through this album that these kids have just started to scratch the surface of their smorgasbord of a sound. It isn’t a perfect album; every song isn’t excellent and some
GREATEST HISS
“Are you down for a tour of Emo Lake?”
songs aren’t even all that good. But long-haired and bushytailed, the band has given each song a redeeming quality that keeps the average listener intrigued and the avid fan obsessed. There is no specific theme to latch onto in listening to the album, but perhaps this is a result of its odd mixture of influences that range from Radiohead to Cormac McCarthy to My Morning Jacket. Andrew Shepard, with a voice similar to that of fellow Floridian Tom Petty, stars as the songwriter of the band. Providing a poetic backbone to the album, Shepard’s voice and lyricism acts as the sole constant. The album is kick-started by jam songs. “Slow Knife,” the album’s most popular single, is reminiscent of My Morning Jacket’s “Circuital.” The inconsistent rise and fall of rhythms and sounds becomes clear here, when two songs later the boys move their listeners into more electronic explorations. “A Blow to the Head,” for example, is a six-
and-a-half-minute jam session that warrants a comparison to Radiohead. While Shepard’s scratchy vocals belt “Don’t talk me down / I’m trying to see the stars,” a steady guitar and drum set accompanies. It is undeniably the best song on the album. The transition from the slow, more acoustic “I Could See Everything” into a synthesized yet guitar-heavy, steady rock song, “No Enemy” is confusing but excellent. Each song individually possesses notable moments of greatness. There is no telling where this band is headed. Dabbling in multiple genres and influences from song to song, it’s easy to understand why Roadkill Ghost Choir’s fan base ranges from the hipsters of Bonnaroo to the critics of Rolling Stone. Its sound is Americana yet universal. It surprises listeners with its synthesized bits but suppresses them with a steady steel guitar and singer-songwriter style lyricism. If this band were to have a college major, it would be indefinitely undecided.
TELLTALE
More than ready for his close-up.
‘Walking Dead’ sequel lives up to predecessor By JACOB RICH Daily Arts Writer
SPOILER WARNING: The following review contains major spoilers for The Walking Dead: Season One. While there Awill be no major spoil- The Walking ers for Season Dead: Two, players looking Season Two to avoid even minor plot Telltale and character details should not read on. Telltale’s “The Walking Dead: Season Two” isn’t a pleasant game to play, nor is it “fun” in the way most games are expected to be. Playing through this game will likely be an emotional, personal experience, not one you’ll invite your friends over to have a few drinks and play with you. That being said, it is one of the most engaging dramatic experiences I have ever had with a video game. The game is a direct followup to “The Walking Dead: Season One” (2012), one of the most lauded and talked-about games of the last five years. A side story taking place in the universe of the “Walking Dead” comic book series (not the show), Season One follows Lee, a professor, as he attempts to protect Clementine, a young girl, during the first several months of the zombie apocalypse. The game was highly praised for its dramatic script and unique gameplay, where conversational dialogue choices were emphasized over combat mechanics. Here come the spoilers: Telltale ended the first season with the death of Lee. This puzzled the game’s ravenous fanbase, already aware that “Season Two” was in the works. Who would become the playable protagonist? Would “Season Two” be a new story with new characters? Days after “Season One” became the first downloadonly (a retail version has since been released) game to win Game of the Year at the Spike Video Game Awards, Telltale revealed that in “Season Two,” players would control a slightly older Clementine. As a gamer always hungry for new gameplay experiences, the idea of playing as a young girl (this is nearly unheard of in mainstream video games) fascinated me. Within the gaming community, the news excited some and worried others. Would the game still be fun to play with a less capable protagonist? Would her shift from “good” moral center to morally ambiguous decision-maker create ugly narrative dissonance with the first game? Having experienced each of the game’s five feature-length episodes released these past few months, I can safely say that playing as Clementine was the right direction for Telltale to take the series. My favorite aspect of this change is that Clem plays inherently differently from
Lee. No, the physical controls themselves do not change, but your strategy will. Intimidation and physical strength are no longer tools in the player’s arsenal, so you are forced to find alternative methods for dealing with the hardened survivors and deadly “walkers.” It was an excellent change of pace to have to rely more on wits than brute force to survive. It’s not just combat and survival that require a change in strategy: the nature of being a young girl in such a brutal world also changes how you interact with friendly characters. Most will talk down to you, some will connect with you, but several will look to blame you for their own mistakes. Veterans of “Season One” know that it’s not easy to keep your group working together. Often, when conf licts arose between the other survivors, I felt like a child trapped in a custody battle. The parents bicker with petty appeals to you, and often, it’s really beneficial to choose sides. When you do, however, it makes it just as uncomfortable as it would be in real life. There really are no right answers to the choices you are presented with in this game. Both often lead down dark paths, and you must more often than not choose the lesser of two evils. “The Walking Dead” is not the first game series to implement a moral decision-making system. However, I think so far, it’s done it the best. Unlike games with similar mechanics like the “Infamous” and “Mass Effect” series, you aren’t rewarded for the choices you make. There are no “good” and “evil” statistics to max out, in fact, the game’s morality system does not use numbers at all. You’re merely meant to see how your choices affect those around you, and the only penalty for messing up is your reallife empathy. It feels distinctly more human than point-based morality systems. I recommend turning off the text notifications informing you of the consequences of your choices (e.g. “Carlos will remember this”). This hampers the game’s immersion, and I found that you can instead infer these consequences from the emotional reactions of your peers. Speaking of Clementine’s peers, a strong new cast of characters is introduced in this season. Except for a few “zombie fodder” friends thrown at you in the first episode, they are all memorable, interesting, and best of all, human. Some standouts include Jane, a lonewolf survivor who eventually connects with Clementine, and fresh-out-of-college southern guy Luke. Luke acts as a sort of second season replacement for Lee as Clementine’s main protector, but cleverly, Telltale portrays him as less intelligent and capable than Lee was. This means that Clem must do more of the protecting herself this time around. In many ways, “Season Two” is a coming-ofage story. It’s worth noting that The Walking Dead is one of the
only major video game series to depict its protagonists as people of color. Season Two is the only game I have ever played (and I play most mainstream video games) in which the playable protagonist is a Black woman. Some may not care at all about this, but to me, having played 95 percent of video games as a white male, it’s been a breath of fresh air. As if the production value wasn’t high enough already, the success and popularity of “Season One” attracted significant acting talent to “Season Two.” Namely, respected character actor Michael Madsen (“Reservoir Dogs”) and rising comedian Kumail Nanjiani (HBO’s “Silicon Valley”). Their voices blend well with the other members of the cast, and their characters are some of the most memorable of the entire series.
Nearly matches the dramatic highs of ‘Season One.’ Without a doubt, this is one of the best games I’ve played in 2014. “Season Two” makes enough meaningful changes to “Season One” to keep you engaged, and it nearly matches the first season’s dramatic highs. The game even ran better than its predecessor; I only experienced a few noticeable instances of freezing and slowdown. The game wasn’t perfect, though. I had two major problems with it: First, I felt that many of the dialogue choices didn’t make as much sense in this one — in other words, I often felt as though there was an obvious thing to say but there wasn’t a dialogue choice that let me say it. I don’t remember having that problem in “Season One.” Second, Telltale did not live up to their promise that the choices made in the “Season One” DLC chapter “400 Days” would meaningfully impact Season 2. The changes these choices bring about are so minor you may not even notice them. This game was so heartwrenchingly emotional, though, that I find these problems melting away from my ref lection on the game. Telltale really has something special on its hands here; their last several games have all been of an extraordinarily high quality. Color me very excited for its “Game of Thrones” adaptation to be released later this year. If you played “The Walking Dead: Season One,” you have no excuse for not playing “Season Two.” If you didn’t play “Season One,” play “Season One.” And then play its wonderful sequel. “The Walking Dead: Season Two” was reviewed using a digital season pass purchased by the reviewer.
Arts
6 — Tuesday, September 9, 2014
COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
Embracing diverse Rock is very much alive, Gene Simmons performances I
t doesn’t matter if you’ve lived in Ann Arbor for several years or are just a visitor passing through; it’s crystal clear that this city has a rich and vibrant connection to the arts. Between events happening KATHLEEN at venues DAVIS around town to Universityexclusive affairs, hundreds of musicians, art exhibitions and dancers passed through the city last year to show students and community members what makes them different. Ann Arbor’s open-minded and intellectual community makes the area a welcoming home away from home for many culturally diverse performers, who make up a large percentage of the events that travel through the city. As a writer for the Daily’s Community Culture section last year, I had the opportunity to preview some incredibly fascinating concerts and events that came to the city. An intercollegiate Bollywood dance competition, two world-renowned Hawaiian cultural performers and a Portug uese-lang uage film festival are just a few examples. In writing event previews, it’s necessary to have conversations with the people who wanted to bring their event to Ann Arbor in the first place, and learn why they’re so passionate about their art forms. Whether they were University students, professors or community members, each of these individuals dripped with zeal for the event they had organized, hungrily eager for the community to devour their
type of art. However, every single time I spoke to such a person, they expressed worry that the community wouldn’t embrace their event and the crowd would be dismal. We’re lucky to live in an area that has the resources to accommodate such unique forms of artistry that we have seen. With venues like the Michigan Theatre, The Ark, as well as innumerable locations within University buildings, performers would find it impossible not to find an adequate location to perform. While many of these venues see packed crowds with interested minds, there are still performers who don’t gather enough interest and see lessthan-adequate crowds, even if they’re incredibly talented. For a city as connected to the arts as Ann Arbor, this is unacceptable.
Why not go to that AfroCuban Jazz concert? Cultural performances aren’t niche performances; they’ve come to the University with the hope that demographics not familiar with them may open their minds to what they have to offer. To appreciate art is to both critique and to remove criticism, to view a piece from within its culture and outside of it. Every person in the Ann Arbor community has the ability to embrace and enjoy new types of art, the problem lies in the lack of motivation to attend these events. For a performance to come to Ann Arbor, there must be adequate demand among stu-
Classifieds
dents and community members. The more people attend culturally diverse shows, the more events will be brought to the University. Events like these have helped Ann Arbor develop a reputation for worldliness and cultural appreciation, a reputation that is important to maintain. If the University sees potential demand in the show, they’ll bring more and more talented, diverse acts that may prove to be a once in a lifetime experience for many. If events f lop due to lack of audiences, the University won’t bring them back. So ask yourself: Why not go to that Afro-Cuban Jazz concert on a Friday night? Why didn’t you see the state of Michigan’s only gamelan, a Javanese and Balinese percussion set, in concert? What’s the harm of checking out Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin, a Grammy-winning German chamber orchestra? (All these events really did happen in Ann Arbor last year, believe it or not.) It doesn’t matter if you’re graduating next year or just beginning freshman year: make it a goal to see a few performances or exhibitions that you normally wouldn’t see. Learn about different art forms and embrace the cultures that have brought them here. For most of us, our time in Ann Arbor will be a few sweet years, so utilize the wonderful artistic opportunities that are brought just down the street. It’s important to take advantage of the amazing, affordable opportunities to see incredible performers from all over the world, because you never know when something is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Davis is making the most of her Ann Arbor experience. To join her, e-mail katjacqu@umich.edu.
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
PARKING
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DOWN 1 “Wham!” 2 Prefix with metric 3 Gullet 4 Jungle journey 5 Boarded up 6 “__-Dick” 7 Biennial games org. 8 Rise on hind legs, as a horse 9 Femme __ 10 “Fiddlesticks!” 11 What rookies are shown, with “the” 12 Sky shade 13 To the point 21 Radiation measures 22 Rockefeller Center muralist José María 23 Low-paying employment, slangily 24 Partner of kicking 28 Peter Pan rival 29 Numero __ 30 Road sign with a double-tailed arrow 31 Attack command word 35 “CSI” science 36 Distress signal 37 Speak, biblicalstyle
39 Ryan of “When Harry Met Sally...” 41 Bronco or Mustang 42 Self-regard 45 Factual 47 French cleric 50 Chinese and Thai, e.g. 51 Property destroyer 52 Elton John collaborator Taupin
53 County near London 54 Twitch 55 Drink with steamed milk 59 Maine __ cat 60 Flower holder 61 Take __: doze 62 Simpleton 66 Hawaii’s Mauna __ 67 College URL ending
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Taking the Kiss bassist to task on controversial quotation By BRIAN BURLAGE Daily ARTS WRITER
Several years ago, I took a trip with my family to visit my grandparents in central Ohio. I was probably nine or ten years old at the time, and all I could think about were the impending spoils — limitless supplies of chocolate milk, powdered sugar donuts, a whole week of staying up late — that seemed to become a reality only when I visited my grandparents. We spent the long summer days outside at amusement parks or, when the humidity was too overbearing, in the cool vast interiors of shopping malls. At night when the fireflies transposed constellations on my grandparents’ front lawn, my brother and I would run and fumble over each other to try to catch them. That trip was, for many reasons, one of the last trips we took to visit my grandparents there. While the easygoing pulse of everything throughout that trip sticks out in my memory, I remember one evening in particular. My grandpa was an artist (among other things, a pianist, too) and we spent one evening together in his kitchen, where I asked him to paint whatever images would float through my mind and he, with marvelous grace, would paint them. I asked him to paint moon-dwelling hockey players, cotton candy flowers, pirates dressed in football uniforms, mythical creatures (on sea and land), knights fighting samurais, and he would paint them all. It was somewhat of an artistic ritual for my grandpa, whenever he painted, to have music playing in the background. That was how I learned about many great artists, classical and contemporary alike. However, on that particular evening I heard The Beach Boys for the first time. Brian Wilson had just released Smile (this was 2004) and the song “Surf’s Up” played for what seemed like an eternity. In light of the deeply imaginative work that my grandfather was putting in front of my nonbelieving eyes, I registered “Surf’s Up” as a song with limitless capacity. Of course, I didn’t understand the song’s technical value, its contextual significance or where it stood in Wilson’s anthology. I wouldn’t have been able to articulate my appreciation of its rearing melody, instrumental spontaneity or simple, chugging beat. But the song resonated with the moment, and now, looking back ten years later, the two remain entwined. When The Beach Boys released Pet Sounds in 1966 (the loving parent of Smile), the realm of rock music was still in its infancy. The term “rock ‘n’ roll” — in its stylistic sense — was hardly a decade old. A mere 10 years had passed since Little Richard and Chuck Berry suffused African rhythmic sections with New Orleans-centered R&B and early rock structures. Songs like “Maybellene” and “Johnny B. Goode” had charted the course for rock ‘n’ roll, but the land ahead was vast and utterly open. It contained within itself an unimpeachable excitement that was mirrored, perhaps for the first time in contemporary popular music, by the artistic style that had started to breach its territory. Pet Sounds was the kind of the album that shook the very ground upon which rock ‘n’ roll stood, as it changed the sonic landscape and diverged from the direction of the rock genre. Its diverse instrumentation, psychedelic/baroque sound, eternal sense of melody, quiet air of sadness, strong sense of rhythm, legendary rivalry with Rubber Soul and streamline affection (thanks to its mono recording) make it a record of astounding impact, one that shattered popular notions of the genre. Rock music of the late ‘60s seemed, for a time, completely unpredictable,
its course foggy and obscured, as bands struggled to reciprocate the technical, sonic and cultural reach of Pet Sounds. Perhaps in 2014, artists feel similarly intimidated by the incredible sprawl of rock music. In an interview with Esquire last week, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons boldly declared that “Rock is finally dead.” Simmons lamented the state of the music industry, noting in particular the financial shabbiness of prominent record companies and the changing modes of music promotion. “Some brilliance, somewhere, was going to be expressed, and now it won’t, because it’s that much harder to earn a living playing and writing songs,” he stated. “No one will pay you to do it.” Simmons also harped on the ever-increasing problem of filesharing. “The problem is that nobody will pay you for the 10,000 hours you put in to create what you created.” Despite making a few valid claims — the government certainly shares his anxiety over file-sharing and privacy — Simmons seems highly unfocused in the interview, speaking out on everything from false patriotism and “Gangnam Style” to Nirvana and “The X Factor,” with each statement is backed with bitterness and each topic addressed in rant, it becomes harder and harder to get behind the man who sold 100 million albums with Kiss. The issue I take with Simmons’ claims, mainly that of rock being dead, is that he fails to mention the genre itself. He declares very plainly that “Rock is finally dead,” and yet he can’t possibly be referring to the music. After all, he mentions several important artists who influenced the music. He voices his belief that only Nirvana echoes the greatness of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, Madonna and U2 among others, and that since 1984 no “revolutionary” or “timeless” artists have emerged. Aside from the obvious fact that Madonna and U2 — two artists he places into The Beatles category — created masterworks after 1984 (Madonna’s Like a Prayer and U2’s Achtung Baby), he turns a blind eye to the work of genre masters like Radiohead and Arcade Fire, who practically reinvented the way we approach music by reinstating the cultural centrality of the album. Simmons’ one-sided argument often loops back to the notion of “numbers,” be it video views, record sales, age, work hours or paychecks. He seems to be making a connection between rock music and high-minded artists who get paid loads of money, but the synergy doesn’t hold up all that well. From its earliest endeavors, rock music became synonymous with the youthful counterculture, forged out of post-war rebellion and simultaneous pre-war protest in the ‘50s and ‘60s. This wasn’t intended to be music for the masses, and it certainly wasn’t intended to appeal to the big-wig record titans of the day. Rock was born out of inopportunity. In every sense of its sound, feel and visceral potency, rock carries a sense of silly urgency, an uncompromising seductive power, a ruthless backbeat (and backbone), a light, a soul that not only defies the “numbers” but prides itself in its autonomy and sub-culture progeny. But even if we do as Simmons slyly suggests and look at the cold hard facts, his argument still bears difficulty holding up. According to recent data from the Recording Industry Association of America — data based in pure calculation — the recording industry is investing more money into new artists now than it ever has before. Billions of dollars are spent annually promoting artists worldwide, while revenue shares are skyrocketing, smaller markets are being tapped and millions of people are finding jobs in the sector. Meanwhile, independent record labels that aren’t factored into the RIAA’s equation are seeking out talented, innovative and creative artists in places like night clubs and local bars. With YouTube, Twitter, Facebook,
Instagram and (more and more) Amazon, artists can connect with fans in new ways and on entirely personal levels. Simmons notes the competitive aspect of these trends, but this is arguably the best time to be a musician — with so many media outlets, labels and informed fans, there’s rarely been such opportunity in the industry. To approach Simmons’ claims from an empathetic angle means to hone in on the core misunderstanding he expressed: that the world of music — not just rock music — is dying because it’s changing. It’s true that album sales are declining, listeners are demonstrating increasing interests in house/dance/electronic music, digital downloads are dominating the market and music labels are feeling the pressure to pander to the masses — whatever might be trending on YouTube or Twitter. But Simmons’ fundamental mistake is to confuse industry change with industry collapse. Music is not what it was in the mid-to-late ‘70s when Simmons and Kiss engineered pop-rock hit after pop-rock hit. At that time, industry executives supplanted artful producers with instituted songwriters who could crank out and reshape the same material for the same bands. Many bands had little say in what music they produced because they had sold their creative rights to the big labels. That practice is markedly different from the selfproducing/forge-your-own-way techniques of music today. But that doesn’t mean the genre or the industry is dying. Ironically, the kind of “rock” that Simmons is referring to — the album-focused, novel, original work of socially attuned artists — was basically invented with Pet Sounds. As Mike Love, one of The Beach Boys’ prominent lyricists and vocalists, noted in “The Making of Pet Sounds”: “Before Pet Sounds, the standard procedure of a record company was to pack an album with 10 or 12 songs, often hastily recorded, to accompany a single. Often, the follow-up single was quite derivative or similar to the hit that preceded it. The Beach Boys, with Brian writing and producing, changed all that.” It’s interesting to think about how that reinvention of an album’s format struck listeners of the day — how the idea of a “unified” or “conceptual” album could be revolutionary, when we know, looking back, how normative that standard became. But for people at that time, the industry was changing, evolving and, perhaps for some, dying. Yet here it stands nearly 60 years later, and though the differences are stark and noticeable, and though several sub-genres have branched from its nurturing care, rock music continues to thrive. The numbers, trends, practices, publications, festivals, streaming sites, apps, blogs, tweets, statuses and videos are all evidence of its modern vitality. It is commonly believed that, at the outset, early rock artists like Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Bill Haley and Roy Orbison created music for the riotous youth of the world, who were wholly affected by war, political instability and societal turbulence. Rock became a channel through which all emotional reactions to current events passed, and the targeted audience was youth. Youth, then and now, hold the key to the future. Hope for peace, law and order, equality and diversity rested in the hearts of the young, then burning to the beautiful tempo of songs like “Tutti Frutti.” And 10 years later, Brian Wilson penned “Surf’s Up” to promote this idea. The song was simple enough. Wilson’s words are clear, his message shockingly direct. “A child is the father of man,” he sings freely. Whenever statements like “Rock is finally dead” find their way to my screen, I try to remember back to Wilson’s other message in “Surf’s Up”, the one that has stayed with me since the time I first heard it in my grandpa’s kitchen, the one that rock itself — money and fame be damned — preaches to us all: we are young, we are alive, we have a lifetime to look forward to.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, September 9, 2014 — 7
On strong defensive line, Henry garners most praise By ALEXA DETTELBACH Daily Sports Editor
Though it may be hard for Michigan fans to see past the 31-0 trouncing in South Bend, NOTEBOOK there was some encouraging play that came from the Michigan football team — most notably the defensive line. The front seven allowed 54 yards on 31 carries, but struggled to get to quarterback Everett Golson. Notre Dame had its way with the Michigan secondary — in what Mattison called the best game in Golson’s career — but was unable to get the ground game going. Overall, the Wolverines (1-1) were able to hold their own in the trenches despite being on the field for extended periods of time. Leading the way on the line was redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Willie Henry, whom Michigan coach Brady Hoke and defensive coordinator Greg Mattison had plenty of praise for on Monday.
“The front seven, I thought, did a pretty good job,” Hoke said. “From that standpoint, guys that we rotated throughout in the middle of the defense, I think they were aggressive, I think they were gap sound. I think Willie had the most production of out all of them. “Willie might be the strongest guy on the football team.” Even senior defensive end Frank Clark, a former high school teammate of Henry’s, joined the lauding as he pointed to the defensive tackle’s development and maturity as a player. “Willie Henry is like a lot of Michigan players that we’ve all been fortunate enough to watch over the years,” Mattison said. BUTT’S BACK: Lost in Saturday’s game was the return of sophomore tight end Jake Butt. After tearing his anterior cruciate ligament during winter workouts in February, Butt wasn’t expected back until Big Ten season. “Jake’s been working real hard since we’ve been training,” said
TERESA MATHEW/Daily
Dennis Norfleet was one of the few bright spots on Michigan’s offense Saturday.
RECRUITING RUNDOWN
Mixed results for recruits this week By JASON RUBINSTEIN Daily Sports Writer
The 2015 Michigan football recruiting class is currently ranked 20th in the nation by ESPN, something that may put smiles on Michigan fans’ faces after Saturday’s disaster. Here’s a rundown of how the 11 current Wolverine commits fared this past weekend in their high school games: Chris Clark, tight end: Avon Old Farms (Conn.) Ranking: ESPN (109) Scout (26) Avon Old Farms has yet to start its football season. Brian Cole, athlete: Saginaw Heritage (Mich.) vs. Flint Powers Catholic (Mich.) Ranking: ESPN (139) Scout (40) Saginaw Heritage struggled offensively all game, losing 32-2. Despite the lopsided score, Flint Powers coach Bob Buckel told ESPN 100.9 that Cole “scares you to death.” Darian Roseboro, defensive tackle/running back: Lincolnton (N.C.) vs. North Gaston (N.C.) Ranking: ESPN (165) Scout (151) Roseboro was a force on defense, leading his team to a 48-9 win. Roseboro also rushed for a touchdown. Michael Weber, running back: Cass Tech (Mich.) vs. Southfield Lathrup (Mich.) Ranking: ESPN (169) Scout (104) Weber continued his strong senior campaign, rushing for 72 yards on three carries, including a 53-yard touchdown. Cass Tech pounded Southfield Lathrup, 70-3.
Tyree Kinnel, safety: Wayne (Ohio) vs. Grand Blanc (Ohio) Ranking: ESPN (192) Scout (152) Kinnel’s team was crushed 56-14 and he remained quiet in the game. Grant Newsome, offensive tackle: The Lawrenceville School (N.J.) vs. Wyoming Seminary College Prep (Pa.) Ranking: ESPN (242) Scout (215) Newsome held his own on the line of scrimmage, as his team won, 70-33. Darrin Kirkland Jr., linebacker: Lawrence Central (Ind.) vs. Lawrence North (Ind.) Ranking: ESPN (266) Scout (114) Kirkland looked solid in the famed Lawrence Central vs. Lawrence North rivalry game, bringing his average tackles per game to 16 over Central’s first three games. Alex Malzone, quarterback: Brother Rice (Mich.) vs. Toledo St. Johns (Mich.) Ranking: ESPN (NR) Scout (184) Though the game ended before halftime due to inclement weather, Brother Rice was up 31-7 and Malzone threw two touchdowns. Jon Runyan Jr., offensive lineman: St. Joseph’s Prep (Pa.) vs. Don Bosco Prep (N.J.) Ranking: (NR) Runyan held his own against the first-ranked Ironmen, but his team couldn’t, losing 35-7. Andrew David, kicker: Washington (Ohio) at GlenOak (Ohio) Ranking: (NR) David was 2-for-2 on field goal attempts and helped lead his team to a 17-14 win.
junior receiver Dennis Norfleet. “Just to see him back, just to see him happy again, you know, part of the family. It really is a great thing to have our brother back on the team.” While he didn’t play a big role against Notre Dame — he mostly served as a blocker — he’ll resume his role as the team’s number one tight end against Miami (Ohio) this weekend. “We think he’s a very good football player,” Hoke said. “He ended last year very well. He’s learned a lot, and he’s one of the guys who are on that leadership council that isn’t afraid, even though he’s a young guy, to speak his mind and give his true reactions and feelings.” Last season, Butt recorded 20 receptions for 235 yards and two touchdowns — landing on ESPN’s All-Big Ten Freshman Team. WORKING ON OFFENSE: Fans were frustrated following Michigan’s first shutout in 365 games and, unsurprisingly, most of the blame is falling on the offense. “When you don’t score and you’re the offensive coordinator it’s not good,” said Michigan offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier. “It’s been a lot of reflection … and I take big ownership in this.” Quarterback Devin Gardner struggled behind a porous offensive line, but the issues seemed to extend beyond that. Banging his hand on the podium, Hoke emphatically said the team couldn’t finish drives. And his words ring true. Despite outgaining the Fighting Irish and winning the time of possession by seven minutes, the Wolverines never made it into the red zone. But after moving the ball well on the first two drives, through a diverse array of play calling, Nussmeier’s offense looked like what it was — a new system still in its infancy stages. The reality may hurt, especially with a fifth-year senior at the helm, but finding success against big time opponents won’t come until Gardner and Nussmeier feel comfortable together.
TERESA MATHEW/Daily
Frank Clark and the defense may be the strong suit of the Wolverines, but they’ve yet to record a turnover thus far.
Wanted: turnovers By GREG GARNO Managing Sports Editor
The Michigan football team’s offense was shut out for the first time since 1984 on Saturday against Notre Dame. It never even reached the red zone. It crossed midfield fewer than five times. And for all its struggles, the offense might not be to blame for the shortcomings. The defense could be at fault. After two games, Michigan has yet to record a turnover, and in South Bend, it ended up giving that extra chance for Fighting Irish quarterback Everett Golson to pass with ease or run another play. “The biggest thing for us defensively is that we haven’t created any opportunities for our offense,” said Michigan coach Brady Hoke. “We haven’t created field position, we haven’t created any turnovers, and that’s as much as anything. “So what’s that mean? We’re not hitting the quarterback enough? Yeah some of it’s that. We’re not forcing bad throws, we’re not playing tight enough on those bad throws.” Turnovers, if anything, help Michigan’s defense spend less than 33 minutes on the field like it did against Notre
Dame. As the game wore on, the Wolverines were bruised and tired having to chase after Golson or a wide receiver. Time after time, Golson went through his three-step drop and fired the ball to a wide receiver, who had plenty of space to operate. And when Michigan was playing tighter coverage, it couldn’t find a way to come away with a pick. “It’s just something we gotta work on, getting to the quarterback and creating havoc for that quarterback,” said fifthyear senior linebacker Jake Ryan. “That run game we played pretty well, but we also need to focus on that passing game, getting more blitzes in and getting more guys to that quarterback is really gonna create a new atmosphere for him.” It’s no secret the more turnovers Michigan creates, the more likely it is to score, but that starts with how the defense attacks the ball more than anything. “You gotta get to the ball and have a knack for the ball where it’s at, what’s going to happen with it,” Ryan explained. “We gotta improve on that and take a necessary step forward in order to create turnovers.” The defense could help itself
get off the field aside from turnovers. The Wolverines managed to play well against the run, limiting Notre Dame to 54 yards on 31 yards rushing. But it couldn’t escape when they were forced to go to the air. “They hit some really crucial third downs in the first half,” said defensive coordinator Greg Mattison. “You have to stop them on third downs to be a good defense.” On third down from the oneyard line, Michigan faced an opportunity to get off the field having surrendered only a field goal. But then Golson found wide receiver Amir Carlisle. The Wolverines couldn’t escape third down on the following defensive series, either, allowing a 24-yard touchdown pass. “We’ve got to play better red zone defense,” Mattison said. “That’s really hurt us. All it takes when you get down to the red zone is one bad play, and that’s gotten us.” And it will be another week before Michigan plays a potent offense when it faces Utah, but it’s going to take all three — turnovers, red zone defense and escaping third downs — if it hopes to avoid a repeat of Saturday.
Ferlic adjusting to new role By JAKE LOURIM Daily Sports Editor
Mason Ferlic had it all, or so it seemed. He came to Michigan out of Mounds Park Academy in St. Paul, Minnesota as a state champion in cross country, the 1,600-meter and the 3,200-meter races. With an academic record to match it, he was an Academic All-State member, now majoring in aerospace engineering. Of course, when he got to Ann Arbor, success wasn’t as easy. It wasn’t until he found his niche — the 3,000-meter steeplechase — those familiar rewards reappeared. When Ferlic started at Michigan in 2012, he had never tried the steeplechase. When he began his redshirt freshman season in 2013, he still hadn’t tried it. That season, he finished 13th in the event at the NCAA Championships, earning secondteam All-American honors. From there, everything took off. “It certainly seems like it’s going fast,” Ferlic said. “Just starting the event and then reaching national-level ability, but I think it’s a work in progress. Reaching those goals and milestones, it’s like, wow, what else can I do? Two more years here, we’re looking at 2016 Rio Olympics. Where do things end up?” After the last two seasons, who knows? Entering the 2013 season, his Michigan résumé was an Athletic Academic Achievement award and a fourth-place finish in the 1,500-meter run as an unattached runner. Ferlic burst onto the scene by winning his steeplechase debut in early May his redshirt freshman year. The following weekend —
his second career steeplechase race — he finished fourth in 8:54.04. Then it was fourth again at the NCAA East Preliminary Rounds in 8:41.83, qualifying him for the NCAA Championships. And then, somehow, Mason Ferlic was on the biggest stage in college track — but in hindsight, he wasn’t quite ready for it yet. In just his fourth career steeplechase, Ferlic lost more than five seconds from his preliminary time, narrowly missing the finals and settling for second-team All-American honors. He came back in 2014 an entirely different runner. “The steeple is an interesting event on the track — it’s kind of like the odd child,” Ferlic said. “You’re running over some barriers that don’t move, and you have to jump over a water pit. I tell some people I do the steeplechase, and they’re like, ‘What is that?’ ” With that new mindset, he was fully accustomed to his new race. Ferlic won his only regularseason steeplechase, but then finished third at the Big Ten Championships in 8:50.15, his worst recorded time in a year. But Ferlic had been to the NCAA Championships before. He knew he was ready to take on the challenge of a full championship season, and a personal record in the preliminary rounds clinched a berth to his second NCAA Championships. Ferlic said in June that his outlook changed before his second year in the race: from middling to elite, hunter to hunted. With a new mentality, he qualified for the finals and finished fourth in the country, earning first-team All-American honors. Afterward, a reporter asked him what it was like to be the top American collegiate finisher. And that’s when it sunk in: Ferlic was one of the top distance
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Mason Ferlic used a strong track season to transition to cross country season.
runners in the country. “It was something that I always thought about, but never really considered seriously,” Ferlic said. “I was still trying to achieve Big Ten goals and national goals and college. Professional distance runner is still kind of a small subset. You don’t hear often about how people make that jump.” Ferlic is prepared to do just that. He has also become one of the top runners on the men’s cross country team, finishing first among all Michigan runners at the Aug. 29 Michigan Open. He stayed in Ann Arbor to train and work with a doctoral student on research on North Campus. The aerospace engineering major, a self-described “kid who was always building and blowing up things in the backyard,” worked from design to manufacturing on engineering auxiliary power
systems. Last season he earned his second straight Academic AllAmerican award. On the track, he finished ninth in the steeplechase at the USA Track and Field Championships in late June. He also ran for Team USA at the North American, Central America and Caribbean U-23 Championships. After what was by far the longest competitive season of his running career, a career beyond college doesn’t seem far off. Ferlic is willing but hesitant to acknowledge this success. He talked about staying humble, because anything can happen, but he knows his confidence is what has gotten him this far. He knows he’s one of the top collegiate athletes in the country, and he doesn’t plan on slowing down: It’s all coming together for Mason Ferlic.
8 — Tuesday, September 9, 2014
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com