CELEBRATING OUR ONE-HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, January 15, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
ANN ARBOR
Kunselman requests debate over recall plans PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
LSA senior Arnold Reed shares his experiences with the police during the Police Brutality Speak Out at the Michigan Union Wednesday.
At speakout, community discusses police brutality Faculty, students gather to share experiences, ideas for solutions
guson, Mo., and Staten Island, N.Y. The discussion — sponsored by Central Student Government in collaboration with Counseling and Psychological Services, the Black Student Union and the Students of Color of Rackham — derived from a November CSG resolution pledging to stand in solidarity with the people of Ferguson. In August, unarmed Black teenager Michael Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer, sparking a national dialogue on race and police brutality. A clause of the resolution stated
By ALYSSA BRANDON Daily Staff Reporter
At an open speak-out Wednesday night, members of the University community participated in an intimate dialogue in the Michigan Union’s Rogel Ballroom on police brutality and recent events in Fer-
CSG would plan a forum to discuss police brutality with the University community. The event included no formal speakers and was open to anyone in the University community. Those in attendance were first asked to reflect on their own experiences with policing at the University and offer their thoughts and perspectives about the quality of policing on campus. BSU speaker Arnold Reed, an LSA senior, shared a story of how he and his and fraternity brothers were surrounded by police one
night while practicing their step routine for the October 2014 Midnight Madness performance. “Walking away from that situation I felt very confused, attacked and unsafe,” Reed said. “Had that been a different group of guys, who knows what would’ve happened?” BSU secretary Cap Kendall, a Kinesiology junior, discussed how her negative experiences with campus police have emotionally impacted her. “It’s to the point where I don’t See SPEAKOUT, Page 3A
Councilmember proposes resolution to facilitate dialogue on homeless camps By EMMA KERR Daily News Editor
Councilmember Stephen Kunselman (D–Ward 3) announced Wednesday night that he intends to challenge the recent effort to recall him from Ann Arbor City Council by addressing the issue of homeless camps in Ann Arbor at Tuesday’s Council meeting. Kunselman has come under fire from various members and allies of the homeless community in Ann Arbor following statements some individuals of that community considered insensitive and threatening. The recall petitions specifically cite Kunselman’s July comments on the city’s controversial decision to bulldoze a homeless camp.
TOWN-GOWN
These types of camps do not meet current zoning ordinances in the city of Ann Arbor nor do they adhere to Michigan residential building codes, meaning camps like the one in question cannot legally remain in use. The Washtenaw County Election Committee decided on Jan. 5 to consider four submitted recall petitions both factual and clear, clearing the way for the petitions to appear on a ballot if they get 2,000 signatures from Ann Arbor voters by May. Kunselman is also up for reelection in November. A successful recall petition would remove him from office several months earlier than his term concludes. In a press release, Kunselman said he will not appeal the decision to confirm the language of these petitions in court, but rather that he plans to eliminate what he believes is misinformation by placing a resolution on City Council’s agenda. The “Resolution Supporting the Establishment See KUNSELMAN, Page 3A
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
CFE kicks off business competition, The Startup
Mayor reviews city initiatives, ‘U’ relationship Taylor talks continued positive interactions with President Schlissel By ANASTASSIOS ADAMOPOULUS Daily Staff Reporter
Mayor Christopher Taylor (D) has been in office for two months — and a great deal has happened. Under Taylor’s purview, the city has adopted a resolution calling for Ann Arbor police officers to wear body cameras, inaugurated a new fire chief and approved the construction of a new parking structure. And the mayor has met with University President Mark Schlissel twice since coming to office — one of these meetings was during Taylor’s first day on the job. Taylor, a University alum, has previously stressed the importance of a strong relationship between the city and the Uni-
versity. He said he expects to meet with Schlissel periodically and looks forward to continued communication with the University, which he added indicates a “mutual commitment” to the Ann Arbor community. “We are long term players,” Taylor said in an interview with The Michigan Daily. “It is in the University’s best interest to have a city that works (and) have a successful Ann Arbor, and it is in Ann Arbor’s interest to have the University continue to be a global leader in higher education.” Taylor has played a role in facilitating several initiatives in his first two months as mayor, such as beginning snow removal earlier than usual this year to preempt weather-related traffic issues. He also noted that City Council is trying to make local housing more affordable and is using a Homeless Needs Assessment report to direct these efforts. The initiative comes after the council approved in December See MAYOR, Page 3A
Event aims to develop student ideas through mentorship, seed funding By CARLY NOAH
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, discusses her experiences in public service and education as a part of the Ford School of Public Policy’s Policy Talks Lecture Series at the Power Center Wednesday.
Napolitano calls on students to engage in public service Former DHS secretary discusses negative perception of political discourse By ANASTASSIOS ADAMOPOULUS Daily Staff Reporter
The Ford School of Public Policy hosted University of California President Janet
Napolitano, former secretary of Homeland Security under President Barack Obama, for a lecture and question and answer session on public service and politics Wednesday. Napolitano, who also served as Arizona’s governor from 2003 to 2009, spoke to an audience of almost 300 at the Power Center on a number of issues including public higher education institutions, negative perceptions of politics and her experiences serving in various
posts. Napolitano urged the crowd to change their views on the role of politics, which she said has turned negative across the country, and to strive to become leaders and improve what they see as problematic with the current leadership. “When practicing politics is perceived as a lesser, not greater form of public service, practicing politics becomes unattractive to those who like See NAPOLITANO, Page 3A
Daily Staff Reporter
Entrepreneurially minded University students are preparing to compete for a new title: “The Startup.” Organized by the University’s Center for Entrepreneurship and modeled after NBC’s reality show “The Voice,” the program, in its first year, encourages students to share their business ideas in an environment designed to simulate the real-world stakes faced by entrepreneurs. Similar to what contestants endure on “The Voice,” selected applicants will participate in a casting call, where they will present their business proposal and describe what “The Startup” can do for their personal and professional development. If selected, students will comSee CFE, Page 3A
M-Agination A look into the student-driven film production team
» INSIDE
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 26 LO: 17
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Mastodon bones found near University MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS
INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 46 ©2015 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A
SUDOKU..................... 3A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A B-SIDE ....................1B
News
2A — Thursday, January 15, 2015
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
DANCE PARTY
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
THURSDAY: Twitter Talk
FRIDAY: Photos of the Week The Michigan Daily is introducing a new addition to our weekly rotating elements: “Twitter Talk.” Once a week, we plan to print tweets that are fun, informative, breaking or newsworthy, with an angle on the University, Ann Arbor and the state.
Football coach Jim Harbaugh takes a break from selecting his staff and celebrates his return to Ann Arbor:
“Life at Michigan is Great! Great with a capital ‘G!’ ”
ANDREW COHEN/Daily
“
— DAILY STAFF
— @CoachJim4UM Rep. Adam Zemke (D-Ann Arbor) on the Michigan House’s first session of 2015 Wednesday:
As we begun the 98th #mileg, I will be posting every vote I take and why. Transparent government is good government.”
LSA senior John Borger and LSA junior Gwen Schaller browse the posters at the poster sale in the Union Wednesday.
“
Education Prof. Michael Bastedo tweets on his meeting with the University of California’s president :
Great breakfast this morning with Janet Napolitano, much to learn from UC on outreach and SES diversity (thx @dynarski)”
— @adamzemke
— @MichaelBastedo
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Art show WHAT: Artist Elaine Wilson will showcase her art exhibit, “Charting the Wolverine” following the train route from Ann Arbor to Chicago. WHO: University Library WHEN: Beginning January 15 WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library. 2nd Floor
Study tables WHAT: Sciencesta will hold a study session for anyone involved with the program. WHO: The Sciencesta Foundation WHEN: Today from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: Shapiro Undergraduate Library
Career Fair prep
Penny Stamps Gender exhibit WHAT: Fifteen artists speaker wil showcase their artistic
WHAT: The Career Center is holding preparation activites for the Winter Career Expo. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: The Career Center
WHAT: Photographer David Turnley will speak about his experiences covering historical events. WHO: School of Art and Design WHEN: Today from 5:10 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Theater
interpretation of gender. WHO: Institute for Research on Women and Gender WHEN: Today from 4 p.m to 6 p.m WHERE: Lane Hall
Open conversation
The DeCamp Sisters
BLUElab
WHAT: An open conversation about segrgation in urban areas will be held in honor of MLK. WHO: University Library WHEN: Today from 7 p.m to 9 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library
WHAT: Performing duo The DeCamp Sisters will share their original songs at The Ark alongside group Jack & The Bear. WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Tonight at 8 p.m. WHERE: The Ark
WHAT: A mass meeting for anyone interested in environmental issues. WHO: BLUElab WHEN: Tonight from 8:30 p.m to 9:30 p.m. WHERE: School of Natural Resources and the Environment CORRECTIONS Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS DOUGLAS SOLOMON
Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 jcalfas@michigandaily.com
Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 dougsolo@michigandaily.com
Newsroom
News Tips
734-418-4115 opt. 3
news@michigandaily.com
Corrections
Letters to the Editor
corrections@michigandaily.com
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Arts Section
Editorial Page
arts@michigandaily.com
opinion@michigandaily.com
Sports Section
Photography Section
sports@michigandaily.com
photo@michigandaily.com
Display Sales
Classified Sales
dailydisplay@gmail.com
classified@michigandaily.com
Online Sales
Finance
onlineads@michigandaily.com
finance@michigandaily.com
EDITORIAL STAFF Lev Facher
Managing Editor
Sam Gringlas
lfacher@michigandaily.com
Managing News Editor
gringlas@michigandaily.com
SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Shoham Geva, Will Greenberg, Amabel Karoub, Emma Kerr, Emilie Plesset, Michael Sugerman ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Tanaz Ahmed, Neala Berkowski, Alyssa Brandon, Nabeel Chollampat, Gen Hummer, Emma Kinnery, Lara Moehlman, Carly Noah, Irene Park, Lindsey Scullen
Aarica March and Derek Wolfe Editorial Page Editors
opinioneditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Claire Bryan and Matt Seligman ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Regan Detwiler, Michael Paul, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Mary Kate Winn BLOG EDITOR: Tori Noble
Max Cohen and Jake Lourim Managing Sports Editors
sportseditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Max Bultman, Daniel Feldman, Rajat Khare, Erin Lennon, Jason Rubinstein, Jeremy Summitt ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Chloe Aubuchon, Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Kelly Hall, Zach Shaw, Brad Whipple
Two officers and eight prisoners were pronounced dead after a bus crash in Texas, Fox News reported. The bus was carrying prisoners from Abilene to El Paso. The bus went off of an icy bridge and hit a train.
Adam Depollo and Chloe Gilke Managing Arts Editors
2
DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITORS: Natalie Gadbois STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Luna Anna Archey STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Jake Wellins
In this week’s edition of The B-Side, Senior Arts Editor Adam Theisen profiles M-Agination, a student-driven film production group on campus. >> FOR MORE, SEE THE B-SIDE
adepollo@michigandaily.com chloeliz@michigandaily.com
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Jamie Bircoll, Kathleen Davis, Catherine Sulpizio, Adam Theisen A RTS BEAT EDITORS: Alex Bernard, Karen Hua, Jacob Rich, Amelia Zak
Allison Farrand and Ruby Wallau Managing Photo Editors
photo@michigandaily.com
SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Luna Anna Archey and James Coller ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Amanda Allen, Virginia Lozano, Paul Sherman
Emily Schumer and design@michigandaily.com Shane Achenbach Managing Design Editors Ian Dillingham Magazine Editor statement@michigandaily.com Hannah Bates and Laura Schinagle Managing Copy Editors
copydesk@michigandaily.com
SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Emily Campbell and Emma Sutherland
Amrutha Sivakumar
Online Editor
amrutha@michigandaily.com
Kaylla Cantilina Managing Video Editor Carolyn Gearig Special Projects Manager
BUSINESS STAFF
3
The militant group Al-Qaeda took responsibility for last week’s attack on Charlie Hebdo, The New York Times reported. The group is located in Yemen.
Madeline Lacey University Accounts Manager Ailie Steir Classified Manager Simonne Kapadia Local Accounts Manager Olivia Jones Production Managers Jason Anterasian Finance Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
New research indicates ship ballast water unsafe Scientists find microbes and invasive species on boats TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Government-sanctioned tests of equipment designed to cleanse ship ballast water of invasive species are seriously flawed because they don’t determine whether the systems will remove microbes that cause gastrointestinal illnesses, scientists said Wednesday. Ballast water provides stability for cargo ships in rough seas. But it’s believed to have introduced numerous invaders to U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes, including zebra Sudoku Syndication mussels, spotted jellyfish and Japanese shore crabs, along with bacteria and viruses. The Environmental Protec-
tion Agency and the Coast Guard have set limits on the number of live organisms ballast water can contain, based on standards proposed by an international agency in 2004. To comply, ship companies must install technology that kills enough creatures to meet the limits. Laboratory testing of treatment systems has been conducted for 10 years. But a newly published paper in the Marine Pollution Bulletin contends the evaluations have a crucial defect: They don’t adequately measure the systems’ effectiveness against three diseasecarrying microbes that the regulations target. One of them, E. coli, can indicate the presence of fecal sewage. “This is a real problem,” said Andrew Cohen of the Center for Research on Aquatic Bioinvasions in Richmond, California, who wrote the paper with Fred Dobbs of Old Dominion Univer-
SUDOKU EASY
9
8
7 3 7
9
4 2
3 7
5
4 6
7 6
1
5 6
3
2 2
8
7 9
1 6
7 9 6
6 7
3
____ DOES IT.
5
8 9 © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
sity in Virginia. “We know there are serious pathogens in ballast water. There’s good evidence that ballast water has moved them around the world and into U.S. waters.” The Coast Guard declined to comment and EPA had no immediate reaction to the report. Some experts believe ballast water from Asia caused a 1991 cholera outbreak in South America that killed 10,000 people, Cohen said. According to El Capitan where two climbers vying to become the first in the world to use only their hands and feet to scale a sheer slab the paper, at least 38 species of of granite make their way to the summit Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2015, in Yosemite National Park, Calif. disease-causing bacteria have been detected in ballast tanks. Companies are developing on-board cleansing systems using tools such as filters, chemicals, ozone and ultraviolet light. University and private laboratories are testing how well they work. Fifty-three syshttp://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ that bordered on obsession for swinging falls that left them tems have won approval from at the men. bouncing off the rock face. The least one country with memberThe trek up the world’s larg- tumbles, which they called ship in the International Mariest granite monolith began “taking a whipper,” ended in time Organization. Dec. 27. Caldwell and Jorgeson startling jolts from their safety The U.S. Coast Guard and lived on the wall itself. They ropes. EPA have yet to certify any sysYOSEMITE NATIONAL ate and slept in tents fastened Caldwell and Jorgeson had tem but have allowed the temPARK, Calif. (AP) — A pair to the rock thousands of feet help from a team of supporters porary use of 45 endorsed by of Americans on Wednesday above the ground and battled who brought food and supplies other nations. completed what had long been painful cuts to their fingertips and shot video of the advenCohen and Dobbs said they obtained data from 390 tests considered the world’s most much of the way. ture. difficult rock climb, using only Free-climbers do not pull The 36-year-old Caldwell conducted on 38 treatment systheir hands and feet to conquer themselves up with cables or and 30-year-old Jorgeson ate tems between 2004 and 2013. They said in 95 percent of the a 3,000-foot vertical wall on El use chisels to carve out hand- canned peaches and occaCapitan, the forbidding granite holds. Instead, they climb inch sionally sipped whiskey. They tests, the water samples conpedestal in Yosemite National by inch, wedging their finger- watched their urine evaporate tained so few of the targeted microbes from the start that Park that has beckoned adven- tips and feet into tiny crevices into thin, dry air and handed they met the standards even turers for more than half a cen- or gripping sharp, thin projec- toilet sacks, called “wag bags,” tury. tions of rock. In photographs, to helpers who disposed of before the treatments began. Tommy Caldwell and Kevin the two appeared at times like them. “The equipment being tested would have passed the microbe Jorgeson became the first to Spider-Man, with arms and There are about 100 routes “free-climb” the rock forma- legs splayed across the pale up the rock known among tests even if it hadn’t been tion’s Dawn Wall, a feat that rock that has been described as climbers as “El Cap,” and many turned on,” Cohen said. “You need to begin with at least many had considered impossi- smooth as a bedroom wall. have made it to the top, the enough microbes in the water so ble. They used ropes and safety Both men needed to take rest first in 1958. Even the Dawn harnesses to catch them in case days to wait for their skin to Wall had been scaled. Warren that if the system is turned off, the (sample) will fail.” of a fall, but relied entirely on heal. They used tape and even Harding and Dean Caldwell The process should be their own strength and dexter- superglue to help with the pro- (no relation to Tommy) made ity to ascend by grasping cracks cess. At one point, Caldwell set it up in 1970, using climbing improved and all tests conducted thus far redone using as thin as razor blades and as an alarm to wake him every ropes and countless rivets over water containing microbial levsmall as dimes. few hours to apply a special 27 days. The effort took weeks, as the lotion to his throbbing hands. No one, however, had ever els “comparable to what ships would encounter in a bad situtwo dealt with constant falls They also took physical pun- made it to the 3,000-foot sumand injuries. But their success ishment when their grip would mit in one continuous freeation out in the real world,” he completes a years-long dream slip, pitching them into long, climb — until now. said.
Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com!
Two Yosemite climbers complete impossible feat Two men finish their free climb of Dawn Wall
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS BRIEFS
SPEAKOUT From Page 1A
WINDSOR TOWNSHIP, Mich.
State police move headquarters from Lansing to suburb Michigan State Police headquarters is leaving Lansing for the suburbs and taking 400 jobs with it. State police director Col. Kriste Kibbey Etue said Wednesday that the move will start in September and take two years. She says the new headquarters will be in the State Secondary Complex in Eaton County’s Windsor Township, southwest of Lansing. Caleb Buhs is a spokesman for the Michigan Department of Technology, Management & Budget and says the move is part of a shuffling of state agencies that is expected to save the state $30 million over 10 years. Buhs tells the Lansing State Journal that the Michigan Department of Community Health will move into the current state police headquarters.
CORONADO, Calif.
Michigan RNC representative censured by panel The Republican National Committee’s executive committee voted to censure Michigan Republican David Agema for what it calls “harmful rhetoric” about gays and Muslims. At the outset of the RNC’s winter meeting near San Diego, the panel said Michigan Republican National Committeeman Dave Agema’s history of “harmful and offensive rhetoric” has no place in the party. Last March, Agema posted on Facebook an unsubstantiated claim that gays account for half the murders in large cities. Last month, he told a Michigan county GOP committee that gay Americans tried to obtain health insurance because they risk contracting AIDS. Agema also came under fire from the Council on AmericanIslamic Relations for a Facebook posting this month questioning Muslims’ commitment to charity.
BUCYRUS, Ohio
Man pleads guilty to killing four while on cocaine A man on a cocaine binge fatally beat or strangled four others at their homes — in one case, using his own shoestrings — then walked into the police station to confess after recognizing one victim’s relatives in a newspaper photo, a prosecutor said Wednesday after the defendant was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Donald Hoffman apparently was high and looking to steal money for more drugs when he killed the men last fall in the small, north-central Ohio city of Bucyrus, Crawford County Prosecutor Matthew Crall said. Hoffman used whatever means were available, stomping on one man’s throat and striking another with a bottle, Crall said.
FREETOWN, Sierra Leone
Hopeful president predicts no new cases of Ebola Even as his country registered 19 new Ebola cases over a 24-hour period, Sierra Leone’s president is predicting there will be zero new confirmed cases by the end of March. President Ernest Bai Koroma also predicted that his West African country — one of three hardest hit by the outbreak — would be Ebola-free by World Health Organization standards by May. Koroma made this pronouncement during town hall meetings this week in the northern Districts of Port Loko, Tonkolili, and Bombali. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
even want to reproduce and bear children,” she said. “I don’t want my children to feel the terrible feelings I feel being Black every day.” Participants also discussed the relevance of the incidents in Staten Island and Ferguson, where grand juries chose not to indict officers who had killed unarmed Black men. University faculty and staff were also present to share their experiences and thoughts on police brutality. One faculty member shared a story of how her Black colleague, a doctor-
TAYLOR From Page 1A the expansion of services for the homeless who frequent the Ann Arbor District Library. During his campaign, Taylor said one of his priorities was to expand public transportation such as the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority. He said the city is currently examining potential sites for a new train station, which could include the renovation of a pre-existing Amtrak station at
NAPOLITANO From Page 1A many of you here seek to engage in public policy for the public good,” Napolitano told the audience. She attributed this problem to political partisanship, the media’s focus on negativity, potential candidates’ concerns about intrusions into their private lives and lack of communication about the importance of politics. She added, however, that this should not mean that people exclude themselves from political life. In an interview with The Michigan Daily after the event, Napolitano expanded on that idea adding if individuals want to affect change, running for office is the direct way. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to be a civil servant, a policy adviser,” she said. “Those are all wonderful things. But the way our government is organized, it’s the elected official who makes
KUNSELMAN From Page 1A of Homeless Camps in Ann Arbor” is intended primarily to allow for debate on the matter, as opposed to propose a specific action of the Council. Kunselman stated he intends to vote against this resolution. In the release, Kunselman also said various volunteers and city officials have ensured there is enough funding and capacity for every homeless person, making camps that pose the threat of hypothermia obsolete. “My position on homeless camps is no different than that of Mayor Mike Duggan of Detroit, who just last week successfully led the effort to dismantle a homeless camp and find safe and legal shelter for all the homeless involved, all of whom were very grateful to have warm shelter,” Kunselman said. “Homeless camps are dangerous, unsanitary,
CFE From Page 1A pete in a first round to secure a spot on one of the competition’s four mentor-led teams. As on “The Voice,” the mentors select students for their team who they believe have the most potential. During three additional rounds, teams and mentors work closely to prepare for the next challenge and to advance their team’s proposal. Attendees at “Entrepreneurship Hour,” an event held through the CFE every Friday, will vote to eliminate a team after every round. The final remaining team will be crowned “The Startup.” Sarah Bachleda, communication and marketing maven for the CFE,
News
Thursday, January 15, 2015 — 3A
al student, was often stopped by police when riding his bike around campus. A portion of the discussion was also dedicated to brainstorming ways in which students, faculty and University police can work to create a positive and safe environment on campus. Ideas discussed included ensuring University crime reports are more specific and encouraging University Police becoming involved with the #BlackLivesMatter campaign and other events on campus. In recent months, members of the University and Ann Arbor community organized several events to call attention to police brutality, including “die-ins”
on the Diag and in front of the Crisler Center following Winter Commencement. University Police Chief Robert Neumann was also present at the event. Though he did not participate in the discussion, he took notes as students offered ideas to improve the quality of policing on campus. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Neumann said having the discussion was essential in developing a positive relationship between the police and community. “It’s critical that the community and the police have an open and trusting and transparent relationship,” he said. “The police are here for the
community, we have to always to remember that. Good police administration seeks out input from the community.” Neumann also said working to improve public safety on campus is a process that will require continued support and cooperation from the campus community. “We will never rest on what we’ve done in the past, in terms of community outreach,” he said. “We are always looking for news way to engage our community, because our community is evolving and we must evolve with it.” LSA senior Geralyn Gaines, BSU vice speaker and a CSG representative, helped plan the
event. She said hosting the discussion was vital to sparking more of a reaction from the University community to nationally recognized instances of police brutality and bringing attention to the issue as a whole. “As a student body, I don’t feel we have had enough of a response in regards to what’s going around in the U.S. where there are victims of police brutality,” Gaines said. “I think that it’s really important to address these issues and continue to have these dialogues where people can express themselves.” The BSU will host a follow-up event Wednesday evening titled “Know Your Rights” at the Trotter Multicultural Center.
Depot Street. However, the project would likely involve the purchase of adjacent property from DTE Energy. The city is waiting on environmental impact reports for other potential sites before moving forward. Another initiative in the works is fixing Ann Arbor’s roads. In September, Washtenaw County voters approved a 0.5-mill tax to provide for improvements to existing roads and infrastructure. Taylor said he expects the next year to include several construction projects to fix roads in the area.
He added that the millage will yield repairs on 6.4 miles of roads. So far, Taylor said his largest challenge has been dealing with the repercussions of a November 2014 police shooting, in which a 40-year-old woman was fatally shot by an Ann Arbor police officer. “The shooting obviously took place in the context of an important and justifiable national conversation and so dealing with that in the city has been probably my most challenging area,” he said. Taylor noted that the Michi-
gan State Police have been conducting an investigation in the case. Ultimately, findings from the investigation will be given to the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s Office, who will then decide whether or not to indict the officer in question. “It’s very important for us to reflect from what happened once we have the full and final facts and to make sure we can do everything we can to protect public safety,” he said. “Our officers … I think do a great job at that. They are a professional and dedicated police department.”
In response to the pending case, and other similar incidents nationwide, City Council passed a resolution in December to implement the use of body and in-car cameras for the Ann Arbor police officers. Taylor said outfitting officers with body cameras had been in the works for months prior to the shooting. He also said he is now focused on preparing Ann Arbor’s upcoming budget proposal, set for release in April, which will play a significant role in shaping the city’s agenda.
the decision. So if you want that, then at some point you need to do it yourself.” She also touched specifically on female leadership, telling the attendees that though women have proven that they can successfully run for office without help from men and party bosses, they often still choose not to run for elected office. More generally, she said politics must become a more attractive engagement for citizens. “We need to reset and reboot how we view political leadership in this country and enlarge the pool of talented individuals who are willing to engage in elected politics,” she said. Napolitano also fielded several questions after the speech about her time in office, including her knowledge of the National Security Agency wiretapping programs. Though she declined to discuss the level of intelligence she to which she had access, she did say both the president and the
Senate, who have oversight responsibility of the NSA, need to have greater oversight of the intelligence gathering process. However, she acknowledged that she does not know if the situation has changed since her departure from the Obama Administration. In the interview, Napolitano also discussed what public universities can do to cope with reduced state funding, a prevalent issue in both Michigan and California. The UC system recently proposed raising tuition by 5 percent yearly to cope with reduced funding. She noted that universities can reduce costs internally and discussed UC’s Working Smarter initiative that aimed to reduce costs within universities. “We have identified $660 million in costs,” Napolitano said. “We didn’t replace certain people who were in management or administration when they retired. So we actually have fewer senior managers now than we did in 2007, 2008.
And we really worked to bring down administrative overhead on students, so all those things go together.” Napolitano addedthat decreased state funding and efforts to persuade the state to reinvest in higher education has been her biggest challenge since becoming UC president. She said she intends to use her bully pulpit both in California and Washington D.C. to support the role of public higher education as means for creating opportunity for students. In Michigan, Republican Gov. Rick Snyder enacted cuts to higher education in the first years of his term. Though recent budgets have included funding increases for higher education, the funding has not been restored to its former levels. In June, the University’s Board of Regents enacted a 1.6 percent tuition increase for instate students and 3.4 percent for out-of-state students. State investment, she said, is key for schools especially for increasing a student body’s
socioeconomic diversity. She said universities both need build pipelines between high schools in poor areas and public universities and establish robust financial aid policies, adding that schools need to be conscious of the burden that tuition increases cause for middle-class students. She cited the UC system as an example — where students with families making less than $80,000 annually receive free tuition — though she said tuition increases remain a concern, particularly for middleclass students who just miss the threshold. “(The policies) are an engine of social mobility,” she said. “We want to keep that up. But we can’t provide (students) with the quality of education that their predecessors got, and do that, without some more money getting into the system. And the more money either has to come from the state or needs to come from tuition, from those who are paying tuition.”
illegal and unnecessary given the high quality of homeless services available to the homeless to live safely and legally in Ann Arbor.” In an interview Wednesday evening, Councilmember Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) said while she has not reviewed the resolution proposed by Kunselman, her initial reaction was one of concern as to whether this discussion would be helpful in solving problems of affordable housing in Ann Arbor. “While I understand that he is annoyed, I am sorry he thinks doing this is a solution to anything,” Briere said. “I don’t think it moves us toward finding a solution to the need for affordable housing, but I haven’t seen the resolution yet and I have no idea where things will head, I have no opinion right now about whether I will support this.” Wednesday evening, Councilmember Julie Grand (D– Ward 3) said she would like to see more constructive solu-
tions to the disagreement between Kunselman and the housing group. “Councilmember Kunselman is going to be up for reelection in August, so if there’s a group that’s not satisfied with his performance, then they have every right to run a candidate in the August primaries or in the November general election,” Grand said. “I think that’s a more effective way to address the issue certainly than with a recall. Ultimately, the most effective way to address the issue is to work for issues that address our housing and homelessness situation. There’s not a magic bullet, but if there was we certainly would have implemented it already.” Mayor Christopher Taylor (D) declined to comment Wednesday evening.
said in addition to working closely with team mentors, students will also gain increased operating capital as they make it past each round. She added that the winning team will not only win the title “The Startup,” but also earn a grand prize to continue building their business. “The rounds will take place live in front of our Entrepreneurship Hour students, giving these teams a ton of visibility as well,” she said. “It will take place semester-long, providing an engaging structure and space to truly advance the startups.” Amy Cell, vice president of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, will serve as a team mentor for the competition. Cell said “The Startup” is a great opportunity to explore a business
idea in a fun, accelerated way. “I’ve been involved with CFE since the beginning, and I’m continually amazed with the energy, creativity and passion of the programs that they put together,” Cell said. “As an economic developer for the state of Michigan, I understand the critical importance of innovation and entrepreneurship.” Cell said the program will not only serve as a learning experience for students, but also for the mentors involved. “I hope to find people that I can follow and support for years to come,” she said. “I also hope to find startups that can start having a near-term impact on Michigan.” Applications to participate in the program are due Friday.
Daily Staff Reporter Emma Kinery contributed to this report.
JOIN THE DAILY MASS MEETINGS AT 7:30 P.M. AT 420 MAYNARD ON Wednesday, Jan. 21 Thursday, Jan. 22 Sunday, Jan. 25 Monday, Jan. 26
SEE YOU THERE
Opinion
4A —Thursday, January 15, 2015
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS EDITOR IN CHIEF
AARICA MARSH and DEREK WOLFE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LEV FACHER MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
A college for every community
Gabrielle DeCaro/Daily
P
resident Barack Obama announced on Jan. 9 a federal proposal that aims to extend two years of free tuition to all students wishing to attend community college. The president unveiled his ambitious plans for higher education in Knoxville, Tennessee, where a similar state-level policy has already come to fruition. If all 50 states participate in the program, an estimated nine million students will benefit. Eligible candidates will include solely high-school seniors. Socioeconomic status is not a factor for consideration; however, students must earn a minimum GPA of 2.5 to maintain their free enrollment. While this new proposal is a leap forward for the U.S. education system, concerns and amendments still remain for the proposition. The call for universal access to higher education will ensure all students are afforded at least two years of community college without financial burden, assuming the requirements are met. Full-time community college students will save approximately $3,800 in annual tuition. Due to the climbing costs of higher education, community colleges have become increasingly focused on vocational training, as opposed to the liberal arts and sciences. With free tuition, students will have more liberty to choose majors based on passions and interests rather than practicality. A high-school degree no longer suffices for a wide range of occupations in our nation’s society. By 2020, 35 percent of job openings will require at least a bachelor’s degree, and 30 percent will require some form of college education or an associate’s degree. The anticipated influx of students will not just prepare the youngest generation for the workforce, but also stimulate improvement in the quality of education community colleges provide. The plan is estimated to cost $60 billion over a 10-year period. The source of subsidies is general at best, which is a cause for concern for those who fear that large expenses will further push the nation into debt. Highlighted in the proposal thus far is the following: states that choose to participate in the program will be expected to cover onequarter of the cost, while federal funding will cover the rest. These states will have the flexibility to allocate particular resources to students in need. With states slated to have plenty of autonomy in the process, they should be held responsible for a number of different
factors. States will have the opportunity to create more early intervention and outreach programs, expand community college offerings and improve the affordability of four-year universities. States should also ensure that students in need of financial aid are guaranteed room and board, books and transportation. FAFSA, the financial aid application filled out by students across the nation, should be streamlined to conveniently process school applications and financial aid packages side-by-side. With these considerations, Obama’s proposal will surely give American students the competitive edge they need to thrive in today’s rapidly-evolving economic climate. The new plan will model after community college initiatives in Tennessee, which have shown great success. In Tennessee, 90 percent of high-school students applied to the state’s community college program in the past year, the first cycle of the program. Only 40 percent of Tennessee students were expected to apply. Furthermore, the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, a participant in the program, has a graduation rate of 80 percent with 85 percent of students placed into jobs, showing the potential and demand of a national program to improve the work force. Obama’s proposal foresees many changes not just in the education system, but also in the long-term economy. The possibility for students to receive two years of free higher education will enhance the quality of community colleges, bridge the segregation between students of various socioeconomic statuses and provide more job opportunities for generations to come.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS
Edvinas Berzanskis, Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Devin Eggert, David Harris, Rachel John, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Victoria Noble, Michael Paul, Allison Raeck, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Linh Vu, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Derek Wolfe
“
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Jane is not a virgin
M
y friends tell me that I’m too political when I write, and that those who don’t know me as a person would CARLY never understand me MANES to be the awkwardly funny and dynamically strange person they see every day. They challenged me to write this week’s column on something apolitical, something “fun” and “light” that many students could relate to. The Golden Globes were a convenient excuse for me to tap into my “mainstream” interests, and share my thoughts on popularized cinema and television in America. My new favorite show is “Jane the Virgin.” I think it’s brilliant, and apparently so does the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. It’s a mix of “Ugly Betty” quirk and “Gilmore Girls” sentiment, but better. Last night, Gina Rodriguez (a.k.a. Jane) won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a TV Series, Musical or Comedy, beating television veterans and icons like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Taylor Schilling. On this new CW series, Rodriguez plays the show’s protagonist, a 23-year-old virgin who is artificially inseminated by accident and decides to keep the baby, partly because her pregnancy is the father’s only chance at biological parenthood. The show is a balance of deep respect for reli-
gion with a realistic and admirable depiction of the varying factors that accompany all reproductive health options when it comes to carrying a pregnancy to term or terminating that pregnancy. But without intention or effort, I watch Jane through a critical framework that deconstructs the meaning behind every interaction, theme and decision made by this fictional family onscreen. And while I think this show is brilliantly executed and has done a fantastic job portraying varying and diverse Latino/Latina narratives as well as tons of queer and empowered women, the show still has just one element that irks me, and that’s the name. Jane is not a “virgin.” She is just a 23-year-old who has not had a penis in her vagina. Virginity is a social construct. In America, virginity is rooted in the historic commodification of women and a religious precedent of male ownership. The concept of virginity is meant to make people, especially women and non-heterosexual individuals, feel badly about their sexuality and sexual experience. This social concept is a way of policing other people’s bodies and classifying a sexual
social ideal. The virginity of a female body is impossible to prove unless an individual declares and labels oneself as having engaged sexually before. But there, too, is an issue, seeing as no formal sexual act defines virginal status from non-virginal status. It’s socially understood that unless a penis penetrates a vagina, sex has not been had. This definition delegalizes anal sex, oral sex and other forms of sex as “real sex,” and upholds heterosexual norms. So while I love Jane, I do not love the title so aptly given to her simply because there has never been a penis inside her vagina. I truly adore this show and Rodriguez, and I think that the show itself begins to challenge the dangerous social construct that is “virginity.” As Jane gradually continues to acknowledge that her worth as a human being is not tied to her sexual activity (or lack thereof ), every Monday night at 9 p.m. we get to watch the deconstruction of this historically oppressive concept. I think that’s pretty cool.
Virginity is rooted in the historic commodification of women.
— Carly Manes can be reached at manes@umich.edu.
Maximizing the minimum wage
W
hile raising the minimum wage has always been a relevant topic, it’s garnered more attention since fast food workers began protesting for $15 hourly wage. I’ve heard numerous opinions on the minimum wage, MICHAEL ranging from SCHRAMM people wanting $15 wages to those that think we shouldn’t raise the minimum wage at all. The minimum wage should definitely be raised yearly to keep up with inflation, but raising it to $15 isn’t a feasible option. A $15 minimum wage is like communism: a good idea in theory but bad in application. I think everyone likes the idea of the lowest-income citizens doubling their wages, but this actually only hurts these citizens. The basic model of labor supply and demand shows this. Since higher wages are incentive to work more, the supply of workers increases as the wage increases (i.e. the supply curve slopes upward). Contrarily, as the wage increases, producers cannot afford to pay for as much labor, decreasing the demand for workers in the market (i.e. the demand curve slopes downward). This means that the markets will adjust until they reach the one wage where laborers demanded equals laborers supplied. At this point, suppliers are producing as much output as they want, and laborers are working as much as they want. This doesn’t happen if we have a minimum wage higher than the equilibrium wage. Setting the minimum wage solidifies a specific wage, meaning that the market can’t move to an equilibrium position. We’re stuck with an excess amount of job seekers, and as you can see from the chart below, this means that a high minimum wage will drive some people working at the equilibrium wage to unemployment. At least to me, the loss of jobs alone is justification not to significantly raise the minimum wage. A minimum wage should be helping those on the lower socioeconomic end, and while some would benefit from the increased wages, others would be forced into a lower class and be unable to find jobs. This idea isn’t just abstract; it’s proven in application.
SeaTac, a suburb of Seattle, recently raised its minimum wage to $15 dollars per hour and has seen clear consequences. The local hotel closed its restaurant, laying off 15 workers in addition to a night clerk and maintenance worker. Additionally, as seen in the labor supply model, the increase in wage causes an increase of laborers seeking employment. The Clarion Hotel has received an influx of applicants from outside the city seeking the new wage, and as some of these people have more skills than current employees, the hotel must consider laying off less-qualified workers to hire better workers, only further stratifying minimum wage workers. Those still employed at the airport also incur costs of the increased wage. A woman working at the airport exclaimed her disdain for the changes, revealing how her shiny $15 wage came with the loss of her 401(k), health insurance, paid holidays, vacation, overtime opportunities and available food while working. She also must pay for parking and receives less in tips. These losses minimize the benefits of her increased wage, indicating that the extra money she’s receiving is less than the difference between her new and previous wage. Now, all of this may lead you to believe I’m against raising the minimum wage, but this isn’t completely true. There’s a difference between raising real wages and nominal wages, and I support raising nominal wages so real wages stay the same. Let’s just super quickly define real and nominal wages. A nominal wage is the numerical amount of money that you receive. $12 is always greater than $11, and $11 is greater than $10. Real wages are how many goods that your nominal wages can buy you. For simplicity, assume the average price of goods in an economy is $2, and you receive $11 per hour. Your real wage is $5.50 per hour, because it’s relative to what goods cost. Real wages are more important than nominal wages. If you could choose between receiving $15 per hour when average goods cost $2 and $100 per hour when average goods cost $50, it’s more economically sound to choose the $15 option. Even though $100 is more nominal money, you can buy more goods with $15 per hour, which is the purpose of work. It’s also important to note that the increase in the average price of goods — called inflation — occurs almost every year in an economy. The
Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles data to discover how much inflation occurs each year (I won’t bore you with how they do this). Given this information, it’s important that a worker’s nominal wage is tied to increase yearly by the same percentage as inflation. If this didn’t happen, workers would lose money each year. Even though their actual paycheck wouldn’t decrease, they would be less wealthy given that everything around them costs more money. Tying the minimum wage to inflation won’t hurt companies, either. Since the average prices of the products they sell increases, they’re bringing in more nominal revenue. Providing the excess of this revenue to workers only redistributes the wealth so companies aren’t benefiting from laborers’ losses. Now, this is certainly a lot more complex in application than in theory. Not all companies increase their prices by the average amount. It is, after all, an average. So work would need to be done to more accurately figure out the price increases across different markets to minimize error. But this system could work very effectively. Scaling the minimum wage to inflation helps workers hold onto their already-low incomes. This information also explains a lot of the misconceptions that exist around raising the minimum wage. Many websites, even the Bureau of Labor Statistics itself, state that raising the minimum wage won’t cause people to lose their jobs. But their evidence relies on studies examining prior increases in minimum wage. When you examine the real values of these past wages, they are close to the real value of the current wage, only being a dollar or two greater than or less than our current real minimum wage of $7.25. These small differences aren’t comparable to the larger differences that occur with a minimum wage of $15. I’m a huge proponent of helping adults who are struggling to live on the current minimum wage. I really am. An adult working a minimum wage job is a constant struggle, but we need to focus on policies and ideas that will actually help these people. Raising the minimum wage will only create new problems for people living on minimum wage. Instead, we need to advocate programs and trade schools to help these people move into higher-paying positions. — Michael Schramm can be reached at mschramm@umich.edu.
Quantity of labor without a minimum wage vs. with a minimum wage
It’s to the point where I don’t even want to reproduce and bear children.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
— Kinesiology junior and Black Student Union secretary Cap Kendall told The Michigan Daily during a protest on police brutality Wednesday evening, regarding her negative experiences with campus police.
minimum wage
Real wage
Real wage
economic maximizing wage
new laborers Laborers lost competing for jobs from equilibrium
Labor
Labor
Weekend Roundup
5A — Thursday, January 15, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
event preview:
RESTAURANT WEEK 2015 by Allana Akhtar, Weekend Roundup Editor
I
t’s that time of year again.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Chef Eric Lundy prepares sushi during Restaurant Week last year.
Ann Arbor’s biannual Restaurant Week begins this Sunday. Throughout the week, some of the city’s most popular, critically acclaimed restaurants will offer coveted dishes for discounted prices. The event, which is also held annually in June, will feature 58 participating restaurants. Depending on the restaurant, throughout the week students can purchase a lunch option for $15 and dinner option for $28, either one price for two people or two prices for two people. This year’s Restaurant Week, which will end Jan. 23, coincides with the Martin Luther King, Jr. day weekend. According to Maura Thomson, director of the Main Street Area Association, the wintertime Restaurant Week is typically busier than the summertime. “We typically try to choose weeks where restaurants are historically very slow,” Thomson said in a Jan. 2014 interview with the Daily. “We’re trying to help restaurants get a little more business and give people the opportunity to try these new places during a time when it is not as busy and your odds of getting a table are better.” While many of the city’s best restaurants participate, here are some deals that are too good to miss:
JAMAICAN JERK PIT
FILE PHOTO/Daily
EATING IN VS. GOING OUT By CARLY NOAH
Weekend Roundup Contributor
When it comes to dining in college, students must be mindful of what they put in their bodies. However, how students get their food is equally essential. While making food in a kitchen is very cost-effective and rewarding, going out for a meal can also be rewarding and require a lot less work. Which is better?
INGREDIENTS At home: At home, you may have less to work with when preparing your meal. A typical college student’s refrigerator might contain only a box of pizza, old milk and some questionable produce items. Dining out: Restaurants have a much larger supply and variety of ingredients. Depending on where you eat, the kitchen staff will probably have a variety of food to work with. Knowing that every ingredient in your food is not near its expiration date makes eating out an even more pleasurable experience. AMBIENCE
At home: After cooking a meal for yourself, where you choose to eat is completely up to you. More often than not, a meal is almost never eaten at a traditional table. Why eat at a table when you could eat your meal in bed or on the sofa? The ambience and environment is a personal choice. Dining out: At a restaurant, eating a meal in bed is not an option.
You must eat at a table, and are usually required to use silverware and drape a napkin across your lap. The ambience may be much more dramatic than your couch, but that’s the small price to pay for consuming a meal of restaurant quality.
PRESENTATION At home: Cooking a meal at home is hard work. After you’ve finished cooking, the plate, tray or even the apparatus you prepared it in could suffice as a surface to eat on. Dining out: A simple chicken dish will be artfully presented on a clean plate, usually placed upon a brightly colored bed of rice. The chefs at a restaurant are professionals, and want each plate of food they create to look appealing. CLEAN-UP
At home: Ugh. After you’ve done the work to make yourself a meal, you have to clean it all up yourself. Washing dishes is a process that can be done to a varying degree of thoroughness. A common solution to a massive amount of pots and pans is conveniently dropping them into the sink. Dining out: Dining out at a restaurant couldn’t be any more different. You’ve eaten your beautifully presented meal and are now extremely full. The best part? With a quick swipe of your server, your dirty plates and dishes are gone from your sight and have been turned over to the restaurant employees to handle.
Follow us on Twitter! @michigandaily
The Jamaican Jerk pit will offer lunch for two people (that’s $7.50 per person) for one appetizer, an entrée for each person served with either a soup or sandwich and French fries. The pineapple upsidedown cake and coconut cake can also be included with the
dinner option.
SILVIO’S ORGANIC PIZZA Both Silvio’s lunch and dinner menus offer a three-course menu with seven options for each second course. Menu items include a Tartufo calzone with shiitake mushrooms and truffle oil and Michigan Ravioli with walnuts and wild chicory mixed in.
MARNEE THAI RESTAURANT A little farther from the popular Main Street restaurants, Marnee Thai samples quality Thai food at a discounted price. During its lunch hours, the restaurant offers meat and veggie pre-fixed menus with popular Thai entrees and appetizers. A dinner-for-two option comes with a shareable appetizer and dessert, with one entrée for each of diner.
THE BLUE NILE Offering a three-course dinner for $28, the Blue Nile is notorious for it’s large, family style portions and hearty food. The deal will get two people their choice of appetizer, not normally offered on the dinner menu, and a sharable platter of Ethiopian-style cabbage, lentils, collard greens, peas and meat atop a layer of airy injera bread. The deal also includes a choice of dessert, like a traditional bread pudding with rum crème anglaise.
THE CHOP HOUSE Only offering a dinner menu, The Chop House offers a choice between beef medallions and salmon filet, and also offers a layered brownie cake with
Check out the Weekend Roundup online!
michigandaily.com
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, January 15, 2015
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
DOWN 1 Side to side?
2 Beach near Utah? 3 Sport invented using boards and a clothesline 4 It may involve wiring 5 Mountain guide 6 See eye to eye 7 “This spells trouble!” 8 __ pit 9 Curative treatment 10 Baseball’s career save leader 11 Had 12 4-Down 13 Big bang producer 21 Served to perfection? 22 Skin care brand 26 Solo instrument for which six Bach suites were written 27 Radiant 28 Put the kibosh on 30 Eldest March sister 31 Lemon or tangerine 32 The whole schmear 33 Broom-__: comics witch
34 Perfectionist’s goal 38 Marisa of “The Wrestler” 39 Mode lead-in 40 Pendulum direction? 42 “Could happen” 43 Smart 45 Drive rider 46 2001 Audrey Tautou title role 47 Take baby steps
51 Stan Lee had one in “The Avengers” (2012) 52 Clothes protector 54 Sibilant summons 55 __ Tax: $15 Monopoly fee 56 Derriere 57 Coeur d’Alene-toSun Valley dir. 58 Cabbage source? 59 Palindromic tat
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
HELP WANTED COMMERCIAL CLEANERS Fulltime position in the Ann Arbor area Must pass drug screen & extensive background check. Own transportation required. 586‑759‑3700 DO YOU LOVE live music? The Blind Pig is looking for interns to help w/ mar‑ keting and research. Great way to learn the music business, get free entry into shows. Email zachary.tocco@gmail.com with the subject “INTERN” for more info. DOMINICK’S HIRING FOR spring & summer. Call 734‑834‑5021. GROUP CHILDCARE NEEDED Looking for assistant full‑time and part‑ time. Reliabile transportation needed. Ex‑ perience preferred. 734‑663‑4232 THESIS EDITING. LANGUAGE, organization, format. All Disciplines. 734/996‑0566 or writeon@iserv.net
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT xwordeditor@aol.com
01/15/15
WORK ON MACKINAC Island This Summer – Make lifelong friends. The Is‑ land House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops are looking for help in all areas be‑ ginning in early May: Front Desk, Bell Staff, Wait Staff, Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas. Housing, bonus, and discounted meals. (906) 847‑7196. www.theisland‑ house.com
FOR RENT 4 BEDROOM APARTMENTS Central and South Campus Fall 2015‑16 321 S. Division 1&4: $2690/2750 + Elec. 1015 Packard #1 ‑ $2680 + Utilities Call 734‑996‑1991 to sched a viewing
By David Steinberg ©2015 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
01/15/15
EVENTS Thursday, 1/15
“Bonnie & Clyde” 8 p.m. Lydia Mendelssohn Theater David Turnley: We the People
3:10 p.m. Stamps School of Art & Design
Friday, 1/16 MHacks
10 a.m. 500 S State Street Dobet Gnahoré
8 p.m. Michigan Theater
Saturday, 1/17 Collage Concert
8 p.m. Hill Auditorium
Sunday, 1/18 Wilkommen
12 p.m. Michigan Theater LSO Winter Concert
2 p.m. Hill Auditorium
Women’s Hockey vs. MSU 12:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Munn Ice Arena
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Impresses bigtime 5 Aquarium growth 9 Development site 14 Desktop since 1998 15 Cream-filled cake 16 Try to pick up 17 __ mining 18 Slaughter in baseball 19 Facebook posting 20 About whom Alice said, “... perhaps as this is May it won’t be raving mad” 23 Guffaw syllable 24 PC heart 25 Doodlebugs and polliwogs 29 Dirty politics 33 Enjoyed a trail 35 Skin care brand 36 Like many a joke 37 “Gotcha, man” 38 Count 40 Baffin Bay sight 41 Molokai memento 42 Game divided into chukkers 43 Bleachers filler 44 “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?” event 48 Only vice president born in D.C. 49 Word of feigned innocence 50 Shares an email with 53 Dessert topper ... or a literal hint to what’s hidden in 20-, 29- and 44Across 57 Bossa nova ancestor 60 Agent’s favorite sign 61 Ticklish Tyco toy for tots 62 Posture problem 63 Bed covering 64 Knighted Guinness 65 Ed Asner septet 66 Trap, in a way 67 Knight’s neighbor
CAMPUS
4 BEDROOM HOUSE Fall 2015‑16 North Campus: Off Fuller by UM Hospital 2 Baths, Wshr./Dryer, 3 Prkg spaces, Pet & Smoke free. $2300 + utilities 1010 Cedar Bend Dr. 734‑996‑1991
! NORTH CAMPUS 1‑2 Bdrm. ! ! Riverfront/Heat/Water/Parking. ! ! www.HRPAA.com ! 2015‑2016 LEASING Apartments Going Fast! Prime Student Housing 734‑761‑8000 www.primesh.com Efficiencies: 344 S. Division $825/$845 1 Bedrooms: 511 Hoover (1 left) $1025 508 Division $925/$945 6 BEDROOM HOUSE 511 Linden. East of CC Little btwn Geddes&South U. 2 Bath, Wshr./Dryer, 2 Prkg. spaces, Pet & Smoke free. Fall 2015‑16 $3,995 + utilities. 734‑996‑1991 ARBOR PROPERTIES Award‑Winning Rentals in Kerrytown, Central Campus, Old West Side, Burns Park. Now Renting for 2015. 734‑649‑8637. www.arborprops.com EFF, 1 & 2 Bedrooms Avail Fall 2015‑16 $750 ‑ $1420. Most include Heat and Water. Parking where avail: $50‑80/mo. Coin Laundry access on site/nearby. www.cappomanagement.com Call 734‑996‑1991 THE NEW UNIVERSITY TOWERS! Apartments starting at $778. Ask about our new 2 Bedroom Special: Sign a full 2 bedroom lease and get a Free Flat Screen TV Visit our new website: www.u‑towers.com
Sports
6A —Thursday, January 15, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Racine and Nagelvoort continue to compete for time By ERIN LENNON Daily Sports Editor
It was almost exactly midway through regulation in the No. 19 Michigan hockey team’s series finale against No. 16 Minnesota on Saturday when junior goaltender Steve Racine surrendered a third goal to the Golden Gophers. He then signaled for senior forward Zach Hyman to relay a message to coach Red Berenson. A few plays later, Racine skated to the Wolverines’ bench with a broken skate that had been causing discomfort. Sophomore Zach Nagelvoort set up in the crease for the first time since Dec. 5. Racine did not return in the third period. “It’s a tough thing to pull yourself in the middle of the game when your team is ahead,” Berenson said. “But at least he didn’t hurt the team. Nagelvoort had a chance to come in, and he helped the team, so it turned out fine.” More than a 7-5 win and a series sweep, Saturday’s contest was a microcosm of Michigan’s goaltending predicament over
the last two years — Racine seemingly securing the starting position before suffering an injury and Nagelvoort making a case for the position before Racine’s return. On Saturday, Nagelvoort was as good as Racine when he needed to be, but wasn’t lightsout. He allowed a pair of goals, including one late in the third frame to cut the Wolverines’ lead to two. Though the duo allowed a combined five goals on 31 shots, the shared win was largely due to Michigan’s four-goal first period. So just when it looked like Racine — who had won his third straight game the night before — would all but ensure a fifth start against Ohio State, Nagelvoort changed the conversation once again. “Both their job is just to stop the puck,” Berenson said, reiterating that decisions will still be made on a weekly basis. In the moment, the switch wasn’t all that significant. “About five minutes after Nagelvoort went in, I was asking the guys when Steve came out,” said freshman defenseman Culter Martin.
Added sophomore defenseman Michael Downing: “Honestly, I didn’t know Nagelvoort was in the net until the start of the third period.” Under other circumstances, though, Downing and the defense may have discussed their approach to the distinct styles of each netminder. “A lot of the times we just tell Steve to stay in the net,” he said. “He doesn’t play the puck that much anyways, so we just say stop the puck and just worry about that. With Nagelvoort, when he’s in the net, we know he plays the puck. “We do talk before the games.” Racine has a good glove, but gives up rebounds that often turn into golden follow-up chances for opponents rushing the net. He has worked to minimize those rebounds over the last year, but still relies heavily on the defense to clear pucks. And yet, he has proven he can make the big saves and that he can do it consistently enough to merit a starting role, as he did during his freshman campaign. Meanwhile, Nagelvoort is calm and confident, nearly to his
demise. He is vocal and handles the puck much more aggressively than his counterpart. He has also been clutch, so much so that the Edmonton Oilers drafted Nagelvoort in the fourth round of the 2014 NHL Draft. But for all the accolades, Nagelvoort has disappointed this season. He has allowed easy, and, at times, lazy goals. It must be noted, though,
that the Wolverines didn’t give Nagelvoort much room for error during his first 13 starts. He posted a 7-6-0 record in the first half, but five of those losses came against ranked opponents. And over that five-game stretch, the offense scored just eight times. Often the beneficiary of an offensive flurry, Racine is 5-1-0 after earning just two starts in the first half. In six appearances,
the junior posted a .912 save percentage despite having played half as many minutes as Nagelvoort. Most importantly, the Wolverines are now equally confident in both starting candidates. Racine’s most recent stretch, especially, has given a young defense an opportunity to trust that he will hold strong when mistakes are made.
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Junior goaltender Steve Racine removed himself from Saturday’s game after a broken skate caused him discomfort.
MEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
John Spooney: The renaissance man of track and field By CHRIS CROWDER Daily Sports Writer
He was two-sport athlete at Brown, but that time has long since passed. Now he is an aspiring medical school student. He was once good enough for a tryout with the Baltimore Ravens. He has just ran the fourth-fastest 60-meter time in school history in his first race as a Wolverine. And he has come a long way from a childhood near Jacksonville, Florida. Meet John Spooney, the renaissance man. “Once you step on that track, you have to feel like you’re invincible. Because if you don’t, you’re bound to lose,” Spooney told the Akron Beacon Journal in a video interview after winning the Youngstown (Ohio) Division One regional title during his senior year at Macedonia High School. From the look of his accomplishments, he has been feeling invincible ever since. After high school, Brown
was the only institution on his list that would let Spooney both play football and run track. With an offer from an impressive, academically-challenging university, Spooney chose to commit. He made sure Brown didn’t regret its decision. *** Meet John Spooney, the former fastest man in the Ivy League. On the track, Spooney was a three-time Heptagonal Champion in the 100-meter — just the fourth person in Ivy League history to do so — and two-time champion in the 200meter, setting school records for the Bears in both events. During his senior year, though, the three-time All-Ivy selection left the track to focus his attention on the gridiron. “My senior year of football was just a big highlight,” Spooney said. “It was kind of a dream, I guess.” His highlights on YouTube reveal the makings of a great
player, providing plays that have to be seen to be believed. During the first play from scrimmage in a game against Penn, Spooney bounced off a defender and cut through the rest for a 93-yard touchdown. His next touchdown was another display of blazing speed, this time for 94 yards. Eight touchdowns later, Spooney secured the Ivy League rushing title with 1,170 yards — an average of 130 yards per game — good for fifth in the nation. His outstanding senior campaign caught the eyes of some coaches, earning him an invite to a rookie camp tryout with the Baltimore Ravens. As an undrafted free agent, Spooney’s chances to make the team were an uphill battle. And those chances shrank further when he was switched from running back to safety. “I was lost a bit. I didn’t like it,” Spooney said. “Because of (the position change), I wasn’t able to perform to the best of my abilities and you have to be at a high caliber to be on the football
Walton indispensable for ‘M’ By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Editor
Just when the Michigan men’s basketball team thought it found its lockdown defender, it couldn’t use him. Michigan coach John Beilein planned to use sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr. as the primary defender against Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell. But when Walton had to sit most of the first half with a pair of early fouls, Russell — who torched the Wolverines for 21 points and six assists in the Buckeyes’ blowout victory Tuesday — was able to exploit the defensive drop-off and lead Ohio State to a 15-point halftime lead. When Walton was in the game, despite his lingering toe injury, Michigan looked more alert. In the game’s first five minutes, the Wolverines led 12-9 and looked to be in a rhythm. Walton, though, picked up his first foul in the game’s first minute and his second nine minutes later, forcing Beilein to play freshman guard Muhammad-Ali AbdurRahkman for eight minutes. With Russell creating an athletic mismatch, the Wolverines were forced to use a combination of Abdur-Rahkman and junior guards Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht on the Buckeye freshman. And when that happened, Russell flourished. It wasn’t that Walton was able to lock down the freshman, but he did seem to be the only one capable of forcing him into mistakes. All three of Russell’s first-half turnovers came during the eight minutes Walton was on the court. “We thought he would be a big part (of guarding Russell),”
Beilein said. “We lose by 19 and we’re down 15 at half. I don’t think we’re down 15 at half if Derrick’s out there playing the whole time.” Michigan didn’t just miss Walton’s influence on defense, though. In previous games this season, including against Minnesota on Saturday, Walton has been able to generate offense for the Wolverines by forcing the issue in transition. He had only one steal against the Golden Gophers, but as the most athletic defender in Michigan’s lineup, he provided the most effective ball-handling on the break, leading to points in transition. The Wolverines tallied 11 fast-break points against Minnesota, but just two against Ohio State. Perhaps most important, Walton’s stability defending the perimeter allowed Michigan to stay focused on its defensive rotations, even when trailing by double digits. “We kind of got into scramble mode trying to rotate and trap guys to kind of dig ourselves out of that hole,” Albrecht said. “We’d just mess up on rotations on the
backside and things like that, and they got a few baskets.” Walton’s 4.8 boards per game are the second most on the team, making his presence on the floor all the more important. While the box score shows Ohio State technically outrebounded Michigan by just three, those numbers don’t accurately reflect the Buckeyes’ dominance on the glass. And all of that is to say nothing of the sloppy play Michigan exhibited on offense. The Wolverines committed 13 turnovers, as Abdur-Rahkman didn’t transition smoothly into Walton’s role. Really, no one could. Walton’s lingering injury, and now his foul trouble Tuesday, proves that Michigan can’t afford to have him miss time. Questions of not having a go-to player outside of LeVert have loomed over Michigan all season, but they were especially present with Walton on the bench. The sophomore guard is, by necessity, one of the veteran voices on the team, and without him, the Wolverines looked truly lost.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Derrick Walton Jr. missed most of the first half with four fouls Tuesday.
team.” Despite posting a faster 100meter time than one of the NFL’s speediest running backs, Chris Johnson, Spooney didn’t make it to the professional level. But he didn’t let that phase him. He had other aspirations in his sights, one of which was medical school. Following the conclusion of the Ravens’ rookie camp in May, one of Spooney’s track coaches at Brown began talking to a friend, a track coach at Michigan. Soon enough, Spooney was notified of an opportunity to run track for the Wolverines as a graduate student with one year of eligibility remaining. Spooney kept his options open as the year went on. With summer around the corner, he had to make a decision. “Once they got back to me about an opportunity to go to Michigan to run track, I didn’t want to close any doors.” Spooney said. “When I realized that football was a fleeting thing and when it was May I was like, okay,
what do I need to do to apply to grad school at Michigan?” *** Meet John Spooney, the scholar. Before he even came to Michigan, Spooney had some obstacles in the way. He treated the process like he would as if he were in the running lane or looking for a hole between the offensive linemen for him to speed through. “One thing that was kind of crazy was that I had to take the GRE in a really short amount of time, which was kind of stressful, but it worked out,” Spooney said. “I had taken the MCAT not too long before, so I was already in test mode.” As a biology major, Spooney’s end goal is medical school. But, again, he is keeping his opportunities open. He has a few other ideas, one of which is the military. If the opportunity presents itself, he would also like to conduct research while
attending medical school on the side, which was the original plan. No matter how impressive John Spooney’s résumé may look, though, he is still looking to improve on the track. Even with the fourth-fastest 60-meter time at Michigan, he expects more record-setting days on the horizon. “(The record is) cool, but as the season goes on, I hope I can get faster,” Spooney said. “It’s not a one-and-done kind of deal.” For John Spooney, nothing is one and done. He is never satisfied, but is always striving toward self-improvement. He is a man of high aspirations, a man who those around him have no doubt will succeed, both as an athlete and a professional. He’s a renaissance man, the former fastest man in the Ivy League and a scholar. But for a short time, Spooney will have another title. If only for one year, the men’s track team will be able to call him by another name. John Spooney, Michigan Wolverine.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
‘M’ gritty before pretty By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Writer
On the first day of preseason practice, the Michigan women’s basketball team gave itself an identity, laying the foundation for the kind of basketball it wanted to play: a scrappy kind. The Wolverines claim to be “the hardest-working team in America,” a phrase spoken by coach Kim Barnes Arico in the team’s pump-up video before games. It echoes throughout Crisler Center, holding Michigan accountable to be the tenacious team it promised it would be. So far this season, the Wolverines have been living up to day-one expectations. Sunday, Michigan (3-2 Big Ten, 11-5 overall) defeated Ohio State, 100-94, after an emotional overtime battle that featured six lead changes in the final 25 minutes. The stat sheet will tell you that the Wolverines shot 45 percent from the field, and that freshman guard Katelynn Flaherty scored a career-high 24 points on 6-for-11 shooting beyond the arc, senior guard Shannon Smith scored a career-high 36 points and senior forward Cyesha Goree grabbed more rebounds than the rest of Michigan’s starters combined. But the stats won’t tell you that Flaherty played a more physical game than ever before. They won’t tell you she dove on the floor with under two minutes left, stole the ball, gave Smith an easy fast-break layup and helped force overtime. They also won’t tell you that Smith took a charge in the early minutes of the game and pumped her fists in the air, setting the tone for several
similar plays later. Those are the intangible things that won’t show up on the scoreboard, but are perhaps the plays that matter most. “Who cares if you have 30 (points) at the end of the day?” Goree said. “At the end of the day, if you got that charge to help us win the game or that loose ball, those are things that people outside might not notice, but us in the locker room — coaches have noticed. That’s what we pride ourselves on.” Barnes Arico quantifies those key-play moments by awarding block ‘M’ stickers to players after games. For the team to earn 10 or more is extremely rare — by that point, Goree said, the team is “guaranteed to win.” Sunday was one of those instances. “You would think that was some kind of million-dollar prize,” Barnes Arico said. “Doing something that is your own individual sacrifice for the good of the team, you are rewarded with that sticker.” Leading the team in the intangible count are Goree and senior forward Nicole Elmblad, who, along with Smith, embody the things Barnes Arico wants her younger players to be. Goree is a robust rebounder, Elmblad is a selfless leader and Smith is a daring shooter. They were the key components of Sunday’s victory, with Smith leading the offensive charge while Elmblad and Goree battled in the paint to open up guards like Flaherty. Now in their last year, it’s more important than ever to set an example. “I thought those three guys really came together and willed
our team to victory and wouldn’t allow us to lose tonight,” Barnes Arico said after Sunday’s game. “The three of them were sensational.” Added Goree: “To just get Michigan State and Ohio State at home, and get both of those victories, we wanted to leave that mark to show (the newcomers) how important it was to us they can execute the same way when we leave.” Back in November, Goree — who didn’t start once during her first two years in Ann Arbor and now holds the single-season rebounding record with 317 — said her progress could help inspire the team’s youth to do the same. It’s this younger generation that will lead the charge in future seasons. “Our conference is exploding,” Barnes Arico said. “The best players in our league right now are freshmen and sophomores. The incoming classes that have signed with our league are just incredible. “I need those younger ones to get scrappy.” The Wolverines played their most physical game against the Buckeyes, living up to the mantra that the players — young and old — heard on day one. After the game, Barnes Arico was thrilled by her team’s performance and seemed more energetic than ever — she had evidence that her team could be scrappy. With Barnes Arico at the helm, Michigan could be the hardest-working team in America. But there’s still a ways to go. “Tomorrow is a new day, though,” she joked. “That’s the problem.”
the b-side The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, January 15, 2015
G I R
L A IN
AD ON E S
O
B
M
T N E I STUD T C U D PRO
BY ADAM THEISEN SENIOR ARTS EDITOR PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LOZANO DESIGN BY SHANE ACHENBACH
See M-AGINATION, Page 2B
the b-side
2B — Thursday, January 15, 2015
M-AGINATION From Page 1B M-Agination Films President Anna Baumgarten is not a film buff. “This is the most embarrassing thing about my film major background because I don’t watch a ton of movies,” she said. I have more, since I’ve been at school, but I don’t have a lot of influences that I could pinpoint (as a filmmaker).” That may seem odd, considering Baumgarten oversees the annual production of more than a dozen student films, but rather than reaching her current position because of an obsession with films and directors, the Screen Arts & Cultures senior was motivated by a love of writing and performance. “I always wanted to be a writer,” she said. “When I was in second grade, I wanted to be an author … And also performance. I acted throughout middle school and high school, and (film) was the combining of those two passions.” Interested in screenwriting from the time she arrived at the University, and curious about directing, Baumgarten submitted a script to M-Agination, and the club accepted it — an unusual but extremely exciting opportunity for a freshman. She would direct that project and continue with filmmaking from there. “I was more writing initially, but I fell in love with production along the way,” she said.
“Film combined two passions.” Baumgarten is now in her second year as president of M-Agination. The club has 16 board members and is in its first year of a restructured hierarchy. Instead of two co-presidents and no other leadership positions, like in years past, the club now has a president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, as well as marketing and business sections. As leader of the club, Baumgarten — who is also
on the sales career course track at the Ross School of Business — gets to oversee and manage both the business and creative aspects of the club. *** Formed in 2000, M-Agination Films is a student-run production organization that accepts scripts written by students and helps those students find actors, equipment and funding to film those screenplays. Each semester, around 30 to 40 eager screenwriters submit their scripts to the club. Everyone on the Board of Producers reads the scripts, and then the club meets to decide which projects it wants to produce (usually resulting in around eight per semester). When describing what they look for in the scripts, both Baumgarten and LSA senior Anthony Kalil, M-Agination’s vice president and a SAC major, point to quality first. “We’re looking for a good story, strong voice, characters that are likable and people want to watch,” Baumgarten said, who also noted that the club aims to produce films in a variety of genres each semester. But M-Agination also has to look at which productions are the most ideal for filming in a college town with a very small budget, and so both Kalil and Baumgarten mention feasibility immediately after quality. It can be challenging to cast roles that aren’t meant to be played by college students, or find locations if the script calls for a scene set somewhere that can’t be found in the Ann Arbor area. “Does it take place on the moon? If it does, it’s probably not the best material for M-Agination,” Kalil said. Working under Baumgarten and Kalil is a group of producers who oversee the day-to-day operations required to make sure the films are made. LSA freshman Max Doyle originally tried to submit a script to M-Agination last semester. While the club didn’t have the resources to produce it, they liked his writing and told him about an open associate producer job, which he took. Doyle is working on a five-minute drama called “Looking Back,” now in the final stages of post-production.
“Most of my stuff, being an associate producer, actually happens before we even get on set,” he said. “We only really had one full day of being on set, but I took up my jobs a couple months before that, like getting the location down and finding all our crew and making sure our directors like our actors and everyone can meet at the same time.” “I’ve talked to a few real producers in the industry, namely Christine Vachon,” Doyle continued. “And she says that being a producer is kind of like being an executive babysitter. You just got to make sure everyone has what they need and is at the right place at the right time.”
VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily
*** The culmination of M-Agination’s year is its annual film festival. Held at the Michigan Theater, this upcoming April will be the 14th time M-Agination producers and filmmakers gather to see what they’ve accomplished in the past two semesters. While many of these filmmakers (the ones in SAC, especially) may have presented their class films in University buildings at the annual Lightworks Student Film Festival, seeing their work projected onto the screen at a landmark institution like the Michigan Theater is an entirely unique experience. Though Lightworks is more casual, Baumgarten and Kalil
“Last semester I was doing television production, which is mainly in the studio, but I didn’t have a production class that really allowed me to create a film,” Duggan said of his decision to produce the film through M-Agination. “I had always heard about M-Agination but I had never tried it, and it seemed like a cool way to make a movie without having the class restrictions on content and time.” During the production of “Babysitter,” Duggan worked with two M-Agination producers, who set up and recorded auditions and provided equipment. The club also hosted a writers’ workshop to help the directors rework their scripts to accomodate their relatively lim-
ited resources. “In the original script, it called for a live dog,” Duggan said, “And I was like, ‘I don’t actually want to work with a live animal,’ so I talked with them about how we could still incorporate that aspect of it without having a live dog.” While Duggan said that his own production went fairly smoothly, he mentioned one possible pitfall that out-of-class filmmakers can face. “Since it’s not for class, since it’s for a club, people don’t really need to commit,” Duggan said. “On one hand it’s great because they’re just passionate about the project and they want to learn, because it’s not all film students, but then, on the other side, there’s nothing really deterring people from, on the day of, being like, ‘Oh, just kidding. I’m really busy.’ ” Duggan said he was luckily able to sidestep this problem because of his easy-to-shoot script and his interested and committed core volunteers. Doyle, on the other hand, had his shoot pushed back a month when one of the project’s main actors dropped out. “That’s what being a producer is,” he said, “Finding sudden hurdles and having to get over them.” However, working outside of class can also be a change of pace for SAC majors that can give them diverse viewpoints and take off some pressure. “Having that extra mile outside the course work is really what lets us work outside of the pressure of working for a grade and also allows us to work with a lot of people who aren’t SAC majors, so we get a wider range of people to collaborate with within M-Agination,” Kalil said. *** The SAC major officially began in 2005, when LSA’s Film and Video Program was transformed into a new department. While M-Agination isn’t just a club made up of SAC majors, many of its core members and participants wish to work in the industry in some way after graduation. Baumgarten is currently working on her Honors Production Thesis, a 30-minute sitcom called “Co-Education.” She would like
to go into producing, and she’s planning to move to Los Angeles after graduation.
The passion that these students bring ... is invaluable. Doyle is undeclared, but is currently taking SAC classes. He would like to move up in M-Agination and said he “definitely” wants to work in the film industry. Meanwhile, Kalil said that entering the film industry is “kind of a crapshoot,” but he’s looking to build his portfolio and take his skills into the advertising industry. Duggan also hopes to enter the industry. With the fast approaching Jan. 25 deadline for submissions for M-Aginations winter productions, he’ll likely offer assistance with camera work or other jobs, rather than directing a production. When describing what kind of film he would like to make, Duggan said, “I want to make a movie that people enjoy. There are plenty of movies that I would say, ‘That was a great movie. I really appreciate it, but I don’t really have any interest in watching it again.’ So, I’d much rather make a movie that was less critically acclaimed, but that people like to watch over and over again, and people like to quote.” He named “Mean Girls,’ “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” and “She’s the Man” as examples of these kinds of movies. Even if they don’t want to go on to work in the industry, the passion that these students bring to the film projects is invaluable. “With M-Agination, there’s a lot of differently skilled people coming together to collaborate,” Kalil said. “A lot of people who aren’t studying film, but have a lot of experience in arts or in camera. There’s a lot more perspective collaborating on something through M-Agination than there is just doing it by myself.”
SINGLE REVIEW
WARNER BROS. PICTURES
wood’s (“Jersey Boys”) latest proves the perfect teaser, expressing the soul of the film without giving away any of its action. We sense the intensity of not just this particular scenario but the intensity of Kyle himself, this guardian angel, this angel of death. Resurrected by Bradley Cooper (“Guardians of the Galaxy”), this version of
shoot to make the M-Agination Film Festival a special occasion. The festivalgoers dress up for the event with a formal dinner this year at Sava’s beforehand. In addition, Baumgarten and Kalil hope to include intermission performances by ComCo, the Michigan Pops Orchestra and other student groups that share a residence in the University Activities Center. One of this year’s filmmakers is LSA senior Jameson Duggan, also a SAC major. Duggan’s M-Agination project in the Fall 2014 semester was “Babysitter,” a short comedy sketch about a couple’s over-the-top interview process in their search for someone to care for their child.
M-Agination holds its annual film festival at the Michigan Theater.
TRAILER REVIEW The camera pans down the barrel of a sniper rifle until it meets the eye of Chris Kyle, the most lethal sniper in A U.S. history. He’s got his ‘American finger on the trigger, peer- Sniper’ ing down the Warner Bros. scope; it is Pictures he who must watch over his brothers in arms on the ground. In his Texas drawl he informs his superiors that he’s spotted a woman who appears to have handed a grenade to a child, not 10 years old. He asks for confirmation, which his superiors cannot give — “It’s your call,” they say. It is Kyle who decides who lives and who dies, it is Kyle who must play God. This trailer for Clint East-
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
the American war hero, tragically gunned down in 2013, is stoic yet sincere, brutish yet caring. “American Sniper” looks to be a return to form for Eastwood and another critical success in the blossoming career of Cooper. Not since “The Hurt Locker” has a film about Iraq seemed so urgent, and equally timeless. -JAMIE BIRCOLL
Canadian duo Purity Ring released the single “Begin Again,” in anticipation of their newest album Anoth- A er Eternity, set to drop ‘Begin in March. Again’ The group Purity Ring released “Push Pull” in 4AD 2014, then just a hint at their latest project. “Begin Again” gives fans a much clearer taste of what is to come, as well as showcasing much of what the duo is generally known for. The sound is oddly celestial, building to multiple instrumental breaks with full, potent sounds – the kind of thing best listened to loudly, in dark, crowded spaces. Layers include ringing bass, sparse piano and crisp down beats throughout the chorus. The vocals, as always, are haunting and slightly creepy. Megan James’s delivery is calm and delicate, entirely
4AD
contrasting the more forceful and wobbling beats of the track. Lyrics draw on otherworldly imagery, likening a lover to the moon and its lunar orbit. The track itself seems to be traveling along its own circular path, as it both begins and ends with the same lyrics. This affect is enhanced with astrologically charged lyrics and a round sound, not to mention the title itself.
While the track closely adheres to the standard sounds of Purity Ring, it is neither predictable nor stylistically overdone. The track is dynamic. The layers of sound seem to be in constant motion, making “Begin Again” a strong and seamless addition to Purity Ring’s small but impressive body of work. -CARLY SNIDER
WE KNOW KANYE WEST
AND
PAUL MCCARTNEY
@MICHIGANDAILY FOR THE LATEST ENTERTAINMENT NEWS, READ THE DAILY ARTS BLOG WHAT’S NEW ON
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, January 15, 2015 — 3B
LITERARY COLUMN
Starting the year on a new page
J
anuary is a time of optimism. The days are slowly growing longer, a fresh layer of snow lies on the ground and the promise of Spring Training in GRACE two PROSNIEWSKI months fortifies us against the bitter cold. Invariably, with this renewed sense of enthusiasm for the future comes New Year’s resolutions. Maybe this year your goal is to get fit. Or perhaps you’re trying to live on a budget. While all are no doubt well-intentioned, resolutions have a nasty habit of folding under the pressures of daily life. According to a 2002 study by the University of Scranton, about a quarter of people abandon their New Year’s resolutions after one week. If you’re still on track with your original New Year’s resolution, keep it up, you go-getter, you. If, however, you find yourself in the dreaded 25%, and you’re currently filled with both an entire large pizza and a copious amount of self-loathing, or you’re staring at a bank account sitting pretty at 17 cents, surrounded by hundreds of dollars worth of impulse online shopping purchases (curse you and your outrageously reasonable prices, Forever 21!), fear not. Hope springs eternal, for there’s one resolution that’s simple, effective and almost impossible to screw up. Read more!
How much more, you ask? Well that’s the beauty of it; it’s entirely up for you to decide. You could do the Goodreads 2015 Reading Challenge and choose a specific number of books you wish to read in the year, or you could set aside a set amount of time each day devoted exclusively to reading. I, for one, am participating in POPSUGAR’s 2015 Reading Challenge. The challenge lays out 50 different literary-themed stipulations, from reading a book with more than 500 pages to reading a book you started but never finished. All told, if you don’t use a single book to fulfill multiple items, the final goal is to read 52 books by the end of the year (one of the conditions is to read a trilogy). Because I have a penchant for planning ahead, I’ve compiled a list of titles I plan to use for each condition. Looking at my collection, I feel confident enough to say I have a great year of reading ahead of me. What I like about this particular challenge is that it forces you to pick up works you may never have chosen to read when left to your own devices: a book that came out the year you were born (“The Giver”), a book that takes place in your hometown (“Split Images”), a book written by an author with your same initials (“Enormous Changes at the Last Minute”). The list is filled with enough whimsy and variety as to ensure a fun and diverse literary experience the whole year through. I have put down books I’ve been meaning to read for years, like Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner” — which will count for a popular author’s first book — and Joseph Heller’s satirical classic
“Catch-22” — a book with a number in the title. And I will finally, FINALLY read something by Neil Gaiman. I know, I know, I don’t know how I’ve managed not to read anything by him yet. I even follow the man on Tumblr for God’s sake. But I’ll be making up for lost time this year with both “Neverwhere” and “The Sandman,” so cut me some slack. My list also includes books I fully intended on reading this year anyway, such as the always delightful Amy Poehler’s “Yes Please,” as well as my third encounter with the brilliant sophisticate Edith Wharton with “The House of Mirth.” One of the books I’m most excited to get started on is Joe Gola’s “The Satanic Bridegroom,” a selfpublished work written in the Lovecraftian vein that, I have on good authority, does the Weird Fiction genre (a mix of ghost story and speculative fiction) proud. Of course, some books will be easier to get through than others. I’m not particularly looking forward to the book with bad reviews condition, as I’ve settled on a work entitled “Mr. Darcy, Vampyre.” It might be unintentionally hilarious or downright torturous, but either way it’s sure to be an experience. So if you’re feeling adventurous, come take the 2015 Reading Challenge with me. And if by any chance someone can recommend a book with a love triangle that isn’t (shudder) young adult fiction, I’d be much obliged. Prosniewski is about to start another romance novel. To stop her, e-mail gpros@umich.edu.
SINGLE REVIEW Doped up and peacocking for a pretty lady in a crappy diner is the premise of Childish Gambino’s newest music A video for “Sober.” Don- ‘Sober’ ning cords and a cardi- Childish gan, Gam- Gambino bino stumbles Glassnote across a diner, overconfident and drugged, to converse with the curly-haired woman sipping at her soda. The lyrics paint the video’s storyline, “And now that it’s over / I’ll never be sober / and now I’m so high.” As the nervous diner chick starts to distance herself from the inebriated fellow with a pocket tee, the video transitions into an awesome 21st century mating ritual. Is this a stoner’s druginduced fantasy? Or perhaps this is the classic correlation between drunken heartbreak and a rebound? Or is the diner chick his lost love? Who cares.
GLASSNOTE
The video’s intention is untellable and relatively unimportant in comparison with the simple creativity of Gambino’s performance. Funny, idiosyncratic and suave, especially following a clever admission of “I’M SO HIGH,” Gambino’s performance is viscerally enjoyable. This is a video not meant for excessive deliberation or analysis; instead, as a viewer, give this video a quick YouTube search and watch a great performer present a great performance. Never before has a perfor-
mance by Childish Gambino felt as close to the rapper’s true identity: comedian, actor and screenwriter Donald Glover. Gambino, in comparison to Glover, has always appeared rougher, tougher and more capable of actually fighting Drake. Complete with carefree air guitar performances and magic tricks involving doves, the randomness and creativity underlying his additions draw the rapper persona closer to its highly intellectual counterpart. -AMELIA ZAK
EPISODE REVIEW Last week, Lifetime brought a popular British television show to the American screen. Over Cthe course of eight weeks, ‘Child the American Genius’ MENSA holds a competition Series Pilot that tests 20 Tuesdays of the coun- at 10 p.m try’s most Lifetime intelligent and well-rounded children, all of whom are under twelve. They endure a series of extensive quizzes, answering questions on high school level mathematics, world geography and history, SAT vocabulary, science and other subjects. The show cuts from question to question quickly, barely allowing the audience time to process the information or play along like in other game shows, demonstrating how the topics fly over our heads even as adults.
VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily
University carilloneur Kipp Cortez plays the bells in the Burton Memorial Bell Tower.
University carillon rings above campus By DANIELLE RAYKHINSHTEYN Daily Arts Writer
The bucket list of a typical University student reads something like this: go to Rick’s, paint the Rock, sneak into a dining hall, blackout at Rick’s, spin the Cube, swing on the swing in front of UMMA, go to Skeeps after Rick’s, go see if Shady is really all that shady, attend at least 14 football Saturdays ... And, finally, see a carillon being played. The carillons — the technical name for the multiple-bell instruments that sit atop Burton Memorial Tower on Central Campus and the Ann and Robert H. Lurie Tower on North Campus — are played every weekday from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Central and North, respectively. At those times, they are open to the public. “When people do come up here and see it and realize where this music is coming from, their jaws just hit the floor,” said University carillonneur Kipp Cortez. As University carillonneur, Cortez plays the bells, teaches others how to play them and organizes other carillon necessities such as the recital schedule, keeping up the Facebook page and making sure the instruments undergo regular maintenance. The bells themselves never need to be retuned, but every year, the same bell foundry that built the Burton Carillon, John Taylor & Co., will check other parts of the instrument such as the wooden levers used to play it, for loose or worn-out parts. The Burton Tower Carillon, built in 1936, is the third-heaviest carillon in the world, measuring in at 43 tons, the lightest of which weighs 15 pounds and the heaviest of which weighs 12 tons. Yes, tons. The carillon is situated at the very top of the Burton Tower, two floors above where the elevator stops. On the ninth floor is Cortez’s office, and at the top of a rather narrow set of stairs beginning in the hallway outside of his office sits the instrument.
The Ann and Robert H. Carillon was built in 1996 and has 60 bells, but they are much smaller than those housed in the Burton Memorial Tower. “We have two carillons on this campus, which is so unusual. It’s totally not the norm,” Cortez said. Cortez began his musical career in eighth grade, when he began taking organ lessons, which he became intrigued by after seeing one at church. After attending Valparaiso University for his bachelor’s degree in organ performance and church music and the University for his master’s degree in organ performance, he began pursuing his doctorate in musical performance at the University as well. It was during this time, in April 2013, that he became a carillon Graduate Student Instructor and was put in charge of all carillon matters.
“...the voice of the University.” “I’m an organist, and I like big instruments,” Cortez said. “One day I decided that the organ was no longer big enough or loud enough, and I thought to myself, ‘Wicked cool to have a big-ass carillon.’ ” While Cortez said that he is the one person who plays the instrument most often, he also had six carillon students during the Fall 2014 semester who also played. “When the instrument was built, the dean of the music school said that it would become the voice of the University,” Cortez said. “What I take that to mean is that these are the musical expressions and stylings of the students of the University. They’re able to express themselves on this instrument for the whole campus to hear.” Cortez added that only one of these six students is in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and he would never deter anyone who wanted to learn to play the instrument. “Most people just go blindly
searching for ‘Michigan bells,’ and it turns out, ‘Oh, this is a musical instrument! Oh, I can learn to play this! Oh, this is awesome!’ ” The carillon resembles a piano in the sense that it has foot pedals and keys spanning several octaves. Instead of the white and black keys of a piano, the carillon is composed of wooden levers that, when pushed down using a soft fist, move a lever that rings the corresponding bell. The foot pedals on the carillon are linked to the larger bells, as more force is required to ring them. “The sound of the bells is marvelous,” Cortez said. “The instruments we have here are just world class instruments. It’s such a privilege to come up here and make music and to share it with other students, with the community and with the rest of the campus.” Cortez said he has an arsenal of songs that he generally repeats, but he likes to add in at least one new song every week, and there is a large amount of music available for the carillon. He also said there is a responsibility as a carillonneur to be cognizant of world events and to play songs accordingly. “What we carillonneurs try to do is to be sensitive to happenings around campus, things that happen in the state and around the world,” he said. “On Veterans Day or on the Fourth of July, we’ll do a program of patriotic music.” “The day after (the Ottawa shooting) I played the Canadian national anthem, as part of standing in solidarity with them to the north.” Cortez said he ultimately sees this instrument as something for the students, as it reaches most students’ ears every single day. While the bells that ring every 15 minutes are mechanized, the carillon is an instrument he encourages everyone to learn or at least come see. “When you hear real music coming out of the tower, it is actually a human being,” Cortez said. If you would like to learn to play the carillon, you may apply for the class through the SMTD website or contact Kipp Cortez directly at kippcor@umich.edu.
LIFETIME
The show opens with insight into each contestant’s “normal” home life. The preparation behind the scenes is toilsome and exhausting, but the grand prize is enticing: $100,000 toward college, and more importantly, the prestigious title of Child Genius. Thus, for the kids, their days include rigorous intellectual training routines, various extracurricular lessons and parents who drill them without cessation. One mother justifies to her son, “I’m not a Tiger Mommy … (I) just don’t want you to look like an idiot.” At the end of the episode, half
of the contestants are cut – to their disheartening sobs, and their parents’ scowls. Though it should be uplifting to see potential in a generation that will lead our future, “Child Genius” is often labeled as “the most controversial reality TV show.” Even before they have reached double-digit ages, these children’s greatest fears are failure and disappointment. The series is not unlike other reality television programs that “exhibit” (or exploit?) the talents of today’s youth. Is this a worthwhile price for precocity? -KAREN HUA
JAMES RESLIER-WELLS/Daily
Video of Kipp Cortez playing the Carillon in the Burton Bell Tower on Tuesday.
the b-side
4B — Thursday, January 15, 2015
ARTIST
IN
PROFILE
VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily
Univeristy alum Jennifer Larson chronicles the Cooley Reuse Project.
By KAREN HUA Daily TV/New Media Editor
We were in the depth of January freeze, and the barren woods of North Campus were honestly the last place I wanted to be in the dark. With frozen fingers and sweaty palms, I blindly felt my way around Pierpont’s Wi-Fi and service-less basement, searching for this godforsaken “reflection room.” I finally happened upon a reclusive and bleak – but tranquil – room used as an artists’ escape. Jenny walked in just a few minutes later, clearly much more familiar with the space. She made herself at home, and immediately colored the bare walls with an animated energy. As she detailed her passion project, it was clear her ambitions were lofty, grander than her
petite stature suggested she was capable of. I first heard about Jennifer Larson when I attended the University’s Lightworks Film Festival this past December, where her trailer won the Best Documentary award. Larson graduated with a degree in Screen Arts and Cultures shortly after the premiere, and now devotes all her time to expanding her documentary trailer into a formidable full-length project. Though film is her principal medium, Larson also has extensive photography and graphic design portfolios called “The Larson Lens.” She has worked on dramatic and comedic shorts before, but she considers documentary her forte – pieces that intertwine shots of people in their fields with interview clips from community members. By
combining action scenes with poignant commentary, Larson aims to bring awareness to inspiring, real-life stories she believes are worth sharing. Growing up in Royal Oak, Larson always had an eclectic array of interests, but she was certain she would make a living out from her creativity. Though she never took any art classes beyond middle school mandates, she rooted herself in the University’s School of Art and Design. It was at her Sophomore Review at the end of her second year, that professors saw a different spark in her – a spark they declared bluntly as, “You belong in the film school.” On a shaky whim, she transferred into LSA’s Screen Arts and Cultures program, even though she was taking a risk so late into her college career. Over
FOOD COLUMN
Home is where the hunger is “Home is where one starts from. As we grow older / The world becomes stranger, the pattern more complicated …” -“East Coker,” T.S Eliot I’m nearing the end of a month-long layover. On December 16, I flew from Detroit to Boston. And on the GIANCARLO evening of BUONOMO January 21, I’ll board a plane in Boston headed for Rome, to study and eat and file this very column. When my editors approved my proposal to write pieces from Italy, they mentioned I would have a column due before I made
my transatlantic journey. “Write something about Boston!” they suggested. A good idea, but harder than one might think. Not that there’s a dearth of word-worthy edibles in Beantown — in fact, it’s the opposite. I could tell you about the perfect fried oysters I ate at B & G last weekend, how the crisp crust contained a nugget of briny, almost molten meat, how they were served in their original shells. I could give you my practiced rant about how the pizza in Boston is actually better than the pizza in New York. I could wax poetic about the sausage sandwiches with peppers and onions that carts sell outside of Fenway Park. But after a few paragraphs of that, I’m sure you’d get tired. When I ran out of adjectives
and alliteration, there’d be that dreaded “So what?” Simply describing the food scene of my home city could only hold your attention for so long. Good food writing — good writing of any kind — always starts with a question. Here’s mine: Why did the cold spaghetti I ate out of a tupperware at 2 a.m the other night taste so bad? Sorry, I’ll back up a bit. I’m not really from Boston, you see. I actually hail from a suburb called Concord, whose revolutionary and literary lore you probably learned about in high-school history. I associate my house — cappuccino-colored exterior, just down the road from a farm — with food. I have many happy memories of childhood dishes: tomato sauce, roasted chicken, stuff I ate every week as a kid and
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
time, she smoothly transitioned from her art background to production design in film. Soon, she made a larger discovery in her new field. “I very much enjoy doing the artistic side of things, but my passion is still with documentaries … I’m very committed to sharing stories and messages, especially ones that aren’t given enough attention by the media,” Larson said. Appropriately, her current passion project is to film the progress of the Cooley Reuse Project in Detroit – an endeavor set to span the course of the next five years. Nicole Pitts, the project’s creator, stumbled upon Cooley High School – a magnificent building of Spanish-Renaissance exterior and terribly dilapidated interior – accidentally. In 2010, the school was unfortunately closed due to lack of sufficient enrollment and budget. It is now Pitts’ mission to raise the funding to purchase the property – then fully revive and remodel it as a community center, which will include job training services, gym facilities, mixed-income residential housing and other resources for the Detroit community. CRP is primarily Nicole Pitts’s project, but it is Larson’s job is to follow and document the process and progress. Her connection with Pitts traces back to her early adolescence, as Larson’s mother and Pitts are colleagues at Oakland Community College. Larson and Pitts have known each other for about 10 years, and just last year, Larson latched her own project onto Pitts’s. As Larson puts it, “(the CRP is) going to help rebuild the community, bring more power to it, give more opportunities to people in that area who don’t
“I’m hoping that something they take away will be a spark.”
still do now. I liked the leftovers even better; there was always something sinfully illicit about heating them up late at night. Much of modern gastronomy is, paradoxically, sentimental. Great chefs — even ones who use liquid nitrogen and make foams — often create dishes that reheat long-frozen memories. Thomas Keller, whose French Laundry was once named the best restaurant in the country, used to make miniature grilled cheese sandwiches with tomatowater soup. David Chang’s Momofuku Ko (two Michelin stars) serves fried apple pies with miso butterscotch for dessert, a refined version of the McDonald’s classic. Countless other chefs dish out these Proustian moments, and there is no shortage of customers eager to experience them. I assumed, then, that chowing down on my cold spaghetti would be full of delicious nostalgia. When the sweet sauce, thickly caked on the spaghetti, hit my palate, it would fire some wellseasoned neurons and flood me with halcyon feelings. I would be 14 again, having a snack before a long Friday-night sleep. But therein lies the problem.
It’s probably fun for a 40 year old to be reminded of their favorite food when they were 14. At 20, in that anxious layover between adolescence and adulthood, it wasn’t fun to feel like a teenager again. Why? Because that spaghetti tasted so simple, so comfortable, so easy. In a forkful of pasta I had regressed, and saw how easy it could be to do that over and over and over. Maybe I was alone in this feeling. I associate my house — my whole childhood — so strongly with food, but then again, my parents spent a large amount of time and money cooking and shopping and eating with my siblings and me. Did others have such good memories of eating at home? I made a simple survey, and sent it out to scores of friends, asking if the food at home or at school was better. I checked a day later, and 83 percent of them had chosen “home.” Students like myself are in a bit of a half-sour pickle. Most of us hope when we leave for college we’ll transition from the kid version of everything to the adult version. Sleepovers with a pilfered 12-pack will be replaced by keggers. A rigid curriculum
THE D’ART BOARD
feel like they have anyone to reach out to. They don’t know where to go to get on their feet – to be more successful.” As a filmmaker who cares deeply about Detroit, Larson knows there is a whole city of unique options she can highlight on film. However, what initially attracted her to CRP was not only Nicole Pitts’s charisma, but a proud sense of duty. Larson explained, “I feel like (Detroit’s) my home. It’s an underdog city that is portrayed in a grossly negative light … The particular stories I want to tell are the ones that I think will have a positive influence … Nicole Pitts and her Cooley Reuse Project are definitely something that should be
known at least by the people of the Detroit and Michigan area.” It’s this dedication to her passion and her personal project that is tremendously inspiring. Larson plans on releasing the documentary in three separate 30-minute segments: the pre-development, the purchase of the property and finally the completion’s effect on the community. As advised by one of her SAC professors, she intends to package her completed film on Seed and Spark, an online forum for independent filmmakers to share their passion projects. Larson has since become an integral CRP member, as well. She has thus far used her personal funds and equipment to
fuel her own project – without even a Kickstarter campaign to buttress her financially. The scope of the project is a hefty one – one most fresh post-grads and budding filmmakers would not immediately commit to. “(My film) shows the people in Detroit … coming together to make something better for themselves, to benefit further generations – and to help bring back the phoenix rising from the ashes,” she says. Larson’s upcoming mission is a trailer event to bring a swarm of support out to volunteer on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this year, where she and Pitts hope to clean the outside of Cooley High School to make it safer even before it opens to the public. Slowly but surely, she will aid in making the revival of Cooley High and the completion on her film both a reality. “Apathy is a huge problem in our youth and in our society today,” she said. “One of my goals as a filmmaker is to make my spectators active… I’m hoping that something they take away will be a spark … something that drives them to … make a change, to be more involved in their community.” Even in her language, it is clear artistic thought runs through her every nerve – and empathy is a quality so genuine to her character. Larson holds up her coffee cup to help visually demonstrate a metaphor. “Say my coffee cup is a soda can … and you try to open it and the tab pops off … Something is only as strong as its weakest point,” she explained. “The weakest point would be Detroit and this situation in America, and … it’s important for – even if you’re in California or New Mexico or Arizona or wherever – you should care about Detroit.”
will be replaced by classes you’re actually interested in. Singles are finally stretched into home runs. It’s rare that I meet a college student who misses high school. And yet, most of us miss the food of our childhoods, and aren’t that excited about “eating like adults.” At an age when many of us so desperately want to, and often need to, forget the practices of our youth, food is the one thing that we often don’t want to change. But because food is so infused with the essence of childhood, the simple act of eating can bring many of us to a state that we struggle to move out of. The other night, I was roasting a chicken with some garlic and herbs. I remember being small and getting on my tippy-toes to place my nose near the oven, to breathe in the wonderful, exciting aroma of ingredients transforming into a meal. This night, I hunched over and inhaled the fumes, like the oracles of Ancient Greece, hoping they would tell me something. My chicken needed to cook longer. Buonomo is still waiting for his chicken. To help him pass the time, email gbuonomo@umich.edu.
Design by Gaby Vasquez
I’ll Take You to Neverland Allison Williams receives analingus in season premiere of “Girls”.
Each week we take shots at the biggest developments in the entertainment world. Here’s what hit (and missed) this week.
Zoey 911
Good Weed, Bad Bitch
Fucking badass Jamie Lynn Spears uses knife to break up Pita Pit brawl.
2 Chainz owns Nancy Grace in debate on marijuana legalization.
Destiny’s Child Instagram pic instigates Beyoncé pregnancy rumors.
Jenny From the Bra Jennifer Lopez enjoys nip-slip at Golden Globes.