CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, January 16, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
SOULFUL SONG
GOVERNMENT
Judge rules 300 Mich. same-sex unions valid Court orders to state to recognize marriages performed during March stay By SHOHAM GEVA Daily News Editor
In a decision announced Thursday morning, a U.S District Court ruled that the state is required to recognize 300 same-sex marriages performed in Michigan last year. In the ruling on the case, Caspar v. Snyder, Judge Mark Goldsmith wrote that once marriages have occurred, the state cannot retract them under the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. “The same-sex couples who married in Michigan during the brief period when such marriages were authorized acquired a status that state officials may not ignore absent some compelling interest — a constitutional hurdle that the defense does not even attempt to surmount, ” the ruling read. “In these circumstances, what the state has joined together, it may not put asunder.” If the state does not appeal the decision in the next 21 days, the marriages will become valid next month. The marriages in question were performed during the day-long interim period between a March district court decision to strike down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage in DeBoer v. Snyder and the granting of a stay on that deci-
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sion pending an appeal to the Sixth Circuit Court. In a departure from decisions in favor of same-sex marriage legalization across the country, the circuit court has since reversed the district’s court ruling, holding that the state’s ban, as well as several similar measures in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee, was constitutionally valid. Plaintiffs in the case have since asked the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the issue. Justices heard the petition last week, but have yet to make a decision on whether they will take up the case. As part of his ruling, Goldsmith also declined to issue a stay on the recognition of the marriages tied to the petition before the Supreme Court, which would have halted the ruling from coming into effect until the Supreme Court acted on the petition. In a statement Thursday morning, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, who requested the stay on the marriages and is litigating the case to protect the state’s ban, reiterated previous calls for the Supreme Court to take up the issue. “We are reviewing Judge Goldsmith’s decision, but as I have said repeatedly, the sooner the United States Supreme Court makes a decision on this issue the better it will be for Michigan and America,” Schuette said. In contrast to Schuette, the plaintiffs in the case, represented by the ACLU, have taken the position that a decision on the Michigan’s same-sex marriage ban would not impact the See MARRIAGE, Page 3
CHARLES KOWALEC/Daily
Bassist and vocalist Gwenyth Hayes performs with the Gwenyth Hayes Trio at the Gifts of Art free concert at the University of Michigan Hospital Thursday.
DEVELOPMENT
Ross recieves $20 million for leadership initiatives University alum’s donation to fund creation of new student center By SHOHAM GEVA Daily News Editor
The money keeps rolling in. The Ross School of Business announced a new $20 million gift to the school Thursday morning. Donated by former General Mills CEO Stephen W. Sanger, a University alum, and his
wife Karen Sanger, a small business attorney, the gift will be used to create the Sanger Leadership Center. In a press release, Stephen Sanger lauded current Business School leadership programs, namely the Ross Leadership Initiative, and said he was honored to support the continued growth of additional opportunities. “Among those of us who have recruited talent for our companies, one of the things that sets Ross graduates apart is their leadership skills,” Sanger said. “This difference reflects the innovative,
TRANSPORTATION
or new leadership methodologies. In a statement, Scott DeRue, the Business School’s associate dean and incoming faculty director of the Sanger Leadership Center, said its creation will increase the school’s unique capacities to provide leadership training. “I envision a future where 50,000 Michigan Ross students — past, present and future — lead positive change in themselves and around the world,” DeRue said. “The creation of the Sanger Leadership Center and the generous See DONATION, Page 3
ADMINISTRATION
Regents plan strategic talk in Ann Arbor
‘U’ commits funding to Night Owl bus service Despite previous plans, route to continue running through semester ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
French lecturer Mark Burde presents on the tradition of satirical newspapers in France at East Quad in response to the recent attacks on the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo.
By TANAZ AHMED Daily Staff Reporter
Though Central Student Government previously announced plans to discontinue the Night Owl bus route, the body announced Wednesday that the service will continue. As of last semester, CSG and the Interfraternity Council funded the Night Owl as a pilot program, each contributing $15,000 and hoping the University would assume responsibility for sustaining the program’s funding. In December, CSG said the University had not secured long-term funding. University Parking and Transportation Services has committed to funding the service at least through the end of the semester. The late-night bus route, See NIGHT OWL, Page 3
WEATHER TOMORROW
hands-on programs of the Ross Leadership Initiative.” The center will focus on sustaining current elements of the RLI. The initiative currently facilitates several programs for students, including yearly competitions to form profitable, socially minded businesses in Detroit, crisis management simulations and workshops focused on self-reflection and leadership skills. The center will also provide feedback for students and personalized coaching, along with resources for faculty working on innovative ideas
HI: 37 LO: 32
Residential College lecture talks Charlie Hebdo fallout Mark Burde clarifies aspects of French satire in context of incident By EMMA KINERY Daily Staff Reporter
After millions filled the streets of France to honor the victims of the Charlie Hebdo shooting, French lecturer Mark Burde delivered a lecture titled “Satire and
Society in France This Week and Last” at the Residential College’s French coffee hour on Thursday. “About four million people marched in the entirety; the most people marching for any political reason, any reason at all, any sort of gathering, since World War II. It was a huge deal,” Burde said. “So the question is, why was this so important?” The talk centered on the Paris shootings on Jan. 7, which killed 12 people and wounded 11. The attack targeted specific cartoonists and editorial staff of the
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French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Carried out by two French Muslim brothers, the attack was a response to the magazine’s satirical publications featuring the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Images of the Prophet Muhammad are forbidden in the religion of Islam. The attack prompted international outcry as #JeSuisCharlie went viral. However, some have been critical of expressing total support for the publication, which many say prints satirical cartoons See FRANCE, Page 3
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Defendent pleads guilty in 2013 murder MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS
INDEX
Session to focus on long-term policy initiatives with Schlissel By GENEVIVE HUMMER Daily Staff Reporter
The University’s Board of Regents will meet this month for a strategic session closed to the public to discuss topics concerning the future of higher education. Regent Denise Ilitch (D) wrote in an e-mail interview the meeting would focus on a diverse range of initiatives. “We will be discussing Academic Excellence and its evolving direction, the Biosciences, Challenges confronting the higher education business model, Diversity at UM, UM Health System and Athletics,” Ilitch wrote. The meeting is also intended to recognize the one-year anniversary of
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the selection of University President Mark Schlissel, who was appointed by the regents to succeed President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman in January 2014. Additionally, Ilitch said the sessions will give the board the opportunity to orient incoming Regent Michael Behm (D–Grand Blanc), who was elected in November 2014. Behm replaced outgoing regent Julia Darlow (D), who chose not to run for reelection. This is the first of the strategic sessions to be held in Ann Arbor. In 2013 and 2014, the regents traveled to California and New York, respectively. In California, the regents met with Google research scientist Dan Russell, Stanford University President John Hennessy and Robert Berdahl, former president of the Association of American Universities. During last winter’s trip to New York, the board met See REGENTS, Page 3
NEWS............................ 2 OPINION.......................4 ARTS............................. 5
SPORTS......................7 SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6
News
2 — Friday, January 16, 2015
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles
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THE WIRE
Jones pleads guilty BY CARLY NOAH
Shaquille Jones pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the case of Paul DeWolf, a University Medical School student. Jones will face 25 to 50 years of prison .
THE FILTER
Quick games BY KIM BATCHELOR
The bi-annual “Awesome Games Done Quick” event for the Prevent Cancer Foundation featured Speedrunners on live-stream competing to complete games as quickly as possible.
LEFT LSA sophomore Cammie Vercollone, women’s Ice Hockey defense, plays in a scrimmage against HoneyBaked Senior B team Sunday at Yost Ice Arena. (Robert Dunne/Daily) RIGHT LSA seniors Kaitlyn Tracy and Joey Gurrentz perform for the ballroom dance team at the Michigan Union Thursday. (Zach Moore/ Daily)
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Elliott Brood WHAT: Canadian roots music act Elliott Brood, with three members switching around on vocals and instruments, will perform with a new release, titled “Work and Love.” WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: The Ark, 316 S. Main
Video game pedagogy
Health lecture series
WHAT: Edmond Chang of Drew University will speak about integrating technology — including video games—in the classroom. WHO: Digital Currents WHEN: Today at 2 p.m. WHERE: Institute for the Humanities Common Room
WHAT: Michael P. O’Donnell will give a lecture on “Making the Business Case for Health Promotion Total Worker Health” WHO: School of Public Health WHEN: Today at 1 p.m. WHERE: School of Public Health, Room 1690
Dobet Gnahoré 48-Hour Space Banking 101 WHAT: TCF Bank will WHAT: Singer, dancer Jam be hosting a workshop for and percussionist Dobet Gnahoré, who hails from the Ivory Coast, will perform an artistic collective of song and dance with French guitarist Colin Laroche de Féline. She was trained by her father, percussionist Boni Gnahoré. WHO: Center for World Performance Studies WHEN: Today from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Theater
WHAT: Students will have the opportunity to team up with three other gamedevelopers and create a video game in 48 hours. Free food and prizes will also be included in the event. WHO: Wolverine Soft WHEN: Today at 5 p.m. WHERE: Windows Training Rooms, 3rd Floor, Duderstadt
students to provide tips for starting and using your own bank account, as well as how to protect yourself from instances of “identity theft.” WHO: International Center WHEN: Today from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@ michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
On Thursday, the Obama Administration announced a set of new regulations so that, beginning today, Americans will be able to visit Cuba for any of a dozen reasons, and begin certain business transactions, the New York Times reported.
2
The Michigan hockey team takes on Ohio State in Columbus as it tries to maintain first place in the Big Ten. The Wolverines beat the Buckeyes in Ann Arbor on Dec. 5, 8-3. >> FOR MORE, SEE SPORTS PAGE 8
3
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed a bill that would have allowed people with restraining orders for domestic abuse and are not explicitly prohibited by a judge to own a gun, to carry a concealed weapon, the Huffington Post reported.
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Forty students named to third Clean energy, education funding group of sustainability fellows among focuses for A 2 legislators Program seeks to facilitate interdiscplinary problem-solving BY CARLY NOAH Daily Staff Reporter
Graduate students from nine University schools and colleges have been named Dow Sustainability Fellows, the University announced Monday. The fellowship includes a $20,000 scholarship, as well as the opportunity to work closely with a community of scholars focused on issues in sustainability. Forty students who are currently enrolled in master’s or professional programs at the University were named to the year-long fellowship. They were selected from a group of nominees from 11 programs across campus. Each school or college could name
up to 10 candidates. This group composes one division of the Dow Sustainability Master’s/Professional Fellows at the University, as the program also offers fellowships for doctoral and postdoctoral students. The program is comprised of students focused on interdisciplinary approaches to a variety of sustainability challenges, including issues with water, energy, transportation, the built environment, climate change, food and health, among other challenges. Besides working alongside the Dow Sustainability doctoral and postdoctoral fellows, the students will also participate in an interdisciplinary team project designed to provide experience tackling realworld challenges. Don Scavia, director of the Graham Sustainability Institute, said in an e-mail part of the program’s success stems from collaborations of students from different disciplines. He wrote that the fellowship offers students a unique
opportunity to add practical experience to their academic pursuits. “They will be much better prepared for tackling complex problems no matter what sector they chose to work in — corporate, government, NGO, academic — upon graduation,” he wrote. He also emphasized the program’s importance to the University, noting the fellowship conveys the power of a public university to prepare students to solve complex sustainability challenges. “We are not aware of any university, nationally or globally, that has anything like this — training over 75 masters, professional, doctoral, and postdoctoral students each year in the nuances of addressing sustainability,” Scavia wrote. Engineering graduate student Selman Mujovic, one of the students named as a fellow, said he looks forward to using the skills from his interdisciplinary project team to impact the world. Mujovic is currently working independently on a water purification project and said he hopes the fellowship will help him navigate the process of implementing it. “I didn’t know that so many different schools were involved in the fellowship,” Mujovic said. “I originally thought that it was specifically for the College of Engineering. I’m looking forward to working with the other fellows to collectively implement various sustainability projects.” Business graduate student Daniel Patton, also a new fellow, wrote in an e-mail that he expects the most rewarding part the program will be the opportunity to work across fields of study. Patton added that the fellowship is unique in the way that sustainability challenges can be discussed among some of the top graduate students in the country. “Sustainability challenges can be hard nuts to crack,” Patton wrote. “Often one perspective is not enough. I hope to gain concrete experience developing solutions that extend my field of See FELLOWS , Page 3
Irwin, Zemke talk new initiatives as 2015 session commences BY JACK TURMAN Daily Staff Reporter
As Michigan’s 98th legislative session kicked off Wednesday, Rep. Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor) and Rep. Adam Zemke (D–Ann Arbor) returned to Lansing with several priorities on their agendas. In an interview Thursday, Zemke said he plans to emphasize education funding during the upcoming session. Zemke, who is in his second term representing Michigan’s 55th House District, said last session he focused on supporting educators and improving school districts, including those in high poverty communities. He said a chief concern for the current legislative session is that education could take a hit following a House Fiscal Agency projection of a $454 million shortfall in the state’s general budget, released Wednesday. “We really have to work to preserve funding at the current levels,” Zemke said. “And really it should be increased, but especially given a budget deficit of $460 million, you’re talking about a lot of items that we have to watch.” He cited Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s package to fund infrastructure repairs, which would cut 20 percent of state appropriations to higher education from the School Aid Fund, shifting much of the responsibility for funding public universities to the General Fund. Zemke said that loss of money from the School Aid Fund, preserved for community college and K-12 education, has potentially negative implications for higher education funding. “University funding would
then have to come out of the General Fund solely,” he said. “With the projected shortfall of the budget, we’ve really got to be watching that university funding to make sure that the budget is not balanced the backs of students.” In an interview Thursday, Irwin also identified higher education funding as an important area for the legislature, noting in particular how higher education funding has decreased in the last decade. “Michigan used to be a real leader in the nation in terms of education policy,” Irwin said. “Over the course of the last decade, especially the last two years, we’ve really fallen off that pace.” To return to the state’s former stature, Irwin said Michigan must engage the public and bring education to the forefront of the political agenda. “Clearly, we need to get back to a place where Michigan is making higher ed a priority and the public is investing more in our institutions of higher learning so that we can control tuition and could try to control student debt,” he said. Irwin, who is in his final term of representing Michigan’s 53rd District, also said he wants to renew state energy efficiency policy and push the development of more clean energy resources in the state. Irwin cited Michigan’s Public Act 295 — which was signed into law in 2008, but expired this year — as a focus. The act was a state initiative to reduce the amount of non-renewable energy used by utilities owned by the state. Irwin said Public Act 295 required that 10 percent of power be generated by renewables by 2015. Irwin also noted many citizens advocated against the act because of its costs. “But, the reality is that in the last seven years, we’ve had tremendous success,” Irwin said.
“Renewable power has come in cheaper than anybody expected.” Along with pushing for continued clean energy, Irwin said he has already introduced a bill this session that calls for a graduated income tax in the state. Currently, Michigan has a flatrate personal income tax. Under a graduated income tax, individuals with higher incomes would pay a larger percentage of their income toward the tax than those with lower incomes. Irwin has introduced this proposal to session in his first term, second term and now third term. Irwin also said he wants to change the adoption policy in the state. Currently, only heterosexual couples can adopt a child. Irwin said he wants to reform the policy to allow second-parent adoption, which is currently not legal in the state. Second-parent adoption refers to parents who cannot legally marry, such as same-sex couples. “It is especially important because you’ve got children in the state of Michigan who are living in these homes,” he said. “They are living in the homes headed by either heterosexual or homosexual couples who did not wish to marry.” Irwin said the children are at a severe disadvantage because they don’t receive certain legal benefits. “Those kids deserve the same rights as kids who are adopted into married families,” Irwin said. “The way that our law are currently comprised, those children who are adopted into those families have less rights to inheritance, less rights to health care benefits, hospital visitation.” Though not a policy proposal, Zemke also announced Wednesday that he is committed to tweeting every vote he casts and why he is casting that particular vote during this sesSee SESSION , Page 3
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MARRIAGE From Page 1 recognition of the marriages. Law Prof. Julian Mortenson, who argued part of the case as a cooperating attorney, said in an interview Thursday afternoon that though a Supreme Court decision on the same-sex marriage bans would set precedent, the decision handed down in this case was not particularly groundbreaking. “The decision that came out today is grounded in — as the district court judge found — literally centuries of Anglo-American precedent recognizing that when people have validly been married according to the laws of the jurisdiction they live in, they are entitled to remain married,” he said. “So in that sense it is a completely unexceptional, wellreasoned, thoughtful, careful, scrupulous application of that long-standing grounded principle of Anglo-American law to the particular facts here. I mean, it’s certainly enormously significant for our clients.” Also in an interview Thursday afternoon, Jay Kaplan, staff attorney with the ACLU of Michigan’s LGBT project, said the key distinction in Caspar v. Snyder was that it focused on the right of couples to stay married,
REGENTS From Page 1 with leaders from several East Coast higher education institutions, including Bill Bowen, Princeton University president emeritus; Peter Salovey, president of Yale University; Edward Miller, and Michael Johns, retired executive vice president for health affairs at Emory University. Johns was eventually tapped to serve as the University of Michigan Health System’s interim chief executive officer after the departure of former UMHS CEO Ora Pescovitz. The trip also included several development events, including a dinner fundraiser at Lincoln Center. The events cost $90,000 and were paid for with Office of Development funds. Regent Katherine White (D) wrote in an e-mail interview that the meeting is local this year because they will not be meeting with external higher ed officials, as they’ve done in the past. “This meeting is internally focused and we will neither be meeting with outside speakers nor traveling outside the state of Michigan,” White wrote. “Instead, this session is to give the Board an opportunity to have long-term strategic sessions with our new President, Dr. Mark Schlissel.” White, who chairs the board, did not attend the trips to California or New York. Prior to 2013, the regents typically held a public meeting in January, as they do each month apart from August. This semester, Schlissel has expressed interest in several new initiatives at the University, including streamlining the
not whether same-sex couples can get married. “The DeBoer case, though the incredibly important case that it is, is about the right of samesex couples to get married,” Kaplan said. “In this case, our couples are married. They were legally married in Michigan in accordance with Michigan law on March 22nd of 2014. And our case is about the right to stay married because the state, in saying that these marriages are legal but we’re not recognizing these marriages, are in essence invalidating these marriages. They can’t constitutionally do that. And the judge agreed with us.” Gov. Rick Snyder’s office did not respond to a request for comment on how the state will proceed with the ruling. However, following the Sixth Circuit’s decision in November, Snyder released a statement stating that he does not see the marriages as valid under the state constitution. “The Court of Appeals decision does not allow for state benefits of marriage for those same-sex couples in accordance with our state constitution,” the November statement read. “That decision only can be changed if today’s Appeals Court ruling is overturned.”
University’s sustainability initiatives and working to increase diversity at the University. White stressed the importance of the board in helping Schlissel to shape University policies. “The Board of Regents has taken the role of overall governance and has delegated the day to day operations of the university to the President,” White wrote. “In other words, the Board sets and approves policies for the university and provides oversight. The President, in consultation with the Board, crafts university policies.” Most recently, Schlissel has begun efforts to combat sexual assault and misconduct on campus. In an e-mail Monday, Schlissel notified students of a survey aimed at gauging the campus climate related to sexual misconduct. In the e-mail, Schlissel said a number of students had already approached him about their encounters with the topic of sexual misconduct. “During my first semester as president, I spent a great deal of time engaging with the campus community in various forums, fireside chats, interviews, and other informal meetings,” Schlissel wrote. “At many of these sessions, students spoke openly and personally about sexual assault issues at the University of Michigan, or wrote me directly to share their views on this very important issue.” Ilitch voiced her support of Schlissel’s sexual misconduct initiative and affirmed that the board would be actively involved in crafting any related policies during the upcoming semester. “The Regents will play a very active role on this vitally important topic,” Ilitch said.
NIGHT OWL From Page 1 established last year, was designed particularly for University students living off-campus. CSG President Bobby Dishell, a Public Policy senior, said that until Wednesday, CSG was under the impression the program would be discontinued, noting that CSG never intended to permanently run the program. “The intent was always for the University to pick it up,” Dishell said. “We’re incredibly grateful that the budget for this year has been set and the University found a way to pick up the cost of this bus route.” According to the CSG press release, Night Owl has transported 12,598 riders in the past year. “That time period when Night Owl runs is the highest period
FRANCE From Page 1 that are inappropriate and disrespectful. Burde said the goal of the lecture was to clarify some aspects of French society which are lesser known to Americans and to help explain why Charlie Hebdo is so controversial as a publication. Under French law it is illegal to publish anything attacking a racial group; however, it is legal to publish attacks against ideologies such as religion. “There are considerably stronger speech laws in France, hate speech laws, than there are in the States,” Burde said. France has two major satiri-
SESSION From Page 2 sion. Zemke said he hoped to do this last term, but the initiative didn’t materialize. “When we got into this term, I said ‘You know what, we’re going to set a precedent. It’s a new term. We’re starting fresh,’ ” he said. He added that citizens should know what the government is doing, which is why he wants to improve the transparency of his actions. “There’s going to be a lot issues that are going to be posted that they probably will have not much interest in and we recognize that,” he said. “We’re going to try and be as concise as possible and make the information available.”
FELLOWS From Page 2 expertise.” Mujovic added that he hopes the fellowship will have longlasting effects in the sustainability community. “Although the program is one year, I hope that our influence will last 10 times that and will extend beyond our starting location,” he said.
Friday, January 16, 2015 — 3
for crime,” Dishell said. “The fact that the University has recognized that is saying ‘Hey, this is important to us, and we want to make sure that students get home safely.’ ” A 2014 CSG release stated that 84 percent of University crime alerts occurred late at night, with 67 percent of incidents happening off-campus. Steve Dolen, executive director of Parking and Transportation Services, said Night Owl is an underused transportation service and its utility will have to be further evaluated. “The Oxford bus route is similar to Night Owl, but Night Owl has roughly 30 percent of the ridership of Oxford, and the Oxford bus route itself is lightly used,” he said. Dolen also said Safe Ride is a viable alternative to Night Owl for late night off-campus transportation. The program is a
free University ride service that transports students, faculty and staff to their homes or vehicles within one mile of campus. “Off-campus is broadly defined,” Dolen said. “Night Owl does not touch that much of the off-campus neighborhoods.” Though it has only been confirmed that Night Owl will operate this semester, both Dishell and CSG Vice President Emily Lustig, a LSA senior, hope the service will expand and continue to run following the end of this semester. “We’d like to expand it up into the North Campus area and serve those students,” Lustig said. “That’s a lot of the feedback we’ve been given, but unfortunately that doubles, or more, the budget and time. Eventually, in the coming years that would be the ultimate goal — to really reach all of the offcampus population.”
cal magazines, Charlie Hebdo and Le Canard enchaîné. Hebdo publishes in a similar style to that of Mad Magazine: “male adolescent humor,” as Burde puts it, “on a very serious topic.” “There are two essential characteristics, I think, of French society that you need to be aware of, without which you will not really fully understand why Charlie Hebdo did what they did and why so many people are so fervent in defending their value, their right to do what they did,” Burde said. These characteristics are “la gouaille” and “laïcité.” “La gouaille” is the French tradition of satire, typically between people of different classes. Burde’s presentation exhibited examples from the late 1700s to show how
embedded “la gouaille” is in French culture. The second component, “laïcité,” is France’s separation of church and state, which extends to other aspects of life to mean a general space without religious interference. LSA freshman Isaiah ZeavinMoss, who is in the Residential College, said he and other students benefited from the lecture. “I think Mark did a really great job of introducing us all to a little bit of the context of Charlie Hebdo and where they’re coming from, who they are, and what the general satirical landscape is in France, and incorporating that into how to compare it to the satirical landscape in America,” he said.
DONATION From Page 1 gift from the Sangers mark a major leap forward in achieving this important vision.” The donation comes as part of the Victors for Michigan campaign, a University-wide effort to raise $4 billion. As of early December, the campaign surpassed its halfway point, with $2.49 billion raised thus far. The Business School has been the beneficiary of several other campaign contributions, including half of a $200 million donation gifted by real estate tycoon Stephen Ross in 2013. His landmark gift was the University’s highest monetary donation received in the school’s nearly 200-year history. More recently, the University announced a $50 million donation by Ron and Eileen Weiser for several construction projects, including renovations to the Dennison building. Business sophomore Jordan Katz said he thought that if implemented right, which he added he was confident it would be, the center would attract high levels of student participation. “I think it’s great,” Katz said. “I think a big focus here at Ross is on leadership and leading successful companies that do the right thing, and I think it gives students a great opportunity to learn about that.” Daily Staff Reporter Nabeel Chollampat contributed to this report.
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Opinion
4 — Friday, January 16, 2015
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The ethics of Serial
he podcast revolution is upon us, and at its forefront is “Serial” — a spinoff of “This American Life.” Dictated by Sarah Koenig, “Serial” investigates the 1999 murder of Korean-American high school student Hae Min Lee. However, what at first seems to be a reporting endeavor quickly becomes the process of garnering an acquittal for Adnan Syed, the ex-boyfriend of Lee who was con- ABBY victed of her murder. He has TASKIER maintained his innocence for 15 years. Koenig’s voice began to feel like a companion of mine — accompanying me along long car rides, walking me to class, annoying me with her repetitive claims. Her obsession is grounded in the need to truly uncover what happened on Jan. 13, the day of Lee’s killing. The spin is that, unlike very hard journalism, Koenig manifests the desire to prove Adnan Syed’s innocence, given that the only real evidence connecting him to the crime is the very shaky witness testimony of one Jay Wilds. Koenig approaches inconsistencies in events, the sheer lack of physical evidence linking Adnan to the murder and a drive to uncover the truth in an honest tone — one reminiscent of something you might hear in “This American Life” or “Radiolab.” But different than these other podcasts which, in some cases, divulge almost too much information about their subjects in one episode, “Serial” focuses on the same people, on the same story, with new interspersed information for 12 episodes. There is a ton of information shared about the victim, Hae, the supposed perpetrator, Adnan, and their respective families, friends and lives. It’s easy to say that this podcast was produced in the name of journalism — that is to say, in the name of uncovering the truth. However, the element remains that this podcast was also produced in the name of entertainment. Crime investigation stories are so popular because crime is so sexy. The haunting nature of murder is alluring in that, when talked about over a podcast, one can be distanced from the actual act of it. But if the whole consumer base is so invested in “Serial” because of its entertainment purposes, how is it ethical? Given the incredible rarity of appealing and overturning a conviction, do people really think that Adnan’s case will conveniently be overturned by the end of the 12th episode? And further, when any white woman enters a scene and picks apart the relations between two kids with immigrant parents — a Korean-American girl and a Muslim boy of Pakistani descent — there is bound to be a component of white saviorism buried within the story. There is a point midway through the season, during episode six, when Koenig unknowingly illustrates a motive she might not be consciously aware of: her desire to play heroine to Adnan. During this episode, Adnan asks Koenig over the phone, “Why are you doing this?” To which she replies, “My interest in it has honestly been you. Like, you’re a really nice guy.” His response to that is surprising to Koenig — he claims that she doesn’t really know him at all. She’s completely taken aback by this, and in her commentary, she calls his remark almost hostile. His honesty is considered to be hostile when it
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doesn’t congratulate her. While disturbed by Koenig’s interpretation of Adnan’s feelings, I also saw a lot of myself in her. Over two years ago, I began volunteering in prisons through the Prison Creative Arts Project, facilitating creative arts workshops for male prisoners. My first workshop, a theater class, took place at the Michigan Reformatory in Ionia, Michigan For two hours a week, my partner and I introduced 10 men to theater. I loved being there, providing a space for their creative expression, but during my first workshop I also felt myself loving my place in the situation. They’d share stories about their lives, and in doing so, I felt that I knew them — from head to toe. This was not the case. It took a downturn of events and experience in another prison facility to understand that this work was not intended to assuage me, and that being in a creative space with someone for two hours a week did not mean I knew their story in its entirety. Koenig’s feelings are human ones. It’s even a little refreshing to see her playing the heroine and simultaneously expressing an overabundance of doubt. And perhaps part of the point of “Serial” is to show this raw side to investigative journalism. But in doing so, it becomes unfair to Adnan. It’s a two-faced approach in which Koenig is willing to be the savior, but in reality is questioning whether or not Adnan should even be saved. About a month ago, when “Serial” was still the number one buzzword, two individuals asked me separately, “Have you listened to ‘Serial?’ You know the part with the Innocence Project? That’s what I want to do!” For people who had never before expressed interest in helping the incarcerated, or getting wrong convictions overturned, this was shocking to me. Listening to a podcast had actually formulated the desire to help the imprisoned. Naturally, since I am working with the incarcerated myself, I questioned their motives. But the truth is, if “Serial” can safely introduce people to a prisoner, Adnan, and show them how human he is, then maybe it’s accomplishing a lot more than entertainment. There are real ethical issues to “Serial.” Koenig, although sensitively, reveals anecdotes, diary entries and family issues of Hae’s that morph her into a storyline, rather than a dead girl whose black hair was found peeking out of a shallow grave. Adnan, who’s been in prison since 1999, is now known all around the nation — his innocence discussed in classrooms and raging debates on whether he did or did not strangle his ex-girlfriend with his bare hands. For me, for some reason, I don’t really care if he did or didn’t do it. What’s so impressive about “Serial” is its smart investigation, attention to small details, personal accounts and, most importantly, its exhibition of Adnan’s humanity. Maybe it’s a feat of entertainment. But if it is inspiring to people, if it is allowing them to look at the many facets of crime and those involved in it, then, I guess, who cares if it’s entertainment? As for Koenig, even if she’s looking for that pat on the back throughout the whole series, I guess we can forgive her. Because she’s human — just like Adnan, just like you and just like me. — Abby Taskier can be reached at ataskier@umich.edu.
Dying a hero
hey say you never realize how much you miss something until it is taken away from you. A loved one who passes away, a friend who moves across the country, my old Pokémon Blue video game that my mom always took away from me when I was grounded — we all face these trying times in our lives. Goodbyes are essential to DAVID existence, however tough HARRIS and unexplained. There are many charming things about this University, and somewhere down on that list, right after “has class in Wine Tasting,” are our wonderful cafeterias. After all, at what other school can you take a date to a $60 million restaurant for the low cost of a guest-meal swipe? Way to go, South Quad. Most of my dining hall experiences involved stealing entire trays of cookies, storing them in Tupperware and carrying them to my room, as well as Frosted Flakes and salad with every meal because I’m a responsible college student. But also intrinsically tied to the experience was the impossible game of Tetris that was fitting multiple circular plates onto a square piece of plastic. But some men just want to watch the
world burn, and thus, we were forced to part ways with our plastic dining companions. Okay, that’s probably a little harsh. There are reasonable explanations for getting rid of them: saving water and resources needed to wash them, cutting down on food waste or more subtly training those of us who won’t be employed after graduation in the art of balancing multiple plates for our future of waiting tables. Rather, the real shame is that two years removed from their fateful departure, the Michigan winters have only become harder to endure as the main vehicle for being transported from point A on top of a snowy hill to point B at the bottom is no more, and it still hurts. Sledding on a cafeteria tray has been a rite of passage for college students throughout the ages. In the college universe, where a sled would take up about 27 percent of the floor space in our tiny rooms, the cafeteria tray was a hero. It was not the hero that we deserved, but the one we needed. At its surface, it is nothing more than a rectangular piece of plastic with some glossy coating that is almost certainly not environmentally friendly. But the uses of the tray are limitless. One day, someone had the idea to use it as a means of carrying food around. Another saw a snowy hill, lacked a full-featured sled and knew exactly what he was going to use
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instead. One day, I came back to my dorm room with the aforementioned 12-by-18-inch piece of plastic and decided to use it as a doormat for my wet shoes. The cafeteria tray was the pinnacle of college resourcefulness. The average college student is broke, living and keeping all of his or her
essential belongings in a room about the size of a walk-in closet, but the tray was a source of empowerment. It may be gone for now, but its impact will be felt forever. We never said thank you to this dark knight, and we’ll never have to. No memoir could do these rectangular squares of freedom justice. It is
said that you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain. The cafeteria tray is forever the former. Yet riddle me this: Bursley still has them. — David Harris can be reached at daharr@umich.edu.
New Year, New Me
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he New Year has just rolled in. Full of promise, 2015 is said to actually be the year of change. Resolutions have been set, whether thoughtfully planned out or drunkenly thrown together at 11:53 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. We strive to start out the New SARA Year with goals SHAMASKIN that will make us better people, healthier people and happier people. But come a month later, do they even stick? What kinds of resolutions have been made, and what kind of success can be foretold by the nature of the resolution? If it is vague, say, “be a happier person,” is it more likely to fail? If it is specific, say, “eat a salad for dinner three times a week,” is it more likely to succeed? I believe we make resolutions because we appreciate a fresh start, a way to say that what we have done in the past is just that: in the past. Jan. 1 is a way to have the past year forgive us and the New Year give us a chance. We want to show that we have the ability to make these promises and keep them; that we can commit and succeed at these personal tasks. Do we feel guilty if
we start to falter in our resolutions by February? What about July? I began with myself, for how will I best understand others’ resolutions if I cannot identify some for my own well-being? My goals: lose 15 pounds, keep my desk clean, shrug off the little stuff. Three supposedly simple goals, but I will see how the next few months pan out. I have learned through many failed resolutions that I need more tangible and simple goals. A list of three is much easier for me to manage with a busy lifestyle. Having an extensive reason also helps to solidify the resolutions, making them more pertinent to your life, a better reason of “why I need this,” rather than “just because.” Losing weight is specifically geared to certain jobs for which I am applying, the desk is so I have a clean workspace and will be encouraged to avoid procrastination, and shrugging off the little stuff is to keep my mind focused on the important aspects of my life. By having reasons, we are able to continue with our resolutions because they have meaning in our lives, whether they are a goal down the road or a day-to-day task. Sometimes we need help, and we should not be afraid to seek it. At the beginning of the New Year, we look for ways to best complete our goals with helpful hints from BuzzFeed
articles, using our friends to encourage each other, looking at others’ habits and setting reminders on phones and computers. I know this works for me: my roommate’s desk is spotless and I would like it to look like hers. My friend and I will drag each other to the gym and do workouts together. It is much more successful when you are able to combine resolutions, providing a lower chance of failure when two bodies are pushing for the same goal. But many of our mental resolutions are personal, where we need to think to ourselves about how we manage situations and how we can change our mentalities. According to Stephen Covey, author of the book “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” it takes 30 days for a habit to become solidified, whether it be forming a new one or breaking an old one. If we go by what Covey says, then the month of January is the most crucial. We need to be more active in remembering our resolutions so that they will, hopefully, become part of our routine: forming good habits, breaking bad habits and keeping the resolutions that we said we would. And just think, maybe keeping your resolutions can be a resolution. Good luck! — Sara Shamaskin can be reached at scsham@umich.edu.
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
STUDENTS FOR EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE | VIEWPOINT
Barging in Those of you who are particularly social media-savvy might have noticed an interesting hashtag orbiting the Twittersphere as of late: #BargeX. Amidst the rumbles and flashes of #JeSuisCharlie, Air Asia and George Zimmerman, six cryptic letters can be easy to miss. What does it all mean anyway? In short, a space company (almost!) landed a rocket on a boat from orbit. Big deal? Yes. Here’s how they did it: On Jan. 10 at 4:47 a.m., the Space Exploration and Technologies Corporation, popularly known as SpaceX, launched an unmanned rocket — the Falcon 9 — to the International Space Station to replenish supplies there. This time, though, this routine mission had an added twist. Usually, after a rocket’s first stage booster separates from its payload high in the atmosphere (travelling at around 1,300 meters per second, or nearly four times the speed of sound), it’s allowed to simply fall out of orbit into one of the conveniently located oceans below for “splashdown.” However, last Saturday, the thrusters on the first stage were reignited, reorienting the booster in the atmosphere, turning its free fall to the Earth’s surface into an elegant controlled dive. This itself is mind-bogglingly difficult — SpaceX itself described it as “trying to balance a rubber broomstick on your hand in the middle of a wind storm.” Obviously, hitting a boat at Mach 4 would make quite a mess. The rocket had to slow its sharp descent and reduce its speed. So began a number of controlled ‘burns,’ or firings of the engine, that attempted to reduce the speed of the 14-story rocket from Mach 4 to about two meters per sec-
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ond, which is the speed of a brisk jog. Let that sink in for a moment. To further complicate matters, the unanchored boat (or barge, as some are calling it) that the rocket was aiming for was at the mercy of the tide, despite having powerful thrusters to stabilize it. To even have a chance of hitting the target, the booster had to have a high-precision course adjustment system, which basically means a really good steering wheel. It relied on its brand-new fins for that. Folding out from the chassis à la X-Wing in “attack formation,” each fin was programmed to move independently to change the direction of the booster in each of the three dimensions: roll, pitch and yaw. Combine that with an engine mounted on a set of gimbals that allow it to roll, pitch and yaw as well, and you end up with a rocket that can practically fly itself! And that’s exactly what it did; the whole process described above was performed autonomously. No human was involved in the landing of this rocket. So that’s what was supposed to happen. Unfortunately, rocket science and engineering is hard, and is rife with false starts and missteps. On the upside, the engine burns did their jobs, and the Falcon 9 booster made contact with the barge. Well, contact is actually the wrong word: the booster slammed into the barge and broke apart on impact. The problem was that the hydraulic fluid used to operate those steerable fins ran out before landing, and the spacecraft couldn’t slow down enough without them. OK, so it didn’t work this time. Why should you care? Well, being
able to actually land a rocket means we can reuse it, for one. And we can do it, no doubt. SpaceX plans to try again in one of its other seven planned resupply missions, this time with more hydraulic fluid. But it’s space. Proverbially, space is always over there, seeming disconnected from the rest of us. Why spend $900 million to develop a rocket only to pull some silly stunt with a barge? Some justify the expense as an investment: if rockets can be reused, spaceflight becomes cheaper, and space becomes accessible to more than just countries, corporations and universities. We at SEDS (Students for the Exploration and Development of Space), meanwhile, support this endeavor simply because any significant stride in space is unequivocally a boon for humanity as a whole. The effort to make space accessible to society has an importance on a scientific and technological level that cannot be understated. Yet, it is just as important as another step in expanding our understanding of the universe. As some famous astrophysicists are wont to say, “We are star stuff.” Look, this is 2015. This is the year Marty McFly shows up and sees hover boards, flying cars and selftying shoelaces and a future that seems ... cool! We might not have flying cars today, but how about a rocket that can fly itself to space and back? Or a space program that operates on timelines of weeks, not months or years? That’s a future worth building. Ad Astra, my friends. This viewpoint was collaboratively written by the University’s chapter of Students for Exploration and Development of Space.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Attacking this day with Enthusiasm Unknown to Mankind.” —Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh (@CoachJim4UM) tweeted on January 15 to his 157,000 followers. The tweet was favorited 5,560 times and retweeted 6,108 times as of 11:19 p.m. on January 15.
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Arts
Friday, January 16, 2015 — 5
GENDER AND MEDIA COLUMN
TV REVIEW
Not Jeremy Renner’s Golden Globes
I FXX
You don’t wanna watch it, but you will ... because of the implication.
‘Sunny’ starting to show its age By CHLOE GILKE Managing Arts Editor
Watching “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is like coming home to visit your high school friends. There’s a cer- Btain comfort in hanging out It’s Always with the old gang, knowing Sunny in the ins and outs Philadelphia of their humor and anticipat- Season 10 ing every beat Premiere and punchline. FXX You sit down, Wednesdays beer in hand, easily falling at 10 p.m. back into the rhythm of your former self, the person who used to love these idiots with all your heart. You secretly hope for something beyond such a superficial connection — some sign that they’re real, evolving people and not just a walking yearbook photo, but they’re always, tragically, the same people you left at home. And when you visit, sure enough, they’re still sloppy, silly and juvenile. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but you can’t help but feel a little sad for the gulf that’s formed between you and your gang. After 10 seasons on the air, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” is finally beginning to show its age. The premiere episode, “The Gang Beats Boggs,” pulls every trick in the show’s arsenal, mashing the premises of previous episodes into a postmodern mess. I really wanted to love this episode. My “Sunny” obsession commenced at the end of the ninth season and just before that brutal 14-month hiatus, so I’ve been counting down the days to this episode like I was anticipating going home. But this episode was so disap-
pointingly formulaic that even I, Queen of All Things “Sunny,” could feel the clouds. “The Gang Beats Boggs” finds the Paddy’s crew aboard a plane to Los Angeles, hoping to beat baseball player Wade Boggs’s mythical mile-high drinking record. They tally the beers they’ve consumed with marks on their shirts. (To stretch this metaphor as far as it’ll go, I’ll make my own tally of the “Sunny” cliches that this episode regurgitates. One for “the gang plays a game and gets way too competitive.” Two for “a journey outside of Philly, featuring general hijinks.”) Dee (Kaitlin Olson, “The Heat”) is the drunkest from the outset, her beer tally already in the teens when she boards. She slurps down can after can, spiraling into self-destruction and masochism until finally ending up face-down on a luggage carousel. Olson is a gifted physical comedian, but once again she’s relegated to being the punching bag of the gang. Tally number three: Dee is sad, drunk and disgusting. We know. “Boggs” also revisits “Sunny” ’s favorite trope of the gang being terrible to innocent people (cue tally number four). Some permutations of this can be hilarious, especially when the victims deserve to be treated like garbage. But this episode went too far by putting someone’s life in danger. The gang are supposed to be guiltless sociopaths, but it’s just not believable that Frank (Danny DeVito, “Batman Returns”) would nearly kill a poor frat boy who has the stones to order a beer from the plane’s precious, limited store. After spiking the kid’s drink with a dozen sleeping pills, Frank impersonates a doctor and bumbles around the young man as he babbles incoherently. Tally five for jumping the shark, edging
past hilarious and straight into cringe territory. But the episode’s strongest thread is that it offers more time to spend with Dennis Reynolds (Glenn Howerton, “Coffee Town”). Of all the gang, he’s the one who seems to have evolved the most from the show’s outset, transitioning from a typical confident asshole to a confident asshole who is also a total psychopath. With his cold eyes and Hitchcock-villain good looks, Howerton knocks this plotline out of the park. Dennis is inscrutable as ever as he makes an addendum to the beer challenge. He eyes a beautiful, J.Crew-clad, desperately sad lady and makes it his mission to have sex with her on the plane. He somehow figures out that she’s married and unattainable, and instead bangs some “desert trash” chick in the luggage compartment. Why? Because “Dennis is a bastard man” and we’ll probably never crack that depraved skull and really grasp his sociopathy. Tally six for Dennis being creepy and manipulative (not that I’m complaining). At this point, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” has cemented its status as premier caustic, black-spirited comedy. The familiar elements make for consistently funny television, but at the same time, “Sunny” seems to have shelved innovation for easy laughs. After running the gamut of sitcom tropes, from self-reflexive parody to bottle episodes to road trips, the show has fallen back into its comfy seat on the couch, content to sip beer and spew the same jokes while viewers laugh along automatically. “Sunny” is always funny, but the gang’s schtick has grown stale, and the show tragically runs the risk of becoming the TV equivalent of a flat beer.
Generic ‘Wisdoms’ Daily Arts Writer
In its most guarded heart of hearts, Christopher Scotton’s debut novel “The Secret Wisdom of the Earth” is about the det- The Secret rimental effect of kept secrets Wisdoms of and their ability the Earth to destroy those around them. Christopher Its protagonist, Scottan 14-year-old Grand Central Kevin Gillooly, Publishing learns about the complexi- Jan. 15. 2015 ties of love and the vastness of nature one fateful summer in the Appalachian mountains. The novel begins with Kevin and his mother moving back to the family homestead headed by patriarch “Pop” in the wake of the horrific death of his younger brother. Reduced to a husk of her former self, his mother is practically nonverbal, leaving Kevin to deal with his perceived responsibility for the tragedy. Kevin is quickly drawn into the politics of Medgar, a small town in Kentucky. Historically a coal town, its veins have dried up and a new form of mining called mountaintop
removal has begun. This practice involves completely leveling the once proud mountains that defined the town and the surrounding area. When one of the main protesters and close friends of Kevin’s grandfather is brutally murdered, an intricate mountain of deceit and lies builds up and blasts apart in the small town. Through his novel, Scotton confronts male love of all different kinds. The relationships between two men, two childhood friends and a grandson and grandfather are all examined, shining light on the many ways men depend upon and cherish each other. Underneath the main plot, Scotton also inspects the harsh realities of coal mining and its detrimental physical and economic effects on those who partake in it. “The Secret Wisdom of the Earth” gives a fictional account of the real disparity that can be witnessed in forgotten towns across the rural United States. A once rich enterprise, coal mining has progressively slowed down, leaving many families in its literal dust. Above all else, “The Secret Wisdom of the Earth” implores readers to cherish the natural world. His new friends see Kevin as a city boy, with no practical knowledge of the earth. Through the help of his
grandfather and friend Buzzy, he learns to interact with and appreciate the natural wonders contained in the mountains surrounding the small town. He comes to understand why his grandfather will never sell the family land and how the earth can contain not just soil, but living memories. Scotton constructs beautiful and thoughtful prose that truly paints vivid pictures for readers. As Kevin traipses through the wilderness, readers can picture the beautiful landscape he witnesses. Unfortunately, at times, the lengthy novel can drag and readers are given somewhat unnecessary information. While Kevin’s work as a veterinary assistant helps readers recognize his maturation and character growth, many may not be interested in the intricacies of castrating a bull. Additionally, though the focus of the novel is on secrets, many of these seemingly deep and dark mysteries are actually quite transparent. By halfway through the novel, readers can probably guess both the murderer and the ultimate ending. That being said, “The Secret Wisdom of the Earth” does what it sets out to do in its examination of love and loss in small town Kentucky.
allowed herself to age on camera, letting her face soften and body change sans surgery or chemicals over the 12 years of filming, in the way her middle-class single mother character would have. She was proud to do so, saying in a New York Times interview, “I need space to grow and get old and be a human being. I don’t want to be trapped in your ingénue bubble.” It was a rebellious move in an industry still controlled mostly by its dick, and her win serves to acknowledge this bravery. We saw it too in Tina and Amy’s sharp joke about George Clooney’s Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award, and later in Clooney’s graceful praise of his wife’s arguably more significant achievements.
These were the Golden Globes of every type of woman. We saw it in “Transparent” showrunner Jill Soloway’s emotional testament to her own transparent, and her public support of all trans individuals. But no one expressed the climate for women in Hollywood better than Maggie Gyllenhaal when she accepted her awardfor Best Actress in a Miniseries for “The Honorable Woman.” With her nononsense pixie cut and younger brother (and fellow nominee) looking on proudly in the audience, Gyllenhaal stood on that stage and for two minutes provided some desperately needed clarity. “When I look around the room at the women who are in here and I think about the performances that I’ve watched this year, what I see actually are women who are sometimes powerful, and sometimes not. Sometimes sexy, sometimes not. Sometimes honorable, sometimes not. And what I think is new is that wealth of roles for actual women in television and in film.” Finally, FINALLY someone pinpointing the importance of nuance
in women’s representations, the value in complexity of character. Someone once told me that Maggie Gyllenhaal is the closest thing I have to a celebrity doppelgänger, and after this speech I’m clinging even harder to that very weak comparison. Because her words resonated with me (and I hope with the audience of that room) with their laid-bare honesty and frankness, with their inspiration and grace. These were the Women’s Golden Globes, but not just of the new Hollywood “woman” — strong and slightly masculine and ballbusting and, still, always, sexy. No, these were the Golden Globes of every type of woman and every expression of femininity, whether in the form of Amy Poehler’s goofy grace, Amal Alamuddin’s blazing intelligence or Amy Adams’s fumbling earnestness. Much of this year’s ceremony was forgettable, and some of it awkwardly offensive, from Renner’s comment to Margaret Cho’s queasy North Korean caricature. (Sorry Cho, but we didn’t need to see that the first time, and certainly not the second or third.) But it was the Golden Globes that gave women a voice, a fact frighteningly relevant given the justannounced Oscar nominations. All day Thursday my newsfeed was whirring in outrage towards the 2015 Academy Awards: no women were nominated for any directing or screenwriting awards, nor were there any people of color in any of the four acting categories. Even frontrunners in their respective categories Ava DuVernay (“Selma”) and Gillian Flynn (“Gone Girl”) were shut out. Yes, it’s a problem. Really it’s the problem; representation will never ever ever be equitable until the people making films and the people giving out awards better represent the population. But this very outrage reflects the important self-awareness we saw at the Golden Globes. It’s the first step in a twisted 12 Steps program for an antiquated industry; first you have to recognize you have a problem before you can solve it. Well, it’s clear Hollywood is beginning to recognize. I can’t wait to see what they continue to do about it.
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
Vance Joy’s album one of the year’s best By CARLY SNIDER
BOOK REVIEW
By CAROLYN DARR
t’s a term. A buzzphrase. A slogan to slap on an event and vaguely raise money towards. Women in Hollywood. The simple, invaluable idea that’s the basis for this column: women must be better represented NATALIE both behind the scenes GADBOIS and in front of the camera in the media. While hugely important, this concept can seem sterilized when addressed so professionally, so archly. But at the 2015 Golden Globe awards Sunday, my idol Tina Fey succinctly established the problem Hollywood has with gender in two biting sentences: “Steve Carell’s ‘Foxcatcher’ look took two hours to put on, including his hairstyling and make-up. Just for comparison, it took me three hours today to prepare for my role as human woman.” The Beverly Hills Hilton resounded with self-conscious laughter, and with it ushered in the Women’s Golden Globes. A show at times messy, as with Jeremy Renner’s bawdy comment on JLo’s set of “globes” (not doing yourself any favors Renner), but at it’s heart a desperately needed celebration of the diverse women in the room. This was a true testament to the women of Hollywood, beating and real and vividly complex. We saw it in Julianne Moore’s triumphant win for “Still Alice,” her second nomination of the night. At 54, Moore sits squarely in the working wasteland for actresses, no longer a “hot young thing” and not yet a Meryl. Her success on Sunday alludes to a progression towards positive female characters, developed based on their personalities rather than their box-office-ability. We saw it with Patricia Arquette, Best Supporting Actress winner for “Boyhood” and my mother’s favorite road trip discussion topic — “She grew up in a cult!” — who did nearly the unspeakable for her role. She
Daily Arts Writer
We all know the idea of a soft-spoken songwriter isn’t exactly revolutionary. Despite this fact, Vance Joy still manages to make waves with his debut album Dream Your Life Away. That feat alone should earn him a spot on the imaginary Top 10 Albums of 2014 list. But the worth of the album is much more than just a small but positive public reaction. Simple in musical arrangement and vocals, the Ed Sheeran-esque Aussie offers something inherently relatable and engaging. Joy jumps off the sounds and themes of his 2013 EP in Dream Your Life Away, giving listeners exactly what they would expect in the best way possible. The force behind Joy’s debut comes largely from the single “Riptide,” which immediately gave listeners a clear look at his honest sound. The infectious track launched him into the public eye, pulling him into an extensive tour as he produced his EP, even playing a free show in Ann Arbor last summer. Coming from a place of not being able to show his face on his EP cover to playing gigs like Lollapalooza, the singer’s newfound confidence and identity as an artist is evident in his debut. Joy is now scheduled to open for Taylor Swift on her
upcoming tour. (Upon hearing this news, I immediately cranked up 1989 even louder to celebrate. It was already playing, obviously.)
Joy has made great strides since he started out Joy’s sound is nothing groundbreaking in terms of musical ingenuity, but its simplicity and warmth should be seen as a strength. Joy tackles themes of love and youth, without sinking into the trap of the cliché. His lyrics are straightforward – confronting the best, and also most uncertain, aspects of living. He does not shy away from or gloss over the not-soperfect parts of life. Subject matter ranges from separation to personal identity to first loves, all the while avoiding the sappy and overly sentimental things. Even the tone of his voice, full of vibrato, expresses a realness and vulnerability that helps to validate the lyrics without coming off as cheesy or insincere. Supporting these lyrics is
the go-to alternative combo of guitar and ukulele. The album rises and falls, using these instruments to create both contemplative and more uplifting tracks. These more upbeat tracks, such as “Mess Is Mine” and “First Time,” are so undeniably catchy they can tempt even the most hardened of hearts to hum along. The instrumentals work well to compliment the vocals, without overshadowing or overcompensating, creating a very cohesive sound. While most songs follow the standard pattern of a pop song, Joy keeps his distance from the meat of the genre in his less than perfectly manicured sound. While Dream Your Life Away is not busting down barriers in terms of instrumental arrangement or stylized vocals, it does offer audiences something relatable to grasp. It is a great source of easy listening, perfect for car rides or hanging out with friends. As mushy as this may be, the album sounds like summer – which may help to warm up your now frigid walks to class. The most impressive quality of this album is not actually musical, but rather lies in the youth of Vance Joy’s career. Joy has made great strides since he started out in 2013 and is still growing. Not many artists find success with a breakout single about their fear of the dentist and the dark.
Arts
6 — Friday, January 16, 2015
TV REVIEW
‘Archer’ returns By MATT BARNAUSKAS Daily Arts Writer
The last season of “Archer” went for a game changer, bucking the traditional super spy farce in exchange for its cast of charAacters entering the criminal Archer world where they peddled Season 6 cocaine, sold Premiere firearms and FX entered the “outlaw” coun- Thursdays try music busi- at 10 p.m. ness. The aptly titled “Archer: Vice” announced a dramatic change in the life of the Adam Reed (“Sealab 2021”) created series. However, with the season six premiere, “The Holdout,” the show returns to its espionage roots. The result is an abruptly humorous return as characters readjust to the status quo. Of course things have changed drastically for the series’ title character (voiced by H. Jon Benjamin, “Bob’s Burgers”) who now finds himself the biological father of fellow agent Lana Kane’s (Aisha Tyler, “Whose Line Is It Anyway”) newborn daughter, Abijean. This is after Lana, unannounced, used Archer’s “goop.” In typical fashion, Archer avoids responsibility until he’s called back into action. The spy mission of the week leaves Archer stranded in Borneo where he’s forced to team up with
a WWII Japanese soldier, Kintaru Sato (Togo Igawa, “Memoirs of a Geisha”), who has spent years ignorant of the end of the war. The first confrontation between the two is an incredibly well-animated sequence as the two duel in the jungle. The sequence presents possibly some of the best animation the series has seen and speaks volumes to how much the show has improved technically from its initial seasons. Reed’s writing remains topnotch, with the dynamic between Archer and Sato being particularly strong, as the duty-bound Sato reprimands Archer, “You cannot shirk your duty.” “Yes I can I do it all the time!” is Archer’s unsurprising response. However, the arc presents a surprisingly emotional turn for the episode as Sato, who has missed seeing his own family grow up, challenges Archer’s fears of parenthood and forces the spy to confront his reluctance to grow up. The poignant story still brings humor with the series’ quotable one-liners. Archer tells the jungle to “eat a buffet of dicks” and a mix of candy and painkillers coined “Mike and Vics” — all particular standouts. The episode’s subplot about the rest of the cast’s return to their spy agency (formerly known as ISIS, but changed for obvious reasons) provides some self-referential comedy. The renovation of the agency’s office by Cheryl (Judy Greer, “Married”) and Pam (Amber Nash, “Frisky Dingo”) is
incredibly clever as they reveal the great lengths they’ve taken to return everything to the original before the office was destroyed, all the way down to the bloodstain on the carpet. Mallory Archer’s (Jessica Walter, “Arrested Development”) despair after seeing the hologram of a futuristic office fade away to Cold War-era technology and Cheryl’s glee at her expense are fantastic. The drastic return to normalcy seems like Reed laughing at critics who initially called for change and reacted poorly to “Vice.” Characters themselves have physically returned to normalcy: Pam addresses the return of her weight after slimming down due to a cocaine addiction, as filling a hole in her life saying, “Some people fill it with drugs. Some fill it with work. Some fill it with between meal snacks, liquor and their therapist’s cock.” But it still remains uncertain whether Krieger (Lucky Yates, “Frisky Dingo”) is or isn’t a clone from last season’s finale. “I’m not a huge fan of change,” Archer declares at the end of the episode. “Archer” may be returning to well-worn territory but its humor remains as sharp as ever with its strong sense of self-awareness. Meanwhile, there is enough chance for development that some characters of “Archer” will have to face their shifting circumstances, making this return a welcome one.
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Classifieds
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Sardine cousin 5 “My take is ...” 10 Princess from Amphipolis 14 Iota 15 One-up 16 “Head With Pipe” artist Nolde 17 Watchable, in a way 18 Jar for leafy vegetable storage? 20 2000s World #1 female golfer 22 Nurture 23 Word with cake or break 24 Actor Jackie’s pet fish? 27 “__ Love” (Maroon 5 hit) 29 Smoking, perhaps 30 Half a score 31 1959 novel in whose film version Mary Crane became Marion Crane 33 Giant 36 Rabbit’s friend 37 Opine ... or create four long answers in this puzzle? 41 Literary __ 42 More than hammer home 43 Video game segments 45 Jr.’s jr. 46 Spot for a soak 49 With 60-Down, only South Korean World Golf Hall of Fame inductee 50 Emulate an inveterate swindler? 53 Small songbird 54 Work on a canvas? 56 Unfortunate 57 Vessel with limited space? 61 Bard’s verb 62 “See Dad Run” star 63 Steer snagger 64 Mishmash 65 TripAdvisor alternative
66 “No worries” 34 U.S.-U.K. 47 Shakespearean separator heiress 67 White side, maybe 35 “Truth is more of 48 “But I digress ...” a stranger than 50 Trainee DOWN fiction” writer 51 Marine predators 1 More than peck 37 The works 52 Bygone birds 2 Head __ 38 Second section 53 Mango tango 3 Besides of Verdi’s smoothie server 4 Plymouth’s “Requiem” 55 Prefix with county 39 Fit nicely cardial 5 Org. with a multi40 Quarters, e.g. 58 Post-spill need ring logo 44 Daffy Duck has 59 __-Aztecan 6 “No __!” one languages 7 Whitewater figure 46 Move on a screen 60 See 49-Across 8 Pitcher? 9 Green sage ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 10 Survey taker, at times 11 Text clarifier 12 Compliment on a course 13 Antacid brand word 19 Old PC monitors 21 Martin’s start? 25 Hollywood glitterati 26 Sambuca flavoring 28 On a sugar high, say 31 Psychologist’s concern 32 Quaker Honey Graham __ 33 Toast, with “a” 01/16/15 xwordeditor@aol.com
By CATHERINE SULPIZIO Senior Arts Editor
Much of early “Girls” ’s terrain was traversing through its characters’ most cringe-worthy stages — those chunks of life you A+ mentally block out and Girls wonder how Season 4 you had any friends. If you Premiere HBO experience vicarious Sundays at 9 p.m. embarrassment, the first three seasons of HBO’s polarizing show were not for you. Between Hannah’s (Lena Dunham, “Tiny Furniture”) rape joke (at an interview, no less), Shoshanna’s (Zosia Mamet,
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‘Girls’ brings back lovable dysfunction
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RELEASE DATE– Friday, January 16, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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“Mad Men”) bevy of bad haircuts and Marnie’s (Allison Williams, “Peter Pan”) graceless career swan dive, Jessa (Jemima Kirke) was the only girl left unshredded by the camera’s merciless gaze (which had a lot to do with her lack of storyline). But somewhere in early-mid season three, the show pivoted a few degrees: Hannah got a respectable job that didn’t involve doing coke for bylines, Shosh experienced heartbreak and Marnie’s lifetime purchase of “pretty girl privilege” finally started seeing a return, but now with a dose of real person struggle. The girls grew up, and so did the show — richening as the always-excellent comedy widened its genre’s grooves. But the first episode of season four’s modus operandi is to show that the more you change, the more things stay the same. It opens with Hannah and her parents at the same restaurant the series pilot opened on, and, against all odds, Hannah is moving closer to being “a voice of her generation.” Part of the reason “Girls” remains such an addictive show to a certain type of viewer (including this very writer) is that it replicates and exacerbates the necessary hardships of being a young adult: sure, you have a better sense of who you want to be than you did in high school, and probably early college, but this newly found sense of self collides with the real world. Great, you want to be a writer? Well, how badly? Enough to move to the Midwest, and give up the nest of friends and co-workers and frenemies you’ve spent years building, enough to crumple up that assemblage of regional-trivia that keeps you sane: Which subway exit to leave from, what time the bodega closes if you run out of toilet paper, what time your annoying neighbor leaves for work so you can avoid him … that loosely held-together constellation called your life? And it’s during this jarring time that you realize that other things — the things harder to collect and compile, that feel like bodily appendages — like long, deep, important relationships, aren’t always portable, they grind to a stop even after you keep moving. It’s here where Adam (Adam Driver, “Frances Ha”) and Hannah’s relationship is achingly real to anyone anxious and neurotic and obsessive (hi, writers!) who hates to work without a plan. Adam, for all his pathology, doesn’t worry; he glides into his acting career with little of the self-destroying pathos Hannah finds her writing from. So we can see the alarm bells going off when he says, “With cell phones and modern communi-
cation we’re gonna talk, like, 10 times tomorrow.” I beg to disagree, Adam, but I do predict this show will explore just how fragile a cradle “cell phones and modern communication” are for Hannah and Adam’s relationship.
The girls grew up, and so did the show. Speaking of fragile (wow, what a segue), Marnie’s presence in this episode shows how drastically she has changed over the seasons. Sure, Marnie is screwing Desi and exuding the same hyper-calculated façade since season one, but Desi’s tongue (Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Royal Tennenbaums”) is up her ass and she’s unafraid to break down after a pack of brats in the SoHo brunch spot she’s singing at ruins her performance. This Marnie has been beaten down so much, that this new vulnerability is etched all over her face. Where Marnie finds grace from her sincerity, Jessa is sinking down from her mythic cloud. For most of “Girls,” Jessa has been the cool girl: even when she is struggling with a cocaine addiction, we’re noticing how fucking cool her rehab wardrobe is and wondering why our (hypothetical) benders were never with British hotelier silver foxes. There has never been a single crack in the flawless façade that is Jemima Kirke. And, as it turns out, it isn’t another depraved weekend that cracks her, but a steady dose of normalcy, the nine to five job. In this episode, Jessa doesn’t arrive swathed in a blanket of glamour, and damn, is it nice to see. I’m looking forward to seeing what happens after Beadie (Louise Lasser, “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman”) leaves for Connecticut — while Jessa has instability written into her DNA, the writing has not aided in giving her a narrative direction. It seemed like every time the show gave her a channel (a new job, a husband, rehab) it buckled quickly or was tossed aside without much analysis. Shoshanna doesn’t have much in this episode except a new bob and a perfectly pitched performance by her divorced parents (Ana Gasteyer, “Saturday Night Live” and Anthony Edwards, “E.R.”), who are both named Mel (doesn’t that explain everything?). Regardless, “Girls” has been my favorite 20 minutes of 2015. I’m not sure if that’s a testament to Lena’s brilliance or my lackluster year, but I’m just glad to have the voice of our generation back again this Sunday.
WE LIKED “GONE GIRL.”
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Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, January 16, 2015 — 7
Wolverines set Zone defense still developing for last tune-up WOMEN’S TENNIS
By MATTHEW KIPNIS Daily Sports Writer
More than eight months have passed since the Michigan women’s tennis team played a match at home. When the Wolverines last left the Varsity Tennis Center, they looked as if they could finally win the Big Ten Tournament and make it to their fifth straight Sweet 16 appearance. Ultimately, though, neither goal came to fruition. Michigan was ousted by Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament and by Southern California in the NCAA Tournament last year. That was eight months ago, though, and now the 16th-ranked Wolverines aren’t looking in the rear-view mirror. “The girls are very excited about this weekend, not only to get the season started but to just be at home,” said Michigan coach Ronnie Bernstein. “We haven’t been at home at all this year, which is unusual.” After a fall season spent entirely on the road with tournaments in California, Arizona and New York, the Wolverines finally return to Ann Arbor on Saturday to conclude tournament action at the Michigan Invitational. Michigan faces tough competition against three teams that rank in the top 40 nationally — No. 23 South Carolina, Texas Tech and South Florida. All three reached the NCAA Tournament last season. The non-scoring event will serve as the Wolverines’ final practice before the regular season begins next week. “Every year, I invite teams and try to make it as tough as I can to start off,” Bernstein said. “We need to get started quickly
with some good competition. We don’t know them that well, so it is going to be tough.” The Wolverines haven’t played any of the visiting teams since January 2013, when they defeated the Gamecocks to advance to the finals of the ITA National Indoor Championship. The trip to the finals was aided by this year’s team leaders, despite the youth. Senior Emina Bektas hadn’t been named Big Ten Player of the Year, senior Sarah Lee had 57 fewer wins under her belt and junior Ronit Yurovsky was just getting her footing on the collegiate level. Now, along with senior captain Kristen Dodge, the three anchor Michigan, with No. 18 Bektas, No. 23 Yurovsky and No. 38 Lee all ranked in the top 40 in the country. “I can’t really believe the season is starting again,” Bektas said. “It feels like I just came in for my freshman year, but I know it is my senior year.” This match will be the first dual match for freshmen Kara Hall, Alex Najarian and Mira Ruder-Hook, who came to Michigan with high expectations as the nation’s 10th-ranked recruiting class, highest in the Big Ten. But the seniors have proven they can help ease the transition for the freshmen class, as evidenced by Bektas teaming with Najarian to win the doubles title at the ITA Regionals. This weekend’s matches will be the Wolverines’ last tune-up before the five-month season begins, and Michigan looks not to dwell on the broken streak but rather the start of what could be a new streak of Sweet 16 appearances in a few months.
Learning curve remains steep for Michigan on 1-3-1, 2-3 zones By LEV FACHER Managing Editor
More than halfway through its season, the Michigan men’s basketball team is still gaining a clearer understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately for the Wolverines, after suffering a 71-52 blowout at the hands of Ohio State on Tuesday, the weaknesses certainly seem to outnumber the strengths. One of the trouble spots is Michigan’s man-to-man defense, which has led to recent foul trouble for multiple Wolverines, including freshman forward Kameron Chatman and sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr. As a result of the foul trouble and his team’s lack of size, Michigan coach John Beilein has been forced to turn to alternative defensive alignments increasingly often. The Wolverines have shown off two zone looks in the past several games — a 2-3 and a 1-3-1 — and the formations have seen varying degrees of success. “Their 2-3 zone wasn’t effective,” said Minnesota coach Richard Pitino following his team’s 62-57 loss to Michigan on Saturday. “We got an open look on it.” Michigan’s 1-3-1 look seemed slightly more potent, especially on plays following timeouts and during its late-second half comeback, but Pitino attributed the Golden Gophers’ frequent turnovers and offensive miscues to a simple lack of execution, not an elevated defensive effort from the Wolverines. “They went all 1-3-1,” Pitino said. “I thought we were getting
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Sophomore forward Zak Irvin and Michigan are working on their 1-3-1 zone to compensate for a lack of size inside.
some good looks. I thought Joey (King) had a couple open looks in the corner, (Maurice Walker) had an open one he dropped, so, you know … you can’t beat anybody playing like that.” Beilein’s take, though, varied substantially. In his Wednesday appearance on WTKA radio’s “The Michigan Insider,” he said that the switch to the zone formations was an attempt to keep his players out of foul trouble and to prevent his team from gifting the Golden Gophers points. “You can’t just go toe to toe sometimes,” Beilein said. “You could be at the foul line all day.” The switch paid immediate dividends, as Michigan climbed out of a nine-point hole to earn its third Big Ten win in four tries and keep Minnesota winless in the conference. The Wolverines outscored the Golden Gophers 22-8 in the game’s final 11 minutes. “It wasn’t that shrewd,” Beilein said. “It was out of desperation at that point, and it certainly worked.” Many of Michigan’s players,
as the results have shown, feel more comfortable in the 1-3-1 zone than in the 2-3. “I really like the 3-zone,” said sophomore guard Zak Irvin following the Minnesota game. “I think that had a big impact on the game today. Because once we went to that, it seemed to rattle them a little bit, and that’s when we made our run.” The Wolverines didn’t just use the zone to their advantage against the Golden Gophers — against Illinois on Dec. 30, they used their 1-3-1 look to come back from a late-game deficit and force overtime, eventually coming away with a 73-65 victory. Irvin, a relative veteran on a team with just three upperclassmen, might be comfortable in the 1-3-1. But for Michigan’s freshmen, the learning curve remains steep. “It takes a while to learn it,” Beilein told WTKA. “It’s just difficult for some guys to just grasp all the things that you have to do, because the angles are very different than manto-man angles, so you go back
to your man-to-man tendencies and it would kill you.” Not much could have saved the Wolverines on Tuesday. The 19-point final deficit undersold the degree to which the Buckeyes dominated, as evidenced by their 36 points in the paint. And while Michigan’s 31-percent shooting from the field was most harmful on the offensive end, it also stopped the Wolverines from being able to use the zone looks even in situations where they might have wanted to. “It depends on the personnel,” Beilein said. “It’s hard to get into it after you miss a shot, it’s easier to get into after you make a shot. So you’ve got to make shots in order to get into it very well.” The bottom line, according to Michigan’s eighth-year coach, is that the Wolverines will use zone looks whenever their personnel and the game situation allow them to. “It’s not as easy as people think,” Beilein said. “We try to use it when it’s ready to be used, and it takes time.”
WRESTLING
‘M’ takes on No. 4 OSU After road split last weekend, Michigan continues tough conference stretch By BEN FIDELMAN Daily Sports Writer
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Junior forward Andrew Copp leads the Michigan hockey team into Columbus on Friday for a road tilt against Ohio State.
Red-hot Wolverines take on Ohio State after sweep By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Writer
Red Berenson isn’t buying the hype. Not yet, at least. The Michigan hockey coach has guided his team to the nation’s third-best record (102) since Nov. 1, and it now sits alone alone atop the Big Ten after sweeping then-No. 9 Minnesota last weekend. But as the 19th-ranked Wolverines (4-1 Big Ten, 12-7 overall) travel to Columbus to take on Ohio State (2-3, 7-10-1) Friday, Berenson knows that his team is only as good as its latest practice. “I think they got some confidence,” Berenson said. “But I don’t want us to be overconfident. We still have to do a lot of things better than we did last week. We’re in a good place. We looked a lot better today than we did yesterday, which we’ll need for Friday.” The reason for Berenson’s hesitation, in part, is that Michigan has struggled mightily on the road, where it is 1-5. Its last four losses have come by a combined 18-6.
Michigan has a golden opportunity to buck that trend, however, against an Ohio State team that is a paltry 2-6 at home. “We’ve got to play better than we have on the road,” Berenson said. “It’s confidence, it’s preparation and then there’s a level of mental toughness that has to be there. There’s going to be guys that have a chance to make a difference and they have to be ready to do that. “It might be me on a blocked shot, it might be you with an opportunity to score or take a hit, it might be a second effort backcheck, but we have to play with that second-effort attitude. If we do that, then we’ll give ourselves a chance.” On paper, the Wolverines have a clear advantage over the Buckeyes. With the nation’s No. 2 scoring offense, Michigan should find the back of the net against Ohio State, which has allowed 16 goals in its last three Big Ten games. The Wolverines are scoring 5.8 goals per game in conference play, including eight goals in their previous matchup with the Buckeyes and 11 goals in two
games against a Minnesota team that touts eight NHL draftees on the blue line. Still, Berenson would much rather see a defensive struggle from his team. “We’ve only played a handful of games,” Berenson said of the success in conference games. “You aren’t going to be able to keep that scoring going the rest of the way. You might get that when everything’s going your way, but mostly not. I’m expecting this will be a one-goal game.” A one-goal game would be a stark contrast to the teams’ previous meeting Dec. 5, in which Michigan came back from an early deficit to win 8-3. The Wolverines were clicking on all cylinders then, too, but Berenson doesn’t read too much into it. “It was a game where the puck went in for us and the power play took over for us,” Berenson said. “We scored four power-play goals in that game, so that’s not something you can count on very often.” Michigan has been among the nation’s best the past 10 weeks. Now it has an opportunity to take its show on the road.
After splitting the first two matches of a grueling Big Ten slate, the No. 16 Michigan wrestling team heads into Sunday’s home-opening dual meet against No. 4 Ohio State in search of a statement win. “When you get into the Big Ten grind, it’s important that you’re prepared weekend-toweekend,” said Michigan coach Joe McFarland. “This is a big dual for us. The Michigan versus Ohio State rivalry bodes true in all sports. We’re excited to have them here in Cliff Keen Arena.” The Wolverines head in as underdogs against the Buckeyes (1-1 Big Ten, 5-3 overall), who have given Michigan (1-1, 3-2) a tough time over the last three years, winning handily twice. Although both teams have played challenging nonconference schedules, Ohio State has taken on three of the top five teams in the nation in the last month. That swing featured losses to No. 1 Iowa and No. 3 Missouri, along with a win over No. 5 Penn State. Somewhat of an oddity for the Wolverines is that they face
their toughest rivals on backto-back weekends, competing against Michigan State last Sunday and this week hosting the Buckeyes. “It’s very important to keep the momentum going,” said sophomore heavyweight Adam Coon. “We’re on a good roll here with that close dual against Minnesota and a good turnout at Michigan State. We’re just going to keep trying to ride the roller coaster up, and having a rivalry match is, of course, going to add a little more hype to the dual.” Michigan is looking to turn heads in the nation’s best wrestling conference for the second consecutive season. The team lost by a single point against No. 2 Minnesota on Jan. 9, broadcasting to other teams toward the top of the conference that a match against this Wolverine squad isn’t another win to check off on the schedule. Michigan feels the importance of preparing with a sense of urgency for these Big Ten duals. To do this, the team decided to hold simulation matches — essentially an intra-squad scrimmage — on the competition mats at Cliff
Keen Arena for Wednesday’s practice. Usually all practices are held at the Bahna Wrestling Center, which is about a mile down State Street. “It’s a different atmosphere,” McFarland said. “I was telling the guys in the locker room to take advantage of this, and try to visualize and get ready for Ohio State. I told them to give the kind of intensity you want in your warm-ups and matches. We haven’t done this in a few years, so it’s a good change of pace for the guys.” Not only was there a different location for the practice, but the competition surface was new, too. With Sunday’s dual being the first home event of the year for the Wolverines, it will be the first time their new mats have been used. New mats can have much more spring than older ones, so both the coaches and players thought it would be a good idea to roll them out for practice once during the week so they could get a feel for the surface. While the Wolverines are going out with the old and in with the new mats, they will still be bringing an old familiar sight: a sold-out Cliff Keen Arena, after an 11-month hiatus.
“It’s very important to keep the momentum going.”
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Sports
8 — Friday, January 16, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
One step at a time for Ferlic Redshirt junior heads into third season running steeplechase By MATTHEW KIPNIS Daily Sports Writer
Wisconsin runner Alex Brill was struggling with one lap to go as Michigan’s Mason Ferlic closed in. Feeling energized by his teammates’ cheers from the background, Ferlic found himself in contention to win the 2013 Big Ten Outdoor Championships in just his second-career steeplechase. Ferlic had jumped over his 27th barrier of the race, with just the water pit and one more hurdle to go. Ferlic was in awe that he was moments away from winning his first championship title. But with 300 meters left, Brill slid out over the water pit, taking Ferlic down. Ferlic lost his balance and with it, the chance of victory. “All I remember is hitting the ground,” Ferlic said. “It was a great ‘what if?’ If I hadn’t fallen, I could have won. It bothered me in the fact that it was a missed opportunity to possibly win a championship and obviously score points for the team.” Ferlic recovered from his fall, and finished the race in fourth place. He was just a redshirt freshman, but he had already come so far. Even today, Ferlic has trouble comprehending how fast he has progressed. Before he even knew the ins and outs of the steeplechase, he was thrust onto the national level. The fall into the water pit wasn’t a setback, but rather another step along the journey for Ferlic, who continues to fight even when he gets knocked down. *** For Ferlic, running has always been about taking one step at a time — setting goals to overcome the current hurdles ahead of him. Most runners begin their career at a younger age, but Ferlic played soccer as a kid and didn’t start running until high school. After some friends convinced Ferlic to go out for the track team his freshman year, he realized his passion. His first goal was to simply catch up to the competition and overcome his inexperience. “I wasn’t particularly fast or a talented runner,” Ferlic said. “You wouldn’t pick me out and say, ‘Oh, that kid is going to be fast at running.’ I guess I wasn’t even a great athlete when I was young because I was a skinny, scrawny rail at that point with no muscle, but I enjoyed it.” Ferlic fell in love with the sport’s individual competitive nature, and though he started after most runners, he could easily overcome that disadvantage. He controlled his fate each practice and each race, which kept him at ease. It was up to him in a race and during training to get better at a sport that is governed by the stopwatch and nothing more. He then started setting loftier goals, such as reaching the state meet and then winning both the 1,600-meter race at states then to win the 3,200-meter race along the way. “I don’t know if there is one thing that stands out about him when you first look at him,” said Michigan cross country coach Kevin Sullivan. “But I think once you get to know Mason, then you see he has a very strong inner drive and competitiveness that not a lot of athletes have. The way he approaches it mentally sets him apart from a lot of his competition. He is someone that, unless everything is 100 percent perfect, then it’s not satisfying.” Sophomore Ben Flanagan added: “He is very driven and well aware that success doesn’t
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Mason Ferlic is coming off a fourth-place finish nationally in the steeplechase.
come easy. He is willing to put in as much as effort as he needs to achieve his goals and there is no goal that he doesn’t think he can achieve.” Ferlic ended up using his inexperience to his advantage. Rather than holding him back, it motivated him to work harder and not be satisfied with catching up to the pack. Instead, he led it. *** Then came Ferlic’s next step: college track. In addition to an academic and social change, the move to Ann Arbor eventually became Ferlic’s first true running challenge. “Freshman year cross country went probably as poorly as it could possibly go for a freshman season,” Ferlic said. “I had quite a few ups and downs in college, much more than high school. At that point, you are just a high school runner versus guys that are college runners, and there is a huge gap. That was kind of a tough pill to swallow.” Ferlic was determined not to let that stop him, and as he watched older runners, notably then-senior Craig Forys, he learned how to remain calm yet confident before a race. As he continued to learn from the best, his desire to follow in their footsteps grew even larger. Then, during his sophomore year, Ferlic broke his foot and was diagnosed with mononucleosis and anemia. “It was kind of a rough first two years,” Ferlic said. “It was tough because at that point I had found my ground, training was clicking and things were coming together. To be sidelined again was disappointing.” Through that hardship,
“The way he approaches it mentally sets him apart.”
though, he found the steeplechase. After Ferlic put up practice times on the border of reaching the regional meet for the 5K while recovering, former cross country coach Alex Gibby wanted to give him a chance at the steeplechase during the outdoor portion of his redshirt freshman season. Now, he had to run five fewer laps, jump over four hurdles and leap across a water pit. It was just an idea at first, something for him to try while recovering. But when he ran the steeplechase for the first time in the Toledo Invitational and finished first, he found his newest calling. “I never considered myself a steeplechaser for the first year,” Ferlic said. “It was kind of that side event that I tried out instead of the 5K, but I have certainly fallen in love with it.” *** And after he had taken that stumble going into the last leg of the Big Ten Championships, the success came rushing in. He finished fourth in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2013 NCAA East Preliminary Rounds, qualifying for the NCAA Championships but failing to reach the finals. He finished 13th that year, earning All-America second-team honors. As a redshirt sophomore, Ferlic was ready to take the next step and make the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships. But one race stood in his way, the one race in which he had taken his first fall on the big stage. During the 2014 Big Ten Outdoor Championships it happened again. Ferlic clipped the second barrier and fell. In this race, though, he had time
to rebound, remembering the pain he felt the year before. He finished the race in third place, improving on the previous season’s time by more than four seconds. He then was ready to take on the NCAA Finals, which he had missed by half a second the previous year. Not forgetting his mistakes, instead embracing them, Ferlic qualified for the 2014 NCAA Championships and finished fourth to earn his first All-American first-team honors in track. “He has made really good strides in the last three years progressing through the ranks of the NCAA,” Sullivan said. “For him, as long as he stays injury-free over the next year and he is able to consistently train, I don’t see a reason why he can’t take a step up next year.” It was then that Ferlic took what he had learned on the national stage and carried that success into cross country, improving from 22nd in the NCAA Championship his redshirt sophomore year to 13th place this past fall. Ferlic also led the Wolverines in all six events, carrying Michigan to an 11th-place finish at the NCAA Championships — its highest finish in 12 years. “The fact that we came out of cross-country season with him having his best finish ever is going to build a lot of natural confidence as we go into the indoor and outdoor season,” Sullivan said. *** Even with all his success in the steeplechase, Ferlic doesn’t tell people he runs that event, because hardly anyone knows what it is. He understands that as he runs down State Street, people won’t be shouting his name. Most don’t even know who he is, but that doesn’t bother him. It’s about the personal satisfaction and trying to improve upon his goals and help the team. It’s about improving where he is as a runner and showing the young runners that even if you have a beginning like he did, you can still end up at the top. “Firstly, I look up to him to try to achieve the same results he has, and secondly to be the type of runner he is,” Flanagan said. “It is something I would like to see in myself one day.” This season Ferlic hopes to carry his cross country success into this track season as he attempts to surpass his fourthplace finish a year ago. He is humble, knowing that he owes where he is to the hard work that he has put in to get over each adversity. Each year he has taken that next step, even with a few falls along the way. At this point, the worst thing that could happen is falling down. But even if he is face-first in a water pit, it won’t matter. Mason Ferlic will get back up. He’s done it before.
“It was a great ‘what if?’ If I hadn’t fallen, I could have won.”
RITA MORRIS/Daily
Kim Barnes Arico’s team is 0-4 on the road this season and faces another tough test Saturday night in Evanston against Northwestern.
Michigan looks to halt road woes Wolverines seeking first road win at Northwestern after historic victory By JACOB GASE Daily Sports Writer
In its last three games at Crisler Center, the Michigan women’s basketball team has knocked off three traditional conference powerhouses: Penn State, Michigan State and Ohio State. It’s not just the first time Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico has beaten all three in one season — it’s the first time the Wolverines have done it since the 2000-01 season. But despite its recent accomplishments, Michigan’s success this season remains largely confined to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines (3-2 Big Ten, 11-5 overall) have just two wins away from home, and both occurred at a neutral site in the San Juan Shootout. In its four true road games this season — including Big Ten contests against Wisconsin and No. 24 Rutgers — Michigan is winless. Saturday, the Wolverines head to Evanston looking to end their road skid against a Northwestern team that is undefeated at home. The Wildcats (3-2, 13-3) have already beaten Michigan State twice, and their only losses of the season came in tough road matchups at Ohio State and No. 22 Iowa. “They’re playing exceptionally well,” Barnes Arico told WTKA Radio on Tuesday. “They have all returning starters, and they’re playing at a really, really high level. That will be a huge challenge for us, especially on the road.” Like the Wolverines, Northwestern has succeeded primarily because of a balanced scoring attack. Led by forward Nia Coffey’s 15.4 points per game, the Wildcats have four starters averaging double digits. Northwestern also boasts a talented 3-point shooter in guard Maggie Lyon, who is shooting 45.2 percent on 93 attempts from beyond the arc and has led her team in scoring during conference games. But Michigan has had nearly a full week to prepare for the Wildcats. With no weekday game following the victory over the Buckeyes on Sunday, the
Wolverines have used the time off to rest and rejuvenate before the road test ahead. “It gives our kids a chance to get a great day off,” Barnes Arico said. “They come in and get treatment, they get massages, they get taken care of by our trainer and really work on their recovery. They played a lot of minutes in a super physical game (against Ohio State). We make sure they’re resting their legs, getting some treatment on their legs after playing an overtime game like that.” The extra practice time has also given Michigan a chance to focus on its own game before jumping into scouting Northwestern. Earlier in the week, the players divided up to watch film with their respective position coaches, trying to work out the kinks in their individual games before worrying about opponents. The Wolverines hope their extra preparation and fresh legs will help them avoid falling into early holes like they have in their previous road games. In each of its four road losses, Michigan has fallen behind early and been unable to recover. Against Wisconsin and Rutgers, the Wolverines were able to erase enormous deficits with second-half spurts, but they still ultimately suffered double-digit losses. But trailing by six points with 4:16 remaining against Ohio State, Michigan showed it does have the capability to finish off a comeback. On the strength of senior guard Shannon Smith’s 36-point performance (24 of which came in the second half and overtime), a pair of clutch 3-pointers from freshman guard Katelynn Flaherty and an astonishing 12 offensive rebounds from senior forward Cyesha Goree (19 in total), the Wolverines eked out a hard-fought 100-94 victory. “The confidence they had, the drive, the passion, the refuse-to-lose attitude — it was incredible,” Barnes Arico said. “It was a special day for our program, for sure.” Ideally, Michigan will want to emulate the strong first-half defense it has showed the past three home games rather than allowing more early scoring runs. But if the Wolverines slip up and still have a chance at a late-game comeback against the Wildcats, Barnes Arico knows she has the players to pull it off.
“(Sunday) was a special day for our program, for sure.”
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Ferlic slipped and fell just short of his first steeplechase title, but has since become an All-American in the event.