2015-01-22 by The Michigan Daily

CELEBRATING OUR ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, January 22, 2015

Ann Arbor, Michigan

michigandaily.com

GOVERNMENT

Alum starts historic first term in state legislature

DELANEY RYAN/Daily

Ta-Nehisi Coates, an Atlantic senior editor and writer, discusses race relations in America at the MLK Symposium at Rackham Auditorium Wednesday.

Award-winning journalist talks race, history in address Ta-Nehisi Coates lectures on slavery, discrimination By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily Staff Reporter

Members of the University community crowded Rackham Auditorium Wednesday evening

to hear acclaimed journalist TaNehisi Coates discuss the history and institutionalization of anti-Black racism in America. “In this country, we believe racism to be a kind of psychosis,” he told the crowd. “A kind of insanity, a sort of inexplicable madness.” Coates, a senior editor for The Atlantic, spoke about his widely discussed Atlantic cover story,

“The Case for Reparations,” which examines the historical oppression of Blacks in the United States. The speech, part of the University’s month-long Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium, was sponsored by the Institute for Research on Women and Gender along with the Department for Afroamerican and African Studies, the Ford School of Pub-

lic Policy and the Center for the Education of Women. Some students and faculty were turned away before the event began because the auditorium was at capacity. “I hope to provoke people; I hope to give them what they brought me here to do,” Coates said in an interview with The Michigan Daily before his See RACE, Page 3A

‘U’ creates new scoring system for transplants By PARISHA NOVA Daily Staff Reporter

University researchers have developed a new testing system that can improve care for patients who need bone marrow and stem cell transplants. Graft-versus-host disease is a life-threatening condition that can occur in response to transplants. GVHD causes immune cells from the transplant to attack the body’s healthy tissue. In patients with diseases such as leukemia, which compromises the body’s immune system, bone marrow or stem cell transplants are necessary. John Levine, professor of pediatrics and the study’s lead author, said in these types of cases, GVHD is a real danger. “Following transplantation surgeries, our major concern is the development of GVHD in our

patients,” Levine said. “However, it is difficult to predict the severity of GVHD at the onset of the symptoms as it varies from patient to patient.” Prior to the research, there was no method for determining the severity of a GVHD case and whether or not it needed treatment. The treatment involves high doses of medication that reduce immune activity, so doctors must be extremely cautious when treating GVHD. Levine and his co-investigators assessed nearly 800 patients and created a scoring system that uses three proteins to assess the severity of each case of the disease. “We found out that it was not one protein but a combination of three recently validated biomarkers TNFR1, ST2, and Reg3a,” Levine said. “We then formulated an equation which computes the concentration of the biomarkers into three Ann Arbor scores. The scores are positively correlated with the amount of risk the diagnosed patient is in, so a score 1 indicates a patient with minimal risk while a patient diagnosed with a score See TRANSPLANTS, Page 3A

HI: 34 LO: 23

For the Daily

When the Michigan Legislature kicked off a new session Wednesday, the House floor included a number of new faces, including state Rep. Stephanie Chang (D–Detroit), the first Asian-American woman to serve in the Michigan House of Representatives. Earning a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University in 2005, she said the skills she developed through student leadership roles on campus ultimately gave her the confidence and experience to run for state representative. “When I was on campus

around the time of 2005, the Supreme Court case on affirmative action was going on, and I was involved in an organization of students supporting affirmative action,” Chang said. “We mobilized people to get on buses to go to D.C. It was really a training ground for me in terms of learning how to organize and practice coalition building skills.” After graduating in 2005, Chang became a community organizer in Detroit. While living on the city’s east side, she served as an assistant to Grace Lee Boggs, an influential AsianAmerican political activist, and as a mentor with the Detroit Asian Youth Project. She said her experiences at the University prepared her for these tasks. “A lot of the things I did in college really helped prepare me to learn how to organize, build relationships and how to really effectively advocate on differSee CHANG, Page 3A

SCIENCE

Researchers to assess age correlation with driving University receives grant from AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety ANDREW COHEN/Daily

By KATIE PENROD

LSA senior Rebecca David examines fruit flies as part of a genetics course in which students analyze patterns of inheritance and gene interaction in the Undergraduate Science Building Wednesday.

WELLNESS

Pilot program focuses on mental health for athletes Public service videos, counseling make up initiative By KATIE PENROD who has this position

The University is piloting a new program designed to draw attention to the mental

health for student-athletes. The program, which was piloted in the fall and included a public service videos and drop-in counseling sessions, drew participation from 90 percent of the University’s 931 student-athletes. The program, which is a collaboration between the Athletic Department, the School of Public Health and

the food b-side

WEATHER TOMORROW

By DYLAN BENNETT

A N A LY S I S

HEALTH

Formula assesses complications in bone marrow recipients

Stephanie Chang becomes inaugural Asian-American woman in House

the University’s Depression Center, is supported by an $50,ooo NCAA grant. The pilot consisted of presentations that showed two videos in which two former student-athletes, former football player Will Heininger and former swimmer Kally Fayhee spoke about coping skills and their expeSee ATHLETES, Page 3A

For the Daily

The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety granted the University Transportation Research Institute a contract to conduct research on the effects of age on driving. The University’s contract, as well as a similar contract given to Columbia University, will fund research in New York, Maryland, Colorado and California. Research Prof. David Eby, head of the Behavioral Sciences Group at UMTRI, will serve as the coprincipal investigator on the UMTRI portion of the project. The project will last five years and address topics such as the effects of medication on driving behavior and outcomes. The pilot of the study will begin in the spring. Eby said while this is the first extensive study on this topic in the See DRIVING, Page 2A

the b-side literary issue

A look at how, why and where ‘U’ students get their local grub

A glimpse at the Helen Zell MFA fiction writing program

» INSIDE

GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.

NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Mechanical problem causes Ross evacuation MICHIGANDAILY.COM/BLOGS

INDEX

NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A

SUDOKU.....................2A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A B-SIDE ....................1B

News

2A — Thursday, January 22, 2015

MONDAY: This Week in History

TUESDAY: Professor Profiles

WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers

BONE HUNTING

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

THURSDAY: Twitter Talk

FRIDAY: Photos of the Week

History Prof. Martha S. Jones tweets on introductory remarks to activist Marc Lamont Hill’s speech Monday.

The Michigan Daily is introducing a new addition to our weekly rotating elements: “Twitter Talk.” Once a week, we plan to print tweets that are fun, informative, breaking or newsworthy, with an angle on the University, Ann Arbor and the state. All tweets have been edited for accurate spelling and grammar.

“President @MarkSchlissel speaks their names: Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice @umich MLKDay event. ” — @MarthaSJones

“

LSA Dean Andrew Martin shouts out Squirrel Appreciation Day Wednesday.

Any suggestions on how I should appreciate the squirrels today?” #SquirrelAppreciation Day

ANDREW COHEN/Daily

Environmental Science Prof. Jeff Wilson, curator at the Museum of Paleontology, measures casts of the bones of a Jurassic Era dinosaur at the Museum of Natural History on Wednesday.

— @ProfADM

“

Rackham student Hakeem Jefferson reacts to journalist Ta-Nahesi Coates’ lecture on Black history Wednesday.

Could not be more excited to have @tanehisicoates at #umich today! Greatest social commentator of this generation. #umichtnc — @hakeemjefferson

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES

Chinese relations

Library basics Broadway WHAT: Learn how to songs best utilize the library for

WHAT: Professor John Ciorciari will discuss China’s relations with its neighbors. WHO: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute WHEN: Today from 10 a.m to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Rave Cinema, Yipsilanti

Publishing information

gathering information for research projects. WHO: MLibrary WHEN: Today from 10 a.m to 12 p.m. WHERE: The Duderstadt Center

Oil lecture

WHAT: The Denver Publishing Insitute will give a presentation on the field of publishing. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today from 4 p.m to 5 p.m WHERE: Angell Hall

WHAT: A professor from the University of Florida will speak about the importance of oil as a resource. WHO: Weiser Center for Emerging Democracies WHEN: Today from 4 p.m to 5:30 p.m WHERE: School of Social Work Room 1636

Intro to Linux

WHAT: This course, HPC 100, will introduce students to the high WHAT: Performs will sing songs from Broadway, performing computers that focusing on those involving use the Linux system. WHO: Teaching and “monsters and madmen.” Collaborative Technology WHO: Gifts of Art WHEN: Today from 12:10 WHEN: Today from 1 p.m to 4 p.m p.m to 1 p.m. WHERE: University Hos- WHERE: East Hall pital Main Lobby

Alison Bechdel Translating WHAT: A conversation lecture WHAT: Author of “Fun Home” and other graphic novels will give a talk about her publications. WHO: The Helen Zell Visiting Authors Series WHEN: Tonight from 5:10 p.m. to 6 p.m WHERE: The Michigan Theater

about literary translation. WHO: Comparative Literature WHEN: Tonight from 6 p.m to 8 p.m WHERE: Hatcher Library CORRECTIONS Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY

420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS DOUGLAS SOLOMON

Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 jcalfas@michigandaily.com

Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 dougsolo@michigandaily.com

Newsroom

News Tips

734-418-4115 opt. 3

news@michigandaily.com

Corrections

Letters to the Editor

corrections@michigandaily.com

tothedaily@michigandaily.com

Arts Section

Editorial Page

arts@michigandaily.com

opinion@michigandaily.com

Sports Section

Photography Section

sports@michigandaily.com

photo@michigandaily.com

Display Sales

Classified Sales

dailydisplay@gmail.com

classified@michigandaily.com

Online Sales

Finance

onlineads@michigandaily.com

finance@michigandaily.com

EDITORIAL STAFF Lev Facher

Managing Editor

Sam Gringlas

lfacher@michigandaily.com

Managing News Editor

gringlas@michigandaily.com

SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Shoham Geva, Will Greenberg, Amabel Karoub, Emma Kerr, Emilie Plesset, Michael Sugerman ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Tanaz Ahmed, Neala Berkowski, Alyssa Brandon, Nabeel Chollampat, Gen Hummer, Emma Kinnery, Lara Moehlman, Carly Noah, Irene Park, Lindsey Scullen

Aarica Marsh and Derek Wolfe Editorial Page Editors

opinioneditors@michigandaily.com

SENIOR EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Claire Bryan and Matt Seligman ASSISTANT EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS: Regan Detwiler, Michael Paul, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Mary Kate Winn BLOG EDITOR: Tori Noble

Max Cohen and Jake Lourim Managing Sports Editors

sportseditors@michigandaily.com

SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Max Bultman, Daniel Feldman, Rajat Khare, Erin Lennon, Jason Rubinstein, Jeremy Summitt ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Chloe Aubuchon, Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Kelly Hall, Zach Shaw, Brad Whipple

The NCAA is investigating fraud at 20 schools, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported. They described some of the misconduct as not all outright, using the example of a coach asking a staff member to get an athlete “eligible.”

Adam Depollo and Chloe Gilke Managing Arts Editors

DEPUTY MAGAZINE EDITORS: Natalie Gadbois STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Luna Anna Archey STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Jake Wellins

The B-Side literary issue features a profile on the MFA in Fiction Writing program, an interview with an esteemed poetry professor and an artist profile. >> FOR MORE, SEE THE B-SIDE

The New England Patriots deflated 11 out of 12 balls for their AFC championship win over the Indianapolis Colts, ESPN reported. The investigation is continuing. The Patriots have a history of cheating.

adepollo@michigandaily.com chloeliz@michigandaily.com

SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Jamie Bircoll, Kathleen Davis, Catherine Sulpizio, Adam Theisen A RTS BEAT EDITORS: Alex Bernard, Karen Hua, Jacob Rich, Amelia Zak

Allison Farrand and Ruby Wallau Managing Photo Editors

photo@michigandaily.com

SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Luna Anna Archey and James Coller ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Amanda Allen, Virginia Lozano, Paul Sherman

Emily Schumer and design@michigandaily.com Shane Achenbach Managing Design Editors Ian Dillingham Magazine Editor statement@michigandaily.com Hannah Bates and Laura Schinagle Managing Copy Editors

copydesk@michigandaily.com

SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Emily Campbell and Emma Sutherland

Amrutha Sivakumar

Online Editor

amrutha@michigandaily.com

Kaylla Cantilina Managing Video Editor Carolyn Gearig Special Projects Manager

BUSINESS STAFF Madeline Lacey University Accounts Manager Ailie Steir Classified Manager Simonne Kapadia Local Accounts Manager Olivia Jones Production Managers Jason Anterasian Finance Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.

Russia, Ukraine decide New Jersey man shown to pull back heavy arms raising arms when shot Video shines light on police shooting of Jerame Reid

questions and stirring anger stan’s capital Astana aimed at over another death at the hands reaching a long-lasting settleof police. ment. The nearly two-minute Separately, Russian Fordeadly standoff came after the eign Minister Sergey Lavrov killings of black men in New said the “strong support” for BRIDGETON, N.J. (AP) — York and Ferguson, Missouri, the pullback was the meeting’s With the dashboard camera triggered months of turbulent most important result. He said in their cruiser rolling, police protests, violence and calls for BERLIN (AP) — Diplomats the foreign ministers did not pulled a Jaguar over for run- a re-examination of police use from Russia and Ukraine agreed discuss the sanctions that the ning a stop sign on a dark night. of force. Wednesday on a dividing line West has imposed on Russia But things suddenly turned Reid and the man driving the from where both sides should over the Ukraine crisis, saying: tense when one of the officers car were black. pull back their heavy weapons, “The sanctions are not our probwarned his partner that he The Bridgeton officer who just hours after separatist forces lem, it is the problem of those could see a gun in the glove spotted the gun, Braheme deployed more arms and manwho introduced them and now compartment. Days, is black; his partner, power to an emerging flashpoint do not know how to extricate Screaming over and over Roger Worley, is white. in eastern Ukraine. themselves ...” “Don’t you f---ing move!” and Both officers have been Germany’s Foreign MinisEarlier Wednesday, Lavrov “Show me your hands!” at the placed on leave while prosecuter, who hosted a meeting of had urged measures to contain man in the passenger seat, the tors investigate. his counterparts from Russia, the unfolding unrest, but said officer reached into the car and “The video speaks for itself Ukraine and France, said the nothing about the rebels surrenappeared to remove a silver that at no point was Jerame four parties had agreed that dering territory they acquired handgun. Reid a threat and he possessed the demarcation line defined in violation of a peace deal conThen, the passenger, despite no weapon on his person,” in the Minsk agreement of last cluded in September in Minsk, http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ being warned repeatedly not Walter Hudson, chairman Sudoku Syndication year should form the basis for Belarus. Ukraine says separatist to move, stepped out of the and founder of the civil rights the withdrawal. Under the plan, forces that are backed by Russia Jaguar, his hands raised about group the National Awareness Ukraine and the pro-Russian have overstepped agreed-upon shoulder level. Alliance, said Wednesday. front-line boundaries between The officers opened fire, “He complied with the offithe warring sides by 500 square killing him. cer and the officer shot him.” kilometers (190 square miles). The video of the Dec. 30 A Philadelphia lawyer, ConA fresh separatist advance is killing of Jerame Reid in rad Benedetto, said he has been under way in an area northwest Bridgeton, a struggling, mostly hired by Reid’s wife, Lawanda, of Luhansk, the second-largest minority city of 25,000 people to investigate. rebel-held city. The fighting is just south of Philadelphia, was He said in a statement the centered on two checkpoints released this week, raising footage “raises serious quesalong a strategic highway. Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said one of those positions, crash and driving history records. DRIVING Checkpoint 31, had been abanAccording to a press release, From Page 1A doned but that operations were 3,000 people aged 65 to 79 will underway to retake it. participate, and UMTRI will The separatist forces appear recruit and observe 600 particiwell-poised to take the upper United States, graduate students pants. Investigators will observe hand, however. from the University of Ottawa, participants’ driving patterns and An Associated Press reporter McMaster University and McGill consider individual health factors, saw nine Gvozdika self-proUniversity have been working on such as medication taken. pelled howitzers and six antia similar study called “Candrive.” “When completed, this combitank cannons moving near the UMTRI is one of five sites for nation of data on individuals over town of Perevalsk around midthe study, but will be fully respon- time will be an extremely powerday. A rebel militiaman with sible for collecting and analyzing ful tool to better understand older the convoy who declined to give GPS data from every site. Every drivers,” Lindsay Ryan, assistant his name said the armament participant will have a GPS in their research scientist at the Survey was heading in the direction of car to track their driving patterns, Research Center in the University Checkpoint 31. and the investigators will also con- Institute for Social Research and Along the same road, the AP duct annual assessments and inter- one of the principal investigators © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com INTERMEDIATE. saw four Grad multiple rocket views of participants. Prior to the for the Michigan site of the study. launchers accompanied by four study, the investigators will col- “While this is an extremely ambitrucks carrying ammunition lect data on participants’ medical, tious project in scale and scope, the

Diplomats agree on dividing line for countries to remove weapons

separatists would pull back their heavy arms 15 kilometers (9 miles) on either side of the line, though there was no agreement on a withdrawal of all troops. “Today we have finally agreed that the demarcation line mentioned in the Minsk agreement is the line from where the withdrawal of heavy weapons needs to take place now,” German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters after the meeting in Berlin. Steinmeier said the agreement had been “difficult work” and the talks, which follow a fruitless round of negotiations last week, were “testing the patience of all involved.” The parties also agreed that the contact group of Ukraine, Russia, and the OSCE should meet as soon as possible with the aim of laying further groundwork for a high-level meeting in Kazakh-

2 3

6 9

5 3

6 5

tions as to the legality and/or reasonableness of the officers’ actions that night” because Reid was shot as he raised his hands. Reid, 36, spent about 13 years in prison for shooting at three state troopers when he was a teenager. And Days knew who he was; Days was among the arresting officers last year when Reid was charged with several crimes, including drug possession and obstruction. In Bridgeton, where twothirds of the residents are black or Hispanic, the killing has stirred small protests over the past couple of weeks, including a demonstration on Wednesday, a day after the video was made public at the request of two newspapers under the state’s open records law. The Cumberland County prosecutor’s office previously said a gun was seized during the stop but would not comment further on the investigation. Bridgeton police would not answer any questions about the video and said they opposed its release as neither “compassionate or professional.”

team of experts leading the efforts have an excellent track record and are well-prepared to complete this work.” Dr. Raymund Yung and Linda Nyquist, of the University Institute of Gerontology, will be working with the principal investigators to recruit participants. Nyquist said all participants must be residents of Ann Arbor and already receive health care from the University Health System. “Age is the biggest risk factor for many common diseases such as arthritis, memory loss and movement disorders,” Yung said. “All of which are factors that may result in an older driver deciding to continue to drive or not.”

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

TRANSPLANT From Page 1A

ATHLETES From Page 1A

of 3 will subjected to intensive primary therapy.” The Ann Arbor scoring system will help ensure patients at lower risk are subjected to less aggressive treatments than patients at higher risk. Patients will then gain individualized treatments based on their needs. More than half of the patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation develop GVHD. Though the degree of severity differs in patients, the disease is highly lethal if not treated immediately. The research began in the late 1990s when investigators analyzed blood samples from 500 GVHD patients. The results were verified when another 300 patient blood samples from across the United States were analyzed. The next step, according to Levine, is the launch of a clinical trial. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved this step. “It is still research,” Levine said. “Although the paper has been published, we are still at the investigational phase. No marketing is being done yet.”

riences with mental health. In an e-mail interview with The Michigan Daily, Fayhee said prior to the pilot program, 33 percent of University students would seek help for mental illness, compared to only 10 percent of student-athletes. She decided to get involved and share her experiences after meeting Heininger. “We found that we faced similar pressures, but those pressures just manifested themselves in different ways,” Fayhee wrote. “Knowing I was not alone in what I went through and that I should not be ashamed of my struggles was what motivated me. I came to realize that helping break down the stigmas surrounding mental health trumped hiding my struggles.” Additionally, Heininger said there is a “tough it out” stigma among athletes, and this program aims to break that down. He said mental health issues are not all together different from physical injuries, and emphasized that the mind

CHANG From Page 1A ent issues,” Chang said. “A lot of those skills will serve me in the legislature as well.” After being asked to run for state representative in the 6th District by her predecessor, former State Rep Rashida Tlaib, Chang had to determine if her race was going to impede her ability to win in a predominantly Black city. “What really became clear on the campaign trail was that people want someone who shares their values and someone they can trust and someone they know can work really hard for them,” she said. Chang’s district had traditionally elected a diverse array of people to leadership positions. Past representatives include a Palestinian woman, a Jewish man, a Mexican American woman and a Hungarian woman. In her position, Chang represents a significant portion of Downtown, Corktown and Southwest Detroit and a small section of the near east side stretching

RACE From Page 1A speech. “I hope to leave people talking.” Coates, whose background is primarily rooted in historical studies and journalism, not activism, focused his lecture on facts and data to make a case for reparations. According to Coates, the history of African Americans is rooted in exploitation. He said slavery was responsible for fostering institutionalized racism in America because it legalized the use of Black labor for economic profit, criminalized Blacks who tried to learn to write and barred them from voting, effectively preventing them from participating in society. “The fundamental feature of slavery, of enslavement, of all the great physical violence it took to maintain the system is the fact that attribution is plundering,” he said. “It’s important to understand the plunder wasn’t a side product; it wasn’t incidental.” For example, Coates said during the 18th and 19th centuries, slave-picked cotton accounted for the majority of American exports and the country’s richest region was in the South, where cotton plantations thrived. Even after slavery was abolished with the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, Coates said African Americans were still oppressed by a sharecropping system designed to reduplicate slavery within the confines of the 13th Amendment, which outlawed the institution. Sharecropping refers to the system in which newly freed slaves worked someone else’s land in exchange for some of the crops produced. Because former slaves lacked resources and land to begin their life post-slavery, the system exploited Black citizens in a form similar to slavery. “We live in a country that, for

News & Opinion affects everything we do. Barbara Hansen, athletic medical staff counselor, said the athletes had a significant impact on the students who participated. “I think one of the more powerful, common reactions we’ve had is that students felt like they could really relate to the videos and stories from Will and Kally,” Hansen said. The pilot program is part of a wider effort that began in October. At that time, the collaborators began holding drop-in meetings facilitated by a clinical social worker. At the meetings, Hansen said athletes completed surveys focused on mental wellness. Hansen said they have resumed the groups for the winter semester, and are in the planning stages for the next academic year. As a result of the pilot, 40 students met with counselors. “Feedback about the videos was overwhelmingly positive,” Hansen said. “It definitely opened up the door for some of our current student-athletes to decide to reach out for help.”

from Interstate-375 to Belle Isle. She is aware that there are a number of tough issues in her district. Chang highlighted quality of education, safety in Detroit, criminal justice and environmental issues as persistent challenges. “There are a number of areas in Southwest Detroit that have high amounts of corporate pollution that are very concerning, and could have a huge public health impact,” she said. Chang stressed the importance of developing the district’s relationship with the Detroit City Council to help ease these problems. Additionally, Chang has established a neighborhood service center where residents can easily seek assistance in their district. “One of the things I have is a neighborhood service center in the district, so that people don’t necessarily just have to call my Lansing office,” Chang said. “They can actually come in to our Detroit office right in the district.” Chang’s parents emigrated from Taiwan to pursue educational opportunities in the United States. In part due to her background, Chang’s campaign

advocated for increased quality of education in Detroit. Chang and a group of state legislators toured Detroit Public Schools Friday to meet principals, students and parents to get a sense of the most pressing issues facing the public school system. That morning, the Detroit Free Press reported that every senior at Cristo Rey High School, a Catholic school in Southwest Detroit in District 6, was accepted into college. “We want to celebrate the success that that school has had,” she said. “We have some really amazing schools to be proud of in Detroit.” Though Chang plans to advocate for improvements to education, she opposes the emergency financial manager law, which allowed Republican Gov. Rick Snyder to appoint a new emergency manager for Detroit’s public school system last week. “Emergency management hasn’t necessarily provided the solutions that we need,” Chang said. “No one knows better what needs to happen than those that are directly impacted by DPS.”

at least 350 years, the policy was to ensure black failure,” Coates said in a seminar for students before the speech. “And it was largely successful.” Transitioning to the present day, Coates described the ways in which housing discrimination barred Black families from living in certain areas, thus inhibiting their access to good schools. Though paying taxes to the government, Coates said Black people contributed money to a government that barred them from many public institutions like quality schools. “Ultimately, the case for reparations boils down to a very simple concept,” he said. “If we know that the African American community in this country for the lion’s share of its history has been subject to plunder at every level of our society … then perhaps some small amount, some significant amount of what was taken from you should be given back.” Following his lecture, Coates held a question-and-answer session with the crowd, responding to a host of questions primarily examining modern day racism. Coates also hosted a smaller seminar for around 30 undergraduate and graduate students before the speech. During the Q&A session, asked Coates about his thoughts on multiple issues, including gentrification in Detroit, and the fight to reduce drug-related incidents in the United States. Coates said gentrification is an after-effect of the years of housing discrimination, when specific states and private companies made it legal for certain neighborhoods to receive unequal public benefits based on the demographics of their residents. “Detroit’s population has been declining for a long time,” he said. “The question to ask is, ‘Why is this happening to begin with?’ ” During the smaller seminar, Coates spoke more personally,

discussing his journey to become a journalist and writer, as well as the confluences between writing and activism. Rackham students Austin McCoy, Hakeem Jefferson and Courtney McCluney moderated the discussion. The students said they hoped to learn how Coates uses scholarship on African American history and American society as a journalist. “I’m just really excited to know that there’s someone who cares about the work that we’re doing, and wants to spread it broadly and make arguments using our work,” McCluney said. Coates told the group he had an unorthodox upbringing and childhood compared to other journalists and authors. His father, a Black Panther during the 1970s and 1980s, taught Coates to revere Malcolm X as the leading African American civil rights hero, not Martin Luther King Jr., as the majority of Americans did. Though he read and wrote throughout his childhood, Coates said his performance in school was “abysmal.” After studying history at Howard University for a few years, where he wrote for the school paper, he dropped out to pursue a career in journalism. In both the seminar and in an interview with the Daily, Coates said the future for equality for African Americans will not be attained until the agenda of those in power or a critical mass of people aligns with the agenda of social activists. However, he added that individuals actively opposing racism also have a role to play. “What they’re doing is not insignificant,” he said. “What they’re doing is exactly what they should be doing. You make the argument, you make the argument, you make the argument, and when the sky opens up you take your chance. But it’s just not open right now.”

Thursday, January 22, 2015 — 3A

Q&A EDITORS | QUEER IN ACTION

Coming out: Q&A’s first Q&A

Let’s get this Q&A started! Q: What is Q&A? A: Q&A, shorthand for Queer in Action, is The Michigan Daily’s first section devoted exclusively to members of the LGBTQ community. This independent section is a space for those at the University associating with a queer identity to share their stories and experiences. Q: Why is this section being created? A: We believe that the narratives, experiences and oppressions faced in the LGBTQ community are frequently minimized and overshadowed by the heteronormative and cisnormative standards. We want those with a queer identity to speak up and share their stories related to whatever shapes and exists from sexuality and gender. We want to emphasize that this space is intentionally designed to be safe for all contributors because we want you to feel comfortable sharing your stories. Topics surrounding sexuality, gender and homophobia can sometimes be uncomfortable to discuss in daily life, but we encourage you to overcome those fears in this space. We want you to be honest, confident and candid about the thoughts in your mind and experiences on your heart. Q: Why is this section called Q&A? A: Q&A serves as a relevant acronym for this space because a queer person’s sexuality can require a variety of answers to multiple questions. Our culture structures sexuality by creating strict categories like gay, lesbian and bisexual. For some, sexuality (and gender) is much more complicated than checking off one of these boxes. So in these articles, besides sharing personal stories, we hope that this space serves to spotlight and answer questions surrounding the nuances of each person’s sexuality (or gender). Possible questions include but are not limited to: - What sexual category do I closest identify with? - What similarities and differences exist between myself and the stigmas associated with my sexual or non-cisgender identity? - How do my gender and sexuality interact in forming who I am as a person? - What specific experiences or oppressions come from my queer identity? We hope that, in addition to recanting stories and revealing oppression, this space will serve as a vessel to spark conversations and discussions regarding sexuality and gender.

Q: You’ve used the words “queer,” “heteronormative” and “cisgender,” and I don’t understand at least one of those terms. Am I going to be able to understand content from this section? A: Good question! First, not all articles will use this complex language, but we’ve prepared materials to help you if you’re confused. We’ve created an online catalogue of important terms, the “LGBT A-Z Dictionary,” found on The Michigan Daily website. We hope this helps everyone feel competent in understanding our content, regardless of your prior knowledge on these topics. Besides straightforward definitions, we provide as much relevant information about each term, and we’ll continue updating the dictionary as necessary. We hope you refer back to this catalogue as much as you need. Q: Can I write for Q&A? A: That depends. If you identify as gay, bisexual, lesbian, transgender, asexual, pansexual or demisexual, then you definitely can. If you claim your identity as queer, most likely you can and you should e-mail us if you’re concerned. If you identify as heterosexual and cisgender, then you cannot contribute. While we love ally support, this space is designed for only queer-identifying people to contribute content. The best way for allies to contribute is to read articles, share ones you love and spread awareness for this space. That alone serves as a contribution to this section. Q: What can I write for Q&A? A: Whatever is related to your personal story. We at Q&A don’t want to constrict what your contributions can be, much like we don’t want to place strict categories on what your sexuality might be. All we ask is that you include your personal experiences, be as candid as possible and develop some overarching theme or idea in your piece. Please e-mail us with your ideas for a story, and we’ll work with you from there. Q: Can I contribute on a more frequent basis? A: Yes! Absolutely! We’re looking to hire consistent contributors, and it will come with some perks. If interested, e-mail us and we’ll send you an application and answer any questions that you might have. Now, without further ado, I’d like you all to meet the founding editors for Queer in Action: I’m Michael Schramm, a columnist for The Michigan Daily. I’ll be leading this section as the first Q&A editor. As a gay man, I believe this space is so crucial for queer members, as there

aren’t many available spaces for us to share our stories and narratives. I’m looking forward to the dialogues, empowerment and catharsis that this space will provide. I’m Ryan Freeland, a junior studying in International Studies, focusing on global health. I identify as pansexual. I’m interested in being an editor for this blog because the queer community is still marginalized on campus. I feel this blog will allow for stories to be heard and create a new kind of movement on campus. I’m Lita Brillman, a sophomore studying women’s studies, a feminist and longtime bisexual. I’m stoked to do my part in elevating marginalized voices on campus, and look forward to reading and connecting with stories of other queer Wolverines. I hope that we can all work to make this an inclusive space to all identities that may intersect with queerness, and represent a broad perspective of the Michigan queer community. I’m Kastriot Osmani, an international freshman. I’m from Kosova (a country in Europe), and I am interested in making this a space where people feel comfortable sharing their experiences and stories, without a fear of judgment or negativity. As someone who has lived in various countries, mainly in Sub-Saharan Africa, I have seen various forms of antiqueer discrimination, and while the University has a much more accepting and liberal climate, I still feel that there’s a long way to go, and that this blog can be a catalyst for change. I’m looking forward to hearing all of your wonderful stories! That’s all for our first Q&A. But before we go, we’d like to give a special shout-out to another Michigan Daily section: Michigan in Color. MiC, thanks for being the first section to create a place for a marginalized group. Your space’s success has undoubtedly aided our space’s creation, and for that, we are sincerely thankful. We look forward to seeing your section continue this semester, and we hope that you’ll take a peek at some of our content as well. Now, it’s time for your Q&A (but don’t feel the need to follow this question and answer format). It’s time for the world to hear your stories and experiences with sexuality and gender.

Those interested in contributing content to Queer in Action can contact the editors at queerinaction@michigandaily.com.

MICHIGANDAILY.COM

Opinion

4A — Thursday, January 22, 2015

CLAIRE TAIGMAN | VIEWPOINT

Reflecting on Roe v. Wade The 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade marks a bittersweet time of reflection for us as abortion rights activists. Although Roe v. Wade is widely celebrated as a groundbreaking United States Supreme Court decision, it set a surprisingly weak precedent for abortion rights. In 1970, Jane Roe sued the district attorney of Dallas based on the premise that her inability to receive a legal abortion in the state of Texas violated her personal liberty. She claimed that this liberty was embodied in the due process clause of the 14th Amendment, and that the “penumbras” of the Bill of Rights recognized, to some extent, a right to sexual and reproductive privacy. The Supreme Court did not uphold this logic. Instead, former Justice Harry Blackmun’s majority opinion ruled that before fetal viability, “the abortion decision … must be left to the medical judgment of the pregnant woman’s attending physician.” (“Viability” is the stage in pregnancy where a fetus is capable of surviving outside of the womb, usually 24 to 28 weeks, or in the Court’s language, the end of the second trimester.) This ruling was based on the Court’s interpretation of the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth and 14th Amendments, as well as precedents set in previous cases such as Griswold v. Connecticut that, together, established a right to privacy. However, after fetal viability, weighing a “com-

pelling” interest in fetal life against the right to privacy is a decision left to individual states. What are the problems here? To start, the focus on the right to privacy allowed the Court to construct a rationale that recognized the legality of first and second-trimester abortions but failed to provide for accessibility. Before Roe v. Wade, those who could afford to travel to one of the 17 states where abortion laws were liberalized and those who could achieve consent from a physician to receive abortions due to health concerns (the majority of whom were wealthy, white women) already had access to abortion. Thus, the Roe v. Wade decision did not sufficiently address the underlying issues of socioeconomic status (often stratified along racial lines) in abortion access because it hardly addressed the issues of accessibility and affordability. The fact that the Supreme Court justified a woman’s right to limited bodily autonomy with a judicially created right to privacy and the right of physicians to practice medicine freely barring a compelling state interest — instead of following Roe’s initial argument that women possess a fundamental liberty in choosing whether to carry a pregnancy to term — is additionally problematic. If the Court had focused on recognizing the humanity and basic freedom of women, rather than the constitutional politics of privacy in healthcare, abortion

rights in the United States might be much stronger today. Instead, abortion rights have been under attack for decades. Roe v. Wade set a weak precedent, but it is the only national precedent that we have, and even this fragile foundation is being chipped away by today’s legislatures at both state and national levels. New bills are passed every year that place restrictions on abortion clinics and decrease funding opportunities, further reducing accessibility. For example, last year in Michigan, a law was passed that requires individuals who may become pregnant to buy an insurance rider specifically for abortion, effectively forcing planning for an unplanned pregnancy. In addition, the U.S. House of Representatives is debating legislation right now to ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and to set nationally mandated abortion clinic restrictions that would place costly constraints on abortion providers, essentially reversing the basic premise of Roe v. Wade. Forty-two years after Roe v. Wade, many people remain unable to secure safe, legal abortions due to economic constraints not accounted for in the decision. In effect, abortion is rendered a privilege, not a right. It is clear that the work of activists in reproductive freedom is as important now as ever. Claire Taigman is an LSA sophomore.

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, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Derek Wolfe

An American classic

ince the film’s release last week, Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” has been the consistent topic of debate amongst Hollywood chatter throughout online platforms. “American Sniper” chronicles the adulthood LAUREN of U.S. Navy MCCARTHY SEAL Chris Kyle, played by Bradley Cooper, as he became known as one of the most lethal snipers in American history throughout his four combat tours in Iraq. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the film was based on Kyle’s bestselling 2012 autobiography of the same name. Although the movie ranked No. 1 this past weekend, grossing more than $105 million at the box office and setting an opening weekend record as the topgrossing Oscar nominee ever, appreciation and praise of the film has not been unanimous. Film director Michael Moore, who famously criticized the Iraq War in his 2003 Oscar acceptance speech, is now expressing his views via Twitter, calling snipers “cowards.” On January 18, Moore tweeted, “My uncle killed by sniper in WW2. We were taught snipers were cowards. Will shoot u in the back. Snipers aren’t heroes. And invaders r worse.” A few hours later he followed up, tweeting, “But if you’re on the roof of your home defending it from invaders who’ve come 7K miles, you are not a sniper, u are brave, u are a neighbor.” Seth Rogan, the director of the recent cinematic controversy “The Interview,” also tweeted that the film reminded him of the faux-Nazi propaganda film that Quentin Tarantino featured in his film “Inglourious Basterds,” in which a German sniper talks about how he picked off 200 Allied soldiers

from a clock tower. He later amended his opinion, writing, “I just said something ‘kinda reminded’ me of something else. I actually liked ‘American Sniper.’ It just reminded me of the Tarantino scene.” More recently, journalist Karen Zacharias wrote an editorial for CNN titled, “Why I refuse to see ‘American Sniper,’ ” expressing concern that the film may be glorifying or misrepresenting war. She claims, however, that her reluctance has nothing to do with Michael Moore’s flippant assertion that snipers are cowards, countering that she was always taught that cowards are those who refuse to serve their country. Zacharias writes, “When my father died there were no crowds gathered at Cowboys Stadium, no JumboTron displaying pictures of the family man my father was, and no front-page stories. There was just a broken family feeling very abandoned by an ungrateful nation.” She concludes, “Hollywood has a way of fictionalizing war, of making it all about ‘us’ and ‘them’… I have traveled to my father’s battlefield in Vietnam and I have befriended Vietnamese who lost even more than I did during the war. I have learned there is no ‘us’ and ‘them.’ There is only ‘us.’ ” While I respect Zacharias’ personal reasons for abstaining from viewing the film, I felt as though the arguments she cites in her piece are not entirely applicable to “American Sniper.” Chris Kyle had no intention or expectation of a crowd gathering at Cowboys Stadium in his honor or a 200-mile procession — and that is exactly the point. Rather, “American Sniper” tells the crucial, very real story of a man grappling with his role in the Iraqi war. In fact, when asked by Time magazine’s Belinda Luscombe why he originally wrote the novel, Kyle explained that he wanted to write about “not the sacrifices that the military members make, but the sacrifices that their families have to go

through, about the single mothers now raising their children … then also stories about my guys that deserve to be out there. They didn’t get the Medal of Honor so you don’t know about them, but they died heroes and people should know about them.” Both in his live interviews and as portrayed by Bradley Cooper in the film, Chris Kyle honorably emulates humility, dedication and a life and heart of service — an inspiring, humanistic example of conduct that is able to resonate with the majority of the feature’s audience. I was personally both entertained and enlightened by “American Sniper,” leaving the theater wanting to communicate the importance of Chris Kyle, his story and the film. What I appreciated the most about the film was its alarming ability to be apolitical. The piece makes no statement about the folly of war, nor does it glamorize or glorify it. “American Sniper” is simply Kyle’s story, from the moment he decides to enlist to when he returns home permanently. It does not attempt to suggest what should have been done overseas or what was being done overseas; it solely presents the reality of the war for a single soldier and from his point of view. Ultimately, “American Sniper” is truly a great American war story, and what I believe may quickly become a classic. The power of the film comes not from its underlying commentary — and I am irritated that critics may be attempting to fabricate some — but instead from its simplicity and focus. The strength of Chris Kyle’s tale lies in its resonant portrayal of a man struggling with his responsibilities to his God, his country and his young family, and how those contrasting responsibilities riddle him with internal tensions. It is not necessarily a story about snipers, violence or war, but one about how we may fare when faced with such imminent pressures. — Lauren McCarthy can be reached at laurmc@umich.edu.

Want to read about the new Queer In Action section?

Check out page 3A.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Home-court advantage

o, it’s not about the NFL playoffs. It’s about the one other, non-flu pathogen infecting college campuses across the nation: sexual assault. Since the beginning of the school year, sexual assaults on campus have received ample attention, par- ELI ticularly at plac- CAHAN es like Columbia University and the University of Virginia. Emma Sulkowicz, a senior at Columbia (colloquially known as “mattress girl”), has served as the face for these issues through her performance piece Carry That Weight. This has been a complicated time for me as a spectator, given that I have known Emma since kindergarten. Emma was, in my experience, hardly a shy or dainty girl. During the day, she was smart beyond belief, funny and easy to talk to. At night, Emma was just as bravely forward with some of my friends as she was with the telling of her story to the country. She was never a pushover. So, in the midst of all of her publicity (largely in September), I never doubted she was telling the truth. But I did wonder one thing: how could this happen to her, of all people? Confusion seems to be a hallmark of many sexual assault cases. Confusion is present before, during and after the act. Confusion seems to be a consequence of an initial incongruence between the two sides that led to what could even be interpreted as nonconsensual sex. In my experience, consensual sex is tremendously unconfusing — there aren’t really that many confounding factors when you are taking each other’s clothes off. So the very concept of rape resonates with confusion, typically about far more than “what happened in the room.” In the effort to alleviate some of this confusion, scientists have conducted studies to try to analyze sexual assault with probabilities and quantifications. For example, 19 percent of female students in college experienced completed or attempted sexual assault during their time on campus. Similarly, female students who experienced

sexual assault prior to college were eight times more likely to experience it again during college. Furthermore, female students who have “reported getting drunk since entering college” are 1.7 times more likely to be the victims of sexual assault, with fraternity men being the most likely perpetrators. But what do these numbers really mean, or rather, what are we to make of them? Don’t spend time drinking at fraternities? Don’t go to college in the first place? These are coarse interpretations of an extraordinarily sensitive question. Sexual assault is not a “disease” itself; it cannot be vanquished with comparative effectiveness studies and rehabilitation regimens. It is, rather, a symptom of a much larger malignancy. On Tuesday morning, The New York Times sought to address this broader malignancy in an article titled “Sorority Anti-Rape Idea: Drinking on Own Turf.” Amidst a comprehensive profiling of recent sexual assault cases, the author, Alan Schwarz, explores a suggestion to have drinking occur in the sorority houses themselves. Female students interviewed detailed the role of a “home-court advantage” at Greek parties, the importance of “ownership of the social scene,” analogizing host fraternities to “hunting grounds.” Thus, the suggestion to have sororities host parties. However, from where I sit, this suggestion would only introduce more issues. The benefit to being a visitor (in the Greek context, but also more broadly) is that, if uncomfortable, you can leave. Though there are dangers off-campus late at night, reliable taxi and bus service, coupled with walking in a group, mitigate these issues. There is much power in the ability to leave on a moment’s notice. On the contrary, opening your own house up to others makes this “escape plan” far more complicated. A closed door in your own house is equally dangerous to that of another’s, with the caveat that you have nowhere else to go. No. I think that the deeper issue to be explored here has to do with the male-female relationships, interactions and expectations in the campus context. It’s less tangible than an address on a Facebook event. I was recently asked by one of

my friends when the last time I had “sober sex” was. He was surprised by my answer — he hadn’t done it since high school. Another friend asked what he should “do with” a girl he was interested in. I suggested he take her on a date. He laughed at me. A third friend shared his internal debate on whether or not to ask a girl to be “exclusive.” He resolved it was better not to. I believe that these are the products of the larger relationship problem. Relationships are complex, convoluted and opaque. This, in my mind, is the malignancy. To put it simply: I just don’t think guys and girls know each other well enough nor intimately enough. When you know someone intimately, you know whether they’re being blunt, versus sarcastic, versus sassy. When you know someone intimately, you know whether they’re squirming in discomfort, writhing in pain or just ticklish. When you do not, you don’t know how to tell someone you’re scared, uncomfortable and need to go home. When you do not, you don’t know how to read the signs, and you don’t know how to give them. Mandating comprehensive sexual assault education for all entering college students, including the detailed narratives and experiences of survivors, would supplement this more intimate education. The current feeble attempts at sexual assault education lack the detail, strength and emotion of testimony. The combination would serve to make the signs more clear and to clarify some of the insidious confusion. I am still confused about what happened to Emma. There are no clear answers, nor immediate solutions. But I do hope that she, as with other victims (male or female), can recover a sense of normality in time. And I do hope that he, as with other perpetrators (male or female), can get to know the objects of his desire better in the future. But, that way, they might become more than objects; they might become living, breathing, feeling partners. That way, when they say “yes,” explicitly or implicitly, he might be able to hear them. Or too, when they say “no.” — Eli Cahan can be reached at emcahan@umich.edu.

Mapping my comfort zone

t’s a simple drive to get to the airport. Head down State Street, take I-94 East to exit 198 and follow the signs. Many Michigan students with cars on campus are used to the drive, picking up and dropping off friends visit- KATIE ing from home KOZIARA or recent graduates returning for a visit. I found myself making this trip again last week for the latter reason. Maybe because it was dark and calm on the freeway, or maybe because it’s my senior year, hence everything is sentimental, but I found myself thinking about the trip as more than just a quick drive to the airport. “Experienced driver” isn’t something I would be comfortable putting on my resume; I would rather be in the passenger seat — navigating via Google Maps — than sitting behind the wheel. In fact, I am pretty sure I drove about 10 percent of the recommended 50 hours of driving I was supposed to complete before my driver’s test. I passed the test just days before my senior year began because my brother was leaving for college, forcing me to find an alternate way to get to school. My arsenal of excuses I use to avoid driving range from frugality (I’d rather spend money on clothes than on gas) to forgetfulness (occasionally I will “forget” to bring my glasses to the car). If I am being honest, I even claim my 5-foot-tall frame is simply too short to see above the wheel of some cars (I’m looking at you, Honda Prius). But on this particular evening, I thought about freshman

year, when I anxiously headed to the airport to pick up my high-school boyfriend. Google Maps was cued up on my cell phone and laptop, and I forced my brother to tell me the directions over and over until I knew them better than the answers to my Econ 101 exam. I sat in the car, took a deep breath, checked my mirrors twice and headed toward the freeway. Even though I knew the exit I was supposed to take to get to the airport, I still panicked as I passed the sign for Willow Run Airport. Was this where I was supposed to turn off? Had it been 20 miles already? How could there be two airports in such a small stretch of road? Without Siri’s soothing voice telling me to continue on I-94 East, I may not have made it that day. Last week, though, I passed the sign for Willow Run Airport and laughed to myself, thinking of the stress this silly sign had caused me my freshman year. Why had my anxiety about driving to the airport dissipated? It was still the same sign, the same car and the same drive. The circumstances hadn’t changed — I had changed. Some argue college is a time to get out of your comfort zone, but I think college expanded my comfort zone. I came here as little more than a high school student who had just gotten her license the year before. I went to school in state, following in my father and brother’s footsteps at the University of Michigan. I arrived on campus thinking I could learn a lot from my new environment, but acknowledging Ann Arbor was definitely well within my comfort zone. But then things changed. I made new friends who came from backgrounds I had never encountered in my northern Michigan hometown. I learned from professors who held views on issues I hadn’t even consid-

ered because they just hadn’t occurred to me. I spent a semester in Washington, D.C., a city more than 100 times the size of the place where I grew up. And somewhere in that timeframe, I learned to drive to the airport without getting nervous. In four months I’ll be moving to Washington, D.C., a city filled with a metro system, reliable buses, a steady stream of taxis and a climate that makes walking a real possibility for most of the year. Realistically, I won’t own a car for at least five years. But there are other things to be stressed about as I transition from the “bubble” of college to the “real world.” I’ll find a job and learn to budget wisely in a city like D.C. while on a public service salary. I’ll apartment hunt with someone I don’t know and be nervous about whether or not they’ll leave their dishes in the sink. I’ll balance work life with activities I love, like running, reading and visiting new restaurants. And I’ll negotiate leaving my college friendships, events and experiences that have so wonderfully tugged at the outline of my comfort zone until I couldn’t see many of the boundaries I set for myself in high school. I have faith, though, that within a few years these things will be mindless tasks—daily operations not even worth much thought. Postgraduate life will push against the outline of my comfort zone yet again. While I still might hesitate to sign myself up for a cross-country road trip, I can confidently drive myself from Ann Arbor to wherever I need to go. And while I might not be excited to leave my college days behind this spring, I know heading to the next big thing is within my comfort zone, thanks to my time in Ann Arbor. — Katie Koziara can be reached at kkoziara@umich.edu.

Weekend Roundup

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Thursday, January 22, 2015 — 5A

3 THINGS to do this weekend By JACLYN NAGEL Daily Weekend Contributor

As the end of January quickly approaches, make sure to take advantage of the test- and essay-free weeks you have left by doing some fun and different things this weekend.

Friday, Jan. 23 This Friday, head down to Main Street to enjoy the last day of Restaurant Week. There are more than 50 restaurants featuring amazing deals, so I’m confident you will find something

you will love. (I recommend Palio or Vinology). It’s your last chance to take advantage of this awesome opportunity, because the next Restaurant Week won’t be until June!

Saturday, Jan. 24 Saturday night, the Michigan men’s basketball team will be facing off against Wisconsin. It’s sure to be a fun game, but if you need any more convincing, the Crisler Center will also be home to this week’s ESPN College GameDay. Here’s to hoping we get as lucky as last week.

CAMPUS

EVENTS Thursday, 1/22

Sunday, Jan. 25 While the Oscars are still a few weeks away, get a head start on seeing some of this year’s Best Picture nominations. Both the State Theatre and the Michigan Theater are featuring screenings of “Selma,” “The Imitation Game” and “Whiplash.” Don’t forget to indulge in some popcorn while enjoying the show!is still ongoing. There have been various theories and conjectures as to what happened to the flight but there are still very little facts available regarding the situation.

Wolverine Support Network kickoff 6 p.m. Michigan League Ballroom “Casual Encounters” 6:30 p.m. The Michigan Theater

Friday, 1/23

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Gratzi is one of 50 restaurants participating in Ann Arbor’s biannual Restaurant Week.

South Asian Awareness Network Conference 7 p.m. The Michigan League PureRhythM performance 7:30 p.m. Lydia Mendelssohn Theater

Poetic story telling 7 p.m. Rackham Auditorium

Saturday, 1/24 Dance Marathon carnival 10 a.m. Palmer Commons Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament 11 a.m. Michigan Union

Sunday, 1/25 PAUL SHERMAN/Daily

This weekend students can see Selma, Foxcatcher and Whiplash at the State Theatre.

SPOTLIGHT: QUID DI TCH YULE BALL By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Weekend Contributor

It’s mystic, it’s magical and it will be reality for the Muggle world this weekend. Saturday evening, in the Rogel Ballroom of the Michigan Union, the University Quidditch team will host its third annual Yule Ball, a dance event open to all students. The Yule Ball, inspired by J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, has drawn hundreds of students each year since its inception, even selling out in its 2013 debut. It’s the team’s largest fundraiser of the year, with the proceeds supporting their quest to attend this year’s World Cup in Rock Hill, South Carolina. The dance also allows the Quidditch team to reach out to the student body. “This is an important even for our team because it is our chance to connect with the University community and show them what our team is about,” said LSA senior and University Quidditch Presi-

dent Margaret Burns. “We normally do not have many home games for students to watch, and we practice off campus, so we do not always get to interact with students as much as we would like to.” Tickets will be on sale from 8:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the door, or students can purchase pre-sale tickets through the Michigan Union Ticket Office, both in person or online. The ball will include performances from the GMen, an allmale a cappella group, as well as the Friars, a subgroup of the Men’s Glee Club. Quidditch team players will also be performing. Two players may perform a Harry Potter-themed rap and another team member will showcase magic tricks throughout the show. Students can also get their fortune told by two tarot card readers. “We as a team are huge fans of the Friars and G-Men,” Burns said. “And we also want to showcase some of the cool talents our team has.”

“It is our chance to connect with the University”

S TA F F P I C K S “ L E AV E T H E NIGHT ON”

AMERICAN SNIPER

SAM HUNT

IN THEATERS

@michigandaily

LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily

Sophomore forward Zak Irvin will take on a significantly larger role with junior guard Caris LeVert out for the season with a broken foot.

Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Thursday, January 22, 2015

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Human board games 1 p.m. Michigan League

Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com

FOR RENT

HELP WANTED

! NORTH CAMPUS 1‑2 Bdrm. ! ! Riverfront/Heat/Water/Parking. ! ! www.HRPAA.com !

COMMERCIAL CLEANERS Fulltime position in the Ann Arbor area Must pass drug screen & extensive background check. Own transportation required. 586‑759‑3700

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Modern “Keep in touch!” 7 Ann’s sister 11 Extras may comprise one 14 Tennis star Gibson 15 The real thing, so to speak 17 Riddles 18 Regretting a wild night, maybe 19 *Beginning 21 Field of study 24 “We __ Family”: 1979 hit 25 Tamper 26 *They carry remainders 31 Org. where weight matters 32 Without __: riskily 33 On a streak 36 Capp and Capone 37 Syr. neighbor 38 Jueves, por ejemplo 39 Natural resource 40 Tease 42 Vibrater in a wind 43 Like Gen. Powell 44 *Bike safety device 47 __ Men: “Who Let the Dogs Out” band 49 Edible Asian shoot 50 Greek mount 51 *The rest 56 Burns poem that starts, “Wee, sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie” 57 Time of your life 61 Marching band instrument 62 Mill around 63 Passing stat. 64 Egyptian symbols of royalty 65 Both words in each answer to a starred clue begin and end with the same one DOWN 1 Keep time, in a way

2 Symphonic rock gp. 3 Cadillac sedan 4 Store to “fall into,” in old ads 5 Scant 6 First word of the chorus of “The Sidewalks of New York” 7 Parched 8 Dark-haired guy 9 Cask stopper 10 Safecracker 11 Some Cannes films 12 They have hoods and racks 13 Cold-water hazards 16 Was impending 20 Perp subduer 21 Egyptian dam 22 100 kopecks 23 Parts opposite points 27 First name in women’s boxing 28 Racing family name 29 Bay window 30 Aptly named novelist

34 Easily crumbled cookies 35 Betta tankmate 38 “Colonel Jack” novelist 41 “Oh, my!” 42 Uses, as credit card rewards 45 Amasses 46 Work on together, in a way

47 LPGA great Rawls 48 Stay clear of 52 “The boy you trained, gone he is” speaker 53 Sharing word 54 Relax 55 Blackthorn fruit 58 QB’s stat 59 Turn right 60 Go wrong

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

2,3,4 BEDROOM APARTMENTS South Campus Fall 2015‑16 1015 Packard ‑ $1370‑$2680 + Utilities Call 734‑996‑1991 to sched a viewing 2015‑2016 LEASING Apartments Going Fast! Prime Student Housing 734‑761‑8000 www.primesh.com Efficiencies: 344 S. Division $825/$845 1 Bedrooms: 511 Hoover (1 left) $1025 508 Division $925/$945 4 BEDROOM HOUSE Fall 2015‑16 North Campus: Off Fuller by UM Hospital 2 Baths, Wshr./Dryer, 3 Prkg spaces, Pet & Smoke free. $2300 + utilities 1010 Cedar Bend Dr. 734‑996‑1991 6 BDRM/2 BATH Bi‑Lvl Penthouses 616 Monroe St. near Law School & Ross May 2015‑2016 $4799. 734‑665‑8825

xwordeditor@aol.com

01/22/15

6 BEDROOM HOUSE 511 Linden. East of CC Little btwn Geddes&South U. 2 Bath, Wshr./Dryer, 2 Prkg. spaces, Pet & Smoke free. Fall 2015‑16 $3,995 + utilities. 734‑996‑1991 ARBOR PROPERTIES Award‑Winning Rentals in Kerrytown, Central Campus, Old West Side, Burns Park. Now Renting for 2015. 734‑649‑8637. www.arborprops.com EFF, 1 & 2 Bedrooms Avail Fall 2015‑16 $750 ‑ $1420. Most include Heat and Water. Parking where avail: $50‑80/mo. Coin Laundry access on site/nearby. www.cappomanagement.com Call 734‑996‑1991 THE NEW UNIVERSITY TOWERS! Apartments starting at $778. Ask about our new 2 Bedroom Special: Sign a full 2 bedroom lease and get a Free Flat Screen TV Visit our new website: www.u‑towers.com

01/22/15

SUBLETS APT SUBLET AVAIL. immediately. Lo‑ cated 1/2 block from Ross School. $750/mo, 1bdrm in 2bdrm apt, clean apt. Text Matt (734) 546‑4490.

SERVICES THESIS EDITING. LANGUAGE, organization, format. All Disciplines. 734/996‑0566 or writeon@iserv.net

DO YOU LOVE live music? The Blind Pig is looking for interns to help w/ mar‑ keting and research. Great way to learn the music business, get free entry into shows. Email zachary.tocco@gmail.com with the subject “INTERN” for more info. DOMINICK’S HIRING FOR spring & summer. Call 734‑834‑5021.

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT

WORK ON MACKINAC Island This Summer – Make lifelong friends. The Is‑ land House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops are looking for help in all areas be‑ ginning in early May: Front Desk, Bell Staff, Wait Staff, Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas. Housing, bonus, and discounted meals. (906) 847‑7196. www.theisland‑ house.com

ANNOUNCEMENT WRITE AN ESSAY on happiness. Win $500.Noentryfee.humanhappinessfoun‑ dation.org (A Non‑Profit Corporation)

Sports

6A — Thursday, January 22, 2015

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Inside the nation’s top offense Rossi Bruno works WRESTLING

toward pinnacle

By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Writer

It’s easy to recognize that the Michigan hockey team can score goals. No team in the country scores as many as the 16th-ranked Wolverines, at 4.15 goals per game. What’s harder to comprehend, however, is how Michigan is able to score so easily. Since scoring just 19 goals in their first seven games, the Wolverines have scored nearly five per game, including 39 in just six Big Ten games for a 6.5 average. This outburst is a combination of strategy, chemistry, luck and talent, but is it a sustainable one? The Daily breaks down what has gone right as of late for the nation’s No. 1 offense to see just how long this hot streak can last. Depth: Above all else, this team was built to score goals. The Wolverines have six forwards already drafted to the NHL, and feature an impressive amount of depth that was on display in December. “Any line on our team is a potential first line,” Hyman said after his team trumped the Buckeyes, 10-6, Friday. “We roll our lines out, and anyone can score. You can’t score 10 goals with one line. That’s what happens when you have four lines that can score.” The numbers back Hyman up. Michigan features seven of the conference’s top 15 point scorers, and even three of the top four scoring defensemen don the maize and blue. Hyman, who is fourth in the nation in points, accounts for just 12.2 percent of Michigan’s point total. By comparison, freshman sensation and national scoring leader Jack

By BEN FIDELMAN Daily Sports Writer

PAUL SHERMAN/Daily

The Michigan hockey team has opened up a sizable margin as the nation’s highest-scoring team.

Eichel constitutes 16.9 percent of his team’s offense. Having others who are able to score throughout the lineup means that opposing defenses don’t get breaks when they play the Wolverines. “(Dylan) Larkin’s line has had some chemistry right from the start that they have continued on, and JT (Compher)’s line also has chemistry, and the same goes for my line and Travis (Lynch’s),” Copp said after the Wolverines defeated the Buckeyes 8-3 Dec. 5. “When we get all four lines producing on a nightly basis, the goals are going to come.” Strategy: It’s one thing to have the tools necessary to score. It’s another thing to use those tools effectively. The two main ways Michigan coach Red Berenson sees his team doing that are through the power-play and second-chance efforts. “On your power play, you get your top offensive players out

there,” he said. “If you can’t score with a man-advantage, then that doesn’t say much for what your team can do in the game. “If you look at the good teams, they’re almost always near the top in the power play.” In Michigan’s first 12 games, the Wolverines were far from the top, going just 5-for-46, or 10.8 percent, on the man advantage. In the eight games since, however, Michigan has led the nation by scoring on 46.4 percent of powerplay opportunities. In their win over Ohio State on Friday, the Wolverines scored five goals via the one-timer, and four on rebound goals. The movement on all lines can add up quickly. Talent: Depth and strategy help, but when it boils down to it, Michigan was built to score goals. With six NHL draft picks in the cohorts of forwards — including three centers — the Wolverines had the offensive firepower before the season began.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Behind Enemy Lines: Iowa’s Samantha Logic Michigan plays another ranked team on road Thursday at Iowa By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan women’s basketball team is heating up. After an exciting comeback victory over Ohio State in overtime 10 days ago, the Wolverines (4-2 Big Ten, 12-5 overall) followed it up with another comeback thriller over Northwestern in Evanston on Saturday. Though freshman forward Katelynn Flaherty — Michigan’s leading scorer — had just five points in the game, sophomore guard Siera Thompson picked up the slack, scoring 20 points, including five 3-pointers. But to catch fire in the tough Big Ten, Michigan will have to travel to Iowa City on Thursday night and defeat No. 20 Iowa (5-1, 14-3). Iowa is on a streak of its own, though, having toppled Purdue, Northwestern and Michigan State in its last three games. The Hawkeyes are led by a duo of guards in Melissa Dixon and Samantha Logic, who lead the squad with 15.8 points and 6.8 assists per game, respectively. Logic’s 6.8 assists per game are good for No. 10 in the nation. The Daily sat down with Logic in October at Big Ten Media Day to talk about the upcoming season, going professional and her odd choice of sports in high school.

BEHIND ENEMY LINES

The Michigan Daily: Last year, you were a unanimous AllBig Ten first team pick — where do you go from there? Samantha Logic: I think moreso, my mindset is not so much about me individually, but more about my team. We want to get better every single day and compete for a Big Ten championship. We got to the title game last year, and we want to be there again and put ourselves in a position to be there consistently. And not just being in the title game, we would like to win one. We kind of just focus on the dayto-day things. The (All-Big Ten first team pick is) nice to look back on later, but right now that’s not really the main focus. Obviously, it is nice to be recognized and know that people think you are at the top level, but I think your own expectations have to exceed what other people think you can do. TMD: You’re known as a passing player, and your coach has said you improve the play of everyone around you. Would you say that’s true? SL: It’s just one of those things that when everyone is involved and getting equal shots and the team doesn’t hinge on just one player, it’s just more fun. You can lean on each other, and we believe in each other so much, and I think that’s where it comes from. I believe in my teammates so much, and they believe in me so much, that it’s so fun to play together in that situation. TMD: What are your expectations this year, for your team and for yourself?

SL: We want to be contending for a Big Ten championship. We want to get a ring so bad. For the four seniors, it’s our last chance to contend for that. We don’t know where we’re going after this, so this could be our last chance in a competitive setting like that at the highest level. TMD: Do you have plans to play after college? SL: I would like to. First, I’d like to get drafted, that’d be awesome. If not, I can play overseas. I just love playing basketball so much, and it’s not something you can come back and do. You can’t take a couple years off and go back to playing basketball. So you push the real-world stuff to later and try to play as long as possible and make some kind of living off it and move on afterward. TMD: In high school, you played softball, basketball and golf. Those sports are kind of on the opposite spectrums in sports — how did you get into each? SL: They’re very random, that’s for sure. I’d never golfed before. I just had some friends that played, and I didn’t really want to play any other sport in the fall season. I also played soccer, but it was in the same season as softball, so I was kind of bummed about that. Golf, I picked up just because I wanted to mix it up with basketball. I think it’s good for you. People nowadays specialize so early on one sport, and I think your body needs a break, not even from sports, just from the same routine. And for softball, I flipped a coin before freshman year because I didn’t know which one I wanted to play.

“We don’t know where we’re going after this.”

“I think when you look at most of my goals,” Larkin said Friday, “they’ve been good plays by other players and I’m just there to put it home. I think there’s some confidence, but a lot of it is because my linemates.” Though it’s possible, it’s unlikely that Michigan will be able to score ten goals again this season. Berenson knows it’s an aberration, but he also knows that this is what his team is capable of. This is what the nation’s No. 1 offense looks like. “We’re probably getting a little puck luck,” Berenson said. “Shots are going in that in another game, a goalie might save. It might be the fact that all the players that are capable of producing on offense are producing, we’ve got a number of guys that can score, but for them to score like this all at the same time is unusual. “You know how college hockey is, one night everything can be going in, and the next night it isn’t, so I don’t think there’s any one thing really.”

Rossi Bruno is accustomed to dominating. The junior was the first wrestler ever to win five Florida state championships in a highschool career, posting a 289-3 record along the way. He was selected as a Fargo All-American four times, and InterMat had him as the 13th-best wrestler in his class. By all accounts, Bruno succeeded at dominating his high school wrestling career. But through three seasons at Michigan, his record is far less illustrious. There were definite bright spots during his freshman season at Michigan, but the year as a whole didn’t live up to his standards. Those successes included a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Championships, which allowed for a 2-2 result at the NCAA tournament — two wins away from earning AllAmerican honors. Bruno failed to stand out through much of the 2012-13 season, posting a 16-18 record. In the end, outside of the seasonending tournament success, it was a very unassuming campaign for an athlete who had been consistently unstoppable for the majority of his wrestling career. Moving into his sophomore campaign, Bruno became more confident on the college level each weekend he competed. By midseason, Michigan had pushed its way into the top 10 teams in the nation, and Bruno was a massive contributor in the middle of the Wolverines’ lineup. He posted an overall record of 22-16 that season, finding a niche competing

in tournament settings. Although Bruno’s result at the 2014 Big Ten Championships was an underwhelming 1-2, he had done enough to secure a spot wrestling at the NCAA Championships. Capitalizing on that opportunity, he made it to the Round of 12, falling one win short of achieving what he narrowly missed the year before: All-American honors. “I like tournament setting because I can wrestle a little more conservative in my first match, and then get rolling,” Bruno said. “If I have a good first match, I’ll wrestle better against better kids later on.” The pursuit of dominance and top finishes have continued into this season. Bruno has made some major mental adjustments, which have allowed him to compete with the aggressiveness and clarity he needs. Prompted by a suggestion from senior team captain Max Huntley, Bruno has learned to separate his goals for wrestling with those that will impact his life off the mats. “I’ve only got two years left, so whether I accomplish my goals or not, there isn’t much that’s going to change in my real-world life,” Bruno said. Backed with that mindset, Bruno is on a tear in the first leg of this 2014-15 season. He has shot off to a 14-5 record, including an 11-3 mark in tournament play. With one more full season of eligibility, combining both wrestling success and repurposed focus is opening channels for Bruno to stride into national championship contention. The pinnacle position in college wrestling is in his sights. And he won’t stop until he’s there.

‘M’ bigs face larger role By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor

With 3:02 left in regulation, senior forward Max Bielfeldt snuck out to the 3-point line for an open shot. Junior guard Spike Albrecht found him, and the senior forward buried the shot that clinched the Michigan men’s basketball team’s win over Rutgers on Tuesday. It was Bielfeldt’s most important shot of the season — and the Wolverines might need a few more like it as they navigate the final 11 games of the regular season without Caris LeVert. LeVert was leading the team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and minutes. The 6-foot-6 junior guard even led the team in blocks with seven, over Bielfeldt, freshman forward Ricky Doyle and redshirt freshman forward Mark Donnal. After losing the frontcourt duo of Jordan Morgan and Jon Horford in the offseason, Michigan replaced them with Bielfeldt, Doyle and Donnal. With three scorers in LeVert and sophomores Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin elsewhere on the floor, the big men needed only to be serviceable for the first part of the season. Together, the trio averaged 16.1 points and 7.6 rebounds as the Wolverines started 6-1. With LeVert out for the season with a foot injury — and much of the rest of the team still nagged by injuries — they must grow up quickly. “We’re definitely not new to adversity,” Bielfeldt said. “So when you have guys go down, guys sick, next man up.” Bielfeldt took the reins Tuesday after Doyle sat down just 1:31 into the game, bothered by an illness. He finished with eight points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, the Wolverines didn’t get more than 12 points from any of their guards and shot just 35 percent from the floor and 8-for-26 from 3-point range. They now require a scoring presence from their big men, not just decent post defense or rebounding.

PAUL SHERMAN/Daily

Ricky Doyle will need to produce for Michigan once his health improves.

One of the nation’s worst teams in blocking shots, Michigan also finished with a season-high five blocks. Doyle managed three rejections in just seven minutes. Neither the big men nor the team in general were at their best, but they were able to get their first win without LeVert. “I don’t know if anyone (among the team) looked at any game going forward and said (we could win on the road),” Beilein said Tuesday. “But now it gives credence that we can. It could be a blowout, but we have to stay together and play smart basketball.” In the next four games, however, the Wolverines will face Wisconsin’s 7-foot Frank Kaminsky, Iowa’s 7-foot-1 Adam Woodbury and Nebraska’s 6-foot10 Walter Pitchford. And they’ll do it without LeVert available to neutralize a size disadvantage on the perimeter. Beilein has proved he will play the hot hand, but getting hot in the next few weeks will be a challenge for any of the three big men. Each has the ability to break out — Donnal with 13 points against Southern Methodist on Dec. 20, and Bielfeldt with 18

points against Bucknell on Nov. 17. But right now, the most likely candidate to pick up some of the scoring load is Doyle, who has six double-figure scoring games, if he can get healthy. “He got a foul right away and did not play well in the first half,” Beilein said. “I told him, ‘You don’t look good, let me know right away in the second half if you don’t feel good.’ After three minutes he asked to come out. We have to get him through this and we’ll be better for it. But he is going through a health issue right now that we need to solve.” Tuesday, Beilein also showed the tendency to play two big men at the same time. He hasn’t done so often this season, but with Donnal and Bielfeldt on the floor together for almost four minutes at the end of the first half, he shook things up — perhaps in part because they were two healthy bodies in a lineup severely lacking them. At least for now, with more ill or injured players than healthy ones, that’s a key criterion. It will be up to the big men to shoulder some of the burden for production.

the b-side B

The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, January 22, 2015

THE ART OF WORDS Inside the Universityâ€™s MFA fiction cohort By Karen Hua, Daily TV/New Media Editor Photo by Virginia Lozano

the b-side

2B — Thursday, January 22, 2015

MFA PROGRAM From Page 1B On the most blustery of days, I ventured deep into South Campus. Tucked beneath the looming shadow of the Big House was Wolverine Press. After wandering through a maze of office cubicles, I was immediately transported back into an early 20th-century factory workshop. Though the area was austere in nature, Fritz Swanson was quite the opposite. A man with an orange beard that matched his neon T-shirt, he introduced me to the facility that houses the traditional letterpress print company that serves the Helen Zell Writers’ Program. The Helen Zell Writers’ Program is a top-ranked two-year Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing, with cohorts in fiction and poetry. In the program, students work on their respective creative writing pieces while also serving as Graduate Student Instructors. At the end of the program, they essentially have completed a full body of work, and they proceed to embark on a third-year fellowship, with goals of publication. Swanson, a graduate of the MFA program and now the publishing company’s director, takes on five “Printer’s Devils” from the MFA program each year as apprentices to the art of printing. As the Devils toiled beside us, Swanson gave me a tour of the composing room, where tiny, silver type letters were scattered on the desk in compartmentalized categorizations. For each piece printed, they must set each individual letter in place, tighten them into a “chase” frame and then cast the entirety in metal. This can be an extremely tedious and arduous process over the course of many months. He shows me a recently printed poem — an inauguration gift for the new University President Mark Schlissel — beautifully inked in a sophisticated maize-andblue script. The finished product exudes effortlessness at first glance, but the complexity behind the aesthetic accentuates the intellect on the page. A printing enthusiast since middle school, Swanson started the press a year ago in an effort to salvage materials from a closing print shop in Muskegon. His initial intention was to revive the

classic craft — but his lofty aims to bring back an archaic method of printing have reasons beyond historical preservation. “I wanted this shop to be not just to make pretty things, but to be a place where all of that history lives and we can talk about it, not in the abstract,” Swanson said. “You sit down and set type, especially at the speed that we set at, and you can spend several minutes with a word. You contemplate the language at such a different speed, it changes the way you write, it changes the way you think about words, it changes the way you think about letters … (It’s an) opportunity for a writer to see writing from a truly novel perspective.” As I marvel, he tells me the stories of Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce, literary legends who both started their careers as printing devils. Swanson hopes to offer the same humble rooting to MFA students who also aspire to become revered writers in the future. He has the crucial responsibility of fostering and furthering their love for the language and their relationship with words. He certainly supplements their graduate experience, because behind the press lies a vibrant program of passionate individuals. I met up with two of these students — a tall man with a trapper hat that covers his eyes and a dainty young woman with a colorful dress and an even brighter personality. As we sat down, they offered me a cookie and a half-gallon of chocolate milk. They certainly did not have the high-strung, uptight personas of some graduate students drowning in their work, especially for students in the second-highestranked creative writing master’s program in the country. They sarcastically taunted each other, but amid the teasing, it was clear they held a deep respect for each other’s works. Menachem Kaiser graduated from Columbia University with degrees in economics and philosophy, and has since published his work at sites such as the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, Slate and the New Yorker. Christin Lee, who started as a studio arts major at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, balances Kaiser’s eccentric nature with her own quirky personality. Both are firstyear students pursuing fiction

VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily

“Literary legends got their starts as printing devils.”

writing. As we began to talk about their experiences in Helen Zell, they very quickly corrected a silly misconception of mine: not everyone in the MFA has roots in an English or writing major. The program allows opportunities for people from eclectic backgrounds, all bonded simply by their passion for writing. Lee intends to produce a collection of fiction short stories, and Kaiser, a novel following themes that speak to his Jewish identity. However, beyond those simple descriptors, they confessed that they did not have much of a direction. Though initially surprised, my qualms were assuaged as I realized that I was not the only one still figuring my life out. Even as masters students, their intentions were simply to absorb all they could and to refine their craft, all alongside a cohort who were in the same boat of exploration and experimentation. For the writers, the crux of the program culminates in exclusive, closed workshops. The MFA program has only 22 students — 12 in fiction and 10 in poetry. Though they only spend two years together, the students foster very close connections with each other, their professors and other faculty members. In their regular workshops, each of their peers dedicates a week to revising each other’s work and then advising each other on their progress. “In the real world, it’s very hard to find someone who’s willing to sit down and read and discuss your 6000 words,” Kaiser said. “It’s a weird family experience in a lot of ways. But there’s something just really special just having 11 other people, just in your corner, who are really going to give the time and attention.” I met up with Douglas Trevor, associate professor of English and Creative Writing at the University, later that afternoon. While at Princeton for his undergraduate degree, he studied comparative literature and creative writing with acclaimed writers such as Joyce Carol Oates and Toni Morrison. His work has received wide laudation as well, including the Balcones Fiction Prize for his most recent novel, “Girls I Know.” Though he was not a University MFA graduate, he is certainly one of the most popular professors in the English Department among both graduate and undergraduate students. Trevor, like the students who now look up to him, started with modest roots — a story written at age six about a caveman named “Cow-Wow-Bow-Wow,” sparking his fascination with storytelling. “(The MFA community) is very close,” Trevor said. “The groups of students who come, they get to know each other very well. They spend a lot of time with each other. We have dinners with the writers, we spend a lot of time with the students and we spend a lot of time with each other as faculty members. The best thing about the program is the opportunity to get to know each other.” The MFA program is a chain reaction: the students are fueled by their professors who are directed by their administrators — it’s

EPISODE REVIEW I’m always impressed by “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” The writing, acting and execution are consistently Aamazing, and this week’s epi- ‘Law & sode didn’t disappoint. “Agent Order: Provocateur” SVU’ had one of the Season 16, most artistic Episode 11 beginnings the show has Wednesdays seen in a long at 9 p.m. time, which is impressive see- NBC ing as part of it involved an unconscious girl being stuffed unceremoniously into a suitcase and left in an alleyway. The episode draws attention to the increasingly blurred lines of communication on social media, in this case between 15 year old Madison Baker (Madison Grace, “Nova Road”) and the object of her obsession, sleazy Hollywood star Scott Russo (Shiloh Fernandez, “Red Riding Hood”). They apparently spend a night together that Madison

all one beautifully functioning system that buttresses everyone’s efforts. I met with Michael Byers and Megan Levad, the director and assistant director of the Helen Zell Writers’ Program, respectively, in the most stereotypical of writer’s offices — a rainbow array of books on every single wall, a mobile standing desk and little Lego figurines on the coffee table. Levad, a poet and lyricist, and Byers, a novelist with three published books, consider themselves not only esteemed writers but also dual professors and administrators. In many ways, they seemed to resemble older, matured versions of Kaiser and Lee — Byers, whose gray eyes stared into space while he joked about his MMA fighter alter ego, and Levad, donned in a llama-print shawl and spoke with a soft, but enthused, tone. Most people don’t think of writers as “famous” unless they have a blockbuster franchise movie to accompany their novels. But in writing and higher academia, Trevor, Byers and Levad are most admired for their work. Unlike in Hollywood, they are not “untouchable” figures of brilliance, aloof from the aspirants in the field; rather, they are eager to assist budding writers. Though Levad has her undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa, and Byers has his from Oberlin College, both are alumni of the Helen Zell Writers’ Program who have returned now as administrators. They both spoke to the program as a community, rather than a hierarchy of faculty over students. Everyone is closely knit, and all their work is pertinent to each other’s. Byers and Levad note how their administrative job is threefold, but ancillary to their roles as teachers and writers. “I would not be a good teacher of young writers if I was not a writer first,” Byers said. “There were a lot of people that I liked and admired here. My experience was productive and crucial to my career, and I thought (Michigan) was not only an opportunity to come back and work with people who I knew were expert at what they did, but also a chance to return a little of the investment that they made in me to others.” “Because I went through this program and because I also teach, I think that as an administrator, I can see how what we do in administration can best serve students,” Levad adds. “Everything we do in administration should be aimed at what’s happening in student learning and in faculty research and writing.” It’s clear that the MFA is a rigorous program, but it is one with a liberating freedom of expression that the faculty encourages. When I asked Kaiser and Lee about their dissertations, they recoiled at the wording. Not a dissertation, not a thesis, but rather a creative project. There isn’t a harsh formality to the program that requires the austere terminology of “dissertation,” which could imply a mandated, toilsome, daunting concept. The MFA program is about creating passion projects — works of pride to be relished, shared and enjoyed. The program may be demanding,

VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily

Printing a book at the Wolverine Press.

but the faculty structure the experience to afford liberties other fields may not. “When I was here, I felt like my experience mattered to more people than just me,” Byers said. “I felt as though my professors were attentive to the experience that I was having. I assumed that was the model for how an MFA program was supposed to be run — student-centered with attention to what the experience actually is, a sense of a need for a balance between the individual experience being as important as the experience of the group as a whole.” “Once (our students) get here, they have their talent nurtured,” Levad adds. “But they also make wonderful connections with their classmates, entering the literary community is a real source of sustenance for people because if you see that the folks around you are continuing to write and are getting their work out there, then it makes it feel much more possible that you can do the same.” Each individual in the program, whether a student, professor or administrator, is in on a collective effort to keep their art form alive and appreciated. They are a most vibrant support system, and beyond their personal endeavors, the community’s goals become their own, their success a shared one for the literary world. This world, unfortunately, is one that popular media enjoys critiquing for being archaic, one that some scholars lament for “dying.” But Kaiser sees something different in this literary world, one teeming with emotion. “It’s all the things you relate to in the world, and to other people that’s beyond facts and data and numbers and figures,” Kaiser said. “Stuff like words, stuff like empathy and sympathy, love and heartbreak and tragic and loss and relation. Those are the things you learn through literature.” He pauses a moment. “Man, I’ve been in parts of my life where I just didn’t have exposure to any of this stuff, and it’s an emptier place.” Lee continues, “Identity, nation-states — the whole thing is narrative. Religion, history — it’s all narrative. The desire to master that on some level is a desire to just understand the world.”

“Our toolboxes as thinkers are really, really enriched when we try to think about subjects and texts that don’t reveal themselves,” Trevor said. “We have to remind those who are adverse to the humanities, or those who don’t know entirely what we do, that our projects are primarily about sharpening analytical skills. (They’re) also a larger project about theorizing what it means to empathize and to think about the world from other people’s points of view. I can’t think of anything more valuable than that.” Levad adds, “It seems to me that people are more engaged with literature. I know we like to bemoan the loss of the book, but there’s always more exciting new books coming out and independent presses are still continuing to publish great work.” Together, their literary world seeks answers to human nature and the key to empathy. It seems as if every process is interconnected — the independent presses Levad speaks of, the writers and teachers alike. I wrapped up each interview by asking for words of advice for aspiring writers, and their primary responses were the same: simply, to read and to write. As Trevor puts it, “Read widely, and spend time thinking about how to revise one’s own work. Become accustomed to reading your own work, as well as the work of other people. And think about writing as a cerebral exercise, something you have to do every day to be in good shape.” “Read voraciously, and broadly. And write as often as you can,” Levad adds. “Try out different things. Think about the way language works. Think about syntax and grammar — where do those conventions come from? Think about etymology. Language is the material of our art form — it’s our medium — so learn all you can about language.” After a week of following the MFA program from the roots up, from the words at the printing press, to the words the students write, to the professors who inspire the students and finally, to the administrators who point the program in the right direction, I know that they embody an effervescent community that tells the stories of all of our lives.

SINGLE REVIEW

NBC

says she doesn’t remember — but it’s unclear whether this is because of the drugs and alcohol in her system, or something else. Russo is in the city promoting his new movie — ironically about being framed for a crime he didn’t commit — with a colleague, who is later revealed to be Madison’s seducer. The episode is a whirlwind of he-said, she-said, edited video footage and purposely leaked information to disreputable news source LMZ. During the episode’s final moments, Benson catches a brief

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

knowing look shared between the Franco-esque star and another cute young girl, and her realization that it might have all been planned is the type of lastminute realization that “SVU” rarely utilizes — but, as in this episode, always uses powerfully. And if none of this intrigues you enough, you should know that legend Patti LuPone also makes an appearance as the stars’ cold and calculating manager — giving a dynamic performance as always. -SOPHIA KAUFMAN

There’s still no news on when Frank Ocean will release his next album, but this weekend the R&B singer A gave fans a reminder of ‘At Your his immense Best (You talents, releasing on Are Love)’ his Tum- Frank Ocean blr a cover of “At Your Best (You Are Love),” a track originally done by The Isley Brothers and later covered by Aaliyah, in honor of what would’ve been Aaliyah’s 36th birthday. While Aaliyah improved upon the Isleys’ bedroom jam with her beautiful, soulful vocals and a more contemporary instrumental accompaniment, Ocean takes the song in another direction. The Princess of R&B is soft, seductive and inviting; Ocean sounds heartbroken and isolated, accompanied only by his keyboard and

DEF JAM RECORDS

the haunting echoes of his own voice. Though lonelier and more closed-off, Ocean’s take on the song is just as powerful as its other versions. His voice hits notes even higher than Aaliyah’s, his words sounding like unconscious emissions of his most personal

inner thoughts. The sparse arrangement recalls Kanye West’s recent “Only One,” and this pleasantly surprising release from Ocean will vault him right back up with Kanye on everyone’s “Most Anticipated Albums of 2015” lists. -ADAM THEISEN

the b-side

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Thursday, January 22, 2015 — 3B

ALBUM REVIEW

Weezy says he’s ‘Sorry 4 the Wait’ On new mixtape, Lil Wayne airs his grievances By WILL GREENBERG Daily Arts Writer

Lil Wayne is incredibly sorry. Again. For the second time in a row, Wayne is battling his label, Cash Money, to release the next B+ installment in his Tha Carter Sorry 4 the album series. Tha Carter V Wait 2 was originally Lil Wayne scheduled to Self Released come out late October 2014, then early December. The release date is now TBD. As an apology to his fans, Wayne released “Sorry 4 the Wait 2,” a mixtape of his own rap on top of other artists’ beats and some of his own. It’s a move akin to that of Leslie Knope (I was late on a deadline? Here’s a “little something” I threw together for you). For fans, it’s hard to stay mad at a guy who keeps his constituency at the forefront of his mind. Now, I should make a brief disclaimer: I’ve long had mixed feelings about Lil Wayne. On one hand, I spent half of my freshman year playing his bangers on repeat in my dorm room, memorizing every word of songs like “A Milli,” “6 Foot 7 Foot” and “Love Me.” On the other hand, I’m generally underwhelmed by his deeper tracks. His work as a whole doesn’t grab me, and he’s not in my top five. As a rock analogy, I’d compare him to Van Halen: there’s plenty of talent to be impressed with, but purists of the genre probably don’t consider it top echelon material. That said:

I found plenty to like in this tape. Sorry 4 the Wait 2 goes beyond a mere apology project. Notable tracks include previously released “Shit,” and “Fingers Hurting,” both examples of Lil Wayne in prime form. He gives his own take on some of the hottest beats from 2014, including “Tuesday” (ILoveMakonnen), “Hot Nigga” (Bobby Shmurda)and “Drunk in Love” (Beyoncé). I’d even say he tops the original artists on “No Type” (Rae Sremmurd) and “Coco” (O.T. Genasis). In true Weezy fashion, the rap is a mix of aggressive flow and slower discussions of his encounters with notably attractive women. There are also plenty of Wayne’s classic two-line zings that make me smile in spite of myself — like on “Trap House” where he says “I wrote a letter to my competition / it started off with dearly departed.” Included on the tape are adequate contributions from Drake and 2 Chainz. Also featured are the lesser known Mack Maine and Shanell, as well as Christina Milian on “Drunk In Love.” Each track is laced with apologies as Wayne flexes his rapping prowess across 17 songs. Weezy fans should be satisfied for a short time with this mixtape. Why shouldn’t they be? Wayne is going beyond the call of duty here so he can only surpass expectations in my eyes. Plus, he’s putting out more music while waiting for his eleventh studio album. He’s no slouch. So, no need to apologize to us, Weezy. I’m sorry for you. Wayne has publicly expressed his understandable frustration with Cash Money. This is the second major release he’s had to delay — the rapper issued Sorry 4 the Wait in 2011 when Tha Carter IV’s release was

similarly delayed. Wayne took to Twitter this past December, reporting “To all my fans, I want u to know that my album won’t and hasn’t been released bekuz Baby & Cash Money Rec. refuse to release it,” adding in another Tweet that “this is not my fault.” He also announced his intentions to get out of the “f***ed up” situation soon at the Vice 20th Anniversary concert; his manager quickly denied that Wayne would be leaving Cash Money, saying he was “being sarcastic.” It’s hard to downplay how detrimental label issues can be for rap artists. The most notable example is probably Azealia Banks, whose debut album Broke With Expensive Taste was delayed for over two years and was only released in September 2014 after she left Universal Music in July. During the wait, Banks lost most of the hype she’d accumulated with her single “212” and another, similarly named, female rapper rose into the spotlight. Obviously, Wayne isn’t fighting to get noticed as an up-and-comer the way Banks was, but the delay could very well prove damaging to Tha Carter V’s legacy. Instead of releasing the album in 2014, a relatively quiet year for hip-hop releases in my eyes, he will now have to fight for notoriety with Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Lupe Fiasco, Drake, Big Sean, A$AP Rocky, Pusha T, Earl Sweatshirt, Kid Cudi — the list goes on and on. This isn’t at all to say that the album will go unnoticed, and if Sorry 4 the Wait 2 is any indicator, then it could very well hold its own as a top album of the year. Still, I think it’s safe to say us listeners are more concerned if Lil Wayne can survive the wait — not the other way around.

MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW Charli XCX and Rita Ora take us on a neon-filtered, Thelma and Louise-reminiscent ride in their new video for the AUK version of Charli’s ‘Doing It’ “Doing It.” Charli XCX We watch feat. Rita Ora these two badass bandits Asylum Records rob a gas station and evade the police while getting chased through the desert in their bright pink monster truck. Along the way, they encounter some nipple tassel-wearing police officers and even enjoy a good, old-fashioned bull ride. Unlike the movie, the video ends on a happier note, with a loosely choreographed dance number featuring Charli in a platinum pink, barely-there cowgirl outfit. The outrageous video

ASYLUM RECORDS

pairs well with the lighthearted track, making it an undeniably good time. “Doing It” originally appeared on Charli’s critically successful 2014 album Sucker. This new version of the track,

which includes the seamlessly blended verse from Ora, was released earlier this year and will be featured on the UK version of Sucker, set for release in February. -RACHEL KERR

TRAILER REVIEW Immediately illuminated by a sort of wizard-rabbit, the name of George Lucas’s production company casts B a shadow of expectancy Strange over the trailer of “Strange Magic Magic.” The mysti- 20th Century Fox cal world of the film is divided into a kingdom of the traditionally “good” and cute creatures, while the “bad” creatures must reside in a dark forest. A potion destroys the order of things, and a menagerie of elves, fairies and some wooden-looking goblins must fight to restore it. The musical draws on familiar songs from Michael Franti and The Temptations to move along the skimpy storytelling. While the voice acting and singing appears adequate and the animation

VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily

Taylor directs the University’s undergraduate creative writing program.

Keith Taylor talks the poetry of nature University professor shares creative inspiration By CATHERINE SULPIZIO Senior Arts Editor

“I’m not much of an academic,” Keith Taylor says to a dubious interviewer. Despite what some would call his lack of traditional academic pedigree, it’s clear that the coordinator for the University’s undergraduate creative writing program, Bear River Writers’ Conference director and poetry editor for the Michigan Quarterly Review speaks the scholarly language. Taylor is telling me about working in Ann Arbor bookstores in the ’80s through ’90s, specifically in Shaman Drum, one of those bookstores that doesn’t exist anymore, literally (it closed in 2009) and figuratively (its tagline was “academic and scholarly books in the humanities”). Despite his easy admission that Ann Arbor’s bookstore scene is a ghost of itself, there is a vital, persisting joy Taylor holds for the printed page. I was briefly in his intermediate poetry class last fall, and he is the type of teacher whose joy for the text is infectious, one who promises to restore the immediate pleasure of reading to literature’s sometimes antiseptic field of study. If you need convincing, listen to Taylor read Pablo Neruda’s “Ode to My Socks” (hint: you’ll have to take his class); his voice takes on the same woolen, nubby texture as Neruda’s language, warm and dry. It’s the poet’s recitation, by an artist who knows his craft inside and out, and understands how poetry blurs its linguistic and spatial modalities: “Ode to My Socks” is a long, thin poem, not unlike a pair of socks. Yet beneath Taylor’s elemental regard for poetry, which strikes the observer as visceral and instantaneous, is a long and winding, self-informed study. Taylor’s trajectory as a poet started after moving to South Bend, Indiana, in seventh grade. Raised in a self-described “religious Mennonite family” in rural Western Canada, to Taylor, urban South Bend in the late ’60s was a culture shock.

Taylor’s work bristles with life.

20TH CENTURY FOX

looks brilliant, the story gets lost in the haze of jokes and child-like elves warning that derrières should “prepare to be shaken.” Lucas’s act of attempted ostranenie for these universes is unfortunately derivative of many films before it, notably “Epic” and “Shrek.” The trailer also gives no indication of the voice actors behind

the visually stunning characters, though if one were so inclined they could find a cast including Kristin Chenoweth, Maya Rudolph and Alan Cumming. While unshakably similar to other films of its kind, the animation and talents of the voice acting of “Strange Magic” may prove to be its saving graces. -REBECCA LERNER

“I spoke funny,” Taylor said. “My English teacher used to fail me because I spelled ‘color’ and ‘meter’ and ‘favor’ and ‘center’ wrong. I didn’t know anybody, only had a couple friends.” But sometime around then, Taylor wrote a rudimentary poem. “I was looking out my window, looking at snow falling on

our blue-collar neighborhood in South Bend and I wrote some words down. I went to school — I was Taylor, near the end of the alphabet, and I was next to this guy Zart — and I showed it to him. He said, ‘That should be a poem, actually.’ I asked, ‘Well what’s a poem do?’ and he said, ‘You spread it out across the page and make it look funny.’ So I did, and it was the first stroke I got in American school; my teacher loved it. And then I realized poets were so cool. I wasn’t an athlete and there’s no way I could be cool, except by being different.”

“There’s a political undertone to my poems.” Afterward, Taylor read voraciously. I asked him who he was reading when he was 16. “Oh everybody, I was reading everything. I was reading biographies,” he said, naming off a handful of touchstones for every young writer — Yeats, the High Modernists Eliot and Pound — before continuing, “I had no one teaching me. But when I was 16 or so, I got kind of obsessed with Kazantzakis.” Nikos Kazantzakis, that is, the Greek author known for that vibrant work “Zorba the Greek,” a restless, poetic paean to the sensual life. The book is tamped with, as Taylor put it, “sex, sand and passion.” And it’s fitting that adolescent Taylor zeroed in on an author who wrote about the call to adventure. After a semester in college, Taylor moved to Europe for four years, during which he worked a series of manual jobs: washing dishes, sweeping floors and building houses, all while he learned French so he could read the country’s literature. By the time Taylor returned to the United States, he had been submitting work to literary journals since the age of 16 (he recalls mailing poems to Harper’s in high school), and first got published at 18. And, as he worked his way through Ulrich’s, the original Borders and Shaman Drum, Taylor continued writing. At the time — the mid-eighties — Ann Arbor was something of a book-lover’s utopia. “If Borders had stayed an Ann Arbor store, we were going to build the best bookstore on the world, right on State Street. They were very generous with what they paid, with profit sharing at the end of the year, but that all changed when they went corporate, so I left in ’89.” It was an opportune moment. Taylor continued, “All the way through the eighties I was

WHAT’S NEW ON

writing. I published some chapbooks, and was published pretty widely in the regional press. But then, in 1991, I got a fellowship in poetry from the National Endowment for the Arts. I was the only writer to get one in Michigan for a few years. So that’s when the University asked me to teach. Now, it’s a prize that when people get, they take a few years off, but for me it freed me up so that I could teach.” Taylor’s poetry is the language of nature. He birdwatches, collaborates with the University’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance on environmental performances and spends summers at the University’s Biological Station. In 1991, Taylor participated in Isle Royale National Park’s Artist-in-Residence Program near Lake Superior and wrote a series of poems about the island’s famous wolf study, which according to its website, is “the longest continuous study of any predator-prey system in the world.” And when we met at recently opened The Espresso Bar in Ann Arbor, Taylor had just come from a meeting in the Program for the Environment. I asked how his nature poems grappled with politics. Hidden beneath his poems, with their unadorned, careful language that brings to bear their subject’s sprawling sovereignty, how could there not be? The political focus was not easily excavated, Taylor believed. “I like to think there is a political undertone to my poems, especially ones about the natural world,because of the loss.” Taylor said, “But I don’t believe loss is irreparable. I don’t believe that’s all we have to write about.” “In the prose, in the reviews or the articles,” he continued, “I’ll be more explicit about political and environmental issues, but they have become rather hidden in my poems, especially in my mature work.” And as the conversation turned to the Romantics — that revolutionary group of artists who confronted the political system with their nature-imbued, emotionally cued poetry — Taylor seemed to answer his question further: “The contrast of what they were writing about, about as opposed to the political system, made itself so obvious that it was a political moment.” Taylor’s poems bristle with life. Ancient figures drift through the scapes, perhaps mechanized by his long-held interest in Greek language and writing, and their details — the narrators, the characters, the spaces — which pivot between center and periphery, are culled and placed for maximum effect. In a scattering of lines, Taylor’s words snap to life. Keith Taylor’s latest chapbook of poetry and prose Fidelities will be published in 2015 by Alice Greene & Co.

the b-side

4B — Thursday, January 22, 2015

ARTIST

MUSIC COLUMN

PROFILE

What we need from music in 2015

VIRGINIA LOZANO/Daily

Margaret Hitch matches prints with poems.

Car and train crashes inspire University student printmaker/poet By ALEX BERNARD Daily Community Culture Editor

As I walked out of my interview, through studios filled with paintings, sculptures and the kind of art you can’t describe if you don’t study it (I think they call it “abstract”), I passed a small rectangle of white paper tacked to the wall because the tape, clearly, was not holding. (You’d think if anyone had the right tape, it’d be the art school). The sheet sat above a tiny blue bucket – not much wider than the size of my fist – nailed to the wall. On that slip of paper, written in blocky, red marker was: “IF AT ANY POINT TODAY YOU THOUGHT ‘I NEED TO KNOCK ON WOOD,’ DIP YOUR HAND IN THE BUCKET & KNOCK ... IT WILL WASH RIGHT OFF.” I looked inside. Four nails rested on the bottom. Hm. Art School. I carried on, away from the personal studios, through the glass doors, past a girl in a scarf who gave me an aren’t-you-a-little-tallto-be-an-art-student look, and out into the cold. As I huddled at the bus stop, I mentally reviewed my interview with Visual Arts student Margaret Hitch. Margaret is a senior BFA student in the Stamps School of Art & Design. She is a printmaker and a poet. Notice I don’t say “or a poet.” Margaret matches her prints with her poems and her poems with her prints to tell stories, many of which are autobiographical. Sometimes the poems inspire the drawings, and sometimes, the other way around. “For this project,” Margaret said, “I just kind of picked a selection of poems and made work off of that. Or there was images that I made and then I kind of wrote a poem after ... I knew that I wanted to work with poetry and images together.”

Drawing since eighth grade, Margaret has fallen in love with printmaking, from its subject material to the process to the rather unambiguous final product. “I love the physical work you have to do ... There is a yes or a no answer with something, so there’s technique that you have to learn, which is kind of nice.” What’s also nice is that Margaret will have a chance to get her yes or no answer. At the end of the semester, all senior art students are required to present their work in a show, either through the University at one of two exhibits or through another off site location. Margaret, however, had another idea. “I’m going to have a solo show in my bike shed in between my coops. I’m just taking all the bikes out and then I’m gonna convert it into a gallery space.” The name of the show is “American Dreamboat” and focuses on Margaret’s version of the American Dream, with special emphasis placed on death, human-to-human dynamics and travel. I asked Margaret about how travel operates in her work, but something else cropped up, something out of nowhere it seemed. Well, not nowhere exactly. “I have this poem,” Margaret said, “about being on Highway One in California and thinking I was gonna die, ‘cause I was in car crash freshman year and then ever since, I’ve been really connected to ‘I could possibly die whenever I’m in any form of transportation.’ Wait. A car crash? “It was weird. It was just slippery road and I flipped the TrailBlazer three times. Yeah but ... everyone gets in a car crash.” Well. That was matter-of-fact. While I tried to catch up, Margaret calmly explained to me that the car crash plays just as much of a role in her art as anything else. “Yeah it was definitely really affecting. (I) definitely have a greater appreciation for life. I was really not thinking about my mortality at all and now I think about my mortality all the time. In a good way, in a good way.” I breathed, rubbed my sweaty

palm against my interview notebook, and asked Margaret about her other inspirations. You see, her work isn’t only about car crashes and travel, per se, but about relationships and how we choose to spend our brief, finite allotments of days. Margaret’s tone might be casual, but her work is anything but. It’s a serious examination of the tissue-thin division between life and death. So, a car crash. Of course. Makes sense. I was beginning to understand her nonchalance. “And then I almost got hit by a train, so I’m gonna work on some woodcuts that–” Oh good God! “How did you almost get hit by a train?” I asked, interrupting. “I was on a train bridge, like over a frozen lake, and then a train came. It was like this typical ‘Stand By Me’ situation, and we all just, like, ran. But the train was small enough that it stopped, so it was good.” Me (incredulously): “What were you doing up there?” “Just exploring,” Margaret said. “You know, being a dumb kid. That’s kind of what (my narrative’s) about. It’s about how we wanna have this search for adventure and we wanna travel, but that’ll just inevitably bring us closer to death and danger. And stuff.” Yes. Stuff, indeed. Margaret’s show, “American Dreamboat,” will be April 18th in the bike shed between 307 and 315 N. State Street – or, “between the blue and purple co-ops.” There will be music, prints and an printmaker with a proclivity for neardeath narratives. After graduation, Margaret plans to attend graduate school, teach at a university and work in her own studio creating more prints, poetry and stories. “I’m looking for a print studio to live and die within. That’s my goal ... I love doing it. It’s just too much fun.” Hopefully, one day, Margaret will get her own studio and fill it with stories about death and mortality and ... stuff. Hopefully. We’ll just have to knock on wood. Or rather, you will. My bucket’s filled with nails.

STYLE NOTEBOOK

Men’s style is vastly underrated in fashion By ANDREW MCCLURE Daily Arts Writer

I like to read, and I like the fact that you don’t care that I like to read because you’re reading this right now. Bret Easton Ellis says of one of his novel’s protagonists, Patrick Bateman: because he wants to fit in. Bateman, the narrator, spends 50 percent of the book deconstructing other characters’ getups, from cut to designer to color-ways and patterns, in obsessive detail — detail that makes you want to Cliff-Notes the rest of an otherwise good book. “He wants to fit in.” This reasoning doesn’t just capture the essence of the entire book but also why most men dress the way they do, which is, ironically, like boys, because boys wear what their mom lays out for them. Men, however, choose their own shit based on important things, like the ability to make

choices independent of what your trusty friend thinks. Men, unlike boys, have agency, they have sartorial swag and they have back hair. The New York Times, a newspaper that still matters, announced this week it will launch a “monthly, dedicated men’s style section.” Its currently thriving Style section, which is female fashion dominated and runs every Sunday and Thursday, will make room for The Men by occupying only the Friday spot going forward. So what’s at stake besides maybe pissing off the three living NYT print subscribers over this change? And why is this just now happening, in 2015, when the Prince of Wales has been dripping with swag since the twenties; in other words, men have given a shit or two about threads for some time, so why does it seem today that so many men care so little? Let’s first address the elephant

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

in the room (that is, to anyone who has ever read a business article with no accompanying pictures): NYT is doing this to maximize advertising revenues. More copy space for Brioni suit and John Lobb shoe ads means more $$$ for NYT. Money moves. Word? Word. Let’s also consider the history of menswear for a minute. Between the two World Wars, i.e. 1920s and 1930s, men dressed better than any other time in American history because, despite economic chaos, all sectors of menswear worked hand-in-hand to deliver style and taste. Even the Average Jack looked good during these years because there was an abundance of credible role models (see: Prince of Wales, Fred Astaire), bespoke optionality (see: Savile Row in central London) and accepted standards of taste (see: Esquire and Apparel Arts menswear publications).

ne of the best records of 2014 was completely absent from many “Top Albums of the Year” lists. From Pitchfork to the young passionate writers here at The Michigan Daily, this stunning, singular, fantastic release got way less acknowledgment than it deserved. That may seem like a relatively minor slight to write a whole column ADAM about — obvi- THEISEN ously, music is a very subjective experience, and arguments rooted in personal taste rarely go anywhere productive. But this album, while certainly incredible from a purely technical point of view, needs and deserves as much exposure as it can possibly get — not just because of its musicianship, but because it truly has something to say. This record carries a message that we all need to keep in our heads as we enter this year, and it sets the bar for what music should be in 2015. It’s inexcusable to me how many publications omitted Against Me!’s Transgender Dysphoria Blues from their year-end lists. True, the album (released almost exactly one year ago now) earned solid rankings from Spin, Time and Rolling Stone (not to mention serious praise from Vice), but I think it’s a real shame that Transgender Dysphoria Blues couldn’t make it onto The Daily’s best-of list, and only squeaked into Pitchfork’s “Honorable Mentions” category. This is an album that you cannot praise enough, and it’s an extraordinarily relevant example of courage and individuality that should set the template for 2015’s crop of new music. I first came across Against Me! when I was in early high school, when the band’s primary songwriter/lead guitarist/singer was known publicly as Tom Gabel. Against Me! had a few catchy songs that got occasional airplay on alternative radio (“Thrash Unreal” and ” “I Was a Teenage Anarchist”), but they were little more than a blip on my music radar. When Against Me!’s leader took the name Laura Jane Grace and came out as a trangender woman to Rolling Stone, I thought it was cool that alt-rock, a genre sometimes lacking in diversity, suddenly had much a much more visible LGBTQ presence. It wasn’t until a year and a half later, when Transgender Dysphoria Blues was getting buzz in more mainstream spaces, that Against Me! became prominent in my musical consciousness. I listened to the record and immediately

I know what you’re thinking: We have all three of those today, in spades. And you’d be right, except today the role models are less defined and apparent, bespoke clothing is something seen as only for the ultra-rich (not true) and Esquire/GQ are packed with more ads and fewer actionable insights and reflections. Everything has been watered down, leaving the menswear consumer to rest on bad blends of norm-core ickiness and outfits so bad, they’re almost creative. To steal, without shame, from legendary menswear designer Alan Flusser, “Back in the thirties, stylishness was an extension of himself, not a designer in a store, like today”. So, if you own a black-as-night Canada Goose down jacket and you don’t live in subzero towns that are mostly white in color, hmm. If you own one and can’t explain what “down” is, you know, the stuff that keeps you warm inside that monolith of a parka, then I likely hold an unfair opinion of you. Sometimes — nah — always I think about how green that company’s balance sheet would appear if that circular left-arm patch wasn’t there, or if it was shaped like a penis, or if it was instead just a

knew that Laura Jane Grace was on a higher artistic plane than she had ever been before. Track One, the title track, starts off like pretty much any other pop-punk Against Me! track — a prominent, marching drumbeat, some guitar riffs and a “Hey!” — but as soon as Grace’s vocals enter the mix, I knew this album was a gamechanger. The singer, presumably singing to her younger self, berates herself, screaming, “Your tells are so obvious / Shoulders too broad for a girl” and, with shocking force, “You’ve got no cunt in your strut!” “You want them to notice / The ragged ends of your summer dress,” she tells herself. “They just see a faggot,” she angrily admits. Ironically, it’s difficult to be different in a genre that prides itself on non-conformity, but Grace’s lyrics don’t just tear apart punk rock norms: they are radically different from anything I’ve heard in music. Transgender Dysphoria Blues is the most passionate burst of catharsis I’ve ever experienced. Like so much great writing, it’s heartbreakingly specific but universally relatable for anyone who’s ever been a teenaged outcast of any gender or sexuality. There’s pain, rage, depression and alienation in Grace’s vocals, but there’s also triumph. While the timespan of the record isn’t wide enough in scope to explicitly include this, implicit in all of her songs is the idea the Grace has fucking made it past the seemingly infinite darkness that so many young transgender people have to experience. She’s done it. She makes awesome punk rock and gets interviewed by hugely influential journalists and makes a living doing what she loves despite living in a society that’s still extremely prejudiced against who she is. I’ve been thinking even more about Transgender Dysphoria Blues since I heard about the suicide of Leelah Alcorn, a 17-year old transgender girl from Ohio whose parents oppressed her identity, her alienation eventually leading her to end her life. Rock stars aren’t role models. They’re human, they’re fallible and they’re bound to do some things that fans don’t want to hear about. That said (and I’m absolutely speaking from personal experience here), teenagers will always idolize musicians. Whether it’s tragic figures like Kurt Cobain and Jimi Hendrix, abrasive geniuses like Bob Dylan and Kanye West or punk-rock moldbreakers like Kathleen Hanna and Laura Jane Grace, kids who fall in love with these artists’ works will inevitably comb through the lyrics and watch plenty of interviews so they can imitate their heroes’ styles and life philosophies. Because of this undeniable fact of growing up, I’ve been wishing

that every single outcast teenager could listen to Transgender Dysphoria Blues. It’s unlikely, because of societal oppression and the band’s relative obscurity, that even a majority of kids will ever get to experience this record, but that’s exactly why we need more of this kind of music. By no means do I want to say Against Me! is the cure-all for every form of teenaged alienation, and I definitely have no idea if Leelah Alcorn would’ve even liked the album, but I couldn’t help remembering when I was in my early teens (circa 2010) and struggling with identity issues and how happy I felt whenever I found a musician who seemed to understand me (even though I never found anyone more significant than straight play actors like David Bowie, indie artists with small followings like Rostam Batmanglij or Lady Gaga, whatever genre she is). Anytime I could find an artist even slightly willing to acknowledge that there are non-straight sexualities, or a song that channeled those other identities (say, Franz Ferdinand’s “Michael” or Bloc Party’s “I Still Remember”), it was an oasis of validation in what felt like the straightest suburb in Michigan. If I was a couple of years younger, Laura Jane Grace would’ve easily been the dominant LGBTQ role model of my iPod. I realize not everyone experiences life through the lens of music like I do, but I know how much of a difference art can make in anyone’s life. Movies and TV shows that represent more than just the straight, white male experience, music created by artists like Laura Jane Grace or Frank Ocean who don’t fit “traditional” notions about gender or sexuality, writing by people with diverse points of view, these are all immeasurably important to inspiring young kids who perhaps don’t fit the standard representations they see in the media. While 2014 was somewhat lacking from a music standpoint (Igloo Australia and some Canadian-Reggae group dominated the charts), Sleater-Kinney has already released an album in 2015 and D’Angelo caught us all at the tail end of last year with the mindblowing complexity and power of Black Messiah. Here’s hoping that even more mold-breakers (Kanye? Kendrick?) will give us something truly special this year. I remember being 14 and kind of different and searching so hard for other artists who were truly different in ways I could relate to and that could make me more comfortable. For 2015, let’s pledge to elevate those artists who dare to be unique, and let’s see them at the top of our year-end lists come December.

gaping hole in the product itself. Look, I still fuck with mall staples, on occasion, like J.Crew. But I’ll be a monkey’s uncle if I told you I was ever remotely impressed by an employee’s take on anything menswear-related, notwithstanding gender and/ or age. Why? Because retail by and large fucking sucks. It sucks big and it sucks small. High and low. By extension, what are most retail owners actually paying their employees to do outside of shelve clothes atop unsold clothes and mask their sartorial ignorance with slow, breathbefore-every-word, indoor-voice vocal register? Nada. You can thank the invention of shareholder dick-sucking and the relegation of quality for the fact that you need to spend at least $200 for a fair pair of boots. There is, however, one thing that gives menswear hope and it parallels the recent rising popularity of craft beer — some clothing makers still hold conviction in craftsmanship like the old farts almost 100 years ago. Believe it or not, good clothiers still take pride in their product. You just have to know where to look and be prepared to spend a bit more cheese to find something that’s dope and will last. Like every-

thing in life, according to some old Boomer lecturing me whenever, a sound investment will lead to solid returns. So, in the main, are we dudes all fucked? I do realize the world has more pressing problems than eschewing $175 Timberlands and tapered sweatpants from the current menswear smog, like, for instance, deciding whether Woody Allen’s movies are still Oscar-worthy and whether or not Frankie Muniz’s hairline is receding. Running the risk of being pegged a millennial blind-optimist, I think we sit at an interesting crossroads: one stretched between the preeminence of the 1930s (see: Brooks Brothers douchebaggery) and the 1960s Peacock Revolution (see: high-end streetwear labels like Hood By Air and Rick Owens). We are getting there. Sort of. But until we stop cowering to the immense force that is popular (albeit, bullshit) opinion, we’ll stagnate in the tall-grass marshland of tacky tackiness and lazy indifference. No one cares that you “don’t” care. And guess what? Usually it looks pretty gross. Deal with it. And if you really, really still want to fit in, after your inevitable sartorial transformation, grab lunch at Revive. It works.

Theisen is listening to the new Sleater-Kinney album. To chat, email ajtheis@umich.edu.