CELEBRATING OUR ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, January 23, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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H IP HOP ACTIVISM
GREEK LIFE
Fraternity suspended for resort vandalism ZACH MOORE/Daily
YC the Cynic performs at A Night of Art, Hip-Hop and Activism hosted by Hip Hop Congress and FOKUS at the UMMA Thursday.
State budget deficit could impact higher education Gov. Snyder to propose plans to address fiscal shortfall in February By JACK TURMAN Daily Staff Reporter
A few days after Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s State of the State address, the Snyder administration has turned its attention
to the budget. Last week, the House Fiscal Agency projected a $454.4 million deficit in the state’s general budget due to an unexpectedly high number of businesses cashing in previously allocated tax credits. A later estimate released by the state’s Budget Director John Roberts reported the projected deficit was $325 million for the state’s general fund for 2015. Along with a smaller projected shortfall in this fiscal year’s budget, net general fund revenues are
now projected to be $532 million short of what officials expected for the 2016 fiscal year. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Thursday, Rep. Adam Zemke (D–Ann Arbor) said the implications of the deficit aren’t clear yet, but the state has to be cautious in using the general fund due to its flexibility. “It’s something that we can shift money around,” he said. “It’s unclear for sure what is going to happen at this point.” However, Zemke, the vice
HOSPITAL
By NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan Health System is expanding urology services to Flint. UMHS announced Monday it will begin providing specialtylevel urology consultations and care to patients at a new clinic in Flint beginning Jan. 28. The clinic will be housed within the Hamilton Community Health Network. According to the press release, the clinic will operate on the fourth Wednesday of every month. John Stoffel, associate professor of urology, and John Wei, professor of urology, will alternate seeing patients. In the statement, Michael Giacalone Jr., chief medical officer at Hamilton Community Health Network, said he was satisfied with the new partnership. “I’m very pleased that the U-M Department of Urology has decided to locate their new clinic in our facility,” he wrote. “Now — in addition to the many other medical, dental, vision, and pharmacy services we already provide — we’ll also be able to connect patients who have complex urologic conditions with Michigan’s world-class experts who specialize in these areas.” The University’s urology clinic is ranked 14th in the country
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 37 LO: 28
by U.S. News and World Report, and the University’s urology residency program was recently ranked 7th in the country by physicians on Doximity, a networking website for physicians. The clinic where UMHS will operate is a Federally Qualified Health Center, a place for individuals who are under-insured or uninsured. It has already hosted University students doing internal medicine rotations, as well as a University OB/GYN. UMHS is partnered with over 20 other health systems and medical practices across the state, offering specialty outreach clinics. The clinic at HCHN is one of a number of recent partnerships for UMHS, the most notable of which is the alliance with Allegiance Health, signed in late 2013. In an interview with The Michigan Daily Thursday, Wei said UMHS expansion is good for the state because it provides more treatment options for residents. “Geography is important for a number of reasons, one of which is that the University has a lot of expertise that elsewhere in the state, they don’t have,” he said. “This isn’t the first time we’re reaching out. A lot of this is also just doing the right thing for people. It kind of is, in some sense, just doing good.” Wei will see more male patients on average, while Stoffel specializes in working with female patients, though the two do switch from time to time. Urologic conditions that will be treated include benign See UROLOGY, Page 3
By AMABEL KAROUB Daily News Editor
The Sigma Alpha Mu national office has suspended the University’s chapter after several of its members reportedly caused thousands of dollars worth of damage at a northern Michigan ski resort over the weekend. The Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity caused $50,000 worth of damage at Treetops Resort in Gaylord, Mich., according to the resort’s manager. Members from several other University Greek Life chapters also caused damage at Boyne Highlands, a ski resort in Harbor Springs, Mich. Thursday evening the University released the names of
five additional Greek Life sororities and fraternities allegedly involved in the incidents at the Treetops Resort or Boyne Highlands over the weekend. The chapters at Treetops Resort were the fraternity Sigma Alpha Mu and the sorority Sigma Delta Tau. At Boyne Highlands, fraternities Pi Kappa Alpha and Chi Psi and sororities Delta Gamma and Alpha Phi were present. The University is currently investigating the involvement of these members in the damage at the resorts. In the statement, University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald said the suspension of SAM would include meetings, chapter events, philanthropy, recruitment, candidate education, social activities and other Greek life activities on the Ann Arbor campus. “The university’s Office of Greek Life is asking the national offices of the other five Greek See FRATERNITY, Page 3
RESEARCH
BINGO!
UMHS opens urology clinic in Flint, Mich. ‘U’ doctors to offer services at Hamilton Community Health Network
chairman of the House Education committee, said some legislators are pushing to ensure higher education funding will not see a large loss and will be maintained at adequate levels. Dr. Michael Boulus, executive director of the Presidents Council, State Universities of Michigan, expressed similar sentiments in an interview Thursday. Boulus said it’s difficult to know where Snyder will make See BUDGET, Page 3
Sigma Alpha Mu reprimanded by nationals for causing extensive damage
MStem lab studies ALD disorder with gifted embryo University alum’s donation to advance stem cell research, search for a cure By ANASTASSIOS ADAMOPOULOS
SAN PHAM/Daily
Rackham student Cera Kusisto and LSA freshmen Brooke Bagnall play bingo at the Wolverine Support Network Kick Off event at the Michigan League Ballroom Thursday.
GOVERNMENT
Rep. Dingell plans several initiatives for start of term Congresswoman hopes to create new jobs, improve education funding By EMMA KINERY Daily Staff Reporter
With only a few weeks in Congress under her belt, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D–Mich.) has several initiatives planned. Dingell hopes to help create new jobs in Michigan, boost the middle class and improve higher education during her term, she said in an exclusive interview with The Michigan Daily Thursday. Dingell took over her husband John Dingell’s seat in Michigan’s 12th Congressional
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District, which includes Ann Arbor, two weeks ago when the 114th session of Congress commenced. Dingell is the first woman to succeed her husband in Congress while he is still living. She emphasized that in every position she has held during her career, she has always been a woman leader in a male-dominated atmosphere, forcing her to work hard to overcome the stereotypes associated with that dynamic. This session there are 84 women in the U.S. House out of 435 seats. “I’ve been someone that’s always out there that’s trying to ensure that women are treated equally,” Dingell said. “I’ve worked just as hard — sometimes I feel like I’ve had to work three times as hard — than the person next to me.”
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To aspiring female leaders, Dingell said it was important for women to work together with one another, adding that the younger generation does a better job than women in her generation. As a representative, she identified several legislative priorities for the upcoming term, including creating new jobs and continuing to build the economy in Michigan. A former vice chairman of the General Motors Foundation and executive director of Global Community Relations and Government Relations at GM, she specifically noted a desire to help diversify Michigan’s economy. “While the auto industry has been the backbone of Michigan’s economy, we need to try to attract new industries,” See DINGELL, Page 3
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Daily Staff Reporter
A few years ago, University alum Brooke Kendrick pursued in vitro fertilization to conceive her first child. Now, her excess embryos are helping researchers study the neurological disorder adrenoleukodystrophy. Kendrick, a carrier of the disorder, was able to prevent her son from being born with ALD through in vitro fertilization. The process allows the physician to detect the embryos that carry the disease and separate them from the healthy embryos, which are then used for conception. Rather than disposing the disease-affected embryos, the Kendricks decided to donate them through the ALD Foundation to the University’s MStem Cell Laboratories. Kendrick said she and her husband wanted to let the public know about ALD and contribute to the search for a cure. “I wanted to do whatever I could to help, to educate people on it,” Kendrick said. “And the best possible outcome came from this, I mean they were able to use the embryo to derive the cell line and could figure out why children get it.” ALD is a genetically transmitted disease that damages nerves See STEM CELL, Page 3
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2 — Friday, January 23, 2015
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LEFT Engineering freshmen Sean Mcloughlin and Henry Duhaine assemble cardboard virtual reality goggles as part of the MHacks Hackathon at the Bob and Betty Beyster building on North Campus this past weekend. (Robert Dunne/Daily) RIGHT Jeff Wilson, professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences and curator at the Museum of Paleontology, measures casts of the bones of a Jurassic Era dinosaur at the UM Museum of Natural History on Wednesday. (Andrew Cohen/Daily)
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Human Rights China’s Theatre ‘Making the WHAT: Speakers Mark lecture Dead Modern’ Stevenson of Victoria
THE WIRE
Ginsberg to visit University BY NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT
Ruth Bader Ginsburg, U.S Supreme Court associate justice, will visit the University next month as part of the Tanner Lecture series. Ginsburg will speak at Hill Auditorium on Feb. 6 at 10 a.m. The event is free and open to the public, but will require a ticket.
THE WIRE
Driver reports assault
WHAT: Juan E. Mendez, a professor at American University, will give a lecture about international obligations concering the use of torture. WHO: International Institure WHEN: Today at 12 p.m. WHERE: Palmer Commons
University and Wu Cuncun of the University of Hong Kong will discuss the present-day importance of nineteenth-century Beijing Opera. WHO: Confucius Institute WHEN: Today at 2 p.m. WHERE: Michigan UnionAnderson D
Marie Chouinard
Masters recital Winter showcase WHAT: Amanda Ross’
WHAT: Marie Chouinard and her troupe will performs two dance sets: “Henri Michaux: Mouvements,” a choreographed depiction of India ink drawings, and “Gymnopédies,” a ballet centered around duets. WHO: University Musical Society WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: Power Center for the Performing Arts
BY NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT
A driver assaulted a delivery driver Wednesday evening at around 7 p.m., according to a Crime Alert released Thursday morning by University Police. The assault occurred on Observatory St.
program will feature four concert pieces on the trumpet: Chaynes— Concerto pour Trompette; Friedman—Solus; Haydn— Concerto for Trumpet; and de Falla—Suite of Old Spanish Dances. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore Building, Britton Recital Hall
WHAT: In the first in a series of lectures, Prof. Erik Mueggler will introduce the Yi nationality and its unique relationship with the dead. WHO: Department of Anthropology WHEN: Today at 3 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Graduate School
WHAT: Four musical acts, Deadbeat Beat, Mexican Knives, The Mahonies and Growwing Pains, will perform. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: Today at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@ michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
Yemen’s president Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi resigned Thursday after Houthi rebel forces captured his palace. Yemen is a key United States ally because it allows drone strikes in the area against al-Qaeda,
2
Despite a 26-point performance from Cyesha Goree, the Michigan women’s basketball team couldn’t make a comeback against No. 20 Iowa, falling just short, 76-70.
3
President Barack Obama will not meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his controversial visit to the United States in March due to the visit’s proximity to Israeli elections, the New York Times reported.
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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.
Saudi Arabian leader, U.S. ally University research team begins King Abdullah dies at age 90 testing autonomous vehicles in A2 Next Generation Vehicle Project uses camera technology
Ruler sought to modernize and fought al-Qaida
tions against Tehran’s allies in President Bashar Assad. several countries, but in Lebanon A royal court statement said for example, the policy failed to the king died at 1 a.m. on Friday. stop Iranian-backed Hezbollah His successor was announced as from gaining the upper hand. 79-year-old half-brother, Prince And Tehran and Riyadh’s col- Salman, according to the stateRIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) liding ambitions stoked proxy ment carried on the Saudi Press — Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah, conflicts around the region that Agency. Salman was Abdullah’s BY KRISTEN ANDERSON the powerful U.S. ally who fought enflamed Sunni-Shiite hatreds crown prince and had recently For the Daily against al-Qaida and sought to — most horrifically in Syria’s taken on some of the ailing king’s modernize the ultraconservative civil war, where the two coun- responsibilities. As Michigan’s 98th legislative Muslim kingdom, including by tries backed opposing sides. President Barack Obama session kicked off Wednesday, nudging open greater opportuni- Those conflicts in turn hiked expressed condolences and Rep. Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor) ties for women, has died. He was Sunni militancy that returned to offered sympathy to the people of and Rep. Adam Zemke (D–Ann 90. threaten Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia. Arbor) returned to Lansing with More than his guarded and And while the king main“As a leader, he was always several priorities on their agendas. hidebound predecessors, Abdul- tained the historically close alli- candid and had the courage of In an interview Thursday, lah assertively threw his oil-rich ance with Washington, there his convictions,” Obama said. Zemke said he plans to emphanation’s weight behind trying to were frictions as he sought to “One of those convictions was his size education funding during shape the Middle East. His prior- put those relations on Saudi Ara- steadfast and passionate belief in the upcoming session. Zemke, ity was to counter the influence of bia’s terms. He was constantly the importance of the U.S.-Saudi who is in his second term reprerival, mainly Shiite Iran wherever frustrated by Washington’s fail- relationship as a force for stabilisenting Michigan’s 55th House it tried to make advances. He and ure to broker a settlement to the ty and security in the Middle East District, said last session he fellow Sunni Arab monarchs also Israel-Palestinian conflict. He and beyond.” focused on supporting educators staunchly opposed the Middle also pushed the Obama adminAbdullah was born in Riyadh and improving school districts, East’s wave of pro-democracy istration to take a tougher stand http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ in 1924, one of the dozens of including those in high poverty Sudoku Syndication uprisings, seeing them as a threat against Iran and to more strong- sons of Saudi Arabia’s founder, communities. to stability and their own rule. ly back the mainly Sunni rebels King Abdul-Aziz Al Saud. Like He said a chief concern for He backed Sunni Muslim fac- fighting to overthrow Syrian all Abdul-Aziz’s sons, Abdullah the current legislative session is had only rudimentary education. that education could take a hit Tall and heavyset, he felt more at following a House Fiscal Agenhome in the Nejd, the kingdom’s cy projection of a $454 million desert heartland, riding stalshortfall in the state’s general MEDIUM lions and hunting with falcons. budget, released Wednesday. His strict upbringing was exem“We really have to work to plified by three days he spent in preserve funding at the curprison as a young man as punishrent levels,” Zemke said. “And ment by his father for failing to really it should be increased, but give his seat to a visitor, a violaespecially given a budget deficit tion of Bedouin hospitality. of $460 million, you’re talking Abdullah was selected as about a lot of items that we have crown prince in 1982 on the day to watch.” his half-brother Fahd ascended He cited Republican Gov. to the throne. The decision was Rick Snyder’s package to fund challenged by a full brother of infrastructure repairs, which Fahd, Prince Sultan, who wanted would cut 20 percent of state the title for himself. But the famiappropriations to higher educaly eventually closed ranks behind tion from the School Aid Fund, Abdullah to prevent splits. shifting much of the responsibilAbdullah became de facto ity for funding public universiruler in 1995 when a stroke incaties to the General Fund. pacitated Fahd. Abdullah was Zemke said that loss of money believed to have long rankled at from the School Aid Fund, prethe closeness of the alliance with served for community college the United States, and as regent and K-12 education, has potenhe pressed Washington to withtially negative implications for draw the troops it had deployed higher education funding. © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com MEDIUM ROAST. in the kingdom since the 1990 “University funding would Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. The U.S. then have to come out of the finally did so in 2003. General Fund solely,” he said.
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“With the projected shortfall of the budget, we’ve really got to be watching that university funding to make sure that the budget is not balanced the backs of students.” In an interview Thursday, Irwin also identified higher education funding as an important area for the legislature, noting in particular how higher education funding has decreased in the last decade. “Michigan used to be a real leader in the nation in terms of education policy,” Irwin said. “Over the course of the last decade, especially the last two years, we’ve really fallen off that pace.” To return to the state’s former stature, Irwin said Michigan must engage the public and bring education to the forefront of the political agenda. “Clearly, we need to get back to a place where Michigan is making higher ed a priority and the public is investing more in our institutions of higher learning so that we can control tuition and could try to control student debt,” he said. Irwin, who is in his final term of representing Michigan’s 53rd District, also said he wants to renew state energy efficiency policy and push the development of more clean energy resources in the state. Irwin cited Michigan’s Public Act 295 — which was signed into law in 2008, but expired this year — as a focus. The act was a state initiative to reduce the amount of non-renewable energy used by utilities owned by the state. Irwin said Public Act 295 required that 10 percent of power be generated by renewables by 2015. Irwin also noted many citizens advocated against the act because of its costs. “But, the reality is that in the last seven years, we’ve had tremendous success,” Irwin said. “Renewable power has come in cheaper than anybody expected.”
Along with pushing for continued clean energy, Irwin said he has already introduced a bill this session that calls for a graduated income tax in the state. Currently, Michigan has a flat-rate personal income tax. Under a graduated income tax, individuals with higher incomes would pay a larger percentage of their income toward the tax than those with lower incomes. Irwin has introduced this proposal to session in his first term, second term and now third term. Irwin also said he wants to change the adoption policy in the state. Currently, only heterosexual couples can adopt a child. Irwin said he wants to reform the policy to allow second-parent adoption, which is currently not legal in the state. Second-parent adoption refers to parents who cannot legally marry, such as same-sex couples. “It is especially important because you’ve got children in the state of Michigan who are living in these homes,” he said. “They are living in the homes headed by either heterosexual or homosexual couples who did not wish to marry.” Irwin said the children are at a severe disadvantage because they don’t receive certain legal benefits. “Those kids deserve the same rights as kids who are adopted into married families,” Irwin said. “The way that our law are currently comprised, those children who are adopted into those families have less rights to inheritance, less rights to health care benefits, hospital visitation.” Though not a policy proposal, Zemke also announced Wednesday that he is committed to tweeting every vote he casts and why he is casting that particular vote during this session. Zemke said he hoped to do this last term, but the initiative didn’t materialize. “When we got into this term, I See RESEARCH, Page 3
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KOCHVILLE TOWNSHIP, Mich.
Saginaw Valley player dismissed for assault charges A Saginaw Valley State University football player has been dismissed from the team after being charged with assaulting three former players at an offcampus apartment complex. Joshua Nolen, 21, faces three charges, including assault with intent to commit murder, after the three students were injured at Campus Village at Cardinal Center early Sunday across from the school’s Kochville Township campus, The Saginaw News reported. A not guilty plea was entered on his behalf during an arraignment on Wednesday. He was ordered held on $500,000 bond and a Feb. 10 preliminary hearing has been scheduled.
BILLINGS, Montana
Yellowstone begins transferring bison for slaughter Yellowstone National Park has begun shipping wild bison for slaughter as part of a plan to reduce the park’s population by as many as 900 animals this winter. On Wednesday and Thursday, more than 150 bison captured near the park’s northern border with Montana were removed from holding, loaded onto trailers and shipped off, according to the Buffalo Field Campaign, a wildlife advocacy group. There were 4,900 bison in the park last summer. For more than two decades, officials have tried to curb the animals’ winter migration into Montana to guard against potential disease transmission to livestock. Park spokesman Al Nash confirmed the shipments of recently-captured animals for slaughter. But he said the park no longer plans to offer timely updates on how many bison are captured and shipped.
SAN DIEGO
Magnets used to plant drugs under cars from Mexico Drug smugglers are turning “trusted travelers” into unwitting mules by placing containers with powerful magnets under their cars in Mexico and then recovering the illegal cargo far from the view of border authorities in the United States. One motorist spotted the containers while pumping gas after crossing into Southern California on Jan. 12 and thought it might be a bomb. His call to police prompted an emergency response at the Chevron station, and then a shocker: 13.2 pounds of heroin were pulled from under the vehicle, according to a U.S. law enforcement official. San Diego police said the drugs were packed inside six magnetized cylinders.
SOKILNYKY, Ukraine
Ukraine bus attack kills 13, dashes peace hopes Hours after a new peace initiative for Ukraine began taking shape, mortar shells rained down Thursday on the center of the main rebel-held city in the east, killing at least 13 people at a bus stop. The deaths in Donetsk sparked wrath and grief that was swiftly exploited by pro-Russian rebel leaders, who paraded captive Ukrainian troops through the city to be punched, kicked and insulted by enraged residents. Diplomats from Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany had met in Berlin a day ago to thrash out a tentative dividing line from which the warring sides would pull back their heavy weapons. That solution already looks doomed. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
cuts because details haven’t been announced yet. However, Boulus added that while the deficit could have an impact on higher education funding, he’s hopeful it will not. John Austin, president of the State Board of Education, said he thinks the budget deficit will make it difficult for the state to get back on a favorable track for education funding. In 2011, the Snyder administration cut higher education funding by 15 percent. After the initial cut in higher education funding, the Snyder administration has increased higher education funding by 3.1 percent in 2012, 2.2 percent in 2013 and 6.1 percent in 2014. Education also saw several incremental decreases in funding during the previous administration under former Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm. Austin said at one point, 4.1 percent of the state’s income went to education, including higher education. However, he emphasized that the 4.1 percent has now dropped to 3.4 percent. The state of Michigan recently ranked one of the worst in the country in terms of higher education funding. Though Snyder’s recent budgets have started to reverse the trend, Austin said plans to increase investment might be complicated by the deficit. “With the budget situation
STEM CELL From Page 1 and muscle control. According to the ALD Foundation, the disease is found in one out of every 17,900 boys. It is more prevalent among males than females. Aside from loss of muscle control, the disease can lead to loss of sight, hearing and is potentially fatal. Kendrick is a seventh-grade schoolteacher in New Jersey who graduated from the University’s School of Education in 2005. Kendrick discovered she was a carrier of ALD ten years ago. When she found out, she decided the safest choice for her and her husband to conceive would be through in vitro fertilization. “It wasn’t really a decision,
News and little temperature from the governor or legislature to raise new money, raise taxes in some way to put it into higher education and financial aid, it’s very tough to keep making positive headway,” Austin said. Don Grimes, a senior research associate at the Institute for Research on Labor, Employment and the Economy, said the deficit means the University will probably receive less money next year. For the 2015 fiscal year, 71.2 percent of the University’s budget comes from tuition and fees, according to the University’s Funding Snapshot. The state of Michigan currently contributes 16.4 percent of the University’s budget. “Higher education has traditionally been one of the budget items that the state government, under both Republicans and Democrats, have used the most to balance shortfalls,” Grimes said. “In other words, they cut higher education traditionally when (we) think we’re out of money. It tends to be one of those flexible budget items that they address.” Grimes added that universities have other means of generating revenue to perform university operations, which is a reason why higher education funding is often cut. “Traditionally, the assumption is that the universities can get the money from other sources if they lose it,” Grimes said. “Essentially they can either take it out of their endowments, they can raise tuition or they could make bud-
get cuts.” Austin said the state government had several other options to support higher education despite the projected deficit, including rearranging the budget to invest more in student financial aid, raising taxes or reforming the tax code. He pointed to cutting corporate and business taxes and the lowering of the flat income tax from 7 percent to about 4 percent as other possible reasons for the state’s decrease in higher education funding. Austin added that if the state of Michigan kept the same tax rate implemented under former Republican Gov. John Engler, higher education funding wouldn’t be a major issue. “We would have eight billion dollars more to spend on education, higher education and roads — eight billion dollars — if we just had the same tax rates that we had 12 years ago,” he said. Austin said a common perception is that universities receive the blame for raising tuition, but people should also recognize the impact of state funding declines. “The rise in tuitions are not the universities’ fault at all,” he said. “They’ve had no choice but to raise tuitions to pay for the cost of educating (students) because the state has basically defunded universities.” Snyder will propose plans to address the budget deficit when he releases his executive budget summary Feb. 11.
it was just the responsible thing to do,” Kendrick said. “I didn’t know ten years ago that this would even be an option and that we could do in vitro and genetic graining. But once we learned that was available, again it wasn’t really a choice. It was the right decision.” The in vitro fertilization was successful in preventing the proliferation of ALD from mother to son. The Kendricks’ son Gus is a healthy, diseasefree child. Using the embryos, researchers at MStem were able to develop stem cell lines to observe the development and progression of the disease to see how to best treat symptoms and potentially cure the disease. Gary Smith, director of the MStem Cell Laboratories, said
the lab focuses a lot on neurodegenerative diseases. The lab opened in 2009 after the Michigan voters passed of the Michigan Stem Cell Amendment in 2008. The constitutional amendment made it legal to conduct research on human embryos and produce human embryonic stem cells. For this reason, researchers like Smith can now work with diseased embryos to create stem cells. “The unique aspect with regards to the embryonic stem cell line is that they are made from embryos that otherwise would have been discarded as they have already been tested and are known to carry the genetic mutation for, in most instances, a very fatal disease,” Smith said.
State legislator faces bribery charges, trial Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver arrested for $4 million payoff NEW YORK (AP) — Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who bent state government to his will for more than 20 years as one of New York’s most powerful and canny politicians, was arrested Thursday on charges of taking nearly $4 million in payoffs and kickbacks. The 70-year-old Democrat was taken into custody by the FBI on federal conspiracy and bribery charges that carry up to 100 years in prison and could cost him his political seat. He was released on $200,000 bail. U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said Silver, a lawyer by training, lined up jobs at two firms and then accepted large sums of money over more than a decade in exchange for using his “titanic” power to do political favors. The money was disguised as “referral fees,” Bharara said. Silver, who seemed unfazed in court, did not enter a plea. “I’m confident that after a full hearing and due process I’ll be vindicated on the charges,” said Silver, who even paused on his way out of court to sign a sketch artist’s
rendering of the scene. The arrest sent shock waves through New York’s Capitol and came just a day after Silver shared the stage with Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his State of the State address, as Cuomo joked that he, Silver and the Senate majority leader were the “three amigos” of state government. At a meeting Thursday with the Daily News editorial board, Cuomo said of Silver’s arrest: “Obviously it’s bad for the speaker, but it’s also a bad reflection on government, and it adds to the negativity.” Silver is one of Albany’s most storied political figures, a consummate backroom operator with the power to single-handedly decide the fate of legislation. Along with the Senate majority leader and the governor, he plays a major role in creating state budgets, laws and policies in a system long criticized in Albany as “three men in a room.” He controls, for example, which lawmakers sit on which committees and decides whether a bill gets a vote. In a measure of his clout, he helped persuade Cuomo last spring to disband a state anticorruption commission that was investigating Silver’s financial dealings and those of his colleagues.
RESEARCH From Page 2 said ‘You know what, we’re going to set a precedent. It’s a new term. We’re starting fresh,’ ” he said. He added that citizens should know what the government is doing, which is why he wants to improve the transparency of his actions. “There’s going to be a lot issues that are going to be posted that they probably will have not much interest in and we recognize that,” he said. “We’re going to try and be as concise as possible and make the information available.”
Friday, January 23, 2015 — 3
FRATERNITY From Page 1 organizations involved to take similar action,” Fitzgerald wrote. Fitzgerald said the University will sort out additional details before considering sanctions on the organizations or individuals involved. “The executive boards of the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Association on the Ann Arbor campus have initiated their own reviews of this situation that could lead to sanctions against the fraternity and sorority chapters,” he wrote. There is a pending Michigan State Police investigation that could lead to criminal charges. At Treetops, damage included felled ceiling tiles, broken walls and destroyed furniture. Similar damage occurred at Boyne Highlands. In a statement Wednesday, Sigma Alpha Mu president Josh-
DINGELL From Page 1 Dingell said. “I think people look at Michigan and they go: ‘labor state,’ and sometimes don’t realize what a competitive state it is to do business in.” She said she was elated when General Electric decided to open a Michigan manufacturing technology facility in 2009, and was hopeful more companies would come, while preserving those currently in the state. Dingell also expressed an enthusiasm for providing higher education funding. Prior to her election to the House, she served on the Board of Governors at Wayne State University for over eight years. “I’m passionate about ensuring that our young people have access to quality, affordable education,” Dingell said. She noted that her experience working on the Board of Governors at Wayne State allowed her to speak with students and gain their perspectives on issues such as the cost of tuition. To improve higher education, Dingell said she thought the federal government should
UROLOGY From Page 1 prostatic hyperplasia, fistula, genitourinary injuries, hematuria, neurogenic bladder, urinary incontinence, overactive bladder, urinary retention and urinary stones. According to Wei, patients in the area with urological conditions previously were forced to look elsewhere for treatment options. He added that many patients in Flint also do not have easy access to transportation. “Because of the outright disinterest or refusal of the private urologists in town to help out with their patients, essentially telling them they can go to (the University) to get seen, the clinic
ua Kaplan, a Business sophomore, apologized for the damage done by the fraternity. He said those responsible would be held accountable, and that the fraternity would work with Treetops to pay for the damages. “We are embarrassed and ashamed of the behavior of a few of our chapter members at Treetops Resort over the weekend of January 17-18,” Kaplan wrote. “This behavior is inconsistent with the values, policies, and practices of this organization.” E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, wrote in a statement that the incidents don’t reflect the University’s values. “The university is investigating this fully and those responsible will be held accountable. It is especially disappointing since this behavior does not ref lect the broad majority of U-M students who participate in Greek Life and compromises the many valuable contributions these student organizations provide.”
put more money into education and remove some of the burdens of funding universities from the states. Additionally, Dingell expressed interest in decreasing the interest rates on federal student loans and praised President Barack Obama’s plan for two years of free community college, highlighted during his State of the Union Address. She pointed out that many highearning jobs, such as pipe fitters, only need two years of higher education. Along with Obama’s community college proposal, Dingell also highlighted two other White House initiatives featured in the State of the Union — improved pay equity between men and women and the president’s plan to increase the minimum wage — as important for Michigan. “The numbers say the economy’s better, but in Michigan too many people I know, their wages have stayed stagnant as consumer prices have gone up,” Dingell said. “So I think everybody does better when people who are working hard are paid a good minimum wage, because that money comes back into the economy.”
had to find another way,” he said. Most of the patients who will be seen at first will be current HCHN, which already has primary care providers and physicians. Wei said the clinic could face several challenges, including less up-to-date equipment as compared to University facilities. “We are a little hampered, I confess, because the clinic doesn’t have all the equipment we are used to,” Wei said. “They are quite expensive, so we can’t offer a full range of service right now. However, if things takes off and we get busy, maybe there will be more funds from the government at some point.” He added that the clinic’s schedule for the first day next Wednesday is already full.
MICHIGANDAILY.COM
Opinion
4 — Friday, January 23, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MICHAEL SCHRAMM | QUEER IN ACTION
The oppressive pressures of the heteromold
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS EDITOR IN CHIEF
AARICA MARSH and DEREK WOLFE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LEV FACHER MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
REGAN DETWILER| VIEWPOINT
Dealing with dissonance As a freshman, I’ve found my first semester of college to be one of the most overwhelming and rewarding growing experiences I’ve ever encountered: meeting more people than I ever have before, navigating the vast sea of people that is our student population and taking classes that twisted my perspective and seemed to challenge every assumption I had once held as truth. As a result, my worldview has shifted; my beliefs have become more robust. Having opinions about social and political issues has become less of a lazy, automatic reflex and more of a thoughtful, deliberate action. I came home for winter break carrying an identity that’s undergone a kind of collegiate evolution. This happens to many freshmen: the first semester of college knocks them off their feet, creating the potential for a trip home for winter break that might be a little weird, spending extended amounts of time with friends and family who only knew you pre-first semester. As I mentioned before, one of the biggest changes I’ve experienced in my first semester is that my opinions have grown stronger, which has allowed me to have more confidence in them and be more willing to share them. For example, having been exposed to the prevalence of sexual assault on college campuses, I’ve become more acutely aware of sexism that can sometimes find its way into everyday conversation. I’ve always been an advocate of gender equality, but now more than ever, I see it as an issue that needs as many voices as possible. If a friend makes a sexist remark and doesn’t realize it’s sexist, I’ve learned how to playfully point out its discriminatory nature. People are pretty open to that sort of thing around here; those conversations have always taken place with friends and fellow students who are open to different experiences and new perspectives. But what happens when we go home, where we’re surrounded by family members who aren’t university students, who aren’t taking classes that challenge their ways of thinking, who aren’t immersed in the exploratory, socially and politically active campus that we are? What happens when an older family member, someone you’ve grown up respecting and would feel disrespected if contradicted, makes an out-of-the-closet joke right in front
I
of you? Are you supposed to abandon all of the work you’ve done forming opinions, making arguments and peacefully advocating what you think is just for the sake of keeping the peace? I’ve experienced this problem before, the problem of being surrounded by people I love unconditionally but sometimes seem to stand against what I believe is right. It seems absurd that two things so personal to me can be so frustratingly contradictory. People always talk about family and heritage being what a person is made of, but what happens when “what we’re made of” doesn’t seem to be what we are? It boils down to a puzzle with which people have been grappling for a long time, one that each person continues to grapple with throughout life: the apparent dissonance between background and self. A dissonance, in the musical sense of the word, is “a clashing or unresolved musical interval or chord,” a simple lack of agreement. But when one’s family doesn’t reflect oneself, it doesn’t necessarily mean that person’s family isn’t what makes them who they are. Maybe the fact that a dissonance occurs is what defines that person in however minor or major ways. We are, to a certain extent, a product of our experiences, and in this way, these uncomfortable experiences with those we love are part of what makes us who we are. The solution may not be to start a heated moral or political debate at a family dinner because ultimately, it probably won’t go over well. Perhaps simply stating one’s opinion in a subtle and non-confrontational way is an appropriate way to hold true to one’s morals and attitudes while still maintaining the respect integral in certain family relationships. Even if this does not go over well, it is consoling to remember that family is what makes us who we are, to the extent that our collective experiences are what make us who we are. To fellow freshmen and anyone else who has recently felt this way, remind yourself every now and then that our ability to control how we react to what seems like a dissonance with our families and our identities can make the discomfort of winter break festivities feel a little less like a punch to the chest. Regan Detwiler is an Assistant Editorial Page Editor and an LSA freshman.
The power to express
’m a creative writer. I like writing fiction. I also occasionally take part in the sort of journalistic writing that I admittedly don’t understand. But I’m very much a creative writer of fiction. Doing so in a democratic country means I take full advantage of my First Amendment rights. Loving what I do also means that I plan to continue taking full advantage of my right to express myself. JENNY Yet these facts shouldn’t WANG be the end of a conversation, especially one as complex as the Charlie Hebdo case. I write. I express myself. I don’t deserve death or injury or threats under any circumstances. Anyone who has been a victim of such violence because they chose to express themselves should receive our greatest condolences and support. But again, our conversation shouldn’t end here, with a generalized statement about a code of conduct that most of us already follow. We need to understand context. We need to take into account nuances. We especially need to talk about something that I almost never hear when we talk about creativity and expression — power. Power in the sense of artistic freedom means I not only have the ability to express myself, but I also (and especially) have the means to do so to an audience who will listen. The first facet of the “power to express” I think most people have down: we all have opinions and ideas, and we’re generally able to communicate them using our respective languages — written, spoken, performed or drawn. It’s when we get to the other two facets that everything gets messy and suddenly race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, ability, citizenship, etc. come into play. In the case of Charlie Hebdo, we need to think about how many Muslim citizens and immigrants don’t have the same access to public self-expression as do non-Muslims. In 2010, a Stanford study found that a Christian citizen of France is more than twice as likely to get a call-back for a job interview as an equally qualified Muslim citizen. About 60 percent of the prison population in France is comprised of those with Muslim ties. In July, the European Court upheld France’s ban on wearing the Muslim niqab in public. The single tragedy of Charlie Hebdo, no mat-
ter how devastating, cannot be viewed in a vacuum, especially not when discrimination against Muslims is a real and current issue. We’re talking about an influential magazine using its power to comment on a religion that is practiced by a group of people whose voices have never been fully heard. The issue is no longer about the right to express. The issue is about the “power to express,” namely having a means to say something as well as an audience who will listen, which I mentioned earlier. Muslim women not being allowed to wear the niqab demonstrates that a means of expression has been revoked. Discrimination in the workforce and higher rates of incarceration mean the French culture as a whole is unwilling to be a listening audience. In creative writing, there’s been a running debate on whether or not our works carry any sort of social burden. It’s a difficult discussion, and I see both sides of the argument. If artists are limited in what they can say or do, then that means art cannot evolve. After all, many of our greatest literary classics today were once very controversial. At the same time, I think all artists need to be more mindful of how their pieces influence others and shape others’ beliefs, especially if the subject matter touches on those who lack the sort of power and influence to assert their own dignity. How does Charlie Hebdo’s portrayal of Islam affect the already negative opinions of Muslim citizens and immigrants in France? Do Muslims have access to artistic mediums where their voices can be heard just as loudly with just as much respect? As a brief side note, I’ve always found it interesting that many writers I know want to make a difference through their writing. But when we realize that our pieces might have any smidgen of negative social consequence on marginalized people, we hide and say we’re only “expressing ourselves.” When Charlie Hebdo published their magazine covers portraying the Prophet Muhammad, they sent a message to the world beyond merely their views on Islam. They told the world just how much power they, as non-Muslim artists, held. They were saying, “Look at me. Look at the kind of power I hold over you. I can depict a religious leader whom I don’t follow in any way however I want. Look at me.” — Jenny Wang can be reached at wjenny@umich.edu.
I wish I could say “I’m gay” and let it roll off my tongue. Hear the words make noise as they float into people’s ears. Feel some sense of comfort with how they mix with my personality, my masculinity and my femininity. But they never have. I’ve never fit into conventional masculinity. I hated sports and fighting. I loved Avril Lavigne and “Pretty Little Liars,” but I quickly realized this wasn’t “normal” boy behavior. Instead, I learned that I needed to be tough, hyper-sexual and rugged. Never show emotion, and most importantly, be very straight. I learned that men who didn’t follow these traits were pussies, exiled from the pack. I was pushed into the heteromold — the institutional and self-policed mold we use to cast every boy into this identity. My peers, and even adults, pressed with varying degrees of pressure against my bones to fit me into the cast. I learned to fill it above all else, or I would risk being labeled gay. Gay was weak, embarrassing and shameful, and I wanted no one to think I was gay, especially since I was. Sometimes I was physically pushed into the mold. I signed up for freshman football because a family member suggested it. It wasn’t a good decision. I was atrocious, and it only aided in wiring my brain to reject my identity. It was 90-degree weather. We all wore bulky equipment and we all drank from rugged-looking Gatorade bottles and we all formed lines in synchronization and we all looked the same. One day, our coaches instructed us to guard against a partner and stop them from pushing past us. To no one’s surprise, someone pushed past me. Typically, coaches would make a suggestion to improve, but this time everyone was brought together as my coach told me, “You’re a disgrace to this team.” My body raced with a mix of adrenaline and fear, and I felt the intense pressures of being pushed into the heteromold. I realized how my teammates would react. They laughed with an abrasively teasing tone, and I found myself immediately labeled as the weakest one. The wimpy one. The gay one. My mockery served as a feast for the self-loathing of my femininity and gay identity. I wish I could grab 14-year-old me, drag him to the sidelines, strip his overheating equipment and place my hands on his exposed shoulder as an affirmation of love. I want to wrap him in warmth and tell him what he needs to hear. That being gay is great, being effeminate is great and neither is a symptom of the other. That his eyes are lit with ambition and his soul blazes with personality and being gay takes
nothing away from that. But I was too young, and people had spent too long coding my hatred of everything surrounding their perception of gay. It began in sixth grade. I sat surrounded by my friends in a library. Huddled on beanbags amongst books of knowledge we were taught a clear lesson: homosexuality equaled sin. Someone being gay was fine, but only if they didn’t act on their attractions, meaning they rejected their sexuality. That struck a chord in seventh grade, when I had a crush on a guy. Puberty hit me in the close confines of the boys’ locker room. Amongst the chatter about girls, I found myself developing an internal monologue about my crush. As he gushed about the girl he liked, I became distracted, smelling his Axe body spray against his natural scent, hearing the tone of his voice, seeing the subtle gestures he made to air out his shirt. Part of me craved him. But the other part wanted nothing more than to erase these senses and talk about girls. I became infected with homophobic undertones, and my brain was at war on whether to squeeze into the heteromold. I was 13 years old. I should have been concerned with pre-algebra, but instead I fought unrequited emotions, prejudice and a split sense of identity. My heart rested in the locket of my chest — shackled, prickly and pure. I graduated in the closet and entered college closeted. On Michigan’s liberal campus, this didn’t last long. I heard overwhelming acceptance toward homosexuality, and it served as an antibiotic to my homophobic infection. I unlocked my sexuality to the confidence of accepting peers. They were receptive and provided me inviting hugs and kind words. I felt like I was reaching the end of my journey. I wasn’t. Instead of receiving shame for my feminine traits, I was subconsciously shamed for my masculine ones. Many treated me as a pre-packaged toy with clear instructions: heel guru, overdramatic, boy-crazy, a plaything. Whether explicit or not, I was the gay friend for many, and I was taught to be one of the girls, never one of the boys. When I began weightlifting, I was told it was “cute.” Guys I befriended got teased, told that my attempts to bond in the dining hall were blatantly transparent attempts of going on a date. It’s bizarre. The moment I declared a piece of my identity outside of the heteromold, I was automatically cast as its antithesis. Why? Why is it so difficult for people to understand that my skin, bones and cells are not liquid sludge that
forms into a solid cast? I like physical strength and wear my heart on my sleeve. My identity doesn’t follow a precedent. I’m unpredictable, three-dimensional, dense. None of it has anything to do with my sexuality, and all of it is fine. I’ve been foolish in thinking otherwise, and I’m starting to realize this. Cramped between dozens of people at a house party this year I ran into a guy for whom I cared deeply. He was never a romantic interest, but his cordial attitude gave off a friendly warmth that led me to try hard in becoming close friends. Hidden in my mind was the thought that someone would let me into the male inner circle without the prerequisite of a masculine façade. As we said hi by the refrigerator, much like my prior attempts to bond, I was smacked with the cold reality that this would never happen with him. There always existed a barrier between us that I saw go down when he interacted with other guys. Our conversation ended and he headed the 10 feet back to his pack of male friends. They all wore backwards caps and huddled in a tight-knit circle and decided to play beer pong. I saw the animated expressions and gestures that he gave his friends contrast the stiffness he always gave me. Whether conscious or not, I could tell his inability to open up to me was because I lay outside the heteromold. It’s not something you need definitive confirmation to confirm. Once it happens to you, you know it’s happening. It was in that moment that I realized he would never invite me into the circle. My micro differences between these people created an impenetrable wall, and though I stood 10 feet from them, the distance between us was infinite. And I was okay with it. I walked up to a friend behind the group, put my arm around her, and let the pressures roll off my back. It was a move — or lack thereof — spurred by nothing more than my desire to push against the forces around me. I wanted to conquer the echoes that resurface in my head. That night, I won. I’m still insecure. My identity isn’t protected by an impenetrable glaze of security, but I can feel myself developing a Jell-O-like covering of confidence. When I feel pressure from the outside world, I feel its impact, and my defense mechanism starts moving me back to my original shape. It’s through this that I return to the form I choose for myself: masculine, feminine, gay. Infinite. Michael Schramm is the Queer in Action Editor and an LSA junior.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Devin Eggert, David Harris, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Victoria Noble, Michael Paul, Allison Raeck, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Linh Vu, Mary Kate Winn, Jenny Wang, Derek Wolfe
R
Embrace the cold
ight now, it’s snowing outside. The sky and the ground, and it seems everything in between, are white or gray or (even worse) that disgusting shade of brown that comes when fresh snow mixes with dirt and gets splattered all over unsuspect- ELIANA ing pedestrians HERMAN by cars. In other words, it’s not exactly the time of year when people relish going outside. During the heart of January (which also can be described as the heart of winter) most people are not going for strolls in the Arb, or going on long-distance runs through campus — although I still see the most dedicated runners sprinting through the tundra that is “Ann Arbtica” and I don’t think I’ve ever been more impressed. Students bundle up in huge, puffy jackets, ski masks, hats, gloves and sometimes even multiple pairs of pants (wait, that might just be me…) to quickly shuffle through Michi-
gan’s icy weather. They barely register their surroundings, allowing their vision to be terribly impaired by drooping, fur-lined hoods and hats that fall far below the typical brow line of any human. And if we can avoid walking, we will. The magic bus app becomes essential to life and, when the prices aren’t surging, Uber becomes our best friend. But maybe this trend of avoiding the icy weather isn’t for the best. Now, I’m not saying that we should lay out tanning in the freezing weather, but the freezing quality of nature right now does not take away from its beauty. Snow dances in the wind and gets caught in the waving branches of naked trees. Footsteps through the snow make campus feel lived in, and the Arb looks straight out of a fairy tale. Plus, being outside in the cold makes me feel more alive. The blood rushes to my cheeks, and there is a crispness to the cold that is a welcome break from the stress and — let’s be honest — boredom that came from hunching over textbooks and homework for hours on end in a heat-controlled environment.
Going outside is good for our health, regardless of the weather. According to Abigail Wise of The Huffington Post, spending time outdoors actually increases concentration skills and creativity. It is also energizing: “20 minutes outside can wake you up just as much as one cup of coffee can.” So next time you wake up for your 8 a.m. and your phone lets you know that it’s six degrees out but feels like minus-11, don’t despair. Stay bundled, but maybe don’t blindly hustle through the cold. Breathe in the fresh air and look up into the swirl of snowflakes. Enjoy the crunch of snow beneath your waterproof boots and the vague stinging feeling in your cheeks. Just know that time spent walking outside taking in the (thick, cloud-covered) sunlight will make you feel better, sharper and more motivated to get work done. In fact, when I’m done writing this, I think I’m going to go for a walk in the Arb. It’s 25 degrees — practically a heat wave! — Eliana Herman can be reached at erherman@umich.edu.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit viewpoints and letters to the editor. Letters should be fewer than 300 words, while viewpoints should be 550-850 words. Send the piece, the writer’s full name and University affiliation to opinion@michigandaily.com.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Friday, January 23, 2015 — 5
TV REVIEW
FILM REVIEW
Insightful Minaj doc By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY Daily Arts Writer
WARNER BROS
Sniper, no sniping.
‘Sniper’ follows a typical formula By ANDREW MCCLURE Daily Arts Writer
Oscar-nominated war drama disappoints “American Sniper” nabbed a Best Picture nom this year alongside other unworthy picks (“The Theory Bof Everything” and “The Imi- American tation Game,” Sniper two films equal parts unreal- Warner Bros. ized and bravu- Rave and ra-desperate), while bravura- Quality 16 capturing “Foxcatcher” got snubbed. Jason Hall’s script also received an unmerited nom for Best Adapted Screenplay, a decision by the Academy driven by the requisite of filling five spots, and nothing more, maybe less. Clint Eastwood’s (“Gran Torino”) wincingly problematic “American Sniper” is buoyed only by Bradley Cooper’s nuanced portrayal of Chris Kyle, the “legendary” (a descriptor the script exhausts in fratircal fashion) Navy SEALs marksman on whose autobiography the script is based. In its episodic skeleton we never dig deep, dark, enough into Kyle’s seensome-shit psyche and instead dig too long for meaning in Kyle’s life back home — except we’re digging using a twig, not a shovel. Tired narrative tools thankfully don’t kick off until halfway through the opening scene where we find a surgeon-steady Cooper (“American Hustle”), belly-down atop a sandy roof in
Iraq. Both eyes open, unmoving, he spots a little boy through his crosshairs. The boy is carrying an anti-tank hand grenade (an “RKG”) and walking toward the Marines. Cooper, as is protocol, walkie-talkies to a nearby Brother for confirmation to put him down. No confirmation. Then, in what ignites the next two hours of storytelling recyclables, the watchman Marine next to him redundantly says, “They fry you if you’re wrong.” Even if that line were included in the autobiography, come on, man. Then we cut back in time to the grueling SEALs training on the beach, sleeping little, swallowing saltwater, being miserable — you know the drill. Then, naturally, the romantic spark occurs in the laughable setting of a bar, where a gorgeous yet unconvincing Sienna Miller (“Foxcatcher”) plays who other than his future wife. It all feels lazily familiar. The rest of the picture vacillates without confidence between his sharpshooting genius in the Middle East and the worry-faced Miller who, despite attempts at momming up her look, still appears to be a supermodel. Without screening it again with a meticulous eye, I’d venture to guess that Eastwood and Hall held some calculated formula, like for every six kills that are supposed to elicit real emotion in us, let’s whip-pan back to Miller, who, invariably, between her husband’s four nine-month-long tours, is concerned for his chance to regain mental stability. In a few words, the film never fleshes out anything more meaningful than the fraternal bond amid his Brothers abroad via busting each other’s balls and saying shit like, “Get some, motherfuckers!”
Cooper, nonetheless, saved this film from lightless despair with his charming Texan-ness — the accent, the chivalry, the semiintellectual sense of humor, the sincere grin. We feel safe in his presence. Even more, we need to be with him because Miller serves nothing other than a channel for his loaded emotions, something Eastwood only paws at. One of the better scenes comes when Kyle runs into his little brother, who had just finished his first deployment tour, clearly shaken up, disturbed, by what he witnessed. The almost-jingoistic Kyle evinces disappointment, anger even, when little bro, before hopping into an aircraft, mumbles loudly, “Fuck this place.” Kyle possesses a telegraphable mania for war because, well, in his eyes there’s nothing better than serving your country and saving lives. Nothing. He doesn’t get his brother’s indifference. Cooper peppers beautifully raw moments like this throughout, but the too-lean, tooconvenient entree that populates the remaining film doesn’t cut it. As I walked into the theater, a friendly yet anxious man stopped me, “Seeing ‘Sniper?’ Shit sucks.” He went on to say he had served duty, read the autobiography, hadn’t even seen the film, but complained that Kyle was lionized onscreen when, in reality, he killed several innocent children, among his 160 confirmed kills (and 255 probably kills). I couldn’t ditch the thought as I watched; However, by the end, it didn’t matter. Within its own universe, the film fails to find a power, energy higher than careening through mini missions and watching Miller try to sob. Cooper’s newfound gut carries more guts than the emaciated scriptwriting.
FILM REVIEW
‘Blackhat’ flounders By NOAH COHEN Daily Arts Writer
When a cyberterrorist wreaks havoc on a Chinese nuclear facility, the United States government pulls Nicholas Hathaway C(Chris Hemsworth, “Thor”) Blackhat out of prison and offers him Universal full pardon to Pictures help them take Quality 16 down the new threat. The casting of Hemsworth is against-type, which, though shallow (hack me, you gorgeous Viking god), is mildly inspired; it’s too bad he can’t play a believable cyber security expert. Hollywood is fascinated by the idea of the master hacker, but the actual world of “hacking” is not very dramatic. The rare moment of hacker inspiration is sandwiched by hundreds of hours of bland coding. “Blackhat” gets “hacking” right about as much as James Bond gets “spying” right: But, in “Blackhat” ’s defense, it tries very hard to be realistically boring, even cramming out-ofplace tech references into the dialogue and dramatically showcasing an honest-to-goodness Unix terminal.
The technical elements suffer the contorting humiliation of dramatic exploitation, and the romance suffers the exact same way. Wei Teng (“Lust, Caution”) plays the romantic interest/sidekick, Lien Chen, whose inevitable relationship with Hemsworth seems unnaturally accelerated, and whose relationship with her brother (Leehom Wang, “Lust, Caution”) is a brittle plot device ripe for the cracking. The manufactured suspense makes the audience feel psychic in that we can predict what’s about to happen at any given time. The explosions will still jolt the excitable, but the familiar strain of conflict and resolution is relaxing in its certainty. A movie about detective work and hacking becomes a cruise-control thriller, and the ride is embarrassingly smooth. Lacking the camp glamour of “Swordfish” or “Hackers,” and lacking, too, the snappy, endlessly justifying writing of “The Social Network,” there seems little reason for this movie to exist. It adds nothing novel to its genre. The director, Michael Mann (“The Last of the Mohicans”), who has received praise for the technical bravado of this sad flick, couldn’t tell an algorithm from a hole in the wall (as the opening CGI sequence
illustrates, literally). “Blackhat” was written, directed and acted out by people who think of a zero-day “backdoor” exploit as a literal backdoor that someone forgot to lock.
Hack me, you gorgeous Viking god. Its failure to faithfully depict hacking is secondary to its failure to thrill, and in this capacity, the film has thoughtful direction over writing that inexorably shoots itself in the foot – the epic-scale dramatic event at the beginning, a nuclear plant implosion, leads into a secret plot threatening another epic-scale event, the flooding of a tin mine. The impending, threatened catastrophe is far less compelling than the catastrophe that has already happened. This is a violation of Cinema 101: the stakes should increase, and instead they drop off. The end of the movie is vague enough to allow for a sequel, but there probably won’t be one. The inspiration here was as sparse as its box office coffers.
In the four years between Nicki Minaj’s first and third studio albums, she has grown exponentially, both as an Aartist and person. Nicki Nicki Minaj: Minaj’s “My Time AGAIN” My Time showcases AGAIN the artist in a deeply Documentary personal MTV and often Available for emotional light as she sreaming on mtv.com prepares to open the 2014 VMAs and release her third LP, The Pinkprint. Right off the bat, viewers get a sense for Minaj’s sense of humor that’s present throughout the hour-long documentary. The show opens with a monologue cut short by a phone call, after which she is giddy, confirmed by some tongue rolling, animal sound only Minaj could pull off — the “Anaconda” music video is going to be released at midnight. Following a rant about her time as a Red Lobster waitress and an on-point impression of a customer’s “Where’s our bread?,” rehearsals for the VMAs are underway. “Every performance should be better than the last,” Minaj says in the film. Minaj’s work ethic and commitment to her work and fans is undeniable throughout the VMA segment, from rehearsal to post-performance. She knocks out the entire choreography the first day of rehearsal; she shows genuine compassion and concern for
a dancer who gets bitten by a snake; she takes her wardrobe malfunction in stride during the performance. The show must go on. The malfunction is not on the level of Janet Jackson’s during the Superbowl, but Minaj does have to spit her “Bang Bang” verse while holding the front of her dress together. The palpable awkwardness doesn’t stop people from speculating it was planned. “I would never embarrass myself, holding my dress on the VMAs, for what?” she says in her dressing room, slighting distraught.
If you didn’t like Minaj, this might change your mind. We agree, Nicki, and honestly it would’ve been one of the lamest publicity stunts of all time. The stylist said nobody is to blame (yeah, that is what all stylists say after a wardrobe malfunction, but we know better). The VMA segment opens the program well, but it is simply the appetizer before delving deeper into Minaj’s personal life in her hometown and in the studio working on her most personal album yet. The meat of the show comes when she takes time to visit with her family and friends in her hometown of Queens, NY. It begins with Minaj getting a manicure with an old friend, and the manicurist will not take her money — it’s as if they’ve known each other forever. It’s cute, very homey
and something most people can relate to at some point: when a manicurist, hair dresser or friend simply and kindly decides “This one’s on me.” This scene is only the beginning of a sincerely relatable segment overf lowing with Minaj’s friends and family and touching monologues from the hip-hop star. It’s clear that friends and family are number one in her playbook. “The secret of life is to embody love,” Minaj said. It’s clear Minaj has so much love in her life, between her two best friends, who she refers to as sisters, and one of their grandmothers who had taken Minaj as her own. The highlight of the hour is when Minaj’s grandmother complains about her cursing (I’ve had the same conversation with my mother, father and grandfather … ). The program closes out with an insider look at Minaj’s album. She discusses how personal it is; her abortion is the topic of the album’s opening track, “All Things Go.” This segment is put together in a way that even those who have not heard her most recent work can appreciate the emotion put into it and the art that came from it. The tracks play, with lyrics pasted across the screen, and is followed by commentary from Minaj, her crew of producers and friends. “I write life; I didn’t set out to make a personal album,” Minaj states. Within five minutes, Minaj is both teary-eyed and holding up a glazed donut saying “heaven” — and that right there sums up the hour long Nicki Minaj documentary. She is fun, but has a lot of emotional struggles. She values friendship and family over everything. If you didn’t like Minaj before, this may just change your mind.
Arts
6 — Friday, January 23, 2015
TV REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALBUM REVIEW
‘Justified’ keeps New Sleater-Kinney the stakes high By MELINA GLUSAC Daily Arts Writer
By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
Final season of FX hit promises excitement After a second season that will be regarded as one of the best seasons of television of all time, “Justified” dropped in quality. The A following Justified installments never quite Season 6 created villains Premiere or stories that reached the FX same level Tuesdays at of depth and 10 p.m. complexity as Mags Bennett (Margo Martindale’s Emmywinning role). However, those seasons did a lot well, including developing the relationship between Raylan Givens and Boyd Crowder and of the setting, Harlan, KY. This season of the show is starting to use that groundwork to pay off its long-running arcs, giving confidence that even if the final go-around doesn’t reach the same height of season two, it will be a strong ending for the show. “Justified” continues to follow the story of U.S. Marshal Raylan (Timothy Olyphant, “Deadwood”). This season, the Marshal is working to build a case against longtime rival Boyd
(Walton Goggins, “The Shield”) before he leaves to join his child in Florida. He enlists the help of Crowder’s fiancé Ava (Joelle Carter, “American Pie 2”) as a criminal informant. Meanwhile, both of them deal with the arrival of new villains with mysterious plans for Harlan, played by Garret Dillahunt (“Deadwood”) and Sam Elliott (“Up in the Air”).
The first few episodes hint at an amazing final send-off. These early episodes focus on how Raylan is only doing this because of all of the investment he has put into the case. This aspect is the best of the season because of all the legwork that the show has put into constructing the relationship between Raylan and Boyd over the years. It helps that every time Olyphant and Goggins are on screen together, the scene crackles. They’re playing off of six years of tension, and it’s wonderful to see them on screen together. Incredibly, it’s still fascinating to watch these actors work; each of them has spent the past five years forming layered, interesting characters, a fact that shines in smaller scenes especially.
Olyphant owns the role of Raylan: he wears his cowboy hat with charisma and poise. Dillahunt has the perfect mix of charm and menace in playing a villain, and Elliot, while he doesn’t get a major scene until the third episode, he makes it clear that his character is a force to be reckoned with. The actor to benefit the most from this story is Carter. Last year, Ava was sent to a prison, an arc that didn’t completely work, playing out for too long and becoming repetitive. Having her character be a criminal informant gives Carter so much more to play with, requiring her to give a layered performance as Ava works to put away Boyd, which leads to some great results.
Olyphant owns the role of Raylan. The amount of work that “Justified” has put in to build its characters and its world over the past five seasons has largely been under the radar during its run. Now that they’re starting to pay it off, it’s really good. The first few episodes hint at a final season that will be an amazing send-off for the show, even if it doesn’t quite match the heights of earlier seasons.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Friday, January 23, 2015
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
According to Google, a riot grrrl (noun) is “a member of a movement of young feminists associated with aggressive punk-style rock A music.” SleaterNo Critics Kinney, a to Love three-piece, all-female band Sleaterat the core of this move- Kinney ment, have Sub Pop a definition that’s much more their own. Bandmates Corin Tucker, Carrie Brownstein (“Portlandia”) and Janet Weiss put the riot in the music, which is all of the following in no particular order (because disorder is punk): stunningly angry, surprisingly melodic, boomingly soulful and downright badass. These ladies have been spilling jams of the aforementioned variety since 1994, riding and dominating the coattails of grunge and all its glory. And after a hiatus of nearly 10 years, their latest album is just as much of a triumph as 2005’s critically-adored The Woods. And their new album No Cities to Love doesn’t skip a beat. Few bands can match SleaterKinney’s energy, which is hyper and rife on their latest album. “Price Tag” is the best way they could have kicked off the carefully crafted 10-song tracklist. It’s catchy and rhythmic, smoothly catastrophic at parts, setting lofty expectations for its nine sister tunes who, actually, get better and better as the album continues. The brilliant “Fangless” soon follows, complete with great back-up vocals from Brownstein and a Strokesesque riff. It sounds like
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Is that an ascot I see?
riot grrrl for the 21st century — a little more polished, more intricate, but still so hard. Each song wouldn’t be (and couldn’t be) complete, though, without lead singer Tucker’s deliciously raw vocals. Her yawp devours every chord with the juxtaposed essence of grace and anger management; such soul can’t be taught. On “No Anthems” the listener gets her more subtle side in the verses, sexy whispers over Weiss’s roaring drums, but she comes around with that yell again and sets the whole track on fire. It’s great. Flavors of punk’s past guide her on “Bury Our Friends,” her slurred Clash-like pronunciation enhancing Sleater-Kinney’s street cred. And “Hey Darling,” probably the most conventional track on the album, blossoms into something truly melodic by the time Tucker hits the chorus. Here, if even for a few minutes, she shows us she can really sing by society’s working definition of “singing,” should she choose to abide by it. But that wouldn’t be very riot grrrl of her, now, would it? As rooted as it is in punk, No Cities to Love is not lacking in inventiveness. “Gimme Love,” arguably the best song on the album, showcases staccato guitars and vocals
to match — its terseness is jarring in the niftiest way possible, progressing and following Tucker’s hajj to the pinnacle of lyrical angst. “A New Wave” and “Surface Envy” have classic-rock vibes and are refreshingly upbeat. Marked by songs like these, the album seems more alive than The Woods, more rocking and truer to Sleater-Kinney’s origins — it’s less of them trying to fit to the times or mellow themselves out in accordance with their age. Even the titular track creates rad harmonies and prodding drive. Take it from the pros: riot grrrls don’t get old. The album only slows down with its concluding song, “Fade”— a wicked, eerie, swampy number that’s Tucker’s last catharsis. Heavy guitars and a creepy groove make it really cool to listen to, an appropriate yet imaginative way to end an impressive comeback record. These three gals still sounds like a really good girl group jamming out in their basement in Olympia, Washington in 1994, but with about 10 times more chutzpah, musicality and refined punk vigor. Is that the secret to success, or, moreover, (riot) girl power? Who knows. But it works like hell for Sleater-Kinney.
TV REVIEW
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 “Mad Men” productions 4 Bark elicitor 9 Lax 13 Force (open) 14 Close-fitting dress 15 Powerful dept.? 16 Striking painting of paddles, net and ball? 19 Uber 20 Facebook button 21 Truncation abbr. 22 Austin of “Knot’s Landing” 23 Extraordinary northern bird? 26 Statistician’s challenge 28 Plot component 29 “__ thoughts?” 30 Reasonable 32 Purim heroine 34 Mythological figure who touched 16-, 23-, 46- and 55Across? 36 Available 39 Anthony Hopkins’ “Thor” role 40 Channel for old films 43 Noodle 44 “I’m not kidding!” 46 Alaskan insects? 51 Chief Justice Warren 52 Subjects of some conspiracy theories 53 Specks on cartes 54 Enthralled 55 Overdevelop a high plain? 60 It may be cautionary 61 “I shall be late!” speaker of fiction 62 Letter director 63 Narrow opening 64 Indo-__ languages 65 Nixon has two DOWN 1 Angry Birds, e.g. 2 “Happy Days” setting
3 Cooperative action 4 “Dexter” airer, for short 5 Write 6 Scout rank 7 Top story 8 Uniform material 9 Sprinkling on French fries? 10 Free sample limitation 11 Top story 12 Cab driver? 14 One of a pair of Mad adversaries 17 Off the __ 18 Arthur of “The Golden Girls” 22 Sched. uncertainty 23 Witness __ 24 Sharp feeling 25 Rowing beneficiaries, for short 27 Z-zebra link 31 Dashboard Confessional’s genre 32 Changes, in a way 33 Without 34 Rosebud’s owner
35 “Cool, man!” 36 Things 37 __ color 38 Fictional pilot with the iconic line, “Laugh it up, fuzzball” 40 Circus staple 41 Sun block 42 “The Producers” screenwriter Brooks 45 Milk dispenser
47 Help 48 Uber 49 “The View” alum Joy 50 Milk carton words 54 Snitch 56 18th Amendment opposer 57 Cops’ org. 58 Harvard grad Jeremy who’s now a Laker 59 Rises
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MTV
“Did you just fart?”
‘Eye Candy’ is MTV trash By SOPHIA KAUFMAN Daily Arts Writer
MTV’s latest show “Eye Candy” stars Victoria Justice, a name familiar to anyone who’s watched Nickelodeon’s “VicC torious,” (or if they’re a half Eye Candy a decade older, “Zoey 101”). Series Pilot After being a MTV teenage star Mondays at for the past 10 years, Justice 10 p.m. seems to be trying something new, something different, something edgier. In the beginning of the premiere, it is doubtful whether the almost 21-year old can pull it off; but by the end of the episode, after watching her discover two dead bodies and hack into databases illegally, viewers can have a little more faith in her — if not in the show. Justice plays Lindy Sampson, a young woman who possesses exceptional technical skills, which she uses to hack into the NYPD’s databases to find missing persons. While this appears a mere obsession to her coworkers and best friend Sophia (Kiersey Clemons, “Transparent”), this peculiarity stems from Sampson’s desire to find her kidnapped younger sister who was ripped from her life three years earlier. These illegal hacks get her in frequent trouble with the police, mediated only slightly by her
complicated on-again, off-again relationship with Ben, an officer. When Sophia makes Lindy an account on Flirtual, a dating app that seems to function like Tinder, Lindy (under the name “Eye Candy”) draws the attention of a serial killer whom we never see. The resulting events — hidden cameras in her apartment, creepy text messages reminiscent of those on “Pretty Little Liars,” the gruesome murders of Ben and another man — strengthen Lindy’s resolve to find the psychopath before he finds her. Justice still has a long way to go before her acting in “Eye Candy” can be considered above average, or even better than her past ventures. Though she’s predictable and lacks in nuance at times, her performance is overall solid. Many of the plot devices are worn and transparent, and the lines feel overly illustrative, leaving viewers annoyed at having explanations and superficial backstories thrust upon them. What makes this show relatively interesting, despite its evident flaws, is how it plays on real fears of society’s vulnerability to predators on the Internet — it sometimes feels like it is, as the serial killer says in a voice over, “God’s gift to psychopaths.” But the writers are going to have to focus more on depicting a scary but believable reality and less on unwarranted deaths, gruesome shots of bodies and unnecessarily contrived quips if they want to hold onto their viewers.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
AKBUM REVIEW
Friday, January 23, 2015 — 7
TV REVIEW
‘Seeking Woman’ is creative & hilarious By MATT BARNAUSKAS Daily Arts Writer
ISLAND RECORDS
Thnks fr th mmrs vn thgh thy wrn’t s gd
Won’t remember FOB for centuries By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY Daily Arts Writer
Fall Out Boy’s album disappointingly uneven It is hard to believe that 10 years have passed since Fall Out Boy’s claim-to-fame album From Under the Cork Tree spawned C “Sugar, We’re Going Down,” American “Dance, Dance” Beauty/ and “A Little Less Sixteen American Candles, a Little Psycho More ‘Touch Me.’ ” Over the Fall Out Boy past decade the Island Records band has strung together a handful of hits, ultimately leading up to American Beauty / American Psycho. Even though it starts off strong, FOB’s sixth LP loses all of its energy, devolving into an unimaginative, messy love poem. “Irresistible” opens the album with a punching beat and fantastic verses. The lyrics are strong and catchy without being repetitive in typical Fall Out Boy fashion. The chorus is decent, but nothing spectacular; it holds through the initial cry, but loses energy through echoes. The title track comes next and is one of the band’s strongest dance anthems since “Dance, Dance.” Here, the echoes that lost energy on “Irresistible” amp up the energy and carry the chorus seamlessly into
the next verse, which are equally enjoyable. “Centuries,” the album’s lead single, is decent, but let’s make one thing clear — we will not remember this song for centuries (or even decades). Its most memorable quality is the ephemeral and haunting intro; beyond that the verses’ strength in the aforementioned tracks is lost and replaced with confused and slightly creepy lyrics. “The bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints” comes off as abusive if anything. Following the unmemorable “Centuries,” FOB redeems themselves on “The Kids Aren’t Alright.” This track boasts the first completely satisfying chorus on the record. It is passionate, moving and the first time we see maturation in the band’s repertoire. Of course, that does not last long once the quick keyboard rings in on “Uma Thurman.” There are so many reasons to love this song (and not just the title). Its instrumental breaks are reminiscent of action movie montages and laced between quick and catchy verses and choruses that do not come off as “shouty” in the way some Fall Out Boy material does. If you find yourself listening to American Beauty / American Psycho you should soak up all of the great qualities featured in “Uma Thurman” because it is downhill from there. “Jet Pack Blues” begins the album’s decline into a cocktail of undeveloped stories and floating metaphors. You know when you sing a song and you think a line is repeated once more than it is? “Baby Come Home” is similar. When you think
the line is done, it is then repeated five more times. None of the repetitions are more enjoyable than the previous and all the more frustrating. “Novocaine” offers no redemption; it is like literally drowning in metaphors and similes. The task of understanding what the hell the song is trying to say revokes any enjoyment the music could bring. Between “Jet Pack Blues,” “Novocaine” and the next track, “Fourth of July,” it is hard to understand where one track begins and the other ends. Searching for distinctions among these songs is fruitless. “Fourth of July” continues the metaphorical misfires with “You and I were fireworks, and we went off too soon.” Brilliant. “Favorite Record” and “Immortal” follow, posing nothing new or interesting. Ridiculously overused or uninterrupted metaphors abundant; it all comes off as trying much too hard. The latter half of this record is far from immortal; it was pretty much dead on arrival. The record concludes with the slightly redeeming “Twin Skeletons.” It has well-timed instrumental breaks as not to drown the listeners in content as the previous tracks have. The dragged out crooning of “hold on” at this point is just too much. I let go about six songs ago. American Beauty / American Psycho comes out of the gate on fire and ends in a ball of flames. It has two clear acts; take my advice and get the hell out during intermission.
FILM REVIEW
‘Paddington’ delights By JACOB RICH Daily Film Editor
When I walked out of “The Grand Budapest Hotel” last March, I felt several conflicting emotions. I was exuberAant, having just experi- Paddington enced such a beautiful and StudioCanal absorbing film, Rave and but also someQuality 16 what sad, as I realized that I would have to wait another two years to get to experience another new Wes Anderson movie. Thanks to “Paddington,” I really only had to wait 10 months. No, Anderson didn’t actually have anything to do with this film. But “Paddington” imitates the beautiful, creative imagery that Anderson’s films are known for (complete with his quirky rule-of-thirds-breaking cinematographic style), while simultaneously and expertly emulating the innocent, noncynical and nostalgic emotional content of his kid-friendly films (like “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “Moonrise Kingdom”). But it’s not just a Wes Anderson rip-off. “Paddington” carves out its own identity as a unique tale about immigration, and the hardships immigrants face when acclimating to their new surroundings.
“Paddington” is a screen adaptation of an extraordinarily popular icon of British children’s literature: Paddington Bear. Paddington (Ben Whishaw, “Skyfall”) is a polite, hopeful and naïve to a fault young bear from “darkest” Peru, who, due to a series of tragic events, is sent by his aunt to find a new home in London. Its narrative champions the importance of immigrants to an urban society, and one of its villains (Peter Capaldi, “Doctor Who”) is an obvious parody of the farright anti-immigrant groups of the United Kingdom like the British National Party. While the story is one of a political nature, the film never feels stuffy or overly preachy. On the contrary, this film is the shot of pure non-cynical warmth that the increasingly cynical world of children’s cinema needs. “Paddington” is less concerned with minute-to-minute laughs or beat-you-over-thehead morals and more in love with cinematic beauty. Every shot is lavishly and individually treated as its own diorama of interesting objects, and part of the fun of the film is discovering what visual treats the filmmakers have around every corner. Perhaps it’ll be a pointlessly complex steampunk-style filing system in the library, or a painting on the wall that animates to reflect the emotions of the house’s residents. “Paddington”
is chock-full of these wonderful visual flourishes. The narrative of “Paddington” works because of its distinctly British sensibilities surrounding the potential absurdity of having human actors speak to a talking, cuddly bear. You’d expect a film like this to fall prey to the obvious set of jokes involving anthropomorphic animals in film: the exclamations of finding “a real-life talking bear” and the inevitable slapstick humor to follow. It thankfully avoids that altogether by having the human characters quite amusingly just not care that Paddington happens to be a talking bear. This narrative choice cuts out unnecessary plot hang-ups and leads to some funny dialogue moments (“just keep walking, that bear is probably just selling something”). It also works because of its superb technical sensibility with its CGI. Paddington, constructed of a blend of animatronics and CGI, is a technical accomplishment, and looks far less out of place strolling through London than the halfCGI dwarves did stomping around Middle Earth in the recent “Hobbit” movies. “Paddington” is an expert piece of children’s cinema. It’s a shame it likely won’t be as popular in the Americas as it will be in the UK, because its simple beauty is universal.
Ever hear that someone is literally Hitler? Hyperboles are a common but powerful part of speech: They can convey sadness, B frustration and excitement as Man Seeklanguage that ing Woman makes everyday occurrences Series Pilot larger than life. In FXX’s FXX new comedy Wednesdays “Man Seekat 10:30 p.m. ing Woman,” hyperbole becomes real as the fantastic and surreal go handin-hand with the mundane, creating a unique perspective for the TV romantic comedy. The show opens with Josh Greenberg (Jay Baruchel, “This Is the End”) parting ways with his girlfriend of four years (or six if you count the e-mailing), Maggie (Maya Erskine, “Betas”). Josh shows a quiet sense of defeat as he tries to keep open opportunities with Maggie, as the two decide if they might be able to be buddies. Josh walks away followed by his own personal raincloud. The raincloud is the first of the magical reality moments in the episode. By using such a common image, “Man Seeking Woman” preps itself to dive into the absurd world that it has created. Josh’s sister Liz (Britt Lower, “Unforgettable”) sets him up with a friend from Sweden, only to learn the friend is an absolute troll – a troll as in being born in the Scandinavian Forest and “she moved here last year so she could run her nonprofit and live underneath the Wabash Bridge.”
More Men Must Seek Eric André.
Creator Simon Rich, a former writer for “Saturday Night Live,” has adapted his own short story collection “The Last Girlfriend on Earth” into “Man Seeking Woman.” There’s definitely a sense of Rich’s sketch and short story writing influences in the show with most of major events of supernatural comedy forming the meat of the episode. Rich takes tropes associated with romantic comedies and inserts enough insanity and exaggeration to make the situations enjoyably clever. Interspersed between are more grounded moments in Josh’s life as he tries to gain his confidence back. However, some of these moments feel like they’re just biding time untill the next comedic set piece. These bits are aided though by the efforts of Baruchel who makes Josh more than a sad sack who hasn’t been laid in a while. Josh’s efforts show heart, and that makes it saddening to see him try and fail. In a world where the extremes of ideas exist, Baruchel serves as the straight man to the absurd happenings around him. This is best seen when he attends a party hosted by Maggie and her new boyfriend who is literally Hitler
FXX
(an unrecognizable Bill Hader, “Saturday Night Live”). In the world of “Man Seeking Woman,” the crazy events are accepted as normal by most characters, and Josh is the only occasional detracting voice, “I thought he died like, years ago?” Josh questions, only for his friend Mike (Eric André, “Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 23”) to answer, “Nah, he faked that. Yeah, he’s been hiding in Argentina since, like, the ‘40s.” By using common exaggerations and spinning them into a real world setting Rich has created an insane but relatable universe. Even though Josh’s experiences veer into the preposterous, there are still the common struggles of getting over a relationship or reclaiming one’s self-confidence to tie fantasy to reality. It’s hard seeing Josh stumble and fail in such large ways that it is a relief to see him succeed when he gets the phone number of a woman called Laura (Vanessa Bayer, another “SNL” cast member). The corresponding response by the show’s universe is uplifting. Even though life’s difficulties can seem larger than life, the smallest victories can bring us insurmountable joy.
Sports
8 — Friday, January 23, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wolverines fail to ‘M’ hopes to avoid weekend letdown pull off road upset WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
By JEREMY SUMMITT Daily Sports Editor
By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Writer
Thursday, the momentum that has carried the Michigan women’s basketball MICHIGAN 70 76 IOWA team through its last two conference wins appeared once again in the final minutes against Iowa. Senior forward Cyesha Goree led the charge with 26 points and 13 rebounds, and for a time it looked as though her performance would be enough to help the Wolverines claw their way out of a 15-point second-half deficit. Michigan (4-3 Big Ten, 12-6 overall) had been given a golden opportunity to upset the 20th-ranked Hawkeyes, who missed several shots in the final minutes of the game to open up the door for victory. But the Wolverines’ mishaps caught up to them again, as they had for most of the game, and led to a 76-70 loss. “We couldn’t get stops when we needed to get stops,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “We got down a little bit and we kind of battled back, but we were never really able to get over the top. We started out slow again shooting and did a better job in the second half.” Guards Melissa Dixon and Ally Disterhoft led the charge for Iowa (6-1, 15-3), with 16 and 14 points, respectively. The Hawkeyes’ offense capitalized on easily sneaking in behind Michigan’s man-to-man defense. So with two and a half minutes left, Katelynn Flaherty came in to help. With her team down by seven, the freshman guard received the ball at the top of the key and knocked
down a triple. Once again, it looked like Flaherty — who scored 19 points — could salvage a sloppy performance from her teammates. But after Iowa center Bethany Doolittle missed a shot, senior guard Shannon Smith took it coast-to-coast for a fast-break basket, but the play was nullified because of a travel call. After two more Hawkeye misses with a pair of Goree free throws in between, Smith took it down the court once more and passed it to an open Flaherty, positioned to make another clutch 3-pointer and bring the game to within a point. But Smith had stepped out of bounds, and the whistle blew. With just a little bit more than one minute left, she stood at midcourt motionless. It was the moment the Wolverines needed to be errorless, but with the game on the line, the line was exactly what cost them a chance for victory. Michigan failed to make an impact in the first half due to bad passing while facing an aggressive 2-3 zone from Iowa, forcing the Wolverines out of the key. Reverting to shooting 3-pointers wasn’t the solution, however, as Michigan went 0-for-7, failing to score from the perimeter until four minutes into the second half with the help of sophomore guard Siera Thompson — who combined with Flaherty for five triples. The woeful 23.8-percent 3-point shooting prevented the Wolverines from starting strong, making the comeback an uphill battle. And unlike in Michigan’s last two wins, the shots did not fall often enough in the end to reverse the Wolverines’ fortunes.
The Michigan hockey team carries the nation’s top offense and a five-game winning streak into this weekend’s Michigan at series at Wisconsin Wisconsin, but glaring Matchup: concerns still Michigan 13-7; Wisconlinger. While the sin 2-13-3 Wolverines’ When: Friday offense has 9 P.M.; Satbeen busy urday 8 P.M. putting pucks Where: Kohl in the back of Center the net at an TV: Friday alarming rate BTN — averaging 6.16 goals per game in conference play — the defense has fallen by the wayside. In the past three games, they have conceded 14 goals. Such porous defense usually isn’t a recipe for success, but the unusual scoring rate has simultaneously kept Michigan (5-1 Big Ten, 13-7 overall) afloat. “We’ve got away with it because we’ve been able to score more goals than we gave up, but we can’t keep playing like that,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “We’ve got to play better without the puck.” Typically, a weekend trip to Madison would be the last place a team could safely shore up defensive concerns, but this year is an outlier. The Badgers (0-31, 2-13-3) have had a historically poor season, and this series represents a golden opportunity for the Wolverines to tighten their play in their own zone. A combination of factors have led to the lackluster defensive play, including a shaky penaltykilling unit that is achieving just an 80.6 percent success rate this season. Making matters worse, senior forward Travis Lynch, a critical piece of the penalty-kill
unit, broke his right hand two weeks ago against Minnesota. “I think it’s our whole team,” Berenson said. “We’ve given up goals too easily. Our penalty killing has been a part of it. It’s been our D-zone coverage, which was just lax, and then it’s been weak goals on our goalies.” And though this weekend seems like the best opportunity to erase those concerns from his mind — and it very well could be — Berenson feels that Wisconsin is a legitimate threat to play conference spoiler. In past weeks, the Badgers have earned points against three ranked opponents in Michigan Tech, Boston University and Minnesota, all teams Michigan has played tight games against. In fact, they’ve lost just three of their last six games, respectable for a team that has just two wins. Despite a recent upswing, Wisconsin still ranks among the bottom 10 programs in the nation for team defense (3.61 goals per game) and team offense (1.78). This weekend functions as more of a trap for the Wolverines than anything else. Avoiding a loss to the lowly Badgers will be instrumental in maintaining a strong RPI ranking, the main factor that the NCAA Tournament selection committee uses in determining the 16-team field. Last season, Michigan dropped three games to Penn State, a team that won just eight total games. If the Wolverines had won only one, maybe two, of those contests, they would have likely snuck their way into the tournament. That being said, Berenson has preached to his team how necessary it will be to take six points back from Madison. So to avoid any more what-ifs or couldhaves at the end of this season, Michigan needs to take care of business when it’s expected to.
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Red Berenson hopes to see improved defense from his team against Wisconsin.