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Engineering freshman Kevin Wolf facilitates a group discussion at a Conversation with Ari Shavit hosted by Hillel at the Michigan Union.
Israeli writer discusses nation’s internal politics Journalist says Jewish-Americans are central to Israel’s future By GEN HUMMER Daily Staff Reporter
Ari Shavit, an Israeli author and columnist for the newspaper Haaretz, one of the nation’s most influential newspapers, spoke to a group of about 300 people
in the Union on Tuesday about Israel’s political strife and the role Jewish-Americans can play in alleviating the country’s challenges. The University’s Hillel sponsored the event. Throughout the lecture, Shavit focused on three questions derived from his best-selling book, “My Promised Land”: “why Israel?,” “what Israel?,” and “will Israel?” Audience members were organized into groups of 10 individuals. Each group was seated around a table and provided with
a facilitator to lead discussion after Shavit’s responses to each of the three questions. To address the first question, Shavit discussed why settlers founded Israel in the first place. “They saw that the old religion-based anti-Semitism was replaced by a more dangerous race-based anti-Semitism,” he said. “So they saw the terrible hate and they realized they had to take action.” Hillel executive director Tilly Shames said the interactive format allowed attendees to partici-
pate in the conversation. “Too often, speakers come to campus and only three or four people have the opportunity to ask questions or have their voice heard,” she wrote in an e-mail interview. “We know that students have a lot to say about Israel and we wanted to provide a space where they could express themselves, feel heard, and listen to others.” While recognizing that the formation of a new country was a radical solution to avoid perSee ISRAEL, Page 3A
Officer delivers first in-class presentation on shooter situations By ANDREW ALMANI Daily Staff Reporter
Inside Angell Hall last week, a lecture hall full of students took a break from earth science to discuss a very different topic — how to respond to an active shooter situation. Officers from the University’s Department of Public Safety and Security delivered a presentation on active shooter safety guidelines during Prof. Brian Arbic’s Earth 222 lecture last Wednesday. Though the active shooter presentation is not a component of the standard DPSS talk students hear during their first-year orientation, DPSS provides the presentation on a case-by-case basis to any University unit or person on campus who requests it. Wednesday’s session was the
CAMPUS LIFE
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
CSG approves installation of UGLi outlets $8,400 project will add 67 new charging stations to library tables By LEA GIOTTO Daily Staff Reporter
The Central Student Government Assembly focused on two initiatives Tuesday night: enacting its Winter 2015 budget and voting on a previously proposed resolution to increase the availability of power outlets in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library. CSG treasurer Alex AbdunNabi, an LSA senior, presented the budget. He said the budget currently totals $356,695, but may change after the add/drop deadline, when the number of students enrolled in courses is finalized. In the last week, the finance committee reviewed a resolution to add 67 new power outlets to the UGLi, and returned the proposal with a few suggested changes
that were ultimately approved. The project was originally slated to cost $8,772 and would have used outlets that included USB ports. LSA senior Jacob Ruby, chair of the finance committee, said the group decided that it would be more valuable to invest in units with four outlets rather than units with three outlets and one USB port. This decision subsequently lowered the project’s cost to $8,400. The finance committee approved installing the outlets as table fixtures, which Ruby said would be more sustainable than power strips. “They should last for a long time,” Ruby said. “We should be able to get a lot of use out of them.” Medical School representative Michael Yee motioned to postpone voting on the resolution because he did not feel comfortable voting without the project’s full budget breakdown in front of him. After some debate, the resoluSee CSG, Page 3A
first on the topic delivered to students in a University classroom setting. Sgt. Gary Hicks, DPSS community outreach supervisor, led the presentation. “Like most Americans, I’m concerned that these things do happen,” Arbic said. “Faculty members are encouraged to attend presentations by the police on an active shooter scenario. At one of these presentations I said to them, ‘I stand in front of 150 students during my class, what about them?’ ” Arbic said he plans to ask his students what they thought about the presentation when the term ends. “I am very curious as to what the students thought,” Arbic said. “I know a few students appreciated it because they came up and asked the police to do presentations at their sororities or organizations.” LSA sophomore Ian Hecker, a student in Arbic’s class, said the talk was a worthwhile use of time. See DPSS, Page 3A
LGBTQ panelists examine job search State law, workplace discrimination the focus of discussion ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored nine second-half points to help Michigan to victory over Nebraska.
Despite injury to Walton, ‘M’ holds back Nebraska Wolverines overcome slow start with secondhalf surge By DANIEL FELDMAN Daily Sports Editor
After hinting that a lineup change could occur, given that his team was “banged up,” Michigan coach John Beilein kept on his word Tuesday. Despite giving it a go in
warmNEBRASKA 44 ups, MICHIGAN 58 sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr., who missed the last two days of practice due to further straining his foot in addition to an already strained toe, was held out against Nebraska. In his place came freshman guard Muhammad-Ali AbdurRahkman, making just his second career start. With Michigan missing arguably its two best players — Walton and junior guard Caris LeVert — the question
surrounding the team mainly revolved around who would step up to replace 25 points per game of production. The problem was compounded by the fact that the Cornhuskers (4-4, Big Ten, 12-8 overall) had allowed fewer than 50 points in three of their four conference wins. As it turned out, though, Michigan (6-3, 13-8) received 22 points from the duo’s replacements in a 58-44 victory. Freshman guard Aubrey See HOOPS, Page 3A
By JING JING MA For the Daily
LGBTQ individuals and allies at the University gathered Tuesday to discuss personal and public issues facing LGBTQ graduate students searching for employment. The event was sponsored by Out in Public, a student organization at the Ford School of Public Policy that seeks to facilitate discussion and provide support for LGBTQ issues. Katie Dunn, a career counselor in the School of Information, discussed how to find organizations with inclusive cultures. Dunn also addressed legal questions about discrimination in the workplace — a challenge many LGBTQ individuals face when looking for employment. Dunn said 21 states prohibit See JOB SEARCH, Page 3A
the statement How do student-athletes succeed on both fronts?
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Vol. CXXIV, No. 56 ©2015 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
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2A — Wednesday, January 28, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Campus Voices
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NAVIGATING JOBS
Berkeley students paint landmark
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Jonathan Moore, University alum and the special assistant to the assistant secretary at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, during the LGBTQ employment law panel at Weil Hall Tuesday.
Students at the University of California, Berkeley painted the “Big C” — a large letter C engraved in a hill near the campus — red, green and black Monday in solidarity with recent movements in the Black community against racial profiling and police brutality, The Daily Californian reported. Berkeley’s Black Student Union helped organize the painting and coordinated the colors to match those of the Pan-African flag. Gabrielle Shuman, co-chair of political affairs for the BSU, said the gesture was in part a response to a campus climate survey that reportedly states that 50 percent of Black students feel “prejudged by faculty based on their identity/ background.”
“It’s just a proud moment for us to be able to see, ‘Wow, we claimed that space,’ ” Shuman said of painting the Big C. “Obviously, painting some colors isn’t going to drastically change anything — it’s not going to solve all our problems or necessarily accomplish all of our goals. For us, this is really a symbolic thing.” Northwestern admissions to engage with Native American community Northwestern University will begin efforts to improve its relationship with Native American communities by, among other initiatives, having its Office of Undergraduate Admission reach out to Native American students, The
Daily Northwestern wrote Monday. This change comes in response to a report submitted by the university’s Native American Outreach and Inclusion Task Force, which was submitted to Provost Daniel Linzer and University President Morton Schapiro in November. It includes recommendations on how the university can improve its relationship with Native American communities. “We’re moving ahead on pretty much all of these initiatives,” Linzer said. “The recommendations were a great list of things to look at, and we’re working with the schools and the deans and faculty and admissions.” — MICHAEL SUGERMAN
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Concise writing workshop
Dissertation workshop
WHAT: Participants will learn to write clear and correct e-mails, reports and letters for a professional setting. WHO: Human Resource Development WHEN: Today from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Administrative Services Building
Community Organ concert Local musicians health lecture WHAT: perform solo organ pieces
WHAT: The seminar will cover how students working on a dissertation can protect their copyright and incorporate prior published articles. WHO: Teaching and Technology Collaborative WHEN: Today at 12 p.m. WHERE: Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, Room 206
WHAT: Dr. Ruth C. Browne, CEO of the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health, will speak as part of the University’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Symposium. WHO: Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy WHEN: Today at 4 p.m. WHERE: Weill Hall
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DeWolf suspect found guilty BY ANASSTASIOS ADAMOPOULOS
Joei Jordan, who plead guilty to several counts associated with the 2013 murder of University medical student Paul DeWolf, was found guilty on all counts Tuesday.
as a part of the Brown Bag Recital Series. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 12:15 p.m. WHERE: Thomas Francis Jr. Schoolf of Public Health Building, Community Room
Silver in early Brain activity modern China research
Law school workshop
WHAT: Sarah E. Kile, an assisstant professor of Asian Studies, will review written accounts of silver from the Ming dynasty and currency’s effect on China and its place in the world. WHO: Confucius Institute WHEN: Today at 12 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League, Koessler Room
WHAT: Dean Jocelyn Benson of Wayne State Law School talks about the benefits of Wayne State’s Law School. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today at 12 p.m. WHERE: The Career Center l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@ michigandaily.com.
WHAT: A discussion with Psychology Prof. Ioulia Kovelman about new research tools used to understand brain activity. WHO: Sigma Xi: The Scientific Research Society WHEN: Today from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Conor O’Neill’s Traditional Irish Pub, 318 S. Main
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
A snowstorm in New England left tens of thousands in Massachusetts without power. The storm dropped two to three feet of snow in some areas, The New York Times reported. Snow was falling at four inches per hour.
2
Check out Statement this week for an in-depth look at the unique challenges student-athletes face in the classroom as a result of their multiple roles on campus. >> FOR MORE, SEE STATEMENT
3
President Obama cut his visit to India short to meet the new Saudi King and pay his respects to the legacy of King Abdullah, National Public Radio reported. Abdullah died Friday.
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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.
Grad. student’s hybrid project shown at Detroit Auto Show Vehicles combine durability of cars, energy of bicycles
is the creator of Future Cycles — bicycle-automobile hybrids that combine both the durability of a car and the low-energy cost of a bicycle. Two of his vehicles were featured in the Detroit Auto Show last week. Van Dyke said his wife helped inspire the project, in which he designed two vehicles named “Cyclone” and “Zeppelin” as part of his master’s thesis. “We’re both avid bicyclists, so the idea that we could create a vehicle that would allow us to
do the bicycling that we enjoy but also get the things we needed out of a car was one of the main influences for the designs,” he said. Van Dyke said one goal of BY ALYSSA BRANDON the project was to create hybrid Daily Staff Reporter vehicles that would be accepted in a transportation culture The Flintstones’ foot-operatdominated by automobiles. This ed vehicles may not be so archaic thinking influenced the design after all. of “Cyclone,” which is meant to Cameron Van Dyke, a graducapture both the likeness of early ate student in the Penny W. modern vehicles and the style of Stamps School of Art & Design, vehicles today. “I wanted to make something SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily that is iconically car-like, so I Yoruba Richen, award-winning documentary filmmaker speaks about her film The New Black at Mendelssohn Theater began by looking at Model-T’s,” Tuesday. Van Dyke said. “I took some of what I saw, and meshed it with today’s current retro style of vehicles to make it look like it had been stamped out of a factory, and have a high level of finish.” Van Dyke mainly worked alone to complete both of http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ Sudoku Syndication the Future Cycles, though he “We all exist in the microcosm scope of his vision was wider received grants from the School of the larger culture,” Richen than it had ever been,” Richen of Art & Design. His wife assistsaid. “What may seem like a said. “That is the example that small pocket of resistance in an I think we as citizens should try ed with design and maintains isolated community or a small to follow, one that recognizes the Future Cycles website. town or a single university that we are many, many diverse Van Dyke said he noticed the campus can help ignite so much things and that all of them University’s Solar Car Team’s more.” deserve respect, acceptance and HARD vehicle was on display while She described the nationwide full protection at this University visiting the Auto Show in past BY EMILY MIILLER spread of last year’s Being and under the law.” years, so he decided to ask the Daily Staff Reporter Black at the University of LSA senior Youran Gui said event organizers for permission Michigan movement, nationally Richen’s emphasis on LGBTQ to display his Future Cycles. He Award-winning documentary recognized for its #BBUM activism resonated with her filmmaker Yoruba Richen Twitter campaign, as an experiences as an international said visitors to the show providspoke Tuesday as part of example of the ways in which student. ed positive feedback. the University’s month-long campus activism can influence “In Asia, they always hide “We talked to hundreds of symposium honoring Martin the national conversation on the fact that they’re LGBTQ, people,” he said. “It was really Luther King, Jr. race. She also said the rise of by they never told their friends or encouraging. We found that peoInside the Michigan protests against police brutality their parents,” Gui said. “It’s ple were really interested in the League, Richen discussed her across the country exemplify really touching. It’s also really vehicle because the idea that you documentary, “The New Black,” this power. refreshing to see that kind of could drive a cheaper vehicle, which examines homophobia Richen said she hopes her film documentary that can actually save money and have a health in the Black community and is used to reach out to the Black raise people’s awareness.” follows both people who support and LGBTQ communities. benefit seemed to really resonate Joe Salvatore, an event and oppose LGBTQ rights “One can at least try to organizer and associate director with a lot of people.” within the community. foster change, try to be more of the University’s Science For now, Van Dyke says he is Throughout the lecture, understanding,” she said. “That’s Learning Center, said he hopes focused on completing his thesis which was sponsored by the LSA what we all want: to be seen, the lecture inspired students to for his master’s degree, though Campus Climate Committee, heard, accepted and respected.” work towards a more inclusive attending the Detroit Auto Show Richen emphasized the She also reflected on campus environment. helped him brainstorm ideas importance of campus activism King’s activism around issues “We’re all trying to build a for new potential Future Cycles for issues pertaining to race and pertaining to socioeconomic better community at Michigan,” designs. sexuality. class and militarization of the Salvatore said. “We all want a Both of the Future Cycles She said she hopes her new government in addition to his community that’s welcoming © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com MOUNTAIN TOP. film increases awareness of fight for racial equality. and inclusive because that makes vehicles will be on display in the these issues and promotes “He was looking in a new, for a better Michigan and a Duderstadt Center gallery on community inclusivity. more radical direction, and the better experience for everyone.” North Campus starting Feb. 24.
Award-winning filmmaker talks inclusion, diversity
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NEWS BRIEFS DETROIT
Businesses to offer jobs to thousands of Detroit teens Businesses are being asked to join a program that will offer at least 5,000 summer jobs to Detroit teens and young adults. Details of the Grow Detroit’s Young Talent were released Tuesday by Mayor Mike Duggan, former Mayor Dave Bing and corporate and foundation leaders. The six-week program is designed to provide work and job training for youth ages 14 to 24. Youth workers are recruited through schools, community organizations and Detroit’s workforce development system. They will earn $7.50 and $8.15 per hour. The typical work week will be 20 hours.
NASHVILLE
Ex-Vanderbilt players convicted of raping woman A jury convicted two exVanderbilt football players on Tuesday of raping a former student, rejecting claims that they were too drunk to know what they were doing and that a college culture of binge drinking and promiscuous sex should be blamed for the attack. The jury deliberated for three hours before announcing that Brandon Vandenburg and Cory Batey were guilty. Batey was stoic, staring ahead and Vandenburg shook his head “no,” appearing stunned. His father had an outburst and abruptly left the courtroom. The victim, who was a 21-year-old neuroscience and economics major at the time of the 2013 attack, cried as each guilty verdict was announced.
JOB SEARCH From Page 1A discrimination based on sexual orientation, and 18 of them also have protections for gender identity. Michigan currently does not employ any of those protections. An executive order signed in 2004 by former Democratic governor Jennifer Granholm prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for public employees. Two proposed amendments to include protection of sexual orientation in Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act — which prohibits discrimination in the workplace, public places and housing markets — failed to pass a House committee last December. In his State of the State address earlier this month, Republican Gov. Rick Snyder called for renewed debate on the issue. “If you are working for a private company in Michigan, it is perfectly legal for that company to fire you based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity,” Dunn said. “There is really no legal recourse for you to take.” Following the presenta-
CSG From Page 1A tion passed over Yee’s objection. Students should expect the new outlets in the UGLi when they return from spring break the second week of March. In addition to the two orders of new business conducted, the CSG assembly inducted two new members. LSA senior Rebecca Garfinkel, a member of the women’s
ISRAEL From Page 1A
MINNEAPOLIS
Gunman clashes with police outside council meeting A man killed in a confrontation with police outside a City Council meeting in suburban Minneapolis had a long history of friction with authorities, his son said Tuesday. Two officers were wounded in the exchange of gunfire, which happened at the New Hope City Hall just outside the City Council chambers after two new policemen were sworn in Monday night. The man who carried an unspecified long gun was identified as Raymond Kmetz, 68, of Belle Plaine, by his son, Nathan Kmetz and the Hennepin County medical examiner. Raymond Kmetz’s disputes with the city dated back to at least 2008, and his son told The Associated Press that his father blamed authorities for the loss of his home and contracting business.
BEIRUT
Secret talks in Jordan try to win hostages’ release Japanese officials were tightlipped Wednesday as secret talks in Jordan sought to secure the freedom of a Japanese journalist and a Jordanian pilot captured by Islamic State extremists and purportedly threatened with death within 24 hours. The global efforts to free Japanese freelance journalist Kenji Goto and Jordanian Lt. Mu’ath al-Kaseasbeh gained greater urgency with the release of the apparent ultimatum from the Islamic State group. In the message, the extremists say the two hostages will be killed within 24 hours — late Wednesday night Japan time — unless Jordan frees Sajida alRishawi, an Iraqi woman sentenced to death in Jordan for her involvement in a 2005 terrorist attack on a hotel that killed 60 people. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
secution, Shavit said the decision by many Jews to emigrate from one continent to another was the only way to respond to persecution and anti-Semitism in Europe. “We need a place that is a powerhouse for modern, Jewish identity,” he said. “That’s why Israel was needed, that is why Israel is needed, that is why Israel will be needed, and this is so relevant to young, American Jews.” Shavit stressed how impressive he believed Israel’s conception was, noting that it required “political genius” and sacrifice to create a homeland for the Jewish community. Israel declared independence in 1948. However, he criticized modern Israeli politicians for alienating young people and abandoning the idea of a democratic Jewish state. He said the left and right wings have failed to deliver hope to the Israelis, an ideal which served former U.S. President Bill Clinton well when he moderated peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians. “The one person who had a landslide victory in Israel is Bill Clinton,” Shavit said. “He was so popular because we felt he loved us, and he gave people the
News tion, attendees and panelists discussed issues of self-presentation, workplace culture and personal experiences as an LGBTQ person navigating the job-search process. The discussion explored the extent to which an individual should reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity during the job-search process and in the workplace. Dunn said there is no right answer as to whether one should disclose sexual orientation or gender identity in a resume or during an interview. She emphasized that what feels comfortable and authentic varies on an individual basis. Kristi Gainey, an intern coordinator for Thomson Reuters who identifies as a straight ally to LGBTQ persons, said that if someone has leadership experience in LGBTQ-related activities, it should be included in his or her resume. “You don’t want to sell yourself short by excluding things that show you bring value,” Gainey said. Panelist Jonathan Moore, a University alum and current special assistant to the assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said he includes his sexual orientation on his
resume and addresses the issue if it comes up in interviews. He said he hopes employers evaluate him based on his skills, not his identification as a gay male. Students also discussed how to gauge whether potential employers are inclusive of LGBTQ individuals. Gainey said job seekers should research whether a company’s anti-discrimination policies include sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as if benefits are available for transgender individuals and those in same-sex partnerships. Cortney Turner, a University assistant research scientist and a panelist at the event, said a company might be inclusive if potential employers value diversity as an important aspect of the company’s culture. Panelists also discussed how to find supportive mentors and peers who identify as LGBTQ or are allies, and how to address hostility, stereotyping and possible discrimination in the workplace. “Ultimately, being gay or lesbian will be a non-issue,” said David Michener, a panelist and associate curator at the University’s Matthei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum. “That’s the society we are working towards.”
softball team, was voted into the assembly as a representative for the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. Rachel Webb, an LSA junior, was elected to serve as CSG’s vice chair of communications. The assembly also heard from Bryan Baker, the University’s new Division of Public Safety and Security liaison to Student Life, a position DPSS created in January. Baker, who previously served as a DPSS supervisor for the past
three years, introduced himself to the assembly and explained his role on campus. “I am your new resource for addressing student safety concerns,” he said. “Anything that relates to safety and security will be my issue.” Baker added that he will seek to make safety issues on campus more visible to students — namely alcohol consumption, sexual assault and campus climate related to race and inclusion.
sense of good-willage that they never got from our own leadership.” While discussing the array of challenges facing Israel, Shavit said the most difficult stem from conflicting political factions within Israel and their inability to find common ground. “In my mind, the greatest challenge within Israel is to create a new kind of republic that has a kind of pluralistic unity, that respects individual rights, that respects each one of these minorities, but creates a kind of federation of these different tribes,” Shavit said. Beyond internal issues, Shavit said developing better relations with the West, other Middle Eastern countries and Palestine is imperative to Israel’s survival. “There is nothing more important than refueling and reenergizing the relationship between Israel and young, American Jews,” Shavit said. “We are totally interdependent, we will not have a future without you, you will not have a future without us.” Shavit called upon the young Jewish community to create a new, energetic and more liberal form of Zionism. “Only liberal Zionism will give us the meaning, the social justice (and) social cohesion in Israel,” Shavit said. “Only that will give them the energy, the tools and the confidence to belong to our people, to be proud
of our people and to protect the future of our people.” LSA freshman Emilie Weisberg said tensions about Israeli policies on campus motivated her to attend the lecture. Last semester, the University student group Students Allied for Freedom and Equality lobbied Central Student Government to support a resolution calling on the University to divest from companies allegedly involved in human rights violations against Palestinians. The resolution did not pass. Weisberg said she was impressed by Shavit’s call for young Jewish-American involvement in Israel. “I really wanted to get some more information on how we can help be more supportive of Israel on campus,” Weisberg said. “People of the United States often feel that they don’t have anything valuable to add to an Israeli conversation and I think his stress on how important it is for Americans to have a say was really inspirational.”
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Wednesday, January 28, 2015 — 3A
HOOPS From Page 1A Dawkins stepped up in the first half, scoring 13 points. However, Michigan scored just 23 points in the period, with contributions of four and six points, respectively, from senior forward Max Bielfeldt and sophomore forward Zak Irvin. While the Wolverines maintained a five-point lead heading into halftime, it was evident that a win would require others to contribute. In the second half, the scoring disparity drastically changed for the Wolverines. Michigan opened the half with a 15-2 run while spreading the wealth around. Freshman forward Ricky Doyle used his body down low for two baskets, Irvin knocked down two jumpers — including his third triple of the game — and junior guard Spike Albrecht knocked down a pair of free throws. But perhaps the brightest spark of the night was provided by Walton’s replacement: Abdur-Rahkman. By creating space in the open court numerous times, AbdurRahkman scored nine points in the second half. With speed on his side, he pushed the ball in transition, drove to the basket himself twice in the early stages of the frame and turned what was a slowpaced, sloppy affair into an entertaining game. “You’ve got Muhammad making big drives and already playing (the role of) a veteran point guard in some aspects,” Bielfeldt said. Added Beilein: “He can just run by people on the fast break. And he doesn’t even know he’s doing it. We
DPSS From Page 1A “The presentation definitely better prepared me to react in emergency situations,” Hecker said. “The frightening rise of mass shootings is a real threat, and the updated information included in the presentation is vital for reacting to emergency situations.” “I absolutely think this is something every student should see,” he added. “I feel more prepared to react to emergency situations after watching the presentation.” Shootings at universities and colleges have attracted widespread national attention in recent years after a series of high-profile incidents. In May, a shooter at the University of California, Santa Barbara, killed six students. In February 2013, reports of a student wearing fatigues, a gas mask and an ammunition pack inside Angell Hall resulted in an armed police response. University Police Officer Matthew Butzky, who designed the presentation, said DPSS is looking for ways to make the information more accessible to students outside of a formal lecture setting, though in-person interaction is preferable. “One of the things I’m working on right now is getting an
like that speed.” As Dawkins and Abdur-Rahkman filled the load for the missing Wolverines, the remaining veterans stepped up to close out the game. Posting a career-high 12 rebounds to go along with a teamhigh 14 points, Irvin put the game on ice with 3:44 left when his off-balance jumper coupled with a hack on the arm fell to push Michigan’s lead to 13. Next came an Albrecht pass to a wide-open Bielfeldt for a dunk as the shot clock was about to expire. Bielfeldt finished with 12 points and nine rebounds, a career high that stood out even more because of redshirt freshman forward Mark Donnal’s absence due to sickness. While Michigan had its replacements, and then veterans, step up in the second half to close out the game, Miles noted the Cornhuskers’ inability to knock down corner triples, a result of Michigan’s zone defense as another key to the result. Nebraska’s one-two punch of forward Shavon Shields and guard Terran Petteway combined to go 5-for-23 from the field and 2-for-11 from behind the arc. “Whenever your best players struggle, especially on a team that has two scorers, we’re going to struggle,” Miles said. Though the atrocious shooting didn’t help the Cornhuskers’ cause, Miles pointed to another reason for his team’s struggles and Michigan’s victory. “I just thought that the urgency of Michigan on both ends of the floor was greater than our urgency on either side of the floor,” he said.
abbreviated version of this available on our website and directing students to look at it so they have the basic structure there,” he said. “Certainly, I would like to get it out to more students. More face-time with students is always a good thing.” He added that there are numerous other training programs available, the most prevalent of which is the Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate program, known as ALICE, but most include similar content. Wednesday’s presentation focused on “run, hide, fight,” a direction Butzky said is easy to remember and straightforward, similar to the guidance “stop, drop and roll.” “It’s all about options,” he said. “In situations like this, there’s no one right thing to do, there’s no magic bullet or magic solution, it’s all about having options and taking some action. The days are gone, back in the day we thought it would was a good idea to just try to lockdown. Traditional lockdown is not a good option for these types of scenarios.” Butzky said DPSS hopes to increase the program’s reach. “There’s certainly support at a number of levels to get the active shooter presentation out to everyone,” Butzky said. “We’d love to have every student, faculty and staff member get it.”
Opinion
4A — Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS EDITOR IN CHIEF
AARICA MARSH and DEREK WOLFE EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LEV FACHER MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Celebrating intelligence
F
or some, sports, television shows, comic fandoms or celebrity tweets conjure moments of irrational enjoyment when individuals spontaneously shed layers of formality and reveal small hidden passions. In my case, I have a penchant for words in their most rhythmic forms. I’m a bit of a music addict and a poetry nerd. Whether it’s song lyrics or stanzas of poetry, deciphering MELISSA the multitude of possible SCHOLKE meanings sparks excitement within me. When my friend unenthusiastically informed me the curriculum for his creative writing class included a unit of reading and writing poetry, I gleefully interrogated him. His phone swiftly became the recipient of an onslaught of text messages inquiring whose work he’d be reading, what types of poetry and if we could exchange the titles of interesting poems we encountered, since I’m currently taking a poetry course myself. Now may be an opportune moment to casually remind you of that nerd status I previously mentioned. Last week as I sat in the League doing homework, my friend surprisingly complied with my overeager request. He texted me a poem by Anne Sexton titled “In Celebration of My Uterus.” The title was odd, yet intriguing. My first instinct — after an initial glance — was to reply with a sarcastic remark, considering I could think of a monthly occurrence that would dissuade me from such a celebration. However, my sarcasm dissipated as I delved into the language of the poem. Initially, the speaker discusses the possibility of removing a physiological marker of what makes her a woman — her uterus. Though a signifier of her sex was deemed tainted or useless, the speaker acknowledges that her value as both an individual and as a woman is not lessened in any way. The poem, instead, expands and transforms into a description of womanhood and the multitude of its magnificent variations. While there are probably numerous interpretations of the work and a myriad of aspects I haven’t mulled over yet, two lines, in particular, struck me. Sexton, in the first stanza, writes “They said you were immeasurably empty/but you are not.” Women, in our society, are continually impressed with the notion that we are “immeasurably empty” in some way. Womanhood far too often translates into weakness — whether it’s emotionally, intellectually, physically or professionally. Even in the realm of academia, femininity is incorrectly construed as an indicator of deficiency. The multitude of degree holders, from bachelor’s to doctoral degrees, is comprised of women, but a study found academic fields that “most valued sheer intellectual brilliance such as philosophy, physics and math were the most likely to have fewer women in their ranks.” In these male-dominated fields, innate
genius is unreasonably portrayed as part of the job description. According to Sarah-Jane Leslie, professor of philosophy at Princeton University, one of the leaders of the study, “The problem lies not with women’s aptitude but with the ‘brilliance required’ attitude.” In further coverage, Leslie elaborated on how the establishment of this unrealistic expectation merges with long-instilled gender-stereotypes and deters women from participating in certain academic disciplines. The automatic societal assumption is that women lack the knowledge or technical skills to participate in male-dominated professions and areas of study. Society imbues us with the assumption that women are devoid of rationality and logic, and possessing feminine characteristics can hinder professional progress. The only way to counteract the negative effects of appearing too feminine in the workplace — according to a 2011 study conducted by the Stanford Graduate School of Business — is for women to “self-monitor” their behavior and “simultaneously present” both masculine and feminine traits. Women who are able to maneuver themselves across a tightrope strung between stereotypical constructs of masculinity and femininity obtain more promotions, according to the results of the study. However, new research coincides more with the ideas I encountered in Sexton’s poem. While supposed signifiers of womanhood are misconstrued as undesirable or problematic, the shifting atmospheres of the contemporary workplace and classroom may soon reveal more of the exemplary merits of women. More and more, we’re living in a collaborative society where the ability to work in groups is crucial to accomplishing professional goals in every field of study. In a recent study conducted by researchers from MIT, Carnegie Mellon and Union College, the “average social sensitivity of group members” was deemed as a crucial component in creating the smartest groups. Individuals with higher levels of social sensitivity are more capable of deciphering the tone and facial cues of their colleagues, and women tend to display higher levels of “social sensitivity.” As a result, the findings suggest groups composed of a larger proportion of women performed better than groups of men in the study. Just as Sexton’s poem concludes with a listing of women participating in various activities, ranging from studying the cardiovascular tissue to straddling a cello in Russia to examining the angular distance of meteors, intelligence is as diverse as the pursuits that require it and the people who pursue it. Brilliance is not restricted to one gender or one group. Levels of intelligence are expressed by a variation of degrees; no one type is superior. Rather than using intelligence to create boundaries for ourselves, society should revel in the intellectual diversity of each individual. —Melissa Scholke can be reached at melikaye@umich.edu.
An open letter to Taylor Swift
H
ey bae, we need to talk about how you pulled your music from Spotify. I remember it happening. I was on a bench at my college’s gym, and I heard the ending melody of T.I.’s “No Mediocre.” I’ve spent enough time immersed in my workout playlist to know “Shake It Off” comes next. Or, well, that’s what MICHAEL should’ve happened. As you well know, I SCHRAMM wasn’t met with a forceful “I stay out too late,” because you decided to pull the entirety of your music collection from Spotify. Intrigued after my workout, I set off on an Internet search to get to the bottom of why you did this. I came across my answer pretty quickly. In your recent Wall Street Journal article, you said, “Music is art, and art is important and rare. Important, rare things are valuable. Valuable things should be paid for. It’s my opinion that music should not be free.” This clearly references the idea that Spotify is a free service for non-Premium members, and since these members can listen to your music for free, they’re not providing financial worth to your art. I see your point, and as a concept, it makes sense to me. Music is art, and you want your art to be held to a standard that reflects compensation.
But pulling your Spotify catalog isn’t helping you. You’re turning a blind eye to the reality that not all of your fans can afford a $12 album. To a celebrity in your financial standing, it may be difficult to envision, but trust me — it’s a reality that many of us face. When you’re poor, $12 can genuinely be the difference between whether you have enough grocery money for the week. It also doesn’t help that your audience is most susceptible to being broke. I don’t think you need statistics to know a huge chunk of your fans are teenagers, college students and 20-something recent college graduates. If teenage and college students come from lowincome families, they may not have the money to spend on an album. Recent college graduates are also making the lowest salaries in their lives and are likely paying back expensive student loans. Plus, consider if every artist follows your precedent. If listening to an artist’s album required a $12 prerequisite, how reasonable would it be for anyone of low socioeconomic status to keep up with artists? Yes, your music is art and deserves reasonable compensation, but the reasonable compensation should be scaled to a person’s background. Music isn’t like fine art hung in the living rooms of affluent homeowners; it’s an inherent cultural underpinning to our society. Almost everyone listens to music. We’re bombarded by it on our computers, radios, offices, headphones, parties and daily conversations. In the same way that you deserve universal compensation for music, society
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deserves universal access to it. Lack of access is downright crippling. In the case of mega stars like you who are frequently a topic of conversation, lack of access restricts our knowledge of basic information. It also creates a barrier for the general enjoyment of the arts, something I’m sure you don’t want. So let’s figure out a way that we both can get what we want. I’ve prepared three options that I believe can make us both happy. First, I’d like you to consider the idea of putting your catalogue back on Spotify. Seventy percent of their profits go to music labels, so they do care about artists making money. With Spotify increasing as a brand, it will generate more revenue and therefore compensate artists like you more. It may never become as significant as album sales, but it has the potential to become more significant. I promise. Now, you may think this leaves a hole in your demand: nonPremium users aren’t financially compensating you for your art. While they wouldn’t be paying you money, they would pay costs to listen to your music. In my economics classes, we often talk about costs lying outside the financial. If a user isn’t paying for Premium, they must listen to commercials while online. Those interested in listening to your art must pay a cost of listening to ads — paying with their literal time — to hear your music. Maybe it’s not the
form of compensation you’re looking for, but I think it’s a valuable one if you meditate on it. Second, you could work a deal with Spotify so only Premium subscribers could hear your music. Those that have a premium subscription have to pay $10 a month, so if only those members could listen to your music, they would indirectly pay for your music. Though this could be a difficult cost for lower-SES subscribers, it’s a stronger alternative than the idea of each person having to pay more than that for every album. Third, if you really insist that people make a direct and intentional payment for your art, you could use a “pay what you can” method. Instead of a flat cost, your online site could have a sales section where the user inputs the price they pay. You could include a suggested dollar donation as the store price, and you could also require a $1 minimum. This way, you get paid for your art and people can afford to purchase it. Plus, I don’t think this would lead to everyone paying $1 for albums. Businesses like Panera Bread have incorporated pay-what-you-can methods and make approximately 75 percent of the list price. The time it would take to ship CDs would also cause people who can afford your album to buy it in stores. It would just provide your fans, that are struggling, with an alternative to still hear your music, and those that really love it would pay you more.
And luckily, you don’t have to worry about missing that 25 percent profit because you’re a multimillionaire. You never have to worry about being so poor at 15 that asking for a green pepper starts a fight with your family because someone doesn’t think it’s affordable. People paying less than the album price for your art may not be the most ideal situation, but think about the alternatives. Though your album sold so well, at 3.66 million copies in 2014, we both know that significantly more people in our country of 320 million people own your album. Illegal streaming and sharing CDs are simplistic and reliable methods that people can use to get music. Since people will utilize these options when they can’t afford your music, providing cheaper opportunities could serve as a compromise that gets everyone what they want. Taylor, I’ve been a fan of yours since I was 12 years old. I lay on my blue and yellow comforter listening to “Teardrops On My Guitar.” At 15, “You Belong With Me” became my anthem as I developed a crush on someone who didn’t reciprocate the feeling. “22” became the jam that helped glue the highlights of a college road trip in my heart. So please, don’t leave a blank space in my memories where 1989 should go. —Michael Schramm can be reached at mschramm@umich.edu.
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
A
A chance for survival
s we watch the snow from inside our homes curled up next to the fireplace or hurry to get from one class to the next, it’s easy to forget the people suffering from homelessness right in our own backyards. According to the National RABAB Coalition for JAFRI the Homeless, people can die from hypothermia when the temperature is as low as 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Michigan winters get much lower than this, and last winter had the lowest recorded temperatures since 1977-78. A year ago, as people scrambled to find somewhere warm to stay because of the harsh winter conditions, the shelters in Ann Arbor struggled to accommodate them. I had the opportunity to interview Ellen Schulmeister, the executive director of the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County, who described how severe the shelter conditions were. According to Schulmeister, “Last winter was really bad and we had a 40 percent increase in the number of people that we saw coming into our winter programs.” “That was a huge increase for us to absorb and we really didn’t have the space in here. For the first time in the 11 years that we have been here we were putting people on all of our floors,” she said. The Ann Arbor City Council has taken steps to fix some of these
RACHEL DAWSON
problems, like investing money into the Delonis Center, a Washtenaw County homeless center, as well as supporting other daytime warming shelters. Schulmeister commented on how the Delonis center helps. “It’s going to help us provide more comfortable space for the people that come in so we’ll have an overflow for night time at a different location,” Schulmeister explained. “We will also have extra day places where people can actually be during the daytime.” She also said that although they usually focus their energy on finding affordable housing, during the winter the focus is to find “lifesaving shelter.” The Ann Arbor City Council also recently approved a resolution stating that police would only remove people from camping on public or private property if they received complaints. The resolution claims “it is not the practice of the City of Ann Arbor to proactively seek out homeless camps for removal, nor to broadly deploy strategies to render areas used as campsites unusable.” Some councilmembers, including Councilmember Jack Eaton (D–Ward 4), believe that this resolution ignores some of the greater issues facing the homeless, like the need for affordable housing and other service. It’s possible that the reason they do not want to actively seek people living in these encampments is because they fear there are too many homeless people to absorb in the current homeless shelters. This may lead to greater problems, but it also means that the Ann Arbor City Council needs to focus on addressing these issues as well as trying to get people out of homelessness and thinking of better long-term solutions.
People who suffer from homelessness face a stigma that creates another obstacle. Often people see a homeless person asking for money and assume they’re just going to use it on alcohol or that the reason they are homeless is because they are lazy. This makes them hesitant to help, without realizing that the consequence of this stigma is that it could lead to death, especially during these harsh winter conditions. In regards to why helping the homeless is important, Schulmeister said, “I understand when people don’t want to spend a lot of money, but there comes a time where someone’s actual life is at risk, and this is one of those times and that’s the best reason to help at least during this time.” Helping may not necessarily mean one concrete solution. There are ways to help by providing monetary donations to the shelters themselves, but if people prefer that the money goes directly to the homeless, the Shelter Association of Washtenaw County also takes gift cards that go directly to buying new items for the homeless. They are always in need of volunteers, especially in the winter. They do not have the facilities to take used clothing because they need to keep bedbugs out of the shelters, as they can create major problems. In the long term, getting people off the streets and into affordable housing is ideal, but this transition out of homelessness is very difficult, especially for those with families. They at least deserve a chance at survival. — Rabab Jafri can be reached at rfjafri@umich.edu.
E-mail Rachel at rdawson@umich.edu
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Arts
Wednesday, January 28, 2014 — 5A
PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Aziz Ansari will text your boy-toy
FILM NOTEBOOK
‘Parks and Rec’ star brings a hilarious set to Masonic Temple By KAREN HUA Daily TV/New Media Editor
This past Sunday, Aziz Ansari graced us with his presence at a jam-packed Masonic Temple in Detroit. Just a day after tickets were released for sale last month, we all had to scramble to find a pair of decent seats. Glancing around before the show, I noticed the eclectic demographic of the audience ranged from older married couples, college hooligans and average middle-aged friends. Ansari is best known for his endearingly eccentric character, Tom Haverford, on the lauded hit show “Parks and Recreation.” As a person and stand-up comic, though, Ansari does not stray too far from Tom’s persona, as if they are almost one and the same. Even before he appeared on stage, Ansari’s familiar, chipper voice warmly welcomed us in from the cold. He kindly asked us (as his alter ego Manager Eggplant Parmesan) to turn off our devices — or else “walk out the doors and get hit by a fucking bus.” To open was Twitter-extraordinaire, “Parks and Rec” and “Kroll Show” writer Joe Mande, who has been following Ansari on tour thus far. Though his mockery of Detroit was tasteful, and his story about Mike Huckabee was quite funny, his general stage presence felt lethargic compared to the hyper vibes we were anticipating from Ansari. He was slightly stoic in a way that did not completely compliment his material — but we had to keep in mind that he is primarily a writer, not a performer. Nevertheless, Mande was what an opener is supposed to be — a warm-up to prepare the audience for hilarity to ensue. Finally, Ansari sauntered confidently onto the stage, classic Azizsmirk on his face, standing tall (or short) in his crisp, black suit. Even if he had not prepared material, Ansari would have been entertaining by the sole nature of his peppy, energetic attitude. He had an effortlessness with the mic, a familiarity with live laughter of this magnitude — and a complete unashamed, audacious ability to be a bit vulgar — especially when he mimed jerking off into the theater.
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Martin wasn’t dreaming of an Oscar snub.
NBC
Raaaaaaaandy.
Despite his call for no technology, Ansari actually prompted the use of our cell phones during his set. He understood that restraining photos and messaging during the hour would be impossible — especially for a crowd of millennials (and wannabe-millennial grandmas also addicted to technology). To combat this inevitability, he posed and encouraged the audience to get the flash photography out of its system. Though hesitant about the legitimacy of Ansari’s invitation, the audience couldn’t deny a free photo op from the cheeky comedian and his mile-wide smile. Ansari seamlessly melded a casual, conversational effect with his formal content. There was structure in his set, but he was also such a brilliant improviser that his material never felt forced or stale even after repetition to other tour cities already. Ansari started by speaking about his first-generation American status, an identity many audience members also shared. He progressed to discussion about how life for women was undeniably so much harder — and he spoke so ludicrously about the ridiculous expectations of men that he perfectly painted what was wrong with gender roles. His jokes were incredibly relatable and reminded us of our privilege. He emphasized these concepts by feigning voices of naiveté — enunciating how preposterous we sound with our first world problems. Finally, he addressed a prominent issue with social media — how we create our own convolutions in our relationships. This was certainly Ansari’s best section in terms of comedic writing — and he also received the most audi-
ence reception as we all hurled over in laughter. Ansari allowed us to laugh at our own hypocritical natures — as he pointed out how we expect a candor we ourselves withhold — showing how we perpetuate our own demented dating culture. Just as he persistently polled and questioned the audience throughout the night, he furthered his audience interaction by asking people to come forward with their personal romantic text messages. Much to our shock, he proceeded to read aloud all of one woman’s messages with her current boy-toy — basically shitting on their conversation. He commented on every awkward moment, poked fun at their excessive use of “LOL,” and ultimately demonstrated how our ability to converse comfortably has declined so much, even with the advent of advanced technology. Finally, he proceeded to send a text back to her boy – one single top-hat emoji. He reassured her, “Don’t worry — just tell him Aziz sent that text.” What Ansari does so brilliantly is create genuine social commentary, allowing us to contemplate our own privilege and habits. However, he is precise with his comedic timing, making sure to interject any sentimental sincerity with a crude joke before the atmosphere becomes too dismal. At heart, Ansari is a feminist and social justice activist. But unlike typical activists, he uses comedy to convey his message. By laughing at ourselves and our own contradictory natures, we are able to fundamentally see what is wrong with ourselves. Humor provides just the right amount of contrast to make the issues in society fully visible.
PERFORMANCE REVIEW
Folk the Police returns to Blind Pig By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY Daily Arts Writer
Folk tributes to hip hop certainly had me intrigued, and even a tad anxious. Could this keep me entertained for four whole hours? The answer: YES. Folk the Police returned to The Blind Pig for its fifth year this past Sunday. Over four hours, 16 artists performed two songs each, all paying tribute to the great artists of hip hop. Covers included songs by Tupac, Eminem, Missy Elliot and Jay-Z. The night began with a few remarks by the event’s creator before he introduced the first band. The Way Down Wanders opened the show with a reimagined version of Eminem’s “Cleanin’ Out My Closet.” They set the bar high with both talent and energy, and the remainder of the lineup kept the party going. Iggy Shevak brought a gritty and growling cover of “Fancy,” and a crowd favorite, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” theme song. Following was Mike Vial’s awesomely hilarious redo of “The Real Slim Shady.” The spirit of modern hiphop remained solid through Dave Menzo’s “99 Problems,” the betterthan-the-original “Ignition,” Keri
Lynn Roche’s “Fuckin’ Problems” and her “Lose Yourself.” Between each set, D.J. Cataclysmic spun some solid tunes. Kanye, Beyoncé and a slew of danceable beats kept the crowd going during some of the lengthier set changes. A young Olivia Millerschin stole the middle of the show with the minor “M” sharpied on both her hands and a white shirt blazed with “Bitches” across it. She brought the crowd in for “It Wasn’t Me” and took all the ’90s kids back to childhood with Ciara’s “Goodies.” She set the bar high once again, but The Accidentals came in and brought down the house with a shouting cover of A Tribe Called Quest’s “Can I Kick It?” It seemed like eventually the bands couldn’t get any better, but Folk the Police continued to raise the energy into its third and fourth hours. FTP veterans Anna Lee’s Company and Nicole P’Simer came later in the evening. Anna Lee’s Company sang some oldschool hip hop with Naughty by Nature’s “O.P.P.” and a dirty south favorite, “It’s Hard out Here for a Pimp.” P’Simer brought some fun twists on Mystikal’s “Shake Ya Ass” and Missy Elliot’s “Work.” These two were clear crowd favor-
ites, and their experience showed tremendously throughout their sets (not to mention that P’Simer got a bra thrown at her). As hip hop always does, the night took time to pay tribute to social issues. Abigail Stauffer led a short “Black Lives Matter” chant as a lead into Tupac’s “Keep Ya Head Up.” Stauffer and her bandmates’ harmonization on “Since a man can’t make one / He has no right to tell a woman when and where to create one” was emotional and powerful, to say the least. It was especially important to see these artists not only pay tribute to the music itself, but also the culture of hip hop. Finally, Scissor Now re-energized the post-midnight crowd with a loud and rocking “Bust a Move,” before The Euphorics closed out Folk the Police with an awesome throwback to The Black Eyed Peas’ “Where is the Love.” Some of the band members were in high school and some of the crowd were definitely longtime members of AARP. Folk the Police offers a welcoming environment for everyone to come and enjoy hiphop music through the lenses of local artists.
Oscar nominations snub Black artists By REBECCA LERNER Daily Arts Writer
White. Male. Disappointing. When the nominations for the 2015 Oscars were announced, an unimpressed public took to the blogosphere to debate the Academy’s lack of diversity in its selections. Each nominated actor in a lead or supporting category – 20 in all – is white. Every nominated director and screenwriter is male. This homogenous and pasty crew has amounted to the least diverse group of nominees since 1996, a painful reflection of the Academy’s 93 percent white and 77 percent male electorate. The Academy’s decision to ignore some truly magnificent films feels less like a snub and more like a slap. One of the most beautiful films of the summer, “Belle,” deserved much more recognition than it received. In a fantastic use of ekphrasis, Gugu Mbatha-Raw (“Beyond the Lights”) brings to life a 1779 painting of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed-race woman raised in England by a blueblooded family. The film is witty and unafraid, taking on questions of race and gender that enthrall its audience. Another fearless portrayal of race relations this year, “Dear White People,” was also rebuffed at the Oscars. Set at a fictionalized Ivy League school, the film revolves around the simmering racial tensions of an overwhelmingly white campus that eventually boils over. Sam
(Tessa Thompson, “Selma”), the host of a provocative radio show, and nerdy journalist Lionel (Tyler James Williams, “Everybody Hates Chris”) deal with the frustrations of being Black students at a school dominated by the privileged and presumptuous. But, the most shocking snub of 2015 was “Selma,” one of the most touching and culturally relevant films of the year. “Selma” retraces Martin Luther King Jr. in early 1965, when he and other Civil Rights activists joined forces to fight voter discrimination in the South. The director, Ava DuVernay (“Middle of Nowhere”), would have been the first African-American woman to ever receive a best director Oscar nomination. DuVernay shows both the micro and macro of King’s life, including the tolls the movement had on personal life and the hardships of the battle against systematic racism and injustice.
The Academy’s decision feels less like a snub and more like a slap. One of the arguments used against “Selma” is the glaring historical inaccuracy in its portrayal of President Lyndon
B. Johnson. The film falsely portrays LBJ as an antagonistic obstruction in King’s fight for fairness when, in fact, the march at Selma was Johnson’s idea. In the true version of events, Johnson took action to make sure the protesters would be protected, and King and Johnson worked together to effect change. While the inaccuracies of the movie are frustrating, they dramatize the conundrums of a president in a divided country with many issues to confront. These f laws do not outweigh the movie’s hard and important work. These films are a way for their Black directors, actors and producers to express their frustration about the oppression they have faced. The refusal of the Academy Awards to recognize the breath-taking work of African Americans in film shows a great divide between those who will listen to their stories and those who will not. As a Caucasian American woman, I write this article not as someone who can recognize the tragedies of “Selma” or the micro-aggressions of “Dear White People” from my own life, but as an ally ready to learn. The Academy should not turn a blind eye to these works because they don’t identify with them, but take a genuine look at them to feel the compassion they evoke. They should promote them, give them the recognition they deserve and serve as an ally to the oppressed. Above all, they should shut up and listen.
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Arts
6A — Wednesday, January 28, 2015
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TV REVIEW
DETROIT ARTS COLUMN
New ‘Americans’ Detroit’s immense, underpublicized sets the bar high literature scene
The FX drama is now one of the best shows on TV
By PAIGE PFLEGER Detroit Arts Columnist
By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
The leap that “The Americans” took in its second season was nothing short of extraordinary. While it had a decent A first season, the show ele- The vated itself to become one Americans of the best Season 3 dramas on Premiere television — benefiting a Wednesdays story that was at 10 p.m. densely plotted FX and sequences which had gut-wrenching levels of tension. Because of that leap, the series’ third season has a lot to prove, namely showing that last year wasn’t a fluke. After seeing the first four episodes of the new season, it’s clear that last year wasn’t a blip in the radar. “The Americans” follows Philip (Matthew Rhys, “Brothers and Sisters”) and Elizabeth Jennings (Keri Russell, “Felicity”), KGB agents posing as a normal American family during the Cold War. This season picks off where last year left off, with Philip and Elizabeth weighing whether to enter their daughter Paige (newcomer Holly Taylor) into a KGB program for secondgeneration agents. They’re also running operations to try to gather intelligence on the CIA’s team in Afghanistan. The best aspect of the show is how it deftly develops its central relationship, the arranged marriage and partnership between Philip and Elizabeth. Even though it’s clear that the two characters love one another, their marriage is fraught with
FX
Putin a wrench in their marriage (rimshot).
friction. The two have different opinions about whether to tell Paige about who they really are, which strains their relationship. However, despite the arguments, the characters demonstrate that, deep down, they truly want to help one another. There’s a scene in the third episode where Philip helps Elizabeth through a medical problem. The two have no dialogue, but are able to communicate a wide range of emotions. It’s a painful scene because of their acting. The show works as well as it does because of the way it’s able to build tension, mostly in the scenes that feature Philip and Elizabeth’s spying. These episodes are peppered with scenes that feature the two of them trying to complete certain objectives. With many of them, the series chooses a slow build, creating a fantastic amount of suspense. Whether they’re trying to evade capture or perform horrible acts of violence in the name of their country, the scenes play out in a slow, but fascinating manner. Aside from the two leads, Taylor’s character shines, refusing to let Paige fall into the typical “annoying teenager” role. The
show has done well by her, allowing her to grow by giving her an arc where she becomes more involved in the church. There’s also the ticking time bomb — the secret of who her parents really are — waiting to go off. When it does, Paige will dovetail into the main storyline, which can only make it better. “The Americans” ’s cast is among the finest out there because of its depth and quality supporting acting. Noah Emmerich is brilliant as the couple’s FBI agent neighbor. The show has given him an engrossing story to play with his marital struggles. In addition, Frank Langella (“Frost/ Nixon”) is a welcome addition as the couple’s new handler. He doesn’t appear a lot in the episodes, but he makes an impression when he does. It’s amazing how all of the many pieces that make up “The Americans” coalesce into a show that’s this special. Each of its parts, from the marriage at its center to the lowest supporting character, adds something to its atmosphere or thematic resonance. There’s nothing else on television like “The Americans” and, with this stretch of episodes, it cements itself as one of the best shows on TV right now.
“If you ask me in a week, I may have a different five … but let’s say ‘The Dollmaker’ by Harriette Simpson Arnow, ‘Collected Poems’ by Robert Hayden, ‘Them’ by Joyce Carol Oates … let me think …” Anna Clark paused for a long time, searching for two more books to complete her top five Detroit-centric reads. The list, she insisted, is just for now — likely to change imminently. She thought about her last two spots, taking a few minutes to mull it over. It took her a while, not because there aren’t many authors to choose from, but because there are too many. Much like Detroit’s art and music scenes, the city’s literary culture is immense. Detroit’s literary history for litbuffs is as rich as the legacy of Motown for the rest of the country. The city’s neighborhoods and buildings serve as backdrops for Pulitzer Prize-winning books, Poet Laureates were born and raised inside the city’s arms and major historical events that shaped the city’s history also shaped the story arcs of nationally recognized literature. Unlike the art and music scene, however, the literary scene passes under most people’s radar. “I think part of it is with visual art and with music —
those are things that a person can encounter without trying,” Clark said. “You turn on the radio and there’s Detroit music on. You drive down the road and you see a lot of Detroit art. It’s right there. And I think with literature, it’s very present, but it’s not always visible in the same way. The people that find it tend to be looking for it.” And those who are looking need not look much further than Literary Detroit, an organization that UM graduate Anna Clark founded with the goal of cultivating a literary scene in Detroit. Founded in 2012, Clark and other volunteers noticed that Detroit was being passed over by book tour authors, even if their works were set in Detroit and even if they themselves were from the city. Literary Detroit’s mission is to put Detroit on the country’s litscene map. Literary Detroit organizes interactive literary events around the city that are free and open to the public, including readings by authors, book swaps and reading series. In February, they’ll kick off their Motor City Signal Series at Signal-Return, a letterpress company in Eastern Market. The series features themes like sex, identities, journeys and belonging. The events feature performances from writers, singers and painters, including Write-AHouse winner Casey Rocheteau, and hip-hop duo Passalacqua. Organizing events isn’t the
RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, January 28, 2015
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ALBUM REVIEW
By CARLY SNIDER
Classifieds
only way that Clark helps to boost Detroit’s literary culture — in fact, she recently helped compile and edit stories from literary greats in “A Detroit Anthology,” which was published last year. “It’s very diverse — the youngest contributor is 18 years old, the oldest contributor is in her 90s — because the city has changed so much within living memory, a lot of the stories people tell capture different moments in time,” Clark said. “ ‘The Anthology’ is as diverse as the city is.” “The Anthology” steps away from the usual explanations that surround the city in mainstream press and instead explores the conversational aspects of what Clark calls everyday “lived experiences.” Some of the authors featured in the book include Grace Lee Boggs, Desiree Cooper, Dream Hampton and Shaka Senghor. Despite this recent publication, however, Clark believes there are a plethora of stories yet to be told about present-day Detroit. “A lot of Detroit fiction that is out there is midcentury, and there’s not a lot that has come out of the last 15 years,” Clark said. “There’s more to be said. The city is such a powerful home for stories.”
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Genres are a necessary evil. While they help to clearly define musical boundaries for better organization of musical A preference, more often Natalie than not, they hinder true Prass exploration. Natalie Prass When thinking of Spacebomb something like Records alternative country, listeners will likely be more preoccupied with the “country” instead of with the “alternative,” largely due to the fact that country music is so easily recognizable and widespread. But with up-and-coming alternative country artists such as Natalie Prass, such a simple label falls short. Her debut album, Natalie Prass, is short but sweet, pulling from some of the best aspects of oldschool country music – the slight vocal twang and a no-nonsense lyrical style. She draws this from an arsenal of soulful, swinging melodies from another era. The album starts off with “My Baby Don’t Understand Me,” a slow, smoldering ballad of love gone wrong. The track builds up to a musical break fit for the theater, using what sounds like a full orchestra to starkly contrast Prass’s small, soft voice. The track rolls along with a steady, jazzy beat – a component not uncommon throughout the album. As the album progresses, more and more of Prass’s country roots come into play. “Your Fool” most clearly showcases the subtle twang of her voice, especially when paired with a guitar driven doowop melody. The track sounds like a classic, with nothing in particular that places it in the present day. Prass continues her album by pulling deeper from the past. “Christy” sounds straight out of a black-and-white movie. The melody is dynamic and theatrical – seeming to follow that of a waltz or
a tango, working perfectly to dramatize the love triangle painted by the lyrics. It could be listened to in a grand ballroom or a quaint bedroom, making Prass’s versatility as an artist quite clear. Though the album consistently deals with similar themes of heartbreak, the lyrics avoid the melodramatic, allowing the music to speak for itself. Prass, even in her youth as an artist, realizes the power of the understated vocal. While Prass never fully raises her voice, her minimalist style of vocals is most powerful in “Never Over You” and “Bird of Prey.” Generally following patterns of low-key vocals and lively instrumentation, the album breaks away with “Reprise.” While the instrumentals remain dynamic with moving sounds of flute, percussion and sparse clapping, the vocals are mostly spoken instead of sung. The almost overly sincere spoken element, in combination with the less than cohesive instrumentation, make for a confusing and slightly cheesy feel. The dramatic attempt of Prass is clear, but ultimately, her efforts fall a bit flat on this track. Wrapping up with “It Is You,” Prass returns to her full instrumentation, again using an orchestra-esque arrangement to create a truly magical sound. Even the lyrics seem to be more lighthearted than the rest of the album, wistfully singing of things such as “birds with porcelain wings,” or a “house filled with books.” Placing “It Is You” after “Reprise” creates a bold contrast of sound, allowing Prass to demonstrate her flexibility. Natalie Prass takes the foundations of classic country and builds on them. Prass’s twists on more heavily layered, yet classical musical arrangements. Jazz-fueled beats and understated vocals launch her out of the alternative country label and into something of much greater depth. The album is both subtly nuanced and obviously designed to encapsulate the sound of heartache in a mature and honest manner.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 — 7A
Michigan’s intergalactic fan Substitutes help WRESTLING
By TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
You won’t find him fighting the Rebel Alliance on Luke Skywalker’s home planet of Tatooine, but you might find him cheering in the stands at a Michigan hockey game. Don’t expect to see his face, though. Around 2011, Michigan superfan Jon Leopold began showing his support for the Wolverines by dressing up as a Stormtrooper from the Star Wars movies, decorated in maize and blue. The unique sight garnered attention from spectators, athletes and the media alike. When Leopold first dressed as the “Wolverine Trooper” at a Michigan football game, he received numerous requests to take pictures with fans — so many that the football players had showered and met with their families before Leopold even left the Big House. Though he is not a Michigan alumnus or an Ann Arbor native, Leopold had been coming to Michigan athletic events years before he unveiled the Stormtrooper outfit. He makes the drive from Goodrich — just outside of Flint — multiple times a month, and sometimes multiple times a week to see games. But driving two and a half hours round trip has never put a halt to his dedication. One of Leopold’s favorite memories from his time as the Wolverine Trooper came when the men’s basketball team earned a spot in the 2013 Final Four in Atlanta, Georgia. “I was at the pep rally at the team’s hotel,” Leopold said. “At the end of it, Tim Hardaway Jr. pointed me out in the crowd, so Coach Beilein called me up to the stage to lead the crowd in
singing ‘The Victors’ to finish the rally.” Though Leopold gained attention for attendance at numerous football and basketball games, he’s also a regular fan at water polo, golf and cross country events. If Michigan has a team for it, he has been to games to cheer them on. Leopold has gained more popularity in the Michigan community than he ever expected. Over the past few years, he has accumulated nearly 10,000 followers on social media, received attention from USA Today and even handed out over 1,500 Wolverine Trooper trading cards. To accompany the stormtrooper outfit, Leopold also dons a maize and blue Canadian flag. While not a Canadian himself, his grandmother is from Sarnia, a city just across the international border from the state of
Michigan. The flag itself is covered with signatures from prominent Canadians around Michigan athletics, most notably Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson and former basketball player Nik Stauskas. At the swim meet against Ohio State this past weekend, he held the flag high every time Edmonton native and senior swimmer Richard Funk entered the pool. While the Wolverine Trooper is one of the most consistent and dedicated supporters, his presence in the Michigan community stretches far beyond his love for sports. “I’m part of the 501st Legion, a worldwide Star Wars costuming group that does all kinds of charity events,” Leopold said. “Annually, the 501st Legion raises about 25 million dollars for charity. I go with them and visit kids at C.S. Mott Children’s hospital dressed up as the Wolverine
Trooper.” A member of the Great Lakes Garrison, the Michigan chapter of the 501st Legion, Leopold has worn the costume for photos at fundraising events such as the Wolverine vs. Buckeye Challenge For Life, an annual event in which both schools raise funds for organ donations. “Occasionally people will give me a few dollars for taking a photo,” Leopold said. “All of that always goes to the Children’s Hospital. I never ask for money, but some people insist that I take it, so with it I make a donation.” From fan donations, he once raised over $600 for a girl who was fighting lymphoma. Leopold earns great praise from the community for his support, and all he asks for in return is a smile on a few young faces. Though most Stormtroopers hail from the dark side, this one has proven to be the exception.
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
The Wolverine Trooper has become a fixture at Michigan sporting events and charity functions.
WOMEN’S SWIMMING
‘M’ stay steady By BEN FIDELMAN Daily Sports Writer
Competing in one of the most physically taxing college sports, the Michigan wrestling team’s depth is tested often. Midway through the 2014-15 season, the 16th-ranked Wolverines (3-2 Big Ten, 5-3 overall) are seeing major contributions from wrestlers who weren’t in the starting lineup at the beginning of the year, but are continuing to succeed using the “next man up” mentality. Highlighting that group are redshirt freshman George Fisher and fifth-year senior Zebulon Hilyard. At the 141-pound weight class, Fisher has stepped in for fifth-year senior Steve Dutton, who ended his career after the Eastern Michigan Duals due to multiple concussions. Coming off of an All-American performance in 2014, Dutton was projected to be a staple of the Michigan lineup this season. So when Fisher filled the vacancy, a probable win turned into a definite question mark. Though he hasn’t yet replaced Dutton’s All-American results, Fisher has done surprisingly well sliding into the starting lineup. During the Southern Scuffle — a tournament that many team members competed in on Jan. 1 and 2 — he pinned three wrestlers and finished with a 6-2 record, good for seventh place. In dual season, Fisher has held his own, posting a 3-3 record (20-11 overall). “(Next man up) has been a big part of our lineup this year,” said Michigan coach Joe McFarland. “We really haven’t been healthy. George (Fisher) has done a tremendous job. Earlier this
year he was wrestling at (the 133-pound weight class) and we moved him up to 141, and (he) is really just doing a great job. He’s getting great experience, too.” In what’s believed to be more of a temporary situation, Hilyard has been filling in for injured junior Rossi Bruno at the 133pound weight class. Even though this is Hilyard’s fifth season in the program, the last three matchups have been his first dual meet experiences in his college career. The first two of those starts were tough for Wolverine fans to swallow, as Hilyard was defeated by his opponents from Ohio State and Wisconsin. Last Sunday against Indiana, he pulled through with his first career dual meet win. At the time, Hilyard’s 3-0 decision pushed the Michigan lead to 9-0. “Bruno goes down, and Zeb (Hilyard) steps in there,” McFarland said. “These guys have to be ready when those opportunities arise, and I think for the most part they have done a great job of that.” Bruno is expected back in the lineup next weekend for the dual against Penn State. With the Big Ten standing alone as the best conference in college wrestling, placing four teams in the top 10 and 11 teams in the top 25, showing depth like the Wolverines have this year has been key when dealing with such a grueling schedule. Michigan heads into the final three weeks of conference play needing to finish strong to compensate for a pair of losses to rivals No. 2 Minnesota and No. 4 Ohio State. There might be more bumps along the way, but as always, someone will step up.
MEN’S AND WOMEN’S SWIMMING
Positive thinking fuels Bottom For Kopas, Michigan swimming a family affair By SYLVANNA GROSS Daily Sports Writer
With her success, the swimmer follows her father’s footsteps By KEVIN SANTO Daily Sports Writer
Emily Kopas didn’t just don the maize and blue at her first competition as a Wolverine. Rather, she grew up repping the block ‘M’, thanks to her father. William Kopas was the 1986 Big Ten champion in the 1,650yard freestyle for Michigan. It didn’t hurt that her uncle, Brice Kopas, was a Wolverine swimmer too, garnering AllAmerican status in 1994. So naturally, when signing day arrived for Kopas, the 18-year-old talent followed the branches of her family tree to Canham Natatorium. But she didn’t do it for reasons you would expect. “I have always been a Michigan kid,” Kopas said. “Because my dad swam here and so did my uncle. Since birth, I’ve been in maize and blue. But they didn’t really have much of an impact in my decision.” Though the shining lights of Canham Natatorium were certainly enticing, what brought Kopas to Ann Arbor was the challenge of Michigan academics. The last name Kopas comes with lofty expectations at Michigan. But rather than get bogged down, the young Wolverine explained that coming from a competitive family inspired her to challenge her father’s and uncle’s success. Despite swimming long-distance events, Kopas competed, determined to etch her own legacy in a chapter of the Michigan women’s swimming program. And Michigan coach Mike Bottom should thank William
Kopas for instilling that competitive spirit, because his daughter’s inherited attitude is yielding success. On Dec. 4, Kopas was part of the 400-yard medley relay team that broke the previous Michigan record, touching the wall in 3:33.91 at the AT&T Winter National Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina. As if one record wasn’t enough, the freshman flew through the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:09.70 two days later, breaking a Michigan record that had stood since 1995. Kopas explained the thrill of breaking the record, but emphasized that she swam first for her teammates and Michigan, the accolades firmly second. She stressed that the record was by no means an end goal, but rather, a small step toward improving her times to claim both the other breaststroke record and a title for the Wolverines. But Kopas was not ready to accept her record-breaking performance as the highlight of her season. Her competitive upbringing has taught her better. On Jan. 6, Kopas was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after she won the 50-meter breaststroke in 32.91 and the 100-meter breaststroke in 1:11.15 at the Orange Bowl Classic in Key Largo, Florida. The freshman also swam on the winning 200-meter medley relay with junior Ali DeLoof, who captured the title of Big Ten Swimmer of the Week on Jan. 6 as well. “I’m really honored, because
Ali is an amazing swimmer,” Kopas said. “I think it’s really exciting for the whole entire team to be up and coming, and major competitors at Big Tens. How many people have gotten Big Ten Swimmer of the Week is really exciting.” But Kopas didn’t stop there either. She followed up the performance on Jan. 10, contributing to the 200-yard medley relay that placed first against Notre Dame and Northwestern. Though she didn’t win her individual races, she came in second behind Notre Dame All-American Emma Reaney in both the 200and 100-yard breaststroke, a shortcoming not to be ashamed of. “It was really exciting being able to compete with her,” Kopas said. “It was just exciting for all of us and gave hope to everybody. Everybody could see, especially the freshmen, that we aren’t these little underdogs. We can actually go up against these big dogs.” Kopas saved her finest meet for Saturday — against the Buckeyes no less — though she entered the race as an underdog once again. Claiming first place in both the 100- and 200yard breaststroke, and also contributing to the first-place 200-meter medley relay team, she left the pool looking like a leader of Michigan’s up-andcoming swim program. For Kopas, it was business as usual. The saying is, “like father, like son.” But for Kopas, it’s a bit different. It’s like father, like daughter.
“We can actually go up against these big dogs.”
Frequently, athletics and philosophy don’t overlap. Yet Michigan men’s and women’s swimming and diving coach Mike Bottom has defined this juncture in a sport where athletes are under immense pressure to execute, and winners and losers are determined by hundredths of a second. Professor Kim Cameron of the Ross School of Business is a co-founder of the Center for Positive Organizational Scholarship at Michigan and a proponent of positive visualization as an important tool for a team’s success. When teaching others his beliefs, Cameron encourages others to imagine three competitors standing arm’s length away from each other. The first is an underperforming athlete, the second is average and healthy and the third is an accomplished Olympian. In order for the first athlete to become as good as the second, constructive criticism and negative feedback are used. And in order to make the second athlete the Olympian, both Bottom and Cameron believe in positive affirmations of an athlete’s ability. Adapting this approach has given Bottom an opportunity for a more holistic approach to coaching. “We’re trying to grasp the best of the human condition, the highest aspirations an athlete has for themselves,” Cameron said. “There’s nothing brand-new or novel about this except for the most part we ignore it, because it takes cognitive effort to switch to a positive bias.” Over Thanksgiving weekend, Bottom, a longtime believer in positive attitude, invited Cameron to lecture his athletes about the correlation between affirmative thinking and an athlete’s performance. Cameron spoke to the
athletes about the benefits of having gratuitous thoughts, which allows a person’s physical well-being to strengthen with a more affirmative mindset. To get to that point, he suggested keeping a gratitude journal. “Numerous swimmers keep gratitude journals,” Bottom said. “But we don’t enforce it, they do it because they want to.” And Bottom’s unorthodox methods are paying of. Now in his sixth season with Michigan — his second as head coach of both the men and women’s teams — Bottom has led both teams to a nearly perfect dual-meet record (493-1), coached in the past five Olympics, and was named Big Ten Swimming Coach of the Year four times. “The word humility is often equated with meekness or weakness,” Cameron said. “The real definition of humility is opening to learning, openness to feedback from others in order to approve. So humility and improvement are very closely aligned. Mike is a very humble guy in that sense.” This characteristic hasn’t gone unnoticed by his swimmers, either. To senior and co-captain of the men’s team, Richard Funk, Bottom was a large part why he committed to Michigan. “Bottom is a great leader and a visionary, not just in the pool but in academics and in the community. He surrounded himself with a great staff,” Funk said. “(He taught me that) in order to be a leader you need to know first how to be a follower. You need to understand where the team is and how to approach a situation.” Added freshman Tristan Sanders: “While (the coaches) are teaching you how to swim, they’re teaching you about life, about how to be a leader. We’re protective of each other and of Michigan.” Forgiveness, compassion and thankfulness are the three pillars of what Bottom considers the values it takes to
be a Wolverine, a role that also comes with the responsibility of protecting this code of conduct. Swimming is one of the most mentally draining sports, and many swimmers say they are unmotivated by the grueling practice schedule that accompanies the sport. Yet the positive team atmosphere is a reason his team continues to fight through early morning practices. “He reminds us on a daily basis to think positive,” said junior Marni Oldershaw. Cameron cited research that shows that for an athlete to flourish, three to five compliments should be given for every negative criticism of their performance.The coach is the single most important figure to make sure this happens. Bottom believes a coach should not only help their athletes achieve greatness now, but also lay the foundation for it in their future. He understands that every single one of his swimmers has a life outside of Canham Natatorium, encouraging them to push through their personal problems. “For me, my passion to win has nothing to do with my ego. It has to do everything with wanting the athletes to internalize the things we’re teaching them here,” Bottom said. “Excellence is an important part of not just winning, but excellence is an important part of life.” Cameron and Bottom both recognize the extraordinary outcomes that might come with this focus on positive affirmation. Already under Bottom’s tutelage, the Wolverines have shown great success, especially since the integration of the men’s and women’s teams. Positive visualization could be an opportunity to extract excellence not only from Bottom’s swimmers, but also from all athletes across campus. “It’s an opportunity for Michigan to be Michigan,” Bottom said.
Sports
8A — Wednesday, January 28, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Rebounding keys win Shannon Smith reappears WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Editor
When it was announced that junior guard Caris LeVert would miss the rest of the season with a foot injury, the Michigan men’s basketball lost its leader in practically every statistical category — points, rebounds, assists, steals and minutes. And an hour before tipoff of Tuesday’s game between the Wolverines and Nebraska, the loss in production was compounded as sophomore guard Derrick Walton Jr. came onto the court in street clothes, missing the game with an injured foot. Without LeVert and Walton, Michigan wasn’t just missing its starting backcourt, but also its two top rebounders. And yet, in their 58-44 win Tuesday, the Wolverines were able to outrebound the Cornhuskers thanks to breakout efforts from sophomore forward Zak Irvin and senior forward Max Bielfeldt. Buoyed by 12 boards from Irvin and nine from Bielfeldt, Michigan pulled down 34 total rebounds, eight more than Nebraska did. “(Walton and LeVert) are the two best guard rebounders we have, in the Big Ten and on the team,” Irvin said. “So we knew that was a big point of emphasis — for people to step up and rebound the basketball.” Granted, if Nebraska hadn’t shot an atrocious 30.6 percent from the floor, there wouldn’t have been so many rebounds up for grabs. But in a game without their two top rebounders, the striking margin speaks to the effort the Michigan frontcourt put in on the glass. Irvin and Bielfeldt both had career highs in boards Tuesday, with four of Bielfeldt’s rebounds coming on the offensive end, allowing the Wolverines to generate extra possessions and stretch their lead.
With 2:23 to play and Michigan up by a comfortable 15-point margin, Bielfeldt chased down a loose ball off an Irvin miss. And though the play didn’t alter the outcome of the game, it was a microcosm of the display the senior forward showed throughout the second half. “Even when we were down 12 or 11, (Bielfeldt) would give them an extra possession or just out-hustle us to a rebound,” said Nebraska coach Tim Miles. “That was tough. I just thought he outscrapped us that way.” Irvin had five of his rebounds in the game’s first nine minutes and was repeatedly able to capitalize on stellar box-outs from Bielfeldt to find the space to clear the glass. Perhaps his only rebounding mistake came with 4:15 remaining, when Irvin pulled down a defensive rebound but lost control once he hit the ground, fumbling the ball out of bounds, forfeiting possession
back to the Cornhuskers. Still, Irvin playing as well as he did, especially down low, is a welcome sight for the Wolverines, who travel to East Lansing on Sunday for what had been shaping up as an unfavorable matchup for Michigan. His 12 rebounds Tuesday also marked the first double-double a Wolverine has had all season, a positive indicator from a player who has been trying to round out his game. “One of the things I was really working with (Irvin) on this summer, and going forward, was rebounding and assists,” Beilein said. “Twelve rebounds and three assists is a huge step forward in his growth.” Added Irvin: “It’s just competing. You’ve gotta want the basketball.” It’s a good thing for Michigan that Irvin and Bielfeldt both wanted the basketball. Without LeVert and Walton, there wasn’t really another choice.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Zak Irvin recorded Michigan’s first double-double of the season Tuesday night.
By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Writer
For Shannon Smith, the Michigan women’s basketball season has been plagued by inconsistency. And Monday was much of the same. In the first half, the senior guard’s transition game was offtempo, and she overthrew the ball past senior forward Cyesha Goree in the paint, rather than slowing down to make a play of her own. Four minutes into the game, she was called for a travel and was benched right after. And to top it all off, she was scoreless at halftime. The last time Smith had recorded such a poor performance was 48 days ago. Dec. 9 against Princeton, she couldn’t connect with the basket in transition and scored just two points in Michigan’s first home loss of the season — coincidentally its largest margin of defeat of the season (30). It was a demoralizing and poorly-timed loss, with Notre Dame — then the No. 5 team in the country — next on the schedule. The Wolverines (5-3 Big Ten, 13-6 overall) needed to return to playing their best basketball. Four days later in South Bend, the comeback Smith was hoping for didn’t materialize. In the first half, Michigan trailed the Fighting Irish by single digits, barely staying in close contention. But Smith hit the ground hard, unable to get back up while clutching her knee as her teammates stared wideeyed from the sideline. She returned in the second
half, but her nine total points weren’t enough to pull off the upset. From there on, though, it appeared a fire had sparked within the 5-foot-7 senior as she regained her focus. With the exception of a win over Eastern Michigan, Smith scored double digits in every game thereafter, earning a career high in points (36) and free throws (11) against Ohio State. But last Thursday against No. 20 Iowa, Smith scored two points like she had 44 days before. She turned the ball over on two crucial possessions in the final minutes against the Hawkeyes and was rushing in transition. It was arguably her worst performance of the season. But as she has done all year, Smith attempted to work past it. “The biggest thing for Shannon,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico, “(and) this happened in Iowa and we talk about it with her all the time, is that you can make a couple bad plays, have a bad 10 minutes, a bad half or a bad 39 minutes, and maybe make one play to help your team win the game. “But if you let all that stuff bother you mentally, you’re not in a good place to make that play.” Even though it might be a challenge for Smith to bounce back, she managed to in the second half against Illinois, which was a stark contrast to the first. It was the older and more polished Smith who showed up. She scored less than five minutes into the frame, adding two
“It’s really important for us that she sets the tone.”
points and a free throw over a minute later. Smith played a smart and more controlled game, totaling 13 points. She was back on her game, and she knew it: After her first basket, she smiled, looked downcourt toward her teammates and held one finger up. “It’s really important for us that she sets the tone, because she’s so great in the open court,” Barnes Arico said. “Sometimes she does have to slow down, because that’s where she makes some mistakes. But that’s what she brings to us that we need, and we really don’t have a lot of players like her.” As the team’s leader in assists at 88, Smith totaled four against the Illini: three to Goree for a layup and one to sophomore guard Siera Thompson for a 2-point jumper. The selflessness was contagious as the Wolverines recorded 20-plus assists for the sixth time this year. “Our kids are so unselfish of sharing the basketball,” Barnes Arico said. “It starts with Shannon Smith. She just loves to make the extra pass and really get everyone involved.” Smith still had six turnovers and needs to continue to work on her game with a tough conference schedule ahead, including Thursday’s game against No. 5 Maryland. But if Monday night gave her anything, it was some added confidence and the opportunity to have some fun. With 2:06 left against the Illini, Smith stole the ball at center court and broke away for an open layup. As the ball fell through the rim, Smith flung her arms across one another as she skipped backward across the court. Even a few days after a crippling performance, she was smiling, having fun and back to business.
ICE HOCKEY
A look at the top games in the Michigan-MSU rivalry By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Writer
For the next two weeks, the Michigan hockey team is at war. The 13th-ranked Wolverines will take on archrival Michigan State twice during that time frame, the first of which is this Friday at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Michigan (7-1 Big Ten, 15-7 overall) will be the favorites, but history suggests the Spartans (3-3-2, 9-11-2) are capable of wreaking havoc on the red-hot Wolverines. With 12 NCAA championships and 35 Frozen Four appearances between the two programs, the rivalry is among the best in college hockey. Though not nearly as lopsided as the Michigan Daily-State News rivalry (the Daily is currently riding a 10-game winning streak), Michigan still holds a 152-128-
19 record against its neighbor to the north, including a 2-1 win over the Spartans Dec. 29 in the Great Lakes Invitational championship. The Daily breaks down some of the most notable games of the teams’ 300 matchups. Jan. 24, 1925 Three seasons after each team founded a hockey program, the rivalry was born in East Lansing. With just a smattering of fans in attendance, the Wolverines won 6-3, sparking a 36-1 run over Michigan State that stretched to 1958. March 9, 1950 Still the most lopsided game in the rivalry’s history, Paul Pelow and Bob Heathcott each tallied hat tricks, as Michigan cruised to a 17-1 win.
“With the Spartans completely disorganized during the entire contest, Heyliger’s crew romped at will over Coach Paulsen’s hapless and inexperienced club,” wrote the Daily. The win for Michigan came just before a stretch of five national championships in six seasons, a feat that has yet to be matched. March 3, 1966 The in-state rivals have faced off for numerous championships, the first of which was for the Western College Hockey Association title. Having dropped six of eight games leading up to the event, the Wolverines — two years removed from a national title in 1964 — looked poised to upend the No. 1 Spartans. But Michigan State battled
back for a win and never looked back en route to the program’s first national title. The win began a run for the Spartans, as Michigan won just 28 of the next 84 in the series.
between Michigan goaltender Tim Makris and Spartan foward Mitch Messier. More importantly, the win helped lay the groundwork for Berenson’s tenure, which has continued for 31 years and counting.
The Wolverines didn’t look ahead, as they stomped the Spartans, 3-0. The win sparked a nine-game winning streak, as Michigan won its first of two national titles with Berenson at the helm.
Nov. 8, 1985 March 1, 1996 After nearly two decades of dormancy, the Wolverines finally fought back under coach Red Berenson. The 5-4 win was Michigan’s first in seven tries against Michigan State, and just the second such win since 1981. “We wanted it more than in the past,” Berenson told the Daily after the win. “I don’t think we were as much hoping to win as we were expecting to win. “I don’t think there is going to be anything better, until we win the league title, than beating Michigan State.” The game also included a fight
The rivalry is very much defined by the success of both teams in the 1990s. After being swept by Lake Superior State the weekend before, No. 5 Michigan needed a win over No. 3 Michigan State to stay in contention for its first national title in over three decades. “There’s a major sense of urgency; a desperation we feel. We have to win these games,” forward John Arnold told the Daily before the game. “Once we start jumping to conclusions or looking ahead, we’re not going to get anywhere.”
Oct. 6, 2001 Arguably the peak of the rivalry, both teams met in the first modern hockey game to be played outdoors, occurring at East Lansing’s Spartan Stadium. With 74,544 fans in attendance and millions following the action on television, both teams faced off coming off of Frozen Four appearances earlier in the year and ranking in the top five nationally. The spectacle was college hockey at its finest. Then-No. 4 Michigan nearly upset the defending national champion and top-ranked Spartans, but let up a rebound goal with 47 seconds remaining as both teams played to a 3-3 tie. The spectacle, which kicked off the 2001-02 season for all of college hockey, included 12 players that went on to NHL careers. Dec. 11, 2010 Not to be outdone, the Wolverines hosted an outdoor game of their own nine years later. Though neither team was ranked in the top five, 104,173 fans braved the elements to watch Michigan defeat the Spartans, 5-0, in what was then a record for the most-watched hockey game. “It was exactly as advertised,” Berenson told the Daily after the game. “It was the real deal. For me, it couldn’t be any better.” The third battle of the elements between the two programs comes in less than two weeks, when both teams travel to Chicago’s Soldier Field for the Coyote Logistics Hockey City Classic on Feb. 7. If history tells us anything, it should be an intense, exciting and potential turning point for either team.
in
statement THE MICHIGAN DAILY
JAN UARY 21 , 2015
2B
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 // The Statement
From the Pews: A religious util?
T H E L I S T B U Z Z F E E D, B U T B E T T E R
B Y C L A I R E B R YA N This week I sat in my Economics 102 lecture and learned about the utility function: the relationship between consumption and “happiness” — conceptually measured in fictional units called utils. Despite pages of textbooks and explanations from multiple professors that economics is modelbased and not literally based, my anti-arithmetic mind rejected this form of measurement. How could a small graph and equation quantify human happiness? But beyond this resistance, I questioned why and when and since when did humans feel the need for this type of economic organization. And if humans felt the need for economic organization, at what point did humans desire a moral — or in some people’s eyes, religious — organization? Humans organized economically in the early 18th century when Nicholas Bernoulli theorized the decision-making patterns of consumers. Between Adam Smith, John Maynard Keynes and hundreds of others, economics has evolved, but always continued to provide humans with a structure of looking at their world. When humans were nomadic, they found a spirit in everything they interacted with: the river, the
FIVE STR ANGEST L AWS IN MI So the ban on whaling in Oklahoma (Oklahoma!) may be the most bizarre law in the U.S., but some laws here in Michigan are still pretty darn weird.
1
HOOP THERE IT IS
2
I N T H E B AC K S E AT
In Grand Haven, no person shall throw an abandoned hoop skirt into any street or on any sidewalk, under penalty of a five-dollar fine. Couples are banned from making love in an automobile unless the act takes place while the vehicle is parked on the couple’s own property.
3 NO HAIR, HE CARES
A woman isn’t allowed to cut her own hair without her husband’s permission.
4 PA N C A K E S Y R U P DAY ?
Known to few, throughout the state the last Sunday of every June is known as “Log Cabin Day.”
sun, powerful animals, great leaders and themselves. The earliest form of religion was through imitation of the things they admired. They found these concepts so purposeful that they were driven to imitate them as a form of guidance for survival. In his book, “A Man’s Search for
ILLUSTRATIONS BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND
Meaning,” Viktor Frankl chronicles his experience in concentration camps during World War II. He observes that those who found meaning in their daily routine, despite their dire circumstances, were the ones who preserved and survived. Karen Armstrong, a former Roman Catholic nun, wrote in her book “A History of God” about the evolution of three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. One observation that she makes is that the three religions, all in their own way, believe God is a figure that gives humans this type of purpose. The line of thinking translates to: God made you for a reason. Humans across generations have found that religion gives them a purpose. Though, in some ways, I believe this sounds as if religion is a social crutch, there is no denying that it is also a tool that motivates humans to think about their morals, their ethics and their purpose here on earth. If religion grants purpose and if a concept of purpose grants a successful life, then, like economic utils, fictional religious utils hold a valuable place in our world too.
5 WELL I’M SCREWED
Drunkenness on any train is prohibited within state lines.
DAILY VIDEO: ARE YOU HAPPY?
THE
statement
Magazine Editor: Ian DIllingham Deputy Editor: Natalie Gadbois Design Editor: Jake Wellins
Photo Editor: Luna Anna Archey Illustrator:
Managing Editor: Lev Facher Copy Editors:
Megan Mulholland
Hannah Bates
Maggie Miller
Laura Schinagle
Editor in Chief: Jennifer Calfas
Emma Sutherland
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 // The Statement 3B
ON THE RECORD
HOME IS WHERE THE HE ART IS
RUBY WALLAU/DAILY
“I don’t have to lay in the hospital bed all day and night anymore. I can get back to my life.” –STAN LARKIN, first patient to receive a Total Artificial Heart from the University’s Cardiovascualar Center. Larkin now has the ability to wait at home for a transplant rather than in the hospital.
THE THOUGHT BUBBLE
All the Pretty Things: The Power of Choice B Y J A C K LY N T H O M A S Throughout my life, I have encountered many choices that are no different from the ones facing every other person on this earth. Each day I encounter decisions that must be made: choices concerning minor things, such as what to eat for lunch, to major decisions, such as what I wish to do with my life and my education. Each choice affects others, whether we see it now or not. And each
choice I encounter has a time limit on it, a due date to make. What college will I attend: Due April 30th, 2014. What will I do with my summer: Due sometime before the school year ends. What will I do this weekend: (Let’s be real) 9 p.m., Friday. I have seen deadlines for all of these choices, except for one choice in my life I have yet to make. I was born to two amazing parents, both supportive, both my rock, one Polish, the other Black. In my eyes, they are no different. They are my parents, they love me. Who cares what they look like and, in extension, what I look like? Questions from strangers and friends alike have come my way more and more often as I have grown older, asking, “What ILLUSTRATION BY MAGGIE MILLER are you?” or “Why
don’t you act black?” Standardized tests in elementary school stared up at me with their blank bubbles, asking me to choose what I see myself as. I have encountered others who have attempted to decide the answer to this question for me (“You look black, so therefore you are”) and others that have decided, without even expressing it, through their treatment of me. This choice I have been asked to make has been a question that I still cannot confidently answer. I take pride in both sides of myself. I take pride in the rich histories that flow through me. Holiday meals range from kielbasa to chitlins. Family stories touch on the segregated United States to work camps in Poland. I am lucky to be able to take both of these identities as my own. As I think more and more about this decision, I see that I do not have to choose. This is the power of choice. I have the option to not choose. That is powerful.
Famous by Association: Bulge-Gate BY MARIAM SHEIKH
RUBY WALLAU/DAILY
“You’ve got to want it. It’s a long process, especially if you want to do a PhD … I’m taking a year (off) to try and figure it out … I’m hoping in a year that I’ll decide that it’s worth it.” –LSA senior MARGARET BURNS
Well, the start of this year would have been undeniably boring in the entertainment realm if the great Bulge-Gate of 2015 hadn’t swooped in and given us something to ponder for a solid week. Apart from his various noise complaints and speeding incidents, Justin Bieber has been slowly phased out by the likes of other teen sensations such as One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer. So, in an attempt to appeal to older audiences and people in general, Bieber is featured in a campaign for the newest Calvin Klein underwear line as a very well-endowed model — or so it may appear. People called bullshit on the spread right away. Think about it — while he has been working out more and is older, (have you seen the thin mustache that took him a year to grow, people?) it wasn’t long ago that Bieber looked and sounded like a prepubescent girl. To add fuel to the already scorching fire, once .gifs of Bieber’s alleged “before” —
a.k.a. un-Photoshopped — photos were released, the Internet went rampant. Bieber’s people have been sticking to the story that there was no Photoshop fail. Even his personal trainer, presumably an expert on these matters (okay … ), came to his defense. So who should we believe? This Photoshop scandal brings to light the entire concept of retouching and Photoshopping models and celebrities in ad campaigns, movies, magazine covers etc. I know girls on my Instagram feed, regular students like us, who clearly Photoshop their pictures. But why? First of all, it takes way too much time, and secondly, people definitely notice when you look like a different person on social media than you do in person. But that’s beside the point. Society has placed unattainable norms on men and women. Women are supposed to be skinny but curvy, with perfect hair and makeup all the time. And men are supposed to be fit and muscular and well-endowed
in the ‘bulge’ department. While I’m not defending Justin Bieber, since his scandal gave me ample entertainment (and something to write about), the high standards need to end and, hopefully, the Photoshopping will stop with it. In light of all this, Selena Gomez, Bieber’s on-again, off-again girlfriend/flame/stalker (why?) took to Instagram during the scandal, no doubt to try and get some of the attention back to her. In posting what people deem as a “cheeky” photo during what looks like a sad yoga sesh for one in a tropical paradise, she has given her cryptic stance on the scandal at hand … move on, Selena. This is the evidence thus far. But will we ever know? Was it stuffed? Enhanced? Photoshopped? Perhaps we will know soon; as his career continues to plunge, I am sure a miracle, in the form of a sex tape, is in his imminent future. Maybe that’s why Selena’s doing all that yoga?
4B
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 // The Statement
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 // The Statement
Graduating from the Gridiron: How athletes achieve success in an academic environment By Zach Shaw, Daily Sports Writer and Emma Kerr, Daily News Editor
K
evin Bain stared down at the blank slate below him. With water dripping down his face, the diver concentrated, took a deep breath to clear his mind, then pushed forward. Then a freshman, Bain was on the road competing for the Michigan men’s swim and dive team, but his work for the Wolverines that day was done. Mere moments after twisting, contorting and testing his body in the pool, Bain had to take a different kind of test: the pencil-and-paper type much more familiar to University students. “It’s always a balancing act,” said Bain, now a senior studying Business and Comparative Literature. “We may have to meet with professors or group projects at odd hours, take exams on the road, just find different ways to make it work. “I remember coming in as a freshman and mapping out my schedule, and it wouldn’t all fit,” he said. “It’s kind of a tug-of-war, and sometimes you have to make sacrifices, it works out, but it’s always a battle.” Such is life for many of the 934 studentathletes at Michigan. The unique dynamic of being among the nation’s best academically and athletically means those that balancing the two worlds is key. It’s rarely easy, fair, or fun, but the University ensures that athletes are given the opportunity to make it work. *** Josh Bartelstein chuckles when thinking back on his senior year. As a captain of the 2012-13 men’s basketball team, Bartelstein helped guide his team to its first Final Four and National Championship appearances in 20 years. But, as a teaching assistant and senior in Sport Management at the time, he remembers not having quite the same success in the classroom. “I think I went to four classes a week for that month,” Bartelstein said. “We were lucky to have chartered flights, or it could’ve been less. We were doing pretty much everything on the road. We always had our books, tutors, advisors — it was crazy really.” The team was also lucky to have John Beilein at the helm. Taking over the program in 2007 — a program that hadn’t advanced to the NCAA Tournament since 1998 — the coach knew his team needed work ethic more than talent to survive at Michigan. “They don’t always just recruit the best kids. They recruit kids that fit our culture and
can do what we do academically,” Bartelstein said. “They need to be intelligent kids who are ready to work hard, otherwise they’ll have to go elsewhere. “For some guys, it’s hard. It’s hard to write a 10-page paper as a sophomore knowing that, a year from now, you’ll make a million and a half dollars playing in the NBA. That’s where you see coach and his values kick in, because to him, it’s not really an option. You might hear guys complain. But it’s not either-or, it’s part of the whole package when you come here.” That package deal translates to other sports. For Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson, it presents decisions that no coach likes to make. With nine National Championships and 35 NCAA Tournament appearances, the Wolverines draw interest from North America’s most talented hockey players. But to make it at Michigan, Berenson expects more. “I’ve told kids, great hockey players, if you’re not interested in school, don’t come to Michigan,” Berenson said. “I’m going to make your life miserable, and you’re going to make my life miserable, because that’s not what we’re doing here. If you’re coming here, you need to be hungry for an education and to become the best player you can, that’s what it’s all about. “I’ll take hockey away from you in a heartbeat if you aren’t doing what you’re supposed to do in school.” *** Berenson can demand the hunger, because he had it too. Long before he knew he would spend 17 years in the NHL or 35 years as a coach, he was lacing it up for Michigan on the ice and in the classroom. A business student with an unknown hockey career ahead, Berenson didn’t dare distract himself. Even a seemingly small distraction like a TV in his room could hurt him. “We were more on our own,” Berenson said. “We didn’t have the tutors, study tables, mentors. You were on your own, and don’t screw it up. Now, you’ve got more structure, you’ve got people around to keep an eye on you who know what your grades are, tutors available. It’s more structured for the student-athletes to succeed.” This structure is good, Berenson said, given the increased demands on athletes. With national media attention, millions of dollars in funding, and thousands of fans attending games, Berenson knows that his players face greater pressure than he ever did “There’s more demand on the student-ath-
letes today,” he said. “The season’s longer, the workout schedule is more difficult than ours was — you really have to balance your time and manage things well.” Even with the resources available, that’s no small task. Business sophomore JT Compher, a forward, alternate captain on the hockey team and a second-round pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, finds that with games just about every weekend, he is rarely available to participate in group projects, a tough pill to swallow. “The biggest challenge is my time constraints and meeting with groups,” Compher said. “Sometimes, I might not be able to meet with a group, but I make myself available to get the rundown and do whatever I can to help. It’s basically just managing my time when I’m not at the rink.” But not all athletes experience the same academic workload. According to a 2008 report by the Ann Arbor News, athletes accounted for about half of the students enrolled in the University’s general studies program which offers potentially lighter workloads and flexible requirements. Bain said this stems from NCAA rules about declaring majors and progressing toward degrees efficiently. These rules, designed to ensure no one gets left behind, sometimes backfire, pushing athletes to general studies, Sport Management or other programs seemingly tailored to their unique needs as students. “By the end of our junior year, we need to have 60 percent of our major finished,” he said. “If we try to switch majors and we don’t have the requirements for that major, we’re ineligible. Athletes don’t really get the option to switch or change majors, so we may end up in majors that simply fit what we have.” Bartelstein has seen this incidental funneling firsthand. While former teammates such as Zack Novak, Matt Vogrich and Jordan Morgan sought degrees in business and engineering, many other teammates were steered away from such disciplines, even if indirectly. “You have to know what you’re signing up for,” Bartelstein said. “If you want to do business or engineering, no one will say no to you, but you have to understand the time commitment and degree of difficulty certain classes present. “You hear people at the academic center say things like ‘take this class’ or ‘stay away from this professor,’ but it’s not a forced decision. They want to make sure student-athletes are
setting themselves up for success.” That’s not to say it can’t happen, however. Bartelstein also saw his team, even in its rise to national prominence, make adjustments for players’ academic commitments. “They’re probably happy they did it now, but there were times that they’d be missing sleep the night before a game or taking tests on the road,” he said regarding his teammates pursuing less flexible degrees. “There were times for a lot of guys where they were told ‘I’m not sure you can do this, but if you want to put in the effort, we’ll make it work.’ So maybe guys miss practices or we work our schedule around exams, but Coach Beilein always made sure that academics were a priority, and we catered to that the best we could.” Still, the numbers indicate Novak and the like are a minority group. More athletes major in Sport Management and general studies than any other majors, despite the fact that these programs may present less clear paths to jobs after college. This is in stark contrast to Berenson’s playing days, but the coach is learning that with the right mindset, any of his players can still find success. “I think it’s fine, but I’d like them to pick a major and then go for it,” Berenson said. “A lot of them haven’t thought about it. They aren’t sure what they want to do, and my take is if (general studies) is what you want to do, then make sure you do well so you can go to graduate school once you’re done.” *** The type-casting expands beyond majors. Just about every Michigan student knows the ‘athlete look.’ There’s the green Gatorade water bottle, the blue parkas and the matching Adidas backpacks. And there’s the tired, quiet expression, often accompanied with headphones and a spot toward the back of the class. Regardless of their personal academic successes, athletes can struggle to shake the stereotypes associated with seemingly ‘easy’ majors, time away from class and cultural norms surrounding athletics. Throw in the fact that Michigan athletes have a $12-million academic facility other students can’t use, along with free tutors and personal advisors, and the divide between athletes and regular students is wider than ever. “There’s definitely that stereotype,” Bartelstein said. “And some people at Michigan fit the mold, but I think too much is made of it. “I know with our team we had academic conversations all the time, it wasn’t just go to
class and then leave. Our classes were a huge part of our lives. We spent more time in classes and studying than we did anything basketballrelated.” Bartelstein feels that the stereotype is truer for Michigan’s revenue sports: football, basketball and hockey. But Bain, who was recently nominated to be a Rhodes Scholar and serves as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, sees it discourage smaller-sport athletes as well. “People assume when I show up to class that I’m just at Michigan for athletics, not academics,” Bain says. “It sucks that they’re already judging us when they don’t know us, and kind of missing out on the interesting people that we might be. “A lot of athletes don’t always wear their varsity jackets, because we just don’t want to deal with the stigma. It’d be great if we didn’t have to worry about teachers or students judging us before they met us.” *** As a former student-athlete, Kinesiology Prof. Rebecca Hasson said she doesn’t try to treat student-athletes any differently than other students, but that the key to success when teaching students is communication. “The athletes aren’t any more busy than any of the other students,” Hasson said. “Because the communication lines are open, we will try to work with one another’s schedules as much as possible. We make certain that if a student is doing poorly, we address it early on. Their grades are submitted to the Athletic Department as well as to our offices, so they need to go to student services or come to office hours immediately.” Hasson tries to be sensitive to the unique issues that arise for student-athletes, like high-pressure times around championships where a student could be missing weeks of classes, but she believes student-athletes have more to offer than just their athletic perspective. “For the student-athletes, that is just one identity they hold,” Hasson said. “The studentathletes are probably a little more outspoken, because they have those leadership skills on the court and can bring that to class.” “If you just treat the student not as a student-athlete, but as a student who just has very limited time but is as valuable to the class as any other student, that will make for the best learning environment.” Hasson said she has seen more issues in
younger student-athletes as they transition to college life. “At the younger ages — and for all students, really — there is a lot of pressure and you are tired on top of everything, and it’s hard. As the students transition, they become great at time management, though. They work well in teams, and so I guess I come to athletes’ defense a little.” “The stakes are higher here, but I think that in my experience, it’s not that the professors have to make special accommodations, but you just have to accept that you have to be willing to let a student miss class because that is the next step in their career. “ *** Jay Basten, a Sport Management professor, said each student-athlete is unique and has a different set of priorities, but overall their presence and participation in his classes, especially those that touch on college level sports, has added to the learning experience in the classroom. “It’s great having student-athletes in those particular discussions, because it gives the non-athlete students some real insights into the challenging they face.” Basten said. “For me, I’ve been here for 15 years teaching in the program, and overall it has been very positive having them in the class. They are an impressive group of students, but they do have some distinctive challenges.” These challenges, Basten said, are dealing with limited time and balancing their other time commitments on the field or on the court. Addressing these issues as a professor is a balancing act as well. While Basten said he obviously must find alternative ways to ensure student-athletes are receiving and understanding the material in class, he also does not support making special concessions or different standards for student-athletes. “When student-athletes do have issues as far as conflicts, ultimately we believe that our classes are as important as their practice times,” Basten said. “I encourage them to come to office hours, but I particularly stress that they should come if they are missing classes, but I don’t really do anything proactive for any student, because I believe they need to be able to take responsibility for themselves.”
Read the rest of this article online at MichiganDaily.com
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Wednesday, January 28, 2015 // The Statement
Conference allows students to engage in real-world sports business by Lindsey Scullen, Daily Staff Reporter
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ince 2011, University students have been vaulting into the sports industry via the Michigan Sport Business Conference, an event planned, organized and run entirely by University students. The goal? Innovation. Last year’s conference, which took place on Oct. 24, was entitled “Game Changers: Innovating Today. Defining Tomorrow.” The conference focused on how students can break into the sports industry — “How do get your first job in sports” was just one of the topics covered — and how future leaders can help the industry evolve, with panel discussions like the “Intersection of Sport and Urban Development.” Innovation, however, was not only the theme of last year’s conference. It’s part of the organization’s refrain. MSBC’s mission is “to inspire creativity and innovation in the sport industry and allow individuals to build the relationships necessary to achieve their personal aspirations,” said Business junior Max Himelhoch, one of the MSBC’s newly elected co-presidents. Last year the conference brought in approximately 400 Michigan students and 70 students from other colleges around the country as attendees, according to fellow co-president and Kinesiology junior Alyssa Duguay. MSBC’s newly chosen organizing student team — which is technically a Ross School of Business club — has 31 members in total and is sectioned into five divisions: marketing, planning, team relationships, partners and speakers. While the conference won’t happen again until sometime in late October or early November, the teams have already begun the extensive preparation process. Himelhoch said that MSBC had its highest number ever of applicants for the organizing student team this year. Out of the 150 who applied, 75 were accepted for interviews before the final team was cut down to 31 people in total. Even last year’s team members had to re-interview. The team looked for a set of diverse and passionate students throughout its application process. Accepted members range from Sport Management and Business students to Communications majors, Art majors, and, of course, athletes. This year they’re even trying a new “hybrid” program for study-abroad students. Kinesiology junior Morgan Bartelstein is currently in Prague. She’s also a communications coordinator working to keep a dialogue going with potential speakers. “I think one of the things that allowed us to try this is that when we look for our new team, we’re looking for people that really want to be a part of it, who are passionate about working with us and will be dedicated to it,” Himelhoch said. Himelhoch went on to say that being a part of MSBC’s organizing student team is invaluable to students hoping to enter the sport industry upon
graduation. “It gives anyone who’s interested in potentially going into those fields a chance to get some handson experience here,” he said. “You leave at the end of the year, or at the end of however many years you spend with the conference, having really accomplished real, tangible things.” It’s the skills developed, he says, that help students create a future in the industry. “I use them in interviews all the time, whether it’s the marketing plan that we made or just the experiences that we’ve had,” he said. “It’s been extremely valuable to everybody.” Prior to becoming the upcoming conference’s co-president, Himelhoch was the vice president of marketing. As such, he helped develop a marketing plan that increased conference revenues by 65 percent and increased the number of student tickets sold by 15 percent. Likewise, Duguay added significantly to the conference last year as former vice president of team relations. Kinesiology senior Josh Kadden, former brand director and vice president of partnerships, said that improvements in the internal organization could be accredited to Duguay. Duguay is notably also the first woman co-president that MSBC has had. She says that MSBC is “very progressive,” and that more women attend the conference each year. “It is scary for women in the sport industry. Sometimes you feel like it’s a more masculine industry to enter,” Duguay said, “but more and more women are attending.” She further noted that the number female speakers attending the conference each year is rising as well. As for Kadden, he’s been a part of the organizing student team since the conference’s first year. His division’s job has been to grow the MSBC “brand,” to legitimize it and make it more recognizable. Duguay said that he and his team were instrumental to last year’s conference. “He raised $60,000 in partnerships,” she said. “He was fundamental and we continue to push these new goals.” Business senior David Carlson likewise has worked to push the organization’s goals and will continue to do so for the upcoming 2015 conference. Last year he was a “cross-functional committee member” on the brand team, which operates under the marketing division’s umbrella. The project he focused on was called the “BIG” project, an acronym for “Build, Inspire and Grow.” At the conference each year, this BIG initiative presents 10 of the country’s best Sports Management or Sports Business students an award, honoring them for their extracurricular and in-classroom work. “It gives them an opportunity to be recognized for their outstanding achievement,” Carlson said. While members of the student group organize and run the conference, they also seek advice from two advisory groups — the Board of Directors,
made up of five executives from the sport industry, and the Advisory Council, composed of recent graduates of the program. It’s in this way that members think about the MSBC organization like a business instead of a club, with tiers of factions and divisions. Kinesiology senior David Herman, one of last year’s co-presidents, will soon sit on the Advisory Council. As to the future of the conference, he spoke about self-innovation. “What we really want for the conference is for it to not actually be thought of as a conference,” Herman said. “We want the MSBC to be a brand that is providing, creating, spreading the knowledge of the sport industry to students.” He said soon the MSBC brand will be one that tells students where and how to find information about the sport industry, one that will help students network year-round. “While the conference is our focus, ultimately we want to expand,” Herman said. University alum Dustin Cairo, one of the cofounders of MSBC and a current Advisory Council member, said the conference is looking to transition from what he calls “MSBC 1.0” to “MSBC 2.0.” MSBC 1.0, he said, involved creating a foundation for the conference — one made up of strong relationships with people in the sport industry, the School of Kinesiology, the Ross School of Business and the Athletic Department. He says the student team has done an “incredible job” with that first phase of MSBC. The step that will launch the organization into MSBC 2.0 is a strategy summit slated for the end of February, he said. Ten to 15 individuals — including alumni members and four to five current organizing students — will meet in New York City for a two-day strategy session. He hopes the session will lead to plans for innovation in five main areas of the MSBC organization. From the student organizing team, the Advisory Board and the conference attendees, everyone in connection with the MSBC is looking to innovate. They’re looking to innovate the sport industry itself, the MSBC as a business and their professional selves. They’re looking to learn what it means to be a part of the sports industry and how to become successful within it. Carlson emphasized this in speaking to why he attended the MSBC for the first time his freshman year. “I’m interested in the industry and these people who are powerful in the industry, who have a lot of influence within the industry, are going to provide me with a learning experience,” he said. “I’m going to learn the market, I’m going to learn what it took to bring a team or a brand or a sector of the industry to life. We were watching — firsthand — people talk about it, talk about their experience in that industry. That, to me, was the invaluable part. That’s why I think people show up.”
Wednesday, January 28, 2015 // The Statement
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Personal Statement: I am Shoham by Shoham Geva, Daily News Editor
ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND
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ast month, I got coffee with my father. We stepped up to order, and I did what I always do when they ask for my name — I gave them a fake one. My dad did what he always does — he gave them a fake one too. And then we looked at each other and laughed, just out of the sheer ridiculousness of it all — standing in a perfectly normal, incongruous Midwestern Starbucks at 1 p.m. on a Friday, ordering drinks using names that aren’t ours. My name is Shoham. Sho-hom. It means onyx, like the rock. Like my father’s name, it comes from Hebrew, and like my father’s name, as I’ve discovered, there are about 1,000 different ways to pronounce it in English, none of them quite correct. A friend asked me recently if it felt like I was denying something about my identity when I didn’t fight for my name. I told him I didn’t know. I don’t remember when I stopped giving my name in situations when I didn’t have to. I come from a family of unpronounceable names, and it’s second nature to me at this point. When I started college, I began to think about it again. A few weeks after meeting my roommate for the first time, we went out for lunch together. I, as I usually do, gave the person at the register the name Anne, my middle name. My roommate wasn’t really listening, but she caught it out of the corner of her ear and looked at me, both a little confused and distressed.
We’d only known each other for a few weeks, and she, to her credit, is both an incredibly nice person and someone who put genuine effort into learning my name without having to ask. And so I explained, like I’ve done for a long time: It’s my middle name. My real name — Shoham, Sho-hom, s h o h a m — is too complicated to be scrawled on the side of an order or mangled by a Noodles and Co. employee, not worth my energy or time for a five-second interaction across the counter. A name seems like such a small thing to think about, and it is. But it’s also a lifelong accumulation of hundreds of phone calls with secretaries, moments with friends and encounters with teachers, spelling out my name, explaining how to pronounce my name, getting blank stares at my name, and that isn’t small. A lot of my favorite moments are tied not to my full name, but to the nicknames people have built out of it over the past 19 years. A series of sports coaches, calling out Sho’am down the field, in the stretch of time before my height advantage and accompanying goalie/basketball stardom faded. The way people tend to find their way to Shosho, and how it sounds different from each one of them — my best friend at 2 a.m. over the phone every night we spent studying senior year, my little sister when she’s feeling sassy. The group of friends I met over our sleep-deprived Welcome Week freshman year who all call me Sho.
These names come with the person, the relationship, the territory, and I like all (read: most) of them because of that. But I’ve never specifically offered these substitutes up when people struggle with my name, though I like (almost) all of them. I’ve never gone by Anne full time either, though I thought about it when I started high school, and again when I started college. I don’t fight for my name because it’s so very often not worth it, but I have stuck by it. When I come home, my parents, native Hebrew speakers both, call me Shoham, sho-hom, s h o h a m. They pronounce it better than I ever have, or probably ever will. For a long time, that didn’t mean much to me, but then I left for college and it started meaning something more — my name started feeling like home. A home I don’t share with baristas, or Noodles and Co. employees, but something important, something special, my culture and my family, all wrapped up into one. I joke a lot that should I have kids, I’ll give them shitty (read: similarly unpronounceable) names to build character. And I might. But I’ll do it with the knowledge that although it might take a long time for it to mean something — to come with a relationship, a territory, a person — in the end, it will at the very least mean family. Even if it’s just family solidarity in lying to Starbucks baristas.
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Wednesday, January 28, 2015 // The Statement
VISUAL STATEMENT: R A R A R A AS
Photo Story by Amanda Allen
The Carnegie Mellon University Raas team, Raasta, celebrates its first-place win.
Kinesiology sophomore Nishi Kadakia waits for the performance to begin.
The Bentley University Raas team, BizRaas, performs.
If you have never seen a Raas team in action, I would highly recommend it. On Saturday, I followed the teams competing in the Dandia Dhamaka Raas Competition, a competition between univer≠≠sities from across the United States in traditional Indian dance. Competitors, including Carnegie Mellon University and Standford University, prepared their elaborate make-up and costumes at a nearby hotel and were bused to the Michigan Theater, where the event was held. Each team combined their costumes and props to fit a theme that they conveyed through dance with enthusiasm and high energy.
The Carnegie Mellon University Raas team, Raasta, does last-minute preparations for its performance.
The Michigan State University Raas team, RaaSparty, performs its boot camp-themed dance.
The Stanford University Raas Team, Basmati Raas, performs.