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TRANSPORTATION
Legality of Uber, Lyft 2 in A still unresolved Taxi cab drivers express grievances at lack of rideshare service regulation By LARA MOEHLMAN Daily Staff Reporter
Across Michigan, local governments have placed regulations on two prominent rideshare companies operating in the state, Uber and Lyft. However, breaking from that trend, this past August the Ann Arbor City Council did not pass proposed regulations that would have placed significant restrictions on these rideshare services, requiring drivers to register with the city, provide proof of insurance and obtain a valid chauffeur’s license, among other regulations. No action has been taken on the issue since, leaving their status in Ann Arbor uncertain. Councilmember Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) voted against the proposed regulations. Briere said she opposed them because she believes that the Ann Arbor City Council has not yet figured
out how to properly handle the operating models of companies like Uber and Lyft. “Part of the reason we struggled with this is because the only model we have is an old model that doesn’t respond to modern technology,” Briere said. Rather, she said the ordinance proposed in August treated rideshare services as if they were taxi services, instead of a separate entity. “Trying to make (Uber) operate like a taxi would destroy it,” Briere said. Though she acknowledged that Uber has received negative press, she said there are distinct benefits to having an accessible rideshare service that doesn’t require a reservation an hour in advance. “All of the people I have spoken with who use Uber have felt comfortable and safe — which is not to suggest that every driver is perfectly vetted — I don’t know whether they are or aren’t,” she said. “It’s not to guarantee that every driver in every place that deals with Uber specifically is properly trained and has a properly safe vehicle, because I can’t guarantee those things either. I See UBER, Page 3
PREVIEW
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Rackham graduate student Alison Carey performs during Uma Noite Brasileira at the Ford School of Public Policy on Thursday.
Experiential learning class plans spring trip to Brazil Students focus coursework on cultural, academic exploration By WILL GREENBERG Daily News Editor
Add this to the list of nominees for coolest class of the year. A group of 22 graduate students have been working since last semester on creating their
own experiential learning class. Called the International Economic Development Program, the class is through the Ford School of Public Policy’s International Policy Student Association, and each year consists of class work in Ann Arbor followed by a spring break trip to a foreign country selected by the students. This year the group is going to Brazil. The group, consisting mostly of Public Policy students but also law and natural resource and environment students, is in the
Obama pushes for student tax credit changes
Ann Arbor could join municipalities in support of samesex marriage
White House proposal part of effort to aid lowincome families
By LARA MOEHLMAN
By ANASTASSIOS ADAMOPOULUS
Daily Staff Reporter
At the Ann Arbor City Council meeting Monday, members will discuss filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in the DeBoer v. Snyder case, along with the construction of an airport solar installation and a resolution to approve zoning changes for a new Plum Market. Amicus brief In January 2012, Hazel Park couple April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse filed a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s ban on adoption by same-sex couples because they wanted to adopt each other’s children. Several months after, the couple changed their suit to instead challenge Michigan’s overall ban on same-sex marriage at the invitation of U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman. In March of last year, Friedman ruled that Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, leading to a brief 24-hour period in the state where roughly 300 marriages were performed. However, the decision See CITY COUNCIL, Page 3
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 32 LO: 13
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Artist Rebecca Lambers speaks at her opening reception, Reflection on Place, at the School of Natural Resources and Environment Art & Environment Gallery on Thursday.
BUSINESS
New organization aims to increase financial literacy ‘U’ sophomores form Moneythink chapter, partner with local school By SAMANTHA WINTNER For the Daily
After nine months of preparations, the national organization Moneythink has made its Michigan debut at Skyline High School in Ann Arbor. The group, launched in the wake of the 2008 economic
recession, is dedicated to providing a financial education to high school students through college partnerships. Co-presidents Dillon Stuart, a Business sophomore, and Greg Lobel, an LSA sophomore, have been working since April 2014 to bring the organization to the University. Stuart said one of the program teaches students important financial literacy skills that they might not receive elsewhere. “We’re teaching them some things that I don’t think you would normally get from any
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high school curriculum, like how to choose a bank, and what’s important about that,” she said. Lobel initially contacted the national organization and learned they had been interested in starting a chapter at the University for a while. He then approached Stuart about starting the chapter, and with the help of their adviser, Economics Lecturer Mitchell Dudley, and the national organization. Soon, the vision became a reality. Along with a leadership See MONEYTHINK, Page 3
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The trip is estimated to cost between $45,000 and $50,000 total and the primary funding comes from the Ford School, the International Institute, the William Davidson Institute, the Graham Sustainability Institute and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. The guests Thursday included Ford School Dean Susan Collins, who said the IEDP program was a valuable part of the school. “It’s wonderful that students put together the program to eduSee BRAZIL, Page 3
GOVERNMENT
REFLECTION RECEPTION
City Council set to discuss amicus brief to SCOTUS
process of studying the country, organizing the trip and raising money to pay for their travels. The class hosted a Brazilian cultural night Thursday—“Uma Noite Brasileira”— both as a fundraiser and educational event for the campus. Lessons on Brazilian dance, a performance from the Vencedores Samba Bateria drumline and Brazil trivia drew a small crowd to the Ford School great hall. The group generated “a couple hundred bucks” in donations.
INDEX
Daily Staff Reporter
Several education initiatives announced by President Barack Obama in his annual State of the Union address earlier this month have garnered both negative and positive reactions from the higher education community. During the address, Obama announced his intention to both expand the American Opportunity Tax Credit beyond 2017 and to establish two years of free tuition for community college. The AOTC is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. It was originally set to expire in 2017, but the president’s proposal calls for making it a permanent part of the tax code. Students who want to use the AOTC must be paying tuition and/or book expenses. To be eligible, the student’s parents or guardians need to make less than $80,000 if they are a single parent or under $160,000 if there are two parents filing a joint tax. A student can earn a credit of up to $2,500 per year. This
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amount would consist of 100 percent of the first $2,000 paid on tuition or books and up to 25 percent of the next $2,000. Furthermore, 40 percent of the tax credit is refundable if the total amount of taxes is lower than the credit amount received. The president is also proposing to make this refundable amount up to $1,500 on a fixed rather than a percentage scale. Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of the Edvisors Network, an organization that consults parents and students on managing college expenses, said tax subsidies have some benefits, but do not target many students in the most effective manner. He added that middle and lower-high income students mostly enjoy AOTC benefits. Instead, he said, more effective relief for lower-income students, who the president identified as a target population for his reforms, can be found through the Higher Education Act. The Higher Education Act is the mechanism through which federal financial aid programs such as Pell Grants are regulated. “If they wanted to really target this at low-income students, the people who have the need, what they should do is get rid of the American Opportunity Tax Credit, the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit and Tuition and Fees Deduction and take the 16 or 17 See SOTU, Page 3
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SPORTS......................7 SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6
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2 — Friday, January 30, 2015
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THE FILTER
Empire gains higher ratings BY ALEX INTNER
The series, which experienced an unprecedented growth in ratings in its first three weeks on the air, got a preliminary tune-in from 11.3 million viewers and 4.3 percent of the 18-49 demographic to tune in.
THE FILTER
Supernatural episode recap BY KIM BATCHELOR
Dean and Charlie struggle with their dark sides in “No place like home.” The week’s episode begins in media res. A man, who has been beaten and tied up, runs from his attacker in a suburban neighborhood.
LEFT LSA junior Randal Smith models at the ninth annual EnspiRED fashion show at the Biomedical Science and Research Building on Saturday. (Robert Dunne/Daily) RIGHT Rackham student Rohan Moraikar and University alum Gary Ciarkowski train in the ancient Japanese martial art form of Bujinkan Budo as part of the Michigan Ninjutsu Club at the IM Building on Wednesday. (Andrew Cohen/Daily)
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Life writing WHAT: This conference will explore the ways in which writing about the self (“life writing”) has evolved in the digital age, with a focus on gender and race. WHO: Institute for Research on Women and Gender WHEN: Today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. WHERE: Lane Hall
Science & symphony
‘Fury’ screening
WHAT: M-Flicks will present a free screening of the new movie ‘Fury,’ WHAT: Alum José Francisco Salgado will speak starring Brad Pitt. The event about his collaboration with will be open to the general orchestras, composers, and public. WHO: M-Flicks/ chamber musicians for his visuals about the universe. Undergraduate Activities Center WHO: Department of WHEN: Today at 7 p.m. Astronomy WHERE: Natural Science WHEN: Today at 7 p.m. Auditorium WHERE: Alumni Center
‘Absent Matter’ Ecology lecture Tobacco in WHAT: This workshop WHAT: Prof. Peter Levi of India will explore the challenge historians facewhen dealing with questions of absence and erasure, and will feature a number of professors participating in a panel discussion. This event will be open to the general public, as well. WHO: Eisenberg Institute for Historical Studies WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. WHERE: Tisch Hall
the University of Wisconsin will present the results of his efforts to evaluate the effectiveness of stream restoration and ecological state in urban watersheds near Milwaukee, WI. WHO: Cooperative Institure for Limnology and Ecosystems Research WHEN: Today at 3:30 p.m. WHERE: Dana Natural Resources Building
WHAT: Dr. Ritesh Mistry will speak about adolescent tobacco use in India. WHO: Center for South Asian Studies WHEN: Today from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@ michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
Dartmouth College President Phil Hanlon announced a universitywide ban on hard alcohol, a mandatory four-year sexual violence prevention program and a code of conduct that will take effect the spring term, The Dartmouth reported.
2
The Michigan women’s basketball team fell to No. 5 Maryland on Thursday night, 91-65. And on the men’s side, senior forward Max Bielfeldt has adapted well to his newfound responsibilites as a team leader. >> FOR MORE, SEE SPORTS PAGE 8
3
A natural gas explosion occurred near a maternity hospital in Mexico City Thursday, injuring more than 60 people and killing at least two. An unknwon number of people are also still trapped in the debris, CNN reported.
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The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
University leads effort to digitize thousands of Old English texts Project aims to add 40,000 more works to online archive by the year 2020 BY NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT Daily Staff Reporter
After a 16-year Universityled effort, the earliest printed texts of modern era writers will now be available online and for free. The University Library, the University of Oxford’s Bodleian Libraries and the company ProQuest have collaborated to make more than 25,000 texts printed between 1473 to 1700 available through the University of Michigan library’s website. According to a press release, this effort is only the first phase of the Early English Books Online Text Creation
Partnership, which began in 1999. In an interview Thursday, Aaron McCollough, editorial director for Michigan Publishing, said the texts that will be available include Shakespeare, Chaucer and Homer. “The selection process focused on books that were already believed to be very important, for which high demand would exist,” McCollough said. “The works of famous 17th century playwrights, prominent philosophers, sermon literature —there are around 25,000 of the ‘Greatest Hits,’ in a way, of the 17th century.” ProQuest, an Ann Arborbased company, created scanned images of these texts in 1999 and published them as a database called Early English Books Online, but was unable to reproduce them into searchable digital texts.
The entire effort across the libraries involved a process called double-keying, in which two different people type in, character by character, the letters from the print documents. A program called optical character recognition can transcribe modern printed works, but older texts contain different fonts that the program can’t recognize. The Council on Library and Information Resources, Jisc, a digital solutions charity, and more than 160 other libraries also partnered in the project. McCollough said the international collaboration is one of the first of its kind. “It also is a kind of revolutionary funding model for a big knowledge project in humanities — this idea of (sic) consortial collaboration, of multiple libraries contributing a feasible amount of money to a project so that something is made possible that wouldn’t be possible for any single library to fund,” McCollough said. “That kind of model is being replicated in other contexts, but this is one of the first big projects like that.” Overall, McCollough said the project will be vitally important for English culture as a whole. “This was a very important thing in terms of free culture and preserving what is a fundamental set of texts in the history of English-language culture,” McCollough said. “It’s also a very large set of humanities data that can be mined and repurposed for digital humanities projects, and this is one of the great promises of the material at this point: to see what scholars will do with these texts in the digital realm.” The project hopes to release an additional 40,000 texts for public consumption by 2020.
PAUL SANCYA/AP
Homeowners sit in a conference room in Detroit’s Cobo Center while waiting for their cases to be heard to avoid foreclosure from tax debts in Detroit, Thursday, Jan. 29.
Foreclosure hearings draw many Detroit homeowners Cobo Center conference room fills with hopeful citizens
DETROIT (AP) — Hundreds of Detroit homeowners in danger of losing their properties flocked Thursday to hearings that offered a last-ditch chance to avoid foreclosure and to keep the houses from adding to the city’s already huge glut of vacant dwellings. The homeowners nearly filled a long conference room in Detroit’s Cobo Center while waiting for their cases to be heard. Many hoped to work out payment plans to ease their tax debts under new laws signed this month by Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. “Everybody does have a story. Most of them are probably true, because you couldn’t make them up if you try,” said Eric Sabree, Wayne County’s deputy treasurer of land management. Officials expect more than 14,000 property owners to seek help over seven days of hearings that run through Feb.
6. “We have to collect taxes by law ... but we definitely do not want to take the property,” Sabree said. “We want to show options that people have to save their properties.” More than 60,000 of the county’s 76,000 foreclosed properties are in Detroit, threatening neighborhoods that have yet to recover from the national mortgage crisis. About $326 million in taxes, interest and fees are owed on the foreclosed homes, lots and other buildings in Detroit. Mapping data shows that about 37,000 of those properties are occupied. “One of the reasons why we want people to stay in their homes is because when they become abandoned, they get stripped. They become a crime scene. They become a drug house,” Sabree said. “It’s better to let the person stay in the house and collect taxes even if it takes longer to collect the money.” Mourice Neal was looking for just a little help. His tax bill is $4,900 on a home he bought in 2013 on Detroit’s North End. Paying that amount would
dangerously stretch what he receives in Social Security payments. “It’s a good process. They are looking at my income,” said Neal, who is 46. But Thomas Jackson left his hearing without knowing if anything could be done with the $27,000 tax bill on his home in northwest Detroit. He said he was told special consideration was needed to get a payment plan. He has another hearing next month. “They told me they can’t help me here,” said Jackson, 40, who has not paid taxes on his home since 2012, when he lost his automotive job. He has since found a new job and wants to keep the house he bought in 2009, but said losing it would not be the end of the world. “I’m working now. I can find somewhere else,” he said. Regina Lee, 50, went to the hearing ready to pay the $1,200 owed on two lots that sandwich the home she grew up in. She said she was unaware her nowdeceased grandmother listed her as owner of the lots until a relative received a foreclosure notice from the county.
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NEWS BRIEFS
UBER From Page 1
LANSING
Legislator proposes law to make assault on a referee a felony A state senator is sponsoring legislation to make it a felony to assault a referee or other official at a sporting event in Michigan. Detroit Democrat Morris Hood III said he decided to propose the law after referees in southeastern Michigan approached him in the aftermath of soccer referee John Bieniewicz’s death at an adult league game in Livonia last summer. Bassel Saad, a player ejected from the game, goes on trial Feb. 23 on a second-degree murder charge.
WYOMING, Mich.
Police officer shot in stomach during response to dispute A western Michigan police officer and a man who opened fire on officers in a community near Grand Rapids have been wounded. Wyoming police Chief James Carmody tells WOOD-TV that the officers were responding to a domestic dispute Thursday afternoon when the man shot one of them. Carmody says officers returned fire, striking the man. His name hasn’t been released. WZZM-TV reports that the officer was shot in the abdomen and says the man who shot him was hospitalized in serious condition. Neighbors tell WZZM-TV that they heard as many as 40 shots.
WEST PALM BEACH
Treasure hunter eluded police with cash and tradecraft A deep-sea treasure hunter who vanished during a court fight over his $50 million haul of gold bars and coins eluded capture by hiding in a two-room hotel suite under a fake name, paying for everything in cash and keeping a low-profile, authorities said Thursday. When Tommy Thompson and his longtime companion did leave the hotel room, usually alone and her more than him, they would use a combination of buses, taxis and walking around to shake anyone who might be tailing them. Thompson, 62, was wanted after he failed to appear in an Ohio courtroom in 2012 in a lawsuit about the gold he brought up in 1988 from a 19th century shipwreck. Two investors who had funded Thompson’s dream to find the shipwreck sued, as did some of his crew members, who said they also had been cheated out of their share.
LOS ANGELES
Suspect charged in disappearance of Fox film executive A convicted drug dealer was charged Thursday with the murder of a 20th Century Fox executive, who mysteriously disappeared more than two years ago and whose remains were found in a northern Los Angeles County desert area in October. John Lenzie Creech, 42, was charged Thursday with 57-yearold Gavin Smith’s death, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. Smith was last seen leaving a female friend’s home in Ventura County’s Oak Park neighborhood on May 1, 2012. Hikers discovered the remains about 70 miles away, near Palmdale in the Antelope Valley, on Oct. 26, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said. Smith was with Fox’s movie distribution department for nearly 18 years. He was also a former UCLA basketball player and had three children. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
can only say that every rider with whom I’ve spoken to felt safe.” Safety questions surrounding Uber’s operation is just one facet of the Uber controversy, which has emerged internationally as well. In Ann Arbor, local taxi service owners and operators have raised financial concerns in addition to the safety concerns raised by members of the community and City Council. Merlyn Wade, owner of Ann Arbor Cab, has been in the taxi business for almost 30 years. He submitted a five-page testimony to state legislators, outlining the flaws in a Michigan House of Representatives bill proposed in December. The bill called for statewide mandatory permits, insurance and screening for drivers for services such as Uber and Lyft. Wade said, if passed, the bill would have allowed Uber to con-
CITY COUNCIL From Page 1 was stayed a day later, meaning no more same-sex marriages could be performed in the state pending an appeal by the state to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. In November, the Sixth Circuit reversed the district court’s decision, upholding the state’s ban. Following the Sixth Circuit decision, DeBoer and Rowse appealed their case to the Supreme Court. Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to take up the case, consolidating it with three other similar cases from other states in the Sixth Circuit. The Ann Arbor City Council will vote on Monday to decide whether or not Ann Arbor will be listed as a “Supporting Municipality” in this Supreme Court case. By approving the listing, Coun-
MONEYTHINK From Page 1 team, the group currently has more than a dozen mentors. Business sophomore Lauren Dodge, one of the mentors, said the organization gives her to pursue objectives outside of her academic path. “I always had a passion for business and I was torn between whether I wanted to go into business or I wanted to go into teaching,” Dodge said. “So when I heard about Moneythink, I realized that it combined both of my passions.” At Skyline High School, the group mentors a class of seniors in the school’s three-year business magnet program. Michelle Wargo, a business, marketing and information technology teacher at Skyline, who leads the program, said students have voiced positive feedback about the program so far. “Financial literacy is really important, and I think wherever they can get that is great,” Wargo said. “And they get the best of both worlds with this program — they get to have mentors in college and they get to bond with them over other things as well, plus learn financial literacy.”
SOTU From Page 1 billion dollars, whatever the figure is, and redirect it to the Pell Grant program” Kantrowitz said. The University’s Office of Financial Aid said they couldn’t say how many students use the AOTC because those deductions are filed through IRS, not the University. In light of the president’s second proposal, which would make two years of community college free, Kantrowitz noted that in community colleges — where more than half of the students are typically lower income — tuition is already effectively free because they already use the Pell Grant and AOTC. Thus, the president’s second proposal would lead to low-income students using less of the credit they would be eligible for under AOTC. “So that would actually lead to a decrease in the tax credits used
News tinue operating the same way it has been, without following regulations taxicabs have to follow. “They would have been able to operate without a chauffeur’s license, without commercial insurance, without commercial plating,” he said. He added that those rules are put in place to protect both the passenger and the driver in a taxi. “They might seem archaic, but they’re there for a reason,” Wade said. “And the rules and the regulations that we have to follow out here are not excessive.” Wade also noted the unfair advantage he sees in the Uber business model. “I have a wife who’s terminally ill and I’ve got five children I’m trying to feed, and I follow the rules and I come out here, just like my drivers do, and these guys are allowed to come out here and operate illegally, and take food off the table of my family? How is that right?” Wade said. “I don’t have a problem with Uber doing business. I have a
problem with Uber not following the same rules everybody else follows,” he added. John Etter, president of Blue Cab Company, expressed similar views. His cab company pays $5,000 to $10,000 per car a year. “To have a competitor that doesn’t have to pay that? That doesn’t seem right,” Etter said. Etter said he has seen business suffer as a result of Uber, especially with the student market on weekend nights. In response to the new technology Uber on which operates, Etter said Blue Cab is working to develop an app of its own, which would allow customers to see where the cars are and keep their credit cards on file. While taxi companies attribute a drop in customers due to Uber, Ann Arbor taxis themselves are not immune to safety concerns from the community. In 2013, the Ann Arbor News reported a Blue Cab taxi driver was arraigned for two misdemeanor assault and battery charges after a female customer reported he kissed her.
cil members will state that the city is in favor of legalization of samesex marriage in the state. Solar installation Council members will also discuss a resolution to approve a license agreement with DTE Energy to build a solar installation at the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport. If passed, the city will grant DTE the use of Ann Arbor city property to install and operate photovoltaic systems. Photovoltaic systems, which consist of solar panels and solar converters, are sources of usable solar power. If the resolution passes, the system will be installed in two phases. The contract states that the installation will be completed on or before December 31, 2017. Plum Market Rezoning and Site Plan The Ann Arbor Planning Commission has outlined a rezoning and site plan for the potential
opening of a Plum Market on Plymouth Road. Plum Market, which also has a store on North Maple Road, sells groceries with an emphasis on local and organic products. The proposal is to rezone 2.96 acres from their designation as a Planned Unit Development district to a C3, Fringe Commercial district, which would permit the existing 25,000 sq. ft. building on the land to be used as a grocery store. The plan also proposes the construction of a 4,639 square foot addition to the building’s north side, as well as an outdoor patio. Construction costs are estimated to be $300,000. The plan also recommended that the retail center be accessible to pedestrians. In addition, it encouraged mass transit access and a reduction of the demand for parking. Bicycle lanes and sidewalks were also recommended on both sides of Plymouth Road.
At the beginning of each week, Stuart and Lobel teach mentors curriculum for the upcoming Friday. The national team provides individual lesson topics to help guide each chapter, but there is some flexibility based on student interest, Dodge said. “We mend the curriculum to keep them engaged and make the topics relatable to their lives,” she said. Because the Skyline students are enrolled in a business program, most have already had some exposure to financial knowledge and skills, either from their parents or jobs, Stuart said. “Especially (because) the lessons we’ve had so far have been pretty easy, we want to make sure they’re still engaged and taking it seriously,” Stuart said. “So we’ve been stepping it up a bit, and combining two lessons into one.” The organization also uses a smartphone application that encourages students to practice the skills they’ve learned outside of the classroom. One week, students were asked to take a picture of their bank. The next, they were asked to take pictures of purchases they spent money and saved money on, and to elaborate on whether or not those were good purchases. Moneythink uses a point sys-
tem to incentivize out-of-class participation: each time students do these tasks they earn points, and at the end of the semester the group that has earned the most points will win a prize. Before Moneythink started at Skyline, its mentors also underwent an orientation that taught them how to serve as effective role models to the high school students, rather than just a friend. “Moneythink emphasizes the mentor role,” Stuart said. “So, one mentor will have a group of students, and it’s the same mentor going back to the same students every week. This way, they develop a pretty strong relationship.” Mentors usually work with groups no larger than four students to allow for this relationship to develop. Stuart said she and Lobel are currently working on reaching out to both Huron and Pioneer High Schools in Ann Arbor to hopefully expand the program. Their ultimate goal is to have one or two partner schools in Detroit by fall 2016. “In Ann Arbor, it’s not the first time (the students) are hearing about (financial planning),” Stuart said. “We want to have a good understanding of what we’re doing before we reach out to a school that needs us a bit more.”
by low-income students despite the expansion of the amount for which they are eligible,” Kantrowitz said. “It’s difficult to say what the impact would be, but I believe it sounds good on paper, but the reality after implementation might be substantially different.” Peter Riley Bahr, associate professor of education at the University, said reducing the cost of college is an important goal, as cheaper or free tuition makes access to higher education easier. However, he also noted that tuitions are not the only costs community college students incur, as many of them face living expenses, family and childcare responsibilities. “We have to remember that making a college less expensive is a good thing but it’s not a complete solution to the financial barriers that students face,” he said. Bahr noted that students who enroll in community college do so for a diverse range of reasons. Some students are not full time
and not all are seeking to complete credentials, but may be retraining and getting certificates and licenses. Therefore, the way the program is implemented is also important. “I would hate to see free college with strings attached, like ‘You must be a full time student, you must be these other things,’ that may or may not fit, or will not fit the college going model for some segments of the population,” he said. Bahr said he’s not optimistic that the legislature actually implements the plan due to the political climate, but praised Obama for highlighting the issue. “He has done many things well, but one thing he has done really well in his administration is draw attention to the value and significance of community colleges in our society today,” Bahr said. “There is no question that community colleges are playing a larger educational training role in our society and our economy.”
Friday, January 30, 2015 — 3
BRAZIL From Page 1 cate people on Brazil culture and have this lovely evening,” she said. The IEDP class curriculum and trip itinerary were planned entirely by the students. Students applied to the program last September and have been organizing the class since November 2013. They will be in Brazil for the duration of spring break. Chanera Pierce, a Public Policy graduate student, said the IEPD program was the reason she chose the University in the first place. “One of the most attractive features was the opportunity to not only critically examine a country but to actually visit,” Pierce said. “I saw that and I was like, ‘One, I will be at this school; two, I am going to do this program.’ ” Rory Pulvino, a dual-degree graduate student in Law and Public Policy, is group president and said the IEDP program also drew him to the school. Pulvino said Brazil’s wide array of socio-economic populations paired well with his interest in economic development abroad— compelling him to propose Brazil originally. The goal for the class is to learn about Brazil’s policies through direct contact with the country’s stakeholders. Students are researching five focus areas — economic development, social welfare, environmental issues, urban planning and security — and producing policy analysis papers following their visit. Pulvino said the group will meet with representatives from Brazilian organizations like the Ministry of Cities, the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation and the Ministry of Social Development, among others. “I’m interested in land issues, property issues and natural resource management and Brazil obviously has a lot of these issues,” he said. “They have the Amazon, which is obviously a massive global natural resource that needs to be managed, hopefully correctly. They also have urban issues that are very interesting, especially in terms of property laws.” Matthew Manning, a Public Policy graduate student, was one of the members who worked on creating the original syllabus for the class. He said it was important to both educate everyone on Brazil before the trip, as well as prepare the group with skills like public speaking. He said the prospect of getting final papers published is also appealing to many in the group. Also included in the curriculum are frequent posts to a public blog and presentations to the class on students’ respective Brazil research. “The website right now, what we want, our vision for it is to be kind of like a resource on just Brazil in general to build up a following of people,” Manning said. “We wanted to incorporate a strong writing element. And of course presentation skills are very important in a professional environment so we wanted to also have this presentation.” While still in Ann Arbor, the group is contacting to experts on Brazil and urban issues to learn from first-hand sources. Manning said he recently scheduled for Paulo Sotero, director of the Wilson Center’s Brazil Institute in Washington, D.C., to visit in February. Though the IEDP program has run since 2000 — with students traveling to countries like China, Peru, Jordan and others — this year’s trip is made unique by its advising professor: Public Policy Prof. Melvyn Levitsky, who was
the U.S. ambassador to Brazil from 1994 to 1998. His resume also includes serving on the United Nations Economic and Social Council and other senior-level positions throughout a 35-year career as a diplomat. Levitsky, who surprised guests Thursday with a rendition of “The Girl From Ipanema,” said he hopes to offer an extra level of insight to the students from his own experiences in Brazil. Levitsky said another goal for the trip is outreach to the community, establishing connections with organizations to create a two-way street of collaboration between Brazil and the University. He said he hopes to encourage students in the area to apply to the University and also establish an internship opportunity for current University students this summer—a common goal of each IEDP program. Manning, Burdette and Pierce all said Brazil actually shares similar racial and social issues to the United States, both today and throughout history. However, they said most Americans are unfamiliar with those parallels. These topics include police brutality, racial tensions and poverty in the favelas, or Brazilian slums. Pierce has already done research on Brazil’s social policies. She said her report on Brazil’s “Minha Casa Minha Vida” (My House My Life) national housing policy gives her a head start on exploring the country next month. More specifically, Pierce is interested in further exploring the country’s racial tensions and how the laws affect Afro-Brazilians. “Just because they didn’t have a formal and institutionalized policy that supported discrimination does not mean their ongoing policies did not implicitly support discrimination,” she said. “So, you have the Black community having the lowest literacy rates, or they are largely not employed in white-collar positions.” Another interest for many students is the economic impact of the 2016 Rio Olympics. Manning and others explained how opposition groups to the Olympics have sprouted following the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with many Brazilians seeing the event as doing more financial harm than good for the population as a whole after mismanagement and possible corruption. Manning said he’s looking into arranging meetings with both the Olympic committee and opposition groups in Rio. Levitsky said he’s also excited for the students to work through the planning process of a diplomatic trip. “If somebody’s doing a trip, like the President of the United States, to the director of a section in a non-governmental organization, the trip is not for fun. They’re going to find out and try to learn how, actually, Brazil has done quite a bit better in terms of growth—although the last couple years aren’t as good—than so many other countries.” According to the CIA World Factbook, Brazil ranked eighth globally in gross domestic product in 2013. Many of the students in the class said their peers who are less familiar with the country tend to short sell its success, considering it a “developing” country rather than a major global force. “In reality, it’s a much more complex story on the ground,” said Lauren Burdette, a Public Policy graduate student. “If you don’t actually learn the history of a country and learn what’s actually happening on the ground, you run the danger of making a lot of assumptions of what life is actually like there and assumptions can make really bad policy.”
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Opinion
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On squirrels
ast week brought perhaps the holiest day to our campus, a day of reverence and devotion for the furry friends that scamper around us. Yes, Squirrel Appreciation Day had arrived, and for the one place in the world where the usual DAVID nuisances are HARRIS daily acquaintances, this day was a reminder of just how weird campus really is sometimes. It was a day celebrated on the University’s official Instagram with a post by two people in squirrel masks hilariously giving random hugs and high fives to students on the Diag, courtesy of the brilliant people behind @umich_squirrels. With an official mascot no longer existing in the wild in our own state, it seems we have turned to some other furred quadrupedal creature to suit our needs. We’ve replaced one of the most ferocious creatures in the wild — the wolverine — with another whose biggest claim to fame is bringing down the NASDAQ Stock Market twice by being electrocuted from running on power lines. Then not only do we make enough of a spectacle about squirrels that one of our librarians has taken 11,000 pictures of them, but we create an official school club dedicated to feeding them. I had tenuous relationships with squirrels before coming to college. They went to terrorizing lengths to gain entrance in the trash cans in our garage, to the point where we had to trap them in our own yard and release them at a park. I once hit too many wiffle balls over the fence when I was a kid, and knowing I would get grounded, I
decided to blame it on squirrels stealing all the balls instead. Another time, one got trapped in our garage while we were gone on vacation and over a few days went full X-Men Wolverine and clawed a full two inches through brick trying to get out. Perhaps the strangest was the day I got home from school and was met face to face with a squirrel just chilling on my living room couch — still can’t explain that one. So arriving on campus and watching the ballooned versions of the creatures that people in my neighborhood once killed with rat poison was perhaps the largest culture shock I would experience. While Ann Arbor is full of college students subsiding on the ramen noodle diet, the most well fed creatures in our city were football-shaped rodents with a bushy tail. It defied all common sense, but so have squirrels for the greater course of their relationship with humans. Back home, squirrel roadkill was regular enough that you were bound to see one every block, with rotating animal control trucks coming to shovel them up. One would think that natural selection would eventually cause the demise of squirrels dumb enough to dart directly into the path of a moving car, but nope, the miracle of nature finds a way again. The squirrels here in Ann Arbor escape explanation for all the opposite reasons. During football season, SBNation writer Spencer Hall took his first trip to Ann Arbor to cover a game and the first thing he tweeted was “First Michigan observation: BOLD SQUIRRELS.” I had a friend from North Carolina visit for the first time over the summer,
and the first thing he did when we walked into the Diag was spend 10 straight minutes running after our squirrels trying to catch one. He failed. I asked a lot of hard questions. How are the squirrels so revered here? What did they do to deserve it? If God made everything, did he really make squirrels too? What is the meaning of squirrel life? How can I become aware to this fullness of truth in devotion to this campus wildlife? I grappled with questioning this existential reality. I tried buying a Michigan Squirrels shirt. I even tried to feed one once, but it wouldn’t come near me, perhaps sensing my apprehension. I looked up to the trees and asked them to speak of meaning and answers to the continual confusion. It hit me one day. I was walking through the Diag, heard a snap and looked up once more to the trees. Falling from the skies was both a large branch and just behind it a squirrel. And it hit me. The squirrel hit my shoulder, rolled off onto the walkway, and scampered away as I stood there in awe. Every day I still walk through campus and stare at the squirrels, forever in awe that however round they may be, they can still scurry up and down trees with such swiftness. Some things just have to be experienced and left unexplainable, perhaps something even as inconsequential as our squirrels.
The most well fed creatures are footballshaped rodents with a busy tail.
— David Harris can be reached at daharr@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 KIRK ACHARYA | VIEWPOINT
T
Selma is now
his past week, my friends and I saw the movie “Selma” (now in theaters near you!). The movie is based on the marches for voting rights during the peak of MARIS the Civil Rights Move- HARMON ment of the 1960s. These marches, which spanned from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, were led by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, and ultimately encouraged the passing of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The movie is directed by Ava DuVernay, the first Black female director to be nominated for a Golden Globe Award and the first Black woman to win the Best Director Prize at Sundance Film Festival. While the original script was written by Paul Webb, a British white man, a woman of color was wisely chosen to direct the film. “Selma” is a beautiful film with a triumphant message: When we organize and unite in nonviolent protest, we can create a significant difference in this country. We can work against racial injustice and prevail with new civil rights, such as the Voting Rights Act. Yet with some basic knowledge of American current events, there is also a deeper, more jarring message coded throughout the film: Selma is now. I am a white female. I am an ally of the movement and cannot claim these struggles as my own. But the movement for justice among all races — that is everyone’s political issue. Silence is violence, and we must learn from the evolution of movements that have come before us. I write this article because “Selma” reminded me that we have not come this far just to historicize the Civil Rights Movement while we munch on popcorn and slurp Coca-Cola (not that popcorn and Coke are bad ideas). Rather, we must use it as fuel to continue our (painfully) slow but steady evolution towards equality. As I watched the film, I couldn’t help but
relate so many of the scenes to modern-day battles in the fight for equality. Even the mostbrutal of scenes in “Selma” seemed to trigger the thought of some modern struggle. As protestors in the movie were gassed, beaten, whipped and just generally violently attacked by police officers on the road to Montgomery, who wasn’t thinking of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Eric Garner in New York and all of the people of color publicized in the papers recently that have been attacked or killed by law enforcement officers? Peaceful protests against police brutality in Berkeley, California were met with even more police brutality. A man who honked his horn at police officers blocking his driveway was beaten and tased. The current criminal justice system has been called the new Jim Crow. It has been compared in many logical ways to the systemic oppression of slavery. The “war against drugs” has sent millions into the complex, most of them people of color. We continue desperate efforts to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline. Schools are legally segregating due to income disparities and the increasing wealth gap. We are still fighting our way from Selma to Montgomery. We are still fighting for the safety of Black children on the street. We speak of the nuances of white privilege and the invisible backpack, and this is all very important and true. But there is also the matter of the visible anvil resting heavily on everyone’s back, one that forces us to deal with matters of life and death, slavery and freedom, imprisonment and justice. We have come a long way, and that should not be denied or forgotten. But many of our institutional forms of oppression have simply taken another form. The fight is not over, and while we ponder the real ingredients in the artificially buttered popcorn of our dark movie theater, we must also ponder the “Selma” of today. Selma is now.
Who wasn’t thinking of Michael Brown and Eric Garner?
Ban solitary confinement “When I walked out of Angola, I didn’t realize how permanently the experience of solitary would mark me,” said Benjamin Sklar, a prisoner held in solitary confinement for 29 years. The isolated torture of one’s psyche is not even remotely an acceptable or humane punishment, yet it is still used consistently behind the walls of our prison system. Atul Gawande, a surgeon and public health researcher, stated in The New Yorker, “Human beings are social creatures … to exist as a normal human being requires interaction with other people.” During a lecture on the United Nations rapporteur on torture, Juan Mendez, a visiting law professor at American University, addressed the duties of assessing international and domestic prisons based on guidelines set by the UN according to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. He encountered friction when trying to receive consent to inspect prisons in politically closed countries, such as Russia and Korea. However, what perhaps is more surprising was the refusal of U.S. federal and state penitentiary systems to allow him to inspect their facilities. With only a handful of prisons allowing him full access to inspection, the UN must refuse to give any official reports on prison conditions in a given country. The mandates set by the UN on prisoner treatment are a check and balance system to hold governments accountable, however the duration and severity of solitary confinement creates widespread disagreement on the definition of torture. Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine columnist, presents a piece on the government’s use of solitary confinement with the parallel effects of brutal torture on inmates.
The piece in New York Magazine translated the events of a penitentiary-wide hunger strike to alleviate the harsh conditions of confinement in one of California’s highest security prisons. The Pelican Bay Security Housing inmates are isolated in concrete cells for the entirety of the day with only one hour to exercise in a personal cage outside. Wells’ research led him to look more closely into the account of a gang member placed at Pelican Bay for serious crimes. Although the inmate had previously led a life that many people would consider dangerous and against social norms, he described solitary confinement as almost 25 years of “continuous torture.” From a historical perspective, the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War demonstrated a framework that was drafted and signed by the U.S. as well as 95 international governments. It reflected upon universal moral views for the treatment of foreign prisoners. In Article 3 of the Convention, it is stated that no prisoners shall endure “outrages upon personal dignity,” as well as Article 30 which addresses isolation wards solely as outlets to protect patient prisoners and garner healing rather than mental wear. In countering against the abolition of solitary confinement, author Robert Rogers argues that prisoner isolation can help protect younger inmates from the influences of career criminals. The report examines the positive effects of keeping extremely volatile prisoners away from other inmates, noting a decrease in riots as well as a less significant presence of prison gangs and violence. This also affects the young prisoners released from jail; once back in society, they could be swayed to carry on crimes because of their time spent with
career criminals. In reports by correctional researcher Paige Ferguson from prisons in Washington state , the state facilities used an experimental program on those same volatile inmates with long-term mental health counseling. Attention to mental health stimulated positive effects in prisoners, thus resulting in a smaller number of participants returning to isolation for behavioral correction. Ferguson also points to the effects of solitary confinement on society once prisoners are released. Without consistent socialization, ex-convicts are prone to revert back to crime when faced with the task of re-assimilating to normal society. Programs of extensive mental health aid and counseling would be increasingly beneficial substitutes to the harsh implications of solitary confinement. Beyond Ferguson’s findings, I feel our country would be able to bypass the abusive policies of prisoner segregation if there was better mediation on what crimes warranted prison time. If perpetrators of petty crimes were sentenced to more public works and community service instead of jail time, it would allow for a larger budget for mental health programs within prisons and, at the same time, benefit communities with the work of less threatening offenders. While solitary confinement may work as a means of prisoner protection, its overuse has become a mentally damaging form of torture in the U.S. prison system. Segregating problematic members of society needs to be disassociated as an acceptable practice. Instead, the correctional facilities should focus on improving the mental health and well-being of inmates. Kirk Acharya is an LSA junior.
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—Maris Harmon can be reached at marhar@umich.edu.
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Arts
ALBUM REVIEW
FOOD COLUMN
How I learned to love Rome and not cry
I UNIVERSAL MUSIC AUSTRALIA
Who even are these guys?
Psychedelic Pond Australian alternative band is reminiscent of MGMT By MELINA GLUSAC Daily Arts Writer
What’s happening down under? Trippy stuff, man — the good (see: Tame Impala), the ugly and the decent. In the latter category lies the weirdest named Bof the Australian psychedelic ‘Man It Feels revival groups, Pond. Current Like Space members Nick Again’ Allbrook, Jay Watson, Joseph Pond Ryan and Jamie Universal Terry fill the Music Auslineup, though tralia Pond was originally intended to be, in true hippy fashion, a fluid, come-and-go-as-you-please collaborative project. These water boys have since released an impressive five albums, even with three of their members double-dipping in the Tame Impala pool — a band whose pool, in comparison to Pond’s, seems a little crisper, more fresh. Regardless, Pond’s latest addition to their repertoire, Man It Feels Like Space Again, is indeed a return to extremely psychedelic,
space-y rock with many shining, listenable moments. Yet, it seems one-noted and boring, even — lost in space. Also, is that title supposed to be a Shania Twain allusion? We’ll never know. “Waiting Around for Grace” is a representative, adequate start. It’s an enjoyable, MGMTesque number graced with weird synths that somehow work with a catchy beat. “Zond,” a distantsounding tune following a more formulaic structure (solid beat, verses and a main chorus), manages to capture pop appeal with psychedelic flair. It’s undeniably spacey, though, complete with Bowie-like interludes and synths that put it at the front of the running for a new Rainbow Road theme song. Both songs prove listenable as hell without losing the “trip” factor — an admirable accomplishment.
At points, the album is downright fun. At points, the album is downright fun — Pond reminds us that this is a key ingredient in the often-too-chill genre of psychedelic rock. “Elvis’ Flaming Star” starts like some ’80s dance tune a la “Footloose” and turns into a
funky, slightly echoey, cool grove. “Outside Is The Right Side” glistens as the best track on the album — its wah-wah guitar, synths and badass energy make it dance-y rather than fancy or caught up in the existential intricacies of sitting by a river (i.e., “Holding Out for You,” a lovely yawn-fest). It all starts to go downhill from there; quality and tempo slow down. The best of this shitty (intended), glacial bunch is “Heroic Shart,” an uncomfortably sensual song about, well, you guessed it. It’s so out there and odd that, in addition to being barely listenable, it’s not memorable in the slightest, as hard as that is with a title like that. “Sitting On Our Crane” is slow done right, but it’s overpowered by the mediocrity of numbers like “Medicine Hat.” This one gives acoustic undertones a shot and sounds a lot like of those bar songs that, when you’re plastered next to your friends, you’re definitely rocking to. But sober, it’s not that good. The ironic worst of the album is the title track, an 8-minute attempted epic that results in a grand hot mess. Luckily for us, there is a plethora of great psychedelic bands out there these days; Australia is contributing to this growing population. And though the quest to find those bands sometimes takes a little hunting and gathering, there are plenty of fish in the pond. Take a stab.
TV REVIEW
‘Grantchester’ is comfortable viewing By SOPHIA KAUFMAN Daily Arts Writer
“Grantchester,” the latest installment of PBS’s “Masterpiece Mystery!” is a new offerAing for lovers of phenomenons Grantchessuch as “Downton Abbey,” ter “Agatha ChrisSeries Pilot tie’s Marple” or “Sherlock,” and Sundays at the premiere 10 p.m. promises that PBS it will be just as entertaining, if not more so, as the rest. “Grantchester” has all the makings of a comfortable 1950’s period drama: a sexy, unobtainable protagonist who solves crimes when he’s not preaching the word of God, beautiful shots of English countryside, women with killer lipstick slyly dropping hints, adulterous affairs and, of course, a suicide case that is much more complicated than it seems. James Norton (“Happy Valley”) plays Sidney Chambers, a young vicar with a chiseled jawline and soulful eyes who unintentionally invites the confidence of those around him. After presiding over a funeral of a man who has apparently committed suicide, he is approached by a young woman who tells him in between puffs of cigarette smoke that there’s reason to believe the dead man was murdered — namely, the fact that he was unhappy in his marriage and was having an affair. Chambers agrees to investigate, irritating Inspector Geordie Keating, (Robson Green, “Touching Evil”), a grumpy, skeptical cop who eventually realizes it would
Friday, January 30, 2015 — 5
always cry when I get to Rome. My ocular aqueducts dry up after a minute or two, but right after I deposit my bag in the corner, I always find myself resting my head against a hard wall, taking one long breath and letting GIANCARLO a few salty drops fall to BUONOMO the floor. These are not tears of joy or elation or even exhaustion. They are tears of anxiety. If that sounds like the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever heard, I don’t blame you. And it is a bit ridiculous. But allow me to explain. Having some sort of passion is always a good thing, be it painting or polo or parcheesi. It sets you apart from others. It gives you a niche. But a passion for food sounds exceedingly normal, even necessary, like a passion for breathing or sleeping. By the time I was 12, I knew food was the only thing that really interested me, the only thing that I could read and write and talk about without end. But everyone around me liked food too. To set myself apart, I approached food with a near-academic obsession. I read cookbooks. I watched documentaries on chef’s knives and cheesemaking. I kept track of what the best restaurants in the world had on their menus, even though most of them were in France or Spain. I was determined to be more than someone who liked to eat. My upbringing only strengthened this desire. As you might have glossed from my name, I grew up in a family that was consciously, and conspicuously, more Italian than Italian-American. We said “parmigiano,” not “parmesan,” and only ate spaghetti with meatballs on Christmas. Pretentious little foodie that I was, I loved it — being Italian seemed more cerebral. My father, born and raised in North Jersey, was the inspiration for all of this, for which I am more and more thankful as I get older. He talked about food in Italy, and Rome in particular, like he talked about the novels of Henry James and Pedro Martinez’s split-finger fastball: that it was an unrivaled sublime, the summa of the genre, the platonic ideal. By the time I actually went to Italy, I assumed even a stick of gum there would merit a Michelin star. This is why I get so anxious
when I arrive in Rome. I assume that food is split between whorish tourist traps, and the gastronomic Madonnas, and it’s up to me to find the latter. Every meal is a test, where I determine if I have found the flawless food that I so often dreamed of. Here’s how bad it can get: I once refused to eat a slice of pizza late on a boozy Friday night because I hadn’t checked my Italian restaurant guide. I’m back in Rome now, and yes, I cried the first day.But ever since last Saturday, I’ve chilled out a bit, because I had an eye-opening meal. When I say “eye-opening,” that probably conjures a young American who travels to Italy, nervously enters small eating establishment, tastes pasta, and murmurs “ah, I finally understand — THIS is what pasta is!” But the lunch I had at Enoteca Corsi on Friday, just a stone’s throw from the Pantheon, was eye-opening in a different way. I first ate at Corsi in the fall of 2006, on the first day of a family vacation with my italophile parents. I remember, in spite of an anesthetizing bout of jet-lag, what I ate: a soupy pasta with chickpeas and rosemary, sliced veal with roasted potatoes, a glass jug of vino rosso della casa.
This meal was clearly a weekly, maybe even daily ritual. I came back to Corsi in the summer of 2013, when I was in Rome for a month to work on an archaeological dig. I had wandered, by myself, from the Palatine area, toward where I vaguely recalled Corsi being. I finally arrived after a circuitous hour, with that distinct tenderness in my feet from walking on Rome’s uneven cobblestones. It looked more or less how I remembered: scruffy dining room, several generations of one family staffing it, paper napkins. The only change being a slightly expanded menu now printed on floppy sheets of cheap paper instead of being written on a blackboard. I ate fettuccine boscaiola, with tomatoes and mushrooms, and then roasted lamb, all of it lovingly prepared, simple, delicious. But my anxious expectations were deadening my palate a little. I had expected transcendence, and only gotten excellence. Fast-forward to last Saturday
and here I was in Corsi again, with two new friends, eating pasta with chickpeas and veal with potatoes. The dining room hadn’t changed much. The menu still had adorable mistranslations like “pasta with tomato and chilly.” The chef still emerged from the kitchen for a cigarette every now and then, his hair a little more salt than pepper since I last saw him. I pondered each dish as it arrived. I hadn’t had chickpeas this plump, but didn’t one of my cookbooks say that a pasta dish be shouldn’t be this soupy? The potatoes were crisp on the outside, waxy-smooth on the inside, all cut different sizes — was that intentional? While I examined the viscosity of my veals sauce, the regulars were arriving for lunch. Groups of elderly, elegant men and women hugged and kissed the owners before seating themselves and ordering liters of house wine and plates of roasted fish. Some read newspapers, others stabbed and slashed the air with passionate gesticulations. This meal was clearly a weekly, maybe even daily ritual. I looked down at my own food. The garlic cloves roasted with the potatoes were unpeeled. The veal had a bit of un-caramelized fat rimming the outside. Then I realized why I loved this place so much: It was normal. Not mindblowing, not avant-garde or cutting edge or even world-class. Just normal, fun, comfortable and satisfying. There is a tendency amongst even those who haven’t been to Rome to assume that a trip to Rome will be a highlight reel of food porn. Most articles about Roman food usually sound like this: “When I bit into the bruschetta, and the blood-red tomatoes burst and filled my mouth with their sweet nectar, I gazed with teary eyes towards Saint Peters and said a little prayer.” Rome is a city, populated by normal people with normal lives, who all have to eat. There’s good food and bad food, cheap food and expensive food, food for special occasions and food for the rest of the time. And if I had to eat in one place for the rest of my life, I might choose here. Not because of any rankings or guidebooks, but because I like eating pasta with chickpeas, and roast veal and potatoes, on Friday afternoons. The view of the Pantheon doesn’t hurt. Buonomo is crying into a bowl of pasta. To tell him to get a grip, email gbuonomo@umich.edu.
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PBS
“She turned me into a newt.”
behoove him to work with the vicar rather than get in his way. The two become friends as they pry into village affairs and poke their noses into the details of the murdered man’s former life, eventually solving the crime in a tidy 50 minutes. “Grantchester,” albeit predictable, somehow manages to feel refreshing. It follows the formulas of crime procedurals and period dramas, from the elegant adornments of the mantlepiece that remind the dead man’s wife of their honeymoon to the gentle piano background music to the vicar’s morally upright landlady (Tessa Peak-Jones, “Poirot”). But it adds bits of tongue-incheek humor that keep the show relevant, especially concerning the tension between the religious and secular aspects of the not-so-sleepy little town. Norton’s portrayal of his character as pleasant and open, rather than cynical and reclusive — as is characteristic of many of our favorite crime-solving heroes — also feels fresh. When Chambers figures out that he has solved the crime, based on a second closer
reading of the supposed suicide note that actually is describing the man’s desire to end a relationship, not his life, Chamber’s excitement is palpable; he takes time to check on the people involved, instead of moving right on to the next crime with a yawn and glass of whiskey (although that comes later as well, to the constant surprise of people who insist on offering him sherry). Even the fact that he clearly has feelings for his adventurous friend Amanda Kendall, (Morven Christie, “Case Histories”) who has a new ring on her finger, doesn’t embitter him — not yet, anyway. Don’t look for deviations from the script in “Grantchester,” because you won’t find them. There are no plot twists that break the pattern of a 50-minute mystery series — but there doesn’t need to be. “Grantchester” may feel familiar, but it’s the kind of familiar that goes along with curling up on the couch holding a pint of ice cream and a blanket on Sunday nights — the kind that we all need, at least every once in a while.
Arts
6 — Friday, January 30, 2015
GENDER AND MEDIA COLUMN
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
EVENT PREVIEW
For God’s sake, just New musical ‘Boom!’ watch ‘The Fall’ By CAROLYN DARR Daily Arts Writer
A
police chief hiding behind a scruffy beard and meekly bloody nose asks, “Why are women emotionally and spiritually so much stronger than men?” This happens after he drunkenly forces himself into the NATALIE bedroom of a GADBOIS former flame — blonde, enigmatic Stella Gibson — and ineptly tries to make a pass at her. Stella responds with characteristic softness, “Because the basic human form is female. Maleness is a kind of birth defect.” Mic dropped. Game changed. Feminist icon born. For a while it seemed as though my mom and I were the only people in the world who watched “The Fall.” I wrote about it in this publication — twice, actually — and talked about it to everyone, including the deli counter person at Meijer and the entirety of my 90-count Marketing lecture. So you could say I like “The Fall.” The smart and surprisingly erotic BBC crime thriller expertly meandered through its first season, following “50 Shades of Grey” star Jamie Dornan’s disturbingly seductive serial killer and Gillian Anderson (TV’s “Hannibal”) as Stella, the coldly brilliant investigator out to find him. Season one, which appeared on Netflix in 2012, spends much of its five episodes quietly building a feminist argument that parallels the misogyny of its woman-killer lead. Season two, which came out on Netflix last Friday, takes those ideas and amplifies them, explicitly attacking the violent patriarchal structures women face. Paul Spector preys on young
professional women; independent, unabashedly sexual, beautiful. While season one preoccupies itself with Paul’s actions — stalking, strangling, lovingly bathing the dead bodies — season two develops the psyche behind his hatred towards women; the abandonment via suicide of his mother, his conflicted love of his daughter and tenuous relationship with his wife, who is blonde and soft and nurturing (read: nothing like his victims). But ultimately, he just feels threatened by these women, as Stella shows us. In a memorable moment in the first-season finale, Chief Burns calls Spector a monster, a murderer of the most debased degree, inhuman. Stella answers with a requisite lack of dramatics: “No, he is just a basic misogynist.” She is a breath of fresh air in a trend of bullshit feminism on television — she doesn’t make carefully politicized statements or brand herself as a “strong” woman. Stella states the facts the way they are, outlining our sexist world without self-pity or apology. Season two begins with Stella interviewing Spector’s sole survivor, only recently awakened from an injury-induced coma. Many “strong female characters” on television struggle connecting to other women; strong is termed as standoffish and isolated, a one-woman army. While Stella cannot be described as warm, this scene portrays her incredible depth for empathy, and her passionate, concentrated hatred towards men who perpetuate violence. Stella may be a slight misandrist, hating men and using them for sex, but she is not a robot, and her emotions are deeply tied to her precise instincts. While “The Fall” is still relatively unknown (its odd release schedule and slow burn structure don’t add up to a farreaching hit), Anderson has
been making waves for her performance as Stella, a character unlike any other on TV. (Not to say that Dornan isn’t revelatory as Spector; brooding, magnetic, conflictingly foxy. But his sexy serial killer schtick isn’t exactly new, whereas Stella’s mix of frankness and adeptness is rare.) Anderson wrote a profile piece for Yahoo, in which she directly addresses the enigma of Stella: “Is it that Stella is at once in touch with her femininity in a way we have not seen, and yet still able to stand up for herself with strength, intelligence, grace and self-containment? … I’m not so sure, and yet none of the usual (independent, intelligent, focused, serious, professional, strong and, yes, feminist) character descriptions seem to define or explain the whole of her.” That’s the crux of it. I just spent 700 words trying to describe why I love Stella, and why we need Stella on television today. But like any real woman, she defies explanation, a mix of complexities, mysteries and idiosyncrasies. Please, please, for the love of God, watch “The Fall,” if you don’t already. If well-developed and stylishly executed feminist manifestos aren’t your thing, watch for the terrifying suspense. If you don’t like regular crime thrillers, watch for the fascinating dichotomy between killer and investigator, the blurred lines of right and wrong. And if none of that does it for you, there’s skewed power dynamics, salacious crimes and impeccable dialogue, even a pretty memorable make-out scene between Anderson and “The Good Wife” ’s Archie Panjabi — you know, if that’s your thing. Gadbois is re-watching that scene with Gillian Anderson and Archie Panjabi. To join, email gadbnat@umich.edu.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Friday, January 30, 2015
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
DOWN 1 Steals, with “off” 2 Former “Fashion Emergency” host
3 Surface fractures 4 Blockhead 5 Fire proof 6 Courses taken consecutively? 7 Depressing atmosphere 8 Energy 9 “Downton Abbey” title 10 Draped garment 11 The first “A” in A.A. Milne 12 Piles 15 Michael Jackson, e.g. 17 Tip off 21 One on the other side 23 Half a philosophical duality 25 “The Seven-PerCent Solution” author Nicholas 26 Adler of Sherlock Holmes lore 28 Look down 29 Snideness 31 Numerical prefix 32 “Look at this!” 33 Battleground 34 Start over, in a way 36 Sushi seaweed
38 Layered snack 41 Venue involving a lot of body contact 42 “Right Now (Na Na Na)” artist 47 Rogers Centre team, on scoreboards 49 Majestic display 52 Like some popular videos 54 Big brass
55 “Heavens to Betsy!” 56 Crossword component 57 Collapsed 58 Aware of 59 Where many subs are assembled 60 Really, really cool 62 Stir 63 Pass over 66 Downed
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Horror movies are almost invariably funny. Until they’re not. There’s a good reason that, to cineastes and armchair Amoviegoers alike, Kubrick’s “The Shining” The and Polanski’s Babadook “Rosemary’s Baby” have State Theater remained in IFC Films the horror canon, the discourse — the millennial atten-
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“There’s only so much you can do with this particular show. It’s very clear on what it is and when it is,” Francisco said. “It’s also meant to be a small show so it doesn’t call for crazy sets or lots of costume changes, so it really has to be all about the characters.” Despite being limited in set and costume choices, Francisco found a way to make the show more character-focused and unique. “There was one song in particular that really didn’t seem to fit the show at all. It didn’t do anything for the plot, it was pretty misogynistic, it was just not working,” Francisco said. “So, instead, my music director wrote a new song to put in the show that actually takes the characters further along a path that is really only hinted at, but ends up giving the entire show much more depth.” In the end, though, Francisco simply wants the audience to have a good time at the show. “I just hope they enjoy it because it’s a great production and we have really great performers in it,” she said. “But also, just a moment of thinking about choices we make in life and how sometimes, in the moment, you think you’ve made a mistake but maybe later on you’re able to look back and say ‘no those kind of choices helped create who I am today.’”
FILM REVIEW
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Ones calling the shots? 5 Rock blasters 9 Californie, for one 13 Apple variety 14 Goal for a runner 15 Renaissance painter Veronese 16 Deep-sea creature, literally 18 Mozart’s “King of Instruments” 19 Seat of Dallas County, Alabama 20 Alternative strategies, literally 22 Churchill, for one 24 “Who, me?” 25 1,000 G’s 27 Goes out for a bit? 30 Fusion, for one 35 Receptionist on “The Office” 37 It’s frowned upon 39 Yellowish tone 40 Infomercial offers, literally 43 Time to say “¡Feliz año nuevo!” 44 Pioneers’ journey, say 45 Unpopular spots 46 Buck 48 1980s surgeon general 50 Dennings of “Thor” 51 __ lane 53 “Who, me?” 55 Toddler’s transport, literally 61 Alley wanderers 64 Certain Middle Easterner 65 Preflight purchase, literally 67 Pirouette, essentially 68 Settled down 69 “Truth in Engineering” automaker 70 First place? 71 Bothersome parasites 72 Block (up)
The term “musical” is often associated with certain images, usually involving large casts, showstopping songs and elaborate ‘tick, tick ... dance numbers. However, BOOM!’ Ann Arbor Jan. 30-Feb.1 Civic The- & Feb. 6-8 atre’s (A2CT) upcoming pro- Fridays at 8 duction of the pm., Saturdays 2 p.m. & 8 three-person musical “tick, p.m., Sundays tick … BOOM!” at 2 p.m. fights against A2CT Studio these preconTheatre ceived notions. “tick, tick … $15 BOOM!” is an autobiographical musical written by Jonathan Larson, composer of the hit musical “RENT.” The show details the life of Jonathan, a struggling musical author nearing his 30th birthday, who is trying to juggle a girlfriend that wants to get married and move to the suburbs and a best friend that wants him to give up on his dreams and come work for him at his big firm. “Jonathan Larson wrote (this show) in response to getting another work rejected on
Broadway,” said director Rachel Francisco, who is also the Manager of Marketing, Promotion & Special Events at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. “So it talks about him trying to come to grips with his choices in life. So it’s about him kind of wrestling with where he is.” While Francisco has directed and performed in a number of A2CT’s shows in the past, “tick, tick … BOOM!” was a new experience for her, particularly when it came to directing such a small cast. “When you work with only three people, you can immediately jump in and start some really heavy work on music and character and dialogue because you’re not trying to coordinate 20 people, which is sometimes hard to even get them all in the same room at the same time,” Francisco said. “So it’s created an incredibly intimate and tight cast.” The show is not very well known, as it never opened officially on Broadway, instead premiering off-Broadway at the Jane Street Theater in 2001. Because it is so small, there aren’t a lot of past productions that directors can draw inspiration from. Francisco, however, was lucky enough to see the show when it opened and went into the production with a clear image.
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IFC FILMS
“What the fuck, Mom?”
tion span — for this long. And that reason is the same reason why the tits-every-two-scenes “Halloween” or “Nightmare on Elm Street” franchises loop without end on cable, as if shown by sheer contractual obligation and not in any remote effort to, you know, scare. And the reason is this: Good horror movies make you look inward, in the mirror, wondering, “What if I, rather than some monster, could be breathing behind that chestnut door”? Rookie director Jennifer Kent splashes big and dark in her debut, “The Babadook,” which is not only among the best pictures of 2014, but one that’ll surely secure her seat at the not-big table of Aughtie indie filmmakers to watch. By all accounts in the first halfhour of this 90-minute horror pic, this is less a horror pic, more a drama bleeding into comedy. Kent is in no rush to force-feed us obvious narrative omens, ones that lead to death knells of characters we (probably) couldn’t care less about. She stays local, opting for the brain-space of the mother Amelia (played sleeplessly by Essie Davis, TV’s “Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries”) whose seven-year-old son Samuel (played with brilliance by newcomer Noah Wiseman) redefines what it means to “have it rough” as a widowed mother (the father died on the car ride to the ER, survived by the pregnant Amelia carrying their son). He acts out at school, has no friends, obsesses over DIY magic kits and, most importantly, drives his mother mad, whose blondish hair grows whiter, thinner, her forehead more wrinkly — parenting taking its toll, and fast. This well-directed dramedy then inhales darker fumes. One night while Samuel demands his mother read him to sleep, she grabs an unfamiliar, ancientlooking red book titled “Mister Babadook.” The black-and-white words and illustrations quickly signify that Mom definitely made the wrong choice. Uttering the rhyming pages aloud, like, “You start to change when I get in / The
Babadook growing under your skin … ,” Amelia has summoned something inhuman. What follows is sort of what you’d expect: Samuel claims to have had conversations with Mister B, bizarre noises at night, a knowing dog. But Kent only flirts with these tired exercises to unpack further what becomes increasingly unclear: Does Amelia’s flagging disposition make her so less a credible, protagonistic character that we may have to entertain less linear alternatives? The best monster movies have none. Jack Torrence in “The Shining” saw weird stuff, but his reliability as our guide was always moot, his psyche unfamiliar with emotional equilibrium. The monster rested inside Torrence, hungry to disrupt yet smart enough to be patient. Ultimately, this is what we find in Amelia, a woman whose eyes avert so incessantly to her wild child that she cannot see, or acknowledge as real, the terror before her, inside her. Make no mistake, “The Babadook” can be most easily shelved as a cheap, albeit clever allegory to motherhood. And your point? If anything, this speaks to the film’s gilded strength: its inherent femaleness. Kent uses old tricks, yes, but eschews the shitty ones, like the vapid talking pair of breasts or the pitiable mother or the bitchy bitch. Her gender-neutral, egalitarian approach works because nobody is your friend, everyone has demons and Mister Babadook is inarguably haunting with his cutlery fingers and black lips. The finest scene happens when, after a couple failed attempts to destroy the book, it appears magically on the doorstep after a doorbell ring. Amelia tentatively totes it onto her kitchen table, opening it with glacial care. The images shown within this revised edition of the book could be the scariest minute of filmmaking in recent memory. No editing gimmicks, no athletic lensing, just a book and nothing else. The film itself feels like this.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, January 30, 2015 — 7
The last moose standing: Max Bielfeldt By LEV FACHER Managing Editor
Max Bielfeldt’s lower legs are legendary. But lately, the largecalved forward is seeing less about them on Twitter, and he thinks that’s a good thing. “I was making a joke the other day,” he said. “It’s a good sign that I’m playing better when after a game, back in the day, 80 percent of the Tweets were about my calves and now only 20 percent are about my calves. So I think that means I’m playing a little better.” Known as “Moose” to his coaches and teammates, the 6-foot-7 senior is enjoying a late-career surge. Bielfeldt is averaging just shy of 10 points and 21 minutes per game over the Michigan men’s basketball team’s last three Big Ten contests, on the heels of three seasons in which he barely saw the floor. He’s now known as a key contributor on a Wolverine squad that, as of late, has impressed with its resiliency in the face of injury and inexperience. Following Mitch McGary’s departure for the NBA, Jordan Morgan’s graduation and Jon Horford’s transfer, Bielfeldt found himself the Wolverines’ lone upperclassman big man in 2014-15. With each passing game, it becomes increasingly clear he isn’t taking the responsibility lightly. Rather, Bielfeldt has taken advantage of the role, climbing the depth chart to become — depending on the situation — Michigan’s first big off the bench. Despite their inexperience, it was freshman Ricky Doyle and redshirt freshman Mark Donnal who engaged in a preseason battle to start at the ‘5’ spot, with
Bielfeldt viewed as the third horse in a two-lane race. But that didn’t stop him from helping contain Wisconsin’s Frank Kaminsky and his five-inch height advantage in Michigan’s 65-60 overtime loss to the Badgers on Jan. 24, or shooting 6-for-9 from the field to help the Wolverines take down Nebraska on Tuesday. It helps, of course, that Bielfeldt spends the days leading up to games impersonating the very players he’s later assigned to defend. He leads Michigan’s scout team, a role Michigan coach John Beilein says he assigned him “because he’s the brightest of all those guys at knowing college basketball.” “On the scout team, you kind of see what (your opponents’) go-to moves are,” Bielfeldt said. “It expands your game a little bit. If they have a good turnaround jumper or something, and you try to emulate that in practice and it goes down for you, you might try to incorporate that yourself.” While being assigned to the scout team is sometimes viewed as a sign that a player shouldn’t expect to contribute in game situations, it’s much the opposite this year for Bielfeldt. “He’s on that scout team because that’s what the team needs him to do,” Beilein said. Bielfeldt has been one of the scout team’s de facto captains throughout much of his career. But with LeVert out, he and junior guard Spike Albrecht are the only remaining upperclassmen on Michigan’s
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Max Bielfeldt has recently emerged, averaging just shy of 10 points and 21 minutes over his last three Big Ten games.
active roster, creating shortages on the experience and leadership fronts. “Three was already a small number,” Bielfeldt said of the dwindling number of veterans. “Two is even less.” The sheer numbers pose an issue when it comes to simply leading by example. With half a roster’s worth of upperclassmen, it’s easy for experienced players to set the on-court tone. In this particular circumstance, Bielfeldt says the instruction has to be a bit more explicit. “You just have to talk to the guys more,” Bielfeldt said. “Back in high school, they might not
“They’ve been waiting a long time for that opportunity.”
have realized that you kind of need to jog the drill, keep the energy of practice up. “When you only have two guys who have been here for more than a year, you have to say it more than do it … you have to instill it in them.” Bielfeldt’s senior status in 2014-15 wasn’t always the plan. Though he has a year of eligibility remaining, Beilein and his staff decided in Summer 2014 that Bielfeldt would be listed as a senior this year. The decision made sense for both parties; it opened up a scholarship for Michigan’s next freshman class, and it allowed Bielfeldt — who had just 38 career points prior to this season — to transfer for a final season elsewhere, should he choose to. Bielfeldt took the news in stride, working to establish himself as a leader and taking
advantage of his newfound health. He underwent hip surgery toward the end of Spring 2014, sidelining him for nearly the entire summer but relieving him of a major inhibitor to his play. “Basketball’s a lot more fun when you land and it doesn’t hurt,” Bielfeldt said. “I’m having more fun and playing more, and with the hip surgery I’m just feeling better, so you know, just general cuts and jumps and all that.” While he’s certainly having more fun playing, Bielfeldt is also flourishing in his roles as a mentor and tutor for his younger teammates. From a mentorship perspective, the Wolverines timed their international summer trip well (the program is allowed to take one every four years). Michigan spent 10 days in Italy in the offseason, giving
Bielfeldt a chance to get to know a class of freshmen that, mid-summer, would typically be busy throughout the day with practice, summer classes, tutoring and other introductionto-college activities. “It was nothing crazy,” Bielfeldt told the Daily in Novemeber. “I’d go walk around with (freshman guard Muhammad-Ali AbdurRahkman) or somebody, learn more about him, and I think overall we’re closer in that.” It was the details, Bielfeldt said, that made the trip particularly meaningful. “Little things, like me and Muhammad walking into some little shop and looking at some European soccer jersey,” he said. “I never would’ve done that in the past three years with an older player.” While it’s not a yearly occurrence for a player who spent his first three years largely on the bench to emerge as a leader and major contributor in his senior season, Beilein says it’s nothing new. “I’ve seen it before,” Beilein said, “where guys in that senior year all of a sudden are so valuable to you, because they’ve got the experience, that maturity about them, that they’ve been there and done that before. “They’ve been waiting a long time for that opportunity, so that’s been huge.” Bielfeldt, regardless of how he got there, is happy to finally be playing major minutes and contributing as much as he has been lately. “Overall, you just have to be ready,” Bielfeldt said. “Next man up.”
Daily Sports Editor Max Bultman contributed reporting.
Shot put standout has unique path ‘M’ hopes growth process complete MEN’S LACROSSE
By NATHANIEL CLARK Daily Sports Writer
Long before Derek Sievers was a shot put standout for the Michigan men’s track team, he hoped to make a name for himself on the gridiron. He spent three years as a starting fullback on the football team at Byron Center (Michigan) High School. He has won the shot put four times in his collegiate career, including victories at the Simmons-Harvey Invitational on Jan. 17 and against Michigan State on Jan. 24. He also finished 15th at the 2013 NCAA Outdoor Championships and seventh at the 2014 Big Ten Outdoor Championships in the event. “The shot put event happens so fast,” Sievers said. “You have to clear your mind and use the nervous energy to your advantage.” While it sounds funny to call the shot put a fast-paced event, the rapid motions it requires are fitting for Sievers.
Perhaps it was a way of bonding with his father, who played football at Southeast Missouri State from 1982 to 1986 as an offensive lineman. “My dad was my pee-wee coach all the way up through eighth grade,” Sievers said. “We’d always practice in the backyard and stuff. He instilled in me that you can either be the hammer or the nail, and you don’t want to be the nail.” Or maybe it was a way of keeping up with his brother, who took delight in pushing him around. The sibling rivalry soon translated into skills as a linebacker. Sievers finished 2009 with 79 tackles, three recovered fumbles and three catches for interceptions. “It was pretty intense between my brother and me until I outgrew him in ninth grade,” Sievers said. Sievers was also the punter for Byron Central for all three seasons of his career, averaging
34.3 yards per punt in that stretch. He even dabbled in the long snapper position for a time as well. As if all of that weren’t enough, Sievers took part in wrestling and bowling during the winter months. “I was just trying to live my high-school sporting career out,” Sievers said. “I didn’t really focus on one thing. Bowling was awesome because I got free bowling all the time.” *** But Sievers’ other sports did not detract from his track and field performance. In both his junior and senior seasons, he earned All-State honors in both the shot put and discus events and won the Division II state championship in the discus. It rubbed off on the rest of the team as Byron Central won the Division II team title in 2010 and 2011.
“Track was the best overall experience for me,” Sievers said. “That’s why I continue to do it today.” Even with all of his success, he was largely overlooked on the recruiting trail for both football and track. But once Michigan called, there were no more decisions to make. “No one really recruited me out of high school for track,” Sievers said. “And football was mostly Division II and Division III schools. Michigan came along at the very end of my senior season and my mom said, ‘If you can go to Michigan, you’re gonna go to Michigan.’ ” Still, Sievers gets a kick out of football even though his playing days are done. He is a denizen of Michigan Stadium on football Saturdays and regards those days as some of his best in Ann Arbor. While Sievers may be a shot put star, football will always be a part of him.
*** At Byron Center, Sievers amassed 2,212 yards on 340 carries. During his junior year, he notched 769 yards on 133 carries and nine rushing touchdowns despite sharing duties with another running back. But Sievers truly demonstrated his prowess his senior year, when he collected 1,157 yards on 147 carries, equating to 7.9 yards per carry. It was a performance that won him All-Area and All-State honors. Sievers even added 13 rushing touchdowns for good measure while sharing the job yet again. Yet even with his success as a running back, Sievers always considered himself first and foremost an offensive lineman, a position he had played since his pee-wee football years. “If you run the ball, you get hit,” Sievers said. “If you’re blocking someone, you get to hit them.”
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Derek Sievers was a football star in high school before beginning his exceptional shot put career at Michigan.
By BRANDON CARNEY Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men’s lacrosse team is entering its fourth year of competition, and its players and coaches believe the program is finally ready to take the step out of infancy. Following a five-win season in 2014, the Wolverines believe the worst of the team’s growing pains are behind them. “This year, we have so many guys that are mature and used to the system,” said senior attacker Will Meter. “I think we’re looking to go full steam ahead and not worry about any growth. We’ve already gone through that.” Top-scoring sophomore attacker Ian King returns for Michigan, and redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Gerald Logan is also back after missing last season with an injury. King, Logan and sophomore midfielder Mikie Schlosser were all named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list. The three will make up the core of the team, and Meter expects them all to improve. “King and Logan have played at an extremely high level,” Meter said. “Even as solid as they’ve played in their first years, there’s always an opportunity to take a step forward, and these two can be elite players. We’re really going to need to rely on them.” Michigan coach John Paul has brought in a highly rated 13-man recruiting class, and he retains eight of his nine pointgetters from last year. While youth is still an issue with the Wolverines, the potential for the team is sky-high. With the development of the program coming along nicely, Michigan will turn its attention to the development of its new league. The Wolverines will be a part of the inaugural Big Ten lacrosse season. New arrivals Maryland and Johns
Hopkins are expected to rank atop the conference, as both are preseason top-10 teams. Michigan was voted last in the Big Ten preseason poll, but that doesn’t mean the Wolverines won’t be looking to make some noise. With television appearances and national exposure coming with the new conference, the team is excited to show the country where the program is heading. “We know the Big Ten’s going to be tough this first year,” Meter said. “Playing these bigger teams that have won national titles doesn’t seem as daunting of a task now. They’re just going to be regular games.” If there’s one game Michigan has circled on its calendar, it’s the April 5 matchup against Ohio State. The Wolverines have yet to defeat the Buckeyes in three years of competition, something the senior class hopes to change in its final season. “The seniors have had meetings about what we want our legacy to be, and we really want to be the first team to beat Ohio State,” said senior defender Mack Gembis. “That would be the culmination of all the work we put in the past four years.” Whether or not Michigan can defeat Ohio State this season, the seniors are a historic group for the program. The class will be the first that has played all four years, something the seniors know is special. “It wasn’t always easy at times,” Meter said. “But we went through a lot, and that’s why I think this season’s the biggest. If we can come out, do well in the Big Ten and prove ourselves, it’ll show how far we’ve come as a class in leading this team.” Seniors like Meter helped the program take its first step. Now they’re helping it take its first running strides.
Sports
8 — Friday, January 30, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Terps too much for ‘M’ Inability to find rhythm on By KELLY HALL Daily Sports Writer
After allowing No. 5 Maryland to jump out to an 11-0 lead in the first two minutes of the game, the Michigan women’s basketball team needed major heroics to overcome the deficit if it had any chance of coming out victorious over the only MARYLAND 91 MICHIGAN 65 undefeated team left in the Big Ten. Seeing that her team needed help, Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico let Katelynn Flaherty check into the game a few minutes earlier than usual. Though the freshman guard didn’t make the immediate impact Barnes Arico was looking for, Michigan was still able to play catch-up. Back-to-back 3-pointers from the hands of sophomore guard Siera Thompson and junior guard Madison Ristovski cut the Maryland lead to 17-16. Michigan had early hope, but ultimately was too overwhelmed by the Terrapins’ offense and was unable to fight back against a team shooting over 50 percent. Five Wolverines committed at least three fouls in the 91-65 Michigan loss. “I think they were just a lot more physical than us,” said senior forward Nicole Elmblad. “They were more willing to go in and mix it up and grab those rebounds and those loose balls. They were definitely a big team, they’ve got a couple of really big posts down there, and so they just did a really good job of going for the rebounds, and especially on the defensive end, they did a really good job of boxing Cyesha (Goree) and myself out.” Goree played an important early role as well, scoring 10 points in the first half to cut the lead, and unsurprisingly, scoring the first points of the game for the Wolverines (5-4 Big Ten, 13-7 overall).
But Maryland’s struggles were just a hiccup — Michigan continually made elementary mistakes and the Terrapins were able to capitalize on the Wolverines’ errors. Three Wolverine traveling calls in the first half helped Maryland reemerge again. Coupled with 12 points scored off Michigan turnovers in the first frame, the Terrapins (9-0, 18-2) entered halftime leading the Wolverines, 48-36. “They did a really good job of driving to the basket and drawing fouls on us, which kind of took us out of our game,” Elmblad said. “We were worried about drawing fouls, so they were able to get some easy ones down low.” Though the Wolverines trailed the Terrapins by around 15 points for most of the second frame, Michigan still had life — most notably when Flaherty made a jumper, stole the ball and then hit a follow-up trey to cut the lead to 57-48. Elmblad grabbed nine rebounds to combat Maryland’s prowess on the glass, but it
wasn’t enough to challenge a team coming off of a Final Four appearance in 2014. “I thought (Elmblad) played tough,” Barnes Arico said. “She had a tough matchup. She had a 6-foot-3 kid to defend the whole time, and she’s coming off a game where she had 12 rebounds. … Her experience showed.” Goree grabbed just four boards — a season low. The Wolverines were outrebounded, 49-25. On top of outrebounding Michigan, the Terrapins showed why they are fourth-ranked team in the country in fieldgoal percentage. Guards Laurin Mincy and Shatori WalkerKimbrough dropped 24 and 20 points, respectively. “They were really physical,” Goree said. “Even though they had great rebounders, we had to find a way.” After a quiet first half, Flaherty and senior guard Shannon Smith came back stronger in the second half, scoring nine and seven, respectively, but it wasn’t enough to make any real dent into the deficit.
The No. 16 Michigan wrestling team will have a difficult time Friday night when it hosts No. 5 Penn State at Cliff Keen Penn State Arena. The Wolverines are at Michigan attempting to Matchup: harness the Penn State 8-2; Michimomentum gan 5-3 of back-toback Big Ten When: Friwins against day 8 P.M. Wisconsin and Where: Cliff Indiana, while Keen Arena Penn State looks to bounce back from a tough one-point loss to No. 2 Minnesota Sunday. The Wolverines are looking to come out and match the intensity
Daily Sports Writer
As the Michigan Pep Band counted down the seconds on the shot clock, Maryland center Malina Howard received the ball at the right elbow. As the band counted down to one, Howard put up the shot. In reality, the shot clock wasn’t winding down, there were still 13 seconds left, but it didn’t matter. Whether Howard fell for the band’s trick or not, she sank the mid-range jumper giving the Terrapins a 16-point lead with 11:15 left in the second half. That was the key Thursday night at Crisler Center in Michigan women’s basketball team’s 91-65 loss to Maryland. The Terrapins were able to make critical shots, while the Wolverines (5-4 Big Ten, 13-7 overall) were unable to find any rhythm on the offensive front. Maryland’s shooting prowess
was on display in the first half when there were spurts — it seemed like the Terrapins (9-0, 18-2) couldn’t miss a shot, no matter the type of defense Michigan played. There was a point in the first half when Maryland was shooting almost 70 percent from the field. “We tried man, we tried zone, we played a number of different things,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “But when you play a top-five team in the country, they have kids who can make shots.” Added senior forward Cyesha Goree: “We looked to press them, because no one really presses them. When we tried to press them full court, once they beat it, they were able to get layups which is a reason why their percentage was so high.” And when Maryland wasn’t making shots, it was winning the battle on the offensive glass, where it grabbed 17 offensive rebounds to Michigan’s nine, in
RITA MORRIS/Daily
Tough task ahead for ‘M’ against defending champs For the Daily
By MINH DOAN
Kim Barnes Arico’s team had its share of struggles in a blowout loss to Maryland. The Wolverines were outrebounded, 49-25, in the defeat.
WRESTLING
By LELAND MITCHINSON
offense dooms Wolverines
of the four-time defending national champion Nittany Lions, who want to get back to their winning ways after last week’s loss. “Penn State’s not gonna roll over for anybody.” said Michigan coach Joe McFarland. “You know they’re gonna be looking to rebound, they’re probably not happy about getting beat in a close one by Minnesota, so they’re gonna come in here and try to take it out on us. And our job is to squish that right away, win some of these early matches, get that momentum on our side and build off that.” McFarland realizes that many of the wrestlers he’s relying on to get that momentum are also some of the younger wrestlers on the team. “If you look at our core,
most guys out of our 10 were underclassmen,” he said. “We’ve got a lot of underclassmen and it’s great to see. Those guys are getting great experience and getting out there and laying it on the line.” One of those underclassmen is sophomore Brian Murphy, currently the 13th-ranked wrestler in the nation at the 157pound weight class. Murphy has strung together some impressive wins in Big Ten dual meets including a win over Ohio State’s Josh Demas, currently ranked ninth in the country. Murphy, however, likes to approach things one match at a time. “You know, I just try to act the same with every match,” he said. “You know (Demas) was a pretty good kid, but I tried to wrestle the same against him as I do against everyone else, and I just try to really focus on what I need to do.” Another young contributor for the Wolverines is freshman Alec Pantaleo, currently the nation’s ninth-ranked wrestler in the 149pound weight class. Neither he nor Murphy buys into the team’s underdog status against Penn State. Pantaleo knows Penn State has been good in the past, and still is, but he believes Michigan has the talent and work ethic to take the momentum of the two previous Big Ten wins and be successful Friday. No matter what Pantaleo thinks, the match will be tough. Penn State has top wrestlers in the 125, 133, 157, 174, 197 and heavyweight classes, and Michigan can be sure Nittany Lions coach Cael Sanderson will have his team prepared after last week’s close loss. If Pantaleo, Murphy and the rest of the Wolverines take their momentum and swing some of the individual matches, the team can do exactly what the Golden Gophers did last week: beat the reigning champs.
addition to scoring 19 secondchance points. The Terrapins’ point total of 91 was their fourthhighest scoring output of the season. Maryland’s tenacity also got Michigan into foul trouble, as Elmblad, Goree and freshman guard Katelynn Flaherty all finished with four fouls, while sophomore guard Siera Thompson and senior guard Shannon Smith finished with three each. “They were on the attack mode, really trying to be super aggressive, really trying to attack us and draw fouls,” Goree said. “They did a really good job of that.” On the other side of the court, the Wolverines were unable to find any sort of rhythm. That was especially the case for Flaherty, who scored just seven points, well below her average of 14.9 points. “I think the biggest challenge for her is getting adjusted to the length of some of the more athletic teams,” Barnes Arico said. “Their guards tonight were (5-foot-9, 5-foot-11 and 6 feet), and when she has had to play against really long guards, it has been a challenge for her.” Goree, who has averaged 20.5 points in her last five games, also did not have her best game, putting up just 14 points. “They started crowding the paint more, at times I felt like I was one-on-one as I was doing my move, but then I got doubled,” Goree said. “By then, it was too late to kick it out.” In just three days, Michigan will travel to Lincoln to take on No. 15 Nebraska — another team with an efficient shooter in guard Rachel Theriot — for its third game in seven days. And for the Wolverines, they’re just going to have make some shots.
Offense faces another test By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Writer
Riding a seven-game win streak and scoring more goals per game than any team in the country has since 2004, the No. 13 Michigan hockey team will be the clear favorite Michigan in Friday’s State vs. matchup against Michigan Michigan Matchup: State at Joe Michigan Louis Arena in State 9-11-2; Michigan 15-7 Detroit. But with When: Friday rivalry 7:35 P.M. bragging Where: Joe rights and Louis Arena conference positioning on TV/Radio: FS Detroit the line, plus potentially more than 20,000 fans watching, the Spartans have one player who may be able to slow the Wolverines’ roll and allow Michigan State to come away with an upset win: Jake Hildebrand. The junior netminder — who’s also the last goalie to hold the Wolverines to less than four goals — has a .924 save percentage and a 2.40 goals-against average in his career, and currently leads the Big Ten in minutes, saves, save percentage and goals-against average. And if last week was any indication, he’s only now hitting his stride. Hildebrand stopped 55 of 56 shots in a weekend sweep of Ohio State, earning him Big Ten First Star of the Week accolades. If he’s at his best, the Spartans have a fighting chance at slowing an offense that is averaging 4.36 goals per game. “He’s a competitor, that’s what separates him,” said Michigan State coach Tom Anastos. “He goes out and competes consistently, and we’re reliant on him at times because of how consistent he is.” Despite Hildebrand’s hot streak, Michigan (7-1 Big Ten, 15-7 overall) heads into the matchup unfazed. That’s
because it has made even the best netminders look foolish in recent weeks. Whether it was eight goals in a game against 2013 New York Islanders draft pick and Penn State starter Eamon McAdam, 13 goals in a weekend sweep of Wisconsin’s former NCAA top-10 goaltender Joel Rumpel, 18 goals in two games against a pair of veteran Ohio State goaltenders or even 11 goals in two games over reigning Big Ten Player of the Year Adam Wilcox of Minnesota, the Wolverines know that, if given the chance, they’ll find the points. “It’s pretty hard to prepare for a goalie,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “If we knew his weaknesses, he wouldn’t be so good and we’d have no problem. We prepare for their style of play, or some of their tendencies or their strengths or weaknesses. “I think our team knows that if push comes to shove, if we can get a couple scoring chances, we’ll find a way to score.” Though Hildebrand will prove to be Michigan’s toughest challenge since its 2-5 start to the season, the Spartans (3-3-2, 9-11-2) have had fits of
inconsistency on both sides of the puck. Anastos knows that for his team to walk away with a win, he’s going to need a strong performance by his entire team, and maybe a little rivalry magic in the neutral-site game. “They’re a different team than they were the last time we played them,” Anastos said. “They’re doing some incredible things, especially on the offensive side of the puck. They’re not just a one or two-line team that has holes or breaks, they can roll out any line and be a threat.” The two teams have a rivalry dating back over 90 years, and they know that an added level of intensity is in the air when they face each other that can provide an x-factor in a tight game. “It’s bigger than any of us,” Berenson said of the rivalry. “It was here before I came here as a player, and I didn’t fully understand it at first. I had no idea coming in, then I realized, ‘Holy Jesus, this is a war when we played those guys.’ “It’s a rivalry that has endured, and we know there’s a lot of people watching this game, so we need to make sure we’re ready.”
LUNNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Andrew Copp and his offense will try to beat MSU goaltender Jake Hildebrand.