ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, October 6, 2015
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HEALTH
CAPS adds after-hours call line for counseling CLAIRE ABDO/Daily
Ann Arbor resident Lloyd E. Shelton, left, founder and president of the Students with Disabilities and our Allies group, speaks about the difficulties he has had getting around during the winter at the Ann Arbor City Council meeting at Larcom City Hall on Monday.
Council votes on changes to snow removal ordinance Residents with disabilities say changes don’t go far enough By ISOBEL FUTTER Daily Staff Reporter
Despite recommendations from the Pedestrian Safety and Access Task Force, the Ann Arbor
City Council voted Monday to retain current regulations stipulating the amount of snow allowed to build up on sidewalks — currently set at one inch. The council did vote to give only one warning per season before issuing a citation for failure to remove snow. Previously, residents were given a warning per snow event. Language will also be eliminated that provided “police discretion” in issuing snow removal citations.
Furthermore, while previously residents had 24 hours to remove snow from sidewalks, there will be an 18-hour period before residents are issued a warning or citation. The council heard the task force’s recommendations during a work session on Sept. 14. After the task force released an extensive study on pedestrian safety in the city, the authors led the council through the report and outlined potential
amendments to current ordinances designed to make Ann Arbor a safer city for pedestrians. The ordinance regarding snow and ice removal was a particular focus for the task force. In addition to altering the policy dictating citations, the changes also clarify that property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice from bus stop and crosswalk approaches. See CITY COUNCIL, Page 3
Service to connect students with licensed psychologist over the phone By KATIE PENROD Daily Staff Reporter
As of Monday night, conversations about mental health are now constantly accessible beyond the traditional hours offered by Counseling and Psychological Services. Partnering with a company called ProtoCall, CAPS will now give students the option to call a mental health hotline after its office in the Michigan Union closes at 7 p.m. The hotline will be open whenever CAPS is not — including weekends and school holidays. The phone number will be the same number as the CAPS main line and will connect the caller to a ProtoCall licensed psychologist. According to CAPS director Todd Sevig the idea for the
ACADEMICS
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University allocates $5 million for humanities
edX set to host several online, open ‘U’ classes Expansion builds on University’s past experience with Coursera By GENEVIEVE HUMMER Daily Staff Reporter
The University is delving deeper into the age of digital learning with the launch of at least 20 new courses on edX, a nonprofit massive open online course provider, over the next two years. Finance, learning analytics and data science ethics will be the topics of three of the first courses. In a press release, University Provost Martha Pollack said Monday the announcement is evidence of the University’s commitment to digital education. “Michigan is redefining public residential education for the 21st century,” she wrote. “With this new partnership we are accelerating our experimentation in digital learning and reaffirming our commitment to leadership in learning analytics. It’s wonderful to see the growth of faculty-led initiatives that provide new modes of learning and rich opportunity for cutting edge scholarship.” EdX’s chief executive officer, Anant Agarwal, expressed similar excitement about the University’s decision to partner with the organization during a recent visit to campus. “We are honored to welcome
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program has been in the works for a few years. He said though the University hospital provides a psychiatric emergency room at all hours, this service could help struggling students who don’t feel they need to rush to the hospital. “Maybe it’s not quite an emergency but it would be really helpful to talk with a counselor at that moment,” he said. “That’s the inspiration. As I’ve asked students these last two or three years, across the board, everybody has said that would be really helpful.” Sevig said the purpose of the hotline is to provide a resource for students every moment CAPS is not open. The phone line will not be available when CAPS is open, he said, because students can access the in-person services at those times. LSA senior Allie Williams, a member of CAPS Student Advisory Board, said ProtoCall has a presence on more than 100 college campuses and has helped more than 2 million students See CAPS, Page 2
HI: 72 LO: 44
the University of Michigan to edX,” Agarwal said, according to a release. “As one of the most prestigious public research institutions in the U.S., and a pioneer in digital learning and learning analytics, Michigan will be an important collaborator with edX both in technology and research contributions. We are delighted to now offer Michigan’s highly engaging MOOCs, in a wide variety of subject areas, to our 5 million edX learners around the world.” EdX was founded in 2012 by scientists at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The nonprofit’s courses are free and available to anyone that has Internet access. This is not the University’s first brush with digital education. In 2012, the University — along with the University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, Princeton University and two Stanford computer science professors — co-founded Coursera, a for-profit company that offers massive open online courses. The University’s partnership with Coursera will continue. James Hilton, the vice provost for digital education initiatives, said edX and Coursera will complement each other well. “EdX and Coursera provide very different models with different sweet spots for experimentation,” he said in a release. “We are thrilled that our faculty will be able to take advantage of both platforms to push the boundaries of See EDX, Page 3
New initiative aims to encourage collaboration across departments By JACKIE CHARNIGA Daily Staff Reporter
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SACUA chair Silke-Maria Weineck, a professor of comparative literature, discusses the preparation for the March Faculty Governance Conference in the Fleming Building on Monday.
SACUA expresses ongoing concerns with course data Faculty body also talks University decision to release only base salaries By GENEVIEVE HUMMER Daily Staff Reporter
Faculty concern over the release of course evaluation data continues to grow. After last week’s meeting, the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs received an e-mail invitation from University Provost Martha Pollack to appoint a member to a task force being formed to evaluate the possibility of
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releasing the data. Members of student government have also been invited to appoint a member. “It’s important that both students and faculty have a strong voice on this task force and are not just decorative items,” SACUA Chair SilkeMaria Weineck, a professor of comparative literature, said in an interview following the meeting Monday. At last week’s meeting, SACUA members were surprised to learn from James Holloway, the vice provost for Global and Engaged Education, that the University was planning to release course evaluation data as soon as this semester.
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Biology Prof. John Lehman, a SACUA member, suggested constructing a second committee comprised solely of students, faculty and survey experts. Lehman said the student government representatives he has spoken to are receptive to faculty concerns, and are willing to create new evaluation questions that better suit faculty and student needs. “There are no students who feel as passionately about the need for those particular questions to be public as to the degree of passion that was expressed by some faculty against it, and that’s widely recognized, that’s so See SACUA, Page 3
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The University is allocating more than $5 million to fund a new initiative in the humanities. The funding will provide University faculty members working in the humanities additional opportunities to collaborate across University departments, the Office of the Provost announced last week. The Michigan Humanities collaboration aims to create new research opportunities by funding projects that will gather resources from different departments. Projects will pull largely from the study of human culture and thought, including language, literature, philosophy, history and the arts. Teams of faculty researchers — led by faculty in the humanities — will partner with librarians, undergraduates, graduate and postdoctoral fellows to develop new models of research with the hope of publishing across multiple types of media. Peggy McCracken, a professor of French, women’s studies and comparative literature, is acting as the collaboratory coordinator. “I knew that the project had been proposed, and now that the funding has come through we’re See HUMANITIES, Page 3
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TUESDAY: Campus Voices
MONDAY: This Week in History
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DOMINIQUE CANNIS
International interests LSA freshman Dominique Cannis does not know how to drive, plays music in the shower loud enough for the entire fourth floor of the Helen Newberry Residence to hear and, since moving into her dorm, has acquired an interest in vacuuming. She has only just moved back to the United States after spending years moving from country to country as a result of her father’s job for Ford Motor Company. Where have you lived? I went to high school in Moscow, Russia at the AngloAmerican School of Moscow, which was an international
school. From halfway through seventh grade to eighth grade, I lived in Istanbul. I lived in Birmingham, Michigan from third grade to halfway through seventh grade. I lived in Argentina from kindergarten to third grade, and I lived in Venezuela in pre-school. I was born in Michigan. What languages do you speak? I used to speak Spanish fluently — now, because of all the moving around, it got really messed up, especially when I moved back to the States … Then, in Istanbul, I didn’t even take Spanish for a year — I had
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to take French, which messed up my Spanish completely because I had to start thinking in French. I had a beginner’s knowledge of Turkish. I picked it up from all of my friends because all of my friends were Turkish and I really loved speaking it. Russian, I never really ended up learning.
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WHAT: Data scientists of all different fields will gather to launch the University’s Data Science Initiative. WHO: Advanced Research Computing WHEN: Today from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Graduate School, Auditorium
WHAT: Representatives will answer questions and provide giveaway items to promote organ donor registration and help those interested to sign up. WHO: University Library WHEN: Today from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. WHERE: Taubman Alfred Medical Library
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WHAT: Wolverine Toastmasters are hosting an open house. Toastmasters include students and community members alike interested in improving their communication and public speaking skills. WHO: Wolverine Toastmasters WHEN: Today from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. WHERE: Wolverine Tower
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with mental health needs. She said implementing a ProtoCall hotline on campus will help bridge a gap between the current services offered and extra help students might need. “CAPS wanted to offer this service because they realized that there was a need among the student body in terms of offering alternative resources for mental health crises that happen after hours, on the weekends or on holidays,” she said. Sevig noted that students will never be put on hold through this service, and will gain access to counselors who know the campus and its resources well. If desired, students will also have the option to connect with the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center’s 24-hour hotline, or with the University Hospital. “They are specifically trained in college student mental health, and so there are master’s level and doctoral level counselors that know a lot about college students
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Zhang Qiang, a lecturer at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, plays the pipa at the Melody of the Golden Fall concert at Rackham Auditorium on Monday.
Fall Career Expo
SMTD String Showcase
WHAT: Organizations will showcase their employment and internship opportunities for University students. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union
WHAT: String students are selected by SMTD faculty to perform at the String Showcase. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore Building
WHAT: The Cornerstone Research economic consulting firm is holding an information session for prospective analysts. The firm specializes in financial issues that result from litigation. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League
WHAT: This lecture examines the intersection of prostitution, musicmaking, dance, and underground culture. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore Building
Cornerstone African music Research info lecture
and college student issues,” he said. “The second reason why this is going to be a great benefit for our campus is that they, as part of the service they provide, take the time to learn not just about local resources, but they take time to learn the protocols that exist within the University. So when a student calls they will talk to counselor right away and that counselor will know all about the Michigan resources and to connect them with other resources if that’s needed.” Sevig also said through talking to students, he has learned that some people feel more comfortable talking about private mental health issues on the phone. He hopes this service will add value to the face-to-face services CAPS already provides. Williams said she believes the hotline can be used not only for emergency situations, but also for talking through the stressors many students face as a result of classes or pressure at the University. “An example would be when a student is experiencing intense anxiety during finals or midterms and they’re in the library feeling
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really upset or anxious about the exams they have to take,” she said. “They could call this line to talk through the problems they’re having and really receive the help that they need.” Though Sevig said hopes are high for the potential of this program, he wants to check in and evaluate the efficacy of the hotline after its launch. “At this point, what I’m planning on is an evaluation simply in the number of calls and the types of calls,” he said. “But at some point later in the year I would like to talk with students and student groups. It could be a survey. Then we’ll make changes based on that.” Ultimately, Williams emphasized that the phone line is a strong complement to the services CAPS already offers. “CAPS really wants students to live wellness-oriented lives and wants to offer this service in hopes of serving students that need help after regular business hours,” she said. “I’d like to think that CAPS will continue to strive to meet our student mental health needs in any way possible.”
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The Burlington Free Press reported that an Amtrak train derailed in Montpelier, Vt. Monday morning. Seven people were taken to the hospital for injuries, and 98 passengers were reported to be on the train when it derailed.
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The Florida TimesUnion reports that 33 are missing after a U.S. cargo ship, El Faro, disappeared following Hurricane Joaquin’s destruction in the Bahamas. Officials suspect the vessel sunk, notifying 28 of the 33 families of missing individuals.
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Kenan Malik, author of “From Fatwa to Jihad: The Rushdie Affair and its Legacy,” presents a lecture on the journey of individuals to jihadism at the School of Social Work on Monday.
Lecture explores public’s perception of jihadi culture Kenan Malik talks Muslims in Europe, radicalization
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Kenan Malik, a lecturer and writer, came to the University on Monday to discuss a central question: what draws thousands of Europeans to an organization like the Islamic State? Malik challenged conventional thoughts about radicalization and deradicalization in his lecture called “The Making of European Jihadis,” sponsored by the Center for European Studies and the Islamic Studies Program. Born in India and raised in England, Malik has a background in neurobiology and the history of the study of science. He has recently written “The Quest for a Moral Compass: A Global History of Ethics” and “From Fatwa to Jihad: The Rushide Affair and Its Legacy.” Malik runs the blog
“Pandaemonium” and is also known for his broadcasts on BBC Radio. Malik began his lecture reflecting on how radicalization is often spoken about by reducing complexity into a simple narrative. He broke the typical explanations down into four categories. “First, they claim that people become terrorists because they’re … usually religiously informed of extremist ideas,” Malik said. “Secondly, that these ideas are acquired in a different way … Third, that there’s a conveyor belt that leads from grievance or personal crisis to religiosity to radical beliefs to terrorism. And fourth, the insistence that what makes people vulnerable to acquiring such ideas is that they are poorly integrated into society.” According to Malik, there is very little evidence to support any of these elements of radicalization and considerable evidence to suggest that all are untrue. He believes there is a gap between
the reality of jihadism and the political desire for a simplistic narrative that the traditional radicalization thesis provides. Malik said many critics argue it is not religion, but politics that drive jihadis to terror. However, this is a more conventional model of the radicalization, and Malik said in his opinion, both explanations miss the specific historical context of contemporary attraction to jihadism. “Those drawn to groups such as Islamic State are clearly both politically enraged about Western intervention and have a particular view of Islam — religion and politics all indispensable threats to their stories,” Malik said. According to Malik, what drew some jihadis to Syria was neither politics nor religion, but rather, it was a search for something more abstract, like a sense of identity and meaning. Malik said jihad is a form of social disengagement rather than radicalization, as it is often perceived by the public. See LECTURE, Page 3
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Farmer discovers mammoth, donates it to the University The farmer who found wooly mammoth bones on his property in Washtenaw County donated the specimen to the University on Monday. Last week John Bristle was digging in his soy-bean field when he discovered the unusual bones. What he first mistook as a fence turned out to be a rib bone. When Bristle realized the magnitude of his discovery he contacted the University and Dan Fisher, director of the University’s Museum of Paleontology and professor. Fisher said Bristle’s mammoth discovery is in the top ten most significant mammoth discoveries in Michigan’s recorded history. University researchers believe the mammoth lived around 11,700 and 15,000 years ago. They hypothesize that it may have been killed by early hunters based on the placement of the bones and their discovery of what they believe could be a cutting tool.
Researchers aim to get children moving in the classroom University researchers are working to curb obesity and keep students focused through implementing periodic two minute exercise breaks throughout the day in elementary and middle school classrooms. Rebecca Hasson, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology, is leading the Active Classroom project which gives students two minute exercise breaks between every twenty minutes of classwork. Hasson found students burn on average 100 — 300 more calories with the exercise program than they would have in a typical classroom setting. Her research also shows students are able to quickly resume focusing on their school work after the break and none of the participants in her study complained about having to exercise. As Hasson continues her research she hopes to quantify the effect the breaks have on kids’ ability to maintain a healthy weight and improve cognition.
University debuts training program On Monday the University launched Navigate: Fundamentals — a course to train incoming research administrators. The program involves eight day long conferences where guest speakers will present their research. The course will run October through March. The course was developed after the research administration advisory council subcommittee for mentoring research administrators and training new ones conducted a survey in 2013 gathering input on what would make a good course. Navigate will prepare the incoming administrators on how to respond in various professional situations and how to manage a research project.
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Ann Arbor resident Leon Bryson speaks about the overgrowth of plants at the Ann Arbor City Council meeting at Larcom City Hall on Monday.
CITY COUNCIL From Page 1 Some speakers representing the disabled community of Ann Arbor spoke out against the ordinance’s amendments, saying the changes did not go far enough. “I look at this issue as a human decency issue,” said Ann Arbor resident Daniel Heumann at the meeting. “I’ve lived in weather worse than Ann Arbor. I have to say after living in Ann Arbor, I’ve had the most difficult time getting around here than any other city.” Heumann said he felt the ordinance was too lenient and neglects not just the disabled community, but everyone in Ann Arbor. “We need to be a city that allows for all of us to be able to get around easily,” Heumann said. “Despite the fact that winter here is sometimes very brutal, I think this ordinance needs to be reworked in many ways.” Some individuals also felt that the suggested ordinance violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by making it more difficult for disabled residents to travel about the city. “I’ve overcome a lot of things, but I cannot overcome ice and snow,” said Ann Arbor resident Ruth Barkan. “During the winter I need a walker to balance and my walker also cannot overcome ice and snow. I’m asking you not to pass this ordinance, it will make my life a lot harder. It is not fair to
SACUA From Page 1 clear,” Lehman said. “There’s no coalition more important at a University than between the faculty and the students. And any time you have the opportunity to demonstrate that, you demonstrate it.” Ultimately, the committee decided it would be too confusing to implement a second task force. “The sense of most people in the room was we are totally in favor of students and faculty working together on this, but we are already asking for this, and now to have a separate version would muddy the waters,” Weineck said after the meeting. SACUA members also discussed University President Mark Schlissel’s decision to continue to publicly release only
discriminate against some of us that have no control over the fact that we are disabled.” Councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy (D–Ward 1) said the ordinance does not violate the ADA because all walkways and public sidewalks must be cleared. The current ordinance requires one inch of snow to be accumulated before residents are required to remove it. The suggestion from the task force, which was not approved by Council, specified that snow of greater than one inch and any compacted snow of greater than a half inch must be removed. However, an amendment to the proposal removed the specifications about compacted snow because councilmembers felt it over-complicated enforcement. “We can’t get compliance with the one inch, so until we can get that, it’s going to be very difficult to get compliance on the zero,” Councilmember Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) said. Several speakers said that Ann Arbor is one of the only cities where a zero-tolerance rule is not enforced. Councilmember Kirk Westphal (D–Ward 2) said he was grappling with how to change the ordinance to please the concerns of all residents. “We’re reportedly an outlier in the way we allow snow on our walkways,” Westphal said. “I think we have the ability and willingness to get to a place where we accommodate a greater variety of users.” The City Council also voted
on a resolution to approve the Council Administration Committee to act as a search committee for a new city administrator. In previous years, the process of selecting a new city administrator depended less on the Administration Committee and more on smaller search parties. However, in alliance with the Open Meetings Act, which states that meetings of certain public bodies must be open to the public, the process changed. According to Briere, the committee gave recommended some candidates in years past, but it was up to Council to narrow down their options in a public forum. “The challenge here is how to involve us all without having a meeting in public that embarrasses a candidate because we don’t choose that candidate to be considered for the next phase,” Briere said. In August, Current City Administrator Steve Powers announced he was leaving the position. After spending four years in the position, he is accepting a new career opportunity in Oregon and leaving in November. The Council has appointed Tom Crawford, the city’s chief financial officer, as an interim city administrator while the search process is completed. While the Council will select and approve the city administrator when the time comes, the committee will serve as a search committee for three finalists suitable for the role.
the base salaries of University faculty, administration and staff members. His announcement follows a review of the University’s compensation practices by the institution’s human resources office and a private consulting firm. “This feels right to me in striking the balance between continuing our competitive edge for the best administrative talent and being fiscally responsible, especially given the scale and complexity at Michigan,” Schlissel said in a statement. The review, which looked at executive compensation levels, the use of non-base pay and practices on public disclosure of compensation for all employees, found compensation for executives at the University ranks high in comparison to peer public institutions and falls in
the median when compared with private peer institutions. Under Michigan state law, the University is required to release base salaries, but not total compensation, which includes bonuses. Weineck said faculty members were hoping the University would decide to release the full compensation data, but have decided not to pursue the matter now that Schlissel has made his decision. “There was a general consensus among many faculty that they would like the actual compensation data to be released, not just the base salaries because that can paint a misleading picture,” she said. “We had hope that this was an ethical decision and the ethical decision was to be transparent. We’re disappointed but we’re not contemplating any further action.”
of learners on campus and around the world” McKay said. “With edX we will continue to employ personalization and learning analytics to improve the effectiveness of student learning, our teaching and the design of courses and curricula.” H. V. Jagadish, a professor of electrical engineering and computer science, will teach the third course about data science ethics. Comparative Literature Prof. Silke-Maria Weineck, chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, said the University’s move toward digital education is something SACUA has yet to cover. “We have not had a chance to discuss this at SACUA so I can’t speak to this,” she said. “But as with all technical innovations, there’s always great potential and great risks.”
James DeVaney, the associate vice provost for digital education and innovation, said the University’s decision to expand its digital education system will have an international impact. “Anchoring our scholarly and practical approach in digital learning and learning analytics, we’ve reached 3.6 million lifelong learners through MOOCs since 2012, and have created the infrastructure and capacity to partner with faculty innovators to dramatically increase Michigan’s impact,” DeVaney wrote in a release. “If we continue to harness the best technology and deepen our use of learning analytics, we know the ripple effect of Michigan’s academic excellence and alumni network will be felt around the world.”
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EDX From Page 1 discovery.” Finance Prof. Gautam Kaul will teach “Finance for Everyone: Smart Tools for Decision-Making.” As one of the first professors to pilot Coursera, he created his first MOOC three years ago. Timothy McKay, a professor of physics and astronomy, will teach a new learning analytics course as a part of the University’s new partnership with edX. McKay said the new partnership will allow the University to further personalize education. “At U-M we believe personalization at scale is within reach. We care deeply about enriching the lives
getting under way,” she said. The $5 million University investment will support the project for a projected four years. Depending on the initiative’s success, a potential renewal for another three years would double the amount to $10 million. Sara Blair, vice provost for academic and faculty affairs and professor of English, said the first task for the advisory board would be developing criteria for project proposals and guide interested faculty toward applying. “The advisory board will be looking for projects that make imaginative use of collaborative teams, are thoughtful about research and mentoring across faculty, graduate student and undergraduate roles, and ready to experiment with alternative ways of getting humanities research out to our many publics,” she said. Because preliminary deadlines for project proposals are approaching, McCracken said she’s working with her staff to quickly prepare the criteria before the first deadlines in February. “I’ve heard from a number of people,” she said. “I think there’s a lot of interest. And I’m excited about that.” McCracken’s team will also work to provide a series of workshops about how to craft project programs in advance of the deadline. The workshops will detail successful examples of research proposals to help faculty structure their own requests. They will also provide tips on successfully incorporating student involvement in projects. Participants in the collaborative will be selected by a faculty board composed of Sidonie Smith, director of the Institute for the Humanities;
associate deans for humanities in LSA and Rackham Graduate School; and any additional faculty selected by the coordinator. Though there are no guidelines in place yet, Smith said an important aspect of projects contending for funding is their method of reaching the public with their results. “Part of the requirements is the results of the collaboration need to be made available in multiple formats for different audiences,” Smith said. While the research may end up appearing in either a book or essay format, Smith said the expectation is that the results will be communicated through public events or multimedia platforms. Smith said the projects would not preempt a new interdisciplinary program or result in any rearrangements of departmental structures. “They will not be tied to establishing some kind of institutional program,” she said. “They’re meant to be pop-up — that is, they arrived from faculty interest. They’re not tied to a long-term agenda. They are for enabling faculty to have the opportunity to work in collaborative teams and to train doctoral students in this new kind of environment for doing work in the humanities.” The collaborative efforts will be strategically housed at Hatcher Graduate Library to allow the projects access to research resources as well as public exposure. “Being in the library, a hub of humanities research, will allow for collaboration with librarians, information specialists and other humanists, and make the work of the collaboratory visible to the campus and community,” Blair said. Selected projects will begin in the fall of 2016.
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LECTURE From Page 2 “It is not, in other words, a question of being groomed or indoctrinated, but of losing faith in mainstream moral frameworks and searching for an alternative,” he said. “Disengagement is, of course, not simply a Muslim issue. There is today widespread disenchantment in the political process, a sense of being politically voiceless.” Islam was not an allencompassing philosophy in Malik’s father’s generation, he said. The faith of his father’s generation represented a relationship with God, not a sacrosanct public identity. The Muslim identity of today has been molded by society and then appropriated by Muslims as a means for asserting their own agency. “In the past, most Muslims, in Britain or in France, would have regarded their faith as one strand among many,” Malik said. “There’s a growing number that see themselves as Muslim in an almost tribal sense, for whom the richness of the tapestry has given way to an all-encompassing monochrome cloak of faith.” Common among all the people turning to jihadism is their distance from conventional Muslim traditions and institutions, Malik said, either because they have rejected them, or because they have come to Islam late in life.
“If we try to explain away complexity, it we try to reduce complexity to a simple narrative, we’re actually explaining away the explanation,” Malik said. “If we try to craft public policy upon a simplistic narrative, it will usually be disastrous.” Karla Mallette, a professor of Italian and director of the Center for European Studies and the Islamic Studies Program, introduced Malik to attendees as a “rare creature” and public intellectual who has a robust presence in the public sphere. “We were looking for somebody who could be a thoughtful and intelligent correspondent to talk to us about the lives of Muslims in the UK and really throughout Europe,” Mallette said in an interview with the Daily. “Kenan Malik was highly recommended to us and really is one of the most insightful and incisive commenters on the lives of European Muslims.” The Center for European Studies and the Islamic Studies Program are running a series on the lives of European Muslims, what brings them together and how they interact with other communities “What we’re able to do at the International Institute is to bring people who are from other parts of the world to really internationalize the University community to a lot of people, to think through problems that are being faced in other parts of the world with people who are coming directly from that region,” Mallette said.
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com JENNIFER CALFAS EDITOR IN CHIEF
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LEV FACHER MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
The reward of immigrant parents
I
don’t identify as American. But I also definitely don’t identify as German. Having been raised by immigrant parents, I’m pretty staunch in my view of myself as a German-American, and, for better or for worse, I know I will never belong either here or there. However, this gives me an irreplaceable advantage over any American-American. My parents immigrated LIAM to the United States in 1994. WIESENBoth of my older sisters BERGER were born in Germany, but I was born on U.S. soil, with both the citizenship of my parents’ country and this new one. Unlike the rest of my family, I could be president. We actually were only supposed to live in the United States for three years, so my parents named me after an actor in popular American films at the time, Liam Neeson, so they could show off my American birthplace when I lived in Germany. They ended up staying, though, so I actually have a name that does the opposite of what my parents intended. Instead of standing out, I blend in. An interesting relationship can often develop between the children of immigrants and their parents. Looking back, it’s actually bizarre how much cultural authority I had over them. As a native to the language of the United States, I had valuable skills and knowledge that neither my mother nor even my engineer/businessman father had. My family turned to me for advice on grammar, spelling, vocabulary and other references not understood by non-Americans. I still can remember being absolutely ashamed when my mom would come pick me up from kindergarten (a word I hadn’t realized was German) and speak our native language with me. I was so embarrassed. For play dates, I would always prefer going over to my friends’ houses, with their easily-chewed American foods (my dad always says our hard German bread is “gut für die Zähne,” or good for your teeth) and parents without accents. Instead of pronouncing my last name the correct way, I would introduce myself phonetically as “Liam Weez-en-burger.” My sister recently told me the story of how she found out she was an immigrant, in which, after seeing the other kindergarten students’ PB&J sandwiches, Cheetos and Gushers at lunch time, she realized maybe these other kids actually don’t all have a different secret family language they speak at home. As I grew older and began to appreciate my
heritage and culture, it was finally time for me to begin asking my parents about their home country. I, of course, went through a phase in which I thought Germany was the best thing since sliced Bauernbrot, and relished in bringing my background into any conversation I could, citing how much more advanced and progressive my parents’ home country was than America. Now, however, I believe I’ve struck a healthy balance with which I can appreciate both the positive and negative aspects of each of my countries. A phenomenon I find fascinating is that, from what I have noticed, many first-generation Americans gravitate toward their own kind in college. By that, I mean many first-generation friends of mine from high school whose social circles consisted of a wide variety of ethnicities and nationalities find a place in college with other first-generation Americans with parents from the same region. And I’m no exception! I too have surrounded myself almost exclusively with other first-generation students. The only difference with me is that I happened to become part of a community whose parents came from a different country than mine. Despite being German, I feel very much at home in Michigan’s Indian-American dance community. In my opinion, it’s not the region of origin that causes first-generation students to be extremely driven, open-minded, optimistic and motivated. The experience of growing up with immigrant parents often results in individuals that have dealt with issues their native peers have not, and so needed to develop the skills necessary to overcome potential disadvantages. Immigrant parents are also often very motivating. That is, they know what they came to this country for, and instill high expectations in their children. My American peers probably have never had a kid turn around and yell, “SPEAK ENGLISH” to them on a ski lift, or never have to take over the phone because their mom is on the verge of tears from being treated rudely by customer service for her accent and English skills. But they also probably didn’t grow up bilingual, international and with an innate understanding of cultural self-awareness. Being a firstgeneration American is an absolute blessing as a university student, and my split cultural identity is something of which I am fiercely proud. Immigrant parents may struggle with raising their children in a country originally foreign to them, but it’s a price that comes with an irreplaceable reward. — Liam Wiesenberger can be reached at wiesliam@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Adam Morton, Victoria Noble, Anna PolumboLevy, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Stephanie Trierweiler, Mary Kate Winn, Derek Wolfe JOE IOVINO
E-mail Joe at jiovino@umich.edu
O
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A sobering experience
nce, during Welcome Week of freshman year, I slept in a bramble patch outside the Central Campus Recreational Building. It was 2 a.m., and I was walking home with my friend. “I’ll be right back,” I said, wandering into the bramble patch. TOM WEST “Don’t leave.” He did leave — thanks, Greg — but to be fair, I was already asleep in a fucking bush. It was the beginning of the tradition of me falling asleep in places that are neither comfortable nor appropriate. Sophomore year, I went on a camping trip with some friends. One night, after just two hard ciders, I climbed into a canoe and pushed myself away from shore. “So long, assholes,” I yelled at my friends. “I’m fucking Pocahontas.” Except that I didn’t have a paddle, and my friend Kenny had to swim to the middle of the lake and tow me in. So when I came home last week to find some kid sleeping in a chair on my lawn, I tried to be forgiving. I walked right by him and into the house. It was 7 p.m. on a Monday. I’m not Mother Theresa, and I was too busy for that shit. I asked Kenny if he saw the kid in our yard — apparently Kenny found him on the street. “He was gonna get MIP’ed,” Kenny said, making coffee. “You’ve been there.” Kenny was always taking in strays. He has a natural social instinct that I don’t — not that there’s anything wrong with chatting with strangers. It’s just not for everyone, in the same way that autoflagellation isn’t for everyone. Or pulling teeth. We went outside and checked on
him. Kenny asked where he lived. “Close,” he slurred, over and over. “Real close.” That didn’t do much for us, but we each took an arm and started walking in the direction he pointed us. “Just over there,” he said. “Real close.” Ten minutes into the walk, I started doubting his understanding of “close.” Kenny and the kid were getting along splendidly, though. He wouldn’t tell us his name — pretty shy for a guy we let sleep on our lawn — but he was a senior at the University. He liked craft beer and the Seattle Seahawks. “What were you drinking tonight, buddy?” Kenny asked. “I wasn’t drinking,” he said. He wouldn’t tell us what he was on — that didn’t bother Kenny and I, though. College kids experiment. So what. I don’t want to exoticize hard drug use. (That? Here?) Nor do I want to broadcast the suffering of one young man — if you’re out there, I’m sorry. But when we talked it seemed like you had a lot to say. And I think your story is important. We sat him down in Burns Park around 8 p.m. — he was basically dead weight at this point. He could hardly keep his eyes open, but he kept telling us the story. It sounded rehearsed, as if he’d been over it in his head before he had someone to listen. “I tried it three years ago. I was just looking for something. I think it really started when I started smoking, though. I started smoking when I was 14. And I was high all the time. I think because I started so young I don’t know how not to be high. So then I was on pills. My doctor said it was OK, you know? Because I have anxiety. But I think I have anxiety because of the smoking. I don’t know. It gets harder to find that thing you’re looking for,” he said. “It gets to this point where you don’t even know what it was in the first place. You don’t know what you ever were looking for. But I was doing really well,
with this — I haven’t used in three weeks, did you know that?” We were sitting on a bench and some kids were playing on the playground not far from us. It struck me, as I grabbed the guy to keep him from falling forward, that this was the closest I’d ever been to a hard drug addict. He looked a little like me, actually. It was dark. He was falling asleep on Kenny’s shoulder. Out of options, we took his phone and started calling numbers. “No way,” said the voice over the phone. “I can’t deal with his shit today. Tell him to call someone else.” Another friend did come — “I have someone important in the car. Don’t fuck this up for me, man,” he said. We helped him into the car. As we closed the door, he grabbed Kenny by the shoulder. “Don’t ever do prescription pills,” he said. “It only leads to heroin.” It was 9:30 p.m. Kenny and I had a bowling game in 20 minutes. Our housemates would be mixing drinks — everyone drinks heavily on bowling night. For me, it’s the only way I can deal with my utter lack of talent. If we hurried, we could make it back to the house in time to play catch-up with a few shots. But we stayed on the bench a little longer. All the kids had gone home. “I thought he was just drunk,” Kenny said. Would it have been better if he was just plain, old-fashioned fucked up? I don’t know if one sort of fucked up is better than another. He was using heroin for the same reasons a lot of us drink, anyway: to feel comfortable or relaxed. The difference is campus culture allows one sort of passing out and not the other. We bowled sober — for that night, at least. I’m sure we’ll be back in the partying mood soon. But Kenny’s been staying in a bit more. So have I. — Tom West can be reached at tkwest@umich.edu.
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C
When it’s “not enough”
olumbine, Virginia Tech, Newtown, Aurora, Charleston and Umpqua were merely a list of names years ago — a grouping of cities, schools and places with seemingly little significance to the outside world. Now, as our generation and subsequent MELISSA generations con- SCHOLKE tinue to grow up in a culture with a high frequency of mass shootings and gun violence, these names stand as reminders of a bleak history of violence, tragedy and humanity’s ability to inflict devastating harm upon itself. They stand as memorials of cherished lives taken away too soon. I remember, as a middle school student, watching the unceasing news coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting. My parents undertook the difficult task of explaining what was going on. A little more than one year later, during the summer of 2008, my hometown’s name tragically gained significance as another site where innocent young lives were taken by a shooter. I was too young to know the individuals personally. Rather, I knew them solely through connections made only in small towns where everybody somehow knows everyone. Even with the greatest amount of empathy and compassion, I’ll never be able to fully understand the terror, the grief or the magnitude of loss felt by the parents, friends and classmates of the teenagers lost that summer day. I can only attest to the shock, fear and collective mourning felt by a community left wondering: How, of all places, could this happen in a small town in the middle of the woods? How could this happen here? Tragedy, as citizens of Umpqua, Ore. — preceded by countless communities before them — will learn, leaves an indelible mark that remains after the last headlines have gone to print, after the final condolence has been given, after the cameras disappear and the resulting policy debates stagnate. Shock and devastation mend and transition over time to somber mourning and finally to
memorialization and acceptance. While the memory of these tragedies may dampen with each passing year as the world moves onward, it never truly fades in the minds of the families, friends and communities affected. Yet, as the public could see from the frustration and aggravation President Barack Obama showed in his address this past Thursday, society isn’t moving onward after these tragedies. Instead, after each successive traumatic instance, we enter the same cyclical path of tragedy, media coverage, unproductive debate and impasse, repeating it every few weeks or months. Whether these tragedies happen on a wide scale, whether they capture national media attention or even just the attention of a region or whether these incidents are more isolated, the frequency of gun-related violence in the United States is alarming. Thursday marked Obama’s 15th address regarding mass shootings during his time in office. According to the BBC, the number of mass shootings this year in the United States, including the events that took place in Oregon, increased to 294. The rate of deaths resulting from gunshots each year currently stands at 30,000. Our country, without a doubt, needs reform in order to reduce the epidemic of gun violence. To do so, we, as a society, need to change the way we approach these incidents. Far too often in the aftermath, all that results is simplistically labeling it an issue of gun control, which usually leads to an unproductive, escalated brawl of partisanship. Our government does need to reevaluate our laws and consider stronger regulation. It’s also important to acknowledge that regulation and confiscation are in no way synonymous. In fact, conducting background checks for all individuals who purchase a gun is an initiative supported by roughly 90 percent of Americans. Likewise, there’s evidence that enacting background checks and permit-to-purchase laws in some states has aided in reducing gun-related violence. But gun control — even though media outlets and politicians certainly center upon the issue — will not offer the ultimate resolution to this serious problem. Rather, the media itself presents another issue
entirely. Coverage tends to focus heavily upon the motivations of the shooter to an extent to which the name of the shooter is often more recognizable than the names of the victims. Some argue the sensationalist style and continuous coverage is capable of a contagion effect, which may appeal to those seeking infamy and contribute to continuing the trend of increased gun violence. We watch news of these events unfold, seeking to know the motivations behind a perpetrator’s actions and usually attributing them to issues of mental health, a violent culture, hatred, sexism, racism or other societal problems. In order to reduce the frequency of these events, though, more time also needs to be devoted to analyzing and remedying underlying issues. Society can’t expect gun violence and mass shootings to be eliminated by a few laws in a culture where issues of mental health, prejudice and inequality are still frequently overlooked. We can’t begin to solve a problem we still don’t fully understand. With numerous potential factors to consider, our lack of conclusive answers and information about gun violence is highly problematic and illustrates a dire need for research. Barriers, such as bans, against gun-violence research have been imposed and lifted in recent years. Yet, limits on funding and concerns over reigniting polarizing debates still continue to inhibit organizations like the CDC from researching gun violence and its contributing factors further. Simplistic answers and stagnant debates aren’t the solution to this multi-faceted problem of violence. In his address last Thursday, Obama stressed that after these horrific acts, supplying “our thoughts and our prayers” is not enough to disrupt this pattern. Our words, no matter how heartfelt and genuine, must begin to coincide with our actions, and we, as a society, need to both thoughtfully consider and look beyond the divisive, complicated debate over gun control. Until we look deeper and analyze all of the potential contributing factors, our response still won’t be “enough.” — Melissa Scholke can be reached at melikaye@umich.edu.
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Arts
Tuesday, October 6, 2015 — 5
FILM REVIEW
FILM REVIEW
IFC FILMS
Pete Campbell wouldn’t wear flannel.
‘Other People’ will keep you chuckling Innovative ‘Martian’ explores humanity 20TH CENTURY FOX
That Mars problem took two years to solve.
Indie rom-com overcomes genre conventions with great jokes By BEN ROSENSTOCK Daily Arts Writer
Nowadays, practically every romantic comedy is labeled “predictable” or “formulaic.” Movies like “Trainwreck,” B+ though, have conclusively Sleeping shown us that With Other predictability isn’t necessar- People ily a bad thing when it comes IFC Films to this genre. A good old-fash- State Theatre ioned romance story can be pleasing in its familiarity, and often the “unconventional” ending is simply the wrong ending for a given story. Writer-director Leslye Headland’s (“Bachelorette”) new rom-com, “Sleeping with Other People,” does fall back on some of the same conventions of the genre, but with some great jokes, a great cast and a few surprising touches, the movie succeeds at overcoming those pitfalls. Jason Sudeikis (“Saturday Night Live”) and Alison Brie (“Community”) star as Jake and Lainey, two people who lost their virginity to one other. When Jake and Lainey run into each other at a sex addiction support group years later, they ignore their mutual attraction, and instead strike up a friendship based on the idea that sex ruins every relationship they have been in. It’s a pretty silly premise, and it calls to mind the countless other rom-coms based on characters trying and failing to
remain “just friends.” But the movie is surprising in its honesty. This isn’t building toward a revelation when the characters will realize their insecurities. From the beginning, it’s clear that Jake is a womanizer because he’s too afraid to actually make a lasting connection with anyone, and Lainey is hung up on her engaged ex, Matthew (Adam Scott, “Parks and Recreation”). Neither of these conf licts seem particularly fresh, but it does feel fresh how openly and honestly the characters work through their issues together. Jake and Lainey discuss sex positions, female ejaculation, penis size and masturbation, and their candor is both hilarious and refreshing.
Great cast and a few surprising touches. Even if the beats of the story are mostly typical, there are little touches in the direction, script and acting. After Lainey has a surprisingly humiliating sexual experience, she lies back on the table and a ray of sunlight filters into the room, lingering for several seconds as she stews in self-loathing. As Jake delivers joke after hilarious joke, Lainey giggles in the background. And in one scene that will make you fall for Alison Brie (if you somehow haven’t already), Lainey teaches a group of kids at a birthday party how to dance. At different points in the movie, the predictability of the ending shifts. As Jake and Lainey’s sexual tension builds and the two show clear signs of falling in love, it seems obvious that they’ll end up together.
But as Headland cultivates her trope-subverting style with her naturalistic direction and wellwritten honesty, the possibility of an unconventional ending becomes more real. At one point about an hour into the movie, the story reaches an unexpected note of peace and acceptance, with the characters content in their platonic roles. In that one quiet moment as Jake and Lainey lie together and fall asleep, all the conflict falls away and the viewer gets the distinct feeling that it doesn’t really matter whether the characters do get together. Unfortunately, the movie brings back the conflict in a somewhat unnecessary third act, shattering the sense of contentment by again raising the question of whether these characters belong together. For many viewers, Headland’s small sample of stylistic touches will be enough to overcome the inherent predictability of the genre. But it’s hard not to wish the film would be OK with stopping a little earlier and leaving things a little ambiguous. By the time the movie does resolve the will-theywon’t-they conflict, it feels a little false. The answer just doesn’t seem to matter as much as it did earlier on. “Sleeping with Other People” doesn’t reinvent the romantic comedy like it sometimes aspires to, but that’s OK. With a supporting cast stacked with hilarious comedic actors including Jason Mantzoukas (“The League”), Andrea Savage (“Step Brothers”) and Natasha Lyonne (“Orange is the New Black”), and a compelling pair of leads in Sudeikis and Brie, it succeeds in investing the audience in its conflict. By the time it ends, some of that investment has dwindled, but it’s still an admirable entry into the romcom genre. When the laughs are constantly rolling, it’s hard to ask for much more.
TV REVIEW
Not yet Trevor’s show By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
Reviewing late night shows right after they premiere is a difficult task because they, more than any other type of television, take B time to grow into their own. The Daily Even the most Show with talented hosts have early Trevor bumps in the Noah road. It’s hard to be too critical on Series Presomeone who’s miere just starting Mondays-Thursand isn’t used to this format days at 11 p.m. yet. Despite Comedy Central all this, there were moments in the first week of the new “The Daily Show” where Trevor Noah looked actively uncomfortable. His delivery was off, and some of his work didn’t have the sharp wit that landed him the prestigious position of replacing Jon Stewart. However, there were some bright spots in the week. With time, Noah should be able to take what worked, improve
what didn’t and spin the show in a direction where he is more comfortable. The format of the new “The Daily Show” remains the same: Noah tells jokes at his desk, both on his own and with the correspondents; there are field pieces and an interview in each episode’s third act. Of the desk segments in the premiere week, only a handful worked, with the best ones occurring when Noah let his own voice shine. For example, Thursday’s show opener, where Noah compared Trump to an African dictator, showcased Noah’s biting humor and his global perspective (Noah grew up in apartheid South Africa). However, the entire week wasn’t as impressive — a segment on racist police by correspondents Jordan Klepper and Roy Wood Jr. lingered for about twice as long as it should have. Noah’s biggest weakness in the first week of shows came during the interviews, where he seemed nervous asking questions and couldn’t flesh out substance in the conversations. This was prevalent during his interview with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
While Noah tried to guide the conversation in a more serious direction, he couldn’t negotiate with Christie’s evasiveness. The rest of the week’s interviews were less substantive, with celebrities and CEOs with whom Noah was a bit more relaxed. The one new benefit of Noah’s show is that there will be more music on it, something that was lacking during Stewart’s tenure. Thursday’s episode had Ryan Adams as a musical guest; he played three songs off his Taylor Swift cover album 1989. The moment most representative of Noah’s timidity in the chair was when he addressed the community college shooting in Oregon. He gave a heartfelt statement, expressing his condolences for the victims, but he didn’t quite go as far as Jon Stewart would have. If it weren’t his first week, maybe he would have given more of a commentary or expressed more of his personal views than he did. What’s nice about the late night format is that Noah will have several months to find his voice and establish himself in the host chair.
By MATT BARNAUSKAS Daily Arts Writer
The concept of space is terrifying. It’s a place completely hostile to human life, a place where we’re not meant B+ to survive. To go into The space, in Martian several ways, 20th Century is to defy the laws of the Fox universe. Yet, for Rave & Quality 16 many, there’s an endless allure to visiting the vastness beyond our planet — the challenge to push mankind’s collective ingenuity, to test the boundaries of possibility and to achieve unmatched greatness continues to drive humanity forward. “The Martian” weaves together these two contrasting human needs, to endure and to explore, into a tale where survival depends on doing the unprecedented. At the center is astronaut Mark Watney (Matt Damon, “Interstellar”). A botanist for the Ares III mission on Mars, Watney is presumed dead and abandoned by his fellow crewmembers after a freak storm forces an evacuation. Alone, Watney must live on a foreign world where even the smallest mistake can lead to his death. Directed by Ridley Scott (“Prometheus”), who makes one of his best efforts in years, “The Martian” bears resemblance to Ron Howard’s “Apollo 13.” In this similarity lies one of “The Martian” ’s biggest challenges: while the crisis of “Apollo 13” took place over a roughly six-day period, “The Martian” has the task of telling a narrative that extends over 500 days. To maintain the life-or-death tension over such a prolonged period of time, screenwriter Drew Goddard (“Cabin in the Woods”) splits the story into two parts, emphasizing two distinct questions — how Watney will survive and how he will get home. The first question forms the beginning of the movie as Watney comes to grips with his situation. The weight of the movie is largely thrust on Damon as the isolated astronaut, and he’s more than up to the task. With a measured determination and smirking gallows humor, Damon brings lightness to Watney’s grim task while delivering the stress and doubt that crawl into the man’s psyche as he faces such insurmountable obstacles. “The Martian” embraces ingenuity as Watney uses his limited resources to create a small potato farm. To explain Watney’s technical method, Scott interweaves narration and image. Using video journals, Damon narrates his character’s progress as he fertilizes his crops using human waste and creates water by burning hydrazine. This combination of voice and
action makes these scenes fascinating, comprehensible and poignant. While Watney’s situation focuses on survival, the idea of doing the extraordinary works its way in. At one point, Watney muses that everywhere he goes, he’s the first: to survive, he must paradoxically take calculated risks while stepping into the unknown, forcing these combative instincts to work in harmony. As the film diverges from
The film weaves together endurance and exploration. its protagonist, this reality becomes more apparent. Watney’s crewmates and the Earthbound NASA discover his survival and try to find a way to bring their man home. These storylines require a large ensemble cast, and Scott fills it with big-name talent. In lesser hands, these roles could be boring exposition dumps, but a distinct sense of humor and personality are brought forth by most of the performers. On the NASA front, mission director Vincent Kapoor (Chiwetel Ejiofor, “12 Years a Slave”) and NASA Director Teddy Sanders (Jeff Daniels, “The Newsroom”) are strong points as men who have final say and weigh every choice with caution. However, there are some relatively thankless
roles like Kristen Wiig’s (“Bridesmaids”) Mindy Park, who sometimes operates as little more than an audience stand-in. The same goes for Watney’s astronaut companions. Jessica Chastain (“Zero Dark Thirty”) is given the most to work with as guilt-ridden mission commander Melissa Lewis. While Michael Peña (“AntMan”) as pilot Rick Martinez develops a strong bond with Damon, even when they can only communicate through typed messages. The rest of the crew is good, but don’t have as many opportunities. “The Martian” never squanders its cast, but doesn’t always utilize its talent pool to full effect. At one point, Watney disappears to the background of the film in favor of concentrating on these storylines. While it’s interesting to see the challenges of putting together a rescue mission, the movie loses track of its emotional core for too long. A time jump makes the transition back to its protagonist slightly jarring. However, despite these small struggles in maintaining focus, these interlocking storylines about rescuing Watney emphasize the need to extend beyond perceived limits as nothing comes easy and innovation is the only solution. It’s in these accomplishments of human resourcefulness that “The Martian” reveals why exploring the challenging reality of space is necessary. In facing the impossible, people can achieve more than they imagined and humanity, as a whole, is driven forward.
Arts
6 — Tuesday, October 6, 2015
LITERATURE COLUMN
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM REVIEW
Close reading our ‘Mississippi Grind’ is candidates’ memoirs carried by characters Politics is increasingly a game of short words. Sound bites, slogans and even candidates’ names (think of all the posters for Bernie, Hillary and Jeb) have been jettisoned to the bare minimum. But with the political agenda abbreviated to 140 characters, REBECCA the political memoir still LERNER finds a way into the hearts and hands of the American voter. In fact, for the last 60 years, every winning presidential candidate has published a book before running. These books often serve as a way for the presidential hopeful to transition into bonafide candidate. In between the stories of childhood and anecdotes about parental wisdom, there is sometimes insight into policy views. We owe it to ourselves and each other to make an informed decision when voting, and that means looking at the information provided by the candidates. These books are a way of allowing a candidate to transcend being an annoying talking head with views that can differ drastically from your own. They remind us that underneath all the hairspray and suits, there are people with childhoods and families and dreams. It’s a way to find humanity in what can seem like a mechanical process. While looking through these memoirs, I found myself connecting to people with whom I would never guess I could find common ground. One of the more surprisingly personal memoirs was Marco Rubio’s “American Dreams: Restoring Economic Opportunity for Everyone.” Rubio begins “American Dreams” with a poignant story of accompanying his grandfather to the hospital. As his grandfather slipped into a coma, a young Rubio promised to make something of himself. Quickly
moving to present day, Rubio stresses several times the shared blame between Republicans and discusses his plans for initiatives like increasing access to federal student loans. He shares his opinions on subjects like same-sex marriage and the laughability of liberal arts degrees, subjects on which we disagree viscerally. But his political memoir may be a litmus test to help people determine if Rubio is worth considering. Judging by the re-release of the 1997 “Outsider in the White House,” Bernie Sanders doesn’t seem to have changed his very liberal views. It’s unusual in a world where the word “flip-flop” is used so much, you’d think everyone in the House of Representatives was wearing inappropriate sandals. Sander’s key positions — hatred of the one percent, a disinterest in campaigning and the contempt he holds for both major parties involved have been the main theme in his life and at least establishes consistency and genuine beliefs. “Outsider in the White House” proves Sanders to be unafraid to reveal himself in blunt and straightforward way. In a very different approach, Hillary Clinton’s memoir “Hard Choices” is a fascinating look at her time as President Barack Obama’s Secretary of State. She shares with the reader the experiences she has had on her diplomatic travels and some of the difficulties she had during her time in office. The book shows how Secretary Clinton faced stressful situations with expertise and allows the reader to see her intellectual, diplomatic and professional authority. What we don’t see is a lot of emotional exposure. She is reticent to share her tales and personal stories, which makes sense considering her vulnerable position as a woman running for President. As with all political memoirs, we only see what the writers wants us to. In contrast, Mike Huckabee’s recent memoir “God, Guns, Grits and Gravy” leaves little
to the imagination. (Also, come on guys. Who taught Huckabee about alliteration? This one is on you.) With his startling chapter titles like “Bend over and take it like a prisoner!” and his concern that Jay-Z is “crossing the line from husband to pimp by exploiting his wife as a sex object,” Huckabee is difficult to take seriously. But receiving first place of the category I call “Books I Find Difficult to Take Seriously” has not even been published. Donald Trump’s as-yet-untitled memoir is set to be released on October 27th. “Not since ‘The Art of the Deal’ have I had so much fun writing a book,” Trump announced in the release. Considering that 62 percent of Republicans feel that Trump “tells it like it is and we need that right now,” Trump continues to surprise, with both his brash statements and his high poll numbers, despite reports that the Republican Party would not support a Trump presidency. His book will be a chance to see if there are any plans for actual policy-making in a race where attention is paid not to the smart or the prepared, but to the bold. There are roughly five other candidates with books out that I haven’t even mentioned, or quite honestly, cared to read – Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, Rand Paul, Ben Carson and Lindsey Graham. With a supply of political memoirs this abundant, it would be fantastical to imagine that there is a demand that meets it. And there isn’t. Some of the memoirs are more financially successful than others, (for example, Lindsey Graham’s memoir “My Story” was released for free online as a PDF), but the incentive for publishers is greater than just money. It’s the possibility of being the publisher of the memoir of the next President of the United States of America. Lerner is annotating “God, Guns, Grits and Gravy.” To send her your notes, e-mail rebler@umich.edu.
By MADELEINE GAUDIN For The Daily
“Mississippi Grind,” the newest film from directing duo Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden (“It’s Kind of a Funny Story”), follows two B pathetic gambling Mississippi addicts on an Grind odyssey across the South Michigan in search of Theater enough money to break A24 even. Ben Mendelsohn (“The Dark Night Rises”) expertly plays Jerry, a sad real estate agent with a knack for losing money. He is easily drawn in by the fast-talking charms of Curtis (Ryan Reynolds, “Green Lantern”), a younger version of Jerry who appears, at least at first, to win wherever Jerry loses, in poker and in life. The two become a pair soon after Curtis slides into Jerry’s poker game, asking, “Did you see that rainbow yesterday?” We actually did see that rainbow. The film opens with a rainbow stretching over a pastoral scene, romantically completed with a red tractor and silo. This is the first and last tribute to the nature of the Midwest; scenic shots of the plains are quickly replaced with rainy streets and flashing lights (a different kind of romanticized America). But this initial rainbow remains important, “a sign,” as the two men tramp across the country, betting on anything with a name alluding to the color spectrum. Even at his low point, Jerry seeks out a slot machine called “Rainbow Road”
A24
Off to the goat farms!
in a New Orleans casino. They carry a “Wizard of Oz” type mindset that something better is waiting for them somewhere over the rainbow. As Jerry’s Subaru traverses the Southeast, the audience’s hope that they will make it to “somewhere” dwindles, as does the faith that “somewhere” exists. According to Curtis, their big break lies in New Orleans at a poker table with a $25,000 buy-in. This game is the catalyst to their trans-American journey. The film doesn’t take long to turn into a road trip movie, full of Americana spirit emphasized by the bluegrass and folk music of its soundtrack. As Jerry and Curtis roll into Nashville, the crooning voice of Big Bill Boonzy assures the audience that “this train is bound for glory.” And we are forced to ask — is it? Glory, it seems, is less important than just playing the game. “The journey is a destination,” Curtis claims with a wink. Maybe that’s why the two men return to the table and win big, only to turn around and lose it all — a cycle that quickly becomes tiresome.
#NOFILTER
Why ’Ye should run By MICHAEL FLYNN Daily Arts Writer
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
FOR RENT
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Lose brightness 5 Sonic the Hedgehog developer 9 “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” instrument 14 High-resolution film format 15 Spanish cross 16 Lariat loop 17 Political nickname for the Pacific states 19 Up and about 20 Catch in a snare 21 Departs 23 Tiler’s calculation 25 Civil War side: Abbr. 26 Deep voice 29 Mexican seafood entrée 35 European peak 36 Delivered from the womb 38 Trix or Kix 39 Rubber roller 41 Puccini title soprano whose name is an anagram of the ends of the four longest puzzle answers 43 Designer Schiaparelli 44 Nevertheless 46 Geological timespans 48 Put a match to 49 Protective botanical layers 51 Uneven, as a leaf’s edge 53 Everything 54 “Gone With the Wind” plantation 56 When the cock crows 61 Gospel writer enshrined in a Venice basilica 65 To no __: fruitlessly 66 Foppish neckwear 68 Esther of “Good Times” 69 Bendable joint 70 Lake on New York’s western border 71 140-charactersor-less message
72 Like much cheese and wine 73 Scream
33 Fertile desert spot 34 Pool table slab 37 “Becket” star Peter 40 Come to a close 42 Price 45 Miss in the game of Clue 47 Mattress choice 50 49th state 52 Jazz pianist Lewis 55 Showed curiosity
56 Blowgun projectile 57 Swear to be true 58 Third-oldest U.S. university 59 Irascibility 60 Mattress choice 62 Good-sized backyard 63 Churn up 64 “Power Hits” series record label 67 Robert E. __
DOWN 1 Submit one’s taxes 2 “You said it!” 3 Inane 4 Crowd scene actors 5 Mouthwash brand 6 Significant time 7 Speak effusively ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 8 Early Mexicans 9 At the movies, perhaps 10 ’90s candidate H. __ Perot 11 Attend 12 “Yeah, sure” 13 Soft ball maker 18 Chocolate substitute 22 Waste receptacle 24 Dr. J hairstyle 26 Motel in a Hitchcock classic 27 Energetic 28 Shopping frenzy 30 Map in a map 31 “__ you coming?” 32 String quartet member 10/06/15 xwordeditor@aol.com
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The repetitive plot might have been necessary, but strong performances from the two leads leave it redundant. Jerry could easily have been merely pathetic, but Mendelsohn layers him with enough anger and sincerity to raise him to the level of a compelling deadbeat. And Reynolds, who is easily written off as a summer blockbuster actor, shines as Curtis. Reynolds’s inherent charm couples with mystery to create a character the audience can’t exactly pin down. “Mississippi Grind” isn’t quite plot driven and it isn’t quite character driven. The film leans on its dialogue, which often fails to offer sufficient support. At times the film feels like a remake of some glamorous ’70s casino movie, relying on the audience having seen the original to fill in the gaps. “Mississippi Grind” longs for a time (or a place over the rainbow) where two pitiful gambling addicts can be heroes, a time that no longer exists and probably never did. a time that no longer exists and probably never did.
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Kanye West is no stranger to making people scratch their heads in awe and bewilderment. At the most recent VMAs, he continued this time-honored tradition of his by announcing that he plans to run for President in 2020. Some may be apprehensive about the rapper being elected to office due to his lack of political experience. But after some thought, it becomes increasingly clear why Kanye is the absolute right choice for the 2020 Presidency. 1. He’s honest: Unlike many politicians today, Kanye has absolutely no problem speaking his mind whenever he feels like it. If he can walk onto the VMA stage and interrupt Taylor Swift, who’s to say he can’t demand that pharmaceutical CEOs lower drug prices, or that police stop using excessive force? Granted, there’s no guarantee he will do any of those things, but there’s no doubt he’s got the balls to do it. 2. He’s young: As exciting as Bernie Sanders is, he’s so old that there’s a huge possibility that the stress of the Presidency will give him a fatal aneurysm the minute he steps into office. With Kanye, who’s on track to become the youngest
President since JFK, Americans can rest assured that any fatal aneurysms he may suffer during his tenure as President will not be caused by age. 3. He understands the economy: Some have complained about the ridiculously steep price of Kanye’s new fashion line. But there’s a reason for that: He knows that it’s worth it. And you can be damn sure he knows that America’s worth it too. With Kanye, no price is too high for the freedom of the American people. 4. He knows what’s important in life: In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Kanye was quoted saying “I don’t go a day without shoes.” That is some good common sense right there. In an era of excess and buffoonery from politicians, we need a leader with a good head on his shoulders. 5. He’ll bring new things to the Presidency that are too good to pass up: Imagine the possibilities. A presidential debate in which he responds to a barb from an opposing candidate with a pointed “HAH?” An Auto-Tuned State of the Union. Free Yeezy shoes for everyone (apparently.) 6. Without a presidential bid, there’s really no good excuse why SWISH isn’t out yet: Really.
TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE ‘KANYE WEST FOR PRESIDENT’ CAMPAIGN email arts@michigandaily.com
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Tuesday, October 6, 2015 — 7
‘No more freshmen’ on Wolverines Glasgow learns from past errors FOOTBALL
By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Editor
Five games into its season, the Michigan football team has exceeded the expectations of many. After outscoring their last four opponents by a combined 122-14, the Wolverines have climbed to No. 18 in the AP poll, have the ninth-highest odds to win the national championship, according to Bovada, and boast the nation’s No. 2 overall defense. Despite the apparent improvement since last season, the success can almost entirely be attributed to players who played last year. Of Michigan’s 14 true freshmen on scholarship, just defensive back Tyree Kinnel and wide receivers Brian Cole and Grant Perry have seen game action, and even they have only seen the field sparingly. But with upcoming matchups against No. 13 Northwestern and No. 3 Michigan State, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has reached the point in the season where he’s no longer afraid to deploy all of the troops. “Now’s the time,” he said. “We truly believe there are no more freshmen. When they go through a month of training camp and four games, when you’ve played four games, a third of a season, nobody is a freshman anymore. … If they’re gonna show that they can contribute as a freshman, now’s the time to do it.” At his weekly press conference Monday, Harbaugh said that running back Karan Higdon, cornerback Keith Washington and defensive ends Reuben Jones and Shelton Johnson are also close to seeing game action. Not coincidentally, junior cornerback Channing Stribling and junior running back De’Veon Smith missed Saturday’s game with injuries, while senior
defensive end Mario Ojemudia tore his Achilles and is out for the entire season. The injury bug is one path for freshmen to see the field, but with a suddenly legitimate chance at contending for a conference title, the quickest way to see game action is simply being the best player on the field — the same standard for everyone else. “Personally, I’ve never been one to come in and not play football for a year, and I don’t think any of them feel that way either,” said senior linebacker and team captain Joe Bolden. “If you want to come in, you want to play, do something about it. Get yourself on the field. “Freshmen aren’t freshmen anymore. You’ve been here long enough, you know the way to carry yourselves and how to
practice and how to help the team get better, and that’s what we expect of them every day.” Though he only played on special teams against Maryland, Kinnel served as an example of Bolden’s message — the freshman earned playing time simply by competing in practice. Whether it was informal team races or just effort in drills, Kinnel made the coaching staff an offer they couldn’t refuse, and they didn’t want to. “He just seemed like a guy who was screaming to ‘Get me on the field, Coach,’ ” Harbaugh said. “Not in the vocal way or coming into the office like, ‘Hey, I need more playing time,’ but in the best way: with what he did on the field and how he was competing in practice and in competitions. So I listened.”
The drawback to that approach, of course, is that playing true freshmen requires them to burn their redshirts and extra year of eligibility. Former Michigan coach Brady Hoke drew criticism for playing too many true freshmen when they weren’t ready and losing the extra eligibility. Harbaugh isn’t Hoke, but his time coaching at both the college and professional levels taught him that worrying about burning a redshirt can burn a team. “It’s always been my feeling that those who can play as true freshmen ultimately become the best players,” Harbaugh said. “You get better at football by playing football, and the ones that are mentally and physically ready to do that as true (freshmen) have a chance to do that.”
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Tyree Kinnel earned playing time against Maryland because of how he has performed in practice and in drills.
By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor
In March, Graham Glasgow was in the middle of his final spring camp as a Michigan offensive lineman. He had started the Wolverines’ last 11 games in 2014, after being suspended for the first following an arrest for driving while intoxicated that summer. But Glasgow served his suspension and hadn’t violated his probation, which was set for one year. Then things changed again. Jim Harbaugh replaced former coach Brady Hoke, who had given Glasgow a second chance last fall. And Glasgow violated his probation by failing a breathalyzer test, earning him his second suspension. Glasgow was a fifth-year senior with a brother (Ryan, a redshirt junior defensive tackle) already on the team and another (Jordan, a freshman safety) on the way. He was in position for a starting spot this season. And all of it appeared to be in jeopardy. It was Harbaugh’s decision. According to Glasgow, the two sat down three or four times the week after Glasgow violated his probation. “We kind of came together,” Glasgow said. “He didn’t really tell me that I had to really do anything. It was more along the lines of, ‘How do you think we should do this together?’ ” Harbaugh chose to reinstate Glasgow, and now, almost seven months later, Glasgow has become the team’s most consistent offensive lineman at center. And that hasn’t been his only improvement. “Over the past four years of
playing football, over the past few years of off-the-field stuff, I would say I’ve just grown a lot as a person,” Glasgow said. “I’ve grown a lot as a man, and I’ve really just matured. I just try to do everything the right way. “I can’t afford to do anything the wrong way. I just need to make sure I’m doing the right things at all times. It’s just not having an option. It’s either I do what I need to do, or I’d be out of here.” With his back up against the wall, Glasgow has worked things out and made his way back into his spot on the offensive line, proving himself to a new coaching staff. Harbaugh doesn’t accept any excuses — and in this case, the off-the-field issues were no exception. He kept Glasgow accountable for his actions. “He’s tough on me, but he understands,” Glasgow said. “He’s dealt with me in a way that I feel like a dad would deal with this issue. It’s really helped me out a lot.” Now, Glasgow has bigger goals in mind. He plays on a muchimproved offensive line that has been a key to Michigan’s success this year. And after all, he’s the eldest of three Glasgows on the team — and by extension, he’s expected to be a leader. “When I first came here, I didn’t think Ryan would come here to begin with,” Glasgow said. “It was really just my goal to earn a scholarship and play. When I was 19, I didn’t think that they would be like this. You just put in the work every day, and it sort of just happens. You gotta have the goals to make it happen, but it’s just a stepping stone. You want to earn a scholarship and be a starter, and then what’s the next goal? And the next goal?”
St. Louis Blues give Yost Larkin makes Red Wings rave reviews during visit By JASON RUBINSTEIN Daily Sports Editor
By KEVIN SANTO Daily Sports Writer
Yost Field House has been a home for Michigan athletics since 1923, but officially became the stomping ground of the Michigan hockey team in 1973 when it was converted into Yost Ice Arena. Since then, the facility has undergone five renovations, each improving the quality of the establishment for players, fans and students. Yost underwent its most recent renovations in 2006, 2011 and 2012. The locker rooms were enhanced and a high-definition jumbotron was installed in 2006 and 2011, respectively, while the 2012 renovation added more seating options, including a new press box. And when the Wolverines hosted the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League over the weekend for their preseason team-building trip, it was a unique opportunity for two members of the organization — coach Ken Hitchcock and defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk — to reflect on how the facilities have progressed. Shattenkirk played in the U.S. National Team Development Program from 2005 to 2007, and
during that time he billeted with the family of current Wolverine sophomore forward Niko Porikos in Ann Arbor. Shattenkirk has had a frontrow seat to view the evolution of Michigan’s hockey facilities, and from his perspective, Yost has come a long way since his time with Porikos’ family. “Yost looks great now with the new renovations,” Shattenkirk said. “It looks like a completely different rink. It just seems like every time I come back, there’s more buildings on campus and everything gets bigger and better.” Hitchcock, on the other hand, spent two and a half seasons at the helm of the Dallas Stars’ International Hockey League franchise, the Kalamazoo Wings, from 1993 to 1996 before being awarded the head-coaching job for their NHL counterpart. During his tenure in Kalamazoo, Hitchcock had a seat in Yost’s press box reserved for him. He attended almost every Friday night game he could. When he was promoted to Dallas’ NHL head coaching position, he still brought the Stars for summer trips to Ann Arbor for five years. So when the Blues used Ann Arbor as their temporary home,
squeezing in a few practices between Shattenkirk’s planned team trips to the Brown Jug and Zingerman’s Delicatessen, Hitchcock was impressed with how far the arena has come over the years and cited it as an incentive for recruits to choose to wear the maize and blue sweater. “The second (set of renovations) brings you up to speed with the big boys. A big part of (recruiting) is you’ve got to have facilities, and I’ve always said that this is a player-friendly facility,” Hitchcock said. “It’s not just the coach that is part of that program, it’s everybody else too. So you’ve got to have the facilities to show off with the players (so they) feel comfortable. “This is a facility where you don’t have to walk very far to get much. The players have got everything here. They’ve got really good people who have been around a long time — strength people, medical people, they’ve got a lot of good things going.” With the consensus between Hitchcock and Shattenkirk that Yost is on par with — if not superior to — the majority of hockey arenas, one thing has become clear: If Michigan loses out on a recruit, don’t point the finger at the 92-year-old facility.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
The St. Louis Blues enjoyed the facilities at Yost Ice Arena during their team-building trip over the weekend.
The Michigan hockey coaching staff experienced a flood of emotions Monday upon hearing that former Wolverines standout Dylan Larkin had made the Detroit Red Wings’ openingnight roster. Not only were the coaches ecstatic that Larkin had cracked the lineup, but they also felt a sense of relief. For them, it would have been gut-wrenching to see Larkin in the American Hockey League rather than suiting up in the maize and blue. And just a few weeks ago, Michigan coach Red Berenson didn’t seem optimistic that Larkin could make the NHL club. “He’s proven he can play there, so good for him,” Berenson said on Monday. “I think their intent was to put him in the American League, and then when he was ready to stay in the NHL, he would be up there. It says something about college hockey. It says that they aren’t far away.” After all, before Monday, no teenager had made the Red Wings’ opening-night roster since Jiri Fischer in 19992000. Just 12 teenagers have accomplished the same feat for Detroit since Steve Yzerman made the Red Wings as an 18-year-old in 1983. But Larkin, who boasts exceptional maturity, speed, hockey IQ and talent, defied the odds. The 19-year-old starred for the Wolverines last season, notching 47 points en route to being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year. The Red Wings have gained a reputation for being notoriously careful with their top prospects. But after Larkin scored three goals and tallied an assist while playing top-line minutes in the preseason, new head coach Jeff Blashill had no choice but to keep Larkin at the highest level. “We just felt, I specifically really felt, he makes us better,” Blashill told reporters Monday. “And to an exponential amount that we felt it was important he
started on the team. We just felt he has earned the spot. “As I have said before, if a young guy makes our team better and is going to play enough minutes to make our team better, then he was going to be on the team. Whether it was him or someone else.” Blashill went on to say that Larkin would begin his Red Wings tenure playing with former Michigan State star Justin Abdelkader and likely Hall-of-Famer Henrik
Zetterberg. “We feel like he has earned a chance to play in the top nine, which is going to be the type of role which is going to give him the minutes to be successful,” Blashill said. “As a result of that, we made the decision to put him on the team.” So while the Red Wings coaching staff is eager to see how Larkin performs in his first game, his old coaching staff back in Ann Arbor was nothing but joyous.
“He’s proven he can play there, so good for him.”
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Dylan Larkin was named to the Detroit Red Wings’ roster Monday.
Sports
8 — Tuesday, October 6, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MEN’S BASKETBALL
‘Mo Weezy’ adjusting to life in America, Michigan The freshman is impressing, but still has room to improve By LEV FACHER Managing Editor
Moritz Wagner hadn’t seen a rebounding gun before. A common sight in American gyms, Michigan men’s basketball players frequently use the device, which funnels made and missed shots into a machine that shoots the ball back into its user’s waiting hands. It’s addictively convenient — instead of wasting time chasing basketballs around the court, players use their
limited time and energy working on their jump shot. So Wagner recently asked, a day after using it for the first time, if he could give the gun another shot. But the freshfaced, 18-year-old German made an understandable mistake: instead of requesting to use the gun, he asked if he could go back on the “pistol.” “Nobody knew what he was talking about,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. Minor linguistic nuances are the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the transition Wagner faces. Shifting continents is plenty to handle on its own, but Wagner is also in the midst of simply transitioning to college. Within the program, he doesn’t have much company.
Unlike senior guards Spike Albrecht and Caris LeVert, who started at Michigan as part of a five-member recruiting class, Wagner counts only freshman forward Brent Hibbits, a walk-on, among his classmates. “(Wagner) is still getting the slang down,” said sophomore forward Aubrey Dawkins. “They’re both really smart kids, and doing well so far, I think.” But Wagner’s time playing in Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga, the country’s highest
level of club competition, should prove invaluable. “Fortunately, I think Wagner, since he’s been playing overseas, has been around older guys,” Albrecht said. “He’s played with some grown men. He’s a very high-IQ basketball player, so he fits right in here. He’s been picking up on things very quickly, and he brings an edge, a sense of competitiveness to the team that not a lot of freshmen do.” Wagner — or “Mo Weezy,” as Albrecht calls him — averaged
“He’s a very high-IQ basketball player.”
16.8 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for Alba Berlin, one of the German league’s most successful clubs, in 2014-15. After committing to Michigan in April, the freshman forward arrived in Ann Arbor in June and took classes during the University’s summer term. Wagner had adjusted well, Beilein said Friday, and has begun adding weight to his youthful frame. At 6-foot-10, he displayed impressive touch from the outside at the Wolverines’ open practice on Friday. Where Wagner might slot into the lineup is still in question. While he’s listed at one inch taller than sophomore forward Ricky Doyle, who established a firm hold on the ‘5’ position last season, Wagner slots in at just
225 pounds, and likely lacks the physicality to command the low post. Junior forward Zak Irvin is capable of filling time at power forward if needed, and with sophomore forwards D.J. Wilson and Kameron Chatman back from freshman seasons that showed flashes of promise, there likely won’t be many minutes available at the ‘4,’ either. Wherever he slots in — if he slots in — Wagner’s talent is unmistakable, but Beilein acknowledged that he is very much a work in progress, albeit an exciting one. “One minute, he’ll look very awkward,” Beilein said. “And the next minute he’ll give you a ‘wow’ moment. He’s 6-foot-10, and he just did that?”