ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, November 6, 2015
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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ENVIRONMENT
Town hall talks plans for greener ‘U’ campus MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily
Black Lives Matter protesters gather in front of Ann Arbor City Hall on Thursday evening to honor the one year anniversary of the death of Ann Arbor resident Aura Rosser. Demonstrators held signs calling for the firing of Ann Arbor Police Officer David Ried, who fatally shot Rosser last November.
One year later, protesters remember Rosser’s death After police fatally shot A 2 woman, activists continue calls for justice By LARA MOEHLMAN Daily Staff Reporter
Nearly one year after an Ann Arbor police officer fatally shot Ann Arbor resident Aura Rosser while responding to
domestic violence call, members of Ann Arbor to Ferguson — a local activist group associated with the Black Lives Matter movement — protested outside City Hall on Thursday night as part of a continuing effort to condemn and raise awareness of police brutality. The organization was formed one year ago in direct protest to the nature of Rosser’s death. On Nov. 9, 2014, Officer David Ried shot and killed Rosser. On Jan. 30, 2015, the Washtenaw
County prosecutor’s report deemed Ried’s actions reflective of “lawful self-defense.” No charges were brought against him. According to the report, police officers arrived on the scene following a call from Victor Stephens, with whom Rosser was living at the time. The officers saw her attacking Stephens with a knife in her hand; when she saw the officers, she began to approach them. Ried fatally shot Rosser after
ordering her to put down the knife, while fellow Officer Mark Raab simultaneously shot Rosser with a Taser. Thursday’s protest, which included about 30 people, strategically took place during an event at City Hall for community members to meet candidates for the Ann Arbor Police Chief position. O’shai Ahmad-Robinson, Ann Arbor to Ferguson event organizer, said the organization’s See PROTEST, Page 3A
Forum explores efforts to create a campus culture of sustainability By LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter
The University’s annual Sustainability Town Hall focused this year on three main goals: reducing waste, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and creating a culture of sustainability on campus. About 40 people gathered Thursday morning at the Hatcher Graduate Library to hear University President Mark Schlissel and other University officials discuss campus sustainability efforts. “What we’re doing together isn’t new,” Schlissel said. “What we’re doing is continuing the efforts made by many of you to push hard as a university to live up to our responsibility to environmental stewardship and our responsibility to subsequent generations.”
HEALTH
ARTS
New particle could prevent cardiac issues Research has potential to combat onset of cardiac arrhythmias By MAYA SHANKAR Daily Staff Reporter
A new nanoparticle developed at the University may prove key to treating a condition that affects nearly 4 million Americans a year. As part of a five-year ongoing study, a University research team announced late last month they had created a nanoparticle that could be essential to a targeted therapy for cardiac arrhythmias. Cardiac arrhythmias are caused by malfunctions in certain heart muscle cells that lead to erratic heart beats and may eventually cause heart attacks or strokes. The new technique developed uses nanotechnology to more precisely target and destroy the
cells within the heart that cause cardiac arrhythmias. The findings of the study are detailed in a new paper in the journal Science Translational Medicine. Currently, cardiac arrhythmias are usually treated with drugs or with radiofrequency cardiac ablation, a procedure that burns away malfunctioning cells using a laser. Both drugs and ablation are effective treatments, but they can result in unintended damage to surrounding cells. “It’s almost like you are bombing the heart with the laser,” said Jerome Kalifa, an assistant professor at the Medical School and one of the lead researchers in the study. “Right now, we can only target the general area, so there is collateral damage.” The new nanoparticle treatment was successful in studies conducted on rodents and sheep. Researchers found they were able destroy malfunctioning See CARDIAC, Page 3A
During a leadership breakfast in October, Schlissel outlined several efforts to improve sustainability through a new recycling and compost plan, a waste management study within the University’s health system, a new natural gas fuel turbine project and piloting a zero-waste game day during the 2016 football season. Last year, Schlissel called for a review of the University’s sustainability goals, first launched under former University President Mary Sue Coleman in 2011. The goals were not originally scheduled up for review for another year, but Schlissel moved up the process after receiving letters from faculty and students. The University’s most recent annual sustainability report found that carbon gas emissions decreased in 2012, but increased in 2013. Waste production has increased since the adoption of the 2011 sustainability goals, but emissions from transportation have decreased. Richard Robben, executive director of Plant Operations, See GREEN, Page 3A
David Mitchell to read in Ann Arbor
GREG GOSS/Daily
Public Policy junior Tom Allen, a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, speaks about the investigation of a nuisance complaint filed against the fraternity at the Ann Arbor City Council meeting on Thursday at Ann Arbor
City Council draws around 200 to oppose deer cull Vote ultimately paves way for kill to move forward in winter 2016 By CAITLIN REEDY For the Daily
Nearly 200 people filled the Ann Arbor City Council chambers Thursday evening
as the body heard community input on the controversial city deer cull slated for January. After public comments, most of which railed against the plans, the council voted in two 10-1 votes to move forward with plans for the cull. The council also approved a resolution to further investigate nuisance complaints at an offcampus fraternity house. Carrying out the cull was contingent on council passing
two additional resolutions. The first will temporarily suspend the discharge of firearms on public lands and the second approves an agreement between the city and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. The service will provide sharpshooters to kill 100 deer at a cost of about $35,000. Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor was the See DEER, Page 3A
Noted author will present his newest novel ‘Slade House’ at United Methodist By NATALIE ZAK Daily Arts Writer
At the end of the darkest, narrowest alley in England, there exists a door. Only half the height of a full-grown adult and black as tar, this door sits patiently on the last Saturday of October, silently awaiting its next victim. This door should never be opened. But just as the big red button continuously mocks and begs until it’s pushed, so does this door, and every nine years, its wish is granted and Slade House claims its next victim. Spanning a course of 36 years, David Mitchell creates a world of demons and soul vanquishers in his new novel “Slade House.” See MITCHELL, Page 3A
Football Saturday Sam McGuffie’s path from football to bobsledding
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2A — Friday, November 6, 2015
MONDAY: This Week in History
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LEFT: A dancer in the Ballet Folklorico de los Renacidos, a Mexican folkloric dance group based in Detroit, performs at the 4th annual Dia de los Muertos Ball sponsored by Lambda Theta Alpha Latin sorority at the Alumni Center on Friday. (EMILIE FARRUGIA /Daily) RIGHT: Nursing senior Tobey Ratoff plays for Navy in the 10th annual Army vs Navy wheelchair basketball game in Crisler Arena on Sunday. (GRANT HARDY/Daily)
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CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Biology lecture
WHAT: Michigan State University researcher Cheryl Kerfled letures on the structure of bacterial microcompartments
WHO: Center for Structural Biology WHEN: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. WHERE: Life Sciences Institute, 3rd floor library
Career panel on disability
WHAT: Panel will feature remarks from students and professionals with disabilities about their career experiences
WHO: The Career Center WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library, Gallery
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
A U.S. warplane allegedly shot and killed people trying to escape a hospital in Afghanistan that was bombed in an air raid, NBC reported. A spokesperson for the hospital said at least 30 people were killed in the strike.
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2
The Michigan football team will play host to Rutgers on Saturday. The Wolverines enter the game as heavy favorites coming off of a last-second victory at Minnesota.
3
Police have identified the man who stabbed four people at the University of California’s Merced campus as 18-yearold freshman Faisal Mohamma, CNN reported. Mohamma used an 8 to 10 inch knife in the attack.
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Susan Smith of the League of Women Voters discusses legislation regarding district lines and the future of redistricting in Michigan at Weill Hall on Thursday.
League of Women Voters talks redistricting and polarization Forum aims to draw attention to gerrymandering, call for reform BY RIYAH BASHA Daily Staff Reporter
Increasing political polarization and strategic redistricting were the central topics of discussion Thursday night as the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area hosted their second discussion in the last two weeks on the issue. The event attracting roughly 30 attendees to the Ford School of Public Policy. The forum, co-sponsored by the University’s Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy, is part of an educational campaign the League of Women Voters is hosting across the state to increase voter awareness about the way electoral districts are drawn in Michigan. Susan Smith, vice president of program planning for the organization’s Michigan chapter, gave a short summary of the history of state redistricting, its pitfalls today and a possible plan of action
for voters. Smith said the current system, in which the state legislature has the authority to draw up its own district maps and vote on them, presents a conflict of interest for politicians. “Politicians are drawing their own voting maps to manipulate elections and keep their party in power,” she said. “A vast majority of districts, because of this, aren’t competitive … it’s putting the fox in charge of the henhouse.” Michigan’s electoral districts were originally drawn as equal squares under the principles of being “compact and contiguous.” The state legislature’s maneuvering over the years, however, has resulted in districts of varying shapes and sizes, as lawmakers may adjust borders to include or exclude certain types of voters. Smith pointed to the state’s 14th congressional district, which stretches from Detroit to Farmington Hills, encompassing a large block of Democratic party members. “(The district) isn’t exactly the shape of a salamander,” Smith said. “But it’s also definitely not compact. This is great if you’re a Democrat, but it also means that there are fewer Democrats in other districts.” A decision last summer by
the Supreme Court that upheld independent redistricting commissions motivated the Michigan chapter to initiate redistricting sessions across the state. Smith said multiple voters expressed interest to the organization about initiating reform in Michigan. States have the option to permit state lawmakers to mark their own lines or authorize independent citizen groups to draw maps without needing approval from the state legislature. Six states currently employ independent commissions, and just this week, the League’s Ohio chapter helped pass a bill for statewide redistricting reform. Multiple audience members voiced support for Michigan to implement such a change in its redistricting system. Joe Schwarz, a former Republican member of the Michigan Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, was one of those in attendance to advocate for reform based on personal lawmaking experience. “(The League) is on the right track,” Schwarz said. “We’re gerrymandered … and it’s totally discombobulated our legislature.” Read more online at michigandaily.com
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NEWS BRIEFS
Man reportedly assaults three on the Diag A man allegedly under the influence of drugs was detained by University Police and eventually taken away in an ambulance after reportedly assaulting at least three people on the Diag on Wednesday night around 8 p.m. Eyewitnesses on the Diag said the man attacked a group of people — causing a small group of students to intervene and hold him down until the police arrived on the scene. As he was loaded into the ambulance on a stretcher, he yelled out, “Acid, LSD...” Minutes later, an officer on the scene was overheard saying, “Somebody was tripping on acid, and it wasn’t good.” The Division of Public Safety and Security incident log said the subject “may have been having a drug reaction” and was taken to the University of Michigan Health System’s emergency department for treatment. The incident is currently listed as an open case.
Joint Institute receives $10 million donation John Wu and his wife, Jane Sun, donated $10 million to the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute. The gift will establish the John Wu and Jane Sun Endowment Fund. The fund will support professorships, faculty awards, scholarships, student entrepreneurship and other programs. The Joint Institute, where more than 1,280 students study mechanical or electrical and computer engineering, was founded in 2006.
Mott launches seatbelt program The University’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital announced the launch of Buckle Up For Life, a seatbelt safety program. Over the course of six weeks, trained specialists will educate Ann Arbor families about child passenger safety. The program, which was created by Toyota and the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, will be available in English and Spanish. 23 thousand people in 14 cities have already participated in Buckle Up For Life. More than half of children under four who were killed in car crashes between 2008 and 2012 in Michigan were either not in a car seat or were improperly restrained.
Schuette receives funds to cover SCOTUS litigation The Michigan House Appropriations Committee voted this week to transfer $2 million to the Attorney General’s office to cover litigation costs from defending Michigan’s ban on same-sex marriage. The move drew some controversy from Democrats on the committee, namely state Rep. Adam Zemke (D–Ann Arbor), who filed a motion to block the transfer Wednesday. Zemke’s motion was defeated along party lines. “I’m disappointed members of the Appropriations Committee gave their tacit support today for this waste of taxpayer money,” Zemke said in a statement. “There are dozens of more significant and necessary areas to which this money could be applied. We owe it to our constituents to use a funding allotment of this magnitude appropriately.” The funding will come from the Office of Urban Initiatives, which the transfer document notes had available funds due to a vacancy and other non-specified savings. Andrea Bitely, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s communications director, declined comment Thursday afternoon. —DAILY STAFF
Friday, November 6, 2015 — 3A
DEER From Page 1A sole dissenting vote on both resolutions. In August, City Council voted to establish a deer management program designed to reduce the Ann Arbor deer population — both to decrease nuisance caused by a well-stocked deer population and to support biological diversity. The city plans to hire sharpshooters to kill 100 deer with firearms to control the population within the city limits. At Thursday’s council meeting, about 50 Ann Arbor residents spoke in opposition to the deer cull. Many Ann Arbor residents said they were shocked to hear the city would implement such a program and raised concerns about the safety of local residents and the moral considerations behind a cull. “I was always in awe of this cultural and intellectual mecca,” Ann Arbor resident Kim Johnson told the council. “Imagine my shock and disbelief that this community is planning to kill deer right in the middle of its city. What happened to seeking creative, non-violent solutions? Where are the best and brightest now?” Others were concerned about research showing that deer culling proved ineffective in neighboring towns, such as Jackson. Many urged the council to wait on implementing the deer cull until further research is conducted, as the issue isn’t an emergency. “Culling in urban environments offers precious little in the terms of a short-term solution, and is in the meantime tearing our community apart,” Ann Arbor resident Karen Anderson said. However, not all were opposed to the implementation of culling. A few long-time residents said they have noticed a growth in deer population compared to previous decades and supported efforts to curb the population. “I am in favor of the shooting of deer within city limits, even expanding the limits,” Ann Arbor resident Gordon Roberts said. “If you go below the breakeven point, you are wasting time and effort. I support anything we can do to get rid of as many deer as possible.” Another issue debated Thursday: investigation of noise complaints directed at the University’s chapter of the Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity at 920 Baldwin Ave. Councilmember Stephen Kunselman (D–Ward 3) proposed a resolution Thursday asking the city attorney to investigate the house and determine possible methods for handling any nuisance. The resolution was ultimately passed. Some local residents said Thursday they were concerned about the loud nature of the fraternity in what is primarily a residential neighborhood. “When you move into a residential neighborhood, you enter into a community contract, but the fraternity brothers seem to ignore that,” said Merton Shill, Ann Arbor resident and Alpha Sigma Phi neighbor. “We had to call the police five times in the past three weeks just to get some sleep at night. Why is it that these people find it so hard to follow the law?” Fraternity president Tom Allen, a Public Policy junior, defended the fraternity at council. Allen called on the council to halt the city’s investigation into their house, claiming it would set an unfeasible precedence for the future, and place a large burden on city employees. “We make different kinds of headlines than other fraternities do; we make a difference on campus,” Allen said. “I hope this shows that we are just good students, trying to coexist with the neighbors next door.”
DELANEY RYAN/Daily
Rich Robben, executive director of University Plant Operations, speaks on reducing greenhouse gas emissions on campus at Hatcher Graduate Library on Thursday.
GREEN From Page 1A outlined the University’s plan to reduce carbon emissions. He said the University aims to cut emissions by 25 percent by 2025. One of the biggest contributors to that goal will be the new turbine, which uses natural gas to produce electricity. Once in place, Robben said, the turbine will increase Central Campus’ power plant efficiency significantly. The plant is currently fueled by both gas and oil. “The central power plant is a combined cycle, cogeneration facility,” Robben said. “It is using two technologies coupled together to produce a very efficient design. We were then able to use that to create a facility that is operating at 80-percent efficiency.” John Lawter, associate director for building services and grounds, discussed the University’s waste reduction goals — a 40-percent reduction in waste sent to landfills
PROTEST From Page 1A central mission is to encourage City Council to revoke Ried’s contract with the AAPD, pay restitution to Rosser’s family and ultimately promote systemic changes within the city’s law enforcement system to combat racially charged police brutality. “We want laws to hold police accountable for the things they do in the community,” AhmadRobinson said. “What happened here and what happens around
CARDIAC From Page 1A cells more precisely using nanoparticles activated by lowlevel red light illumination, as opposed to the traditional highpowered laser. The treatment is a modified version of a technique currently used in cancer treatment, where doctors mark target cells with a chemical that makes them sensitive to low-level red light, according to Uma Mahesh Avula, a postdoctoral research fellow and member of the research team. The light destroys only the marked cells, leaving the surrounding cells and tissue unharmed. “With this study, we developed a specific nanoparticle that targets a very specific cell type: cardiac myocytes,” Avula said. Cardiac myocytes are a type of heart muscle cell that have
by 2025. He said while 40 percent is a bold target, he hoped it would motivate the campus community. “We had an opportunity to change it, but we decided not to because we felt there is nothing like an aggressive goal to inspire and challenge the University to make these fundamental changes.” Lawter said one of the first initiatives the University is working on is standardizing recycling and waste signage across campus. “We have all these different containers out there, different signage, different locations and it can be very confusing,” he said. “We want to try to make this simpler and make it better.” Drew Horning, deputy director and chief of staff of the Graham Sustainability Institute, also discussed the University’s efforts to create a “culture of sustainability” on campus. He said awareness and concern
for sustainability varies widely, the goal is to find a way to reach people across the spectrum. “It quickly became aware that people are at very different places on this campus in regards to their levels of awareness, dispositions and behaviors, and we need to recognize that,” Horning said. “We cannot assume that everyone is going to be gung-ho at the forefront trying to be a leader on this issue.” Horning said the University plans to employ major statement events, like the zero-waste football game planned for the 2016 season, to draw attention to sustainability. “These are things that are highly visible symbols that people on campus and people who come to campus from the outside will see and will demonstrate a visible commitment to sustainability,” he said. “Zero-waste athletics is one example how we show people who don’t necessarily work for or attend the University that this is something that is important to
us.” Terry Alexander, executive director of the Department of Occupational Safety and Environmental Health and the Office of Campus Sustainability, concluded the events by addressing the need to change people’s thinking. “The common thread through all of this is how do we get people to adjust?” Alexander said. “We can put all of these recycling bins in place but if we can’t get people to do it, we’re never going to make it.” LSA junior Jacob Grochowski, who attended the event, said he thought the ideas presented in the talks were important, but needed additional explanation. “I think they are really exciting, but I hope they continue to iterate on them,” Grochowksi said. “They are an important first step and I’m glad the University is taking action to put these in motion, but I hope that they will keep building on them.”
the country a lot of the time is police use excessive force, and then when it’s time to hold them accountable, someway, somehow they are able to justify their force.” The group additionally asks for City Council to establish an independent Citizens Review Board dedicated to addressing issues of police misconduct, as well as to promote officer-training reform. Ahmad-Robinson, who has experience organizing similar events in Baltimore, said he was impressed with the turnout at City Hall. He added that the
city of Ann Arbor’s Human Rights Commission — which met Thursday to discuss the plans — has been working to initiate a policy that promotes accountability within the law enforcement system by allowing citizens to file complaints about officers. “That’s getting going, but what we want to see is that those laws actually do something because a lot of the times laws are written and things are done, but nothing really changes,” Ahmad-Robinson said. Rackham student Scott Fox attended the protest and said he
was motivated to join Ann Arbor to Ferguson because he believes police should not be permitted to fire at citizens without loaded firearms. “Policemen shouldn’t be killing unarmed people. It’s simple,” Fox said. Following the protest outside, members of Ann Arbor to Ferguson filed into the Ann Arbor City Council chambers and held signs advocating justice for Rosser throughout the meeting. Several public commenters also demanded an end to police brutality within the city.
been linked to the development of cardiac arrhythmias. Kalifa said the specificity of the nanoparticle in targeting these cells allows for more flexibility in treatment, decreased complications, and increased protection of structures within and around the heart. “The goal of this project was to adapt the tools that are working well for cancer cells so that they can recognize cardiac cells that initiate and habituate cardiac arrhythmias,” he said. The team initially tried using nanoparticles the same size as those used for cancer treatment, which are about 120 nanometers in size. That approach, Avula said, was unsuccessful, leading to the team’s main challenge — figuring out what size of nanoparticle to develop. Ultimately, they settled on a smaller size, developing a particle that was only six nanometers in size. Chemistry Prof. Raoul Kopelman, who led the team, said the size they ended up with
was small even by nanotechnology standards. “The weight of one human hair is 80 microns,” he said. “These particles are over 10,000 times smaller than that.” Within the tiny particle, an amino acid that causes the particular to target myocytes, as well as a chemical that makes the particle light sensitive and another chemical to shield it from the immune system. During the study, the nanoparticles were injected into the heart and absorbed by the target cell. Low-level red light was then used to destroy only the cells with the nanoparticles in them. “This technology allows us to simplify the procedure for treating cardiac arrhythmias, make it more efficient, and safer,” Kalifa said. The next step for the research team will be to replicate their successful results on rodents and
sheep in a trial with humans. The researchers are also working to develop a method for producing larger amounts of the nanoparticles at pharmaceutical grade standards. “This is one of the first times that a targeted therapy for arrhythmias has been developed,” Kalifa said. “It will be a while still, but should we have the right resources, we could contribute significantly to improving treatment for patients with arrhythmias.” Kopelman, who has the very disease he is targeting, said the cross-disciplinary research between material chemistry and cardiology represented an exciting step forward in the field and for him personally. “I have been suffering from heart arrhythmias since age 11, so it has always been my ambition to do something about it,” he said.
Opinion
4A — Friday, November 6, 2015
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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.
FROM THE DAILY
Michigan must ban the box
Disclosure of criminal history shouldn’t deter employers
O
n Nov. 2, President Barack Obama announced a new executive order to “ban the box,” a check-off on federal job applications that requires job seekers to disclose their criminal history. Without having to make a stigmatizing confession that often causes employers to eliminate applicants before even considering qualifications, former prisoners are able to reenter society with greater ease. Unfortunately, there’s a direct statistical link between “the box” and the under-employment of former convicts, which encourages recidivism. While background checks would still happen, employers would conduct them late enough in the hiring process that they would not be preemptively disqualifying applicants. Eliminating this disclosure requirement exemplifies good policy on behalf of the Obama administration — the kind that produces positive change. All of the 2016 Democratic presidential candidates have endorsed banning the box, and at least one of the Republican candidates supports the initiative. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) signed a “ban the box” bill into law in 2014. A recent article in the National Law Review reported that 19 other states and more than 100 cities have passed similar legislation. The National Employment Law Project estimates that 70 million Americans have a criminal record — almost one-third of all working-age adults. The United States, which represents 5 percent of the global population, possesses one-quarter of the world’s prison population. More than 600,000 inmates are released from prison every year, and according to the Department of Justice, between 60 and 75 percent of them will still be unemployed one year later. The box Obama proposes to ban — as some of the largest employers in the United States, including Wal-Mart and Target, have already done — is just one thread in the fabric of systemic racism within the U.S. judicial system. In 2003, an experiment by Devah Pager, a sociology professor at Northwestern University, showed how that works. In her study, two-person teams of Black and white men from Milwaukee applied for entrylevel jobs with 350 employers. Each pair had equivalent resumes and qualifications, the salient difference between them being that one of them had a criminal record. Pager’s finding, which should surprise no one, was that those with criminal records were half as likely to be asked back for an interview as those without. The data from Pager’s experiment produced shocking results about race. Of those with no criminal history, employers asked 34 percent of white applicants back for another interview, but only asked 14 percent of Black applicants — an even lower percentage than the 17 percent of white applicants asked back despite admitting to a criminal record. Of Black applicants who admitted having a criminal record, only 5 percent were called back for another interview. On top of the persistent racism that Blacks face in applying for jobs, flaws in the criminal justice system make it more likely for Blacks to be incarcerated and have to check the box in the first place. According to figures compiled by the NAACP, African Americans
are six times more likely to be incarcerated than whites. Five times as many whites as African Americans are drug users, but African Americans are sentenced to jail for drug offenses at a rate 10 times that of whites. African Americans and Hispanics, who make up only one quarter of the total population, represented 58 percent of the U.S. prison population as of 2008. The reasons for such statistics are manifold and well known, a product of discriminatory practices such as mandatory sentencing, “three strikes” policies and the legal disparity between crack and powder cocaine. The good news is that the American system of mass incarceration is no longer a partisan issue. Three of the leading conservatives in the U.S. Senate — Chuck Grassley (R–Iowa), Mike Lee (R–Utah) and Rand Paul (R–Ky.) — support sentencing reform that would, at least, begin to reduce the prison population. Without limiting the ability of employers to hire the best candidates, the federal government has the duty under the law to prevent discrimination in hiring practices. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest or Conviction Records in Employment Decisions states that “an employer’s use of an individual’s criminal history in making employment decisions may … violate the prohibition against employment discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” In other words, directly disregarding an application based on criminal history can bring about legal action by the EEOC. State governments, including Michigan’s, must accept the same responsibility. Banning the box is only a start, but it’s an important step — not only for those who lose out when they have to check the box, but also for those who are discouraged from even applying for a job because they know that their criminal record will prevent them from being considered. As citizens, we share that responsibility with our elected representatives, and as University students, we should, at the very least, urge the adoption of “ban the box” legislation for both public and private employers statewide. Detroit, Kalamazoo, Muskegon County and Saginaw County have already adopted “ban the box” policies. The state legislature should lose no time in following suit.
GABRIELLA MEYER
E-mail Gabriella at gabsmey@umich.edu
I
was expecting the cat-calls. The double-takes. The stares. I was expecting the aggression. The conversations. I was dressed in a bikini top on Halloween. A bikini top made to look like a pair of boobs. And let me tell you, on first glance, it really RACHAEL looked convinc- LACEY ing. I wore a sign around my neck saying in bold letters, “Free the Nipple.” I didn’t include the hashtag symbol, the main way this 2014 film-turned-equality-movement is usually publicized these days, but it was all the same. I was both excited and terrified to go out into the world. I would not be blending in that weekend. When I told my housemate Mackenzie about my costume, she was just as excited as I was. She took it an ingenious step further, creating a costume of a boob (composed of nude clothing and a paper-mâchéd nipple), bound by various shackles, with her own “Free the Nip” sign. We were glad to have each other for what we viewed as a fun way to spread awareness, as well as our own little social experiment. To complete our costumes, we both had second signs, mine on my back, reading “Still Not Asking For It,” in hopes of also spreading the message that no matter what a woman is wearing, she is still not “asking for it” (“it” being any form of sexual contact or aggression), unless she is literally asking for it. Leaving all shame at the door, we walked with some friends to
Necto. It was Pride Friday, which made us feel at least a little safer; there wouldn’t be as many creepy guys, right? Maybe I was naïve. There were some things I knew to expect but others I was entirely unprepared for. When I arrived at Necto, I was amazed at how quickly the compliments rained down. People from all ranges of the sexuality and/or drunkenness spectrum told me they loved the costume. However, some of the compliments quickly turned to touching or groping, one man even partially pulling my top off. Apparently they didn’t understand the whole “Still Not Asking For It” thing. Yet, had I known at that point what the next night would bring, I wouldn’t have thought that Necto was so bad. Saturday night, Mackenzie and I went to Rick’s American “Café” (hey, we wanted a large subject population for our social experiment). With vastly more heterosexual men in the room, compliments changed from “I love your costume!” to “I agree for a totally different reason!” followed by their awkward laughter. I lost count of the times that guys said some version of “Well if you want to free the nipple, then show me your real ones!” in tones ranging from light-hearted to indignant and demanding. (To which I responded, “No dude, that’s not the point,” or in one instance, Mackenzie and I responded by simply singing the then-playing song “I Don’t Fuck With You” over his protests.) I was not expecting the level of direct physical and verbal aggression. Maybe I’m naïve. Or maybe some people really need to figure out basic human respect. But the thing that threw me off the most that
night wasn’t this overt aggression. It was a question I never expected to hear: “What does that even mean?” Sometimes, especially around the people I surround myself with, it’s easy to forget that some people still don’t understand that being a feminist isn’t something to be ashamed of. I figured that everyone kept up on this stuff — I mean, Miley Cyrus and Matt McGorry talk about it, right? But here I was at Rick’s, explaining to people what “Free the Nipple” even meant. Here’s what it means: Women’s bodies, especially their breasts and nipples, are constantly sexualized in our society. When we see a man’s nipples, it’s seen as normal or OK. But as soon as we see women’s nipples, it’s immediately perceived as sexual. Even mothers trying to breastfeed in public must go to great lengths to ensure they are properly covered. The sexualization of women’s bodies is so deeply rooted in our society that most of us don’t even think about it. “Of course women shouldn’t show their nipples,” people (like my parents) say. But why should men’s nipples be OK and not women’s? The fact that they are so taboo just goes to show that they are not viewed as just another body part, but something sexual. That women’s bodies aren’t just bodies, they are something sexual. I mean, I agree that women are freakin’ beautiful creations. But we’re also so, so much more. Free the Nipple isn’t about walking around naked. It’s about nudity not meaning “asking for it.” It’s about wanting to be seen as people, instead of sexual objects. And that’s it — Rachael Lacey can be reached at rachaelk@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Ben Keller, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Victoria Noble, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Stephanie Trierweiler, Mary Kate Winn, Derek Wolfe AUSTIN MCCOY | VIEWPOINT
Still no justice Almost one year ago, Ann Arbor police shot and killed 40-year-old Aura Rosser in her home. In the final hour of the night on Nov. 9, 2014, Ann Arbor police officers Mark Raab and David Ried responded to a call for assistance from Rosser’s partner, 54-year-old Victor Stephens, who claimed she attacked him with a knife. Within five to 10 seconds of entering their home, Raab discharged his taser and Ried discharged his firearm, striking and killing Rosser. They claimed she charged them with a kitchen knife. The Ann Arbor to Ferguson movement was born in the city’s streets on Nov. 25, 2014, the night after St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch announced Ferguson, Mo., police officer Darren Wilson would not face charges for shooting and killing 18-year-old Michael Brown. Hundreds of people from Washtenaw County and the University gathered on the Diag in solidarity with people fighting against oppression in Ferguson, Palestine and Mexico. Most importantly, we gathered and marched for Aura and her family. While we were organizing, Michigan State Police investigated Ried’s use of lethal force. On Jan. 30, Washtenaw County Prosecutor Brian Mackie declared that Ried “acted in lawful self-defense.” Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor released a statement on his Facebook page the evening of Mackie’s announcement. He continued the city’s policy of evasion in response to the killing. He also denied that racism played a factor. Taylor called Rosser’s death a “tragedy of mental illness and drug abuse unabated.” Then he claimed that the killing was “not the tragedy of racism,” which was “loathsome and unacceptable to everything Ann Arbor and the Ann Arbor police stands for.” Ironically, as Taylor denied that race played a factor in Rosser’s death, his actions only illustrated how much the city and county government’s response to her death resembled that of the authorities in St. Louis, Cleveland and New York City, all of which exonerated police officers for killing Black Americans
and then downplayed the fact that police officers kill Black Americans at a disproportionate rate. It has been one year since Aura Rosser’s death. I wish I had more positive news to report. Unfortunately, I do not. The city has not apologized for Rosser’s death. The city did not take any responsibility for her death. Ried was not fired. Rosser’s family is still waiting for justice. Last December, the city of Ann Arbor announced it would invest $174,000 in body cameras and upgrades to in-car videos. Then-Police Chief John Seto also announced he was reviewing diversity training programs for officers. The AAPD has neither publicly acknowledged whether or not these trainings were instituted nor whether the trainings would be mandatory for all officers. The cost for body cameras comprises less than 1 percent of the city’s proposed $25 million police budget for 2016. And while body cameras are a step in a positive direction, no one should forget that police cameras caught police officers shooting and killing Samuel DeBose in Cincinnati, Ohio, Ricardo Diaz-Zeferino in Gardena, Calif., and in Sandra Bland’s arrest in Texas. The City of Ann Arbor has failed to take any measures that could further illuminate how it can prevent future police shootings of Black Americans. The city has dragged its feet considering whether or not it would establish a civilian review board to oversee law enforcement. We protested. We organized. We know city leaders were aware of our presence. They heard us protest, but they failed to listen. The city’s unwillingness to apologize to the Rosser family and the slow pace of policy change provokes one to ask: Does Aura Rosser’s life matter? Did her life matter to the mayor who refused to allow a community activist to use her three minute speaking time at a city council meeting for a moment of silence? Did it matter to the prosecutor who declared that her killing was justified? Does it matter to the local government who has moved too slowly to reform the city’s police practices?
I also wonder if Rosser’s life mattered to the University. Ried shot Rosser on Seto’s watch, the same person who the University recently hired as director of housing security. Meanwhile, Rosser’s family waits for justice. Some may ask what justice would look like after a police officer shoots and kills a citizen. Ultimately, if the City of Ann Arbor wants to lead on the issue, it must do so by reorienting its justice systems away from punishment to restorative measures. This would include the city formally apologizing to Rosser’s family for her death, paying for Rosser’s funeral costs to relieve the family of undue burden and firing Ried. Doing all, or a combination of any of these tasks, surely would not resurrect Rosser from her grave. But performing these acts of contrition could have gone a long way toward healing the family and rebuilding trust between the police and the Ann Arbor community, especially the city’s Black residents. The absence of restorative justice is why we have marched, blocked intersections, and shut down city streets and City Council meetings. One does not perform these acts if authorities listen and take citizens’ demands seriously. One does not engage in civil disobedience if the system is just. We will continue to act to keep the spirits of Rosser and other Black women who have died at the hands of police and armed citizens in Southeast Michigan, such as 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley Jones and 19-year-old Renisha McBride. We will not stop until Black women’s lives matter to the University, Washtenaw County and the state of Michigan. Authorities should rise to the challenge of #BlackLivesMatter. This nation is always looking for inspiring leadership. But if local leaders continue to fail to act with urgency, then we will push them. The longer Rosser’s family has to wait for justice, the longer we wait for changes to the local justice system, the more we will demand. That is how protest movements work. Austin McCoy is a Rackham student and an organizer with Ann Arbor to Ferguson.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Friday, November 6, 2015 — 5A
MY FIRST FAVORITE ALBUM
STYLE COLUMN
Arctic Monkeys: The rare luxury of spare time A perf teen band Alex Turner turned me on to British indie power-snark By ADAM THEISEN Senior Arts Editor
Arctic Monkeys had everything you want out of music when you’re just becoming a teenager: relatable lyrics, huge choruses and a hot-as-hell lead singer with an accent. They caught on ridiculously quick in the U.K., where Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not became the fastest-selling debut record in the country’s history, but their highest charting single in the U.S. is 2013’s “Do I Wanna Know,” which only peaked at no. 70. I found Arctics through the mind-reading streaming service Pandora — a site I have remained intensely loyal to ever since— when I was in eighth grade, and from then on, even with friends who mostly listened to indie rock and pop punk, I felt like I was privy to a huge secret, the only one in America who could find the band’s hometown of Sheffield on a map of England or knew what the phrase “Mardy Bum” meant. To some, this alone might disqualify me from calling myself a hardcore fan, but I only ever learned two of the band members’ names — there’s the cyclone that is Matt Helders on drums, and there’s Alex Turner on vocals. That’s okay, though, because — at least to young me — Turner was everything. He was the voice that had full control over every wild track, he was the dude with the messy hair and gorgeous eyes looking out from magazine covers, and he was the ever-cool frontman I fell in love with. When Turner was singing about being snarky to cops or cutting down a pretentious rival or throwing a tantrum because a bouncer wouldn’t let him into a club, I was right behind him,
agreeing with every word he said and just listening in wonderment at the fact that you could be sarcastic or clever or just a complete dickhead in a song and make it sound like poetry. Early Arctics is like Oscar Wilde fronting The Strokes — just a charismatic beauty with a hilarious superiority complex asserting his dominance over brilliantly in-sync garage guitars. Even though, at the time, I couldn’t totally put into words why I was so obsessed with Turner, he was always the magnetic presence that put Arctic Monkeys miles ahead of their contemporaries. I could probably write a full article on every single song from Whatever…’s lineup, but key to the whole enterprise was “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor,” the lead single that announced the arrival of the world’s next rock stars. Postmodern with its Duran Duran and Shakespeare references while utterly timeless in its tale — boy meets girl, boy wants to fuck girl — “Dancefloor” was indie cleverness mixed with mainstream rock force. It’s impossible to ignore, a perfectfor-any-occasion party-starter that everyone loved. But it was “A Certain Romance,” the album’s final song, that closed its grip on my heart. Set up more theatrically than any of the sub-three-minute pop songs on the rest of the record, a long drumroll and some pretty guitar strumming open the curtain on the singer. Young Alex Turner does this amazing thing with his voice where he doesn’t lose a lick of his workingclass Dickens character accent when he sings, making the first verse just a delightful swoonworthy run of pronunciations like “poonch” for “punch” and “int” for “isn’t.” That local color is perfect for the scene, because Turner spends the song wandering some bar in his hometown, loving the assholes who are his old friends and scrapping with
the ones who aren’t. It’s just a short survey, a quick lookaround of the band’s roots, and yet that song still stands up as one of their best, the sport of bold work that tells you everything you need to know about an artist to realize that they’re something special. I finally fulfilled my dream of seeing Arctic Monkeys live about a year and a half ago, and it was everything I wanted and more, but I don’t think they’re my favorite band anymore. That’s always a weird thing to just decide, but Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, in particular, is one of those records I have committed to memory and don’t really pull out for listening very much anymore. Writing this piece, I have found that I still remember it all perfectly, from the overlaps in the guitar parts to Matt Helders’s early flashes of virtuosity on drums, but Turner’s not quite the idol I once thought he was. To be honest, if I was a Sheffielder who knew young Alex Turner, I’d probably still love him, but I’d also hate his guts. As frenetic and fun as the record is, it’s just a little juvenile to love unconditionally forever. But the more I think about it, the more I think I understand why almost nobody goes on to marry the first person they love. It’s an exciting, world-opening event to discover a person or a new thing that makes you feel amazed and special, but usually that happens when you still have a lot of growing left to do. Whatever People Say I Am was a beautiful whirlwind of new realizations, a huge marker in my young life that I memorized front to back, wrapping my ears around every guitar arrangement, backing vocal and beautifully British turn of phrase, and though I still get chills of nostalgia when I hear it today, I’m happy that I’m not still tied down to it.
TV NOTEBOOK
I
’m greedy. I’m predominantly greedy in regards to food and sleep (that thing I really want that I never seem to have). Though after further self-examination, I’ve discovered my insatiable greed for any epistemological knowledge that’s even CAROLINE tangentially FILIPS fashionrelated, but it’s a curse. I endlessly read and painstakingly reread anything and everything industry-centric to the point where it all melds together in my mind. Striving for sensibility, I then resort to staring at my magazine cutout-clad wall to remind myself why I pine for every morsel of insight on this hectic, unpredictable and elusive sphere. Even a quick glance to my makeshift wallpaper reminds me why fashion is where I need to work (read: live, it’s 2015) and breathe. Though I’ll admit to cancelling plans and arrangements out of sheer greediness to absorb the ins and outs of what I intend to pursue, I know my selfindulgence isn’t always worth forgoing a shot at fun (or a round of shots, for the record). Though I complain about not having enough time for X, Y and Z, it turns out I do. I greedily prioritize what I really want to dwell on, whether it’s outsourcing inspiration for my next column or printing out that NYT recipe for vegan brownies and contemplating the perks and drawbacks of adapting the diet. I have these luxuries, these greed-tinged little luxuries. Ironically, the frontrunners of the luxury fashion world can’t even find time for luxury. When I began my fashionarced odyssey in high school, I came across a Tom Ford OWN documentary on YouTube. In the opening monologue, Ford speaks candidly about his infamous career burnout that prompted his partly autobiographical directorial debut of 2009. After designing
16 collections annually and alternating between Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, he was lethargic, drained and uninspired. “I didn’t know who I was, I didn’t know who I was supposed to be,” he says, reflecting on the dark ages. With his film rendition of Christopher Isherwood’s novel “A Single Man,” Ford told the calamitous tale of his midlife crisis, albeit concealed by stunning cinematography and Julianne Moore and Colin Firth equally slaying ’60s wardrobes. He translated both his lost direction and irretrievable time onto the screen. By drawing a veil of beauty over the unfavorable realities, he echoed the general trends of fashion’s business tactics. We so often forget that simple fact behind the gems and silhouettes — the truth that fashion, at the end of the day, is a business. A later jaunt in my solo fashion research led me to a Ford maxim — “Time and silence are the most luxurious things today” — words that have recently reverberated in the wake of two prominent French creative directors abdicating their couturier thrones. Two weeks ago, Raf Simons announced his departure from Dior, an unexpected exit to say the least. Particularly evinced throughout the spring documentary ‘Dior and I,’ Simons was the brand’s perfect fit, requiring zero alterations. He honed his indelible creativity and maintained an unmatched synchronicity from collection to collection. But he ultimately decided to focus on his eponymous label after three glorious years at the house. After Alber Elbaz accepted his well-deserved Superstar award at the recent Fashion Group International Night of Stars, he commended Simons’ choice in earnest and alluded to his own impending departure from the helm of Lanvin. Aware of his speech’s time constraints, Elbaz opened with a retort: “I need more time,” he said. “And I think everybody in fashion these days needs just a little
more time.” When I first read Elbaz’s words in the Women’s Wear Daily review of the night, I recalled Ford’s adage, “Time and silence are the most luxurious things today.” Elbaz’s speech wasn’t merely him gracing the audience with his signature wisdom and wit; it was a sartorial call to action, a refrain from ‘luxurious’ silence. He exhausted the exhaustion of fashion’s relentless pace impinging on the creative process, along with reminding the audience of a designer’s constant time crunch — the elite required to churn out six collections annually, often six months before their intended season. A few days after, Elbaz announced his departure after 14 years at Lanvin. On the endless list of designers I research and pretend to know on a personal level, Raf and Alber have been tied second for years (sorry boys, Ford stole my heart during the formative years). But within my own sophomoric sartorial pursuits, I sense the pressure on the industry’s doyens sublimated into the pressure I put on myself to keep up with its ever-accelerating pace. Like any art form, fashion is complex and irreducible. Before a collection’s debut, which demands an ample digestion and appreciation period for the masses, it requires weeks, months, years or even lifetimes worth of inspiration and planning, but above all, a designer’s heart and soul. I can only image that with amended annual requirements and an augmented time window to explore creative triggers, my beloved, wunderkind and pretend-friend designers can reclaim their identities and better imbue them into every collection. I’m confident that Elbaz’s industry critique will catalyze much needed change. Until then, I’ll hold on to my luxuries. Filips is literally watching beagle videos on YouTube right now. To bark at that bitch, email carofil@umich.edu.
Mixed results for top broadcast networks Turning five with ‘No Strings Attached’ MY FIRST FAVORITE ALBUM
By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
Now that it’s November, it seems like the right time to take a step back and reflect on the highs and lows of this season’s network ratings. Overall, they have been a mixed bag for broadcast networks. Though there have been sizeable hits, there have been too many new shows that are either scoring average or poor numbers to call this season a success. ABC has found some winners in its lineup, but the disappointments are not small. This is particularly true for “The Muppets,” whose ratings have been nothing short of a letdown. The show premiered nicely, bringing in 9 million viewers and a 2.9 rating in the 18-49 demographic. However, the ratings only declined from there, stabilizing at 4 million viewers and a 1.4 demo rating. That can’t be what ABC was imagining when they ordered the series and gave the show all the promotion they could, pitching it to the same audience which turned out in droves to the 2011 movie. That show isn’t the only one which ABC is unhappy about. Also, both “Blood & Oil” and “Wicked City” bombed, with the former earning below a 1.0 key-demo rating for the past three airings and having its episode order cut. The latter failed to even hit a 1.0 demo rating in its series premiere, which seemed to dominate every ad break on ESPN for the past several weeks. However, ABC does have elements of its schedule that it can celebrate, the most important of which is “Quantico.” The show
stars Priyanka Chopra, who was unknown in America but one of Bollywood’s biggest stars before the series began. Apparently, she has a fan base here, too, because the show has averaged a 1.7 rating through its first five airings. While that number might not be remarkable on its own, it’s a 50-percent improvement from what “Revenge” was doing in the Sunday 10 p.m. timeslot last season. It has also doubled its “Blood & Oil” lead-in on multiple occasions. Because of Thursday Night Football, it’s a little early to tell the story of CBS’s season. The eight weeks of football games held back both the majority of CBS’s Thursday series and its most important new show, “Supergirl.” The series flew high for CBS in its premiere, with 13 million viewers and a 3.1 in the demo, but one airing is too little to call a show a hit. However, the Eye is definitely celebrating the launch of “Limitless,” whose ratings have stabilized at 8 million viewers and a 1.4 in the key demo. The series holds the majority of its “NCIS: New Orleans” lead-in and has improved the year-toyear timeslot performance by a few tenths (“Person of Interest” was in the slot last year). FOX is lucky that it still has “Empire,” which is saving the schedule from being a complete letdown. That show is still a massive ratings giant, averaging a 5.36 through its first four airings. That number makes it the top scripted show on network television right now. However, the rest of FOX’s schedule
has underperformed. Several of their returning shows are facing year-over-year declines, including “Gotham,” which is running about 30 percent below what it was doing last fall. “Sleepy Hollow” has also scored series lows most weeks of the new season. In addition, “Minority Report” had the distinction of being the first outright bomb of the season — opening to a 1.1 18-49 rating and declining from there. But the biggest disappointment of FOX’s schedule is “Scream Queens.” The cast includes big names like Jamie Lee Curtis, Nick Jonas and Ariana Grande who have fan bases from past work, and the network gave the show a huge marketing push, with ads for the show airing as far back as February. Though the series adds another 50 percent to its live rating when a week’s worth of DVR viewing is factored in, the most recent airing earned a paltry 1.0 18-49 rating, which is low no matter which measure you use. It might squeak out a renewal because of creator Ryan Murphy’s pedigree and the love for him in the FOX Networks Group, but it won’t be because of ratings. The one big caveat to everything mentioned here: It’s still early in the season, and a lot of this season’s story has yet to be told. It’s possible that midseason series can help some falling schedules (especially for FOX, which has both “American Idol” and a revival of “The X-Files” waiting in the wings). However, the fall picture is fairly clear at this point, and it’s certainly telling a story of ups and downs.
By KEN SELANDER Daily Arts Writer
The year was 2000. The date was August 12. It was my fifth birthday. I had a birthday present list, and atop that treasured piece of parchment was the album holding the beloved “Bye Bye Bye.” Admittedly, I thought the Backstreet Boys sung the track, but my friend was smart enough to do some research and find that the song was performed by NSYNC, the other prominent boy band of the era. I was ecstatic when I found the No Strings Attached CD — remember CDs? — among my presents. The cover art is standard boy band material. :What are thiiiiiiiiissss?” After my party I cracked it open decidedly my other favorite and inserted it into my bulky, song with its twangy pop green CD player and listened. I sound. The family room in my think we can all agree: having house has high ceilings, and the No Strings Attached CD was I remember throwing pillows as cool as it got in kindergarten. high in the air while dancing And don’t lie to me — you around to the record. I probably know that shit is still hot. “Bye definitely tried to beatbox at Bye Bye” is the opening track, some point, too. and I was immediately satisfied What’s past is past. At least to hear what I considered I didn’t keep thinking it was the hottest song in the world. something worthwhile to spend “Just Got Paid” and “Bringin’ my free time doing past the first da Noise” were solid hype- grade and into high school. My up songs to jam to in the car NSYNC CD listening prime took before soccer games. You know, place during a simpler time. the kind where the goals were Granted, I could still sing along little prop-up nets and half of to five of the songs with reasonthe team stands around picking able accuracy, but that’s beside dandelions. Upon further the point. Just as I rememlistening, “Space Cowboy” was ber standing outside at recess
JIVE
around the start of first grade, reminiscing with my classmate Cooper on the joys of Kindergarten — namely having two recesses — I am now a senior in college with lots of good memories of college rooted in music. There’s waking up at 7:30 a.m. for football tailgates to the sound of Thin Lizzy or DMX before any other students in the city seem to have awoken, shouting along to Sugarland with friends late at night, or just walking around our beautiful campus with the Arctic Monkeys or J Cole in my earbuds. While my new musical memories only infrequently include NSYNC, they still bring me back to a more carefree time.
Sports & Arts
6A — Friday, November 6, 2015
WOMEN’S SOCCER
‘M’ seeks new narrative in Big Ten tourney semifinals By BETELHEM ASHAME Daily Sports Writer
Three minutes. That’s all it took for then-No. 10 Penn State to score three unanswered goals to end the Michigan women’s soccer team’s regular season Michigan at last Wednesday night. With the Penn State 3-1 win, Penn Matchup: State clinched Michigan the No. 1 seed 12-6-2; Penn in the Big Ten State 14-3-2 When: Friday Tournament, while sending 6 P.M. Michigan Where: tumbling down Jeffrey Field to fifth in the TV/Radio: final conference BTN standings. That might’ve been the story a week ago, but plenty can change in seven days. Fast forward to Sunday afternoon, when the Wolverines took on No. 4 seed Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. Going into Evanston for a winner-take-all showdown, Michigan needed a tremendous team effort to keep its season and its hopes of reaching the NCAA Tournament alive. And the team delivered with a gritty performance ripe with heart and fire, walking away with a 1-0 victory off a goal by junior forward Nicky Waldeck. Coincidentally, the score line mimicked the Wolverines’ win over the then22nd-ranked Wildcats at U-M Soccer Stadium a month prior. A familiar foe now awaits in the conference tournament semifinals, where the Wolverines will face off against none other than the Nittany Lions. With a place in the Big Ten championship game on the line, Michigan is hoping for a completely different story this time around. “I think Penn State got our worst performance, so we’re preparing to give them our best performance on Friday night,” said Michigan coach Greg Ryan. “I’m very confident we’re going to bounce back and play so much better. Playing them once already really helps us know exactly what
we’re up against. We know what and how they will probably play. This time, we’re in a much better position to go out there and give ourselves a chance to move on in the Big Ten Tournament.” In their fourth straight appearance at the Big Ten Tournament, the Wolverines now advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2012. Considering that they have not reached the championship match since the turn of the century, Friday night’s match against Penn State looms even larger. Fortunately for Michigan, it is well-equipped to take on the challenge. This group of Wolverines is a loaded bunch. Senior captain and defender Christina Murillo is second in the Big Ten with seven assists, while redshirt sophomore forward Ani Sarkisian and sophomore forward Taylor Timko are tied for seventh in the conference with seven goals apiece. Over half of Michigan’s roster has contributed a point so far this season, while 11 Wolverines have netted at least one goal. Four players have doubledigit points — Timko and Sarkisian are tied with 17, while freshman midfielder Abby Kastroll and senior forward Lulu Haidar are tied with 12. That doesn’t even include the Wolverines’ defensive dominance. Michigan has shut out nine opponents this season, including three of its last four, and has conceded just 19 goals while allowing an average of just seven shots per game. Coupled with 36 goals scored to date, the Wolverines boast an impressive plus-17 scoring margin. But the defense failed to contain Penn State in its previous game and must play significantly better in order for Michigan to be victorious. “We don’t really have to change what we do, we just have to execute better,” Ryan said. “We have to defend better as a
back line. We gave away some pretty easy goals that would have been fairly easy for us to defend. Against a high-powered attacking team like Penn State, we have to be outstanding defensively. We have been very good this whole year in the back, so I’m very confident that we can be.” Another phase that gave the Wolverines problems during the first meeting was possession. Usually accustomed to dictating the run of play, Michigan allowed Penn State too much time on the ball and too much space in the midfield, resulting in three goals for the Nittany Lions. “We really have to turn it on in our ability to keep the ball,” Ryan said. “We are going to make some adjustments to get more players around the ball and more players a little higher up the park. After they scored the first goal, we stopped trying to keep the ball ourselves. Against Penn State, if you give them the ball back every time, you’re going to be defending all night, and eventually they’re going to beat you.” The last game left a sour taste in the Wolverines’ mouths. Coming off a bigtime performance against Northwestern, the Wolverines are determined to change the story this time around. “That huge win basically came down to ‘How hard can we fight?’ ” said Michigan senior midfielder Corinne Harris. “We ended up proving that we’re not only talented, but we’re a really strong team that can play that hard and match that level. “We’re trying to take that level of intensity into the Penn State game. We’re getting stronger in practice, and we’re ready for a rematch, because we weren’t happy with the way it went before.” Ready to put the past behind them, the Wolverines now have the opportunity to write a new narrative.
“We don’t really have to change what we do.”
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Friday, November 6, 2015
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
TV NOTEBOOK
Workplace feminism in ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ By DANIELLE YACOBSON Daily Arts Writer
Confession: After 10 loyal years, I almost quit “Grey’s Anatomy.” Killing off one too many of my favorite characters seeded my deep-rooted grudge against the producers, and the angsty, back-and-forth relationships were making me question the legitimacy of love altogether. But as I looked for an excuse to distract from my newly acquired adult responsibilities, I decided to give it another shot. Much to my surprise, season 12 has been rocking my world. Exploding with Girl Power, the latest season of “Grey’s” is channeling the unstoppable force of the head women in charge as they unapologetically take on their tumultuous professional and personal lives in full stride. Spending 42 minutes with GreySloan Memorial Hospital’s posse every week is feminist gold, as the women fearlessly run the medical world one surgery at a time. Obviously, spoilers for the entirety of “Grey’s Anatomy” follow. Season 12 starts up a year after Derek’s (Patrick Dempsey, “Made of Honor”) death, and Meredith Grey’s (Ellen Pompeo, “Daredevil”) flawless opening monologue could not encapsulate this season’s theme better: “Maybe you’re wondering, why are we here? But I promise, you’re about to find out that everything has changed.” As it’s hard to imagine a world where Meredith and Derek are not together, the show takes this opportunity to shift the focus away from a glamorized quest of finding the perfect soul mate and instead illuminates life after a fairy-tale romance. In interviews, Pompeo dedicates this season to widowers as she explores their stories through Meredith’s emotional recovery. The 12th season is all about Meredith finding her way again, and so far, she exemplifies the formidable strength that women can possess on their own. Acknowledging that the wild and passionate chapter of her life has closed, Meredith is able to find
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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 They’re bought and soled 6 Educational foundation 10 Lowest part 15 Make like a tree, facetiously 16 “Uh-huh” 17 Butyl acetate, e.g. 18 AAEGIMRR 21 Balkan region 22 Wild period 23 Edible tuber 24 __ Plantation, site of the world’s largest maze 26 Sun Valley locale 28 AACDEINNV 35 Sea sound 36 One of Suetonius’ “Twelve Caesars” 37 Actor Hawke 38 Youngest March sister 39 Sent away 42 Make a selection 43 “I’ve got this one” 45 Wax on an envelope, say 46 Robert of “The Sopranos” 47 ADEHLNRTUY 51 Structural opening? 52 Angler’s prize 53 Lack of continuity 55 Old painting sites 58 More pinlike? 62 ILST ... and each of three other puzzle clues 65 Not hold one’s peace 66 Domain 67 Of few words 68 Game that may involve complicated shots 69 Mediterranean feeder 70 Three-layer treats DOWN 1 Thick mass 2 Rescuer, often 3 Marine propulsion aids
4 Heavyweight champ between Buster and Riddick 5 __ citizen 6 Mate’s affirmative 7 Garden spots 8 Like-minded group 9 Islamic law 10 Mourning 11 “Take me __ am” 12 Wait for help, perhaps too long 13 Genesis creator 14 Home of Utah Valley University 19 Lead ore 20 Comedian Foxx 25 First place? 27 Porkpie, for one 28 Advanced tests 29 “What light through yonder window breaks?” speaker 30 Other side of “We Can Work It Out” 31 Like Jameson whiskey 32 Long time ending? 33 Heist, say 34 Contest form 39 “Magic Mike” feature
40 “ ... on the sand, / __ sunk, a shattered visage lies”: “Ozymandias” 41 Paige of British musical theatre 44 Map feature with an elev. 46 Asthma sufferer’s relief 48 Boring 49 Ale seller
50 No longer bothered by 53 Severe wound 54 Dinner for Spot 56 Little case 57 Window frame part 59 Weary 60 Canadian gas brand 61 GPS info 63 Is down with 64 Zipper opening?
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genuine happiness without relying on a man, challenging the societal assumption that women can only be fulfilled in the presence of a budding love life. As the landscape of the hospital changes, season 12 features a leading team of mostly female department heads. With the exception of Trauma and Plastics, the chief surgeons are all women, and Miranda Bailey’s (Chandra Wilson) rise to chief of surgery shows just how powerful women in small packages can be. Their leadership and “tough calls” go unquestioned, and their authority is a force to be reckoned with. “Grey’s Anatomy” shows that women can take on the most demanding jobs with just as much respect as men. Feminism in the workplace does not stop there. One of the most reallife scenarios depicted this season is Meredith’s lowball promotion salary and the hesitation she experiences to confront her superiors. In the third episode, “I Choose You,” her lacking contract after being promoted to chief of general surgery shocks the rest of the female chiefs, who urge Meredith to stand up for what she has earned and be compensated adequately for her skills. The unconditional support of women in the workplace can be one of the strongest catalysts for success, especially in high-pressure fields like medicine. It’s high time that women started
asserting themselves and asking for what they want instead of expecting to be rewarded on their own. Meredith’s composed and confident negotiation is exactly how women should be advocating for themselves, refusing to accept anything less than they deserve. “Grey’s” wouldn’t be what it is without workplace romances, and nothing has changed now that the women are in charge. In fact, many of the female chiefs are now the superiors of their significant others. Bailey’s husband is a resident and Maggie (Kelly McCreary) is starting up a ship-worthy relationship with an intern. In both cases, the power dynamic has never been exploited. Instead, displayed on screen are functional relationships that are grounded in mutual respect for each other’s work. “Grey’s Anatomy” is not the show that I once knew and loved. The majority of the original cast has left (let’s be real — they were killed off) and the ones that have remained are significantly older and are dealing with issues that I (hopefully) won’t have to worry about for at least another couple of decades. Season 12 is different, but good different. As the show has evolved, the focus shifted to encapsulate some of today’s most pressing feminist issues, allowing viewers to look through a different lens at the doctors we have gotten to know over the past 10 years.
MITCHELL From Page 1A
immortality and how society and humans approach the subject. The villains of this novel are fueled by the souls of their victims, and, as if to torment us, Mitchell allows us to grow familiar with each man, woman and child before they fall into the two demons’ clutches. The twin brother and sister that serve as the novel’s antagonists are plagued by their mortality, which causes them to commit heinous murders to achieve immortality. “Our culture does not equip us very well to look mortality in the face and to establish a productive working relationship with it,” Mitchell said. “All our culture really has to offer on the subject is fear, but fear is not healthy. It’s not a good state of affairs that we are terrified of the one thing that will inevitably happen to all of us.” There’s a taboo on mortality in our society, one that prevents us from facing the truth. Demonstrated through Mitchell’s monsters, humans will go to great lengths and resort to unspeakable deeds to remain in this state of denial. Although Mitchell explores a fantastical world full of supernatural misdeeds and missteps, he incorporates a humane aspect into the genre. The morals he tries to communicate to the reader are evident in his approach to morality and the consequences faced if one continues to reject it. “I look at mortality from the other side, from the viewpoint of immortals. I look at the whole subject and look from their point of view on how death is a part of life, how death actually enhances life and how the fact that we are finite and know we’re finite makes all the colors colorful as they are,” Mitchell said. Differing from his previous novels, “Slade House” is noticeably shorter than its predecessor “The Bone Clocks,” or his most well known work “Cloud Atlas,” which average 500 to 600 pages. At 237 pages, “Slade House” is noticeably short, but it doesn’t fail capture the universe Mitchell has created through his books. Recurring characters and subjects can be found in each of Mitchell’s books, regardless of whether the subject matter is the same, and this novel is no exception. But this shouldn’t be a point of concern for first time David Mitchell readers. Mitchell encourages even his companion novels to be read and enjoyed independently of the others. “If you haven’t read ‘The Bone Clocks,’ then this is an entrée, if you have read ‘The Bone Clocks’ then this is the dessert. If you haven’t read ‘The Bone Clocks’ and never plan on reading ‘The Bone Clocks’ then (Slade House) is a – I hope – delightful standalone dish.”
Experimenting with the supernatural, David Mitchell departs from the fantasy genres of his previous David Mitchell novels and tries Reads ‘Slate his hand House’ at horror. Saturday Nov. “It’s a genre 7, at 6 p.m. to which I am a United Methodist Church $30 stranger,” confessed Mitchell in an interview with The Michigan Daily. “I’m entering the territory of Stephen King, Shirley Jetson and other writers inspired by them, and I am a sojourner in this territory.” Sojourner or not, Mitchell crafts five short stories of horror and intrigue that are artfully combined under a story arc that pulls the reader through a maze of trickery and disbelief. A detailed and organized writer, Mitchell has always had his thoughts thoroughly planned out before embarking on his next novel. But upon the release of “The Bone Clocks” in 2014, Mitchell took to a brand new writing platform and experimented with the 140 character limit of Twitter. “I was curious as to whether it would work or not,” said Mitchell. “My thought was to kick it around for a story.” Over the course of 208 tweets in July 2014, Mitchell wrote a short story that eventually evolved into the first of five stories introducing the world to Slade House. From the perspective of Nathan Bishop, a Valium-popping 13-year-old, we’re introduced to Slade House and the horrors that lie within. The supernatural creatures that occupy the mansion are over 100 years old and draw in their victims by creating a false reality to captivate them. Bright colors and potential friendship are the two comforts that lure Nathan in, for they’re the comforts that are so evidently lacking in his home life. “I wanted to look for a reason within the story and within the characters to use Twitter. The solution I hit upon was to have a kid who’s possibly Asperger’s or on the autistic spectrum, because it’s hard for him to handle reality; it’s a kind of sludgy, unkind mess for him. He’s stealing his mom’s Valium tablets, which slow down his bandwidth for reality, so his mind must process them into much more handleable pulses or packets of informations, which are the tweets.” Similar to his previous books, Mitchell addresses the theme of
7A — Friday, November 6, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Father, son match wits in exhibition By LEV FACHER Managing Editor
John Beilein doesn’t typically invite opposing coaches over to his house after games, but Friday Le Moyne at will prove an Michigan exception. Matchup: Le After all, the Moyne 0-0; Michigan men’s Michigan 0-0 basketball When: Friday coach is going 7 P.M. up against the school that Where: Crisler Center employed him for nine years. TV/Radio: Odder still, BTN Plus the man now running the show at Division II Le Moyne College is Beilein’s son, Patrick. “I’m going to study my feelings during the whole thing,” the elder Beilein said Thursday. “It’s going to be interesting.” Though Friday’s exhibition is more an opportunity for the Wolverines’ reserves to see the court than it is a true measuring stick, both of the Beileins on the floor and the dozens more in the stands are taking the basketball element seriously. A record number of family members will be in attendance at Crisler Center, and Beilein expects the majority to be rooting for the Dolphins. After all, Patrick is one of 44 of Beilein’s parents’ grandchildren, and Beilein estimated that 12 to 15 of his nieces and nephews — Patrick’s cousins — will be in attendance. “Once the ball goes up — Patrick would probably feel the same way — his mother could be on the other bench, and we’re competing,” Beilein said. The exhibition is an early chance for the Wolverines to get the entirety of their roster
involved, especially with several players already ruled out. Aside from injury concerns, juniors Sean Lonergan and Andrew Dakich are both considering redshirting this season and will not play, Beilein said. But freshman forward Moritz Wagner could see substantial playing time, and players who appear to be on the fringes of Michigan’s rotation, like sophomore guard MuhammadAli Abdur-Rahkman and redshirt sophomore forward Mark Donnal, will have the opportunity to make an earlyseason, in-game impression. The Dolphins, meanwhile, will play their second consecutive game against an opponent that, at least on paper, outclasses them thoroughly. Le Moyne didn’t have to leave the city limits of Syracuse on Nov. 2, falling to the Orange at the Carrier Dome, 97-58. Of course, Beilein said, being blown out at Syracuse isn’t a problem specific to Le Moyne’s Division II status. “Syracuse can do that to a lot of Division I teams in November,” Beilein said. “Actually, they do it all year long.” LESS THAN FULL STEAM: Junior foward Zak Irvin will not play Friday as he continues to recover from an offseason back procedure, Beilein said. Senior guard Spike Albrecht will play, though he’s still limited as he rehabs from a summer hip surgery. Though the Wolverines are by and large healthy, Beilein said minor injuries have taken a toll on the rhythm and flow of
practice. At Monday’s practice, which was open to the public, sophomore guard Aubrey Dawkins landed awkwardly on his right ankle after a dunk. He returned to practice minutes later, but eventually headed to the locker room early. Nonetheless, he’s expected to play Friday. Beilein also acknowledged, cryptically, that the ailments of Irvin, Dawkins and Albrecht don’t span the list of Michigan’s preseason health issues. The bumps and bruises make it more difficult to establish a rhythm in practice, Beilein said. CONTRACT COLLABORATIONS: Beilein’s recently announced contract extension, which will keep him in Ann Arbor through the 202021 season, is as much for recruits’ benefit as it is the Wolverines. Beilein is currently recruiting athletes set to graduate in 2017 or 2018, and they had reasonable questions for a man asking them to make a four-year commitment. “It’s a common question for ’17s and ’18s,” Beilein said. “Your contract is up in ’19, but I’m going to graduate (high school) in ’17 — who’s going to be coaching?” Once Beilein mentioned his concerns to interim Athletic Director Jim Hackett, he said the process moved quickly, and that there was obvious mutual interest both from the Athletic Department and University President Mark Schlissel in securing the deal.
“I’m going to study my feelings during the whole thing.”
8A — Friday, November 6, 2015
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
November 7, 2015: Rutgers
From the gridiron to the snow
2015 Schedule
Everyone remembers what happened the last time Michigan played at home: a last-second, 27-23 loss to Michigan State. The Wolverines regrouped with an almost-as-thrilling win at Minnesota last week, and now they return to Michigan Stadium to start the final third of the regular season. This time, they face a Rutgers team that shouldn’t give them nearly as much trouble.
Max Cohen, Jake Lourim, Max Bultman and Zach Shaw
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3 4 6
Only a few injury issues could give Michigan problems against Rutgers. Remember Sam McGuffie? He’s back in the headlines as a member of the U.S. national bobsledding team. The Wolverines own several matchup advantages over the Scarlet Knights.
Utah (Sept. 3): Well, at least the mountains were cool?
Michigan State (Oct. 17): We will spare you the details.
Oregon State (Sept. 12): Imagine how Jim Harbaugh would have freaked out if Michigan lost.
Minnesota (Oct. 31): The goal line stood strong.
UNLV (Sept. 19): More like Loss Vegas.
Rutgers (Nov. 7): Will Michigan fans storm the field if the Wolverines avenge last year’s loss in Piscataway? We hope not.
BYU (Sept. 26): The Mormons left Ann Arbor with more wives than points.
Indiana (Nov. 14): Boring state. Hopefully not a boring game.
Maryland (Oct. 3): The Terrapins turtled at Michigan’s stingy defense.
Penn State (Nov. 21): Christian Hackenberg could be a first-round pi — aaand, he just got sacked again.
Northwestern (Oct. 10): M380N.
Ohio State (Nov. 28): We wanted to make a joke, but the only one we could think of was, “Haha, your backup QB might win the Heisman.”
Cover illustration by Levi Kipke, Anne Lynch & Miranda Riggs
STAFF PICKS The Daily football writers pick against the spread to predict scores for the top 25 and Big Ten in the 2015 football season. Rutgers (+25) at No. 17 Michigan
2
Jake Lourim
Max Cohen
Max Bultman
Allison Farrand,
Zach Shaw
Co-Managing Photo Editor
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan
No. 16 Florida State (+12) at No. 1 Clemson
Clemson
Florida State
Clemson
Florida State
Clemson
No. 2 LSU (+6.5) at No. 4 Alabama
Alabama
LSU
LSU
Alabama
LSU
Minnesota (+24) at No. 3 Ohio State
Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota
Ohio State
No. 5 Notre Dame (-8.5) at Pittsburgh
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
No. 6 Baylor (-17) at Kansas State
Baylor
Baylor
Baylor
Kansas State
Baylor
No. 7 Michigan State (-6) at Nebraska
Michigan State
Michigan State
Nebraska
Michigan State
Michigan State
No. 8 TCU (-4.5) at No. 14 Oklahoma State
TCU
TCU
TCU
TCU
Oklahoma State
No. 9 Iowa (-7) at Indiana
Indiana
Iowa
Iowa
Iowa
Iowa
Vanderbilt (+21) at No. 10 Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida
Florida
No. 11 Stanford (-16.5) at Colorado
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
No. 12 Utah (+2) at Washington
Utah
Utah
Utah
Utah
Utah
Navy (+7.5) at No. 13 Memphis
Memphis
Memphis
Memphis
Memphis
Navy
Iowa State (+25) at No. 15 Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Arkansas (+18.5) at No. 18 Ole Miss
Ole Miss
Ole Miss
Ole Miss
Arkansas
Ole Miss
Auburn (+7) at No. 19 Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
Texas A&M
No. 20 Mississippi State (-8) at Missouri
Mississippi State
Mississippi State
Missouri
Mississippi State
Missouri
Penn State (+2.5) at No. 21 Northwestern
Northwestern
Northwestern
Northwestern
Penn State
Northwestern
No. 22 Temple (-12.5) at SMU
Temple
Temple
Temple
Temple
Temple
No. 23 UCLA (-18) at Oregon State
UCLA
UCLA
UCLA
UCLA
UCLA
Cincinnati (+8) at No. 25 Houston
Houston
Houston
Houston
Houston
Houston
Illinois (-5) at Purdue
Illinois
Purdue
Purdue
Illinois
Purdue
Wisconsin (-11.5) at Maryland
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Opening coin flip (Michigan vs. Rutgers)
Tails
Heads
Tails
Heads
Tails
Last week
7-13
10-10
9-11
10-10
N/A
Overall
97-95-3
104-88-3
104-88-3
99-93-3
N/A
FootballSaturday, November 7, 2015
Wolverines have opportunity to reassert dominance vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights struggling heading into first trip to Michigan Stadium By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor
Four weeks have passed since the No. 17 Michigan football team’s 38-0 rout of Northwestern, the last game the Wolverines played that Rutgers at wasn’t close. Michigan Their two games Matchup: since then have Rutgers 3-5; hinged on the Michigan 6-2 final play. When: While they Saturday split those 3:30 P.M. games, their Where: dominance was Michigan gone. Saturday Stadium gives them TV/Radio: a chance to BTN re-establish it. Rutgers (1-4 Big Ten, 3-5 overall) limps into Michigan Stadium off two straight losses by an average of 40 points. The Scarlet Knights’ first visit to the Big House comes against a Michigan team with five players, including redshirt freshman safety Jabrill Peppers, from Rutgers’ home state of New Jersey. The Scarlet Knights rank in the bottom half of the country in almost every major category, including 111th in total defense and 100th in scoring defense. The Wolverines preyed on such teams earlier this season, grabbing national headlines and moving into the Associated Press Top 25 poll along the way. If the Scarlet Knights aren’t careful, Saturday’s game could go similarly. By this point in the season, it’s clear that this isn’t the same Michigan team that lost in
Piscataway last year. Despite a last-second loss to Michigan State on Oct. 17, the Wolverines (3-1, 6-2) have an outside shot in the Big Ten title race. They’re more efficient on offense, stronger on defense and more explosive on special teams than they were in 2014. “Last year, as we were going into the game, I thought they were a very physical football team, very talented,” said Rutgers coach Kyle Flood. “But they play the game differently on offense now than they did last year, a little bit more of a pro-style offense.” There are a few variables, though, that could keep the game close if they tilt in Rutgers’ favor. One is the health of the quarterback who leads Michigan’s pro-style offense: fifth-year senior Jake Rudock. Rudock left Saturday’s game against Minnesota after sustaining a hard hit in the third quarter. Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh confirmed Monday that he does not have a concussion, but rather soreness in his ribs and back. He said the criteria for Rudock playing are that he’s the best option in whatever state he’s in, and that he will not aggravate his injury by playing. Offensive coordinator Tim Drevno indicated Wednesday those would not be concerns, saying Rudock was an active participant in practice with no setbacks. Behind Rudock, redshirt freshman Wilton Speight is unproven, even after leading a comeback Saturday. If Rudock can’t go or is limited Saturday, it could be an issue. The running game may also be a question for Michigan. Junior running back De’Veon Smith limped off Saturday and finished with just nine carries, though Drevno said he, too, is practicing. Fellow junior Ty Isaac missed Saturday’s game with what Harbaugh called an “internal matter.” Harbaugh declined to
“They play the game differently on offense now.”
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
elaborate. Redshirt junior Drake Johnson picked up the slack, carrying 10 times for 55 yards Saturday, but he might be in a tough spot if Green, Isaac or both miss this week’s game. Rutgers also has a wild card of its own: wide receiver Leonte Carroo. A suspension and an injury have limited the senior to just five games this season, but in those contests, he caught 24 passes for 527 yards and nine touchdowns. Carroo is questionable for Saturday’s game with a lowerbody injury that sidelined him last week against Wisconsin. Flood said Monday that if the game were that day, Carroo would not play. He had not yet been medically cleared, but if he’s a go for Saturday, he’s one of few Rutgers players who could give Michigan some problems. But at the end of the day, all of those are “ifs.” After thrilling finishes in each of their past two games, the Wolverines shouldn’t have nearly as much trouble this week. A more comfortable win is more likely, and Michigan could use it, too, with tougher games at Indiana, at Penn State and versus Ohio State in the final quarter of the regular-season schedule.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Junior running back De’Veon Smith (top) and fifth-year senior Jake Rudock (bottom) both sustained injuries in the second half last week at Minnesota.
TheMichiganDaily, www.michigandaily.com
3
Sam McGuffie, seven years removed from Michigan, works toward Olympic dream By MAX COHEN Managing Sports Editor
When he was growing up in Texas in the 1990s and early 2000s, Sam McGuffie made sure he never missed the gymnastics events in the Summer Olympics. He’d sit in his living room every four years and watch all of the routines, just like millions of other Americans. But what McGuffie did between the routines separated him from the casual viewer. He’d get up from his seat and do gymnastics routines of his own, with a few flips here and a few cartwheels there. He loved listening to the patriotic music that accompanied the Olympics on television, and he envisioned a day when he would be one of the athletes on TV. He’d tell his dad that he was going to be in the Olympics some day, so his dad asked a natural follow-up: What are you going to do? “I don’t know, whatever,” he’d reply. McGuffie never would have been able to guess his most likely path to Olympic glory. For most of his life, McGuffie had been a football player and a track and field athlete. He played running
back at Michigan in 2008 before transferring to Rice to play football and run track and field. But last week, McGuffie became a member of the United States bobsled team. It wasn’t a scenario he ever envisioned, even as recently as last spring. While he still has about two years until he can qualify for the 2018 Olympics in South Korea, he’s as close as he possibly could be at this stage. “It’s something you don’t grow up saying, ‘I’m going to be a bobsledder,’ ” McGuffie, 26, said. “It’s kind of something that just happened.” McGuffie spent the 2014 football season playing for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League after bouncing around the NFL in 2013. After he left Winnipeg, McGuffie returned to Rice to work out with former Rice track and field assistant coach Casey Thom. His primary plan for the offseason was to work on his speed. But then Thom, who had worked with McGuffie during his college career, brought up a topic he had mentioned to McGuffie during his time at Rice: What about giving bobsledding a try? Thom knew what a successful bobsledder looked like. He crossed paths with a few future bobsledders during his college years at Nebraska, including Vancouver 2010 gold medalist Curt Tomasevicz, who was a walk-on football player for the Cornhuskers. In Thom’s mind, McGuffie’s skillset resembled that of an Olympic
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bobsledder. “He just was a very explosive athlete, his build is stocky and I thought he just looked like he could be very successful at it,” Thom said. McGuffie, listed on the Blue Bombers’ roster at 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, mulled over Thom’s
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recommendation and eventually decided to give it a try. His athletic gifts had almost always been nearly unparalleled. When he was in high school, he became known nationally for his football recruitment video, which featured him hurdling defenders. The video accrued more than three million views on YouTube. The talent displayed in the video placed lofty expectations on McGuffie, and he showed glimpses of that ability at Michigan. In his lone season as a Wolverine, he garnered 486 rushing yards before leaving Ann Arbor in a somewhat controversial move. McGuffie continued to show his wide array of athletic ability at Rice. Though he was primarily focused on football, McGuffie ran track and field, too. But because of the time constraints that football and academics imposed, McGuffie rarely practiced with the team. In 2009, during his year off from football because of NCAA transfer rules, McGuffie placed in the top 10 in Conference USA in six different events. In his final season at Rice in 2012, one in which he played football and ran track, McGuffie finished third in the conference in the heptathlon, a combined track and field competition made up of seven different events. But still, despite all of his athletic acumen, McGuffie was surprised by his rapid rise in bobsledding. He
went from a complete novice to a member of Team USA in less than three months. It began in Park City, Utah, where McGuffie attended a USA bobsledding combine on Aug. 21. There, McGuffie was tested in six different events: the 15-meter sprint, the 30-meter sprint, the 60-meter sprint, the 30-meter fly, the broad jump and the shot toss. Each of the 21 male competitors was assigned a score from zero to 100 in each event based upon his individual performance. McGuffie placed first in five out of the six events, finishing the combine with a score of 573 out of 600. Ten others finished with a score of more than 400 points, but nobody came close to McGuffie. The second-place finisher scored 471. After competing in the USA National Bobsled Push Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y., it was time to prepare for the national team selection race. He practiced working as the brakeman, the last person to hop into the sled. As he familiarized himself with bobsledding, McGuffie attempted to master all of the intricacies of the sport. At first glance, McGuffie said, the sport seems simple. Casual viewers think of the movie “Cool Runnings,” where a group of Jamaicans start bobsledding and instantly become stars in the sport. Despite McGuffie’s quick rise
in bobsledding, he says the movie isn’t rooted in reality. Bobsledding, McGuffie says, is violent, just like football. “There’s way more stuff going on than just hop in a sled and you go,” McGuffie said. “You’ve got to make sure the alignment’s perfect on every single run. You’ve got to do that, every run. Every time you go down, you have to have perfect riding position. You’ve got to load in the sled perfectly, you’ve got to lean into the curves, you have to know the tracks, you have to have a good hit on the sled, which is the initial movement off the block. You’ve got to hit it good and drive it down the track before you jump in.” McGuffie spent most of his time leading up to last week’s event with Team USA’s No. 3 sled in Park City, but he soon caught the eye of Steve Holcomb, the driver of the No. 1 bobsled. Holcomb has won three Olympic medals, so McGuffie didn’t hesitate when Holcomb asked him to move to his sled. The move worked out well for McGuffie, whose new bobsled team finished first in the national team selection race, comfortably earning him a spot on Team USA. The top three sleds in the event earned spots on the national team. Though he admits he still has a
great deal of room to improve in the sport since his career is so new, the idea of being able to wear the American flag while he competes is an appealing one to McGuffie. “I haven’t competed yet, but when you have the USA (emblem), I can imagine, it doesn’t matter what it is — if it’s checkers, or if it’s tiddlywinks, you put the USA label on it, you’re going to go hard and you’re going to be amped up and you’re going to be ready to rock,” McGuffie said. McGuffie will get his chance soon enough. Starting later this month, Team USA will be traveling all over Europe to compete. McGuffie feels as though he still has a long way to go before he secures a spot on the 2018 Winter Olympic team, but his end goal is within sight. “You’d be dumb to ignore the fact that you could be in the Olympics at some point in your life if you had the opportunity or you had the talent or the skillset or the drive to do that,” McGuffie said. McGuffie has always been a man of eclectic athletic interests.
Though he plans to focus only on bobsledding for the foreseeable future, he does not view the sport as his only path to the Olympics. Rugby sevens, a form of rugby played with seven players, will be added to the Summer Olympics starting in 2016. Team USA officials asked McGuffie to come out for a combine at the end of November. Bobsledding put those plans on hold, but rugby is something he would like to try in the future. There’s always track and field, too. McGuffie sometimes wonders what would happen if he put all of his time into the sport, something he was never able to do in college. “He did the decathlon a little bit for us,” Thom, the track coach, said. “If he was able to focus on it full time, he could have been very competitive at the highest level at the NCAA level. If you’re competitive there, then you can be competitive at the international level as well.” Of course, he still thinks about See MCGUFFIE, Page 8B
“You’d be dumb to ignore the fact that you could be in the Olympics.”
Sam McGuffie (left) played one season for Michigan in 2008 but is now on his way to fulfilling his dream of competing in the Olympics.
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Courtesty of USA Bobsled and Skeleton
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Breakdown: ‘M’ owns advantage The Wolverines enter Saturday’s game as heavy favorites
Michigan rush offense Rutgers rush defense
By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Editor
The No. 17 Michigan football team plays Rutgers on Saturday in a game not expected to be close. The Scarlet Knights have a first-year quarterback, the 111th-best defense in the country and a coaching staff riddled with violations and controversy. Oh, and they’ve been outscored, 97-17, in their past two games. The Wolverines, on the other hand, seem to have regained momentum after a wild win at Minnesota, are knocking on the door of the Big Ten’s elite and have a star in the making in redshirt freshman safety Jabrill Peppers. Here’s how things break down for Saturday’s game (spoiler alert: It doesn’t look good for Rutgers): Michigan pass offense Rutgers pass defense
vs.
The biggest factor in this matchup will be who lines up under center for the Wolverines. Fifth-year senior quarterback Jake Rudock, who has started all eight games for Michigan this season, left the game in the third quarter last week with an injury that Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh later referred to as soreness in his ribs and back. Harbaugh said the injury was minor, and offensive coordinator Tim Drevno said Rudock has been practicing all week and should “absolutely” see playing time Saturday. But until Rudock steps on the field, it’s unclear how effective Michigan’s passing game can be. Though the Wolverines’ effectiveness through the air is uncertain, it’s painfully clear how ineffective Rutgers will be at stopping it. The Scarlet Knights are 119th in the nation in passing yards allowed, 114th in passer efficiency allowed and 118th in yards per completion allowed. Michigan won’t likely rely on the passing game to win, but if it needs to, Rutgers won’t stop it. Edge: Michigan
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vs.
Same song, different verse in the run game. The Wolverines, who may be missing junior running backs De’Veon Smith and Ty Isaac, have some uncertainty at who will pick up the carries, yards and touchdowns, but Rutgers is the team to be uncertain against. The Scarlet Knights are holding opponents to 155.9 rushing yards per game, good for 55th in the country, but have allowed 4.7 yards per carry (92nd) and 20 touchdowns (111th). That leaves plenty of opportunities for Michigan to lean on its ground game, which — even without a fully healthy Smith — can build and maintain a lead throughout the game. AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Junior cornerback Jourdan Lewis will be tasked with defending Rutgers wide receiver Leonte Carroo if Carroo plays.
Edge: Michigan Rutgers pass offense Michigan pass defense
vs.
If there’s any way Rutgers can stay in contention for an upset, it’s through the air. The Wolverines, at one point among the top five in the nation in every major pass defense category, have given up 645 yards and countless big plays to Michigan State’s Connor Cook and Minnesota’s Mitch Leidner. What once looked like an unbreakable unit has turned into a loophole for aspiring offenses. In addition, Rutgers has done most of its damage through the passing game. Behind receiver Leonte Carroo, who is eighth in the country with nine touchdowns and 12th with 105.4 yards in just five games, the Scarlet Knights have shown a knack for making explosive plays against even top defenses. Though Rutgers quarterback Chris Laviano has done well (64.5 completion percentage, 1,520 yards, 12 touchdowns) in his first season as the starter, he isn’t Cook or Leidner. While Cook and Leidner are experienced, conservative starters, Laviano falls into the category of the inexperienced wild cards Michigan has faced. In their dominant five-game win streak in September and October, the Wolverines faced 10 quarterbacks — none of whom possessed substantial experience
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as a starter — and allowed 60 of 143 passes to be completed (41.9 percent) and only one touchdown compared to seven interceptions. Laviano is another first-year starter, which should be apparent Saturday. Edge: Michigan Rutgers rush offense Michigan rush defense
vs.
Michigan’s run defense will have the edge over any rushing attack and does so in this matchup. The Wolverines are second in the nation in yards allowed per game (74.6) and per attempt (2.4). In addition, Michigan has yet to allow a 30-yard run, one of just five teams in the nation to do so. It’s a historically formidable front for the Wolverines, while the Scarlet Knights’ rushing attack is not-so-historically average. Sophomores Josh Hicks and Robert Martin have nearidentical numbers eight games into the season, rushing for four touchdowns each on 511 and 501 yards, respectively. The two have taken turns carrying the load, and seem capable of picking up the other’s slack. Regardless, look for both to struggle more than usual at the hands of Michigan’s defensive line. Edge: Michigan
Special teams Michigan is first in the nation in special teams efficiency, has a punter who can boom the ball 80 yards, a kicker who has yet to miss from inside 40 yards and two returners (redshirt freshman Jabrill Peppers and redshirt junior Jehu Chesson) who could take a return back for a touchdown in any given moment. Sorry, Rutgers — there isn’t much margin for error Saturday. Michigan takes special teams more seriously than any school in the country, and it will show Saturday. Edge: Michigan Intangibles The goals for these teams are very different. Michigan, at 6-2 and 3-1 in the Big Ten, is still on the hunt for a Big Ten title berth. Rutgers is simply looking to avoid getting blown out for the third game in a row. When Rutgers upset the Wolverines last season, a lot had to go their way. Michigan was without its starting running back at the time ( junior Derrick Green), it was a home night game for the Scarlet Knights and Michigan was in the midst of one the most tumultuous seasons in program history. Even then, Rutgers could only sneak out with a 26-24 win.
This year, with a thinner Rutgers roster, a tougher and more stable Michigan team and the game being played in the Big House, the two programs are in entirely different leagues despite sharing a division. It will get ugly on Saturday, but that will be a pretty sight to the eyes of Michigan fans. Edge: Michigan Prediction: Rutgers 7
Michigan
45,
BY THE NUMBERS Michigan vs. Rutgers
155.9
Rushing yards Rutgers has allowed per game this season, ranking 55th in the country
74.6
Rushing yards Michigan has allowed per game
645
Passing yards Michigan has allowed in its last two games
0
30-yard runs Michigan has allowed this season
What to Watch For: Peppers, quarterback, the ‘carry fairy’ By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Editor
Last season, the Michigan football team was the victim of Rutgers’ first-ever Big Ten win, when the Scarlet Knights topped the Wolverines, 26-24, in Piscataway. Rutgers fans stormed the field, celebrating a momentous victory in school history. Saturday, the Scarlet Knights will take the field at Michigan Stadium, looking to pull off an even more stunning upset over No. 17 Michigan. Here’s what to watch for when the teams take the field on Saturday.
Michigan likely won’t need to use Peppers as much against Rutgers, but he remains the Wolverines’ best big-play threat in any phase of the game. Peppers has only been on offense the last two weeks, so we have yet to see how Harbaugh wants to use him in games that aren’t close. Unless Rutgers has some tricks up its sleeve, we could well find out this week. If Peppers continues to get touches in a blowout, it might be a good indicator that he has secured a regular spot in the rotation. Conversely, if he sticks to defense and special teams, that could signal he’s a weapon only to be used in case of emergency.
1. Who lines up under center? A week after redshirt freshman Wilton Speight led the Wolverines to a comeback win over Minnesota, there remains a hint of uncertainty over fifth-year senior Jake Rudock’s status. Offensive coordinator Tim Drevno said Wednesday that he expects Rudock to play, but his status will remain at least slightly uncertain until he walks onto the field for the Wolverines’ first drive. Harbaugh likes a little mystery leading up to games because it forces his opponents to work a harder while game planning. Rudock’s injury leaves just enough doubt that Rutgers will have to at least do some cursory preparation for Speight. While Speight’s performance last Saturday was enough to intrigue fans, it remains clear that Rudock is the team’s best option at quarterback. Michigan can survive his absence but is better off with No. 15 in the huddle.
3. Can the secondary return to its pre-Michigan State form?
Not only did Michigan lose its three-game shutout streak against the Spartans, the Wolverines’ secondary seemed to lose its form, too. Two consecutive quarterbacks — Michigan State’s Connor Cook and Minnesota’s Mitch Leidner — have thrown for more than 300 yards against the Wolverines, calling into question a secondary that once appeared to be among the best in the nation. Rutgers quarterback Chris Laviano isn’t on the level of Cook or Leidner, but the Scarlet Knights aren’t afraid to throw the ball, especially to Leonte Carroo, arguably the Big Ten’s best receiver. Carroo is battling an ankle injury and is questionable for Saturday’s game. If Carroo plays, look for junior
cornerback Jourdan Lewis to be matched up with him. Lewis has already broken up 15 passes this season, and three more would tie him with Marlin Jackson (2002) for the school’s single-season record. Breaking up three passes in one game is no easy feat, but if Carroo plays, it’s possible Lewis could get the chance against the Scarlet Knights because of the number of targets he would face. 4. Who will the carry fairy tap? Redshirt junior running back Drake Johnson credited the carry fairy on Tuesday for his heavier workload against the Golden Gophers. Saturday will show if the fairy likes repeat success at the
running back position. So far this year, junior De’Veon Smith has gotten the bulk of the carries. But with his health slightly uncertain, and Johnson’s emergence as a back who can find holes and burst through them, it’s entirely conceivable that Johnson could take hold of the lead job. Multiple backs will see time against the Scarlet Knights, but Johnson can grab hold of the race with a big game Saturday. Plus, this is about the same time of year that Johnson took over the lion’s share of carries last season before tearing his anterior cruciate ligament against Ohio State. If he is going to replicate his production from last November, Rutgers’ lessthan-stellar defense is a great team to start against. If the carry fairy is agreeable, of course.
2. How many snaps does Jabrill Peppers get on offense? Speaking of players lining up at quarterback, redshirt freshman Jabrill Peppers has lined up just about everywhere for the Wolverines this season. Against Minnesota last season, Peppers was on the field for more than 90 plays, including a few at quarterback.
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Redshirt freshman safety Jabrill Peppers saw significant action on offense last week at Minnesota, but his role is still up in the air going forward.
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Behind Enemy Lines: Leonte Carroo By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Editor
If last season’s loss at Rutgers was a nightmare for Michigan, it was a dream come true for the Scarlet Knights. Their firstever Big Ten win led fans to storm the field after the game ended. Now in their second season in the conference, the Scarlet Knights are struggling to match their 2014 output, which was charged in large part by a monster season from senior receiver Leonte Carroo. Carroo has played in just five of Rutgers’ eight games this season due to injuries and a suspension following an assault charge earlier in September. The charge was dismissed by a municipal judge in October. In his five games, Carroo has totaled 527 yards and nine touchdowns for the Scarlet Knights.
BEHIND ENEMY LINES
The Daily spoke with Carroo at Big Ten Media Days in July to talk about last year’s game, adjusting to the Big Ten and rap feuds. The Michigan Daily: In your first season in the Big Ten last year, to beat Michigan at home, that must have been a crazy “Welcome to the Big Ten” moment. Leonte Carroo: It was definitely crazy. It was fun. After Kemoko Turay blocked that field goal, me and (former quarterback Gary Nova) hugged each other and almost cried, and it was just a great feeling to beat one of the most storied programs in college football history at home. It was the best feeling ever. TMD: Did it set in immediately, or did it take a minute? LC: It set in immediately. As soon as I heard that, “dun-dun,” after the field goal was blocked, you know the thump from the ball
hitting his hand, it was just like, ‘Wow, we really beat Michigan.’ We always had the confidence going into the week that we were going to beat them, but after it happened, you’re just kind of like, ‘Wow.’ It was just very exciting, and you couldn’t wait to storm the field. And I took about 100 photos after the game with fans on the field. Just taking pictures and signing autographs and hugging, found my parents and hugged them. It was just great. TMD: Was it hard to transition to the Big Ten? I know there are some stylistic differences. LC: It was a little bit of (a difficult transition). Other than that, we were fine. The Big Ten
“Now we know what the Big Ten Conference is about.”
is a very competitive league, you know. You’ve got to go out there, bring your all, give it your ‘A’ game every single rep. There’s very little margin for error. You’ve got to kind of be disciplined and play hard, and if you don’t, you’re going to end up losing. TMD: What are some of the things you learned from last year that you’ll be better now for learning? LC: That we knew what to expect. Last year we got our feet wet, but now we know what the Big Ten Conference is about. And we want teams to know that we’re not the stepping stone in the Big Ten. We’re going to come out and we’re going to play our hardest, and we’re going to compete and we’re going to punch people in the mouth. So, they better be ready to play Rutgers. TMD: I noticed you’re wearing a rose pin. Is that a nod to your aspirations this season? LC: Yeah, I wear this rose because I want to
“It was the best feeling ever.”
MCGUFFIE From Page 5B football, too. McGuffie still loves the sport he played for 15 years, and he won’t rule out a return. Sometimes, he thinks back to his time at Michigan. He holds great respect for his running backs coach, Fred Jackson, and he says he “loves” former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez, even though McGuffie was not pleased with how his time as a Wolverine ended. McGuffie, all of these years later, says the main reason for his transfer was to be closer to his family in Texas. At the time, Rodriguez placed much of the blame on McGuffie having a concussion problem, something McGuffie says was not a factor. McGuffie still roots for Michigan, saying he loves everything about the school.
go to the Rose Bowl. TMD: What’s the thing about this year’s team that people will be surprised to see? LC: The way we love each other. This team is way closer than any other team we ever had in the past. You’ve got guys that just will die for each other, and this is the tightest team we’ve ever had. It will show on the field. TMD: Which of your teammates has the strangest game day habits? LC: I have to go with probably Darius (Hamilton). I know you guys have been hearing about it all day, but he listens to One Direction and Justin Bieber and stuff like that before games. TMD: Do you judge a guy for his musical taste? LC: No, not at all! If that’s what motivates him and gets him pumped before the game... Darius Hamilton (cutting in): I’m getting so much One Direction love on Twitter right now. TMD: (Laughs) What’s your pregame music, then? LC: I listen to Drake. That’s what motivates me and gets me going.
Things just didn’t work out back then. He didn’t feel like the Wolverines’ spread offense was the right fit, and he was just a young kid tasked with replacing Mike Hart. He faced enormous expectations due in large part to one recruiting video. He didn’t lose that talent when he left. It just took him a while to discover the best way to use it, and with more than two years until the 2018 Winter Olympics, maybe he still hasn’t. But now, in his next career, McGuffie has the chance to fulfill a childhood fantasy. He never thought he would be a bobsledder, never thought he would make the Olympics in this way. But he wants to find out what could happen if he tries. “I don’t want to be the what-if guy. I kind of want to see what I’m capable of,” McGuffie said. “I want to see how far I can go, what I can do.”
“I kind of want to see what I’m capable of.”
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