ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Ann Arbor, Michigan
MARINA ROSS/Daily
LSA senior Mark Lawson attends a viewing party for the State of the Union held by the College Democrats at the Gerald R. Ford School on Tuesday.
In State of the Union, Obama reflects on term POTUS highlights economic successes, looks to nation’s future By LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter
President Barack Obama highlighted the economy, healthcare and national security, focus-
ing not only on 2016 but also the future of the country for years to come, in his final State of the Union address Tuesday night. In an interview after the speech, Communications Prof. Josh Pasek said the president’s focus during the speech was shaped by the fact that it was his last in office. “The president is going to attempt to define his legacy in a way that he thinks will help shape the understanding of what
policies he’s put in place throughout his tenure in office,” Pasek said. “And in his view this will help encourage the future of the presidency to be one that maintains or upholds those policies.” During his speech, Obama first addressed the economy, calling the United State’s economy the strongest in the world. He accredited the country’s success to both job creation and the recovery of the auto industry. “We’re in the middle of the
michigandaily.com
longest streak of private-sector job creation in history,” he said. “More than 14 million new jobs; the strongest two years of job growth since the ’90s; an unemployment rate cut in half. Our auto industry just had its best year ever.” The White House recently announced plans for Obama to visit Detroit for the North American International Auto Show. Obama also visited a Ford Motor manufacturing plant prior to his 2015 State of the Union address last year. In a press release after the speech, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D–Dearborn) emphasized the importance of Obama’s mention of Detroit’s auto industry. “We also must continue to innovate, which is why it was so important that the President highlighted the comeback of the auto industry,” she said. “As we saw at the North American International Auto Show, Michigan is still in the driver’s seat when it comes to producing and designing next-generation vehicles and I cannot wait to see the President there next week,” Speaking to his actions on healthcare reform, Obama said the Affordable Care Act, passed in 2012, centers on ensuring coverage for Americans when they need it most. In particular, he highlighted what he called the act’s main successes: job creation and slowing a rise in health care costs. “It’s about filling the gaps in employer-based care so that when we lose a job, or go back to school, or start that new business, we’ll still have coverage,” he said. “Nearly eighteen million have gained coverage so far. Health care inflation has slowed. And our businesses have created jobs every single month since it
became law.” In an interview after the speech, Public Health Prof. Peter Jacobson said the most significant achievements of the Affordable Care Act were the decrease in the number of uninsured people and health care costs, as well as encouraging healthy behavior to keep people out of the hospital. “The act if not directly, then implicitly, encourages healthcare providers to think outside the walls of the hospital to keep communities healthy, and in the long run that is the most significant aspect,” he said. He added that due to a general public misunderstanding of what the Affordable Care Act has achieved, the president’s last task involving health care should be to educate about that through platforms like the State of the Union. “He and his administration can do a better job of explaining all of the benefits that the act has brought while recognizing its shortcomings,” Jacobson. Along with discussing the Affordable Care Act, Obama also announced a national effort to combat cancer, which was met by applause from both sides of the aisle. “Last year, Vice President Biden said that with a new moonshot, America can cure cancer,” he said. “Tonight, I’m announcing a new national effort to get it done. And because he’s gone to the mat for all of us, on so many issues over the past forty years, I’m putting Joe in charge of Mission Control.” Turning to the issue of national security, Obama noted the success of various international agreements such as the Iran nuclear deal — which aims to prevent the country from acquiring a nuclear weapon — and the Paris See UNION, Page 3A
MEN’S BASKETBALL
By JACOB GASE Daily Sports Editor
Before the Michigan men’s basketball team’s Tuesday night showdown with No. 3 Maryland, the students filling the Maize Rage stood, cheered and waved their thousands of blue LED glow sticks. But it’s hard to believe they were expecting too much from the game itself. After all, the Wolverines were without senior guard Caris LeVert for the third straight game, and they were facing a lineup loaded with stars like preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Melo Trimble, versatile wing Jake Layman and highly touted freshman center Diamond Stone. But two hours later, after a huge night from junior forward Zak Irvin, a first-half 3-point barrage and a second-half reawak-
ening, the same students were waving the glow sticks in the air again after their Wolverines upset the Terrapins in a 70-67 thriller. “It just feels good to get this win today, against a really good team with a lot of weapons,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “Everybody contributed, and I’m really happy for this team and our students. I really want (the students) to have this great experience of going to see a good basketball team, and for a lot of reasons, we haven’t been as good the last two years.” The Wolverines (3-1 Big Ten, 13-4 overall) jumped out to an early lead thanks to eight firsthalf 3-pointers, but the Terrapins — led by Stone and his 22 points and 11 rebounds — used their size advantage to quickly get back into the game, tying it at 54 with 7:33 remaining. Though Michigan’s offense nearly collapsed in the second half with two scoring droughts of over three minutes each, it came back to life at the right time. Junior forward Mark Donnal See BASKETBALL, Page 8A
SOURCE: PEW RESEARCH
SOURCE: GALLUP INFOGRAPHIC: MARIAH GARDZIOLA
ACADEMICS
Michigan pulls off huge upset of No. 3 Terps Irvin scores 22 as Wolverines stun Maryland without Caris LeVert
SOURCE: CNN/ORC
Forum aims to connect diversity, academic initiatives ANDREW COHEN/Daily
Rackham student Mary Jones and LSA junior Julia Kaye exchange notecards as part of an activity to crowdsource ideas regarding the University’s new diversity initiative at a town hall meeting at Angell Hall on Tuesday.
University holds first town hall on diversity, inclusion Students raise concerns about Schlissel’s push for strategic plan By RIYAH BASHA Daily Staff Reporter
Approximately 50 University community members attended the first of three diversity forums slated to be held this semester as a part of University President Mark
Schlissel’s diversity initiative Tuesday night. Hosted by the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, the forum featured a presentation on Schlissel’s strategic plan, followed by a question and answer session during which audience members offered ideas for and critiques of the plan’s structure and focuses. Rather than charging an executive team with dictating a course of action, Jackie Simpson, director of the Trotter Multicultural Center and
a member of the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team, noted during the event that the initiative calls for strategic plans from 49 distinct campus units. Each unit was appointed a planning leader, and should have conducted research on the state of internal diversity last semester according to the plan’s public timeline. This information, in addition to various town halls and focus group data, will be rolled into one University-wide strategic See TOWN HALL, Page 3A
Panel examines importance of urban planning in issues of race By ISOBEL FUTTER Daily Staff Reporter
The Duderstadt Center Gallery, decked with hanging statistics and artwork, housed a conversation Tuesday evening that sought to link urban planning and diversity. Hosted by the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, the event was one of several planned for the Agents of Change exhibition, a series presented by students across colleges housed on North Campus. Tuesday’s event featured a film made by Rackham student Christopher Locke, who is studying architecture, called “Streaming Blackness.” The See PANEL, Page 3A
» INSIDE
the statement A look at the availability of HIV testing in Ann Arbor
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 35 LO: 29
GOT A NEWS TIP? Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
NEW ON MICHIGANDAILY.COM Director for UMTRI appointed MICHIGANDAILY.COM/SECTION/NEWS
INDEX
Vol. CXXV, No. 51 ©2016 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A
SUDOKU.....................2A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A S TAT E M E N T. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 B
News
2A — Wednesday, January 13, 2016
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Campus Voices
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FRIDAY: Photos of the Week
THURSDAY: Twitter Talk
ROCK ON!
OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY
University bans hoverboards Oklahoma State University recently joined dozens of schools in banning hoverboards — selfbalancing motor devices — in OSU housing. The O’Colly reported on a school-wide e-mail Friday detailing the prohibition of hoverboards and the reasons behind this decision. The e-mail cited a December 2015 Consumer Product Safety Commission statement that warned consumers of safety defects to the hoverboard. Many hoverboards have caught fire while in use, causing serious injuries. Leon McClinton, the director of housing and residential life at Oklahoma State University, vowed to be as risk-averse as possible
in regard to student safety. He said OSU could not afford to take chances with these potentially dangerous items. Stanford researchers invent new battery The Stanford Daily reported Monday researchers at Stanford University have invented the first lithium-ion battery immune to overheating.Current models of lithium-ion batteries are often prone to overheating, thus causing fires in items such as cargo planes and hoverboards. Zhenan Bao, Stanford professor of engineering, Stanford engineer Yi Cui and postdoctoral scholar Zheng Chen developed a system with a polyethylene film embed-
ded with nickel particles to combat the safety hazard, according to the Stanford Daily. When the polyethylene film expands due to heat, the nickel particles spread apart and stop the electric current from flowing, avoiding overheating and the subsequent problems associated with it. Many colleges that have banned hoverboards exclusively in residential halls are waiting for more information before banning them campuswide. If implemented, Stanford’s explosion-proof battery may convince consumers and academics nationwide of the hoverboard’s safety, and may reignite the hoverboard revolution on college campuses. —EMILY DAVIES
Editor in Chief 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 sageva@michigandaily.com
WHAT: Free hot chocolate and cookies will be handed out in the Diag to celebrate the start of the new semester. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. WHERE: The Diag
Nourish YourSELF WHAT: The first of four discussions in the Nourish YourSELF lunch series is designed to empower women of color. WHO: Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: West Quadrangle, the Connector
“Documented” Using Women lecture screening WHAT: The CNN documentary “Documented” will kick off the Solidarity in Action campaign. WHO: Latina/o Studies WHEN: 5:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work building
WHAT: Guest Lecturer Nancy Campbell discusses what has changed in gender, drug policy and social justice since writing her book 15 years ago. WHO: Department of Women’s Studies WHEN: Today from 2:10 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. WHERE: Lane Hall
Resume review night WHAT: The Career Center will host extended hours during which undergraduate students can bring their resumes for review. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: The Career Center Office
Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 rfilipp@michigandaily.com
Newsroom
News Tips
734-418-4115 opt. 3
news@michigandaily.com
Corrections
Letters to the Editor
corrections@michigandaily.com
tothedaily@michigandaily.com
Arts Section
Editorial Page
arts@michigandaily.com
opinion@michigandaily.com
Sports Section
Photography Section
sports@michigandaily.com
photo@michigandaily.com
Display Sales
Classified Sales
dailydisplay@gmail.com
classified@michigandaily.com
Online Sales
Finance
onlineads@michigandaily.com
finance@michigandaily.com
EDITORIAL STAFF Laura Schinagle Managing Editor Emma Kerr Managing News Editor
schlaura@michigandaily.com emkerr@michigandaily.com
SENIOR NEWS EDITORS: Allana Akhtar, Alyssa Brandon, Jacqeline Charniga, Katie Penrod, Emma Kinery ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS: Riyah Basha, Marlee Breakstone, Desiree Chew, Anna Haritos, Camy Metwally, Lydia Murray, Caitlin Reedy, Alexa St. John
ANDREW COHEN/Daily LSA junior Erin Dunne campaigns for her student organization, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, at the Winterfest club fair sponsored by the Center for Campus Involvement at the Union on Tuesday.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
De-Stress on the Diag
420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 www.michigandaily.com SHOHAM GEVA ROSE FILIPP
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
Free swing dance lesson WHAT: There will be a free drop in lesson for those new to swing dance, with a social dance starting at 9 p.m. to follow the lesson. WHO: Swing Ann Arbor WHEN: 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League, Vandenberg Room
Black Lives Matter talk
Rising from the Rubble talk
WHAT: Alicia Garza, the co-creator of the movement and hashtag #BlackLivesMatter, will lecture as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium. WHO: University Housing WHEN: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: The Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre
WHAT: The chief curator of the core exhibit at POLIN in Warsaw will talk about her work in creating a museum for the history of the Polish Jews. WHO: Judaic Sudies WHEN: 5:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. WHERE: UMMA • Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@ michigandaily.com
1
On Tuesday a terrorist attack in Istanbul killed at least nine German visitors, and wounded 15 other tourists, CNN reported. Ahmet Davutoglu, the Turkish Prime Minister, blamed ISIS for the attack.
2
This week Daily staff reporter explored the options for HIV testing at the University and in the Ann Arbor community. >> FOR MORE, SEE THE STATEMENT ON 1B
3
The Powerball lottery jackpot is now at $1.5 billion for Wednesday’s drawing, CNBC reported. No winners were announced Saturday and more than $159 million was distributed to 18 million players.
Claire Bryan and Regan Detwiler Editorial Page Editors
opinioneditors@michigandaily.com
SENIOR OPINION EDITORS: Jeremy Kaplan, Ben Keller, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Stephanie Trierweiler
Max Bultman and Jake Lourim Managing Sports Editors
sportseditors@michigandaily.com
Kathleen Davis and Adam Theisen Managing Arts Editors
arts@michigandaily.com
SENIOR SPORTS EDITORS: Minh Doan, Jacob Gase, Kelly Hall, Simon Kaufman, Jason Rubinstein, Zach Shaw, Brad Whipple ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITORS: Betelhem Ashame, Chris Crowder, Sylvanna Gross, Leland Mitchinson, Ted Janes, Kevin Santo,
SENIOR ARTS EDITORS: Caroline Filips, Melina Glusac, Jacob Rich, Ben Rosenstock ARTS BEAT EDITORS: Matthew Barnauskas, Christian Kennedy, Rebecca Lerner, Natalie Zak
Amanda Allen and Grant Hardy Managing Photo Editors
photo@michigandaily.com
SENIOR PHOTO EDITORS: Zoey Holmstrom, Zach Moore, James Coller ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS: Claire Abdo, Robery Dunne, Sam Mousigian, San Pham, David Song
Anjali Alangaden and design@michigandaily.com Mariah Gardziola Managing Design Editors Karl Williams Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com DEPUTY STATEMENT EDITORS: Nabeel Chollampat and Tori Noble STATEMENT PHOTO EDITOR: Zoey Holmstrom STATEMENT LEAD DESIGNER: Shane Achenbach
Emily Campbell and Alexis Nowicki Managing Copy Editors
copydesk@michigandaily.com
SENIOR COPY EDITORS: Taylor Grandinetti and Jose Rosales
Nivedita Karki Online Editor Levin Kim Managing Video Editor
nivkarki@michigandaily.com
SENIOR VIDEO EDITORS: Michael Kessler, Abe Lofy, Emma Winowiecki
Michael Schramm Special Projects Manager Emma Sutherland Social Media Editor
BUSINESS STAFF Hussein Hakim Finance and Operations Manager Claire Ulak Production Manager Jordan Yob Marketing Manager Matt Pfenning UAccounts Manager Asja Kepes Local Accounts Manager Colin Cheesman National Accounts Manager Anna He Special Guides and Online Manager Claire Butz Layout Manager The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
Federal judge rejects injunction to suspend Ann Arbor deer cull Plaintiffs requested temporary injunction due to public safety concerns
By BRIAN KUANG and CAMY METWALLY Daily Staff Reporters
A legal motion aiming to halt the city’s deer cull was shot down by a federal judge after a court hearing Monday afternoon. In September, City Council approved a cull of up to 100 deer in response to concerns about the city’s growing deer population. The move has prompted controversy,several protests and now, legal action. The Detroit Federal District Court ruled against the plaintiffs of Sanzotta et al vs. City of Ann Arbor et al’s motion for a preliminary injunction — a legally binding court order granted before the resolution of a lawsuit — that would have compelled the city
to stop its planned cull until the lawsuit is resolved. To receive such an order, the plaintiffs would have had to prove both that they were likely to win the suit and that irreversible damage would occur if it was not granted. In addition, Justice Arthur Tarnow also declined to issue a temporary restraining order. Legal representatives from the city, Michigan state government and the U.S. Department of Agriculture — the department’s Wildlife Services is conducting the cull — were all present at the hearing to argue against the motion. Representatives from the plaintiffs were also present. The judge gave the plaintiffs another week to submit a revision, to which the defendants would then be allotted 21 days to reply. However, the plaintiffs rejected the offer, and said they intended to withdraw their complaints from federal jurisdiction and refile the case at the state level. All three defendant parties
claimed the plaintiffs met none of the criteria needed to be granted an injunction, and lacked standing to sue both the federal and Michigan governments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Theresa Urbanic, who represented the federal government, said the plaintiffs lacked legal foundation to win the suit in the response she filed with the court. “(The) plaintiffs’ complaint runs nearly one hundred pages, asserts eleven different claims against a host of defendants, and includes a laundry list of constitutional theories,” Urbanic wrote, referring to the lawsuit filed by the plaintiffs. “Mere repetition of constitutional labels … cannot suffice to show a strong likelihood of success on the merits.” In an interview, Barry Powers, the attorney representing the plaintiffs, reiterated the position of his plaintiffs in response: that the cull carries active hazards for public safety and bypasses state laws, and that there had been no environmental assessment of the cull though such an assessment is federally mandated. “Under what principle of law do they justify their activities?,” Powers said. “We’ve assumed that somebody would eventually step up and answer that question. But so far all we’ve been met with are legal technicalities and assurances.” Stephen Postema, Ann Arbor City Attorney, wrote in a response filed with the court that issuing an injunction to halt the cull would harm public interest and that no state laws were being bypassed. “Allowing the cull to proceed does not damage, but actually furthers, the State policy permitting municipalities to exercise their valid police powers to manage and control wildlife nuisances,” Postema wrote. “The City adopted the Deer Management Plan to alleviate these nuisances as a matter of public health, safety, and welfare.” Plaintiff Sabra Sanzotta said in an interview the judge was priSee CULL, Page 3A
GREG GOSS/Daily
CSG President Cooper Charlton, an LSA senior, speaks at a CSG meeting in the Michigan Union on Tuesday.
CSG outlines budget, talks progress for second term Executives urge representatives to accomplish their campaign objectives By ANNA HARITOS Daily Staff Reporter
In their first session of the semester, Central Student Government reflected their performance last semester and made plans for their budget Tuesday night. CSG president Cooper Charlton, an LSA senior, asked the body’s representatives to look inward when gauging the effectiveness of the previous semester. “I said three things at the beginning of the (fall) semester,” Charlton said. “That was confidence, respect and execution.” Cooper said to accomplish their objectives this semester, the assembly must trust and respect itself as a body. He said making goals a reality was something he had hoped to see more of in the fall semester. “Execution looks like reflec-
tion: looking at yourself in the mirror and asking ‘What did I run on, have I done it,’ and actually answering that question honestly,” Charlton said. “We have one more semester to make it happen and I hope we can do it together.” Speaking to accomplishments, Charlton highlighted the launch of u-clubs, a website he co-created with LSA junior Aaron Jones designed to simplify communications between students and the student organizations on campus. “It’s like a Craigslist for student unions,” he said. “What it does is it takes Festifall and Winterfest and puts it online — something I’m very excited about.” Budget plans Business senior Kevin Ziegler, CSG treasurer, announced the budget for the winter semester. He highlighted the Student Organization Funding Commission’s successes in particular in allocating almost all of their funds in the previous semester. “Their total from the semester, their absolute final was 99.85% of their $200,000 budget,” he said. “They came within $300 of their allotted amount.” Speaking to the proposed bud-
get for the semester, Ziegler said he looked at where there had been leftover money and proposed a shift in the distribution slightly, due to mandatory allocations and SOFC’s success. “My personal goal is to extend as much money as possible that the students are paying us as long as they’re here at the University,” he said. “I’m proposing a 5 percent increase to SOFC; this is, one, as a result to their tremendous result in the fall, in addition to a predicted increase in requests from student organization in the winter semester.” CSG brought a resolution to the floor to enact their budget for the winter semester Tuesday, and a resolution to amend the compiled code’s budget allocation to the assembly floor. Guest Speakers Guest speaker Brittney Williams, chair of the Student Engagement Commission, addressed the assembly on the progress of the commission. “We are trying to increase administration and University support for each of these demographics: international, transfer and non-traditional,” she said. See CSG, Page 3A
News
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
NEWS BRIEFS
University rewards encourage healthy behavior in employees According to a University press release, MHealthy announced the start of its annual rewards program, which aims to motivate faculty and staff members to better their health. From weight management and exercise classes to mental and emotional well-being classes, it provides participants with resources to reach this goal. After completing a health questionnaire, employees will receive $50 as well as a health report outlining helpful resources and information to encourage healthy behaviors in recipients. The 2016 program introduced several new initiatives, including Learn to Live Tobacco Free Program and MHealthy personal training.
Detroit auto show introduces drunk driving simulation Ford’s Driving Skills for Life team introduced impaired driving simulations at the North American International Auto Show, reported MLive. Participants attempted to walk in a straight line and shoot basketballs in an arcade-style hoop. The goal was to provide attendees with the opportunity to experience impaired driving without taking the road and putting themselves and others in danger. The drunk driving simulation consisted of suits made from braces strapped on attendees’ knees, elbows and neck, and weights wrapped around their wrists and ankles, according to MLive. Earmuffs and special goggles impaired hearing and vision. When simulating drug use, the goggles flash LED lights and a vibrating glove is added to the suit. Driving Skills for Life visits different high schools and driving courses to discourage students from impaired driving and to train them in defensive driving as well.
Report shows decrease in state revenue A report released by the House Fiscal Agency suggests net revenues in the state of Michigan will be $354.1 million less than projected in May for the 20152016 fiscal year, the Detroit Free Press reported. For the 2016-2017 fiscal year, combined revenues are expected to be down by $226.9 million. The report offered one explanation for this downward trend: $112 million in business tax credits — originally meant to be cashed in during 2015 — will remain in Michigan companies until later this year. Although combined revenues are less than estimated, the general fund and School Aid Fund revenues were higher than expected. The report says the increase in the fund was also caused in part by higher-thanexpected income tax growth. The report, along with two others, will be considered by state officials before the development of Gov. Rick Snyder’s (R) sixth budget.
University offers Anger Management Series The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FASAP) will provide a four-week series dedicated to developing anger-management techniques, according to a University press release. The class aims to help staff and faculty manage stress and cope with anger more effectively as well as to gain a better understanding of anger responses. The series begins Jan. 13 and ends Feb. 3 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. in the Administrative Services Building. —CAMY METWALLY
Monday, January 13, 2016 — 3A
TOWN HALL From Page 1A plan by next fall. “At the end of the day, we will have down about 100 crowdsourcing sessions,” Simpson said. “This is starting bottom up.” Many attendees at the event, however, were skeptical of the multifaceted design. Rackham student Oleta Johnson said when she approached her advisors in the College of Pharmacy, they had no idea they were supposed to be collecting the data. “I see a lot of movement but no actual planning,” she said. “There’s a lot of emphasis on we’re going to talk to the students and then do whatever. I also still don’t know how a lot of the faculty feel about this.” Attendees also discussed a variety of diversity issues on campus, including hiring practices, gender inclusive bathrooms, mandating dialogues on race for incoming freshmen and expanding the Detroit Connector’s services. Social Work student Mary Naoum said she thought the Connector was central to student work toward advancing diversity. The Connector was temporarily discontinued in June 2015, but has since beenrevived and is seeking grant funds for its continuation. “Recently, in an effort with the School of Social Work to expand course opportunities in Detroit, I sent out a survey to my classmates and the feedback I got back about challenges to doing courses despite their interests was a lack of transportation,” she said. “So it’s not just me, it’s not just students who live in Detroit, it’s students University-wide who want to do this work in Detroit, but are limited by transportation.” A portion of the conversation also discussed questions raised in a Michigan in Colorpiece published Tuesday in The Michigan Daily. The piece criticized funding mechanisms for the the diversity initiative, charging that there are currently no funds allocated specifically to it. In response to the piece and other related concerns raised at the event, Rob Sellers, vice provost for equity, inclusion and academic affairs, cited University resources that he said have already been allotted to diversity programs. He noted in particular the Trotter Multicultural Center’s relocation and the Wolverine and HAIL scholarship programs. He said ultimately, a definitive budget for diversity-related initiatives could not and should not be determined yet. “We don’t want to assign a dollar amount until the (diversity) plan is in place,” he said. “We want the plan to drive the dollar amount, and to have a number doesn’t make sense for us without knowing what the actual plan is.” Additional town halls are scheduled for this Wednesday and in coming weeks. The DEIT also announced during Tuesday’s event that they plan to organize more opportunities for students and faculty members to contribute to the plan.
UNION From Page 1A climate talks, which are the most substantial climate agreement since the 1992 Kyoto Protocol. Obama also said foreign policy must focus on stopping the spread of global terrorist groups, while not wasting American resources. “Priority number one is protecting the American people and going after terrorist networks,” he said. “We also can’t try to take over and rebuild every country that falls into crisis. That’s not leadership; that’s a recipe for quagmire, spilling American blood and treasure that ultimately weakens us. It’s the lesson of Vietnam, of Iraq — and we should have learned it by now.” Domestically, the president announced a plan to travel across the country to raise support for policies that will increase cooperation within Congress.
GREG GOSS/Daily
Law Prof. Amanda Alexander speaks about the importance of urban planning during the Agents of Change exhibition at the Duderstadt Gallery on Tuesday.
CSG From Page 2A
PANEL From Page 1A
Williams illustrated the accomplishments made last semester, which included getting an international student advisor on staff at the Newnan Center, and conducting research on international students’ transition into student housing as well as their feelings about social inclusion. She also discussed her commission’s goal for the semester to expand resources to nontraditional students. “We’d like to hire a nontraditionals advisor to Newnan, similar to what the transfers have done,” she said. “Or at least designate a current advisor to nontraditional student needs, establish a transfer student scholarship, at least in LSA, we are also planning an international student job fair that’s to take place in fall of 2016.” Plans moving forward CSG representatives also outlined the progress of initiatives from last semester and discussed election dates for the upcoming semester. Public Policy junior Thomas Hislop, a CSG representative, spoke about plans to launch the Prescription Drug Misuse Campaign, a project proposed last semester to draw student awareness to the dangers of drug use on campus. The launch is expected to occur between March 6 and 12. “The idea so far is to have a video with student advocates, and students for recovery have been great with working with us, pledge boards, we’re going to have expert panelists, we are also going to have a media campaign,” Hislop said.
film depicted a series of images that represented Locke’s stance on culture and racebased attacks among citizens. During the event, Locke said he made the film to show Black culture from different perspectives, specifically by connecting Black culture with trade relationships in China. “This project takes a stance on the culture at large, but specifically Black culture,” Locke said. “It shows relationships in China on a global scale, such as trading oil, trading weapons and what that means for people.” The event also featured a panel discussion with three University faculty members: Education Prof. Robert Sellers, vice provost for equity, inclusion and academic affairs, Law Prof. Amanda Alexander and Architecture Lecturer Craig Wilkins. “I thought the panel was very engaging and I learned a lot,” Ngongi said. “I really didn’t know about the community and the planning process for diversity.” Sellers told the crowd that diversity was important in all fields, noting thinking about different perspectives can bring new ideas to the table. “Sometimes, we assume the point of view that we are looking at is somehow truth or objective or the only way to look at it,” he said. “When one thinks about building perspectives, we need to reinforce the notion to have as many different points of view in play to help us develop the very best ideas.” He also pointed to different majors as a source of different
“But, my fellow Americans, this cannot be my task — or any President’s — a lone,” he said. “There are a whole lot of folks in this chamber who would like to see more cooperation, a more elevated debate in Washington, but feel trapped by the demands of getting elected,” he said. “And over the course of this year, I intend to travel the country to push for reforms that do.” Obama ended the address with a call to end partisan and other identity-based divisions within the country in order to uphold the American brand of democracy, but said he was hopeful about the future. “That’s the country we love,” he said. “Clear-eyed. Big-hearted. Optimistic that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. That’s what makes me so hopeful about our future. Because of you. I believe in you. That’s why I stand here confident that the State of our Union is strong.” Looking at the upcoming
legislative year, Pasek said he doesn’t think there is much Obama can do until after the election in November. “He’s already doing a lot via executive orders and things of that sort,” he said. “But I don’t see much movement in Congress to pass things that are Obamalike, at least before the election. After the election it’s possible that outgoing members of Congress and Obama will be able to get some stuff done during the lame duck session.” In reaction to the address, School of Information senior Madeline Jursek, chair of the University’s chapter of College Republicans, said while she disagreed with the president’s foreign policy stances, there were several domestic policies that resonated with her. “While I don’t agree with everything that Obama said tonight, as a millennial Republican, there were some policies that I agreed with, “ she said. “The idea of dedicating more
perspectives that can affect opinions and approaches to issues of diversity. “If you don’t take into consideration the different and unique experiences of individuals, then you run the risk of designing a really nice beautiful building that can do much more harm than good in terms of its usage,” Sellers said. Sellers additionally cited the diversity strategic planning process currently underway on campus, in which University President Mark Schlissel called upon the University’s colleges to create plans to address diversity within their respective units. He said this planning process gives the opportunity for each school to improve inclusion. “The nature of this University is such that, in any particular unit, some of the units will actually have the types of relationships in place, and there are others who haven’t,” Sellers said. “The planning process provides the opportunity to make those constituents develop those relationships and have input on how this University should work with diversity.” Alexander, who works with the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, touched on how the University is related to Detroit. “We’re 45 minutes from the Blackest city in the US,” Alexander said. “The question is how do we create access for Detroiters— make them not just feel included but welcomed, valued and cherished.” She said many faculty members don’t bring up diversity in their classrooms over concern of being criticized for not addressing the topic with nuance. “A lot of our colleagues are
resources to cancer research definitely resonated with me. One of the major policies that I did not agree with the president on is foreign policy and national security. I personally feel that we need to take a stronger stance against ISIS in order to protect our nation from future terrorist attacks.” Public Policy senior Max Lerner, chair of the University’s chapter of College Democrats, said he appreciated the president’s emphasis on civic engagement. “As young people, when we see legislators or governors or presidents doing things that we disagree with, a lot of it is because we don’t civically engage the way we should, we don’t vote at high enough rates, we don’t make our voices heard loud enough, and I think that’s part of what the president was calling for tonight,” Lerner said. “And what’s going to be so important heading into the 2016 presidential election.”
afraid,” Alexander said. “They are afraid to address questions of race or diversity in the classroom for fear that they will end up on a blog somewhere.” Wilkins, a professional architect and urban designer who is the director of the Detroit Community Design Center, said architects should learn to collaborate and relate diversity with their designs because many individuals are not concerned with aesthetics. “You have to talk to different audiences and get specific in ways in which those tangible things mean something to you,” Wilkins said. In an interview after the event, Rackham student Elinge Ngongi said the panel provided her with a unique view on her own Puerto Rican and Black heritage. Urban Planning Prof. June Manning Thomas, who moderated the event, said the aim was to create a space to address diversity and inclusion. “What we wanted to do is enter into a consultation about what the issues are of particular interest to Taubman College faculty and students and the whole idea of diversity, equity, inclusion, as well as the legacy of Taubman,” Thomas said. Rackham student Scott Fox, who is studying urban planning and helped organize the event, said he thought the conversation was both helpful and thought-provoking. “It was a good experience to have faculty from various perspectives talk about the specific planning process and breaking down how we can make these conversations happen,” Fox said.
CULL From Page 2A marily concerned with determining whether the case fell under federal jurisdiction. She said his questioning and investigations served to evaluate this issue. Sanzotta said Powers cited several legal reasons to support the motion being subject to federal jurisdiction in court, namely the USDA’s role in the deer cull as a federal agency. She added that she was concerned civil rights were being violated by the cull due to the court’s method of dismissing the case, and that public safety concerns remained. “I’m sick about it in the very center of my being because I think it’s a horrible bloodbath that is unnecessary,” Sanzotta said. “I’m afraid for my own family; we use the parks all the time.”
4A — Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ANNIE TURPIN
E-mail Annie at asturpin@umich.edu
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com SHOHAM GEVA EDITOR IN CHIEF
CLAIRE BRYAN AND REGAN DETWILER EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
LAURA SCHINAGLE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
Replacing newspapers
“H
as anyone ever seen one of these before?” My class laughs a bit as my professor holds it up. It’s a beautiful work of art, filled with stories, pictures, people and places. There’s both triumph and failure, coupled with laughter and sadness, along with hope and horrors, all put together to make the folded broadsheet the DAVID masterpiece it is. “This is a newspaper. HARRIS You read stuff in it.” He knows he’s being facetious. Yes, everyone in this class of computer science majors has seen a newspaper before. Even in a class of technophiles, the role of the newspaper might change, but its history does not. “How many of you still read a newspaper?” Not a single other hand goes up. It’s not particularly surprising, as daily newspaper readership fell to 17 percent in the 18 to 24 age demographic in 2014, and certainly a class called Mobile Application Development and Entrepreneurship is full of students more likely to read from a screen than from print. But the conclusions are stark: Not one of my classmates will pick up a printed copy of this edition of The Michigan Daily to read my column or anything else in it. Nor will they pick up anything else off newsstands. He then read the article he intended to share, regarding General Motors investing $500 million in Lyft, noting its placement on the front page as a sign of its importance. Terms such as “above the fold” and “below the fold” were familiar to someone like me with experience in newspaper jargon, yet the science of guiding the eyes of the reader along the page has seemingly faded away like the ink of old papers. The role of print media, while not disappearing yet, is becoming drastically different, driven by the behaviors of our generation. When our professor asked where we get our news, web-driven content was the predominant answer; social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, as well as the content aggregation site Reddit have become delivery platforms for news sources. The online edition
of The New York Times was mentioned, as was CNN and web-only content providers like The Huffington Post. It’s not that millennials don’t consume news: 69 percent of them still read the daily news. But the medium has changed: The sources aren’t print, and the information comes from a breadth of sources far greater than a local paper. It’s a strange scenario even for someone like me, whose job as a columnist at The Michigan Daily has also become replaceable. Anyone can set up a blog, post their own writing and become their own self-employed columnist as a hobby, or with some luck and talent, watch it blossom into a full-time job. Even those unwilling to set up their own blogs can submit any content they wish to syndicated blog sites and become published writers. It is clear that journalism is no longer monopolized by the print industry. The newspaper has always been tangibly impressive, with tremendous physical value even with the advent of web-based news. Framed in my house, along with other Michigan memorabilia, are the front pages of the Detroit Free Press from the 1989 Michigan basketball national championship and the 1997 football championship. Not only is there historical importance in these events — there is also personal importance in newspapers. My grandfather has framed the newspaper announcing the wedding of his parents, and the clippings of mentions of my siblings and me in the local paper were always saved by my parents. Newspapers are icons of the stories that make up our world. Even though the future of print paper is in jeopardy, there’s no reason to believe that the societal mission newspapers carry is in the same peril. Just as music made the transition from physical to digital, so will the news. There’s some sadness in the change; the prospect of the annual trip in which graduating seniors visit the printer to see issues of The Michigan Daily rolling off the presses could be replaced with a trip to the server room to see a bunch of computers hosting the content is a strange scenario. But whether in hard drives and web databases or printed in ink, the artistry of the words remains. Journalists type and write, because the stories around us need to be told. David Harris can be reached
JASON COLELLA, LSA STUDENT GOVERNMENT | OP-ED
10 years of problem solving
We all have things we think suck on campus. Many students simply rant to their friends or internalize their concerns. Most don’t realize there is an avenue to voice their complaints and bring about real results to their issues. A request for more bike parking at Palmer Commons, a request to expand the availability of covered bike parking on campus and a request for installing more bike repair stations: Other than the obvious fact that these are all about bikes, what do they have in common? Each was a concern students expressed in multiple e-mails sent to LSA Student Government’s “this sucks” e-mail service last semester. Thissucks@umich.edu is an e-mail address created for the student body to directly communicate changes they’d like to see on campus. As a frequent biker on campus, when I saw an e-mail about the limited number of bike parking spaces in front of Palmer Commons, I decided to take on the project. I reached out to some connections in Facilities, and less than two weeks after the Student Life Committee meeting where I took up the project, I was meeting with Steve Dolen, the University’s director of parking and transportation, to discuss the issue. During our meeting, it quickly became apparent that a huge underlying obstacle for bicycle parking was the number of abandoned bikes on campus. According to Dolen, approximately 25 percent of all bikes parked on campus are abandoned bikes. The cost of adding that many more parking spots would be hundreds of thousands of dollars. I left that meeting with a project, albeit slightly different than the one we started with, but nonetheless an important one: to reduce the number of abandoned bikes. I am still working on how we can do it, but the thought and effort is being made.
Students often do not have the time or the resources to push for the changes they would like to see on campus. LSA Student Government exists to be the voice of the LSA student body. It is our responsibility to engage with students to find out what issues and projects they think would be most impactful for us to work on. This past Sunday marked the 10th anniversary of this e-mail system service for the student body. We really have made a difference on campus with your help over the years from these e-mails — buses have increased their route frequency, bathrooms have been redone and minors in religion and entrepreneurship have been implemented, just to name a few. On another occasion, two of our elected representatives were inspired by a “this sucks” e-mail titled “The Ugly Truth About the UGLI,” which pointed out a need for a feminine hygiene product dispenser in the Shapiro Undergraduate Library. Within a few weeks, a meeting had been secured, money had been found and the idea was implemented. These same representatives are now working with University Health Service to provide feminine hygiene products for free, as is done with condoms. When it comes to thissucks@umich. edu, no issue is too large or too small for us to address, and we promise to answer every e-mail. We will do everything in our power to address your concerns and work to build a better University for everyone. If you’d like to help LSA-SG celebrate 10 years of problem solving, send us your issues and concerns at thissucks@umich.edu. Your problems are our projects, and that’s how we like it. Jason Colella is president of LSA Student Government.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Caitlin Heenan, Jeremy Kaplan, Ben Keller, Minsoo Kim, Payton Luokkala, Aarica Marsh, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Lauren Schandevel, Melissa Scholke, Rebecca Tarnopol, Ashley Tjhung, Stephanie Trierweiler, Mary Kate Winn, Derek Wolfe
Why Protest When You Can Netflix?
H
ow can we do the serious work of educating ourselves politically when there’s such great stuff to ZAK watch on Netflix WITUS and Hulu? Today the news media often has to compete with the likes of HBO GO and YouTube for our attention, because if it fails to capture us within the first 15 seconds, then we switch tabs on our web browsers and watch or read something better, something that’s more entertaining. No wonder the mainstream news media covers presidential campaigns as if they’re unfolding political dramas. No wonder they try to provoke the candidates to “attack,” “slam,” “go after” and (ahem) “schlong” one another, as if presidential debates were WWE wrestling matches,or episodes of the “Real World.” Or, as Trump would have it, misogynist pornos. No wonder the mainsteam media habitually presents the candidates less as leaders advocating policies and more as heroes on their own personal, lifelong journeys. And how else can the news media compete with the entertainment media other than for the former to play the latter’s game (entertainment)? Today the news media isn’t just trying to inform us — I suspect that’s not even their chief goal — they are trying to entertain us. And that’s a big problem for democracy. Perhaps this isn’t news to many of you, especially the Communication Studies majors, but it’s a point worth revisiting during each election season. Today, many of us want to be politically active without the activity, the same way many of us want coffee without the caffeine, cream without the fat, beer without the alcohol, warfare without the warfare (e.g., drones) and, in short, as philosopher Zizek puts it, “ … a whole series of products deprived of their malignant property.” How does the market respond to our demand for political activism without the activity, without the work? The mainstream media supplies us with political entertainment, including everything from comedy news shows like “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah” and “Last Week Tonight” to political dramas like “The West Wing” and “House of Cards,” to Bill O’Reilly, to the Republican presidential debates, to an article about Trump’s alcoholic brother in the Times, etc. (Have you
“
noticed how the sets for the Democratic and Republican debates look highly similar to the “American Idol” sets? Is that an accident?) These commodities allow us to feel like we’re participating in politics and doing the work of educating ourselves politically without actually seriously participating or working. With this entertainment, we experience politics without actually doing politics. Political entertainment requires little to no work on our part (the audience’s part) because, like most entertainment, it allows, and in fact requires, the audience to be mostly passive. The video or TV show does the intellectual work for us, much like canned laughter on old sitcoms laughs on our behalf, fooling us into finding jokes funny that really aren’t. That is, when we’re in the passive, receptive state of being entertained, we’re willing to accept certain information as news, as fact, as self-evident and so on, that we might not accept when we are in the active mental state of reading, analyzing, interpreting, etc. These entertainments co-opt our desire to laugh or politically engage. Often, the jokes aren’t that funny and the news isn’t that newsworthy. And this, too, poses problems for democracy. Maybe you’re thinking, “Who cares if the news is entertaining? I like to be entertained. Stop trying to yuck my yum!” The danger in this news entertainment business is multilayered. When we trade doing political activity for being political entertained, we sacrifice some of our agency as critical thinkers and engaged citizens. When we decline to do the work of educating ourselves politically, and instead quell, pacify, placate or mollify our enduring drive for political involvement by having someone else do the work for us (via entertainment), we risk being misled. We are probably less apt to notice when and how we’re being misled with the information we’ve received because we’ve received the information in the passive state of being entertained instead of the active state of, say, reading and studying. I’m of course mostly generalizing and speculating here. For example, I personally have learned important stuff from watching episodes of “Vice” and videos on YouTube, but I would say that shows like “Vice” are the exception rather than the rule, and they aren’t always that exceptional. I’m not saying the mainstream
media is entertainment all the time. TV media generally entertains more than, say, The New York Times, but the mainstream media participates in this news business sometimes; and when the Times does, it’s often more insidious because it is entertaining behind the highbrow mask of sophistication. Look, I’m not suggesting we all do journalism or scholarship. I’m not even really trying to convince you of anything. (Maybe you think I’m being facetious, but I’m not.) I believe my observations are true and analyses plausible, and if they are true (and plausible), then I suspect they’ll ring true (and plausible) for you, too. Or, if the stuff I’m seeing and saying appears strange or unfamiliar, and hence rings neither true nor false, look at yourself. (I’m not everybody.) Citizenship in democracy requires work — a truism, to be sure, but a useful one to remember — especially in a culture that so often promotes political apathy and cynicism over activism and participation. When many of us decline this important work of citizenship, we neglect a part of ourselves (a part of our souls?) that wants political activity — that wants to participate in the polis. When we allow this part of the soul to do the political work that it wants to do, and stop placating it with unwholesome entertainment substitutes, the work ultimately crowns us with eudaimonia. I look around campus and I see most of us working pretty hard in school, so how can I fault us for preferring to kick back and watch TV in our free time instead of doing the work of educating ourselves politically? I should mention that I definitely don’t abstain from the political entertainment that I’ve been criticizing (nor do I advocate total abstinence). Besides the human who shares a bedroom with me, I am my own primary object/ subject of study. And yet, if we ignore how the maintream media tries to appeal to us as passive consumers of entertainment — that is, if we ignore how the mainstream media tries to entertain us in addition to informing us — we risk becoming passive citizens of a passive democracy, and a passive democracy is no democracy at all (which is not to say democracy is a system I’m ready to advocate for either — I’m just assuming you all are fans). —Zak Witus can be reached at zakwitus@umich.edu.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
We don’t need to build them up to show that we’re serious, nor do we need to push away vital allies in this fight by echoing the lie that ISIL is representative of one of the world’s largest religions. We just need to call them what they are — killers and fanatics who have to be rooted out, hunted down and destroyed. — President Barack Obama, during his final State of the Union address Tuesday night.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM COLUMN
A history lesson from ‘The Big Short’ I
f I ask you to tell me about Adam McKay’s 2010 film “The Other Guys,” you’ll probably tell me it’s a buddycop film starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg. You might recount the cameos JAMIE from BIRCOLL Samuel L. Jackson and The Rock as hypermasculine cops who absent mindedly jump off a building to their deaths in a less than heroic attempt to catch a perp. Perhaps you’ll remember Michael Keaton’s pretty hilarious turn as a police chief by day, Bed, Bad & Beyond floor manager by night. But you probably don’t remember much about the villain. It’s not the English mercenaries with guns and bad attitudes — they’re the antagonists. Steve Coogan plays the villain: a banker. It’s his bumbling attempt at covering investment losses that draws the antagonists in. So it’s really not too surprising that the guy who brought us such comedy gold as “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights” also brought us the most biting and, in my opinion, one of the more important films to come out in the last few years with “The Big Short.” It’s a movie that walks a very fine line between entertainment and education and succeeds on both fronts. The goal, I think, is to laugh for two hours, and, in the last five minutes, to get angry, fuming even. But with whom are we supposed to be angry? The Banks, of course! Those crooks on Wall Street! No, it’s not that simple. Let’s examine the other big bank movie that most people (myself included) thought “The Big Short” would ultimately be: “The Wolf of Wall Street.” These are actually two very different movies; Where “The Big Short” focuses on hedge fund managers, “The Wolf of Wall Street” follows the investment bankers themselves. For three hours, we are seduced by this Wall Street life of excess and luxury and opulence. Even if you despise the movie, you can’t help but marvel a little bit at how much fun all these people had. All the drugs, the sex — even Jonah Hill looking his absolute worst can get some — and nothing ever goes wrong. Ever. The point, of course, in flashing all this excess is to show just how irresponsible and ego-driven these people are, right? Wrong. The key is in the very last shot. Go watch it — I’ll wait.
That last shot is 24 seconds long, and it captures an audience. But it’s not just any audience — it’s you, you who desires wealth and power and influence just as much as the next guy, you who wants success with the minimal amount of effort. Look at these faces — they’re enthralled, they’re eating up Jordan Belfort’s cokedusted, slimy words. This man robbed them, he robbed you, but you’re fascinated, mesmerized and you yearn for a piece of his success. “The Wolf of Wall Street” exists to remind you that guys like Jordan Belfort continue to thrive and that it’s up to you to be seduced by them or rise against them. But I think the movie itself seduced a lot of people, and its message got lost in a Quaalude-induced haze. Which is why it’s appropriate “The Big Short” was released only two years after “Wolf.” It’s a second attempt at a similar message, only this time it’s far more blunt about it. Rather than have a character break the fourth wall and directly tell the audience how much of a scumbag he/she is, as Leonardo DiCaprio did as Belfort in “Wolf,” McKay very smartly has celebrities playing themselves address the audience. “You didn’t listen the first time, “ McKay might have said. “So here’s Margot Robbie in a bathtub to explain it to you.” Well it got my attention, and the attention of every other individual in a packed theater on a Saturday night, regardless of gender or age. McKay does the heavy lifting for us, witling down a very complicated issue (and certainly more complicated than the film suggests) into the bare bones so that we the plebeians can understand just how badly we got screwed over. So by the end of the movie, we are supposed to have laughed at the absurdity of it all, and then we’re supposed to get angry. “How could they do this? How inhumane!” we mumble to ourselves or exclaim to our friends and family as we exit the theater. But that’s still not the whole story. Because you’re forgetting that we’ve been spoon-fed information to make sure that we get it this time. And you’re also forgetting that we have seen clips of us plebeians living our lives, being completely ignorant of our own stupidity. Take, for example, the father of two who doesn’t check to make sure his landlord is making regular payments to the bank, or the stripper who takes out mortgages with zero money down on five homes and an apartment. The banks may have screwed them, but they let themselves get screwed.
I saw “The Big Short” with my family over winter break, and as we left the theater, I heard exclamations of anger. Many in the audience didn’t even get out of their seats, as though petrified by their rage. And as I sat with my family at dinner that night, as we discussed the movie, I said to them, “The biggest joke of that movie is, two days from now, none of these people will care or remember their anger or why they were angry in the first place.” And I’m fairly certain I’m right, because people should be outraged, and they should be even more outraged that not only has nothing changed in the eight years since the collapse, but that the banks are bigger. And we simply cannot forget that anger and betrayal, because there’s a primary election fast approaching and there’s a particular, very popular candidate who is very pro-Big Bank and blames the 2008 collapse on “shadow banks,” like AIG, as opposed to the actual banks that caused the actual problems (hint: four of her career top five donors are Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan Chase and Morgan Stanley). I never expected the public to have a “Network”-style “I’m mad as hell, and I’m not going to take it anymore!” moment after seeing “The Big Short,” but I did expect a little more than awards speculation. Where’s the outrage? I can’t even find a wayward Tumblr warrior ranting about it. My point is this: “The Big Short” is more than entertainment — it’s a history lesson that doubles as a slap in the face to remind us just how badly we as a nation, not just Wall Street, screwed up. There are more educational, better researched and more academic media that better explain the heart of the 2008 collapse (the documentary “Inside Job” is a great place to start — Matt Damon narrates, if that helps. As is the book “The Big Short.”), but “The Big Short” is an accessible entry point that gets the job done. To deny that we have a part to play, to feign ignorance, is painfully foolish. Go see “The Big Short.” Laugh, have a good time. And then let the pain sink in. And then get angry. Because if you don’t soon, when the next recession hits in the next 10, or 15, or 20 years, if not sooner, it’ll be too late. And I really don’t think we need another film about the collapse of the American economy. Bircoll is probably watching the History Channel. To give him a suggestion that isn’t “Ancient Aliens,” email jbircoll@umich.edu.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 — 5A
TV REVIEW
FOX
It’s Jenny from the block!!!
‘American Idol’ gives fans a final farewell By HAILEY MIDDLEBROOK Daily Arts Writer
I was late to the “American Idol” train. I didn’t see Kelly Clarkson win the singing competition during its first season Bon FOX, nor did I watch Car- American rie Underwood rise in season Idol four while still Season Fifteen using a hair Wednesdays crimper. at 8:00 p.m. I tuned in with the rest FOX of America in 2008. It was the seventh season of “Idol,” with the holy trinity of judges still present (Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul; a.k.a. bad cop, lukewarm cop and overly good cop). I was transfixed. My eighth grade friend group watched religiously each week, our fingers poised over cordless phones to six-way call each other when something huge happened (OMG, he’s singing an acoustic version of Michael Jackson!!!) and to dial in votes for our favorites at the end of the show, punching their digits with surgical precision. It was all very dramatic. Debates over which David was better — David Cook or David Archuleta, the two finalists in season seven — got heated at the lunch table, on the “Today Show” and in every tabloid magazine. At the season finale, “Idol” received over 97 million votes from viewers, the highest recorded number in the show’s history. Cook won over Archuleta by a margin of just 12 million votes. We cheered, we cried. And then? “American Idol” fell hard. The trinity broke up: Paula was first to go, leaving the judging panel after season eight. Simon, the group’s loved and hated leader (let’s be honest, his merciless commentary was
really why we all watched the show), left in 2010. Randy, arguably the most useless judge (his go-to advice: “Dawg, you’ve got to sell it”) held on until season 13, long after the show ratings had plummeted. New judges filled in — Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler, Kara DioGardi, even Ellen Degeneres took a turn — but like a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts, no one stayed for long. Despite host Ryan Seacrest’s apparent immortality, the show died. In May 2015, FOX announced that “American Idol” would run for a final season 15, dubbed the “Farewell Season.” Jennifer Lopez, Harry Connick, Jr. and Keith Urban would make up the season’s judging panel, with past “Idol” winners helping weed out the good and the bad at auditions. Following tradition, the January premiere was spread out over two nights, but the audition process this year seems to be in overdrive: “Idol” showcased not one, but four cities, including Atlanta, Denver, San Francisco and Little Rock. Where Atlanta auditions alone used to fill two episodes, the cities are now distilled into 45-minute segments of Golden Ticket winners (contestants who are approved to advance to Hollywood). The auditions were all the same: solid performances, but a startling lack of funny/absurd/terrible tryouts. No hilarious “Pants On the Ground” guy (Larry Platt, season nine) or even an irritating “Bikini Girl” (Katrina Darrell, who auditioned in her bikini in season eight). Maybe “Idol” is trying to get artistic respect in its last days by cutting epic fails? Here’s who they found: good singers with gripping backstories. Lee Jean, a 15-year-old whose brother died in 2012, stole the show in Atlanta with
Ed Sheeran’s “I See Fire,” prompting J-Lo to squeal, “I just want to squeeze you!” Jordan and Alex Sasser, an overly cheerful married couple, auditioned in Denver together with a baby in tow, though only Jordan walked away with a ticket (leaving a very uncheerful Alex). In Little Rock, Dalton Rapattoni, wild-eyed and dressed like he was plucked from a Green Day music video, wowed with an indie-rock version of “The Phantom of the Opera.” But the biggest surprise came in San Francisco, when some guy named Kanye West hit the stage, his girlfriend Kim Kardashian waiting expectantly outside. No, seriously. Kanye delivered an a capella version of “Gold Digger” and (shocker) got a Golden Ticket from the judges, making him probably the only person to announce his plans to run for presidency and audition for “Idol” in the same year. Has “American Idol” changed? Yes and no. Looking past the sob stories and J-Lo’s boy crush favoritism, there’s still some undeniable singing talent among contestants. The show hasn’t failed because people can’t sing anymore — “Idol” is just not catchy enough. There’s no meanness or sexual tension (looking at you, Paula and Simon) on the judging panel; no more atrocious auditions that become viral hits overnight. Cameras don’t follow angry rejected contestants down the hall. Ryan Seacrest doesn’t even flirt anymore. The bottom line is, “American Idol” is boring. It isn’t an epic fail in quality, but the show’s utter blandness and predictability make it impossible to watch. Still, I’ll give my old favorite the benefit of the doubt in its early stages — maybe one more star will come from it yet.
Arts
6A — Wednesday, January 13, 2016
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
Troxler posters presented by ‘U’ Famed Swiss graphic designer to have exhibition at Slusser Gallery By NATALIE ZAK Daily Community Culture Editor
Hung up in my room is a wrinkled, slightly torn poster, proclaiming in Greek the tour dates of a band I’ve never heard of or Niklaus bothered to Troxler: listen to. It exists simply 40 Years because of Jazz I entered Posters Athens with the intent of January 15finding myself February 20 a souvenir that actually held Slusser Gallery value, instead and Work Ann of buying one Arbor Gallery that would fade into oblivion. Free admission This particular poster was valueless, but it met the grandiose qualifications I had set for my steal: brightly colored with cool shapes.
For Troxler, inspiration is contained in jazz music. What I failed to realize at the time of my adolescent thievery was that these qualifications I had been searching the walls of the city for are the foundation for graphic design. An art typically associated with the new technological era, graphic
design as an art form has been on the rise for generations often appearing in the form of posters, album art and typography. It was this art that Swiss graphic designer Niklaus Troxler found so enchanting as a young boy. An exhibit curated by Stamps Art & Design prof. Franc Nunoo-Quarcoo opens this week bringing together 40 years worth of Troxler’s jazz posters, that have gained world renown for the standard they set for graphic design. Born in 1947, Troxler was attracted to the posters that surrounded him in his hometown and it became obvious to him that this was what he wanted to help create. After studying at the Lucerne School of Art and Design, Troxler made his way to Paris where he began making a name for himself in the design world. “It was clear, that I wanted to be a graphic designer … in those days, Swiss designers and especially typographers were very welcome in Paris,” Troxler said in an interview with the Daily. “I worked in a team with three female designers and we did projects for editors, architects and also interior designs.” Every art needs inspiration, however, and for Troxler that inspiration is contained in jazz music. At the age of 19 he organized his first jazz concert, and 10 years later organized the first Willisau Jazz Festival in 1975. Passionate about Free Jazz, an experimental jazz movement that introduced the musical stylings of Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane to the world, Troxler recruited countless musicians including Archie Shepp, Albert Mangelsdorff, John Surman and Frank Wright to perform at the premiere festival. It is here that Troxler’s work flourished. Integrating the sonic beauty of jazz music into his art, Troxler created
posters for these festivals every year, posters that have brought his skill and talent to the forefront of the graphic design revolution. “Everything that attracts me in jazz, I can adapt in my design: improvisation, composition, sound, personal expression, interaction, order and chaos,” he said. The sonic intricacies of jazz can almost be heard in Troxler’s designs. His posters contain more than bright colors and cool shapes; they encompass passion, joy, urgency and power. It is because of this that his pieces have won esteemed awards and been collected by museums around the world, including New York City’s Museum of Modern Art.
He hasn’t shied away from addressing controversy. Troxler hasn’t shied away from addressing controversial matters in his art either. The red Swiss flag dominates a recent piece of his that addresses the population of Switzerland directly, as it proclaims that the country must leave its borders open for refugees. Countless posters exist around cities that easily blend into the background. They make up a large part of urban scenery, coming close to being the nature that metropolitan centers often lack. But as Troxler has and continues to prove, graphic design is the source of admirable works of art and calls to action that far surpass anything bright colors and cool shapes can inspire.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM REVIEW
COLUMBIA PICTURES
In West Philidelphia, born and raised.
‘Concussion’ too reliant on symbolism By ANA LUCENA Daily Arts Writer
This biographical sports film brings to the public’s attention the true story of the controversial research done by C+ forensic pathologist Concussion and medical Columbia examiner Dr. Ben- Pictures net Omalu (Will Smith, Rave & Quality 16 “Focus”). The research concludes football players can suffer long-term mental health issues from repeated head trauma. Unfortunately, the weak characterization generates more sympathy for the Nigerian doctor himself than the ill football players he studies, lessening the dramatic impact of his discovery. Omalu’s desire to be successful in the United States is what underpins the story while taking the focus away from its subject. The film ignores the National Football League’s
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
FOR RENT
6 BEDROOM House May 2016 1119 S. Forest ‑ $3900 plus utilities. Showings Scheduled M‑F 10‑3 24 hour noticed required DEINCO PROPERTIES 734‑996‑1991
! NORTH CAMPUS 1‑2 Bdrm. ! ! Riverfront/Heat/Water/Parking. ! ! www.HRPAA.com !
APARTMENT ON A horse facility. New one bedroom, 15 min from main campus. Must be an accomplished horse person. Light farm and horse work and farm sitting in exchange for rent. Email all inquiries to jchaconas@ccim. net
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Texting protocol initials 4 Fired (up) 9 Immortal Jazz trumpeter, to fans 14 Power __ 15 “That Girl” star Thomas 16 Chef Hall who co-hosts “The Chew” 17 “Bambi” character 18 Worker in a red, white and blue truck 20 Fastest of Columbus’ ships 22 Progressive rival 23 Kilmer of “The Doors” 24 Cyclist’s violation 26 Unlikely smartphone user 28 Picnic __ 29 Opening 32 “Piece of cake!” 33 Room for family game night 34 Chambermaid’s supply 35 Hook shape 37 eBay event 42 Funds for the future, briefly 43 Finish filming 44 Done with, with “of” 46 Butler’s home, for a while 49 Technician with a fork 51 Inactive 52 Lex Luthor and Superman, e.g. 54 Mic users 56 CXVI years ago 57 Indian royals 60 Belgrade natives 61 Document that might be subpoenaed 64 Mets’ div. 65 Best Actress winner for “Two Women” 66 “Hooray!” 67 “Days of __ Lives” 68 Strike out 69 Stuck-up types 70 Like freshly applied polish
DOWN 1 Jay Pritchett, to Manny, on “Modern Family” 2 Bite-size cookie 3 Co-screenwriter and star of “The Gunman” 4 University of Jordan city 5 Billy’s cry 6 Uptight type 7 Allure rackmate 8 Not likely to bite 9 New England whitefish 10 Longest river entirely in Switzerland 11 Small stuff 12 Lacrosse shoes 13 Road hog? 19 Clinic service for serious injuries 21 Niña’s aunt 25 Run wild 27 Ricky portrayer 30 “Think again, laddie!” 31 Bring forth 34 Dubbed dude 36 Additive sold at AutoZone
38 Hemsworth who plays Gale in “The Hunger Games” 39 Suffix with text 40 Catalog come-on ... three ways to do it begin 18-, 37- and 61-Across 41 Color similar to cerulean 45 Piece of cake, e.g. 46 Head piece?
47 Relay race closer 48 Shark hanger-on 50 Mag that merged with World Report in 1948 51 Picked cubes 53 Greek goddess of peace 55 Early PC platform 58 “__ hardly wait!” 59 London district 62 Wii forerunner 63 Steal from
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
1 & 2 Bedroom Apts on Wilmot Avail Fall 2016‑17 $975 ‑ $1575 Plus Electric to DTE Coin Laundry Access, Free WiFi Parking Avail $50‑$80/m CALL DEINCO 734‑996‑1991 1, 2 & 3 Bedroom Apts on Arch Avail Fall 2016‑17 $1050 ‑ $2500 + electric contribution CALL DEINCO 734‑996‑1991 2, 3 & 4 Bedroom Apts @ 1015 Packard Avail for Fall 2016‑17 $1400 ‑ $2700 + gas and water; Tenants pay electric to DTE; Limited parking avail for $50/mo; On‑site Laundry CALL DEINCO 734‑996‑1991
xwordeditor@aol.com
01/13/16
2016‑17 LEASING Apartments Going Fast! Prime Student Housing 761‑8000 www.primesh.com Efficiencies: 726 S. State 1 Left $785 344 S. Division $835/$855 610 S. Forest $870 1 Bedrooms: 726 S. State 2 Left $1125 508 Division $925/$945 2 Bedroom: 1021 Vaughn $1410 House: 934 Dewey $2595 *Fully Furnished *Parking Included *Free Ethernet (* Varies by locations) 5 BEDROOM APT Fall 2016‑17 $3250 + $100/m Gas & Water + Electric to DTE, 3 parking spaces no charge 1014 Vaughn #1 ‑ multilevel unit w/ carpet CALL DEINCO 734‑996‑1991
By C.C. Burnikel ©2016 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
01/13/16
role in hiding the suffering of its players by instead focusing on the doctor’s strong attachment and high regard for the country, inciting both pride for his inspired success and shame for his rejection from the American scientific community. All the while, it ignores the principal entity that is fighting against his work. The way he modeled his goals after his superiors even though they have diversely different backgrounds illustrates how he was not cognizant that his race and origin could hinder his career. This builds our sympathy for the naive character when his research is dismissed by his peers not only for having foreign credentials but for being so un-American by attacking the nation’s most popular sport. Though he becomes a sympathetic protagonist as a result, it turns the film into a chronicle of Omalu’s personal struggles that barely touch on the tragic deaths of the football players that fueled his work. The prominent role of his deep faith, on the other hand,
ARBOR PROPERTIES Award‑Winning Rentals in Kerrytown, Central Campus, Old West Side, Burns Park. Now Renting for 2016. 734‑649‑8637. www.arborprops.com
FALL 2016 HOUSES # Beds Location Rent 6 1019 Packard $4200 4 852 Brookwood $2600 4 1010 Cedar Bend $2400 Tenants pay all utilities. CAPPO/DEINCO 734‑996‑1991
SUMMER EMPLOYMENT WORK ON MACKINAC Island This Summer – Make lifelong friends. The Island House Hotel and Ryba’s Fudge Shops are looking for help in all ar‑ eas beginning in early May: Front Desk, Bell Staff, Wait Staff, Sales Clerks, Kitchen, Baristas. Housing, bonus, and discounted meals. (906) 847‑7196. www.theislandhouse.com
NEAR CAMPUS APARTMENTS Avail Fall 16‑17 Eff/1 Bed ‑ $750 ‑ $1400 2 Bed ‑ $1050 ‑ $1425 3 Bed ‑ $1955 Most include Heat and Water Parking where avail is $50/m Many are Cat Friendly CAPPO 734‑996‑1991 www.cappomanagement.com
SERVICES BABYSITTER NEEDED Wednesday afternoons 3‑7 Kids 15, 11, 9 ‑ Must have reliable car & be comfortable driving kids to activities Please call Elisabeth: 734‑945‑3056 THESIS EDITING, LANGUAGE, organization, format. All Disciplines. 734/996‑0566 or writeon@iserv.net
HELP WANTED
STAYING IN ANN ARBOR THIS SUMMER?
APPLY TO WORK FOR THE MICHIGAN DAILY BUSINESS TEAM! DESIGNERS! LAYOUT! RANDOS!
TAN 360 IS now hiring for full and part time positions! We are Ann Arbor’s newest tanning salon chain, and are look‑ ing to open up more stores in the Ann Ar‑ bor area in 2016. Starting at $10.50 an hour, plus commissions. Email to info@ziptanz.com
CONTACT TMD.ADDESIGN@GMAIL.COM IF YOU ARE INTERSTED!
renders him a two-dimensional hero. The crosses in his house, Bible on his nightstand and inability to let loose at a club when celebrating the publication of his research with thengirlfriend Prema Mutso (Gugu Mbatha-Raw, “Jupiter Ascending”) limit his character development by having race and religion being the sole drivers of his character. The extent to which Omalu is caricatured is overbearing, as shown by how he goes to extremes to humanize the cadavers with which he works, at the cost of following Western norms that minimize waste. His straightlaced nature and childlike inability to believe how malicious his fellow scientists are in trying to silence his findings rightfully gets him called a “self-righteous bastard” by supporter and colleague Dr. Julian Bailes (Alec Baldwin, “Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation”). His constant references to the divine and the benefits of seizing opportunity make his character more of a Christ-like symbol than a real doctor. Omalu’s wife brings an unimportant love story into the mix even though she adds undue stress to the protagonist as he deals with federal law enforcement. Her miscarriage in the midst of the backlash causes Omalu to blame himself for taking personal time to recover after dealing with the FBI, after having explicitly stated he does not drink or socialize often. This conflicts with her sole relevance to the film – inspiring Omalu to enjoy himself more. As her profession as a registered nurse is highlighted at the beginning of “Concussion”, it was a let-down that Mutso was featured so prominently even though she did not play a role in her husband’s work. In contrast, the depictions of the football players suffering from the previously unknown chronic traumatic encephalopathy while the NFL failed to stand up for its players by resisting to acknowledge Omalu’s findings was effectively distressing. This dynamic was brilliantly illustrated by Dave Duerson, a former-playerturned-NFL-Players-Association-executive (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, “Trumbo”) ignoring the mental health concerns of his past teammate and friend Andre Waters (Richard T. Jones, “Hot Pursuit”), only to commit suicide, when unable to cope with the same CTEcaused neurological deterioration himself. As a whole, the film struggles to dramatize the state of football that led to the finding of CTE while telling the behindthe-scenes story of the man who discovered it at the same time. Although it has strong directing and commendable acting, particularly by Smith, the message is poorly relayed by focusing on the obstacles Omalu faced instead of the potential impact his research has. In spite of this, it will hopefully generate constructive dialogue on this hot-button issue.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 — 7A
Sam Piazza’s long journey Barnes Arico Sophomore D-man earns playing time after years of struggling for it By JUSTIN MEYER Daily Sports Writer
In late 2013, Sam Piazza’s college hockey dream was in shambles. A youth hockey star growing up in Darien, Ill., Piazza’s size and aggressive play just didn’t translate to the higher levels. For two years, the defenseman had been shipped across the country in search of a place where he could overcome injuries and his game could flourish once again. Piazza crisscrossed to North Dakota, back to Chicago and finally off to Texas as he bounced around the edges of the junior hockey world. He struggled to make gameday rosters, rode the bench and endured the lonely prospect of being hundreds of miles away from home without a clear plan. The thought of being a healthy scratch was a new challenge, one that led him to almost hang up his skates for good. As a young player, Piazza suited up for the powerhouse Mission AAA program and excelled alongside teammates who are now littered around the NHL and college hockey. He recorded 22 points in the 2008 season and committed to play college hockey elsewhere at the age of 16. “I was all about the puck growing up,” Piazza said. “Once I got to juniors, it was exposed that
I was bad defensively. I think I’ve come a long way.” The college offers had long since disappeared, but Piazza finally broke out in the 2014 season, his final year of eligibility, with the Wichita Falls Wildcats. In the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament, he secured a spot at Michigan and another chance to chase his dreams. Those dreams are different today than they might have been back when Piazza was taken 34th overall in the USHL entry draft. In his first season at Michigan, Piazza slumped again, recording only one assist in 10 regular-season appearances. Pursuing a degree in mechanical engineering, he is balancing heavy school demands with the discipline needed to crack the Wolverines’ defensive rotation. But Piazza isn’t new to adversity, and he recommitted himself in the offseason. “Unfortunately, I’ve been scratched a lot in the past couple years,” Piazza said. “I know how to keep my head in it and stay ready and keep my body ready.” Piazza shed 10 pounds in the offseason and started grabbing coaches’ attention in practice. All that effort paid off when he filled in for suspended junior defenseman Michael Downing in the Great Lakes Invitational. Piazza recorded three points in two games and earned a spot in the rotation against Michigan State. There, he picked up minutes on the penalty kill, a testament to his improvement on the defensive end. “He’s smart with the puck, and
“I’ve been scratched a lot in the past couple years.”
lightens mood, revives season By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Editor
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Sam Piazza is finally breaking into the lineup for the Michigan hockey team.
he’s smart without the puck,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “He’s doing now what I was told he would be able to do here. I would call him a good teammate. The other guys are getting to play every night, and he has to do all the extra work to stay ready. “It’s a tough role.” For Piazza, the recent success has certainly been sweet. It’s validation that he can play at the collegiate level and that all the time he poured into the sport was worth it. But he didn’t make it in spite of the trouble in junior hockey — he made it because of that adversity. “(Junior hockey) really impacted me a lot,” Piazza said. “That’s where I learned to be mentally tough. You can’t really
complain about other people, you’ve just got to worry about yourself and do your best.” Piazza’s broad shoulders filled the armchair as he talked about his rollercoaster career with a calm, casual air. He’s 5-foot-11 — small for a defenseman — and it shows on the ice. It’s apparent that he isn’t bothered by the trials he has gone through to get here. Instead, the sophomore gives off the aura of a grizzled veteran — aided somewhat by the beard he’s sporting. What’s also clear is that despite Piazza’s success, he isn’t satisfied yet. The 21-year-old has battled across three states in three years to get here. He wants a spot in the rotation, and he has worked too hard to settle now.
Season Review: Defensive Backs Lewis, Peppers led deep group that could get even better in 2016 By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Editor
Editor’s Note: With the Michigan football team’s 2015 regular season in the books, the Daily looks back at the performance of each unit this year and looks ahead to the future in 2016. In this edition: defensive backs. When Michigan emerged from its so-called “submarine” training camp in August, no one was entirely sure what to expect out of its secondary. Most expected redshirt freshman Jabrill Peppers and Stanford transfer Wayne Lyons to be welcome additions, but were not sure how the returning Wolverines would filter out. Michigan was heavy on safeties with Lyons, Peppers, senior Jarrod Wilson and redshirt junior Jeremy Clark. But cornerback was a question mark, as Blake Countess had transferred to Auburn, which meant only redshirt junior Jourdan Lewis and error-prone junior Channing Stribling were bringing back starting experience. The Wolverines — who finished 21st in pass defense in 2014 — were expected to be strong in the secondary once again, but with new faces and a new coaching staff, nothing was certain. With the 2015 season in the books, it’s safe to say that any uncertainty about Michigan’s pass defense was squashed early and often en route to a truly special year. The 12th-ranked Wolverines led the nation in passer rating allowed (95.0) and yards allowed per attempt (5.4), while finishing third in passing yards allowed per game (158.8), total touchdowns allowed (7) and completion percentage (48.0)
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Junior cornerback Jourdan Lewis and the Michigan secondary capped a standout season with a Citrus Bowl victory.
allowed throughout the season. Individually, Lewis was the star of the defensive backfield, earning first-team All-Big Ten and All-American honors, and forced three turnovers while setting a school record with 21 pass breakups. Peppers was not too far behind, totaling 10 pass breakups, All-American honors and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award. Beyond Peppers and Lewis, Clark made the journey to cornerback, Stribling tied or set career highs in every category, and Wilson — along with junior safeties Dymonte Thomas and Delano Hill — was so consistent that Lyons barely saw the field. High Point: It’s hard to imagine a secondary at any level having a better five-game stretch than Michigan did from Week 2 to Week 6. Against Oregon
State, UNLV, then-No. 22 BYU, then-No. 13 Northwestern and Maryland, the Wolverines allowed just 60 completions on 143 attempts, 483 yards and eight interceptions, compared to just two touchdowns. To put that into a pergame perspective, an average quarterback performance against Michigan in that stretch was 12-of-27 passing for 97 yards, 1-2 interceptions and no guarantee of a touchdown. Perhaps just as notable is that only BYU made it through a game without resorting to a backup quarterback. Low Point: Allowing a touchdown in consecutive weeks usually is not a low point for a team’s secondary, but Michigan’s slip-ups from defensive backs were few and far between. The only time a
The future looks bright — maybe even brighter — for next fall.
quarterback seemed in control over the Wolverines occurred when Michigan State’s Connor Cook and Minnesota’s Mitch Leidner combined to throw for 645 yards, including several big plays and two touchdowns in back-to-back weeks. Teams also began to find success on the ground against Michigan late in the season, but it’s hard to pin that on a secondary that took passing almost out of the equation for most offenses. The Future: The future looks bright — maybe even brighter — for Michigan’s secondary next fall. Lewis, Peppers, Stribling, Thomas and Hill will all return next season, and Clark could as well if he chooses. Assuming Clark stays, Wilson is the only departing starter, and Thomas and Hill looked ready to fill his void late in the season. With no high-profile commits at safety or cornerback in the 2016 recruiting class yet, it appears that freshman Keith Washington and sophomore Brandon Watson could be the lone new contributors in the stacked position group next fall.
Heading into last Thursday’s game against Iowa, the Michigan women’s basketball team had won only one of its previous six games. Something had gone awry as the Wolverines’ confidence was drastically shaken. No longer was Michigan averaging 88 points, previously good for the third-best scoring offense in the country. At the beginning of December, the string of losses began with a 17-point loss to Princeton. But coach Kim Barnes Arico is a veteran of the game, knowing when changes need to be made and what resources she should use to make those changes. In the course of one month, Barnes Arico helped the Wolverines realize that 17 points was an obstacle they could overcome when they came back from that exact number in the second half against the Hawkeyes. “(Iowa) actually looked how we looked in the two prior games,” Barnes Arico said in her weekly radio show. “This is a team that has been off to a great start, was a ranked team in the country and they got super tight down the stretch.” The Wolverines were anything but tight as they made a miraculous comeback to earn their first conference win this season. It was not only a surprise that Michigan made its largest comeback since 2007, but also that the Wolverines made any sort of last-ditch effort given recent results. The three games leading up to Iowa had been anything but pleasant: a one-point loss against Eastern Michigan, a two-point loss to Purdue and a nine-point lead blown to Indiana in the final quarter for yet another defeat. But Michigan regained its confidence before its big break against Iowa, and it continued that success with a win against Minnesota four days later, evening out its Big Ten record at 2-2. “We did spend a lot of time just trying to rebuild their confidence,” Barnes Arico told WTKA Radio on Tuesday. “We had three devastating losses that came down to the last possession of the game, and in all three of the games, we had the opportunity to win the game and kind of struggled down the stretch. “That really affected our young kids’ confidence. … Even our older kids really didn’t play a ton of minutes last year where they were in those same positions. It was a new experience for all of us.” So what exactly did Barnes Arico need to accomplish in order
to turn the season around? Did the Wolverines need to practice their free-throws, considering they had missed 32 points from the charity stripe through six games? Did they need to practice rebounding? Maybe Michigan needed to work on passing? According to Barnes Arico, it was as simple as taking pressure off of her players and lightening the mood. Before Thursday, Michigan’s assistant coaches made a highlight reel of footage from games such as Xavier and UCLA, when the Wolverines looked like they were truly playing Michigan basketball. The assistant coaches held an activity for the players to paint a non-basketball related word that was significant in their lives, which they later hung above their beds. This way, they could be reminded of the activity and its emphasis on taking a step back when the going gets rough. “The kids really began to get confident again and really enjoy the process,” Barnes Arico said. “That’s something that we talk a lot about — enjoying the process. It’s not always just the outcome.” According to Barnes Arico, sharing ideas among the coaching staff is a crucial element of success. The Michigan staff regularly sends e-mails to each other with links from social media or around the Internet, which sometimes include leadership presentations or inspirational talks from coaches around the country. Outside the basketball realm, Barnes Arico has also found guidance. The Wolverines’ student manager, the daughter of Michigan hockey assistant coach Brian Wiseman, asked if her father could attend a practice and see if there were any teambuilding activities he would find value in. Barnes Arico agreed, knowing Wiseman would do the same for her if she wanted to visit a hockey practice. This collaboration between Michigan coaches is what Barnes Arico referred to as an “opendoor policy.” In fact, she has gained plenty of insight from Michigan men’s basketball coach John Beilein through the years. “In our profession, it’s really important that coaches feel like they can lean on other coaches,” Barnes Arico said. “All of us are in the same boat at some point or another. … Sometimes as a coach, what happens is you get so tight, then your players are getting tight (and) sometimes you just need to go to the movies.” In one week, Michigan has loosened up and put the season back on course.
“We did spend a lot of time just trying to rebuild their confidence.”
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Kim Barnes Arico has her team’s season back on track after three straight losses.
8A — Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MICHIGAN 70, MARYLAND 67
LIVE BY THE THREE
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Irvin returns to his former self with 22 points in Michigan’s marquee victory By LEV FACHER Daily Sports Writer
In late December, Michigan men’s basketball coach John Beilein acknowledged what seemed like an inevitable truth: Zak Irvin might not return to 100 percent, in terms of health or rhythm, at any point during the 2015-16 season. Tuesday, the junior forward made a simple assertion. “I feel healthy,” Irvin said. “My body is 100 percent.” At that point, Irvin barely had to say it. He had just scored 22 points during Michigan’s 70-67 stunner over No. 3 Maryland, playing with the confidence he had seemed to lack in the 15 games leading up to the breakthrough as he recovered from an offseason back surgery. “We couldn’t guard him,” said Maryland coach Mark Turgeon. Irvin’s confidence, and his irrepressible shot, were never more evident than with just under three minutes remaining in the game, as junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. clung to a defensive rebound as tightly as Michigan clung to its five-point lead. Beilein signaled to his point guard to play slowly and burn clock as he brought the Wolverines into their half-court set. Irvin wasn’t having any of it. He
received the ball from Walton at the top of the key, and knowing it was his night, he rose, off balance, and brought the house down with his third trey of the night. Asked if he would have made, or even attempted, the same shot just two weeks ago, Irvin could only smile. “I’m getting more confident each game,” he said. “I think I would have taken that shot, but I was definitely in a rhythm tonight, which made that shot easier.” It was the proverbial dagger — the shot that gave Michigan its first win in five tries against ranked opponents this season. And while in a Beilein-designed utopia it might have come with 10 fewer seconds on the shot clock, Irvin recognized the opportunity when he saw it. “I think everybody knows, once I see one go in, I feel like every one can go in,” Irvin said. “We have different options in that set, but I felt like I had enough room to be able to make the shot, and I did. It just felt good when it left my hand.” For two months, Irvin had looked like a shell of his former self. After working for two years to do away with a longstanding label — “just a shooter” — the junior forward struggled in the early season to prove himself as even that. His 3-point percentages dipped into the low 20s, and his attempts from long range were often discernibly off target almost from the moment they left his hand. The return to grace hasn’t been smooth — just as Irvin seemed to regain some semblance of
a rhythm, senior guard Caris LeVert fell out of commission with a left leg injury. So the Wolverines have turned to Irvin, among others, to shoulder the scoring load, especially in Thursday’s 87-70 loss at Purdue. With redshirt sophomore guard Duncan Robinson locked down by the Boilermakers’ Raphael Davis, the ball wound up in Irvin’s hands frequently. It was to no avail. With the burden of LeVert’s scoring on his shoulders, Irvin shot just 2-for-10 from the field, and he said Tuesday that the pressure of playing in his home state took him out of the mindset he needed to be successful. Against Maryland, it was a different story. “He’s doing some things,” Beilein said. “He’s driving the ball to the basket. He’s driving it under control. That was a good night for him — a really good night for him — and if we can just get him (to play) with the consistency that he expects of himself, that will really help us.” Michigan’s assistant coaches, as Beilein mentioned offhandedly after Tuesday’s game, call Irvin “big shot,” in reference to his reputation in high school and across youth leagues in his teenage years. They might want to update the rationale behind the nickname, as Tuesday made it clear that Irvin still has his ability as a playmaker. Calling Irvin a big shot, at times like these, is only fair. Sometimes, and perhaps more often going forward, he acts like a big shot, and sometimes, he makes big shots.
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. turned in a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds against Maryland.
BASKETBALL From Page 1A converted an and-1 play to give the Wolverines a 59-57 lead, redshirt sophomore guard Duncan Robinson sank a difficult underhanded reverse layup and junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. buried a 3-pointer to extend the lead. Maryland (4-1, 15-2) rallied furiously in the closing minutes, with guard Rasheed Sulaimon sinking two 3-pointers in the final three minutes and Stone knocking down two free throws to cut the lead to two. But Donnal grabbed a crucial offensive rebound and made one of two shots at the foul line on Michigan’s next possession, which was followed up by a missed triple from Sulaimon just before the buzzer to give the Wolverines the upset win. Irvin — who Maryland coach Mark Turgeon said was “unguardable” tonight — finished the game with 22 points, Robinson added 17 and Michigan hit 12 3-pointers, the most the Terrapins have allowed in a game all season. In Beilein’s mind, the victory was a glimpse of the full potential of Irvin and Walton — two players who have been forced into important roles since they were sophomores, and two players who were tasked with closing out the game as the most experienced
leaders on the court. “This is that next step for them,” Beilein said. “It’s the feeling right now that (they can be like) Tim Hardaway, Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas or Caris LeVert — make a big play to win the game.” Even without LeVert — the Wolverines’ leading scorer, rebounder and assist man — Michigan initially had little trouble getting off to a quick start, thanks in no small part to the 3-pointer. After Maryland bullied its way to four points off two offensive rebounds to start the game, the Wolverines turned to the outside, where Walton, Irvin and Robinson buried three straight triples to give Michigan an 11-6 lead and get the Crisler Center crowd involved early. Maryland was without Trimble for much of the first half, as he exited the game with two fouls with 9:40 remaining. He finished the game with just two points. The first half ended in a 3-point battle, with Maryland forward Robert Carter Jr. knocking down a shot-clock-beating triple to give Maryland a 22-21 lead
and Layman hitting a trey of his own a few moments later. But Robinson answered every blow, hitting three 3-pointers in less than three minutes to retake a five-point lead. The Wolverines still couldn’t match the Terrapins’ size early on — they were outrebounded 16-12 in the opening frame and 36-27 in total — but they stepped up the effort and physicality. Before he closed the game with the offensive rebound, Donnal ended the first half on an outstanding stretch in which he blocked Sulaimon and Carter on back-to-back possessions and tipped in a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Michigan a 37-29 lead at the half. The Wolverines nearly gave that lead away in the second frame, but after a few more timely threes and free throws, they secured their biggest win of the season. “This is the Big Ten. It’s gonna be a dogfight each game,” Irvin said. “I think teams are overlooking us with (senior guard Spike Albrecht) and Caris out, and we’ve just got to let everyone know we are a good ballclub without them.”
“It just feels good to get this win today, against a really good team.”
statement THE MICHIGAN DAILY JAN UARY 13 , 2016
2B
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 // The Statement
ON THE RECORD
FLINT WATER CRISIS
“This is not my legacy. This is part of my legacy because I’m responsible for the entire state and our operations. But there are many other good things going on and we’re working hard to recover.” — Michigan Gov. RICK SNYDER (R) on the impact of the Flint Water Crisis on his legacy as governor ***
Zooming In: Not faring well BY L AR A MOELHMAN
F
or as long as I can remember, I’ve been afraid of endings. I don’t mean to say the past 19 years have been plagued with a looming fear of death or apocalyptic destruction. I’m talking about an inner reluctance to move on from, let go of and say goodbye to the people, places and events that have shaped my life. Common emotional challenges for me include — but are by no means limited to — birthdays, new years and major milestones. I can still remember tearing up on my 13th birthday. When my parents asked me what was wrong, I told them I was sad I would no longer be a kid. “Yeah, it’s all downhill from here,” my Dad said, trying to make me laugh the way he always does. But that wasn’t quite it. I wasn’t afraid of facing the future, becoming an adult or accepting new responsibilities. Nor was I in mourning of the frizzy, awkward rollercoaster that was my preteenage existence. I just wasn’t ready to let go of 12-yearsold. I guess most would classify my condition as a fear of change. But to me it seems much more complex. I felt a similar sadness while taking one last look at my classmates before leaving my senior celebration on the night of graduation. I should clarify that my high school career was nothing more than typical. To give you the Reader’s Digest version of those four years: I survived. By the time I’d committed to Michi-
COVER BY SHANE ACHENBACH
gan, I was very ready for new people, buildings and experiences. Yet no matter how excited I was to move on, I could not escape the inevitable churning in my stomach that came during graduation. It’s hard to explain what I was feeling because I knew I would stay close to the people I truly cared long after graduation. But what about everyone — and everything — else? There wasn’t a chance I would miss the rigid bell schedule, mandatory math classes and stereotypically segregated cliques I’d endured in high school. Yet, I still couldn’t help but feel sad that I would never be in the same place with the same people doing the same things again. That’s what bothers me the most about endings. There remains something very sad to me about coming to the realization that, in that moment, I was taking my last look at the group of people who — for better or worse — collectively shaped my high school experience and therefore the person I am today. It’s obviously much easier to pinpoint the reason behind my sadness as I watched my brother pack the car in preparation for his freshman year of college. I would miss him completely, and living at home never felt quite right after he left. But I’ve come to realize that it’s not impossible to miss things I never necessarily valued. I guess all emotions attached to different people and places — whether good or bad — are what make them real and therefore hard to let go of.
“If you were to put something in a population to keep them down for generation and generations to come, it would be lead ... It drops your IQ, it affects your behavior, it’s been linked to criminality, it has multigenerational impacts. There is no safe level of lead in a child.” — Flint pediatrician DR. MONA HANNA-ATTISHA on the neurological impacts of elevated lead levels in Flint’s water on the city’s population
R E S O LU T I O N S
THOUGHT BUBBLE
EMILIE FARRUGIA/DAILY
“On New Year’s Resolutions: Don’t worry, there’s always next year. In the meantime, have a New Year’s Reflection instead.” -Akhil Kantipuly, LSA Senior – LSA senior AKHIL KANTIPULY
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 // The Statement 3B
THE Magazine Editor:
statement
Photo Editor:
Karl Williams
Zoey Holmstrom
Deputy Editors:
Creative Director:
Nabeel Chollampat Victoria Noble Design Editor:
Emilie Farrugia Editor in Chief: Shoham Geva
Managing Editor: Laura Schinagle Copy Editors: Emily Campbell Alexis Nowicki Jose Rosales
Shane Achenbach
A Filtered Life: My YouTube Crush
T H E L I S T B U Z Z F E E D, B U T B E T T E R BAR ACK OBAMA’S MAJOR POLICY GOALS FROM THE STATE OF THE UNION ADDRESS Amid election year nonsense and a perilous international environment, Barack Obama outlined several policy goals for the upcoming year in his last State of the Union Address Tuesday. We’ve outlined a few notable ones.
1 N O - C O S T C O M M U N I T Y CO L L E G E
“Providing two years of community college at no cost for every responsible student is one of the best ways to do that.”
2 J O B T R A I N I N G F O R T H E U N E M P LOY E D
“Say a hardworking American loses his job — we shouldn’t just make sure he can get unemployment insurance; we should make sure that program encourages him to retrain for a business that’s ready to hire him.”
3 MORE FUNDING FOR CANCER RESEARCH
“For the loved ones we’ve lost, for the family we can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all.”
4 F O R C E TO F I G H T I S I S
“If this Congress is serious about winning this war, and wants to send a message to our troops and the world, you should finally authorize the use of military force against ISIL.”
5 T R A N S - PAC I F I C PA R T N E R S H I P
“With TPP, China doesn’t set the rules in that region, we do. You want to show our strength in this century? Approve this agreement. Give us the tools to enforce it.”
6 END THE CUBAN EMBARGO
“We restored diplomatic relations, opened the door to travel and commerce, and positioned ourselves to improve the lives of the Cuban people. You want to consolidate our leadership and credibility in the hemisphere? Recognize that the Cold War is over. Lift the embargo.”
BY R ACHEL PREMACK
A
fter the semester finishes and I’m home — sleep-deprived, brain fizzled out — I usually binge-watch a show on Netflix. This time around, I binge-watched a girl’s YouTube channel. She’s 23 years old and pretty. She films her videos in her Manhattan apartment replete with Christmas lights and exposed brick. Her videos cover everything from contouring tutorials and New Year’s Eve lookbooks to stories on how to feel beautiful and anxiety attacks. It’s a little like escapist television, but it’s also a looking glass in a life I could — and want to — have. When I’m her age, I could be living in New York in a stylish apartment, with a stylish boyfriend and an Instagram account that gets more than 20 likes on a photo. Most of all, I admire that she’s confident enough to make a YouTube account starring herself and her life; I can’t bring myself to post a selfie on social media for fear of being seen as egotistical. What’s weird is that I know I would hate her if I knew her in real life. I’ve hated random girls for as long as I can remember. While quite a few of them were truly irritating people, many of these girls had something I was jealous of that also, for some reason, made me dislike them — a past with my boyfriend, “stealing” my friend or some other thing that made me panicked. The ex of a current hook up is the easiest target. Stalking the social media accounts of the “annoying little bitch who isn’t even that pretty” is a guilty pleasure of mine and my friends’. We have an excellent ability to find despicable things about the people we hate. If my husband’s ex-girlfriend was Mother Teresa, I could reframe her as the devil in my mind. Why was she so giving? Like, we get it, you like all the attention, can you just calm down? I’ve found that the girls I admire and the girls I hate have a lot in common: they are well dressed, beautiful, smart and confident. It seems like the cooler they are, the more we hate them. But, surprise surprise, this is not very healthy! It’s a loss to hate on a girl that could be our friend just because of some weird insecurity. The more I cut other girls down, the easier it is to cut myself down. We’re scared above all that someone — a friend or a love interest — will see that there’s someone better out there and leave us. We’re scared that the person who used to make us so happy found someone who makes them happier than we did. But self worth doesn’t work like that. The fact that our friend found a new friend, that our boyfriend touched some other girl sometime during his 20-something years of existence doesn’t mean we suck. So there’s no need to stalk this girl’s Instagram from freshman year and screenshot and send the stupidest captions to three different group texts. I can’t really picture my weird YouTube girl crush doing that — and I think we would all rather be friends with someone who spends her free time giving life tips to thousands of people online rather than digging through Facebook circa 2012.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY EMILIE FARRUGIA
4B
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 // The Statement
Wednesday, January 13, 2016 // The Statement
Getting Tested: An exploration into HIV testing at the University By AMABEL KAROUB Daily Staff Reporter
Editor’s note: The names of individuals performing the HIV testing described in this story have been changed to protect their identities because the reporter did not identify themselves as such, denoted by an asterisk. Spectrum Center, Michigan Union I walk into the Spectrum Center and immediately grab a fun-sized bag of Skittles from a box on the floor. I rip them open carelessly, stick five in my mouth and chew them aggressively. Spotting me, a man in his mid-twenties, Alex*, asks me, cheerfully, if I’m here for HIV testing. “Yes,” I say. It’s the only word I’ll speak for 20 minutes. I don’t tell him that I’m a reporter because I want to experience the process as any patient would, a practice I would repeat for every subsequent testing. The Spectrum Center is the short name for the University’s Office of LGBT Affairs. Its mission, it seems, is to end stigmatization around non-heterosexuality on campus. It offers a space where students can go to learn more about different gender identities and hopes to create a campus that is discrimination-free. I suppose it makes sense, then, that Spectrum, a place that welcomes non-heterosexuality, is also a site for human immunodeficiency virus testing. In the United States, HIV is still seen by many as a disease that afflicts mostly homosexual males. This is not totally unfair — of the 29, 800 new HIV cases in the U.S. in 2010, roughly 78 percent were MSM, or men who have sex with men. At Spectrum, the HIV/AIDS Resource Center, or HARC, hosts HIV testing once a week, on Mondays from 6 to 8 p.m. On a table above the box of Skittles sits a cup filled with condoms, paired with a helpful flyer that promises to teach me “How To Use a Condom.” The entryway has a rainbowcolored mat. Ah, that’s why they chose Skittles. Taste the Rainbow. In some ways, the room is full — it is filled with books written about or by members of the LGBT community, flyers and boxes of grab-able items. What the room lacks, however, are other humans. I am the only person here for testing. I eat another pack of Skittles, then Alex hands me a questionnaire. I begin answering questions that attempt to outline my sex habits and drug and alcohol use. Have you ever had sex without a condom?
Have you ever had sex while intoxicated? I finish the questionnaire and hand it to Alex, who tells me to wait. … Last year, HIV cases reached a 15-year high in Washtenaw County. In a press release, Cathy Wilcznyksi, adult health program supervisor for Washtenaw County Public Health, urged everyone to get tested — and to use condoms. “Testing is important,” Wilczynski wrote. “Know your status. If you have sex, use a condom. It’s that simple.” HIV is transmitted primarily through sex, specifically unprotected sex. I know from friends and classmates that a lot of people on the University’s campus have unprotected sex. Statistics also back this up: A 2011 survey by Bayer Healthcare showed that 53 percent of people between ages 15 and 24 have had unprotected sex with a new partner at least once. With this tendency toward risk in mind, it seems important that we, as young people, feel comfortable with the idea of getting tested for HIV. Testing options are limited for University students, available at only two places on campus. There’s Spectrum, then there’s the Wolverine Wellness department at University Health Services. There used to be a third place right near campus where students could get tested — the Safe Sex Store. The store closed last October due to lack of sales. Located on South University Avenue, it sold condoms and other sex paraphernalia. The owner, Beth Karmeisool, offered free HIV testing every Thursday. Karmeisool still has an online store that offers a lot of the same products that the physical location used to sell. Even so, she no longer offers the free services that were available at S3, including HIV testing, pregnancy testing and sexual health counseling. Karmeisool had a specific complaint about testing sites like UHS and Spectrum: lack of a friendly environment. She said she believes S3 was more accessible to students due to the retail environment of her store. The products for sale offered an easy excuse for students who might be embarrassed to get tested for fear of running into someone they knew — students getting tested could say they were buying condoms, etc. if they ran into friends. “I do think that some students found it easier to come in to S3,” she said. “It’s a little bit nerve wracking to go to UHS or the Spectrum Center or any other community health center.” In my experience Karmeisool was right: S3 was definitely not intimidating. The store was reminiscent of a candy shop,
except its buckets held condoms and other sex toys instead of Sour Patch Kids and gummy worms. Always present was a golden retriever, Jake — a trained therapy dog who the store’s visitors could play with. At full capacity, Karmeisool would test about five people a week for HIV, sometimes more. Without her store, she said the Ann Arbor community is missing an important resource. “There’s now a void there, and that does make me sad,” she said. Wolverine Wellness, UHS It’s freezing cold and raining, so I throw on a black trench coat, pairing it with leggings and a charcoal sweater. I look like I’m in mourning. I have an appointment for HIV testing at Wolverine Wellness, which is on the second floor of UHS. Wolverine Wellness’ mission is to “promote wellness” for students, and help them make “informed decisions.” In practice, this seems to mean helping curb excessive alcohol and marijuana use, in addition to offering services like HIV testing. When I called, the receptionist told me I was not to put anything in my mouth — including food, drink and gum — for 30 minutes before the test. I walk in chewing a piece of fluorescent green gum, which I meant to spit out earlier but didn’t. When I check in, I am handed a clipboard and told to sit on a couch in a small waiting room. There is a sound soother blaring white noise to my right, as if I’m about to get a massage. Still chewing my gum, I begin to fill out a questionnaire similar to the one I was given at Spectrum. I am once again the only person getting tested. I think of the image Karmeisool described of packed testing dates at S3, picturing some sort of rambunctious get-together, and feel strangely lonely. … Leon Golson is the director of Prevention Programs at HARC — the nonprofit that hosts the testing at Spectrum. HARC does a lot of outreach for HIV and AIDS around Washtenaw County. Golson said that a failure to test exists not just on the University’s campus, but also throughout Washtenaw County. Spectrum’s testing site is a satellite location of HARC. HARC tested only six people positive for HIV in 2014. Golson said the number is representative not of the actual people who contracted HIV in Washtenaw County last year, but of the failure of at-risk individuals to get tested. “It continues to be a challenge, particularly in the Ypsilanti/ Ann Arbor area, to really get those individuals who are at risk to come in and get tested,” Golson said. “We try and make
ourselves available as much as we possibly can to our targeted populations.” Golson did not agree with Karmeisool that people in Washtenaw County fail to get tested because they do not feel there is a friendly environment available. Instead, he said people are scared of dealing with the consequences that would come with testing positive. “Having to commit to taking a pill every day,” Golson said. “Then there’s the issue around disclosing your status. So that can really make it hard for folks to feel comfortable about going through an HIV test.” Though there is still a stigma around being HIV-positive, the open discrimination against the afflicted seen in the early days of the virus no longer seems to be a serious issue. Golson has been living with HIV for 30 years. He said he has never faced any obvious discrimination due to his HIV status. “I probably wouldn’t even recognize it if it was happening,” he said. “From my experience, my perception has all been very positive with regards to my HIV status.” In administering tests, Golson has had to deliver a positive test result. He said HARC tries to make patients in this situation feel as though the power is in their hands. “If I’m giving positive results, I will share my status, let them know how I’ve been living with it,” Golson said. “We usually try to leave them with a sense of hope, and some concrete next steps that they can act on.” Spectrum I eat a third pack of Skittles before Alex tells me to come with him. We go into a small, fluorescently lit room where extra cardboard boxes of Skittles are stored. This is good news, as there will probably be none left in the main room by the time I leave. Along a circular table, a napkin is laid out with a tab of paper that looks like the pH paper I’ve used in countless chemistry labs and a small, box-like object that resembles a pencil sharpener. Alex tells me about the test: The pencil sharpener is actually a needle that will prick my finger. The paper tracks antibodies — basically, it’s tracking whether or not your immune system is responding to the HIV virus. If a dark line appears that means I have the antibody, which means I have HIV. The test will take 20 minutes. “How are you doing?” Alex asks, probably concerned about my seeming inability to speak. “I’m fine,” I say, listlessly. The first time I’ve spoken since, “Yes.” At this, Alex takes the pencil sharpener and presses it down on my fingertip, causing a needle to prick me, hard. It feels like my finger has just been stapled. Blood gushes out. Alex realizes he didn’t take out a pipette — which he needs to suck blood from my finger and put it on the testing paper. My finger bleeds all over the napkin while Alex takes way too long to remove a pipette from the box. Once he finally gets my blood onto the paper, he covers the strip up so I won’t stare at it, and starts a 20-minute timer. Then he talks to me. I stare down at my blood, which is spattered all over the table. Alex does not seem to think I have HIV.
He does not ask me what I will do if I have it. Instead, he wants me to make a plan for what I will do in the future to keep myself HIV-free. With 12 minutes gone, Alex decides to uncover the strip. The test for the antibody is negative: I do not have HIV. Alex says he has never had a positive. … LSA sophomore Isaiah Zeavin-Moss, a student in my AIDS class, also went to Spectrum for HIV testing. Like me, Isaiah was not actually concerned about having HIV. “In general, it was a pretty disenchanting, disappointing experience,” Isaiah said. I met Isaiah at the Starbucks on South University Avenue, right across from where the Safe Sex Store used to be. I sat down next to him at a two-person table. I’m not sure whether or not Alex tested Isaiah, but Alex did say he had tested other people from my class, and I’m going to assume he did. When checking Isaiah’s result, Alex found he had administered the test wrong. He said this was the second time he had done this in two weeks. Isaiah said he could not imagine how terribly someone would feel if they were truly worried they had HIV and their test was botched. “If I had felt that I was in legitimate danger of having HIV, if I came in there with a real fear of that … I would only be made to feel way more fearful,” he said. Isaiah did say that Alex was a really cool person. They had a long talk about communication in relationships, discussing the reasons for the popularity of the Tinder app. “We came up with the idea that Tinder is so popular because communication is almost discouraged,” Isaiah said. “Anything beyond the encounter itself isn’t part of the equation anymore. It was super interesting.” Unlike me, Alex did ask Isaiah what he would do if he had HIV. They talked about who he would turn to for support if his test was positive. I don’t know why Alex didn’t ask me the same question. Maybe he didn’t take me seriously, or maybe I just wasn’t giving him much to work with. UHS After a couple of minutes, a woman comes quietly out of a door directly to my right. I don’t notice her come in, and I jump visibly as she says hello to me in a quiet purr. This tester, Laurel*, is much older than Alex, and reminds me of a mother, though not mine. I realize I still haven’t spit out my illicit gum, and try and surreptitiously throw it in Laurel’s trash. I am totally obvious about it, but she doesn’t notice. When she asks me, “So you haven’t put anything in your mouth, right?” I almost crack a smile. I tell her no, I haven’t. Unlike the test at Spectrum, this will one will be oral. I sigh with relief: no finger prick. Laurel shows me a small tube of what she calls “developer fluid.” She then gives me directions on how to swab my mouth. I tune out immediately, like
when my tennis coach explains a complicated volley drill and I’m left scrambling to follow the other players. Laurel hands me a little stick that looks like an extra thick Q-tip and looks at me expectantly. When I blurt out that I don’t know what to do, she smiles kindly. “I’ll guide you,” she tells me. On her command, I move the swab all along my inside top lip, then my bottom lip, then stick it into the open tube of developer fluid. Like the prick test, my results will take 20 minutes. On the swab stick, there are two lines: a C-line and a T-line. Also similar to the prick test, the swab is looking for HIV antibodies, or response proteins in my body. If only a C-line appears, the test is negative. If a C- and a T-line appear, the test is positive. Though Laurel is much more soothing than Alex was, she does not invite my confidence. Throughout the 20 minutes, she drills me with personal questions about my sex life, protection use and alcohol use that I do not want to answer. Whenever I do
5B
answer, she jumps on the opportunity to pick my words apart for additional meaning. Like Alex, Laurel fails to address the question of what I will do if I’m positive. When time is up, Laurel shows me the test, which is, expectedly, negative. On my wet walk back to my apartment, I once again pass the old location of the Safe Sex Store. I think about how HIV is real. How people do get it, even in college, even in places like Ann Arbor. And students who are sexually active, or just interested, should have places to go on campus where they feel comfortable talking about it. Maybe that’s what the Safe Sex Store was. And if that’s true, then this campus needs another place like it. Hopefully, that place will come soon.
Photos by Zoey Holstrom/ DAILY
6B
Wednesday, January, 13, 2016 // The Statement
Personal Statement: On a Couch in Detroit by Adam DePollo, Daily Arts Writer
A
few weeks ago I was at a show in Detroit, sitting next to my friend David on a white leather couch in the de facto VIP section of a club/art gallery in Midtown. We were surrounded by about 30 artfully dressed rappers, painters, producers and filmmakers who were all passing around blunts and talking about their work. Someone was actively selling weed and possibly cocaine on the other couch about three feet away from us. There was a girl twerking in the corner while she waited in line for the bathroom. Everything in the room was illuminated by a set of blue neon lights, and it felt like we were in either an arcade or the movie “Spring Breakers” — but the drug deal going on right next to us made it feel a lot more like the latter. The image of James Franco fellating a pistol popped into my head, and I started laughing. Then I looked over at David, who I’ve known since my sophomore year at Detroit Country Day School — a very expensive private school in Beverly Hills, Michigan that we both attended on scholarship. I thought about how we used to play “Super Smash Bros.” and talk about “Top Gear” in our homeroom during lunch hour, between meetings with college prep advisors. I let loose a stupefied “bruh.” We both looked over at the drug deal for a moment, and then I asked the question that’s almost always gnawing at the back of my head when I find myself in a room full of musicians in Detroit: “What the fuck are we doing here?” David, I found out, was asking himself the same question for many of the same reasons. When you’re growing up in a middle-class household in Southeast Michigan like we both did, you’re given a sort of default narrative arc for your life that, frankly, doesn’t include an episode with you sitting on a couch in Detroit across from a rapper named Ka$h ThA KuShMaN. It goes more like: work hard in high school, do your extracurriculars, get into a good college, figure out what you’re doing with your life, get a respectable job making more than your parents, marry, kids, retire, rinse and repeat for the next 15 generations. If you play the game right, you end up in a nice city like New York or Chicago with a comfortable apartment, good clothes and a well-fed 401k. If you had interrupted us mid-“Smash” back in high school and asked where we thought we’d be in six years, our answers probably would have been “Episode 3: Foot in the Door at Business Corp.” But there we are, and there’s Ka$h. He’s not evaporating — in fact, he’s talking about the time he took 25 tabs of acid at once — which means one of two things: Either we really fucked up, or we found a way out of the Matrix. On the one hand, like, shit, we’re on the damn VIP couch! I’m a journalist — I interviewed the guy that just said he took 25 tabs of acid at once. David is a DJ — he has done shows on the same stage as the guy that just said he took 25 tabs of acid
at once. There’s a concert going on in the next room over, and we both know the guy who’s performing — personally! This is the most well-dressed roomful of people I have ever seen and, for all I know, anybody in this room could conceivably become a world-famous artist one day. We’re also in this room. We’re cool goddammit! On the other hand, what the fuck are we doing here?!? We
quiet where we were sitting as I stopped talking and started thinking about the realer side of “what the fuck are we doing here?” Maybe it’s OK to go bump around Detroit, sitting bewildered on strange couches for a while in my twenties with no particular goal in mind. At the same time, just sitting on a couch feels like a waste of space — I’d like to do something more to help the city and its culture, but do I have any right to think that I could or should help? I grew up in the suburbs fed on a steady diet of horror stories about urban blight and corrupt mayors and general post-apocalyptic decay in Detroit. Before friends like David started inviting me to shows and really introducing me to the city, Detroit’s culture, for me, was limited to the Detroit Institute of Art, Eastern Market, Greektown, Tigers games and the occasional concert at Orchestra Hall — everything else in the city was just a foreboding network of wrecked houses and dark streets I was told to avoid driving around in at all costs. I’ve since learned that there are a whole lot of incredible artists living along those streets, and they’re immensely generous, community-minded, industrious and unbelievably talented. Things have been tough in Detroit for a long time, but the artists living and working there have built up a thriving culture through the struggle — they were doing fine before I started coming downtown to take new profile pictures, use up space on the couches and write articles about wondering what the fuck I’m doing there. Detroit was never my home, but maybe it will be one day. Yet would my presence there be adding something positive to the city and its culture, or just taking it out of the hands of the people who were there from the start? Later that night David and I got off the couch and walked into the other room. My friend Martez was DJing a footwork set, dancing on a makeshift stage in the middle of the room between song transitions. About halfway through his set, a 40-something ILLUSTRATION BY ADAM DEPOLLO salt-and-pepper-haired white dude should have jobs with benefits! We should have places to be at wearing three winter coats stepped up onto the stage and 8 a.m. tomorrow! That guy just said he took 25 tabs of acid at started waving his arms around as though he were doing tai once, is he insane?!? There’s a drug deal going on in this room, chi. He alternated between undulating and rolling around on shouldn’t I be calling the cops?!? Weed is legal here?!? Don’t the ground for the next half hour, and nobody seemed to know they know weed is a gateway drug? Does anyone in this build- what the fuck was going on (the way his eyes were bugging out ing know CPR? of his head, I’m not sure he knew either). Nobody stopped him, We sat there on the couch for a while longer, going back and but it kind of felt to me like I was watching the hostile takeover forth about how absurd and incredible and confusing and just of a creative space. Martez kept DJing, and the guy kept doing plain lucky it was for us to be where we were — this VIP couch his thing. Maybe it was performance art — just another weird that our parents probably never would have had the chance to art happening in Detroit, another addition to the surreal postsit on when they were our age, a couch that wasn’t even in this modernist dreamscape that is the city’s arts scene. room until someone decided it was a good idea to open a club Eventually a few people got on stage and started dancing and art gallery in Detroit a few months before we sat on it, a with him. I looked around the room, wondering what everycouch right in the beating heart of an astonishingly vibrant one else was thinking. I looked back toward the couch. My underground art scene that’s still in its infancy. palms were sweating, and I didn’t know what to do with my The music was still thumping in the other room, but it got hands.
Wednesday, January, 13, 2016 // The Statement
7B
Personal Statement: The Price of Loss by Kayla Cantilla, Daily Staff Videographer
I
have this awful habit of losing things. Redness from windburn crept up my cheeks and numbed my nose on a chilly evening last December. As I kicked the leaves from side to side on the front lawn of a house on South Forest, the only thing running through my mind was “Thank god no one is home to judge the random girl roaming private property” because I looked utterly ridiculous. The sleet frosted each individual blade of grass in a wintry camouflage, ebbing at my resolve to prove Android Device Manager a worthy invention. “It’s not here.” “Yeah definitely not here.” My two friends huddled on the sidewalk, the tallest boys I know, though height was unfortunately useless in this situation. As we trudged back toward South U, making new tracks in the crystal white snow, the lingering emptiness in my right back pocket brought to mind the nefarious qualities of tequila, salt and lime, but the panic and sadness that usually accompanies loss was entirely absent. Loss is something I am much too familiar with. After 27 room keys from Bursley hall, three MCards, four phones in one semester, my dignity every weekend, my trust in religion, my belief in love, any sense of direction in life, two good friends in high school, my grandparents and even my own stability every couple weeks or so, I have come to accept losing things as a fact of life. The day after I lost my phone, I received an e-mail from my mom telling me my grandmother had
know what to say or how to say it even if I did know. As I grew older and more concerned with my own life, I eventually stopped calling my grandmother every Sunday, and stopped flying out to California every summer. In hindsight I chose to lose that relationship — it was my fault. My grandmother had always represented a part of my biracial Chinese American identity, and when in high school I felt like I had to stop embracing the other half of my very mixed cultural identity, I let go of her as well. Wrapped up in trying to find belonging, I chose to lose everything that was ever actually important to me. Being numb isn’t as convenient as it sounds. That night, I ended up dialing my mother’s number instead, and as she expressed her guilt to me over her tumultuous relationship with her own mother, she begged me to call my grandmother to advocate dialysis for prolonging her life. At that moment, finding myself between two eras, two people who loved each other so much they could not show they loved each other, between misunderstandings and an earnest desire to seek an impossible reconciliation, it all came down on me at once. I was supposed to go into studio to work on my finals, but I sat in my car in front of the art school and cried three years of pent up tears in three hours. Crumbling the resolve I carefully built by calcifying loss over brittle bones, they broke. Pain is cathartic, a sign of healing, admitting that it’s OK to not be OK. We get used to hurting after it becomes so familiar. The first pang of great loss knocks the wind out of us. Holding our fists to sternums we sway for a few moments, testing the impact by teetering on the edge of a downward spiral. But like unconsciously bracing a body against the wind, humans adapt: We become prepared and forget
it’s even there. We settle for always being cold. ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE FARRUGIA approxiI once held this solipsistic ideal mately two weeks left to live — I felt numb. The emotions behind the chance of losing the that in the end, I was the only thing I was sure of and could count on because when everywoman who taught me how to cherish morning walks, to be strong and persevering despite thing seems to fail you, it’s easy to pretend you’re in control of yourself. In reality, I was the low beginnings, to cook with a liberal amount of love and a dash of salt, to smile through last thing I could control. language barriers and so much more felt synonymous to losing something as material and What are we but relative to everything else? meaningless as my phone. In embracing loss, I grew to value the people around me and the power I had in my place I’ve come to believe that we choose to lose certain things because we are afraid of what in the world, and to let myself risk the pain in caring. I am slowly understanding that withthey will do to us when we find them again, and at some point in my life I ended up losing out loss, we surrender our empathy, our passion and our relation to a greater society. I lost loss. my grandmother earlier the next year, but with her passing I gained a newfound sense of After a week of working double shifts, I bought myself a new phone, and as I dialed the honesty to myself. numbers I hadn’t dialed in months, I stopped before I could press “call” because I didn’t We must acknowledge loss to let ourselves meander toward what it means to be alive.
8B
Wednesday, January 13th, 2016 // The Statement
V I S UA L S TAT E M E N T:
TWENTY ONE PILOTS
Statement Photo Editor Zoey Holmstrom attended a concert on Dec. 17 featuring the band Twenty One Pilots at Saint Andrew’s Hall in Detroit, MI.
Twenty One Pilots play drums on top of the crowd during their encore song, “Trees.”
Lead vocalist Tyler Joseph performs “Holding On To You.”
Lead vocalist Tyler Joseph performs “Guns For Hands.”