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DIVERSITY

LSA looks to improve R&E course curriculum

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks at a town hall at Eagle Elementary School in Clinton, Iowa on Saturday, nine days before the Iowa caucuses.

Democratic frontrunners aim to draw contrasts in Iowa Clinton, Sanders vie for voter support in days leading to nation’s first caucus By SAM GRINGLAS Daily Staff Reporter

During the past weekend, Michigan Daily journalists spent three days in Iowa covering candidates

from both parties as they prepare for the state’s Democratic and Republican primaries on Feb. 1, the first in the nation. Look for continuing coverage from the Daily in the lead-up to the Iowa caucuses. CLINTON, Iowa — There were two town halls. The first occupied an elementary school cafeteria; the other filled the basement of a Masonic Center about a mile away. On Saturday, in a town called Clinton, the two Democrats leading the race for

their party’s presidential nomination convened separately to rally supporters and, with just days before the Iowa caucuses, draw contrasts between two platforms that are in many ways similar. “As we go through this campaign, and especially now in this last eight, nine days, we are drawing contrasts, and I think that’s appropriate,” Hillary Clinton, former secretary of state, told a crowd of 500 gathered in the Eagle Heights Elementary cafete-

ria. But for much of her 30-minute stump speech, which ticked off policy positions on topics like clean energy, health care and job creation, Clinton avoided direct mention of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who according to a recent CNN poll has gained a lead in the state. An average of polling conducted in January has Clinton with a six-point lead. Martin O’Malley, former Maryland govSee IOWA, Page 3A

College conducts surveys, forums to gauge student experiences By CAMY METWALLY Daily Staff Reporter

In coordination with diversity initiatives on campus, LSA is reviewing the impact of the current race and ethnicity requirement. In September 2015, University President Mark Schlissel announced goals for individual units to collaborate with faculty, staff and students to design Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plans, which in turn would be used to create a comprehensive, University-wide strategic plan. LSA is currently in the process of gathering and analyzing data to better guide its DEI plan, which is due in mid-March. Angela Dillard, associate dean for undergraduate education, said the college is focusing on

BUSINESS

ADMIN

Class organizes competition for $18,000 in seed startup funding Entrepreneurship 407 hosts competition based on “The Voice” By REBECCA SOLBERG Daily Staff Reporter

Last week, Entrepreneurship 407 was turned into a game show. T-shirts were flung into the crowd and “Eye of the Tiger” blared through Stamps Auditorium as students took their seats in the audience, as part of The Startup, an entrepreneurship event on campus. The Center for Entrepreneurship created The Startup, an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to compete for $18,000 to launch their own startup business. The competition consists of four rounds that each emphasize different aspects of starting a business, and is run by the class. Students

from across campus can enter products into the competition. Auditions to be in the competition happened on January 12 and 13, where 50 teams were whittled down to the 21 who participated in the first round. “Every round of the competition stresses something else,” Engineering junior Robert Levy, who took the class last year, said. “One round will stress product development, one will stress customer discovery, so I learned a lot about the steps necessary to grow a startup, not just from the back end of building a product that is valuable but also going out and making sure that your product has value to other people other than yourself.” During the first round on Friday, the judges had their backs to the participants, but if they were interested in their idea, they turned around and then became the team’s mentor for the rest of the rounds. If a judge didn’t turn around, then the team was elimSee STARTUP, Page 3A

reviewing the race and ethnicity requirement and the Comprehensive Studies Program, in particular, to improve access and equity on campus. LSA junior Sean Pitt, CSG chief of staff and member of the R&E review committee, said the description of the requirement, where it addresses class focus, is vague. “It provides a space in which faculty may be able to deviate from the intention of the requirement,” Pitt said. The LSA website describes the R&E requirement as a course that “addresses issues that arise from racial or ethnic intolerance.” The classes must also satisfy two criteria: required content and required focus. The required content encompasses specific guidelines for the class, and the required focus calls for R&E courses to “devote substantial, but not necessarily exclusive, attention to the required content.” The LSA R&E review committee — charged with invesSee REQUIREMENT, Page 3A

Regents tweet with students in Twitter talk Event touches on topics including tuition price, mental health AMANDA ALLEN/Daily

By ALLANA AKHTAR

University alumni speak about their experiences as community leaders during their time as students and their current work at the #WhatIdidnext panel at Keene Theater on Friday.

Alums discuss how activism at ‘U’ shaped future careers Former students cite experiences with broad range of student orgs By TANYA MADHANI Daily Staff Reporter

A hundred students, alumni and faculty gathered in Keene Auditorium on Friday for the #WhatIDidThen panel, composed of student-activist alumni from various backgrounds and

professional fields who have experience in community service. From various backgrounds and professional fields, the panelists included state Rep. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit), Government relations specialist Forrest Cox, Director of Operations (Brooklyn East Collegiate) Atiba Edwards, Research Assistant Diala Khalife, Consultor Donovan McKinney, Field Director Priscilla Martinez and Clinical Social Work Intern Alex Ngo. Edwards, a resident of Brook-

lyn, was a founding member of Fighting Obstacles Knowing Ultimate Success, also known as FOKUS, a student advocacy group for diversity, creativity and unity in a variety of art disciplines. When he first arrived on campus, Edwards said, he felt there was something missing at the University, but didn’t know what it was. He said he did not feel like the University was a true community and it was difficult to get involved in creative arts without pursuing a degree See ACTIVISM, Page 3A

Daily News Editor

University Regents Mark Bernstein (D–Ann Arbor) and Andrea Newman (R–Ann Arbor) used social media Friday to engage with students and discuss campus issues like college affordability, sexual misconduct on campus and increasing minority enrollment. Central Student Government hosted a “Twitter Talk” with Bernstein and Newman with LSA senior Cooper Charlton, CSG president, facilitating questions through the hashtag #AskARegent. During the talk, LSA senior Michael Chrzan asked Bernstein and Newman what role the University plays in helping students at K-12 schools to build a stronger student body. See TWITTER PAGE 3A

The streak continues The Michigan wrestling team stayed hot over the weekend.

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News

2A — Monday, January 25, 2016

MONDAY: This Week in History

TUESDAY: Campus Voices

WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers

GRANT HARDY/Dailly

THURSDAY: Twitter Talk

FRIDAY: Photos of the Week

36 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK (JAN. 24, 1980)

PROTESTING

Anthesiology Prof. Dinesh Pal protests caste system discrimination in India, prompted by the suicide of Rohith Vermula, a PhD student at Hyderabad Central University, on the Diag Saturday.

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Greek life loses pet policy After five former members of fraternity Alpha Delta Phi were involved in killing their house cat, the local chapter of the Humane Society decided to temporarily stop giving house pets to University fraternities. At the time, fraternities could put in a request for a house pet at the Humane Society of Huron Valley. Although the Humane Society would not grant the majority of the requests, several fraternities had house pets they adopted from the organization. After the cat killing occurred in early December and the five students had been expelled from Alpha Delta Phi after their

plea on January 17. Diane Allevato, thendirector of the Humane Society of Huron Valley, said at the time the brutal killing of the cat served as a catalyst for reviewing the organization’s policy. The Humane Society would be “committing organizational suicide” if it allowed fraternities to adopt animals so soon after the catkilling incident, Allevato said. Mark Nehmer, non-acting fraternity president of Delta Chi, said his fraternity sought to adopt an animal but though they had a good record of taking care of house pets and had a recommendation from an LSA assistant

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES

Football film and dialogue

Stories on Islamophobia

WHAT: Trotter Multicultural Center will screen “In Football We Trust,” followed by a talk on sports and social change. WHO: Trotter Multicultural Center WHEN: 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: Trotter Multicultural Center

WHAT: Prof. Evelyn Alsultany and Dr. Adrienne Dessel will facilitate a space for students affected by Islamophobia to share their stories. WHO: Arab and Muslim American Studies Program WHEN: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union, Pendleton Room

Digitalizing health data WHAT: Prof. Alexandra Stern will give a lecture on creating digital platforms with Mapquest and Scalar to uncover histories of eugenics and sterilizations. WHO: Department of American Culture WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library, Gallery (room 100)

perform high baroque by Vivaldi, Rameau and Handel. WHO: School of Music, Theatre and Dance WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore Building, McIntosh Theatre

Discussion on Film on Latino State of the migration State address WHAT: Dr. Jesse WHAT: Rick Pluta and Zoe Clark from the Michigan Public Radio Network will discuss Gov. Snyder’s sixth State of the State address. WHO: Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy WHEN: 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Weill Hall, Betty Ford Classroom, room 1110

Hoffnung-Garskof will host a screening and discsussion of the film “Empire of Dreams.” WHO: Latina/o Studies WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. WHERE: Ann Arbor Downtown District Library, MultiPurpose Room

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dean with their request for a new dog, the request wasn’t granted. According to Nehmer, a Humane Society worker said his fraternity would not be able to adopt a dog right away but may be able to adopt one in two months. Nehmer was disappointed that all of the fraternities were being punished for the actions of a few members. Nehman claimed that his fraternity could appeal to the state level of the Humane Society and receive a more sympathetic response, but he did not think it would be appropriate to go over the local chapter’s head. — RACHEL COHEN

THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY

Faculty recital SPSS WHAT: Jeffrey Lyman workshop and colleagues will WHAT: Instructor Corey Powell will conduct a workshop on SPSS for Windows. WHO: OSCAR Workshops WHEN: 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. WHERE: Modern Languages Building, room 2001A

Exploratory Ph.D. process group

WHAT: The Career Center will facilitate a process group on career planning for Ph.D. students. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Graduate School Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@ michigandaily.com.

Cities on the East Coast are working hard on clean-up and flood mitigation in the aftermath of winter storm Jonas. Record snowfalls occured at New York’s JFK Airport, delaying flights, the New York Times reported.

The Michigan women’s basketball team fell to Nebraska, 93-81, at Crisler Center on Sunday. >> SEE SPORTSMONDAY ON 1B

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Following the lack of diversity in the 2016 Oscar nominations, three new seats will be added to the Academy’s Board of Governors to improve diversity, Slate reported. Many artists including Matt Damon and Don Cheadle have commended the move.

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Speakers highlight South Asian culture and heritage at conference Lecturers talk civil rights, activism in hopes of exploring diverse identities By BRANDON SUMMERSMILLER Daily Staff Reporter

On Saturday, the South Asian Awareness Network’s annual conference hosted two keynote speakers and held multiple seminars to discuss activism, intersectionality and civil rights. While the first keynote focused on South Asian heritage and its links to the Civil Rights Movement, the second emphasized the importance of the intersectionality of racial and cultural identities. Both lecturers aimed to shed light on social entrepreneurship. LSA senior Fatema Chamak, co-director of SAAN, said the

group’s main aim wasn’t just to create a conference that acted as a singular event, but rather to create one that acted as an extension of all the events the organization hosts throughout the year. Of the conference’s many goals, Chamak said she hoped participants learned how to explore the intersectionality and fluidity of their identities. Intersectionality refers to the way different identities connect and overlap. “I want them to walk away with the idea that activism isn’t over,” Chamak said. “And that social identity is something that always needs to be reflective and explored.” American Culture prof. Manan Desai, who gave the first keynote speech, focused on the relationships between South Asian identities and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Desai said African American social activists influenced anti-

imperialist activists in Southern Asia, exploring the history of South Asia and subsequently to activism. “It was not only the case that South Asians who came to the U.S. were often drawn to the conflict fighting injustice,” said Desai. “But the history of African American struggle had long influenced activists back home.” Desai also told the crowd that he wanted to speak at the SAAN conference because during his time as an undergraduate at the University, there wasn’t a space for students of South Asian descent to discuss the issues that faced their community. Overall, he said he hoped participants could learn where South Asians fit into the nation’s history from his keynote. “I was trying to say something inspiring about people before who showed solidarity towards African Americans or civil rights movements,” Desai said. “I also wanted us to think about where South Asians fit historically in the larger picture.” Naya Jeevan CEO Asher Hasan presented the second keynote speech, focusing on his own racial and social identities. Using his own life as an example, he noted how participants could make a positive impact on the world. Hasan’s company, Naya Jeevan, is based in Pakistan and is dedicated to empowering marginalized communities by giving them access to health care, education and financial inclusion. While Hasan spoke specifically to his South Asian heritage, he explained he was more comfortable now as a person who views himself as all his identities simultaneously, whereas he used to think of himself in terms of only one or another at a single time. “We can all have multiple identities,” he said. “It’s just trying to get them to converge together into an integrated whole.” Hasan said he wanted to speak at SAAN’s conference because he See LECTURE, Page 3A

LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Dailly

Matthew Platt, assistant professor in the Political Science Department at Morehouse College speaks about the history of black voting rights as part of his presentation during Political Scientists of Color in Haven Hall on Friday.

Professor challenges traditional norms in Black political action Talk discusses current movement, cites need for progressive agenda By EMILY DAVIES Daily Staff Reporter

About 30 people gathered Friday to listen to and engage with Matthew Platt, assistant professor of political science at Morehouse College, on the state of Black politics in the modern world. The event emphasized what Platt described as a need to continue to think critically about the strategy the Black community employs to fight for change. Throughout his lecture, Platt argued that holding protests and drawing on Black representation in politics both fail to effectively advance the “Black-issue agenda,” which he defined as matters pertaining to anti-racism, culture and social welfare. As part of a research project, Platt examined every bill introduced in Congress from 1947 to 1998 and concluded that the vast

majority of Black-issue bills have been introduced by non-Black representatives. At the highest point, he said, only five Black members of Congress chaired committees. He said due to this statistic, among other factors, the power of change falls to nonBlack representatives. Platt also touched on two popular strategies the black community has used to gain recognition from non-Black members of Congress: protests and politics. Since the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, Platt said there has been an inverse relationship between the number of protests and legislative impact. “Representation has become weaker post-political empowerment in terms of getting Black issues recognized by Congress,” Platt said. “After Black enfranchisement, both protests and politics are less effective tools for gaining white recognition of Black issues. This is what I call the normalization of Black politics.” Platt added this lack of congressional impact has little to do with the Black candidates elected. Even those Black members

of Congress who Platt labeled as “ambitious” in his research, meaning those who formed an exploratory committee for higher office or ran for a higher office, are no more likely to further a Black-issue agenda. In a similar vein, Platt said the most important part of progressive politics is not about the votes, but rather about pushing an agenda to make change. “If you are defining Black politics by how many white people you can get to vote for you, I fail to realize what is Black about that,” Platt said. “Instead we need to think about Black politics in terms of how you move forward a Black policy agenda.” Platt did acknowledge, however, that even if race does not matter in Congress, it does matter in terms of ideology — his research demonstrates that in general, Black people in Congress are extremely liberal. After his remarks, Platt’s audience, a mixture of undergraduate students, graduate students and professors, engaged critically with him on several points. Audience members chalSee PROFESSOR, Page 3A

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NEWS BRIEFS

Blizzard hits the Northeast A winter storm swept through the northeastern United States on Saturday, shutting down both New York City and the nation’s capital. The storm deposited up to three feet of snow in some areas and affected nearly 80 million people, with hurricane-like winds reaching speeds of 50 mph in New York to Virginia and topping out at 75 mph in Delaware. Northeast state officials warned citizens to remain inside and off the roads in the days leading up to the storm’s development. In New York City, officials banned travel in an effort to keep people inside and off the treacherous roads. The storm reached parts of lower Appalachia, stranding some travelers on Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Kentucky highways. Thousands of homes and businesses lost power because of the storm and over 6,000 weekend flights were cancelled. Despite the warnings, 18 deaths have been blamed on the inclement weather and thousands of travelers were forced to remain in the affected region.

Ann Arbor teachers frustrated with new district evaluation system A group of Ann Arbor teachers and parents claim the new evaluation system developed by the district to coincide with new state standards are drastic and unnecessary. Ann Arbor Public Schools administrators developed the new evaluation system to conform to the state government’s 2011 law, which revised Michigan’s teacher tenure. Before the district’s evaluation reform, supervisors worked closely with teachers to examine individualized topics including the teacher’s instuction abilities and classroom management. Now, every teacher will be evaluated on 76 objectives, which the superintendent claims will help both students and teachers. However, the teacher’s union claims it will only hurt both. While teachers and parents are upset and voicing their concerns with the new evaluation system, administrators say they are following the law and the Michigan Department of Education’s guidance. However, the Department of Education claimed it was up to each individual district how the new standards are met.

19th Century music to be digitized by University Over the next two years, the University will digitize a large collection of sheet music collected by the Edison Phonograph Co. during the early 20th Century. After amassing the music collection to record for the American public, the company closed in 1929 and the sheet music changed hands several times. After making its way to the Henry Ford family and several other parties, the Univeristy of Michigan Library acquired the collection in 1989. The University plans to digitize just over 30,000 of the collection’s titles — only a third — over the course of the next two years. The Council on Library and Information Resources made the project possible with a grant through their Digitizing Hidden Special Collections and Archives program. The project will yield the largest online collection of pre-1870 sheet music, and will allow people to explore music that was composed during an era of distinctly American music. The digital collection will be accessible through the University’s library catalogue, Mirlyn, in addition to Google Books and the Digital Public Library of America.

—BRANDON SUMMERS-MILLER

STARTUP From Page 1A inated. After the first round, the audience — the students of Entrepreneurship 407 — voted to determine which team would advance. The competition is a valuable learning experience for both the competitors and the students of in the class, Richard Smith, a Ross School of Business alum, who has been attending the class for five years, said. He said the mentors help students to not only improve their businesses, but also improve the way they present their ideas amid a heated competition. Mentors are individuals associated with the Center for Entrepreneurship, who work with each team to improve their ideas. “The first round, the students are rough,” he said. “But by the end of the semester they were smooth and polished and have content and have done work on developing the business plan, the marketplace or the product itself. They are always magnitudes better at the end.” Additionally, Levy said mentors played a critical role in the development of the team’s ideas and businesses. “In any venture you do in life you need people with more experience to help guide you,” he said. “And the mentors are a great tool for the people trying to make their companies really profitable.” Maite Iribarren, Art & Design and Engineering freshman and a participant in the competition, said while she has a jewelry collection created and ready to be put into production, she was “here to learn something about the business side of it.” Matt Gibson, director of undergraduate programs at the Center for Entrepreneurship and co-founder of The Startup, said the judges become very invested in the participants they are guiding — they defend their teams and encourage the audience to vote for them to advance. “The judges become your biggest supporters and fans,” he said. Thomas Frank, executive director for the Center for Entrepreneurship and co-creator of the competition, said students benefit from hearing the different pitches and ideas. “This gives students in this class an opportunity to go on a entrepreneurial journey with a bunch of different startups,” he said. “They get this real sort of first-hand chance to see how people succeed, how they

struggle, how they make progress, how they don’t, and it is not the kind of experience you can get any other way.” Engineering sophomore Nick Morris, an instructional assistant for the class, agreed that the competition is a great learning experience as they are able to analyze and critique the different pitches. He said he was excited to learn about the various companies and different ideas. LSA freshman Rachel Ordan, a student in the class, said she was excited to learn about the creative ideas of her peers. “I’m excited to see the different ways that groups are innovative in finding new solutions to things that I can relate to,” she said. The competition had a wide variety of startups. Iribarren, the jewelry designer, showcased products that she said take a different approach to how people wear jewelry. “It’s for more than just accessorizing,” she said, “It’s kind of like something you have with you always, like a toy or a mechanism that can entertain you.” Engineering senior Tristan MacKethan presented a website called MSell that he said is a platform for people who want to buy and sell items in a market where items are sold in high volume around a particular time period — like football tickets in the fall or textbooks in the beginning or end of the semester. LSA freshman Kyle Zaoitell, another competitor, created a website called Wage Pit which allows League of Legends players from around the world to make wagers against each other when they are playing the game. The Startup finalists in years past have been very successful now after the competition, Frank said. “The team that won (last year) went from having an idea for how to help ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) patients communicate through puffs of air to bringing all of these medical factors out of their advisory board filing a provisional patent,“ Frank said. During the first round on Friday, Gibson said the judges were looking for ambitious and confident teams that they think will be able to go the distance. “They want something that can be a viable business,” he said “But maybe even more than that they are looking for students that are really ambitious and looking to make something happen. They want to see that commitment and willingness to take it to the next level.”

LECTURE From Page 2A

TWITTER From Page 1A

wished to share his experiences with young people, and help them navigate the world of entrepreneurship from hearing his experiences. “I always enjoy engaging millennials because they’re a generation that don’t just want to do good for themselves,” Hasan said. “They also want to do good for others.” LSA senior David Schafer, who attended the conference, said he came because he he thought it was important to discuss social justice issues within the South Asian community. “Even though we do come from a variety of backgrounds and identities, we have shared lives and experiences,” he said. “We need to help each other and we need to set out to stand in solidarity with each other.”

Bernstein said the University should pay less attention to standardized test scores and more to skills that “contribute to society.” Newman added the University works closely with the Detroit Public Schools and will continue its presence in the city. Recently, many teachers have spoken out againstthe poor conditions of DPS schools and how they limit K-12 students’ success. LSA freshman Peter Pujols asked what the regents plan to do to curb the increasing cost of attendance at the University, which experienced a 2.7 percent and 3.7 percent hike in tuition to in-state and out of state students, respectively, for this year.

PROFESSOR From Page 2A lenged Platt on his research surrounding protests, citing the success of the Black Lives Matter movement and the harsh backlash surrounding the sickouts in Detroit, when teachers called in sick in protest of the poor school conditions. Hakeem Jefferson, Ph.D. candidate in political science, said he didn’t fully agree with Platt’s stance on Black politics. “Matt’s work is provocative.

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Opinion

4A — Monday, January 25, 2016

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Writing women into history

“H

istory is written by the victors” was perhaps Winston Churchill’s most well-known quote. Like many great quotes, it’s one that CONNOR expresses a grand idea KIPPE succinctly and elegantly: Those who win write not only their own history but also everyone else’s. While some apply this only to war, it extends to any type of conflict. When any two groups engage in competition, there are, by default, always winners and losers. From sports, to grades, to social situations, someone always has an edge. These competitions are often construed as being completely fair, as all participants engage in the same task, meaning one shouldn’t, hypothetically, confront any more difficulty than another during the task. However, this doesn’t take into account that people are shaped by their previous experiences, which are different for each person. These experiences are often dependent on social identity, with privilege and social capital playing a large part in life. The challenges I have faced as a white male of high socioeconomic status are profoundly different (and overall, lesser) than those faced by any person of color. In certain aspects of society throughout history, privilege has resulted in overrepresentation of certain groups over others, one of the most privileged groups being males in leadership positions. We can see this effect across a number of professions: in education, business, the military and often government as well. This overrepresentation in the present leads to overrepresentation in history, and contributes to the prevalence of buildings and monuments dedicated to men. While you can see this all over, on government buildings or sports stadiums, it is especially apparent in institutions of higher learning. Regarded as a bastion of liberalism, you might think the University of Michigan wouldn’t hold true to this common practice. And to a degree, it doesn’t, with four residence halls named after women (Martha Cook, Alice Lloyd, Mary Markley, Helen Newberry, Betsy Barbour) and one academic building named after a heterosexual couple (Betsy and Bob Beyster Building). However, there is currently no academic building named solely after a woman. And given that the University has more than 500 buildings spread over North, South, Medical and Central campuses, the buildings listed above constitute a paltry sum. Many feminists know too well the ways in which women have been erased from history, and in response, they have created the aptly named “her-story,” in opposition to “hisstory.” However, you can’t really construct

buildings for the express purpose of naming them after women, which would be the physical equivalent of writing her-story. While you could rename current monuments and buildings, this is met with fierce resistance. That being said, three members of LSA Student Government — budget allocations committee chair Nicholas Fadanelli, President Jason Colella and Vice President Reid Klootwyk — may have found an opportunity to remedy this problem. With construction underway for the new Biological Sciences Building, and no name currently assigned to it other than “Biological Sciences Building,” there is an opportunity to have an academic building at the University named after a woman. Colella, Klootwyk and Fadanelli sought to bring about this change by writing a resolution and trying to pass it through student government. What’s more, they have a perfect candidate to name the building after: our former University President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman, one of only two former University presidents who do not have a building named after them. Mary Sue Coleman has been one of our most respected and distinguished former presidents. She earned many awards while in office, including being named one of the top 10 college presidents in the country by TIME. And even after leaving her job as president of the University, Coleman has continued to give the school a good name. Since her departure, she has served as the president of the Association of American Universities and was appointed by President Barack Obama to help launch one of his initiatives. And these are just a few of the accomplishments she has achieved so far. As Fadanelli stated in an e-mail exchange with the Daily, “The fact that the University of Michigan does not have an academic building named solely after a woman is not only shocking, but it is also shameful. We, here, strive to push for diversity and inclusion in every field of study, and the lack of an academic building named after a woman does not send the image or the message that I believe the University of Michigan should.” LSA Student Government will be voting at their Jan. 27 meeting on this resolution that would put pressure on the University to name the building after Coleman. Following LSA Student Government’s consideration of the resolution, they will urge Central Student Government to do the same. I believe naming a building after a distinguished woman such as Mary Sue Coleman will start the University on the right track, and maybe even rewrite a little history itself. —Connor Kippe can be reached at conkip@umich.edu.

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, Hunter Zhao

DAN PARK

E-mail Dan at danct@umich.edu

CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION

Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.

Gov. Snyder, Michigan alum

When news of the Flint water crisis broke national headlines, I couldn’t believe the reports I was reading. The citizens of Flint had been drinking river water contaminated not only by lead, but also with E. coli and trihalomethanes, for more than an entire year. Worse yet, they essentially were poisoned in order to save the city money. Every article brought new testimonies — new tragedies — from victims of the crisis. This isn’t something that families in Flint can simply recover from. There is no bouncing back: Lead poisoning, at any threshold, will cause irreversible damage to the body. Children from Flint are the biggest victims, given that lead exposure results in effects reduced IQ, antisocial behavior or immunotoxicity, to name a few. The most haunting images from this catastrophe are those featuring “elected” officials proudly toasting with cups of tap water to celebrate the switch from the Detroit water system to the Flint River. It’s so haunting because it is the same people captured in those photos who would turn a blind eye the next week to an unending stream of public complaints, jugs of putrid brown water brought to city council meetings and widespread outbreaks of skin lesions/hair falling out. Returning to Ann Arbor after Winter Break, I hesitated briefly at the thought of drinking a cup of water from the faucet. I kept asking myself whether or not I could trust the tap water after reading about the tragedy unfolding just a one-hour drive away — a ridicu-

lous thought in hindsight. Reviewing the depravity and failure of the Flint city government and Michigan state government didn’t give me any sense of reassurance. It only made me more skeptical and cynical about whom to trust. Nevertheless, I’m very certain my water isn’t contaminated (to the extent of Flint’s), but the question still lingers in my mind: What if the water here is poisoned, and I just continue to drink? The University of Michigan is Gov. Snyder’s alma mater; he received not only his bachelor’s degree, not only his master’s degree in business administration, but also his juris doctor degree here nearly 33 years ago. It is disturbing — no, humiliating — to know that the man at the epicenter of the Flint water crisis walked through the Diag, sat in one of the Angell Hall auditoriums or took a stroll through the Law Quad. Why do I mention his attendance at the University of Michigan? Well, to be frank, it boggles my mind that someone like him could come from this school — my school. The evidence for Gov. Snyder as an active villain of the crisis couldn’t be any more clear or well documented: Unconscionable shortcuts were taken, warnings were ignored or even refuted, and action was, and still has been, limited. Believe it or not, part of the University’s mission statement is “to serve the people of Michigan … and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.” Though he is not completely to blame, Gov. Snyder, as an alum, has

failed the mission of the University of Michigan, given what has unfolded in Flint. The community of Flint has been devastated from his administration’s inaction and negligence. There is simply no excuse for what has happened. As a current undergraduate student here at Michigan, I can’t help but wonder how Gov. Snyder came to be able to make the unfortunate decisions he makes today. Was it during his first four years at Michigan that he began valuing money over the lives of children, was it when he began to work at Irvine or was it when he returned to Ann Arbor to create Ardesta LLC? The University of Michigan shouldn’t be attributed to the mistakes of our governor. However, if men like Gov. Snyder can come from schools like the University, perhaps our degrees should begin requiring all students to take a course in ethics and morals. This might make it more difficult later on to devalue human life. While I recognize it is idealistic to say starting salary shouldn’t matter, our institution needs to reaffirm that our degrees mean we are not only educated, but also committed to the public good. If the world of money after college will try to corrupt us, our education should serve as a deterrence. Somewhere along the way, Gov. Snyder forgot about what it means to be an alum of the University of Michigan. Somewhere along the way, he began to drink poisoned water. Hunter Zhao is a member of the Daily’s Editorial Board.

Justice for Flint

f you were anywhere near the Michigan League over Martin Luther King Jr. Day weekend, you likely noticed hordes of high school students running around in suits. What was going on? Had the career fair come early? Was the University of MichiVICTORIA gan promising NOBLE admission to the best-dressed minors? Not quite. That weekend, more than 600 high school students traveled to Ann Arbor to participate in a Model United Nations conference called MUNUM. For four days, they assumed the roles of diplomats and world leaders from different countries, and debated and attempted to resolve some of the world’s most pressing issues. The day after the conference ended, dozens of rightfully angry people gathered in Ann Arbor to demand justice for Flint. In the eyes of the protesters, justice seemed to imply that Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) be recalled due to his complicity in the Flint water disaster. Other calls for justice have included reparations for the damage to the property and people affected by the lead-tainted water. But money and personal consequences for the officials deemed responsible are necessary — but insufficient — components of justice for the nearly 100,000 people who were poisoned by their government. Justice is a dubious concept when so many people have been subjected to immeasurable long-term harm. The closest thing to justice that our state can deliver to the city of Flint, aside from monetary compensation — aid in dealing with longterm consequences of lead poisoning and punishment for the complicit officials — certainly includes policy reforms to prevent a similar situation from happening in the future. That’s where our government officials would be best served by taking a lesson from the idealistic high schoolers who flooded Michigan’s campus for the MUNUM conference. At MUNUM, I directed a committee of about 80 high school students, and challenged them to reform a global trade agreement that requires almost every country in the world to adopt and enforce copyright, trademark and patent protection laws. If that issue sounds a bit dense, that’s only because it is. International trade law isn’t exactly a topic of casual conversations — especially among high schoolers. But there is an important reason to discuss this issue — the law in question often restricts low-income countries’ abilities to provide affordable life-saving drugs to their citizens

during health crises. Powerful, developed countries claim the agreement is necessary for economic reasons. Low-income countries often counter that it prioritizes company profits at the expense of human health. The students in my committee debated this issue as if it affected them personally. They came to a resolution far more comprehensive than anything I’ve seen suggested elsewhere, least of all by the U.S. government. The reason they were so effective in representing the interests of other people affected by an issue they probably hadn’t thought about before seemed to be their ability to empathize. Empathy is a skill Model UN tries to cultivate, prompting students to totally assume the mindset of diplomats with a national identities different from their own. If there’s any single thing I could point to as a cause of the Flint water crisis, it’s the complete failure of Michigan leaders to empathize with the people they were appointed to serve. But this lack of empathy doesn’t necessarily stem from a personal failure on the part of our leaders (though that certainly may have played a role). Rather, this total failure to understand and advocate for the interests of Flint residents is systemic, and therefore susceptible to repetition. It’s called Public Act 4, a 2012 law that strengthened the power of emergency managers. In 2012, Gov. Snyder remarked that “these new laws recognize the vital importance of financially stable, economically vibrant communities to Michigan’s future.” But by enhancing the authority of leaders far removed from the people they serve, it lowered the likelihood that these leaders would adequately value the interests of the people they were appointed to represent. Failure to empathize may sound like a pretty squishy explanation for what has surely become one of the most costly and highest-profile government-made catastrophes of the Snyder administration. But the entire concept of American democracy is derived from the idea that the most effective and just leaders are those most able to understand, relate to and advocate for the people they serve. Emergency managers almost by definition don’t fit these criteria. They are supposed to override local interests with the goal of taking tough but necessary austerity measures that elected officials are sometimes too fearful to impose. This is deemed necessary, and may be appropriate for addressing budgetary concerns in a strictly financial sense. Public Act 4 gave emergency managers power over most noteworthy city operations, and even the authority to renegotiate contracts. In Flint, the state had far more power than should’ve been necessary to restore fiscal solvency. This power is, in the most direct and fun-

damental sense, what caused the Flint water crisis. It’s hard to imagine local leaders who wouldn’t react promptly to yellow water flowing out of sinks, showers and fire hydrants throughout their city. It’s even less likely that local government would have failed to respond immediately to concerns over lead poisoning, the effects of which will continue to impact their city for decades, long after state officials have turned their attention to other issues. But for nearly two years, more than 8,600 children in Flint have been exposed to water with elevated lead levels, irrevocably raising their risk of learning, behavioral and attention disorders. Despite knowing about the issue for months, the state failed to acknowledge or resolve the problem. They continued to deny the lead concerns until 38-year-old Flint pediatrician Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha studied data on the blood lead levels of child Medicaid beneficiaries in Flint, and repeatedly alerted state officials that the numbers were extremely high. The Flint water crisis has since become a national controversy. Everyone from Cher to Ben Carson has weighed in. President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency. Snyder himself has even admitted that he and his administration had failed the people of Flint. The state has promised money and profusely apologized for their mismanagement of the water crisis, but state leaders have yet to produce adequate solutions to the problems they created. The city still lacks adequate plans and funding to compensate victims and create special education and juvenile corrections programs for the more than 8,600 children now statistically more likely to need these facilities. I’ve seen no evidence that those plans are in the works. Soon, the 24-hour news cycle will find something new to talk about. Cher, Bernie Sanders, Ben Carson, Michael Moore and the other celebrities who have thrust Flint into the national spotlight will focus their attention elsewhere. But the people of Flint will be living with the impacts of this government failure long after the bottled water donations and news trucks have stopped showing up in their town. The state officials, reporters and outof-town advocates can all move on as soon as it’s convenient for them to do so. Those affected by the poisoned water don’t have that luxury. No amount of restitution or retribution can change that basic fact. Justice for Flint requires that the state honor the legacy of the city and people it so monumentally failed by preventing a repeat incident elsewhere. To do that, our legislators must reform Public Act 4. —Victoria Noble can be reached at vjnoble@umich.edu.

Arts

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW

NO FILTER

Zwilich concerto evokes emotions USO to perform classical program at Hill Auditorium By DAYTON HARE Daily Arts Writer

Classical music has long been justifiably accused of being the genre of dead white men. It comes out of a European University tradition, and like almost all Symphony professional Orchestra fields, it has Wed. 8 p.m. historically been domi- Pre-concert nated by men. lecture begins But over the at 7:15 past 50 years or so, classi- Hill Auditorium cal music has Free and open been diversifying, mirror- to the public ing the overall transformation of society. This certainly isn’t happening quickly or easily — the classical music world is notorious for its intransigent and traditional nature — but more and more women and minorities have started landing jobs in major orchestras and taking the stage as featured soloists. One area of classical music in particular that has been slow to evolve is the field of composition. With a few notable exceptions — Barbara Strozzi, Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Ethel Smyth, Nadia Boulanger — there have been nearly no famed female composers until very recently. Today, numerous female composers of great talent and skill are active — such as Joan Tower, Shulamit Ran, Augusta Read Thomas, Kaija Saariaho, Julia Wolfe and many others — but there is still a noticeable disparity between the number of male and female artists in the public eye. Another such successful woman composer is Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, who — along with Joan Tower — is one of the earliest contemporary female composers to establish a large reputation. Still active today, Zwilich will have her latest work, Concerto Elegia — for flute and string orchestra — performed on Wednesday by flutist Amy Porter and the University Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Kenneth Kiesler. Also on the program will be Verdi, Wagner and Ravel. “I’ve been a musician since I was — I don’t know — old enough to climb under the piano bench,” Zwilich said in a phone interview with The Michigan Daily. “I had the very good fortune to go to a high school that had a wonderful music program … I was a trumpet player and a violinist, and wrote music for the band to play ... it was quite a wonderful high school music experience I had, and I lament the fact that that’s not available to all kids today.” Zwilich began her collegiate musical studies at Florida State University — where she is now a professor — and following

her graduation, moved to New York. “One of my big reasons [for moving to New York] was to get better as a violinist … shortly after I got [to New York] I began to work as a violinist,” Zwilich said. “I had seven years in the American Symphony Orchestra under Leopold Stokowski — which was quite interesting — and at one point I really wanted to go further with my composition … I had never quite written a piece I was satisfied with.” Zwilich then began pursuing a degree in composition at the Juilliard School, studying with the renowned composers Elliott Carter and Roger Sessions. In 1975 she became the first woman to ever earn a doctorate in composition from Juilliard, an event which marked the beginning of her many triumphs as a composer. “Eight years later I had an overnight success,” Zwilich said, alluding to her winning of the Pulitzer Prize for her Symphony No. 1. She was the first woman to win the prestigious prize, and her ensuing popularity allowed her to compose fulltime, secure in the assumption that commissions would be regular enough. “I’ve been lucky.” Zwilich said. “Writing has been part of my life really since I was ten years old. I love what I do, and it’s a great honor to write for some of the people I’ve written for.” Concerto Elegia, the piece which will be performed Wednesday by the USO, was commissioned by a group of eleven universities, including the University of Michigan. It was completed last year, in response to a personal tragedy which also caused a dry spell for Zwilich preceding its composition. “I had a commission for flute and string orchestra … and my husband [Erik Lamont] died,” Zwilich said. “And I was really not able to write much for a time after that, and it really just turned into a memorial for him.” The piece is in three movements, the first Elegy the second Soliloquy and the last Epilogue, to which Zwilich affixed an inscription of importance to her. “I’ve put in the score a quote from [the ancient Greek playwright] Sophocles, saying ‘One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been,’ ” Zwilich said. “ The odd thing about it was that this is the next piece I was supposed to write, and when I wrote the Elegy — which was very different from all the thoughts I had about the piece — I found out after I’d finished it that in ancient Greece the flute was the instrument of elegy. It was really quite amazing.” Concerto Elegia is a concerto, which means that it is for a soloist and orchestra. Traditionally the orchestra has been regarded as accompaniment to the soloist, but many morerecent composers — including Zwilich — have come to regard the form as a dialogue. “I really love to balance

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the weight of the solo instrument against the weight of the orchestra,” Zwilich said. “For me a concerto doesn’t mean that the orchestra is lying down like a doormat. It involves interaction — almost everything that moves me in music and what I want to write is really a lot like chamber music. Where there is support and interaction between the ensemble and the soloist.” The piece also gives ample opportunity for the soloist to display their skill, artistry and individuality. “There’s a little room for the performer to put their own stamp on it,” Zwilich said. “And I like that, because for me music doesn’t exist until someone breathes life into it.” “It’s a piece left open for many chances of interpretation,” said flute soloist Amy Porter, a professor at the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. “I also feel like because it’s in memory of her late husband, it’s putting life and death experiences into my performance, because I’ve suffered loss as well.” Porter described the piece as being extremely fluid, lyrical and emotionally engaging. For an open listener, the concerto is designed to touch strong emotions. When asked if there was anything she would like audience members to know before hearing the piece, the composer had some specific advice. “One of the saddest things, in my experience, is when somebody comes up to me and asks ‘what should I listen for?’ ” Zwilich said. “And my answer is always ‘open your ears and your heart and your mind, your soul — the whole thing — and just listen.”Zwilich said. “And my answer is always ‘open your ears and your heart and your mind, your soul — the whole thing — and just listen.”

Monday, January 25, 2016 — 5A

HBO

You know what they say about small hands.

Allure of journalism By CHRISTIAN KENNEDY Daily Music & Blog Editor

I love journalism porn. I’m not talking about Playboy editorials, nor am I talking about the most sleekly designed, well-written publications available today. Specifically, I’m referring to the second dictionary definition under “porn”: television programs, magazine, books, etc. that are regarded as emphasizing the sensuous or sensational aspects of a nonsexual subject and stimulating a compulsive interest in their audience. In this scenario, the keywords/ phrases are “television, books, etc.” (film), “sensational aspects” and “compulsive interest in their audience.” The sensational aspects are the dedication, idealism and honesty of the upwardlooking depictions in my favorite Journalism porn go-tos: HBO’s “The Newsroom,” the 2015 film “Spotlight” and the 2007 FX series “Dirt” — more different than similar, all three pieces of media fluff up the cloudy pedestal on which I’ve placed The Fourth Estate. “The Newsroom” is an oftencriticized portrayal of an elite newsroom basked in Sorkinesque idealism and crisply engineered banter: often-criticized in that many media sources find the show’s tone preachy and idealistic in the way that it offers an otherworldly example of journalism. It pays no attention to balance for balance’s sake, gives facts and asks only knowledgeable guests to

weigh in. But in today’s political culture where political television more often than not resembles ideological MMA fighting rather than intellectual discourse, maybe 2016 could use a little Atlantis Cable News. Or maybe I just watch “The Newsroom” too much. I don’t think that’s anyone’s call to make. As “The Newsroom” is idealistic, “Spotlight” is raw. “Spotlight,” one of this year’s least flashy “Best Picture” nominees, tells the story of a Boston investigative journalism team uncovering a widespread child sex abuse in the Boston archdiocese of the Catholic Church. It shows the grueling work — the fact-checking, the busy work, the frustration and even the anger and shame that can accompany aspects of the job. “Spotlight” gracefully balances the heavy content with brief moments of humor that didn’t detract from the story being told, as well as highlighting the oftenforgotten origin of journalism: truth. Not because it’s easy or necessarily what people want to hear, but because it’s right. “Dirt” — if the name didn’t give it away — is lower brow than the aforementioned and puts more of its emphasis on the “porn.” The short-lived FX drama centers on ruthless gossip magazine editorin-chief Lucy Spiller (Courteney Cox, “Friends”). It’s the epitome of guilty pleasure. It’s lurid in its portrayal of both journalism and celebrity: the nittiest and the grittiest aspects of both played out over a season and a half of out of control cover stories including a

Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Monday, January 25, 2016

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

beheaded R&B star, fake pregnancies, real pregnancies and (clearly) a “Sexxx Issue,” polybagged and loaded with celebs’ private material. While the dirtier aspects of “Dirt” do offer as much pleasure as they do guilt, Lucy Spiller offers a moral compass to a rather immoral show. Sure, she’s a tabloid queen (a business that the world would be much better off without), but her commitment to the truth and always getting “the scoop” is not only infection, but in some ways it’s reminiscent of “The Newsroom.” At D!rt Now, they are above publishing lies — instead they just do whatever it takes to get to the dirtiest truths. “The Newsroom,” “Spotlight” and “Dirt” exemplify the pornification of the journalist. Moreover, these quickly paced, highly addicting dramas point to something bigger. Think of the average television drama ... each of them has a journalist or quasi-journalist character. “Scandal” is filled to the brim, “House of Cards” has Zoe, “Orange Is The New Black” has Larry (bleh), “Parks and Rec” has talk show hosts and many more, to name a few. Journalism is pervasive, representationally, in today’s media, even if only through the use of minor characters. When the media elite do take the focus of a project, I can only liken that product to the most addicting of addictions. Journalism porn leaves me with what it admits to: sensationalism. But sensational is something to aspire to, is it not?

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ACROSS 1 ’90s game disc 4 Infield fly 9 Invites home for dinner, say 14 007 creator Fleming 15 Banish 16 Unable to sit still 17 *Game where one might have an ace in the hole 19 Actor __ Elba of “The Wire” 20 Liability offset 21 Settle in a new country 23 Young Simpson 26 “Coulda been worse!” 27 Biblical beast 30 Least fatty 33 __-12 conference 36 *Financial page listing 38 “__ creature was stirring ... ” 39 Team in 40-Across 40 Arch city: Abbr. 41 Ship carrying fuel 42 Iowa State city 43 *Only woman ever elected governor of Alaska 45 Very quietly, in music 46 Artist’s paint holder 47 Farm pen 48 Gave the nod to 50 Payroll IDs 52 Became partners 56 To date 60 Ed with seven Emmys 61 *Stack of unsolicited manuscripts 64 “I’ll do it” 65 Gum treatment, briefly 66 Former president of Pakistan 67 Relaxed 68 “500” Wall St. index ... and a hint to the answers to starred clues 69 Reheat quickly

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Arts

6A — Monday, January 25, 2016

MUSIC COLUMN

FILM REVIEW

Guitar as gospel: ‘Music is my religion’ T

here was once a point in my life when I called Bob Dylan a prophet, like a literal prophet, and thought I meant it. I dropped out of organized religion around age 14, but even if the Catholic ADAM Church THEISEN doesn’t necessarily fit with what’s in your heart, that doesn’t mean all your spiritual questions are immediately satisfied. At the same time, though, that doesn’t mean it’s easy to just up and join another religion. I think there’s a certain amount of belief you’re just born with, but if you lose that, then something really crazy has to happen for you to regain it. In other words, I couldn’t just choose something because it made sense; I had to feel it. So I turned to music. The closest thing I could get to religious ecstacy or a connection with something greater was screaming the lyrics to “Like a Rolling Stone” while driving home, or pacing my basement at 3 a.m. to Elliott Smith and The National, or sitting in my backyard listening to Astral Weeks. I got caught up with the artists whose voices touched my soul, got obsessed and started to take my relationship with music incredibly seriously. I wanted to believe that just ‘cause I cried when I first heard Jeff Buckley’s “Hallelujah” it meant he could save my soul, and that Dylan held the secrets of the universe in his tightly knotted verse and if I could just untangle them I’d know exactly how to live. I needed these guys with guitars to be my preachers. Their albums were so special to me that I wanted them to be scripture. I felt like their songs should be able to fix me whenever I felt broken.

And I still feel that impulse more than I wish I would. I have stomachaches that I try to medicate with acoustic guitar, confrontations that make me long for David Bowie or existential problems I want to resolve with Van Morrison. I mix playlists like cocktails — one part Paul Simon, one part Paul McCartney, one part Townes Van Zant — and drink them hoping they’ll make me feel the way I want. Instead, they’ll usually just feed into the feelings I’m already having. I’ll be on my couch listening to a song over and over and over again, and I won’t be able to stop, like I’m trapped and keep hitting the l<< button on my iPod but I can’t explain to myself why, and I’ll just be frustrated that the music isn’t helping anything. But other times it just clicks. And when it does, it’s with weird artists. Like, there’s a song by A Flock of Seagulls — of all the bands — called “Space Age Love Song” and it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever heard not because it “speaks to me” or because it even knows I exist and am listening, but because it just is. I love it because the singer is hopeful and the guitar feels like it’s propelling me on a fantastic journey and sometimes that’s all I need more than anything. And then out of nowhere I’ll get mesmerized by something like the intro to John Cougar Mellencamp’s “I Need a Lover,” just this piano sprinkled over hard drumming and heavy riffs. I start smiling because the cowbell that just came in feels like it’s being hit to the exact same pace as my heart. And then everything starts to quiet down for just a second after about two minutes, only to return with about 10 times as much force — the fireworksblasting, jump-up-and-hit-theground-in-unison full-band moment that makes the whole track perfect. And then I realize the main part of the song hasn’t even started yet.

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Honestly, as anticlimactic as it might be, I think the difference is as simple as expectations. I want Van Morrison to make me fly and give me a life where everything’s perfect, and of course he’s not gonna be able to manage a task like that. I just want A Flock of Seagulls and John Mellencamp to deliver something I can enjoy, and when they do, I don’t try to make the song into anything holy. Music is special, but it’s not magic, and digging for answers by listening to old albums is more often an exercise in self-conscious nostalgia than an action that will get you anywhere new. So I’ve been listening to Seu Jorge’s David Bowie covers, and honestly, as I’m writing this, I feel really good, because every time I finish a paragraph I’ve just been sitting back and taking deep breaths and just kind of laughing to myself, because there’s a very strong part of me that actually wishes I could solve life by throwing my entire being into all kinds of music — whether it’s with a record as huge as My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy or with the recordings of a dude with an acoustic guitar just trying to wrap Portuguese sounds around “Queen Bitch” and “Five Years.” I’m really just trying to clear my head and breathe and not try to think or feel or force anything, to just let these songs flow through me and cleanse me without directing them to the problem areas of my brain and forcing music to fix them. And I love it, and I feel so much better now — not because the artists I love have mystical healing powers, but because I realize they don’t and can still love their work with all my heart anyway.

Theisen is mulling over the religious value of Carly Rae Jepsen. To commend or denounce him, email ajtheis@umich.edu.

PARAMOUNT PICTURES

Is this pre or post-puppet sex?

‘Anomalisa’ explores oddity and tragedy By MADELEINE GAUDIN Daily Arts Writer

How good can a puppet movie with an R rating for sexual content and graphic nudity be? Really, really good. Good A+ enough to be the best animat- Anomalisa ed (and possibly best all-around) State Theater movie of the Paramount year. Charlie Kaufman’s Pictures (“Synecdoche, New York”) latest follows apathetic self help author Michael Stone (David Thewlis “Macbeth”) through a daylong visit to Cincinnati, Ohio. But Kaufman cracks through this simple plot to ask (and not answer) some of the world’s most impossible and important questions. Unlike previous Kaufman films, “Anomalisa” isn’t a maze or a puzzle. Its plot can be summarized on a line rather than a page. By keeping his narrative taut, Kaufman allows himself to create a world full of stunning visuals (remember, everything is puppet sized!) and complex characters. “Anomalisa” didn’t need to be a puppet movie, but it succeeds

beautiful moments in any film. I never thought a puppet singing Cyndi Lauper would make me cry, but the scene is “Anomalisa” at its rawest — it’s the simplicity of having a favorite song and the odd honesty of singing it to someone you barely know. Then there’s puppet sex. And it’s uncomfortable. But it’s also honest. Michael and Lisa fumble awkwardly with each other, each action made deliberate by their insecurities and the worry that this could be their last (and maybe even only) chance to “get it right.” The scene — like the whole film — is heavy, but not so heavy that it isn’t funny. Kaufman manages to find humor within the tragedy of banality and urgency of middle age. “Anomalisa” is heartbreaking, but to have your heart broken by a movie like this is its own kind of pleasure. During the film’s climatic scene Michael asks a room full of puppets, “What is it to be human?” Yes, there’s some irony there, but there’s also a whole lot of honesty. Because, ultimately, “Anomalisa” is the best thing any piece of art can strive to be: honest.

Tolstoy’s classic novel retold by the BBC

TV REVIEW

By DANIELLE YACOBSON Daily Arts Writer

BBC

Paul Dano, where is that wig from?

because it is one. The oddities and tragedies of human behavior are magnified when acted out by 3D-printed puppets. There is no conflation of actor and character because there isn’t any acting. So in a way, “Anomalisa” becomes more human. But, it doesn’t want its audience to confuse the puppets for humans, leaving seams across the cheeks and hairlines. Part of Michael’s face even falls off at one point, revealing its mechanical interior. After a failed reunion with an old flame, Michael meets Lisa, brought to life by the glowing voice of Jennifer Jason Leigh (“The Hateful Eight”). Lisa is the anomaly after which the film is named. And she is the only character besides Michael not voiced by Tom Noonan (“Manhunter”), so when she appears on the screen, giggling nervously in a hotel bathrobe, the audience sees and hears her as Michael does — a refreshing burst of novelty and originality. The pair end up in Michael’s room and before the infamous puppet sex scene, Lisa, at Michael’s request, sings “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” It’s one of the most beautiful moments in the entire film. It’s one of the most

Bring on the vodka and fur coats: BBC is taking us to Russia circa 1805, and we will never want to come back. The netB+ work takes on an ambitious War and project when producing a Peace four-part mini- Miniseries series based Premiere on Leo Tolstoy’s “War Mondays and Peace,” one at 9 p.m. of the world’s most renowned A&E, History literary epics Channel, Lifetime that would inevitably spur rampant criticism with any cinematic interpretation. But, as the low basses of Russian singers echo through the astonishing landscape of the opening scene, it’s clear that the undertaking is well worth the risk. Backed by an award-winning cast and a grandiose budget to match the large-scale production, “War and Peace” is unlike anything else on television: powerful and thrilling, the miniseries is an artistic masterpiece. Tolstoy’s “War and Peace” has stood the test of literary time by capturing the complex stories of the characters in a way that, however far removed from the modern day, is never truly foreign. The miniseries is able to bring the universal themes of love, power and glory to life in part due to the fantastic cast. Lily James (“Downton Abbey”)

perfectly embodies the lively and outspoken Natasha Rostova, the daughter of a well-off aristocratic family whose hopelessly romantic endeavors lead her to a messy love triangle. Beautiful and strikingly optimistic, James’s performance makes it impossible to look away. Meanwhile, Paul Dano (“Little Miss Sunshine”) captures the affections of the audience from his first, clumsy appearance on screen as Pierre Bezukhov, and James Norton (“Happy Valley”) shines as the brooding and philosophical Prince Andrei Bolkonsky.

So aesthetically beautiful. Yet what truly sets “War and Peace” apart from other wellregarded period dramas like “Downton Abbey” is the oneof-a-kind cinematography. To stay true to the authenticity of the novel, the production was filmed in various Eastern European locations, including Russia, Latvia and Lithuania. As a result, the early 19th century blooms on screen. The viewers feel acutely present as the Russian forces battle against the Napoleonic armies, risking their own lives as the soldiers are bombarded with fire. Inside the lavish palaces of the aristocratic Russian families, the sumptuousness oozes and spills over into a glamorous visual. Gold-plated ballrooms

and exquisite costumes decorate the screen, and the real world slips away. Rarely is a TV series so aesthetically beautiful that it is able to capture the audience’s attention with such unbreakable strength that reality, for a moment, ceases to exist. Embellishing the visual component is a wonderful musical score developed by Martin Phipps (“Woman in Gold”), able to create passion and heartache in the smallest nuances of the series. The viewer is instantly placed in the story’s virtual reality as Russian folk melodies are perfectly synched with the pounding of war drums, and despair is mimicked with just a few precise notes. While Tolstoy’s saga was able to capture a culture through words, the BBC miniseries takes advantage of all the aesthetic capabilities of the screen arts. Inevitably, developing a nearly 1,500 page novel into an eighthour series loses some of the great nuances that fill the original masterpiece. Perhaps, some of the overarching themes that distinguish Tolstoy’s famous work from the rest are not as developed in the miniseries, an aspect that loyal fans to the literature will find disappointing. Yet the striking cinematography makes the eight hours of screening, despite the inaccuracies, better than not having a show at all. While the miniseries doesn’t replace the novel in its importance or cultural relevance, its powerful visual impact is an accomplishment on its own.

SportsMonday B

The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | January 25, 2016

Michigan 22, Central Michigan 12

Mean Streak

Michigan earns two more victories to run dual-meet win streak to six By JORDAN HERBSTMAN For the Daily

It is not often you use the term “frustrating” to describe a win, but that is how Michigan coach Joe

Michigan 33, Indiana 6 McFarland felt after a victory over Central Michigan. Still, the Michigan wrestling team kept rolling this weekend, as it took down an in-state rival in the 19th-ranked Chippewas (2-1 MAC, 5-3 overall) and a conference foe No. 21 Indiana (3-2 Big Ten, 6-2 overall). Though the Wolverines were victorious both Friday and Sunday, the two meets could not have been more different. Friday, Michigan (4-0, 9-1) jumped out to an early 9-3 lead, only

to find itself trailing 12-9 with only three matches left. The Wolverines suffered two tough losses, as junior Brian Murphy gave up a takedown in the last 45 seconds of his match before redshirt freshman Davonte Mahomes lost in a similar fashion. Down three points, Michigan turned to junior Domenic Abounader to regain the momentum. Abounader, ranked 13th in his weight class, dominated his opponent and won by technical fall, helping the Wolverines regain

the lead, 14-13. “I was really just focusing on pushing the pace and finding a style of wrestling,” Abounader said. “A hard-nosed style where I was pushing the pace, being tough on top and getting to my boots. (That) ended up giving me eight points, so that was a difference maker in the match.” Abounader gave the team the momentum it needed, and Michigan secured the match, See WRESTLING, Page 2B

Photos by RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily

ROUGHED UP

n The Wolverines couldn’t handle Nebraska. Page 4B

COUNTRY STRONG n Michigan picked up a road win at Nebraska. Page 3B

SportsMonday

2B — January 25, 2016

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SPORTSMONDAY COLUMN

I tried out for the Michigan football team

ou’ve all heard it before. The Michigan football season ends, either in victory or defeat, and the team’s seniors, after playing their final game in maize and blue, talk about what a privilege MAX it is to wear COHEN the uniform of one of the most storied programs in college football. Saturday, I found out it has nothing to do with tradition or a history of excellence. The jerseys are just impossible to get over a human head. I put on my No. 6 Michigan football jersey Saturday morning at 9:15, right before I tried out for the Michigan football team in Al Glick Field House. Any full-time student at Michigan could try out, and I was one of about 55 to take up the opportunity. I figured putting the jersey on would be the easiest part of the event. But it turns out the bottom of the uniform is actually some sort of elastic contraption that is almost impossible to stretch. My head is enormous (physically, but I’ve been told metaphorically as well), and it took me a minute or two to figure out how to actually get the jersey over my head and onto my body. I tried to look cool and play it off afterward, and I don’t think anyone else noticed. They were too busy discussing their chances of actually making the team. I was just hoping to survive the tryout.

Playing football has never really been on my radar. In elementary school, I was usually picked last in recess. But now that I’m a secondsemester senior and have more NCAA eligibility than college newspaper eligibility, I thought I’d give it a try. In practicality, it probably wasn’t a wise decision. I’m 5-foot-7 (and one quarterinch, according to the official measurements at the tryout) and 150 pounds. I’m basically Dennis Norfleet without speed, dance moves or any semblance of hand-eye coordination. (For full disclosure, I’m not even exaggerating about the hand-eye coordination issue: I recorded a grand total of zero hits in my final season of Little League when I was in sixth grade.) My last foray into organized athletics came in eighth grade, when my friend Zach and I decided to join the middle school track team. We thought it would be a good way to stay in shape and hang out with our friends. We ran the mile at every meet, and it was a rare occasion when the two of us didn’t finish last. During the final race of the season, our coach gave us a pep talk for the ages as we finished our third out of five times around the track: “Don’t get lapped!” I figure the most practical purpose I could serve on the Michigan football team would be as a third-string long snapper. Starter Scott Sypniewski got hurt last season and also had to play through a 103-degree fever against Indiana. The Wolverines only have one true backup at the position in

I was just hoping to survive the tryout.

Andrew Robinson. What if both of them get hurt? Michigan will have a new starting center next season with Graham Glasgow gone, and you can’t have his replacement worrying about snapping the football on special teams. However, I didn’t see long snapper as an option on the tryout list, so I opted to try out as a fullback. With Joe Kerridge and Sione Houma out of the picture, maybe Harbaugh would be so desperate for a sixth-string fullback that I could make the cut. With an offseason to get ready, I could definitely turn 150 pounds into 210 pounds. But first I had to make it through the tryout. We were informed early on that we couldn’t use footballs, per NCAA rules. Since I struggle to catch a football and run at the same time, it was welcome news. We started the tryout by warming up with strength coach Kevin Tolbert. But warming up like a Michigan football player isn’t a casual hobby. If you’re even so much as a few inches out of position, you’re promptly called out and told to even out the lines. I, somehow, avoided scolding. It turned out that some freshman and sophomore walkons who were already on the team participated in the tryout, so I just looked at what they were doing during stretching and hoped I wouldn’t look like a complete idiot. I only partially looked like one. That changed a few minutes later. We started doing high knees for 20 yards, and I struggled to correctly keep the pace. One second I’d be going too slow, the next I’d be going too fast. We were supposed to be perfectly in sync, and I wasn’t. Next, we had to run 20 yards at 75 percent in large groups. The problem was, I could tell immediately that my 75 percent would be nothing compared

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Max Cohen didn’t know he would be trying out for the Michigan football team when he took this picture in November.

to everyone else’s 75 percent, so I ran at 100 percent. I still finished last. I was already panting, before the actual drills had even started. Just the fact that we had to jog every time we moved was enough cause for heavy breathing. At some point in the middle of all of this, Jim Harbaugh appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. I mean, he probably came from somewhere, but I was too tired to notice. Of course, the first thing Harbaugh talked about was a competition — the 40-yard dash. He invited the guys already on the team to run first. Then he asked attendees who thought they were fast enough to keep up to step forward. I stayed put. Harbaugh personally administered the 40-yard dash, blowing the whistle and telling his assistants to pick out the fastest guys in each heat. Mind you, some of the top recruits in the country were in town this weekend. And yes, Jim Harbaugh was watching a few of his players and a bunch of random students run the 40-yard dash. I believe I ran it twice, but it could’ve been three times. It doesn’t really matter. If worms had machine guns, then birds would be afraid of them, right? Sadly, I performed poorly. I’m pretty sure I finished last in all of my races, but I was too focused on not completely embarrassing myself to take a full look around. Harbaugh gave the group some advice, too. He said you can play football by being one of three things: fast, tough or smart. I know I’m not fast or particularly tough (I stood and watched the last time I saw a brawl at Rick’s), but I figured there’s a slight chance I could be smart. That notion was quickly dispelled when we broke into position groups and took a water break. I couldn’t figure out how to spray the hose contraption we were supposed to drink out of, so I just went without water until I could figure out how to get the water out of the hose (I ended up not drinking until much later in the tryout, so maybe I am tough after all). The next portion of the morning wasn’t so torturous.

WRESTLING From Page 1B winning by double digits for the eighth time this season. Though the Wolverines came away victorious, they were not pleased. “I’m disappointed,” said sophomore Alec Pantaleo. “I look at my guys, and they have the most potential out of any guys I’ve ever met. Sometimes you don’t see that out on the mat. Don’t get me wrong, we came out with a win, but I was looking at it and that should have been a shutout dual. We made careless mistakes.” “A few of those guys got beat tonight in some close matches, they let some guys off the hook and it’s tough,” added McFarland. “It’s frustrating to see. I mean, it’s always nice to get a win. I thought we did enough to win. I know I wasn’t pleased.”

We went around to four stations in our position groups. At the first station, we completed lateral high-step drills. I made it through without major incident, just like I did in the second station, where we ran around cones. I was slower than everyone else, but I didn’t fall flat on my face. Huge win, and a little bit closer to becoming a Michigan football player. I really starred in the third station, where we ran the 40-yard dash again. We got to run it twice. The first time, I ran a 5.7. I could hardly breathe afterward, but I must’ve recovered nicely. I didn’t even hear them call out my time after my second rep, so I assume they must’ve been extremely impressed and didn’t want to embarrass everybody else. I probably ran a 4.2. Some problems arose in the fourth and final station. Running backs coach Tyrone Wheatley stood in the middle of two sets of cones. He motioned for us to either run forward or backward or to hit the ground and pop back up. I tried it three times, but messed up horribly on each try. He motioned for me to go off to the side, where another staff member asked if I was feeling OK. I told him I was just bad at football. I think he tried to reassure me for a second that I wasn’t bad, then realized there was no point in lying. I knew I’d have to impress in the final stage of the on-field portion of the tryout: position drills. I was hoping that as a fullback, I’d just get to smash my head into things, but that wasn’t the case. We did a bunch of offensedefense drills in which the runner had to evade the defender in a small area. I wasn’t exactly Drake Johnson. I was two-hand touched down every single time. Once, the defender decided to throw me to the ground. I should’ve gotten up and punched him in the jaw, but I was just too worn out. He also probably had 60 pounds on me and would’ve destroyed me in a fight. My highlight of the day, for a moment, came on the defensive side of the drill. On one rep, late in the drill, I two-hand touched my opponent perfectly in the shoulders. If I had been allowed to tackle, I probably would’ve bodyslammed him.

The glory only lasted for a moment, though. Wheatley immediately started coaching the kid on how the running back should always win one-on-one every time when a defender stops moving his feet, which I apparently did. Whoops. After the position drills, Harbaugh gathered us as a group. He had the walk-ons who were already on the team stand up, and said they probably stood out throughout the tryout. He then added they would likely take a few other kids from the tryout, too. I’m pretty sure he wasn’t talking about me. Harbaugh rhetorically asked us if we would be ready to jump right into winter conditioning if we were selected. I nodded vigorously, figuring that could definitely increase my chances. Then, he had current players stay out to evaluate the punters, kickers and quarterbacks with footballs since the coaches weren’t allowed to. He sent the rest of us to take more physical tests, and we were told we would likely hear if we made the team by the end of the weekend. I don’t think I helped my chances in the long jump. I failed to stick the landing on my first two tries, so I went conservative on the third try. I didn’t hear the final number, but I jumped 4-foot-something. I didn’t hear any other results under 6-feet. Then they tested how high we could jump. I jumped 14 inches, which is why my friends call me the Jewish Jordan (Editor’s note: Nobody calls him that). Finally, I could see the finish line. For the final drill of the day, we went into the weight room to bench press. I figured I could easily bench the bar, maybe a little more. Unfortunately, the only test was to see how many reps you could do of 225 pounds, so I sat off to the side with another kid who also couldn’t bench 225 pounds. He commented that this probably wasn’t good for our chances. I don’t know about him, but I still haven’t gotten a call that I made the team. I’ll probably stick to writing.

After a frustrating win, Michigan needed to turn the page and refocus for Sunday’s match against Indiana. But the Wolverines did not start the match the way they wanted, and it looked as if Sunday’s meet was going to be a continuation of Friday night’s, when redshirt junior Conor Youtsey lost his match on a takedown with less than 10 seconds remaining. Down 3-0, Michigan looked to senior Rossi Bruno to get the match going. Bruno looked strong Sunday and beat his opponent handily, 15-2, earning four points for the Wolverines. Michigan continued to dominate the match, but the highlight came in the 174-pound match, when Mahomes defeated his opponent on a hard-fought bout, 9-8. Mahomes’ victory crushed any hopes of a Hoosier comeback, building the lead to 16-6. “174 was a huge match for us,”

McFarland said. “I knew that was gonna be a tight one. We’ve been talking to him a lot about staying on his offense. When he is offensive and scoring points, he is hard to beat. He wore that kid out at the end and took advantage of that third period. He had a strong third period, so it was fun to see.” Michigan could not have asked to be in a better position with their top three wrestlers yet to wrestle. The so-called “Murderer’s Row” of Abounader, sixth-year senior Max Huntley and junior Adam Coon outscored its opponents, 35-6, with two of the three matches ending early by pin. The Wolverines ended the weekend with two wins, though they weren’t completely satisfied. Still, not being satisfied with winning is a pretty good spot for the Wolverines find themselves, especially this late in the season.

Cohen can be reached at maxac@umich.edu or on Twitter @ MaxACohen. If he doesn’t respond to your emails and tweets immediately, it’s probably because he’s still sore.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

WOMEN’S GYMNASTICS

‘M’ earns first Big Ten road triumph By MATTHEW KENNEDY Daily Sports Writer

After easily defeating No. 25 Ohio State a week ago, the Michigan women’s gymnastics team repeated its dominating performance Saturday against No. 17 Illinois in Champaign. The third-ranked Wolverines (2-0 Big Ten, 5-0 overall), who fell from their No. 1 national ranking last week, led from the get-go and never relinquished their lead to defeat the Fighting Illini, 196.900-195.150. The victory gave Michigan its first Big Ten road win of the year. Regardless of whatever event was going on, though, one thing was always notable: The team seemed to be having fun. The gymnasts were cheering each other on, smiling and doing the routines with each other. During the floor routine, even the normally stern judges cracked smiles while watching the Michigan gymnasts. “This is a fun team, this is a fun group of girls,” Plocki said. “We focus a lot on, the more fun we’re having, the more successful we’re going to be because having fun means you’re relaxed. And if you’re relaxed, you’re going to go out there and do what you’re capable of doing. Typically, if you’re nervous and stressed out, that’s really not a performanceenhancing kind of thing.” The battle for the all-around title was significantly closer than the meet itself, though with one caveat: It was between two Michigan gymnasts. Freshman Olivia Karas, competing in her home state of Illinois, narrowly edged out junior All-American Nicole Artz, 39.55039.425, to take home the all-around crown. Sophomore All-American Brianna Brown finished fifth in the all-around standings with a score of 38.975.

Brown, who was Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year last season, had to fill in for senior Briley Casanova, who had a minor injury, on the vault. Artz also had her shin wrapped due to soreness, though Plocki said the wrapping was there to prevent the soreness from turning into an injury. Michigan started off the night extremely strong, with sophomore Nichelle Christopherson and senior Lindsay Williams both sticking their landings on the uneven bars. Artz had great extension throughout her routine to tie for first in the event with a 9.900. The Wolverines continued to set the night’s dominating mood on the vault, where Karas propelled herself to a careerhigh 9.950. As the Wolverines were competing on the vault, two different Illinois gymnasts fell off the uneven bars, all but spelling doom for the Fighting Illini. Surprisingly, Michigan’s worst event of the night was on the floor, where it is ranked second in the nation. A strong performance on the beam, though, guaranteed the Wolverines a 47th consecutive win against the Illini. With Illinois, the next-highest ranked team in the Big Ten after the Wolverines, out of the way, it appears that Michigan is in the driver’s seat to repeat as Big Ten champions. To Michigan coach Bev Plocki, though, the victory doesn’t change the team’s mindset. “Our goal from the very beginning of the year — and for several years — has been not only to win the Big Ten, but to win a national championship,” Plocki said. “I really like where we are, and we have made improvements in all four events. It’s just a matter of putting that all together and having all of that show up in the same competition. That’s when we feel like we’ll be really hitting our stride.”

WOMEN’S TENNIS

Michigan wins twice at home tournament Wolverines rout San Francisco, slip past No. 23 Kentucky in ITA Kick-Off By TOR THORNE For the Daily

The No. 14 Michigan women’s tennis team clinched its seventh consecutive trip to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships this weekend, as the Wolverines defeated San Francisco and No. 23 Kentucky en route to winning the ITA Kick-Off. In Michigan’s sixth consecutive year hosting the event, homefield advantage at a particularly noisy Varsity Tennis Center helped the Wolverines breeze through San Francisco by a score of 4-0 on Saturday. In prior weeks, Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein pressured the Wolverines to cheer each other on to create a louder, livelier atmosphere. Sunday, key victories by freshman Kate Fahey at No. 3 singles and senior Ronit Yurovsky at No. 1 singles gave Michigan a 4-3 match victory over the Wildcats. In doubles, aggressiveness at the net propelled No. 1 doubles pair freshman Brienne Minor and sophomore Mira Ruder-Hook and No. 2 doubles pair Yurovsky and sophomore Alex Najarian to easy 6-2 victories to earn the doubles point for the Wolverines. In singles, Kentucky grabbed the first two points, taking a 2-1 match lead as Michigan’s No. 4 and No. 5 singles each fell in two sets, 6-1, 6-1, and 6-1, 6-4. The Wolverines tied the score at 2-2 as freshman Brienne Minor won the No. 2 singles match, 6-2, 6-3.

The bottom of Michigan’s lineup continued to struggle, as junior Sara Remynse fell in the No. 6 singles match, 1-6, 5-7, to relinquish the team’s lead to the Wildcats. With the Wolverines down, 2-3, in the meet, Fahey displayed mastery in painting the line, taking victories in several long vollies and finishing off her opponent in the No. 3 singles match, 6-3, 6-4. “It was definitely more pressure than I’ve ever felt,” Fahey said. “But I was thinking, ‘It’s either you or her, and it’s either Michigan or Kentucky going to indoors,’ so I had to step up and take it.” After winning the first set, 6-0, Yurovsky found herself locked in a 6-6 tiebreaker in the second. With all eyes on her, Yurovsky outlasted Kentucky’s Aldila Sutjiadi to take the set and the match for Michigan. Despite the pressure at the end, Yurovsky emphasized the importance of finding success in those types of situations going forward. “I was shaking on the court,” Yurovsky said with a laugh. “But I think what got me through this match was how I fought and stayed in it and competed for every point.” Despite not getting wins from every player, the weekend’s tournament was crucial for developing a sense of community among the Wolverines. For Bernstein, finding accountability in a multitude of places as they did Sunday will be key for Michigan’s success going forward. “For Brienne (Minor) and Kate (Fahey) to come through as freshmen in that situation, and Ronit (Yurovsky) clinching it when she knew it was on the line, that’s what we need to do,” Bernstein said.

“It was definitely more pressure than I’ve ever felt.”

SportsMonday

January 25, 2016 — 3B

Wolverines top Nebraska Even without LeVert, Michigan holds on for fifth Big Ten victory By LEV FACHER Daily Sports Writer

It took a shout of desperation from Derrick Walton Jr. for Aubrey Dawkins to realize his predicament. Dribbling in the wrong direction, seemingly unaware that just three seconds remained on the shot clock, Dawkins was forced to rise, simultaneously fade away and perform a 180-degree twist, for an impossible shot. It was the culmination of yet another defensive triumph for Nebraska, which refused to the bow in the face of Michigan’s 16-3 second-half run. The Cornhuskers put the Wolverines on lockdown, chipping away at a lead that had reached 18 points minutes earlier. Dawkins’ shot, however, found bottom, and the packed house at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln fell silent. The backbreaking jumper put a damper on Nebraska’s run, which eventually wasn’t enough to change the outcome in Michigan’s 81-68 win Saturday. The win, which the Wolverines opened on an 18-6 run, was the opposite of Michigan’s last road trip, an 82-71 loss at Iowa last Saturday. That game saw the Wolverines immediately fall victim to a 9-0 burst from the Hawkeyes, but this time, the Wolverines came prepared. “We just have the mindset that when we got off the bus, we’re down (by) 10,” junior forward Zak Irvin told reporters after the game. “Against Iowa, we had a sluggish start, and that hurt us as the game went on. So going into today’s game, we just wanted to stay together. We had

a great start to both halves.” The first-half start was keyed by Michigan’s specialty: 3-point shooting. The Wolverines stayed true to their reputation of a team that lives and dies from beyond the arc, shooting 52 percent from long distance. Nebraska, on the other hand, found no such success from the perimeter, especially in the face of the 2-3 zone defense Michigan coach John Beilein employed in the first half. The Cornhuskers shot just 6-for-22 from 3-point range for the game, including a 2-for-8 outing from Andrew White III. Instead, the bulk of Nebraska’s scoring came in the paint, much of it in transition. The Wolverines’ 12 turnovers prevented them from putting the nail in the coffin until the final minutes. “We mishandled the ball, (sophomore forward Kameron Chatman) had one go through his hands — you’re gonna have stuff,” Beilein said. “But you’ve got to be under 10 (turnovers). I really think you’ve got to be under 10, or shoot the way (we) did tonight.” As well as it shot, though, Michigan changed tacks in the second half to take advantage of the room it had created in the interior, as redshirt sophomore guard Duncan Robinson found himself on the receiving end of multiple backdoor passes. Robinson, leading the nation in 3-point shooting percentage, finished consistently at the rim, and finished with more points scored inside the arc than outside for the first time as a Wolverine. “What he’s realizing now is

JAMES COLLER/Daily

Derrick Walton Jr., pictured here on Wednesday, had a double-double Saturday.

that people are going to play him a certain way, and his movement without the ball is going to be really important,” Beilein said. “He’s learning — all the video, all the synergy — that people are going to sit on him different ways, and he’s got to do more than stand and wait for people to get him open.” Robinson’s 21 points on 6-for-12 shooting led the Wolverines, and Walton added 19 points of his own while cementing his status as the team’s leading rebounder, pulling down 12 boards on the

“When we got off the bus, we’re down (by) 10.”

afternoon. As they did in Wednesday’s 74-69 win over Minnesota, the Wolverines found success from the free-throw line down the stretch. Michigan shot 20-for-23 as a team, including an impressive 6-for-8 performance from junior forward Mark Donnal. Beilein said in his postgame press conference that the Wolverines have been practicing their free-throw shooting “religiously,” in end-ofpractice drills wherein players have to contend with loud, piped-in music to simulate an intimidating road environment. Redshirt freshman guard D.J. Wilson did not appear in the game, as Beilein opted to use only Donnal, freshman Moritz Wagner and sophomore Ricky Doyle at the ‘5’ spot.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

Walton earns double-double in win By KELLY HALL Daily Sports Editor

With 2:49 left in the Michigan men’s basketball team’s game against Nebraska on Saturday, junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. stepped up to the free-throw line. Michigan fans wouldn’t have wanted the ball in anyone else’s hands. After trailing the Cornhuskers (4-4 Big Ten, 12-9 overall) for less than a minute the entire game, Michigan (5-2, 15-5) was given a run for its money in the final minutes. So, when Walton was fouled late in the game, fans gave a sigh of relief. He sank both free throws, giving the Wolverines a more comfortable four-point cushion. Michigan hung on and then some, hitting its final 10 free throws in Lincoln to beat the Cornhuskers, 81-68. “When (Walton) had the key turnover and all of a sudden it’s a two-point game and they fouled him and now he goes to the line. … I mean those babies hit nothing but the bottom of the net,” Michigan coach John Beilein told reporters. “That shows another step in him in just being another

leader of this team and a guy he can look to.” Walton scored 19 points on 5-for-8 shooting, grabbed 12 boards and had six assists — three of them coming in the first four minutes — to get Michigan running right out of the gate. He first found freshman forward Moritz Wagner, who was the first big man off the bench following junior forward Mark Donnal’s early foul. He was there again 26 seconds later, feeding it to redshirt sophomore guard Duncan Robinson for Robinson’s second 3-pointer of the night. Another 26 seconds later, Walton was at it again, giving it to sophomore forward Aubrey Dawkins from beyond the arc. All of a sudden, Michigan was out to a 12-4 lead. The Wolverines made six of their first eight shots. “We got off to a really good start, and I think that helped us a great deal,” Beilein said. “A couple of our away games we lost, we got off to a very bad start. It just wears on you, fighting back. I think we had early confidence.” Though the Wolverines’ defense seemed impenetrable in the first five minutes, the

Cornhuskers quickly figured out how to fight back. They hacked away at Michigan’s lead all the way up until halftime, when they headed into the locker room trailing by just three, and again in the middle of the second half, bringing the game within two points in the final two minutes. “We withstood a charge at the end of the first half, a charge during the second half — a couple charges during the second half,” Beilein said. “I’m really proud of the way these kids responded to a great college atmosphere in Nebraska.” Walton scored 13 points in the second half, including a 3-pointer in the game’s final seconds. Walton claims he didn’t shoot the ball to be disrespectful, even though the Nebraska crowd booed it, but his teammates and coaches told him to shoot it to avoid the shot clock violation. Walton tends to listen to his coaches and teammates, and Saturday, he wanted to give most of the credit to them. “Our coaches did a really good job of preparing us,” Walton said. “The things that were happening out there were things we really emulated in practice the last

couple days. The way we prepared really helped me see the floor a little easier today and think my plays through a little better than I usually do.” Though Walton earned a double-double and started his team’s rally in the final minutes, he seems to be happiest about the Wolverines’ ability to play without senior captain and guard Caris LeVert, who is still recovering from a lower-leg injury. Walton isn’t a captain, but with both LeVert and co-captain Spike Albrecht cheering from the sidelines, he’s shouldering most of the responsibility. On the road against Nebraska, he looked like one. “My freshman year at home, we had a really good stretch against Nebraska, we shot the ball really well,” Walton said. “Tonight, it was a little different. It was a little more special because we were down without one of our brothers; our leader, Caris, and guys were just making some plays that he wouldn’t normally make. “Looking over and seeing him happy for the guys who were getting the opportunity with him being out, I think it made it a lot more special.”

SportsMonday

4B — January 25, 2016

‘M’ falls to Cornhuskers By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Editor

The Michigan women’s basketball team has had its fair share of surprises this season, especially its 17-point NEBRASKA 93 MICHIGAN 81 comeback against Iowa two weeks ago. But this time around, a comeback appeared to be out of the question no matter how hard the Wolverines played. In Sunday’s game against Nebraska, Michigan led for just 22 seconds after the opening basket by freshman center Hallie Thome. But within five minutes, the Wolverines trailed by 15. The Cornhuskers’ offense was unstoppable in the opening stanza, and Michigan did very little to stop it. Midway through the second quarter, the Wolverines (3-5 Big Ten, 11-8 overall) brought the game to within three points but couldn’t finish down the stretch as the Cornhuskers (5-3, 14-5) escaped with a 93-81 victory in Ann Arbor. “We can’t be giving up 93 points a game,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “That’s like the NBA here. … Twentyeight points in one quarter is just way too much. We gotta get better.” After just three minutes in the second half, Michigan never cut the deficit to single digits. Against forward Jessica Shepard and center Allie Havers, the Wolverines were outscored and outrebounded. Though Havers only flirted with a double-double, Shepard finished with 35 points and collected 20 boards. Meanwhile, Thome — who scored 24 points alongside just six rebounds — fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter as Nebraska continued to pack the paint. In fact, three other Michigan players reached three

Alex Knight was a comeback kid this Sunday at the Boone Indoor Tennis Center, where Michigan MICHIGAN 3 faced KENTUCKY 4 Kentucky. After dropping the first doubles match of the day, 6-2, alongside freshman Myles Schalet, the redshirt sophomore entered his single match ready for revenge. Down in the first set, Knight eventually brought it to a tiebreaker, pulling out a 9-7 win. Taking advantage of this momentum, he wrapped up the second set with a 6-4 victory to take the match. Knight’s matchup against Trey Yates was the seventh match of the day for Michigan and acted as the turning point for the Wolverines, leading to their three-match winning streak. The streak, though, only brought the Wolverines within one, resulting in a 4-3 loss in their first dual-match play of the 2016 season. Michigan junior Kevin Wong added to the streak, coming out on top against Kentucky’s Charles Minc in two consecutive 7-6 tiebreakers. “(Kevin) played really aggressively today,” said Michigan men’s tennis coach Adam Steinberg. “I really liked the way he struck the ball.” The third and final point for the Wolverines came from Schalet in his first official season match in the maize and blue. Playing in the No. 6 singles position, Schalet captured a narrow victory against Enzo Wallart in the only three-set match of the day. Winning the first set, 7-5, Schalet went into the second unscathed. Wallart, though, pulled out a win in a 9-7 tiebreaker, evening the match.

Nebraska’s Shepard dominant in victory By TED JANES Daily Sports Writer

MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily

Freshman center Hallie Thome did not have an answer for Nebraska center Jessica Shepard on Sunday.

fouls and just junior guard Siera Thompson and sophomore guard Katelynn Flaherty hit doubledigit scoring otherwise, with 12 and 14, respectively. Without their ability to drive in the paint, guarded by the Cornhuskers’ best bigs, Thompson — who reached 1,000 career points — and Flaherty had to shoot from the outside and rely on guard-to-guard screens. “They double-teamed at times, which is an area where (Katelynn’s) gonna get better at being able to pass out of those situations,” Barnes Arico said. “But she pretty much, from an offensive standpoint, handled their pressure and did a decent job against them. But we gotta get multiple people that are able to do that.” The difference between a win and a loss was the opening minutes of the game, which spelled disaster for Michigan right from the start. Smart ball movement and crisp passing gave Thome the ball inside the paint on the first possession

Wolverines drop first dual match Daily Sports Writer

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Cornhusker star wins post battle with Thome

MEN’S TENNIS

By KATIE CONKLIN

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Because the team match was already decided, as Michigan was down, 4-2, it was determined that Schalet and Wallart would play a 10-point superbreaker rather than a third and final set. Though there was no team win in sight for Michigan, Schalet made sure the Wolverines traveled back to Ann Arbor with one final point, winning the deciding tiebreaker, 13-11. “There were a lot of positives, but overall, we’re all competitors and we want to win,” Steinberg said. “We came here for one reason, to be successful. We wanted to get a win to start the year.” Michigan was down 1-0 from the start, losing both of its doubles matches — 6-2 at the No. 3 spot and 6-4 at the No. 1 spot. The third match was stopped after Kentucky had won two of the three doubles matches, clinching the doubles point. Steinberg’s solution for disjointed doubles play was simple: “Our intensity at the beginning needs to be much better, and we need to play as a team more. “I didn’t think we played with that fight and passion that we do in practice. We’re disappointed.” Such disappointment continued into the first three singles matches, as the Wolverines dropped matches in the first, second and third singles positions. But Michigan is taking its final three-game stretch as a positive, despite the debacle against the Wildcats. “The guys showed a lot of character by fighting like that until the end,” Steinberg said. “It gives us good momentum going into next week.” And it is this momentum that the Wolverines are going to need, as this past weekend marked the start of what they hope will be a successful season.

for a layup. But soon enough, Nebraska showed its offense was untamable. In the opening four and a half minutes, the Cornhuskers didn’t miss a shot from anywhere on the court. En route to a 15-point lead, they went 8-for-8 from the field and 5-for-5 beyond the arc. Nebraska quickly jumped to 21 points, while Michigan added a pair of free throws by Thome and just one basket from Flaherty — prompting Barnes Arico to call a timeout. The Wolverines’ original plan was to lock down Shepard, but guard Kyndal Clark quickly emerged as the Cornhuskers’ star. She scored all five of her team’s 3-pointers in the first half and finished the game with 15 points. She was the crucial element for the Cornhuskers’ huge start, forcing Michigan’s defense to instead limit Clark’s chances — she didn’t score in the second half. That change, though, opened up Shepard. “It’s kind of like we’re at the

point now, it’s ‘pick your poison,’” Barnes Arico said. “Totally, our whole defensive responsibilities and being able to get a stop, being able to get multiple stops, we gotta become better as a unit on the defensive end.” Michigan strung together two scoring runs — a 30-second 8-0 run in the first quarter and a 7-0 run in the second — to bring to the game within 10 points by the break, but the defense couldn’t hold the Cornhuskers. Nebraska had made a large enough statement at the start of the game to prove they wouldn’t give this one up. The damage had already been dealt. “At spurts, we play hard, and sometimes it’s too late,” Thompson said. “I think that’s been the case the last few games. We come out, dig ourselves a hole and try to fight back, so we just have to start playing hard from the beginning of the game. “We always say, ‘We’re never out of it,’ but I think we’re at the point where we don’t wanna fight back anymore.”

The Michigan’s women basketball team’s 93-81 loss to Nebraska on Sunday featured a notable one-on-one matchup down in the paint, where two freshman centers duked it out for post dominance. Michigan’s Hallie Thome and Nebraska’s Jessica Shepard met for the first time in their careers, and the latter came out on top. The Wolverines (3-5 Big Ten, 11-8 overall) needed Thome to be at her best against Nebraska (5-3, 14-5), and even though she has been a reliable source of points and rebounds this season, Shepard dominated her in every facet of the game. At first glance, the similarities between the two are striking. Thome is 6-foot-5, and Shepard is 6-foot-4. Both were Gatorade High School Player of the Year recipients in their home states, and both are on pace to have the best freshman seasons in their schools’ histories. Thome won the opening tipoff, but she didn’t win anything else. Shepard decisively outrebounded Thome, 20-6, outscored her, 35-24, and also managed to stay out of foul trouble. The Cornhuskers’ center, who has scored over 25 points in three other Big Ten games this season, put up a performance impressive even for someone of her caliber. Shepard’s 20 rebounds were a career high, and she is the first freshman in Nebraska history to have been named to the Naismith Player of the Year watch list.

Just six Nebraska freshmen have ever scored 400 points in one season, and Shepard is just two points away from that mark — not even midway through the Big Ten season. “Today, you had the opportunity to see one of the best players in the country,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico, referencing Shepard. “Hallie (Thome) might be a top freshman in the country. This young lady (Shepard) happens to be a freshman and is one of the best players in the country.” The Wolverines did a decent job defending Shepard in the first quarter — she still scored seven points in the first 10 minutes, but she went for 23 in the second half, and Michigan could not slow her down. Eleven of Shepard’s 20 rebounds came on the offensive glass, leading the Cornhuskers to 23 second-chance points, while Michigan had just 13. “We gave up a lot of offensive rebounds for them,” said senior guard Madison Ristovksi. “They missed shots, but (Shepard) was able to just put them back up.” Once Thome chalked up her fourth foul, the Cornhuskers found it easier to exploit the mismatch in the post. Barnes Arico subbed her out, and Michigan senior forward Kelsey Mitchell replaced Thome down low. Even Ristovski made an effort in the paint, but neither found success. Thome eventually fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter, but by then Nebraska had sealed the win. Barnes Arico couldn’t hold back with how impressed she was by Shepard. “She is an unbelievable player. We didn’t have an answer for her. Shepard is just … she’s a monster.”

Oklahoma routs Michigan By COLE ZINGAS Daily Sports Writer

Heading into the final event, the No. 1 Oklahoma men’s gymnastics team had done almost everything right. The defending national champions had scored higher than No. 10 Michigan in every event, asserting their ranking in every way to the crowd at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines were already out of contention for the match when senior Nolan Novak approached the high bar to attempt the event for the second time in his career. Yet behind him, the team yelled and chanted “Let’s Go Blue” in unison with the crowd. Novak hit his routine, as did his teammates redshirt freshman Marty Strech and junior Jonathan Chin, earning ecstatic cheers from the crowd. The crowd recognized a solid effort by the Wolverines — the team improved its season-high parallel bar score by 6.05 points

and its high bar score by 4.8 — at the end of a blowout loss. Michigan (0-4 Big Ten, 1-5 overall) fell by a score of 444.400428.350 to the Sooners (5-0 overall) on Saturday, but after the meet, the attitudes of the players and Michigan coach Kurt Golder were more positive than negative. “Overall, I was pretty pleased,” Golder said. “As long as we’re getting better with every meet, we can keep climbing the ladder and see how high we can get by the end of the year.” But many improved performances were overshadowed by Oklahoma’s dominance. Junior Anthony Stefanelli hit both of his routines, including an impressive 15.150 on the floor, good for third place. Stefanelli, however, was the only Wolverine in the top seven in that event. All-American sophomore Dmitri Belanovski scored a career high on the pommel horse with a 14.750, but didn’t even place in the top three in the event.

Oklahoma took first place in all six events, as well as in the allaround. Belanovski had a chance to compete for the all-around title going into the final event, the high bars, which he calls his “best event,” but he fell and scored a 13.800. “I’ve got to learn to finish,” Belanovski said. “I hit the first five, but you’ve got to go out there and hit the sixth event. I can’t make a mistake like that.” Meanwhile, Yul Moldauer from Oklahoma scored an incredible 16.000 in his final routine to take the meet by more than a point. Belanovski finished tied for third in the all-around. Michigan is pleased with its improvement of 15 points from its performance at the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 17, but after facing Oklahoma, it knows how much work is left to do. Saturday, the Wolverines hit 75 percent of their routines, up from 50 percent the previous weekend. Golder wants to get

that number up to between 80 and 85 percent, which he says is championship form. Golder is looking for Michigan to increase the degree of difficulty in its routines as well. “The routines these guys are doing may not look easy, but by our championship standards, some of them are easy,” Golder said. For the athletes, the key to achieving Golder’s goals will be keeping energy high and maintaining confidence throughout meets. When the Wolverines rallied behind Novak on the high bars, that mindset was on full display. “It’s all about keeping the energy up,” Belanovski said. “If the team’s not behind you, you’re going to go out there and you know you’re going to flop, you’re gonna fall.” “I truly believe that this team, when it’s six up six count, can go 36 for 36. And I think this year especially, that’s what it’s going to take. This team can do it.”

ZACH MOORE/Daily

Junior Anthony Stefanelli opened Saturday’s meet, a loss against No. 1 Oklahoma at Cliff Keen Arena, by hitting both of his routines on the floor for a score of 15.150.