ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Wednesday, March 9, 2016
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THE MICHIGAN DIFFERENCE SANDERS
50.1%
48.0% CLINTON
TRUMP
36.9%
24.6% KASICH
24.5% CRUZ 9.2% RUBIO ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders speaks at a rally at Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on Monday.
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Donald Trump speaks to supporters at a pre-caucus rally in Cedar Rapids, IA on February 1, 2016.
Sanders defies polls in Frontrunner continues upset Michigan victory lead with primary win Clinton falls to Vermont senator after projected 20point win By LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter
Sen. Bernie Sanders (D–Vt.) won Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary with 50.1 percent of the vote Tuesday night after an unexpected surge of vot-
ing in the state broke records and pushed him over the edge. Sanders’ rival in the Democratic contest, Hillary Clinton earned 48 percent of the vote. Sanders’ victory comes as a surprise, as previous polls suggested a decisive victory for Clinton with a RealClearPolitics polling average showing her leading by a 21.4 point margin. This is the biggest upset since the 1984 New Hampshire primary when Walter Mondale, who was favored to win by 17.1 percent, lost to Gary Hart.
Because Michigan’s delegates are allocated proportionally, Sanders is slated to gain 77 of the state’s 130 delegates from his victory, with the other 53 going to Clinton. The senator did particularly well in cities like Ann Arbor where there is a large population of young, white liberals, and where turnout was unusually huge. At the University of Michigan, students appeared to be leaning toward Sanders based on student interviews outside of See SANDERS, Page 3A
Trump wins Michigan by over 10 percent, with close race for second By LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter
Frontrunner Donald Trump won the Michigan Republican primary Tuesday night with 37.7 percent of the Republican vote. Michigan’s demographics are
fairly representative of the U.S. population as a whole in terms of minority population proportion, median income and age distribution, according to U.S. census data. though those demographics don’t necessarily correspond with the electorate. Trump was followed by Gov. John Kasich (R–Ohio) who won 25.9 percent. Gov. Ted Cruz (R– Tex.) — who nationally follows Trump by 15.2 percent according to a RealClearPolitics polling average — came in third with 22.5 percent of the vote, and Sen. Marco Rubio
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STUDENT GOVERNMENT
CSG proposes amendment to Regents’ bylaw CAPS Director Todd Sevig also addresses body on resource allocation By ANNA HARITOS Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan’s Central Student Government proposed an amendment to the Board of Regents bylaws to reintroduce a section pertaining to student voice at their meeting Tuesday. The body also heard from Todd Sevig, director of Counseling and Psychological Services. In his executive communications to the body, CSG President Cooper Charlton, LSA senior, addressed the previously existing Section VII of the regent’s bylaws, which discussed student affairs and the incorporation of student opinions in University affairs. “In 2011 the Regent bylaws were ‘cleaned-up,’ so-to-speak,” he said. “Section VII was removed, which indicates the importance
of student voice in the process of decision making in the University. We want to reinstitute (Section VII) and make sure that there is a healthy relationship. Let’s codify and show how important it is for students to have a voice in the decision-making process.” Public Policy sophomore Jacob Pearlman, CSG student legal counsel, wrote in an e-mail interview that CSG was working with several executive officers to re-add the language. “CSG is working closely with Vice Presidents Churchill and Harper to add language to the currently nonexistent Chapter VII,” Pearlman wrote. “This language will reaffirm the University’s commitment to ensure that students are in an environment to thrive as Leaders and Best.” Pearlman added that CSG is currently collaborating to put together the proposed language, and aim to have it adopted in the next few months. Changing the Regents’ bylaws requires a vote of the Regents at one of their regularly scheduled meetings. See CSG, Page 3A
(R–Fla.) finished fourth earning only 9 percent of the vote, with 25.5 percent of precincts reporting. Washtenaw County was one of two counties in the state with a majority vote for Kasich, along with Kalamazoo County. Trump continues to lead the delegate counts at 384 delegates with Sen. Ted Cruz (R–Tex.) in second with 300 and Sen. Marco Rubio (R–Fla.) trailing in a distant third with 151 delegates. A total of 1,237 delegates are needed to win the Republican nomination. See TRUMP, Page 3A
A2 farmers market to expand with city funding
DDA plans to create heated indoor space using $175,000 grant By LYDIA BARRY Daily Staff Reporter
SAMII STOLOFF/Daily
Dannan Hogde, a research assistant at the Center for Sustainable Systems, speaks at a CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap screening, organized by Women Who Launch at Palmer Commons on Tuesday.
Gender gaps in scientific careers explored in event
Participants share stories of bias against women in technology By JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter
About 15 students and faculty members gathered in Palmer Commons Tues-
day evening for a screening of the documentary “CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap,” a film that aims to address the gender and minority gaps in fields such as software engineering and coding. Women Who Launch, a student-run entrepreneurial organization, sponsored the screening. Founded in the spring of 2014 by three Ross School of Business MBA stu-
dents, the group encourages female entrepreneurship through workshops, speakers and networking opportunities. Organization co-founder Marianna Kerppola, an MBA Ross School of Business student, said the group aimed to reach students from all disciplines. “It’s really intended for all students,” she said. “GenerSee GENDER, Page 2A
The Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority has granted $175,000 for the Ann Arbor Farmers Market Infrastructure Improvement Project. The funding, announced Feb. 26, is slated to be used to construct an improved, partially indoor market space that can operate year-round, particularly to extend the market’s open hours in the winter months. Currently, the market operates Saturdays in the winter months and Wednesdays and Saturdays May through December. The project, which is yet to be approved by the Ann Arbor City Council, proposes a new roofed structure that features large glass panel doors that can open See MARKET, Page 3A
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WHAT: The Spectrum Center will host an event on North Campus to welcome spring with a variety of stress-reducing activities and snacks. WHO: Spectrum’s Student Event Planning Team WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Pierpont Commons Boulevard Room
Kick-off dinner WHAT: This dinner will kick off the vice provost’s sponsored First-generation Awareness Campaign. WHO: First Generation College Students @ Michigan WHEN: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League, ballroom
WHAT: Michigan Dining will host an open house for Fields Café to celebrate its opening and to sample its new menu, with a raff le for a monitary prize. WHO: Michigan Dining WHEN: 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Palmer Commons, third f loor
Ross lecture
GENDER From Page 1A ally, it has been Ross students who have been participating, but our goal is to be campuswide, because there is so much opportunity for women to collaborate and find partners and just supporters.” Kerppola said these supporters could be fellow students across various disciplines as well as members within the broad community such as professionals and investors. She said she chose to screen this specific film after meeting one of the film’s producers at TEDWomen last spring and immediately connecting the project to her organization’s mission. “Their vision was to address this huge gender gap that we see in tech and computer science,” she said. “She told me a little about the documentary, and it was spot on, because one of the things we aim to do is encourage women to engage in entrepreneurship through whatever venue that is. Tech-
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LSA freshmen Maggie Ciolino, Michael Mordarski and Allison Fedler enjoy the spring weather on the Diag Tuesday.
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WHAT: The astronomy department will host a viewing through a 19th century telescope at the top of the Detroit Observatory. WHO: Department of Astronomy WHEN: 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. WHERE: Detroit Observatory in Ann Arbor
WHAT: The Center for Japanese Studiesis will hold a free film screening of “Battle Royale.” The film will be screened in Japanese with English subititles. WHO: Center for Japanese Studies WHEN: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: State Theatre
nolog y, computer science, programming is certainly one of them.” The Center for Entrepreneurship also sponsored the event. Ashleigh Bell, who runs student services in the office, said their mission of promoting women and minorities tied in well to the event. “Our office is very passionate about equality in the workplace and in the entrepreneurial space, whether that be for women or underrepresented minorities,” she said. “This year we’re making a really concerted effort to increase our enrollment of women in underrepresented minorities.” Bell said in the past year the female enrollment of classes through the University of Michigan’s Center for Entrepreneurship has increased by 30 percent, which she added is only the beginning of increasing engagement. “I have conversations with female students all the time about being one of the only women in their classes and just really feeling that there
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CJS film screening
WHAT: Pianist Ce Sun WHAT: Michigan will perform a masters Alum Jeff Blau, CEO recital at the Walgreen and general partner of Drama Center, including Related Companies, will pieces composed by eliver a lecture at Ross. Ludwig van Beethoven, WHO: Michigan Johannes Brahms and Real Estate Club Robert Schumann. WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHO: School of Music, WHERE: Ross School Theatre & Dance of Business, Robertson WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Auditorium WHERE: Walgreen Drama Center, Stamps Auditorium
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is a non-inclusive culture,” Bell said. “(We) want to really help by having conversations about this issue and really empowering both women and everyone to engage in entrepreneurship.” The film, directed by Robin Hauser Reynolds, was inspired by the director’s daughter — a computer science major who found it frustrating to be one of two women in her class. It looks at why women are often discouraged from pursuing careers in technological fields and the sexism that occurs in these fields, but also the benefits of having a more diverse workplace. The film notes that computer science is often not encouraged for female students or, in many states, even taught prior to the university level. It argues that once female students — who have been culturally pushed away from fields like building and technolog y, and often see these paths as male-dominated fields — enter higher education, computer science is not on their radars. At the end of the film, Dannan Hodge, vice president of Women Who Launch, led a brief group discussion during which attendees shared thoughts about the film and their personal experiences in connection with it. For Engineering freshman Monika Paliwoda, the film resonated with her experience in a coding class. She said though it was a beginner course, she was intimidated by the skills of her peers. “It’s been really interesting seeing that disparity and my confidence level has been tested a lot,” Paliwoda said. “I thought this movie was really interesting just to shed light on that it’s OK not to be one hundred percent confident in your abilities, and that doesn’t mean you’re a bad coder or a good coder. It just means that your level at that point in time is different, and that it’s something that you can learn in the future.”
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Tuesday, federal prosecutors announced that they will not bring criminal charges against NYPD Officer Richard Haste, according to NBC New York. Haste shot and killed unarmed Black teen Ramarley Graham in 2012.
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National Football League star Calvin Johnson announced Tuesday that he will be retiring, according to ESPN. The six-time ProBowler is a Detroit Lions wide-receiver who is the Lions’ leader in all-time yards and touchdowns.
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At the polls, ‘U’ students cite college policies as top priority Sanders seems favorite among campus voters in Tuesday’s primary By CAITLIN REEDY Daily Staff Reporter
Across the entire state, the economy and jobs, government spending, terrorism and immigration were the issues Michigan residents cared most about, according to CNN exit polls. However, for students at the University of Michigan college affordability, women’s rights and the performance of the economy and job availability were their top issues, according to interviews conducted by Michigan Daily reporters during the day. Though they didn’t align completely with residents overall, those issues — and those students — may have had a significant impact on at least the Democratic primary outcome, which saw U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.) winning an upset victory over Hillary Clinton amid large turnout from college areas. In the leadup to Tuesday’s primary, Clinton was projected to win by over a 20 percent margin. In the Republican primary, frontrunner Donald Trump won the state with about 36 percent of the total vote. Throughout Ann Arbor Tuesday, it was easy to find various people and groups walking around campus, telling people to vote and make their voices heard. At the Michigan League, a main polling spot for students, a total of 646 voters according to poll volunteers. The Michigan Union, another big polling spot, saw 711 voters as of 7:30 p.m., a half-hour before the polls closed, which the polling clerk said was the biggest voter turnout at the Union since the 2008 election. Many students said they realized their priorities, especially the high emphasis placed on
college affordability, would be different than statewide priorities due to their proximity to the issue. LSA sophomore Yong-Joon Kim said a candidate’s platform for student debt played a large part in who he decided to vote for. “Since I am a college student, one of the top things I was thinking about was college tuition. In my opinion, Bernie definitely promised a lot of things — he was promising college students that he would be reducing tuition and making college free,” Kim said. “But a lot of the cases I feel that Bernie’s ideas and his math just doesn’t add up, in my opinion.” LSA sophomore Nicholas Kolenda, president of Students for Sanders, said he thinks Bernie’s attention to college affordability allowed him to perform well in Monday’s primary. Of the students the Daily talked to at various campus voting sites, the majority said they were voting for Sanders. “It’s daunting that Clinton has her current delegate lead, but it’s not surprising as the first 15 or so states have been a plurality to majority Southern,” Kolenda said. “This is where Clinton naturally performs best as. [Her] campaign likely still has its best days ahead of it — many states in the Rockies, Pacific Northwest and parts of New England are heavily favorable towards him.” Other than student debt, other issue students cited were social issues pertaining to women’s rights. LSA junior Kendra Mantz said she sees Sanders as a candidate who respects women. “Women’s rights is a huge thing for me. I consider myself a strong feminist and so having my own rights, such as my reproductive rights, being taken away from me or monitored by old, white men in the government, that doesn’t fly with me,” Mantz said. “I don’t like that. I appreciate that Bernie respects a woman’s right to control her own body” In terms of women’s rights, LSA sophomore Anushka Sarkar, outreach director and event
coordinator for Students for Hillary, noted that in terms of women’s rights, Clinton is the only candidate to frequently address safety for women on college campuses and halting the rise of sexual assault. The issue is a particularly prevalent one for the University, which is currently restructuring its sexual assault policy. She said she thought that emphasis contributed to the Clinton’s campaign overall lead in the race. “I think we are getting to the point where, mathematically, it’s impossible for Sanders to win unless he gets every state by a 50 point margin,” Sarkar said. “I think the general direction her campaign is taking is less about villainizing other campaigns and more about why she is the best candidate.” Other students said they placed a heavy importance on the performance of the economy, as many are graduating soon and need to find jobs — such as LSA senior Sunder Kannan “The main issues that I’m considering are economic issues as they relate to unemployment among recent graduates,” Kannan said. “I’m graduating in May and so it does worry me about finding a job and paying for grad school.” Despite the overwhelmingly Democratic voters, there were also individuals voting Republican at the polling stations Tuesday, though for varying reasons. Business senior Jeff Yu said he voted on the Republican ballot despite identifying himself as a Democrat. Michigan election law allows voters to participate in either party’s primary without being registered to a specific party beforehand. “I’m actually a Democrat, but because it’s an open primary, I am voting Republican just because I’m confident in both Democratic candidates,” Yu said. “And with the Republican party, I think there’s a better chance of swinging some delegates away from Trump.” Read more online at michigandaily.com
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NEWS BRIEFS
Study measures county knowledge of health laws According to a 2015 study by the Michigan Organization on Adolescent Sexual Health, Michigan’s 83 counties are better informed about reproductive health laws than they were five years ago. These laws were set by the Parental Rights Restoration Act of 1990. The study was funded by the National Institutes for Reproductive Health and done in partnership with the University. The study was adapted from University of Michigan-led research in 2010, where students made phone calls to all Michigan counties, to simulate what a minor would go through as she sought information about reproductive health laws. In 2010, 54 percent of counties failed. In 2015, the statistic improved considerably: Approximately 26 percent of counties failed. Nonetheless, there remains room for improvement, according to a University press release. One problem that persists is judicial offices’ readiness to provide information on abortion rights law.
Possible record voter turnout in presidential primary The Detroit Free Press reports that Michigan could have registered a record turnout in Tuesday’s presidential primary, based on the high number of absentee ballots issued. Almost 556,000 absentee ballots were issued as of earlier Tuesday, compared to 162,000 more than 4 years ago. Christopher Thomas, director of elections for the Michigan Secretary of State reported that the SOS has seen high turnout on both sides of the aisle. According to an Epic/MRA poll that surveyed those who had already voted by absentee, surveyees leaned heavily toward Republican front-runner Donald Trump and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The record to break is the 1972 election, where 47 percent of registered voters cast ballots. There are some predictions that voter turnout could come close to 2 million voters and possibly make state history.
Michigan ranks high in U.S. for fraud and ID theft reports According to a new Federal Trade Commission report, Michigan ranks third in the nation for fraud and sixth for identity theft complaints. National levels of fraud and identity theft complaints have increased overall. More than half of those who make fraud complaints don’t actually hand over any money to the cons, but for those who are scammed, the median cost to each victim is $400. A majority of scams occur over wire transfer, and originate in the United States. To explain why Michigan is targeted by scammers, Puneet Manchanda, a professor of marketing at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, points to the large segments of immigrants and elderly people in Michigan. Older people are less tech-savvy, while immigrants might not be as well-informed on credit and banking procedures, increasing their susceptibility to scams. Manchanda proposes legal solutions to mitigate this problem. “Our legal systems and protections have not caught up with the realities of the digital world,” Manchanda said in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. “The scammers will always be ahead. The solution is regulation and education.” —DESIREE CHEW
CSG From Page 1A Guest Speaker Sevig addressed the assembly Tuesday on the advances CAPS has made in recent months to provide resources to students. In particular, he discussed the CAPS after hours phone service which was launched in October 2015, an increase in students seeking services and an upcoming event later this month on suicide prevention. “We are the student counseling center,” he said. “We don’t exist just to exist for me, for the professional staff, and we don’t technically exist for the University. When we wake up in the morning our sole purpose is to care about is you, and your 43,000 other classmates.” Sevig said starting in the fall, all incoming students will be provided Mcards with the CAPS after hours phone service number on the back. CSG has discussed endorsing this initiative multiple times in recent weeks, and passed a resolution supporting the new Mcards Tuesday. The CAPS phone service went live on Oct. 5 of last year, and Sevig said it took two to three years to research and put together a functioning system. In the first months the line averaged 70 to 100 calls, but in recent
SANDERS From Page 1A polling places by the Daily. Students for Sanders president Nicholas Kolenda, an LSA sophomore, said Tuesday night that Sanders’s success should worry Clinton as he continues to do well in states he was predicted to lose. “Considering where he was just nine months ago, his progress has been immense” he said. “The fact that Sanders is still standing and viable despite the heavy front-loading of states favorable towards Clinton should worry the former Secretary of State. Sanders’ campaign likely still has its best days ahead of it.” In a statement, Sanders thanked Michigan voters, referencing polliing data prior to the election that incorreclty indicated Clinton would win by significant margins. “I am grateful to the people of Michigan for defying the pundits and pollsters and giving us their support. This is a critically imporant night,” Sanders said. “Not only is Michigan the gateway to the rest of the industrial Midwest, the results there show that we are a national campaign.” State Rep. Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor) said he thought the student vote — particularly coming out of Ann Arbor — likely gave the Sanders campaign an extra push in Michigan. “I don’t think that there is any question that there has been a tremendous amount of energy and enthusiasm behind Sanders lead by huge voices,” Irwin said. “I think Sanders campaign has really benefited from the momentum that student support can give him.” However, Communications Prof. Josh Pasek noted that voter turnout numbers did not indicate a significant increase in Ann Arbor. “These numbers are not huge, but Bernie did seem to do very well,” he said. “It doesn’t suggest that we are seeing something truly overwhelming from the University itself.” Pasek said Sanders’ success likely came from better ground organization and campaigning. “I think it’s probably the case that the Sanders’ campaign was just better organized and did a better geo-TV job in the state of Michigan,” he said. “At least compared to what we thought we would see based on the preelection polls.” One other state, Mississippi, held its Democratic primary alongside Michigan Tuesday, which Clinton won with close to 80 percent of the vote. With a total of 166 delegates available between the two states, Michigan was the more impactful of the two primaries because of the 130 delegates it had up for grabs. Despite the loss in Michigan, Clinton still maintains a lead in the overall delegate count. Both candidates had a strong focus on the state in the days
News months the number has settled to an average of 65 to 70 per month, according to Sevig. “This is a signal that the University does care about you,” he said. “They care about your mental health, both crisis-oriented and from day to day. Also, we are not aware of any other colleges or universities that have put a mental health-dedicated phone line on the back of their IDs.” New Business A new resolution was brought to the assembly floor Tuesday night regarding in-state tuition for nontraditional and undocumented graduate students . The resolution states that, if passed, CSG will work with the Coalition for Tuition, Migrant and Immigrant Rights Advocacy and other organizations to encourage the University to extend in-state tuition to these groups. Currently, the University offers in-state tuition to undocumented undergraduate students, following a vote to change the residency guidelines by the University’s Board of Regents in July of 2013. One of the resolution’s authors, Public Policy masters candidate Luz Meza, said the proposed change would enhance campus diversity. “Diversity isn’t a word that people just throw around,” Meza said. “It’s something that we are actively working on on campus.”
leading up to the election, with Clinton and Sanders both rallying in Michigan on Monday — Sanders on campus at the Crisler Center and Clinton in Detroit — where they discussed many familiar points and some Michigan-centric issues. The primary also follows a Democratic debate in Flint on Sunday held in partnership between CNN and UM-Flint. The debate spent considerable time discussing Michigan-centric issues including the Flint water crisis and Detroit Public Schools’ crumbling infrastructure. Following Tuesday’s primary, most of the remaining delegates will come from more moderate and diverse states where Sanders has not done as well in the past, in comparison to other states where much of his support comes from young white voters. Pasek said Michigan’s primary determines whether Sanders can do well in these types of states, indicating whether he still has a competitive chance at the nomination. “Given that dynamic, Bernie needs to come relatively close to winning — if not to win — to show that he can really show that he can take a state that isn’t the kind of state that he has been winning so far,” he said. LSA sophomore Taiwo Dosunmu, communications director for University’s chapter of College Democrats, said before the polls closed Tuesday that the group hoped to continue Democratic momentum on campus, by encouraging students to vote by opening voter registration booths throughout the year and distributing information on polling locations. Dosunmu added that while the group does not endorse any particular candidate, its main goal is to encourage students to vote. “Our main goal is to have turnout be as high as possible,” he said. “On a college campus turnout is essential. When students vote, Democrats are able to win.”
MARKET From Page 1A in the warmer months for an outside feel. The original main aisle of the market will remain the same as the new infrastructure will be constructed at what is currently a sandlot. In a statement, the DDA board said they believed the newly renovated space will be an essential part of the community. “It meets the mission and values of the DDA to strengthen downtown, spark increased economic activity within the Kerrytown neighborhood, cultivate a memorable sense of place and enhance walkability along north Fourth Avenue,” the board said. David Santacroce, associate dean for experiential education and professor at the University of Michigan Law School and the chair for the Public Market Advisory Commission, said the project has been discussed for many years due to an ongoing need for a warmer space in the winter months. “It’s been talked about forever,” Santacroce said. “It’s very inhospitable in the winter to shop there, both for customers, but also for a lot of vendors who are now in recent years grow-
TRUMP From Page 1A In his victory speech, Trump said he appreciated the decisive victory and the large turnout. “To get these kinds of numbers where they call them immediately is just something else. I want to thank the people of Michigan,” he said. “One of the things I am very happy about is the turnout has just been massive for every week.” Communications Prof. John Pasek said Republican leadership has been looking for a candidate to oppose Trump in the primary
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 — 3A ing a lot more produce during the cold months.” Some current vendors and city residents do not believe the funding allocation is the right option for improving the farmers market. Main reasons for resistance of the new project are centered around a miscommunication of the market’s needs: The physical area around the market will lose multiple parking spots, some vendors will need to move to different locations on the site and the DDA is spending more money than is needed to achieve an improved market. There are over 120 market vendors throughout the year at the market, according to Market Manager Sarah DeWitt. Many of those vendors want to sell year-round, she added. However, several of the current vendors said this week that they do not believe the funding allocation is the right option for improving the farmers market. “We don’t want (the market) winterized, what we wanted was the main aisle winterized,” said Janna Fields, co-owner of Fieldfarms, a permanent vendor at the farmers market. “I went to the Toledo market last fall; they have the exact same setup as we do, but they have roll-down shutters and radiant heat and it only cost them $70,000.”
Nonetheless, despite some vendor disapproval, Santacroce said he believes the newly proposed space is important for maximizing the market’s potential. “There’s also what we call the sandlot where the building would go. It’s not covered and not divided the way it could be because people have to bring their own tents and they only come in a certain size, so we are not maximizing the space of that area,” Santacroce said. “We want to better maximize that space so we can increase vendors, because there’s more vendors that we can’t accommodate, especially in the peak season.” For at least some students, the heated space might make them more likely to attend in winter months, LSA junior Molly Weiss, who shops at the market, said. “I think students will definitely take advantage of this new addition to the farmers market,” Weiss said. “For those living close to Kerrytown, the farmers market has always been such a great way to get local goods, and the winterization of the market I believe can only help the business of vendors. And students will be more likely to go.”
as many see him as toxic to the party. However, he added that the Republican party has been unable to coalesce behind a single candidate. Despite his relative success in Michigan, much of the party sees Trump as unelectable in comparison to other establishment candidates, Pasek noted. However, he said Rubio’s poor showing in Michigan may leave the party with Cruz as the only alternative to Trump. The Michigan primary follows two presidential debates in the state, with a Republican debate held in Detroit last Thursday and a Democratic debate in Flint on Sun-
day. While the Republican debate’s focus stayed national, the Democratic debate spent considerable time discussing Michigan-centric issues including the Flint water crisis and Detroit Public Schools crumbling infrastructure. Pasek said it is hard to know what issues in the debate truly impact voters because there are so many hotly contested issues throughout the course of the debate. “When you have a reasonable contested debate it is hard to read which attacks are the ones that are working for the candidates and which are turning potential voters off,” he said.
Opinion
4A — Wednesday, March 9, 2016
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JASON ROWLAND | OP-ED Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com SHOHAM GEVA EDITOR IN CHIEF
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Feel the Bern, Hillary The magic number is 2,383. That is how many delegates are needed to win the Democratic Party’s nomination for president — to be the standard-bearer for the 43.1 million members of the Democratic party in November. Though the race is far from over, the front-runner is clear. Bernie Sanders has confounded critics and pundits with victories in seven states, yet he still BRETT trails significantly in GRAHAM delegate count. Sanders may have exceeded expectations with his narrow victory in Michigan last night, but, ultimately, the delegates will be split and Clinton will walk out of Super Tuesday Part II with an expanded lead in terms of delegates. Barring any substantial change, Hillary Clinton will accept her party’s nomination on stage in Philadelphia this July; but if she’s smart, Bernie will be there too, on a Clinton-Sanders unity ticket that would almost surely win. As much success as he has enjoyed, the Vermont senator has had too much trouble with some key Democratic voting groups to be the nominee. The base of the party is a multiracial one — in 2012, Obama was elected by a diverse constituency that was, according to Jeet Heer’s recent opinion piece for the New Republic, “56 percent white, 24 percent black, 14 percent Latino, and 4 percent Asian.” Heer goes on to point out that “By contrast, Mitt Romney’s electorate was 89 percent white, 2 percent black, 6 percent Latino, and 2 percent Asian. Clinton’s coalition looks like Obama’s; Sanders’s looks like Romney’s.” This is reflected by the states he has won, which are overwhelmingly white — Vermont, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and a close second in Iowa. Sanders may struggle with appeal to minority voters, but he would make the perfect pick for vice president, adding everything to the ticket that Clinton cannot. Where Hillary has struggled to appeal to younger voters and millennials, Bernie has excelled. College campuses “feel the Bern,” nearly without exception. Additionally, though exit polls indicate that Democrats would be willing to vote for whichever candidate wins the nomination in November, Sanders would continue to draw massive crowds, bring new voters into the political process and excite the base. His message resonates with independents and moderates, standing in stark contrast with Clinton — an establishment figure flush with superdelegates and endorsements. Furthermore, Sanders has consistently set the agenda on the Democratic side and steered the rhetoric that has governed both campaigns. In December and January, the conversation was about what it meant to be a progressive, a title he wears proudly. Clinton then spent weeks on the trail touting her credentials as a “progressive who gets things done,” courting voters and support on the left wing of her party. Recently, in her Super Tuesday victory speech, it was obvious that Clinton has taken a page out of her opponent’s book; she discussed income inequality and the role of corporations in our society, bemoaned the burden of student loans and called for “more love and compassion” in this country. To lose Bernie in the spotlight would be to lose
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the north star of the Democratic platform, a risk that Clinton cannot afford to take. Hillary Clinton is viewed by many to be untrustworthy, cold, elitist and too closely tied to Wall Street — what better counterbalance than the likable, warm and populist Sanders, whose campaign is fueled by donations that average less than $30? Imagine how sharply her public image could change with Bernie’s charm and warmth at her disposal. Granted, there would be drawbacks to this ticket. The party of diversity might not be best served by nominating two white New Yorkers whose combined age is 142. It might be difficult to reconcile Bernie’s desire for certain proposals that have been central to his campaign — universal health care and breaking up the big banks — with Clinton’s more moderate approach. And I have heard one question each time I have discussed this: Would Bernie even want to be Hillary’s VP? Of course he would. For 35 years, since he was elected the mayor of Burlington, Vermont, he has been saying the same thing. He has been standing up for civil rights, the middle class and campaign finance reform. Watch floor speeches he made as a congressman in the 1990s — the wording has changed, but the message is the same. And for the first time since he began his career in politics, Bernie’s brand of liberalism has been resonating with millions of people. He has a microphone, and I doubt he’s willing to give it up just yet. At no point in his campaign has he expressed hatred or even any substantial animosity toward Hillary, saying often that she is qualified and calling her a friend. With the potential to follow in the foot steps of Joe Biden and Dick Cheney as strong political voices in the office of vice president, Sanders would surely enjoy substantial influence in the Clinton White House. Perhaps the most obvious benefit of a Vice President Sanders to those in Hillaryland, however, would be the contrast between the two parties in 2016. Voters would see a broken party system in which the front-runner is a reality television star who is often racist and sexist, enjoying a casual relationship with the truth. The Republican race in 2016 has been a circus in which it is acceptable to make comments on the debate stage about the size of Donald Trump’s manhood. What’s more, the alternatives to Trump are the widely disliked Ted Cruz and the establishment favorite Marco Rubio, who inexplicably has only won one state and has resorted to a policy of “if you can’t beat him, join him” by implying on the campaign trail that Trump may have wet his pants, and reading some of his tweets. Because that is presidential. A Clinton-Sanders ticket would unite the party. The Democrats would seem like the adults. Bernie would bring everything to the ticket that Hillary cannot, along with countless intangibles that she could not get from any other establishment pick or career politician. In early February, when asked about whether she would consider Bernie as a VP pick on the debate stage in New Hampshire, Hillary said, “If I’m so fortunate as to be the nominee, the first person I will call to talk to about where we go and how we get it done will be Senator Sanders.” No one should be surprised if the ticket is set in stone by the time she hangs up. Brett Graham can be reached at btgraham@umich.edu.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
I want to take this opportunity to thank the people of Michigan who kind of repudiated the polls that had us 20-25 points down a few days ago. —Sen. Bernie Sanders (D–Vt.), speaking about last night’s Michigan Democratic primary results
Finally, justice for Black America Late last month, protesters marched through the streets of Ann Arbor and many other cities (including several thousand protesters in New York) to demur the conviction of ex-officer Peter Liang, the Asian-American NYPD cop who was convicted of seconddegree manslaughter after his gun accidentally discharged and struck Akai Gurley, an unarmed Black man, in the stairwell of his Brooklyn apartment building. Though Liang was supposed to administer CPR to his victim, he failed to do so as Mr. Gurley lay dying on the steps of his own residence. The protesters claimed that Liang was only convicted because of his Asian-American racial identity, and he was consequently used as a scapegoat by the justice system (with the implication being that if Liang were a white officer, he would have avoided any formal punishment). The demonstrators brandished signs that read “condolences to Akai Gurley, justice for Peter Liang” and chanted “equal justice for all” throughout the protest. Regardless of what they explicitly said, however, many people, including myself, only heard a group asking, “Why can’t we get away with killing unarmed Black men, too?” I am in no way trying to diminish the very real roadblocks the Asian community faces in this country. From unfounded
prejudices and stereotypes to flat-out discrimination, Asian Americans are no strangers to the racist tendencies of American society. However, demanding “justice for Peter Liang” implies that justice has not already been served, or even worse, that being found guilty of second-degree manslaughter is somehow an injustice — that true justice would only be achieved if the court treated Liang with greater leniency or dropped charges altogether. Second-degree manslaughter is defined as either a crime of passion that was not premeditated or — as it pertains to Liang — “a killing caused by dangerous conduct and the offender’s obvious lack of concern for human life.” While I am about as far from a legal scholar as one can get, it doesn’t take a Supreme Court justice to see that not announcing your presence while your finger is on the trigger is dangerous conduct, and standing idly while your victim dies helplessly shows little concern for human life. Peter Liang is guilty of second-degree manslaughter, and in my eyes — and the eyes of the court — the only injustice would be for him not to be charged with a crime he obviously committed. To quote an op-ed from one of my coworkers at the Daily, “Since 1999, there have been more than 175 fatal shootings in New York City by on-duty officers. Of these,
only three have led to indictments… only one shooting led to a conviction.” That statistic is why I feel the conviction of Peter Liang is just. For far too long, police officers have been treating their access to weapons like a hunting permit against oppressed minorities. At long last, the justice system is standing up for the voiceless who are killed without a second thought. Even if this is a one-time thing, even if Officer Liang is being used as a scapegoat, calling his punishment an injustice is disingenuous. The fact that other officers get off when they kill unarmed minorities is the real injustice, not the fact that Peter Liang was convicted. Likewise, the other officers’ killings do not make Peter Liang’s shooting of Akai Gurley any more acceptable. Instead of asking myself, “Why should Liang be convicted when other officers are not?” I’m hopeful that in the future, all cops who kill innocent people — regardless of race —will be given the same justice that Officer Liang received. Though I’m not optimistic that future officers who shoot guiltless people will receive similar treatment, this conviction is still a step in the right direction, because at least someone is finally being held accountable for killing an innocent person. Jason Rowland is a senior editorial page editor.
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T
A better way to wake up
he summer after my junior year of high school, I found myself waking up at 7 a.m. every morning, without bothering to set an alarm. The sun came out, the day got going, and I couldn’t stay in bed any longer. Over the past SUSAN week of break, LAMOREAUX something similar happened — I found myself naturally getting up anywhere between 7:45 and 8:30, ready for a jump-start on the day. I’d elected a number of morning classes this semester in the interest of getting myself up and going, getting my coursework done early so I could leave my afternoons open for working on assignments. But time management hasn’t been a strong suit lately, and sometimes homework has gotten away from me. More often than I’d have liked, I’ve found myself still awake at midnight, trying to finish the reading for a class at 8:30 the next morning. I know I’m not alone when I say I haven’t really been getting enough sleep this winter. According to a study conducted by the National College Health Assessment, roughly 19 percent of all students at the University of Michigan, both graduate and undergraduate, have some kind of trouble sleeping. This can be associated with trauma, emotionally disturbing events or even a lack of exercise during the week; regardless of cause, over 30 percent of students did not feel adequately rested for five days out of the week. “We know a lack of sleep impacts grades, but we’re not so sure about its effects on mood or the breakdown between different majors,” said Dr. Shelley Hershner, a researcher at the University of Michigan’s sleep lab, where tests and
treatments for disorders such as sleep apnea are conducted. Hershner also practices at University Health Service, where she works to educate students about sleep in an effort to improve their sleep behaviors. “One of the primary functions of sleep is learning and memory,” Hershner said, adding, “We don’t know the entire purpose of sleep, but I would say one part of it is long-term potentiation,” that is, committing new information to long-term memory. While I’ve prided myself on getting enough sleep, more or less, over the course of my education, Hershner said many students don’t feel the same way: “For a lot of people, not getting enough sleep is almost like a badge of honor.” However, lack of sleep has a definite negative impact on academic performance. As Hershner points out, “You’re spending thousands to get your education, but sleep is one of the processes that allow you to learn.” Other impacts of too little sleep include a weakened immune system and a greater secretion of hormones that make you hungry. The benefits of a full night’s rest greatly outweigh the consequences of cutting into the time when you should be sleeping. Short naps can help to make up the difference for those who can’t quite fit eight hours in each night, and Hershner quoted one study that showed a six-minute nap improves memorization by 11 percent. For those who take more than half an hour to fall asleep, naps may not be the best way to increase the amount of rest they get in a day. Instead, Hershner recommends getting to bed just 15 minutes earlier, or getting up 15 minutes later — if you can manage either or even both, for a total of 30 extra minutes, it can have a real impact. Besides fitting in more minutes or hours of sleep each day, Hershner reminded me that students should also be more mindful of late-night caffeine
or use of technolog y. The light given off by screens interrupts the production of melatonin, a hormone that signals the body to start preparing for sleep, Hershner explained. And caffeine can last for up to eight hours in your system, meaning that a late-afternoon coffee could leave you unable to fall asleep until sometime early the next morning. Hershner also told me of instances where people can’t fall asleep right away and start surfing Facebook or listening to music in an effort to relax, when really, all they’re doing is waking themselves up more. My goal for each evening isalways to take an early shower, get in bed before 11, and promptly turn out the lights. Over the past couple of months — OK, for the majority of my young-adult life — I haven’t been very on top of these goals, but it doesn’t mean I’ll stop trying. Just knowing what to be aware of — avoiding bright lights and caffeine — can help. If I can, I like to read for pleasure or write in a journal before I turn off the lights, which is a more effective way of relaxing than staring at a screen. To this day, I have managed not to pull an all-nighter — what’s not finished in the late afternoon, I get around to in the morning. “We spend a third of our life in sleep. It’s vital,” Hershner reminded me. I’m all for a good night’s rest, if for no other reason than because it gives shape to my days. It rejuvenates body and mind, leaving me refreshed and better prepared for whatever the next day might hold. And I’ve found it’s a great excuse for eating breakfast.. If you’re interested in finding out more about your own circadian rhythms and whether you’re more of a “morning” or “evening” person, Hershner recommends a simple questionaire available on the online version of this column. Susan LaMoreaux can be reached at susanpl@umich.edu.
Arts
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GENDER & MEDIA COLUMN
An eye for an eye, a tit for a tat
I
t was a Wednesday night in early March. We had spent the day wandering the narrow, balcony-lined streets of New Orleans, stopping in quaint book shops and swaying to popup brass bands in the center NATALIE square. There was GADBOIS a breeze coming off the Mississippi, bringing with it the briny smell of fish and centuries old stone houses. And vomit. There was a distinct smell of vomit as my friends and I made our way from bar to bar down the infamous Bourbon Street, encountering new friends (alleged New Orleans Saints players) and new challenges (a drink consisting solely of grape slushie and Everclear) along the way. As we approached our destination we let out shrill giggles in anticipation; we were doing something none of us, as former student council representatives and current homebodies, had done before. Feeling young and alive and independent, singles in hand, we walked into the Bad Boys of Bourbon Street, an allmale strip club. Confession: I saw “Magic Mike” in theaters three times. (Once was actually at a drivein.) When Channing Tatum’s star-making film about male strippers with big dreams and hearts of gold came out in 2013, I told everyone who would listen about how good it was. The film is surprisingly smart, unafraid to dig into the class and racial dynamics that complicate the stripping industry. And Tatum is excellent, pulling from his own stripping past to bring a conflicted gravity to a character that could have been just a meathead. I would whip out these reasons whenever anyone questioned the film’s integrity, or my obsession with it. But without fail, every conversation would inevitably end with me saying, “And c’mon, it’s hot guys stripping.” What can I say: a girl wants what she wants. The Bad Boys of Bourbon didn’t disappoint. The boys were hot, they could move, and they did their damnedst to engage the cozy Wednesday night crowd. I watched as my friends threw singles on the stage and even participated in the show, unabashedly reclaiming this place as theirs.
I love objectifying men. Really, it’s one of my favorite pastimes, other than reading biographies for pleasure and drinking wine from a box. It may sound shallow, or even callous, but in a world built on the constant, unrelenting objectification of women, I feel no guilt in turning the tables. I watch certain shows solely for the man candy. I stare a beat too long at the cute boy across the airplane aisle. Last week I even called a statue of Andrew Jackson “foxy as all hell.” (Like I said, a girl wants what she wants.) There is an empowerment in assuming the traditionally masculine angle of removing a person’s inner self from their physicality, in acting unapologetic of your primal instincts.
What can I say: A girl wants what she wants. Take “Grandfathered,” the FOX comedy starring John Stamos (“Fuller House”) and Josh Peck (“Drake and Josh”). It’s not a great show, at times sharp and pithy but all too often sweeping in its characterizations. But my best friend and I watch it every week, in part pulled in by our libidos — she’s an Uncle Jesse fan while I prefer Peck’s former-chubbykid adorableness. As a TV snob, it’s a rarity for me to watch a show for aesthetics alone, but it’s refreshing to watch with half a brain, to whoop at the shirtless scenes like a bored frat bro. “The Good Wife,” too, plays a cat and mouse game with my sex drive, as Alicia Florrick has reignited her sexuality and got some over the show’s seven season run. Alicia treats sex in a traditionally masculine way; when she wants it, she wants it, no strings attached. While this may complicate her own life, it invigorates mine. When her boss Will passionately kissed her in an elevator in season two, I rewound multiple times, and proceeded to tweet that all I wanted was to make out with someone in an elevator. When she pulled her estranged husband into a back room for a midday quickie in season four, I cheered. This season, when she hooked up with her grizzled investigator in her darkened
office, my friend texted me her excitement in all caps, and I responded with a resounding “YASSSS.” It shouldn’t come as a shock that women like sex. Women have attractions and urges just like men, whether they be for Channing Tatum or disgraced 19th century presidents. I find admitting these feelings to be an open act of feminism, a response to millennia of women functioning solely for men’s sexual desire. And yet. As I sat in the Bad Boys of Bourbon Street, I couldn’t help but feel irrevocably, deeply icky. I couldn’t remove my own sensibilities from the situation; I couldn’t just be a man about it. What were these men’s real names? Did they always want to strip, or was this a stepping stone for some other dream? Do they have families, children relying on the money coming in from this Wednesday night show? Do they even want to be here? I ran out in a panic, texting a friend “I feel like this is so violating.” That to support the industry didn’t feel like a feminist move. That I found it all really sad, and not at all sexy. I was confused; I’m pretty open about my sexuality, and I wholeheartedly support compensation for patriarchal wrongs. Maybe I’m more prudish than I thought, but I found the institution to be irredeemably abusive. Can there be feminist retribution in recreating an industry that was established through eons of the normalized sexualization of women’s bodies? Just because men can pay to enter a dark room and watch a woman they don’t know remove her clothes, and have been able to do that for centuries, does it mean I should feel comfortable doing it in the reverse? I don’t think so. I want it to be easier, I want equal to be the same as equitable; an eye for an eye, or more pertinently, a tit for tat. But an institution founded in a society of objectification, of debasement, of violence, can’t be turned on its head and made clean. As the phrase goes, an eye for an eye means the whole world’s blind. And I need my sight to keep watching “The Good Wife.”
Gadbois is watching “Magic Mike” for the fourth time. To join her, email gadbnat@umich.edu.
BOOK REVIEW
Daily Book Review: ‘Sweetgirl’ a success By SOPHIA KAUFMAN Daily Arts Writer
Percy James is used to picking up after her mother Carletta, a woman who has trouble staying away from drugs. When Carletta disappears in the middle of a blizzard, her daughter grudgingly sets off to find her, more annoyed than worried. But when she stumbles into a house and finds a wailing baby by an open window, alone except for two passed out drug addicts in a room downstairs, she makes a split-second decision to grab the baby and run. She soon realizes she has more pressing problems than a MIA mother strung out on meth. The heroine of Travis Mulhauser’s debut novel “Sweetgirl” possesses every trait that you would imagine the heroine of this kind of story to have. Think Jennifer Lawrence’s character in
“Winter’s Bone” meets Hailee Steinfeld’s character in “True Grit.” She’s unyielding and sardonic and refuses to be vulnerable and has a chip on each shoulder, but she’s also determined and self-sacrificing
A few things stick with you once you close the book. and courageous. Percy takes baby Jenna — whom she subsequently refers to mostly as “Sweetgirl” — from the house because she is freezing and on the verge of becoming ill, and Shelton Potter and his girlfriend (the drug addicts) don’t look like they’re
in any shape to be taking care of a child. She takes Jenna to her mother’s ex-boyfriend, Portis, a gruff yet caring borderline alcoholic who helped raise Percy and her sister once upon a time. She knows that he’ll help her, despite grumbling about it first. The urgency of finding Percy’s mother and getting Jenna to a doctor escalates once they realize they’re being pursued by Potter — and various members of his guntoting posse. There are a few subtle indicators that “Sweetgirl” is a debut novel. The continuous switch between Percy’s first person narration and the third person narration that follows Potter is sometimes jarring and unequal. While Potter is an intriguing character psychologically, the parts of the narration that follow him and his dealings with threatening men are less interesting, and throughout the novel there
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 — 5A
FILM REVIEW
PARAMOUNT PICTURES
Is this the “Bound 2” video?
See ‘Foxtrot’ for Tina Fey and witty script By REBECCA LERNER Daily Film Editor
“Well, we saw it for Tina!” said B+ my dad said as we drove home Whiskey after seeing Tango “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” Foxtrot starring the Quality 16 aforementioned Tina Fey Paramount (“Sisters”). “We Pictures saw it because we like her.” I can’t say this is untrue. When I saw the ads for “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” starring Fey, produced by her SNL mentor Lorne Michaels and her husband Jeff Richmond and written by her “30 Rock” show runner Robert Carlock, there was a part of me hoping it would be the story of Liz Lemon working as a journalist in Afghanistan. That part of me, the same part that would fall asleep listening to Tina Fey’s book “Bossypants” on my CD player in high school, was not disappointed. Based on the book “The Taliban Shuffle” by the film’s real life inspiration Kim Barker, “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” follows journalist Kim Baker, who leaves her uninspired life in New York City for an international assignment in Kabul. Her arrival is chaotic and reflected in the turbulent and shaky editing, which quickly calms as Kim adjusts to life in the “Kabubble,” as the characters affectionately call journalistic life in the city. Kim instantly bonds with Tanya Vanderpol (Margot Robbie, “Focus”) the only other female journalist living in their guest house, which more closely resembles a continuous collegiate frat party than a living space for adults. But that’s the dichotomy of womanhood in the Kabubble — it’s acceptable, even encouraged, for these women to
are a few turns of phrase that don’t quite fit in with the rest of the book’s brusque style; the elegance of more sophisticated language feels imposing on the gritty, simple wording of the rest of the novel. Percy describes baby Jenna’s “strength” on a few occasions; though romantic in sentiment, this doesn’t quite ring true. A baby who gradually stops crying generally isn’t exhibiting emotional strength for her guardian’s sake — she has tired herself out. A couple deaths in “Sweetgirl” are true plot twists, shocking in their abruptness. However, though they change the direction of the story, they aren’t utilized solely as plot drivers — but neither are they given space to be mourned. They’re given the amount of time they take to occur, then the remaining characters move on. Other than Percy and Portis, the characterization of the rest of the cast is bleak; there are no shining heros or vibrant villains. No one is fully good or fully evil. Though this sometimes drains the energy from the pages, it also makes it more realistic. Yet there are a few things that stick with you once you close the book — a short yet gorgeous description of the ocean, the stealthy, sucking power of a small town, how wallowing in a
get blackout drunk and wild in the guest house, but it’s equally acceptable for strangers to call them whores if their heads are uncovered outside of the house. Kim embeds herself in the military presence in Afghanistan and finds herself surprisingly addicted to the adrenaline rush of war reporting, much to the chagrin of both the top Marine officer in the area (Billy Bob Thornton, “Our Brand Is Crisis”) and her “fixer” Fahim (Christopher Abbott, “James White”). Kim and Fahim’s cultural differences provide fertile ground for witty one-liners about their personalities and relationship — she’s a cynical workaholic from New York and he’s a traditional young Afghan man trying to keep her safe. But the truly noteworthy aspect of their relationship is its caring yet platonic nature. There are so few filmic models of emotional connections between men and women without sexual motives, not just in the industry as a whole, but also in this movie. Pretty much every other man besides Fahim propositions Kim to have sex with him. Whether it’s a licentious Afghan attorney general (Alfred Molina, “Love Is Strange”) casually showing her the bed in his office or a photographer trying to look down her shirt when she’s passed out after a particularly rowdy party, Kim is constantly negotiating the gender politics of adapting culturally while successfully doing her job. Fey, with plenty of previous experience in roles arbitrating the complexity of femininity in the workplace, strikes this balance almost perfectly. Before the third act, during which both the audience and Kim realize she’s been in the Kabubble for too long, the film strikes a harmonious balance between romantic comedy and war story. And yet, critics and audiences alike are putting
“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” on trial for whitewashing its Afghan actors. Racism and problems with diversity are ubiquitous in Hollywood today, from the casting of Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone in an upcoming biopic to the recent “Gods of Egypt,” in which the gods in the North African nation are predominantly white. But “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” is different. Tina Fey, who was also a producer on the film, says she requested a native speaker for the part of Fahim, but that the casting directors chose Christopher Abbott as the best person for the job. There are also the specificities of Afghanistan that distinguish it from other cases of whitewashing. Afghans can be Caucasians, making it conceivable that someone from Afghanistan could resemble Abbott. But there’s also a question of safety for the actors and their families. The film’s inspiration, Kim Barker, tweeted that “The most ‘authentic’ people to play Fahim and Sadiq are Afghans, not people from the Middle East, or Pakistan or India…But what happens if there’s a reaction in Afghanistan against that actor’s family? … The Afghan boys who starred in the movie “The Kite Runner” had to go into hiding.” She went on to say that “This movie looks like Afghanistan! And the extras were Afghans speaking Dari and Pashto. That made me happy.” While there should be an effort to improve diversity in cinema today, there was never a moment in “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” that didn’t feel authentic to its inspirations or locations. “Whiskey Foxtrot Tango” is a balancing act, teetering between absurdist comedy and a tragedy in a war-torn country in which almost 10,000 American troops still remain. The movie doesn’t always stay upright, but Fey’s trademark sense of humor pulls it back up when it falters.
state of melancholy can feel more real than bouncing around in a state of fleeting happiness and the possibility of finding hope in a final goodbye. Written in sharp,
staccato sentences, “Sweetgirl” is sprinkled with brittle pieces of bone-dry truth about what it’s like for a kid to grow up faster than she should have to.
Arts
6A — Wednesday, March 9, 2016
FILM REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
STYLE RECAP
LAURIE ANDERSON
“I love you like I love my dog.”
‘Dog’ explores life Milan FW in review DESIGN BY ANJALI ALANGADEN
Laurie Anderson’s emotional film tackles grief. By JOE WAGNER Daily Arts Writer
“Heart of a Dog,” Laurie Anderson’s 2015 film, is similar to a traditional movie in that it has a narrative, moving images and sound, yet A it is somehow different. To Heart of watch “Heart a Dog of a Dog” is a wholly distinct Michigan experience from Theater watching “Star Wars,” yet we Abramorama call them both movies. Anderson weaves vignettes that don’t quite seem related to one another or even to the film as a whole, yet combines and transitions between in them in such a brilliant way that it’s impossible to notice the story moving forward. But perhaps it isn’t. The viewer isn’t progressing through time and through story but rather moving cyclically, experiencing one part of the story and then another part but then returning to the first. Repeating, returning, tumbling through time. This isn’t to say that “Heart of a Dog” does not have a narrative. Its narrative is compelling.
It is thought provoking. It is beautiful. It is everything a “movie” should be. However, it does so in a nontraditional way. The form of the movie mirrors the movie thematically. “Heart of a Dog” is a story of death, of life, of dogs, of loved ones, of the modern world, of Buddhism. It is a story of human and spiritual experience. The film brings one through life and loss, through death and rebirth. Anderson uses her dog, Lolabelle, as a guiding thread through the movie, departing from and returning to the life of her dog. She ventures off to topics as distant as 9/11 and ranging as far as the Bardo (a purgatory state between two lives) of Buddhist philosophy, but is constantly exploring and understanding death, love and life. Anderson reads her poetic film to the audience like a storybook to children. By breaking the fourth wall and addressing the audience directly, she creates both a filmic reality and a meta-filmic reality. The audience is enveloped in the film, swallowed by the reality of the movie while simultaneously, at least at certain instances, aware of the experience of watching Anderson’s poem unfold on the silver screen. Conscious, and unconscious. Aware and unaware. The imagery is as outstanding as the narrative of the movie is. Anderson chooses images which possess
natural associations with the narration even if they are not strictly what she describes. She utilizes a variety of types of art. Anderson makes use of iPhone footage of her dog, sketches of her dog in the Bardo, footage of the West Village seen through the eyes of her dog, a painting by Goya, footage of Northern California and manipulations of still images. Through breathtaking transitions, these seemingly individual works of art are combined into a new, indivisible whole. Just as the narrative is cyclical, so is the imagery. The film repeats certain images while moving to and fro between others. Anderson creates interesting composition, whether it be through manipulation of what seems to be still photos or through upside-down camera angles putting the ocean at the top of the frame and the beach underneath. The compositions are atypical in that there is not a singular spot intended for the eyes to concentrate and observe. Rather, the compositions force the eyes to constantly move and study everything that lies within the frame and think about everything beyond the frame. Gliding through life, death, and love and powered by the human experience, Laurie Anderson’s “Heart of a Dog” is a unique film, both beautiful and thought provoking, unlike anything else made in 2015.
By DAILY STYLE WRITERS Ah Milan, what some insist as the fashion capitol of the world, even ranking above Paris. It is the birthplace of many high fashion couture houses, which have exuded elegance and innovation in handmade and luxury designs. These include famous names like Giorgio Armani, Versace and all the way to Gucci. Each year fashion designers, enthusiasts and bloggers alike make the trek to Milano all the way in the northern region of beautiful Italy. While our style writers weren’t fortunate enough to join them, it doesn’t mean we cannot sit in awe at the glamour exuding from every stitch of fabric in the collections from this year, and review from afar. Armani The morning after Leonardo DiCaprio finally claimed his first Academy Award, the man who dressed “The Revenant” star delivered his Fall 2016 ready-towear collection in Milan. The collection’s namesake quite literally summarizes Giorgio Armani’s latest creation: “Black Velvet.” In the words of Vogue’s Nicole Phelps, “This collection was a study in how to make black velvet a viable option for day[time].” The designer took modern day staples such as running pants, tailored coats, ties, and of course, crop tops, but went a step further and offered a reworked version of each in black velvet. Armani balances the fuzzy fabric’s omnipresence on
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the essentials with smaller samplings on the accessories. Touches of black velvet can be found on the pockets of tweed blouses, the cuffs of multicolored coats and on oversize black bowties, making for a chic assemblage of the fabric du jour. Armani’s “Black Velvet” was au courant with the rest of Milan fashion week, with velvet emerging as one of the biggest trends out of the Italian fashion capital this season. The luscious fabric also graced the runways of Arthur Arbesser, Roberto Cavalli, Alberta Ferretti and Emilio Pucci. While velvet also made a showing last season, it seems designers are not too eager to let go just yet. —Jordan Stern Blumarine The roaring ’20s are back with Blumarine’s latest collection. Sheer jumpsuits, sequins and fur make a name for themselves in this show. Fur at the hem of longer coats, fur necklines, fur hats — think fur everywhere, people. Shimmering long skirts are mesmerizing while watching the models stroll down the catwalk. Leopard and floral prints are also a theme throughout this daring collection. The detailing is feminine and gives us a sense of delicacy. The pieces are so incredibly classy, in fact, that if each of these particularly clothed models were standing in a room full of fashion’s best, everyone else in the room would still automatically be reduced to “trashy.”
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Nothing in this show made me step back and think wow, but as a whole it was a very nice collection. Feminine, old school and classy, all of these Blumarine pieces would be perfect to wear when attending a Gatsby-themed party. So as soon as I’m invited to a party of such extravagance, I’ll be sure to turn to this collection. —Hannah Sparks Gucci It’s been one year since Alessandro Michele was appointed creative director of Gucci. Though he hasn’t had much time at the helm, it’s as if he’s created ages worth of work in 12 short months, already being subject to people aping the designs and aesthetic he’s been crafting for Gucci in this new era. Michele peddles an amalgamation of his favorite aesthetics, trodding outfits down the runway that exude equal parts ’70s Italian sport culture, Renaissance art and vintage biker grunge. Each model and outfit was a cohesive cultural experience on its own, featuring diamante sunglasses, disco sandals, velour hats, socks with Gucci’s loud striped graphic, pearl and crystal juxtaposed against colors like raincoat yellow and magenta. Not only is there an eclectic combination of styles and imagery, but Michele seamlessly draws from each of them to craft a beautiful smorgasbord of colors and looks, something he aptly compares to “talking in more than one language.” Michele’s latest showing for Gucci was a blatant assault on the subtleties of Europe’s more established fashion upper echelon. Bombastic, ostentatious, colorful and loud, the experience of Michele’s show was fairly atypical to Gucci’s quintessential calm Italian aesthetic. He has no desire to be “cool,” to immediately fit in with his trendy colleagues or the creative directors that came before him. He has a confident, collected approach toward fostering his loud and frenetic style. The more freedom he has to explore it, the more fortunate the fashion world will be. —Anay Katyal Prada There’s good news and there’s bad news. I’ll give you the good news first. All of the shoes in this show were so unique and so very “Prada” — it was amazing. Whether it was the platform oxfords with a chunky buckle, the heels, or the lace up boots, all in all, the shoes were on point. Going further, the handbags were obviously chic AF. Maybe it’s a personal bias, but I always tend to be more impressed with Prada’s bags and shoes, I mean, what’s not to love? Therefore, I suppose you, the reader, could take this review with a grain of salt. Now for the bad news — the clothes were tragically ugly. Personally, I was especially discouraged and questioned my taste once the show ended. The crowd was roaring with applause. I just wanted to yell, argyle, they’re bringing back argyle! What really killed me were the thick argyle tights, a frightening flashback to my elementary school days. I was especially put off when the models came out wearing coin purses around their necks. Is this a thing in Milan? Am I behind on the times? On another note, there was a reoccurring theme of sailor hats; I’m not entirely sure what the point of them was, but it was all somewhat concerning. Maybe it’s just me, and maybe I’m not as fashionable as I thought, but I was incredibly unimpressed with this show. If I had to assign a letter grade to this collection, it would be a C. Sorry Prada, but you let me down. — Hannah Sparks
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 — 7A
Five Things We Learned: Michigan’s Spring Break By ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico’s team should find itself back in the WNIT when the brackets are announced Monday.
‘M’ awaits WNIT fate By TED JANES Daily Sports Writer
Since the 2012-13 season, the Michigan women’s basketball team has failed to make the NCAA Tournament. And after a short stay in Indianapolis for the Big Ten Tournament last week, it looks like that drought will live on another year. The Wolverines (9-9 Big Ten, 17-13 overall) don’t boast the strongest record, and they struggled to collect any “big wins” that could swing the selection committee into giving them a shot. The 64-team NCAA Tournament field will almost certainly leave out Michigan — which finished at a tie for seventh in the Big Ten — so on deck for the team is the Women’s National Invitation Tournament. While the men’s NIT features just 32 teams, the WNIT includes a full 64, and the Wolverines certainly won’t be left out of that. But exactly where Michigan falls between No. 65 and No. 128 in the country is anyone’s guess.
The team has put together a strong enough season to earn a high seed in the WNIT, which potentially would allow them to host a handful of games. Instead of playing at neutral sites, the team that records a higher average attendance generally hosts, a feature that played well to the Wolverines advantage last year when they went all the way to the semifinals. Last year’s WNIT run ended with a loss to the eventual champion, UCLA. And even though it wasn’t the NCAA Tournament — which is always a goal for the team — Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico mentioned that the tournament provided the team, especially then-freshman guard Katelynn Flaherty, with invaluable experience. Thursday, Flaherty scored 31 points against Iowa at the Big Ten Tournament, setting a single-season scoring record for Michigan with 677 for the year. Flaherty’s record-breaking season was the biggest reason the team had a chance of reaching the Big Dance this year.
Flaherty led the Wolverines to plenty of almost-wins against top teams like No. 5 Maryland and No. 9 Ohio State, and the first-team All-Big Ten selection played a big role in sweeping a solid Minnesota team led by Naismith Award semifinalist Rachel Banham. Regardless, Michigan couldn’t build its résumé over the past few months, and it lost control of its postseason destiny as the season wound down. The following weeks should determine how the Wolverines stack up on the national scale, which has been difficult to interpret all year. The Wolverines’ third straight WNIT appearance should be confirmed this coming Monday, March 14, when the selection committee reveals the final bracket a day after the NCAA Tournament’s Selection Sunday. The first round of the WNIT will be held from March 16 to March 18, and the Wolverines will expect to play at Crisler Center sometime in that frame. But as always, nothing is guaranteed. All they can do now is wait.
The Michigan baseball team’s Spring Break trip did not end exactly as it would have hoped. The 19th-ranked Wolverines’ final two games against UC Davis were canceled due to the rain, leaving them with a 3-3 record in their trip to California. Despite suffering his first losses on the season, Michigan coach Erik Bakich believes there are teaching moments in every game. Here are five things we learned from Michigan’s earlyseason trip out west. 1. Michigan’s starting pitchers are really good … Sophomore left-handed pitcher Oliver Jaskie had another impressive outing for the Wolverines. Against Michigan’s chief opponent, No. 9 California, Jaskie managed to toss 5.1 innings of three-hit, no-run baseball. Bakich praised Jaskie for his work ethic and performance after his earlier start against Canisius, but his stellar start has been a pleasant surprise for the Wolverines. Sophomore right-hander Ryan Nutof suffered his first loss of the season, but he impressed nonetheless. Nutof picked up a victory in his first start of the season by shutting out Saint Joseph’s. In his next start against UC Davis, Nutof surrendered just two earned runs, but did not get the necessary run support to
erase the deficit. Junior lefty Brett Adcock also took a loss in his start against Cal Poly. However, his stat line told another story. Adcock pitched 3.1 innings, striking out seven batters and not allowing a hit. Overall, Michigan’s starters allowed no more than four runs in any of their games in California, and the staff is currently boasting the fifth-best earned-run average in college baseball at 1.59. 2. … But its defense isn’t. Despite outstanding pitching and a serviceable offense, the Wolverines’ defense has already cost them games. Michigan committed errors in every one of its contests over the break. Up 3-2 in the sixth inning against UC Davis, sophomore infielder Jake Bivens overthrew a ball to first base. Instead of two runners on with one out, Nutof had to pitch in a no-out, basesloaded jam. A single and fielder’s choice gave the Mustangs a 4-3 lead and the eventual victory. “We made a couple of costly errors that led to two unearned runs against UC Davis,” Bakich said. “Sometimes the growth comes from learning from your mistakes.” A Michigan error also cost a run against San Jose State to ruin the Wolverines’ chances at their fourth shutout of the season. The Spartans continued to surge with four runs in the fifth inning to tie the game, 5-5, but a double by
Quick Hits with Michigan sophomore Tony Calderone Daily Sports Writer
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Junior lefty Brett Adcock took a loss despite not allowing a hit over Spring Break.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Sophomore forward Tony Calderone has racked up high shot totals all season.
has his own room on the road? Calderone: He needs to stay mentally focused. He’s a guy who, if he has too many distractions, he could lose focus. TMD: (Sophomore defenseman) Cutler Martin was a forward once again this weekend. How’d you like that? Calderone: He did well. He’s played that fourth-line role, hitting guys, shooting the puck. He adjusted to it pretty well. TMD: You were the first pick of the United States Hockey League draft back in the day. What was that like? Calderone: It was cool. (My family) was watching the draft on our computer and my named pop up, and it was awesome. It was a big deal for my family, especially because I was out the year before. TMD: You grew up in Michigan. Did you play on that travel team with all the kids on this team?
Calderone: I played on Victory Honda with Shuart, Cutler, (sophomore forward) Niko Porikos, (sophomore forward) Alex Talcott and (freshman goalie) Chad Catt. TMD: You must’ve been good. Calderone: We went to the state finals and we had norovirus, so we had just six people on the bench. I went to the hospital for four days. It was a mess. TMD: So when the norovirus came back to Ann Arbor, what were you thinking? Calderone: All the guys, we joked, “Not again, not again.” It was horrible. TMD: Does it surprise you that (freshman defenseman) Joe Cecconi would tell his grandfather to put more money on his debit card during the norovirus outbreak because “Ferraris can’t take regular fuel”? Calderone: It sounds exactly like something he would say.
3. The 7-8-9 hitters are still up in the air. While the first six hitters in the Wolverines’ lineup have remained consistent in their 10 contests thus far, the backend of the lineup has seen a number of changes. Junior infielder Michael Brdar has started every game thus far, but has not solidified a permanent spot in the lineup. He has seen time in all of the bottom three spots. Junior catcher Harrison Wenson — who leads the team with three homers so far this season — has also started every game, but was the seventh batter in two games in California. Wenson has typically hit in the No. 5 spot. Besides Brdar and Wenson, Bakich has also shuffled freshman outfielder Jonathan Engelmann, freshman infielder Ako Thomas and junior outfielder Johnny Slater in and out of the lineup at the bottom three spots. 4. Michigan has yet to establish itself. With 10 games under its belt, Michigan is yet to build an identity. Defense, offense and pitching have all had their ups and downs, but have rarely all come together at once. The same team that swept Canisius and shut out the top-10 Golden Bears has also suffered defeats to UC Davis, Santa Clara and Cal Poly. Each game is a matter of which Michigan team decides to show up. Though disappointed by the losses, Bakich says that he cares most about how the team has handled each loss. “We’ve got knocked down a couple times, and we’ve got back up,” Bakich said. “I think our guys have done a good job of responding to small amounts of adversity we’ve experienced.” 5. Bold Prediction: Michigan will sweep Hawaii, averaging at least nine runs a game.
By JASON RUBINSTEIN
Sophomore forward Tony Calderone likes to shoot the puck. And that was on full display this past weekend during the homeand-home Ohio State series. Calderone’s nine shots led the Wolverines in that category. He also led the team with three goals. His 96 shots on the season slot him in third on the team, behind junior forward Tyler Motte and freshman forward Kyle Connor, respectively. Heading into this weekend’s series against Penn State, Calderone agreed to join the Daily for this week’s edition of Quick Hits. The Michigan Daily: You shoot the puck a lot according to the stats. Do your linemates ever get angry with you for shooting so much? Calderone: (Laughs) No. They haven’t said anything yet, at least. I like to think they give me the puck so I can shoot it. TMD: (Junior defenseman) Michael Downing seems to shoot a lot on the power play. Do you talk to him about that? Calderone: (Laughs) On our power play, we like to get the puck to the net, and I think he does a good job with it, so I can’t get on him about it too much. TMD: When you got here this season, you were paired with two freshmen. Was that an insult? Calderone: Not an insult. They both had impressive track records coming in, so I was excited to play with some fresh guys and show them the way. TMD: Who would you least like to room with on the road? Calderone: (Sophomore forward) Dexter Dancs. I live with the guy, and he’s a pretty obnoxious roommate. TMD: Why? Because he is dirty? Calderone: No. He’s just loud. He plays music a lot. He just is loud. TMD: Why do you think (senior netminder) Steve Racine
Bivens in the sixth inning secured a 6-5 win for the Wolverines.
Win or lose, Michigan’s pitching has been dominant to start the season. It’s time that the offense follows suit. Les Murakami Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, should be a good stadium for the Wolverines’ offense to pick up, measuring just 325 feet to left and right field. The Rainbow Warriors are 131st in ERA in college baseball at 4.49, and the Wolverines will be the biggest challenge that they have encountered so far. With so much attention focused on the pitching staff, it will be Michigan’s bats that will shine against Hawaii.
Sports
8A — Wednesday, March 9, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Desperation fuels ‘M’ By KELLY HALL Daily Sports Editor
Monday night, Michigan coach John Beilein sat down with his team and discussed down-on-their-luck teams that were able to pull away during the conference tournament to ultimately make NCAA Tournament runs. After the Michigan men’s basketball team (10-8 Big Ten, 20-11 overall) lost four of its last five Big Ten games to close out the regular season, it will likely need to win at least two games to safely land an NCAA Tournament bid. Beilein hopes his squad can pull off a similar feat, and desperation seems to be fueling it. “When you’re in the NCAA Tournament already, it’s hard to go down there (to the Big Ten Tournament) — we value the regular season so big, so much,” Beilein said. “And then you don’t win it and you know you might be in the NCAA Tournament, it is tough, you’ve gotta just keep your kids focused on trying to win it all.” Now that his team is on the other end of the stick, with no guarantee at all of making the NCAA Tournament, he said that he “absolutely” feels that the Wolverines will be playing with a feeling of desperation. After all, if they lose to Northwestern in their first Big Ten Tournament matchup, their chances of getting a bid are close to zero. Even with a victory over the Wildcats, they will need to take down Indiana, the conference champion, the following day to feel better about their shot of hearing their name on Selection Sunday. Michigan closed out its regular season with a loss to No. 16 Iowa. To most, it was considered a mustwin game, but the conference tournament provides an opportunity to start fresh. “We were really down after that loss,” Beilein said. “We
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Chris Partridge has begun his first spring camp as Michigan’s linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Derrick Walton Jr. expects a high-energy performance in Indianapolis.
didn’t play well, we didn’t play smart, we didn’t do a lot of things. We’re down. We watched the video yesterday, and it even made us feel worse. But now we’re going onto practice and we said, ‘OK, it’s done. Put it away and let’s move forward.’ ” Junior guard Derrick Walton echoed his coach’s sentiment and added a positive outlook to Michigan’s reaction to its loss to Iowa. “Guys on this team really care,” Walton said. “To be down about the game obviously showed that we care. We just gotta brush it off now at this point. We can’t go back now and change anything.” Though Walton agrees with his coach in some aspects, he disagrees with others. He expects his team to be playing with a different mindset come Thursday afternoon in Indianapolis, but he
wouldn’t give the Wolverines a “desperation” tag just yet. “I think desperation is a word we probably wouldn’t want to use right now,” Walton said. “I think that puts too much pressure on ourselves. We’ll go out and perform as best as possible. I feel like if we put it all together like we know we can, this can be a big stretch for us.” Whatever is fueling the Wolverines, whether it’s a different mindset, blind hope or desperation, it’s making an impression. In Michigan’s final do-or-die situation before the Big Dance, the Wolverines seem to be fully aware of the Big Ten Tournament’s potential repercussions. “I’m expecting our guys to play a little pissed off, pretty much,” Walton said. “We’re just not happy. … You can just expect this team to play with a bigger chip on their shoulder.”
Partridge settled into new position New linebackers coach rose from high school ranks in just 15 months By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor
Before Jan. 1, the last football game Chris Partridge coached on the field was at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Dec. 5, 2014. Back then, he was the head coach at Paramus Catholic (N.J.) High School, alma mater of Michigan redshirt sophomore Jabrill Peppers. That December night was his fourth straight appearance in the state championship at the home of the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets. His Paladins lost, 34-18, ending a two-year win streak, and it has been a wild ride for Partridge since then. Last season, Jim Harbaugh’s first as Michigan’s head football coach, Partridge served as the director of player personnel. When former defensive coordinator and linebackers coach D.J. Durkin took the head coaching position at Maryland, Partridge was appointed the interim linebackers coach for the Citrus Bowl against Florida. Suddenly, Partridge was back on the field in a similar-sized stadium but on a much bigger stage. “It doesn’t get any better for me,” Partridge said. “It’s awesome. It’s what I love. I’m on the field, I’m coaching, I’m getting after it.” Tuesday night, Partridge came out into the Towsley Museum at Schembechler Hall, stood in front of more than a dozen reporters and said, “Whoa.” He’s not in New Jersey anymore. As big of a leap as Partridge has made in 15 months, he insists
that it hasn’t been as difficult a transition as people would think. During the month coaching linebackers in preparation for the bowl game, he could lean on the leadership of three seniors — Joe Bolden, Desmond Morgan and James Ross. Now, the focus shifts toward next season, when he will have to mentor an entirely new group of linebackers. “It’s just a challenge,” Partridge said. “We gotta get some young guys ready to go, and we got some great guys that are coming back that have played a lot of football, too.” Despite the loss of three important seniors, Partridge has plenty of help. Just like the players, he spent last season learning from a coaching staff of almost all former NFL coaches, including departed special teams coordinator John Baxter. Baxter went back to take the same position at Southern California, but Partridge soaked up all of the knowledge he could and eventually added Baxter’s old role to his duties in January. Michigan’s first-year defensive coordinator, Don Brown, is also a former linebackers coach who can help Partridge. “It’s like a clinic here,” Partridge said. “I can carry a notebook around and write something new that I learn every single day.” Last year, as director of player personnel, Partridge observed and learned from the coaches but also coordinated Michigan’s recruiting effort. He watched film on prospective players, talked to high school coaches and families and set up visits for recruits. He observed recruits
with their families, in school and on the field. And then he prepared to take the next step. “You attack any role you have,” Partridge said. “I attacked last year like it was the best role I could ever have, and I got a new one. Maybe I like this one a little better, but I’m just going to attack it 110 percent and do whatever I can for the team.” Though Partridge was often around the facility, he was virtually unknown by redshirt junior linebacker Mike McCray. “I knew who he was, but I wasn’t around him a lot,” McCray said. “I didn’t think he would know about what we did as linebackers. I knew he was a great high school coach. That’s the only thing I knew, really.” By all accounts, the move has worked out so far. Harbaugh praised Partridge’s work as director of player personnel last season, and he said in December he would do everything possible to keep Partridge in Ann Arbor, promoting him to a full-time assistant position as soon as he could. As it turned out, that chance came in January, and Partridge accepted, reaping the benefits of sticking around (he reportedly had prior offers to coach elsewhere). “I wanted to be a coach, and (Harbaugh) knew that,” Partridge said. “You work hard in your job and you get those opportunities, but in your heart, this is the place I wanted to be. I had to put my trust in him, and just knowing that I wanted to coach for Jim Harbaugh and I wanted to be at Michigan and I believe in this place, and fortunately it worked out.”
“I’m on the field, I’m coaching, I’m getting after it.”
the Michigan in Color issue
statement THE MICHIGAN DAILY | M ARCH 9, 2016
2B
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 // The Statement
the tangent
l e t te r f ro m t h e e d ito r s
t h e s t at e m e n t Magazine Editor: Karl Williams
Ryan Moody Gaby Vasquez
Editor in Chief: Shoham Geva
Deputy Editor: Nabeel Chollampat
Design Editor: Shane Achenbach
Managing Editor: Laura Schinagle
Michigan In Color Editors: Sarah Khan Demario Longmire
Photo Editor: Zoey Holmstrom
Copy Editors: Emily Campbell Alexis Nowicki Jose Rosales
Creative Director: Emilie Farrugia
My Cultural Currency: Kicking Ass and Taking Names B Y TA N YA M A D H A N I
W
hen I was eight, I fell in love for the first time. She was adventurous and dramatic and daring. Her qualities were the antithesis of everything I was. I met her at a Border’s shelf in the children’s version of the biography section. Her name was Nellie Bly, and I’m pretty sure she made baby Tanya the feminist I am today. For those who may not know, Nellie Bly was an investigative journalist who became the first woman to travel around the world — solo, I might add — in under 80 days on a hot air balloon. The largest thing she brought on her trip was her tub of cold cream. Nellie was also known for being a killer investigative reporter, once going to a women’s mental institution undercover to discover the extent of horrifying abuse toward the patients. For Nellie, kicking ass and taking names was just a regular Tuesday and the young, wide-eyed me was instantly enamored with her. I’d always been drawn to stories, whether it was reading, telling, writing or listening to them. Journalism, good journalism — whatever your definition of it is — is all about telling a compelling story, and Nellie did just that. So, as soon as I started digesting every piece of information about her life and work, I was hit with an overwhelming fascination with journalism as a medium for storytelling. Now, this didn’t all happen at once in that little Border’s biography nook; it was a gradual realization. For the present me, however, due to a series of circumstances and expectations — not to mention lack of real talent — writing professionally will not pan out as a viable career option. Nevertheless, my love for a good story holds steadfast. It’s why I still pursue writing as a hobby and why in the 11 years since I was eight, I’ve found many writers that have captivated me and become formative to my character: Jane Austen, J.K. Rowling and John Steinbeck to name a few. You’ll notice that all of the writers I’ve listed in this column are white. A majority of the individuals I’ve read from
on the record: debate
“When you’re white, you don’t know what it’s like to be living in a ghetto.” — Sen. BERNIE SANDERS (D-Vt.) on his racial blindspots.
or written about, whether it is for academia or fun, have been white writers from upper-middle-class backgrounds. I can name the South Asian writers I know and have read on one hand. In fact, I can do it for you right now: Jhumpa Lahiri, Aziz Ansari, Mindy Kaling and Mira Nair. Only one — Jhumpa Lahiri — is part of the embarrassingly few writers of colors that I’ve gotten the opportunity to read from in school. It bothers me that I can wax poetic about a white writer, like I did for a majority of this column, without hesitation, but struggled to move beyond Lahiri in naming more South Asian writers. There are stories about Nellie Bly going on epic adventures in search of the truth for the greater good. There are South Asian women who might have done the same, but I sure wouldn’t have found them in the biography section of the Border’s store. It’s not because they didn’t exist, but because they weren’t deemed important enough to be recognized and cemented in history. Yes, Nellie Bly was a powerful and independent woman. Undoubtedly, she was a great person to look up to and admire for a timid young girl like me, but I can’t help but wonder what kind of an impact it would have made on me if Nellie had been brown. Maybe I would have pursued writing as a career if I had seen a brown girl do it. I’d have realized that saving the world and flying on hot air balloons across the globe were adventures I could take too. But still, maybe not. The point is, I’ll never find out, will I? Somewhere out there is a young Desi girl who’s perusing through the aisles of an independent bookstore, a library or a Barnes & Noble. A young girl with actual talent for writing and the tenacity to go on epic adventures around the world. She deserves to find someone to read about and read from who looks like her, just so that girl can realize that she can kick ass and take names too.
Dear Readers, Since the formation of Michigan in Color (MiC), students, faculty, staff and alumni of color at the University of Michigan have courageously shared powerful stories, meaningful observations, analytical critiques and inspiring art. Despite the context of operating within a Primarily White Institution (PWI), people of color have continued to make their voices, their experiences heard. As MiC strives to be more inclusive, more critical and more supportive of the marginalized voices both on campus and in wider society, we welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with other sections of the Michigan Daily. The Statement and MiC are extremely thankful for the opportunity to use our platforms to provide necessary space and promote important issues and voices within the larger University community. Sincerely, Michigan In Color and Statement Editors
“Being a white person in the USA, I know that I have never had the experiences that many people in this audience have had. What I have been trying to talk about during this campaign is to urge white people to think about what it is like to have ‘the talk’ with your kids.” —HILLARY CLINTON on her racial blindspots.
ILLUSTRATION BY SAMUEL BERTIN
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 // The Statement 3B
SKIN B Y G A B Y VA S Q U E Z , M I C H I G A N I N C O LO R E D I TO R Is it possible to grow up simultaneously being aware of your skin and feeling detached from it? Skin was always important. It’s not just what covers your internal wiring and keeps you from spilling out onto the street. It’s not just that thin, vulnerable layer above your blood and bones and organs. Skin has always been important, but at the same time not. My skin was always my skin. Not important because i wasn’t important. But important to everyone else, for some reason. *** “Why are you so hairy and dark?” Said by one of the few darker-skinned girls in my elementary school, one who always hung out with the thin, blonde white girls who were never really my friends, but i still needed their approval. What could i say to that question? Did i point to my mixed family background? Did i explain away why i looked different from my fair-skinned father and sister? i pulled my plaid uniform down to cover as much skin as possible and said nothing to a girl who looked more like me than she wanted to admit. That night, i begged my mom to let me shave my legs for the first time, hating how my coarse, black hairs only made me look darker. “Cinnamon.” Was it in fourth grade when i first heard that word? A spice with which i apparently shared an outer coloring? It confused me. i would stare at the brown of my arms, the fading scars, and wonder what it meant to be “like cinnamon.” Was i just a spice? Was i simply flavoring for a society that empowers those who are not like me? If i was cinnamon, what did that make them? Cream? Flour? Milk? Were we all ingredients in some dysfunctional recipe; was our skin the most important thing we had to contribute to this dessert? “Nice mustache!” Yelled by a boy whom i had never spoken to before. He was a grade above me and had a reputation for being a poor student. His brother was in my grade and didn’t like that i had to tutor him in every subject. The teachers all liked me; i could have told someone, anyone, about his constant insults, but i stayed silent and cried into my bagged lunch. A year later, my mom took me for my first session of full-body laser hair removal. The technician told me i had to stay out of the sun for as long as i did the treatment, and that combined with the laser could cause depigmentation. i was 12. The treatments lasted for two years.
My school skirt hid the scratch marks on my thighs. My mother’s strong skin passed down to me kept the scars from staying too long before disappearing among the dark freckles and sun spots. How could i feel comfortable in my own skin, when no one around could seem to agree on its significance? Am i my skin? Am i nothing more? “You have to tan,” my mother would say, “you’re too pale,” my mother would say, as if staying out of the sun for too long would cause my Latina-ness to slip away from me. How could i feel comfortable in my own skin? How could i feel anything other than desperation, wishing i could shed it for new, uncomplicated, easy-to-define skin? How could i do anything other than tear at it over and over, digging in sharpened nails, wishing i could be nothing more than a skeleton? *** This is the identity crisis of being unsure of your identity. When your identity is said to be tied to your skin, but no one is clear when they try to define it. “You’re not Latina, you’re white.” “So, are you, like, half-White?” “What exactly are you?” i stare blankly at these words that have no meaning, that serve no purpose but to send me spiraling into a confused wreck. the disconnect between my dark skin that othered me as a child and the lighter skin that allowed me to sometimes blend in with the rest as an adult created an abyss inside me into which i fell deeper and deeper with each contradictory descriptor. i am olive? i am cinnamon? i am white? i am brown? i am Dark when it is convenient to them, when they call me Exotic and Ethnic and Different. When they make jokes about my emotions, my anger, my desire to see myself represented in society. When they equate my success to my skin tone, as if my hard work is invalid because my skin is different from theirs. “Why aren’t there scholarships for white people?” “I bet I would have gotten accepted to Ivy Leagues, too, if I was like you — if I wasn’t white.” “Yeah, I knew you weren’t from here, that’s why you got into Michigan.”
*** Skin has always been important, but at the same time not. “How do you stay so tan in Michigan? What salon do you go to?” “I just came back from a week at the beach, I’m almost the same color as you!” “You’re so lucky you’re olive! I bet you don’t burn at all!” Now, wait. i am olive? i stare at my face, searching for the resemblance. Could i be both Olive and Cinnamon? How could i explain what it felt to be constantly defined as food? Was my skin meant to be devoured, chewed on and spit back out with a description that was easier to digest? *** The importance of skin was how easily i could tear it off.
i am White when my skin makes them uncomfortable, when they want to call me “One Of Them,” and laugh and nudge me in solidarity and i don’t say anything about how them doing this is tearing me apart, about how i feel like my stomach is going to empty itself involuntarily when they say our skin is the same because they don’t have to sit and listen while the covering of their bones is turned into a fetish, when they’re told they’re not really “American” because they look and speak differently, when their skin is given terms like “Cafe con Leche,” like “Caramel,” like “Light Mocha,” like “Chai,” like “Cinnamon,” like “Olive,” like anything but what it is which is mine it is my skin and it is treated like an item for consumption. *** Skin was always important, wasn’t it?
4B
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 // The Statement
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 // The Statement
An open letter to women of color considering Panhellenic recruitment
By Kayla Countryman, Michigan in Color Contributor In August of 2013, I flew across the country, from Los Angeles to Ann Arbor and stepped onto a campus surrounded by thousands of individuals I had never seen before. I anxiously prepared to begin my adventure at the number-one public school in the nation. Most of the freshman girls I came into contact with asked me the same question in my first week at the University: “Are you gonna rush?” At first, the answer was “I don’t know,” because I really didn’t, but everyone seemed to be doing it, so maybe “Why not?” I thought. Don’t people think sorority girls are annoying? Pretty? Fun? All of these girls walked around campus flaunting their bright letters on their matching tank tops over their bikinis, with their long blonde hair and summer tan skin; I couldn’t help but want to be a part of it. The idea of being a sorority girl intrigued me. I was part of a cheer team for 10 years, I thought, It has to be similar right? The “I’m Shmacked” videos looked wild and fun (possibly concerning, now that I think about it). And Michigan is notorious for its tailgating, which I assumed necessitated being part of Greek life. A few days went on. I told my parents my decision to rush a sorority, and in the moment I was beyond thrilled. They were completely supportive of my decision, but I knew they were far from it. [COPY: this contradicts itself. Maybe “they seemed/acted supportive”?] “Are you sure?” my dad said, and “Have you really thought about it?” which was followed by, “Is that what you want to do?” by my mom. I didn’t understand why they were concerned. I wanted to be a sorority girl. I wanted to be pretty and cool and fun — and at that point in my life, being in a sorority was the only way. It only took about three long, tiresome, uneasy weeks for me to understand my parents’ concerns. I may have been naïve, but I didn’t think my race would play a part in my experience in Greek life. Coming from a white suburban neighborhood and attending predominately white public schools my whole life, I knew that I was comfortable in majority white spaces. I assumed that my life at the University of Michigan wouldn’t be much different than my experiences at Beverly Hills High School. Little did I know, an African-American woman rushing in Panhellenic recruitment was a pretty rare sight. Now I understand why.
For those of you who do not know how sorority recruitment works, I will do my best to break it down. There are 16 Panhellenic sororities on campus. When the process begins, each
girl goes to every house and has conversations with multiple members of that sorority. After each “round,” you rank your choices, putting your most desirable houses at the top. There are three rounds, and then preference parties. Through each round, you narrow down the amount of houses you have through a “cutting system.” Normally, it decreases from 16, to 11, to seven, and eventually to three for preference parties. The cutting system is mutual, meaning that in addition to the girls “cutting” the houses they don’t want, the houses can do the same. Girls don’t always get the houses back that they want, which is completely normal. However, I felt as though my case was extreme. After the first round of cuts, most girls had 11 houses. I was left with only five. After the second round of cuts, most girls had seven houses. I was left with only two. This meant I didn’t even have the complete amount of three houses for preference parties. My self-esteem was shot. I didn’t understand why I was not being given a chance in any of the sororities. I asked myself, if I couldn’t even find an accepting house, how I would be able to make friends at such a large school. First, I attributed all of my “cuts” to my hair being frizzy, which I was already self-conscious about (it was my first summer in humid Ann Arbor). I constantly ran a straightener over my hair, trying to make it as flat and straight as everyone else’s. Other than my hair, I thought I was doing fine with the process. I am perfectly capable of having a genuine conversation, and I felt as if I brought great qualities to each house. It was evident that some of the girls in the houses may not have agreed. Soon, I came to realize that my brown skin may have not been the “look” these girls wanted in their homes. Nothing explicit happened to make me feel this way, but there was a sort of uneasiness I felt when heads turned as I walked into the houses. During conversation, it seemed like these women weren’t particularly interested in learning more about me; in some cases, I knew I would be cut the second I walked out of the front door. I began to understand my parents’ concerns, and even though I refused to admit it to them — or anyone around me — I knew they were right. I did end up getting a bid (or, an invitation) to join a sorority that I enjoyed through the process. Once I opened that envelope and saw the name, I jumped up and down with pure joy. However, my excitement wasn’t because I got a bid to my dream house, it was because I finally felt wanted. I realized that by the end of recruitment, I was no longer looking for the house that was my best fit; I was looking for any house that would accept me, and that was the problem.
Once I was in the sorority, I immediately tried to assimilate to the culture of Greek life. Given its isolated nature, I easily broke ties with anything non-Greek. I only sat with people in class who had Greek letters on their laptops, my weekends consisted of parties with only a few select fraternities and I wouldn’t dare go to the dining hall without my sorority sisters. I never hung out with people of color. In fact, in my sorority of over 200 girls that currently attended Michigan, I was one of very few women of color and the only Black woman. Throughout my freshman year, I was very happy. I experienced some of my best memories thus far, made great friends and fell in love with this University. But, in retrospect, I am now aware that I wasn’t able to fully be myself in many ways. It seemed impossible to show my true colors while simultaneously fitting into a sorority. I felt trapped. I don’t think I befriended anyone outside of Greek life until the end of that year. During my sophomore year, I started learning about the Black community at Michigan and found ways to get myself involved. I made more friends and attended Black events for the first time. This was happening while I was living in a three-story sorority house with over [COPY: more than; over refers to space] 60 girls, where I was the only African American. Once I started going to Black events, I realized the range of possibilities that Michigan had to offer. There was a whole world that I had been completely oblivious to, because I was so caught up in my sorority. When I started doing things outside of my sorority, I was questioned. A lot of the girls were completely unaware that Black Greek life existed — they did not understand why there were spaces that belonged to minorities. I found myself always explaining where I was going, saying things like “Yes, there are all-Black fraternities” and ignoring comments such as, “If it’s only for Black people, will they kick me out?” Some of the people around me were constantly curious about how they would be perceived if they dared enter an all-Black space, while they were insensitive to the fact that I spent a great amount of time being the only Black person in a room. I grew accustomed to laughing off hurtful comments that were meant to be funny, and quickly got sick of having to offer an explanation for my outside actions. On other hand, when I did put myself into the Black community, I received very shocked responses to my Panhellenic involvement. People would ask me why I decided to join and, “How is it living with 60 white girls?” These conversations also made me uncomfortable — my choices were being judged. I understood that it was out of the norm for a Black girl to rush a Panhellenic sorority, but I did not understand why I was being criticized for it. It got to a point where I completely separated my sorority life from my Black life. I stopped mentioning my involvement in the sorority altogether. I was not at all embarrassed to be in my sorority, nor was I ashamed of all of my friends in the house, but for me it was easier to say, “No, I am not in a sorority” than to prepare for to the potential feedback of my Black peers. This is when I began to realize, that for my own sake, it would be better if I was not tied to a Greek organization. I do not blame the system for why I felt this way; I blame myself for taking the easy way out by assimilating to a culture that wasn’t my own, rather than being bold enough to embrace my Blackness in a white space, or to embrace my sorority involvement in a Black space. I made the decision to deactivate, completely disassociating myself from the sorority. Now, I feel comfortable going to events without being judged or questioned. I joined multiple organizations and found diverse groups of people on campus. I feel much more in touch with my own culture knowing that I have the freedom to express myself and my interests. Since leaving the sorority, my social life has done a complete 180. I am involved in both Black and white communities on campus, and I enjoy being in both environments. I still have my best friends from the sorority, who I love endlessly, and they are more than accepting of my lifestyle. Despite the negative stereotypes associated with Greek life, and despite my inability to find myself within the system, there are definitely positive aspects within the organization. Greek life allows you to get directly involved with philanthropy, which I loved. And I met wonderful people and sustained friendships that I wouldn’t have today if I hadn’t gone through the rush process.
With this being said, to any women of color considering rushing a Panhellenic sorority, here’s my advice to you: I hope this piece does not deter you from rushing, but encourages you to stay confident through the process and keep a tight hold onto your culture. Don’t settle for being accepted in one out of 16 (or however many) houses and don’t lose yourself through the process by assimilating into white communities. Connect with the women of the houses that will appreciate all that you bring to the organization; don’t let contentedness overcome you. And if people are oblivious to your background, have the strength to make them understand. It’s important to know how to teach others to love your culture, but that starts with you loving it first — don’t hide it. Walk into a room and let people stare if they want to — because yes, you are a beautiful woman of color, and yes, they must deal with it. Find a balance between engaging with your Greek community and connecting to the communities of color on campus. You should not feel like you need to keep these spaces separate, nor should you feel ashamed of one or the other. Lastly, don’t let the perspectives and opinions of your sorority sisters deter you from connecting with your community. But don’t let the thoughts of your community of color convince you that being in a “white sorority” is wrong — you are powerful and smart enough to make your own decisions, including choosing to immerse yourself in multiple communities.
5B
Questions and Misconceptions By Sarah Khan Michigan in Color Editor Since middle school, I’ve constantly been asked a question. A question that I thought was harmless if not some teasing fun. A question that has real implications unlike the question of whether I shower with my hijab on (I don’t! Why would this make sense?), if I have an arranged marriage (No. Also, don’t ever ask that again.), and if a boy sees my hair if I’ll be forced to marry him (…No. No. No.). Rather a question that I never truly thought about ‘til I was asked it again recently. “What would your dad do if you (insert action)?” A. He would disown you. B. He would hurt you. C. He would lock you up. D. Would ship you to India. E. None of the above. People love talking about my dad. And not about his occupation, his life story, his favorite foods, what sports team he roots for (he always switches so he ends up supporting the winner) or his experience as a brown Muslim man. Rather people love talking about what my dad would do to me if I were to disappoint him. First, there is an assumption that my dad is overly controlling and angry. Usually the question “What would your dad do?” is followed by either “if you took off your hijab,” “if a boy saw your hair” or “if you went out to a party.” First, there is an assumption that I do not have autonomy over my body, second, that my father forced me to wear hijab, and third, that any of these actions would justify an angry response from him. Also, to answer the multiple-choice question above, the answer is E. It took me years to realize how ridiculous these questions were. When you ask me that question, you are being racist. No argument. You are reiterating centuries of Orientalist ideals when you assume that as a brown woman I have no autonomy of my body and that my own father oppresses me. Let me assure you that I wear my scarf for no man, and that it is a decision I made on my own and for myself. And despite what your question implies, the relationship between my father and I is one of love and respect. *** When you see my Dad you see a tall, overbearing brown man. You see my oppressor. You see a man who apparently only knows harshness and violence. You see images of terrorists, of barbaric men, of violence, the same images that are shared in the media, reflected on my father’s face. I feel sorry for you, because you aren’t able to truly see him. When I see my Dad the first thing I look for are his crow’s feet, which appear just before his smile does. I see his hands, which held four daughters as he broke borders and oceans to be able to provide. I see a man who learned to verbalize his love, not for his own sake, but for mine, so that I should never doubt it. I see the person who taught me love in actions and sacrifice. *** To my father: Dear Baba, I’m sorry you live in a world where brown men are seen as heartless. I’m sure if everyone met you, you would be able to unravel the stitches of time that so strongly hold onto the ideals of what brown masculinity look like. I’m sorry that you traveled so long to be in a country that is not deserving of your patriotism or love. I’m sorry that you traveled for your children, only for them to unlearn your mother tongue. Thank you for showing me what dedication, commitment and love look like. Thank you for loving me at my worst self and for pushing me to be my best. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for taking care of me when I forget to take care of myself. Thank you for reminding me the importance of patience. Thank you for being a source of strength.
6B
Wednesday, March 9 2016 // The Statement
I Can’t Breathe:
To be Fat and Black by Demario Longmire, Michigan in Color Editor
I
felt like when people talked about people who looked like me, they were talking about villains. They were talking about criminals. They were talking about burdens and deadweight. They were talking about deviants. After a certain point, I got confused if people were talking about my Blackness or my fatness. They started to blur. Growing up being Black at a primarily white school, I navigated the associations, stereotypes and deeply ingrained biases and ignorance of my classmates, my instructors, the media, society and myself. I had been taught from an early age that to be successful meant to be different (read: not ‘Black’). I was taught to be ‘Black’ in white spaces was unprofessional and unbecoming. I needed to have more respect for myself and that being ‘Black’ meant that you didn’t. Despite the reality of being Black, I was constantly navigating how to present myself in white spaces. This meant regulating my linguistic capabilities, dampening my cultural connections and distinguishing myself as the ‘other’ with the ‘other’ in terms of my Blackness. It meant that in my efforts to assimilate to whiteness, whether conscious or unconscious, it had a direct impact on my place within the Black community and influenced my authenticity within Blackness. While at the same time, the realness of being Black was on my mind as I constantly examined the ways it contrasted to whiteness and worked to erase them. My Blackness was doubted by everyone and without my Blackness, I was left to cling to the only thing I knew: that success meant being as white as I could. They know that my body is not my own, but theirs. Every moment of everyday, people stare, they gawk. They clutch their purses. They cross the street. They leave me alone my bus seat. [COPY: on my bus seat?] They avoid my gaze. I am under their surveillance. They pretend I don’t exist. They make me smaller, erase me, erase my Blackness, even as I erase, lose pieces…pounds of myself. The message was simple: Hate yourself. In a society that does its best to capitalize on fat bodies and Black bodies, why are Black skin and fat figures thought to be so worthless? Fatness is the thing we love to hate, but hate to love. It is the imagined vessel of indulgence, and shame. It is the canvas where the thin erase their insecurities and paint blame and ridicule. Being fat meant constantly doubting my abilities because fatness is seen solely as a burden. A burden, most often, carried in silence by those who bear it. Don’t have fat friends, fat partners or fat children because they only make you look worse. Growing up, I was taught not to love my body, but instead, I was met with militant, cruel, and insistent ridicule. And those who do love people who are fat, often, use their love as a means of conveying the same message, because they were taught that to unconditionally love someone in their fatness, was not to love them at all, but to let them suffer. Fatness is thought to be a physical, social and moral disease. Fat people aren’t people at all, they simply the manifestation of a ‘problem’. You don’t get access to your full humanity and autonomy when you are fat. You become the recipient of everyone’s expectations and their criticism. You lost control of yourself, because you realized that you were never meant to have it. LOSE IT. YOU CAN DO IT. LOSE THE WEIGHT.
LOSE YOUR HUMANITY. YOU ARE NOTHING. YOUR BODY IS EVERYTHING. YOUR FATNESS IS A LIMITATION. YOUR BlackNESS IS A LIMITATION. All you need to do is: Hurt. Be articulate. Worry. Count Your Calories. Doubt Yourself. Be Silent. Hide yourself. Black is Slimming. Watch what you eat. Watch what you say. Watch how you dress. Trying to figure out how to value my body for just existing. Needing to figure out how to value my body for just existing. Being fat means feeling unjustified. Being Black means feeling unjustified. Being fat means feeling unworthy Being Black means feeling unworthy Of investment. Of love. Of life. Being Black means constantly having to navigate being unwanted and erased in spaces Being fat means constantly having to navigate being unwanted and erased in spaces Being Black means being in the way. Occupying space. Unnecessary. An excess. Being fat means being in the way. All the time. I was taught from a young age that my body was bad and that I needed to change to be better. I was taught from a young age that my race was bad and I needed to change to be better. I was taught that my body was a reflection of the person I was. I was taught that my race was a reflection of the person I was. I was responsible for being fat. I was responsible for being Black. To be fat is to be guilty.
To be Black is to be guilty. My mind frequently wanders to Eric Garner. Fatness tied as a noose for the destruction of Blackness. “If I ever get that fat, please kill me”- A random stranger in conversation with her friend as they walk passed me “You are killing yourself”- My grandfather once said, encouraging me to lose weight. “Black-on-Black” crime. To be fat is to die. To be Black is to die. You start to internalize these messages. They become a part of you until you wake up one day and realize that you have to actively fight against your own thoughts to love yourself. You have to redefine and reshape the definition of love and worth to face the world. You realize that you have to re-focus the gazes, the stares, the condemnations to messages of ignorance, the result of a system of oppression that was never meant to value your existence. You realize that to exist unapologetically is revolution (Thank you Lorde). Fatness and Blackness. Fat Blackness. Black Fatness. They are frameworks for the world. They are filters and pigments creating a kaleidoscope of experiences. Fatness and Blackness make us challenge the way we were taught to value and love life. My experiences as both Black person and a fat person continue to shape the way I see the world. They have given me a capacity to love that is more than a finite measure of the color of my skin or the circumference of a waistline. They have made me aware of the ways in which we continue to marginalize and wound those around us. Wound ourselves. How do you justify violence? In the name of health? In the name of love? In the name of respectability? Who determines the value of life? What authority do you have? Who gave it to you? Because I didn’t. I won’t.
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 // The Statement
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Who Am I? by Sharae Franklin, Michigan in Color Contributor
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s a child, I was taught that love casts out all fear Fear of difference, of embracing those unlike me Unconditional love does not see with the eyes much like we do Rather it sees with the heart In this way, we are able to go to new places, meet new people, and not judge or make assumptions I went to India this past summer, with an open mind and open heart Although it was specified as a “service-learning” trip, I definitely was able to learn and take away more than what I was able to do in the community I saw some of the strengths, beauties, and limitations of humanity The saddening still existing misconception that the only face of America is a Caucasian male or female with blond, straight hair and blue eyes When asked where I was from? “America” was not an appropriate answer More like Africa, West Indies, or Bangalore But I could not accept or deny these guesses of my origin For I have no specific knowledge of my ancestors My social identities were brought to the forefront And my privilege made more apparent The question of “who am I?” was challenged daily But I discovered more and more as the days went by As pieces of myself were revealed, I saw the face of humanity in a new light I began to see what it means to be a community, to work towards a common goal with strangers who quickly became friends An experience that crossed often untouched territories of working together regardless of language barriers, class, nationality, skin color, or religious and spiritual difference I had found a place where I could be authentically me When I came home and reflected I was enthralled by what I had discovered Who am I? I think that is a question many of us have asked ourselves at one point in our lives. Who Am I? What makes me, me? Yes, I am a Black American, working class, heterosexual woman, who is a first generation college student I pray to God, who I believe helps write the script of my story, my life I come from a people that have time and time again been ignored, misunderstood, victimized, and scrutinized, yet always still they rise But really, who am I? Am I only the mere things that people can see? My dark skin, textured hair, or my wallet and pockets with little money? Am I not ambitious, strong, confident, motivated, and talented? Am I not hard working, caring, nurturing, and compassionate? Who am I, really? I am not merely one of these things but a mixture of it all And although life has its struggles, I am not willing to tumble and fall I am not the color of my skin or the value of my income
but rather what I do being a Black person of low SES These traits which are a major part of my identity and life do not completely define me They are merely intricate pieces to a puzzle that fit together to create who I am and who I choose to be But what about those things that people cannot see? My passion for working with children, singing, dancing and being carefree? Are these things not also a part of me? I take pride in my ethnic history, family traditions, and interests My love for music, mathematics, family outings, and counseling close friends But there is so much about me that can only be seen internally If I were a looking glass, you could see every part of me but yet all you see is one side of me…rather all you choose to see is one side of me Either my skin complexion, my Bible I carry, the less fancy clothes I wear, my vernacular or slang But I understand that you may not comprehend that even though we may look the same or even totally different, we all can relate to this
This question of “who am I?” Like the iceberg effect, we are more than what people can see on the surface There is so much hidden beneath waiting to be seen Just take the moment and look a little deeper and you will be surprised by what you see When I did this, I found the real me I realized no matter what people say to discriminate, to separate We are all not that different We are all the same in that we are Human… I bleed red, you bleed red, we both cry, we laugh, we have ups, we have downs So, when asked, “who am I?” I can say… I am Sharae, a young woman trying to leave a mark in the world just as my culture and identity has left a mark on my heart that always reminds me to never be afraid to just be me ABOVE: ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY WATERS LEFT: ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE FARRUGIA
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Wednesday, March 9, 2016 // The Statement
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
V I S UA L S TAT E M E N T:
MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Marchers sing as they arrive at the Second Baptist Church after walking from the Washtenaw County Courthouse onJanuary 10, 2016. The unity march was part of the church’s annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day program. On January 23, 2016, anesthesiology Prof. Dinesh Pal protests caste system discrimination in India, prompted by the suicide of Rhith Vermula, a PhD student at Hyderabad Central University, on the Diag
GRANT HARDY/Daily
On January 20, 2016, LSA and business senior Haider Malik vocalizes frustration over the Bacha Khan University killings in Pakistan at the Diag.
When photographing a sporting event, there are always GRANT HARDY/Daily more things going on than the game or meet themselves. Members of photostaff captured these moments in the realms of gymnastics, basketball, baseball and football.
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
Redshirt freshman Jabrill Peppers laughs Lead vocalist Tyler jokingly with a Penn State player as they Joseph performs congratulate each other on a good game on “Holding On To You.” November 21, 2015.
Colt Bakich, son of University of Michigan head baseball coach Erik Bakich, holds his hand out to high five other children running the bases after Michigan’s last home game on May 16, 2015.
Members of the Ann Arbor Alliance for Black Lives lead a walk in the memory of Aura Rosser from the League to the pedestrian bridge over Washtenaw Ave on January 20, 2016.