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Thursday, May 5, 2016
Obama reaffirms federal support in visit to Flint
>> SEE PAGE 2
NEWS
2017 City Council budget passes >> SEE PAGE 2
OPINION
Privilege blooms for Bloomberg
By CAITLIN REEDY Daily Staff Reporter
Former mayor of New York City demonstrates lack of compassion >> SEE PAGE 4 MARINA ROSS/Daily
President Barack Obama speaks about the Flint Water Crisis at Flint Northwestern High School on Wednesday.
Aash Mehta talks EDM career University of Michigan student reflects on success in electronic music >> SEE PAGE 5
SPORTS
Chatman transfers Men’s basketball player Kam Chatman will transfer >> SEE PAGE 8
INDEX Vol. CXXVII, No. 114 | © 2016 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ...............................4 ARTS ......................................6 CLASSIFIEDS.........................8 SUDOKU................................ 2 SPORTS................................10
Teachers’ protests of budget cuts cause DPS shut down Sickouts over underfunding force closure of 94 school districts in Detroit
Residents raised concerns over new development
ARTS
DETROIT
Obama met with residents and local leaders to discuss the water crisis By LYDIA MURRAY, LARA MOEHLMAN and BRADLEY WHIPPLE Summer Managing News Editor, Summer Editor-in-Chief, and Summer Managing Editors
FLINT, Mich. — Standing before a crowd of more than 1,000 residents at Flint Northwestern High School on Wednesday afternoon, President Barack Obama reaffirmed federal support for the Flint community in the ongoing water crisis and eased mounting tensions surrounding the health of the city’s children and the safety of its drinking water. The president’s visit came in response to a letter written by 8-year-old Flint resident Mari Copeny, also known as “Little
Miss Flint,” for her work raising awareness of her community’s plight. Copeny requested to meet Obama while she was visiting Washington D.C. to attend a congressional hearing on the water crisis in April. Obama instead answered her letter by announcing last week that he would travel to Flint to meet with city residents and local and state leaders. The Flint water crisis began in April 2015 following the city’s cost-saving switch from Detroit city water to Flint River water. The water from the Flint River had a corrosive quality, which resulted in lead erosion in the city’s pipe system, tainting its water supply. In the weeks and months following the switch, residents reported adverse health effects, but their complaints were largely ignored by local officials until Oct. 2015, when the water was finally switched back. Despite the switch, traces of lead remains in the water due to the Flint’s already corroded pipes. In his remarks, Obama said the people of Flint have a right to be
angry, blaming the water crisis on poor decisions and neglect from state and local officials. “Even though the scope of response looks sort of like what we’re used to seeing after a natural disaster, that’s not what this was,” Obama said. “This was a manmade disaster. This was avoidable. This was preventable.” Obama also implicitly rebuked Governor Rick Snyder’s (R) administration, saying the crisis represents a systematic problem in which efforts to shrink government undermine essential environmental protection and municipal services. “It’s a mindset that says environmental rules designed to keep your water clean or your air clean are optional, or not that important, or, unnecessarily, burden businesses or taxpayers,” Obama said, charging that this small-government ideology undercuts the common good in favor of personal gain. “And this kind of thinking — See OBAMA, Page 3
A sickout planned by the Detroit Federation of Teachers in the Detroit Public Schools system closed 94 of 97 DPS schools on Monday. The teachers organized the sickout in protest of the announcement that teachers will not be paid past June 30 of this year unless the state legislature approves funding to the district. Judge Steven Rhodes, DPS’s state-appointed emergency manager, allegedly told the union on Saturday the state’s current budget does not allot nearly enough money for teachers’ salaries, summer school programs and special education services. The closure affected a majority of the approximately 46,000 students enrolled in DPS. The sickout follows a series of similar protests last held in January against thedilapidated condition of many school buildings. Schools have reported instances of rodents, cockroaches and leaking ceilings in many buildings due to the lack of sufficient funding to address building maintenace. State Rep. Stephanie Chang (D–Detroit) said she is cautiously optimistic that her colleagues will pass a bill to alleviate these issues. “DPS is in a financial crisis, See DPS, Page 3
2 NEWS
Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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discussed topics for the upcoming the Senate Assembly. He said he of mental health of both students year’s agenda, including mental aims to communicate the positions and faculty to the list. The Senate Advisory Committee health on campus. of the faculty to the administration She said mental health disorders on University Affairs hosted New members to SACUA during his tenure on SACUA. should be treated with the same its first meeting under the new include Michael Atzmon, professor “One of the things I care about level of seriousness as other leadership of Chair William of nuclear engineering and most is cases where administrative physical medical conditions. Schultz, professor of mechanical radiological sciences; Radiology leaders forget what it is like to be in “Depression and anxiety are engineering, naval architecture Prof. Ruth Carlos; and Social Work the trenches,” Atzmon said. “Our illnesses,” Weineck said. “They and marine engineering. During Prof. Robert Ortega. role is to remind them of what our should be treated like cancer … I Sudoku Syndication http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ the meeting, new members were Atzmon began working in values are.” don’t think they should be demoted introduced, and the committee faculty governance last fall through Carlos said she wants to increase to general unwellness.” the interaction between the Students have recently been Medical School and the rest of the calling for improved mental health campus community. services on campus through “The Medical School, because discussions with the Board of of its size and connection with the Regents and events aimed at raising EASY hospital, sometimes overlooks, awareness for the issue. in my opinion, its obligation to Pharmacy Prof. David Smith the campus at large,” she said. raised concern over the overlap “I’d like to see more conversation between faculty mental health between the two.” and the Fitness for Duty policy, Ortega was not present at the which ensures faculty members meeting. are able to perform the duties of During the meeting, Schultz their positions as part of the SPG. provided a tentative agenda for He said he wanted to make sure no the year, including the Office of one is unfairly laid off because of Institutional Equity appeals — this clause. which handles discrimination “(I want) to make sure that and harassment complaints —, nobody who suffers from this kind the tenure process — which of illness is going to be removed has been a subjet of debate in because of Fitness of Duty,” he said. previousmeetings — and the “It’s not going to be abused.” Standard Practice Guide, which Carlos suggested adding other is a set of policies made by the staff members to the discussion University of Michigan for faculty to address the mental health of to follow. Schultz then opened residents in the Medical School. up discussion for members to The members also discussed propose additional topics. upcoming guest speakers, including Former SACUA Chair Silke- Central Student Government Maria Weineck, chair of the president David Schafer and vice department of comparative President micah Griggs, LSA rising © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. literature and a German studies seniors, who plan to meet with puzzle by sudokusyndication.com JUST A BREEZE professor, suggested the addition SACUA later in May. Summer Managing News Editor
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Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
OBAMA From Page 1
ANDREW RABAH/Daily
Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor attends a City Council meeting at Larcom City Hall on Monday.
City Council passes budget despite resident comments $370 million budget represents $10 million decrease from previous year By BRIAN KUANG Summer Daily News Editor
Ann Arbor’s $370 million budget for the 2017 fiscal year was subject to a public hearing at Monday’s City Council meeting at Larcom City Hall. At the meeting, city residents also expressed their opposition to two local development projects for fear of damaging wetland ecosystems and increasing flood risk to adjacent areas. The 2017 budget includes an approximately $10 million decrease in expenditures as well as the addition of seven full-time employees, increasing the total city staff from 722 to 729. The budget additionally includes $35,000 to study non-lethal alternatives to the city’s controversial deer cull and $50,000 to implement recommendations for police oversight reform that were approved in March. Many residents commented on specific items of the budget, rang-
ing from calls for improving the city website to improve accessibility to City Council documents to a proposed organic waste disposal program. The $35,000 provision for a study on non-lethal deer management options drew attention from a number of public commentators opposed to the deer cull, who reaffirmed their opposition to the city’s annual lethal deer cull. When Ann Arbor was planning its deer management strategy from 2014 to 2015, non-lethal options were considered but ultimately ruled out for lack of scientific basis. The lethal cull of 63 deer was a controversial and polarizing decision for many city residents. Robert McGee, an Ann Arbor resident opposed to the cull, called for the city to continue to uphold its promise to explore non-lethal deer management, offering to start a fundraising drive to cover the costs of such a study for the city. “Let Ann Arbor once more be a leader,” McGee said. “Let’s unite this community behind something positive, and let’s benchmark nonlethal methods for deer management in the state of Michigan.” Residents also voiced their
opposition to the proposed Woodbury Club Apartments project on Nixon Road. The project was originally proposed to Council in 2014, but its approval has been repeatedly postponed due to opposition from residents over concerns that the project would damage surrounding floodplains and increase flooding risks in adjacent areas. Eric Lipson — a local attorney challenging incumbent Graydon Krapohl (D–Ward 4) in the 4th Ward City Council race — said new development should not take precedence over the safety of existing residents, which would be threatened by the Woodbury project. “Just for the sake of tax base, we are allowing ourselves to flood those other people who’ve been paying taxes for years and years,” Lipson said. “Now we’re going to build on the floodplains … it’s going to come back and bite us.” Noting that a public meeting to finalize the apartment plans was held in 2014 without proper notice to all relevant local stakeholders, Councilmember Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) motioned the issue be postponed with the unanimous support of the body until a new public meeting could be held with proper notice to nearby residents.
this myth that government is always the enemy; that forgets that our government is us — it’s us,” Obama said. “That attitude is as corrosive to our democracy as the stuff that resulted in lead in your water.” Obama then stressed the residents of Flint are being heard, reassuring them the American people as a whole are paying attention to the city. “I want all of you to know I am confident that Flint will come back,” he said. “I will not rest, and I’m going to make sure that the leaders, at every level of the government, don’t rest until every drop of water that flows to your homes is safe to drink and safe to cook with and safe to bathe in — because that’s part of the basic responsibilities of a government in the United States of America.” Rep. Dan Kildee (D–Flint), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D–Mich.) and Flint Mayor Karen Weaver spoke before Obama gave his remarks. All three expressed their gratitude for Obama’s work to help the citizens of Flint and his decision to visit and learn more about the crisis but acknowledged there is more to be done. Weaver said while many positive steps have been taken to make the water better and safer, major health concerns still exist in Flint. “I hope after the president’s visit here today everyone will see the priority of helping to fix Flint,” she said. “It has to be a priority: fixing Flint. We are moving in the right direction on the road to recovery, and we all know that Flintstones are resilient. We didn’t deserve what happened here, but we do deserve the resources to fix it.” On Jan. 16, President Obama declared a state of emergency for the state of Michigan, ordering federal aid to fund state and local emergency response efforts to aid the Flint community. This followed a massive increase in national media spotlight on the crisis after Hillary Clinton mentioned the issue in a Democratic debate in January. Obama has taken additional measures in response to the water crisis in his expansion of funding for Medicaid, Head Start — a federal government organization that prepares children from low socioeconomic backgrounds for school — and local Health and Human Services centers, in addition to water testing by the Environmental Protection Agency, according to the White House. Prior to Obama’s remarks, Snyder
NEWS 3
also addressed the crowd, facing a vociferously negative response. Snyder apologized for the crisis and promised to work to resolve it, recieving boos from a majority of the crowdmembers. “Let me begin by saying I understand why you’re angry and frustrated,” he said. “I wanted to come here today to apologize … I want to work hard to fix that.” Citing criminal negligence of government officials in response to the crisis, several groups of protesters have called for the resignation of Snyder over the past six months. Both Secretary Clinton and her rival in the Democratic nomination Sen. Bernie Sanders (D–Vt.) have also called for Snyder’s resignation. On April 20, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette charged three Flint officials in relation to the crisis, excluding Snyder. Protesters with the Flint Lives Matter movement gathered across the street from Flint Northwestern High School hours before his arrival, calling for an increased federal response to the crisis. Flint resident Gary Byas, who participated in the protest, said he wants the government to provide funds to replace all of Flint’s lead pipelines. “We want to get clean water, to get water rates lowered, to make sure they are putting in new pipes instead of trying to coat them,” he said. “We have rusty pipes — why are you trying to coat them? When they are rusted out from the inside out, it’s not doing much good. We need replacement of the pipes, and that’s why I’m out here — to get the right amount of money to replace all the pipes.” During his time in Flint Wednesday, Obama additionally met with community members, local and state leaders — including Snyder and Weaver — and federal officials handling the response to the water crisis. In response to community fears and skepticism of the safety of filtered water, Obama assured residents that the filtered water is safe to drink for all people who are above the age of six, excluding those who are pregnant. To emphasize his point, Obama drank a glass of filtered Flint water both durin his meeting with community leaders and in the middle of his remarks. “So although I understand the fear and concern that people have, and it is entirely legitimate, what the science tells us at this stage is you
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
4 OPINION
ROLAND DAVIDSON | OP-ED
Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Safe spaces deserve discusson
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com LARA MOEHLMAN EDITOR IN CHIEF
JEREMY KAPLAN EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
BRADLEY WHIPPLE MANAGING EDITOR
Privilege blooms for Bloomberg
I
attended Commencement to support the seniors in my life who’ve taught me to be critical of the world and try NADIA to change it KARIZAT for the better. However, hearing Michael Bloomberg talk about microaggressions, trigger warnings and safe spaces reminded me of the confidence with which many rich, white men speak on experiences they’ve had the privilege to never go through. In a single speech in front of thousands, Bloomberg demonstrated an incredible lack of understanding of the experiences of those with underprivileged identities — experiences that many of his policies as mayor of New York City help create. “The fact that some university boards and administrations now bow to pressure groups and shield students from these ideas through ‘safe spaces,’ ‘code words’ and ‘trigger warnings’ is, in my view, a terrible mistake,” Bloomberg stated after reiterating the importance of college to introduce students to “challenging and uncomfortable” ideas. In regards to what Bloomberg called “one of the most dangerous places on a college campus” — the safe space — I’d like to ask Michael Bloomberg if he has ever attended one. Bloomberg claimed these spaces were unsafe because they create “a false impression that we can insulate ourselves from those who hold different views.” As an Arab-American on this campus, I’ve been to several and can attest to the difficult conversations that occur with individuals from all backgrounds. The term ‘safe’ includes psychological and physical safety, which is necessary for the kinds of conversations Bloomberg claims to value. How
can such conversations take place in spaces where marginalized groups do not feel accepted and remain silent from fear? Bloomberg mentioned trigger warnings as a conversation hurdle. Trigger warnings, preferably called “content warnings,” are part of a courteous society that acknowledges the pain found in others’ experiences. If I want to have discussions on sensitive topics that might cause another person significant pain, I’d inform them so they can prepare themselves in order to take care of their wellbeing. If that means they choose to leave a conversation or activity, so be it. I may not share those experiences and cannot rightfully police how they respond. “A microaggression is exactly that: micro,” Bloomberg said, minimizing microaggressions’ impact. I have never been New York City’s mayor and will not comment on what it’s like to have chosen to increase police forces and surveillance of Muslim communities, implement policies like “stop-and-frisk” or to hold a legacy policing people of color, and likewise, Bloomberg should have recognized he was out of line to comment on experiences he has never had when he’s responsible for policies contributing to them. Growing up, I dealt with microaggressions insinuating I wasn’t fully American and requiring I consistently explain I do not support terrorism. Dealing with microaggressions from a young age has made questioning everything about how I present myself to the world second nature — if I do or say this, am I hurting or helping those who share my identity? Microaggressions are not micro for those forced to deal with them. To Bloomberg, we can’t and shouldn’t try to prevent microaggressions “in politics or
in the workplace.” Why should we not expect that we treat our fellow humans with respect? Bloomberg seems to care only for the privileged groups’ comfort at the marginalized groups’ expense. While I was left with a bitter taste on my tongue, Bloomberg did have some positive messages in his speech — urging students to get involved in politics by voting and demanding more from their leaders. Many commend Bloomberg for his speech’s content because he was “brave” and not afraid to challenge “political correctness.” At a time when the University of Michigan has actively promoted their Diversity, Equity & Inclusion campaign, Bloomberg’s speech stood out like a sore thumb on an important day for many. Individuals can have conversations on issues like police brutality and gender inequality without being hateful. It is important to recognize some of these issues are “topics of conversation” to you, but “topics of one’s own life” to another. “Oh, but that’s not how the real world is?” True — many would never claim such a thing. The world isn’t a utopia with no “-isms.” Many do not want to take responsibility of their privileges and dismantle the institutions and systems granting them. Individuals who’ve always been marginalized are still bogged down with forms of injustice morphing throughout history. We will use the spaces where future generations are educated to create a culture of mutual respect, awareness and acknowledgement of how our differences impact our lived experience. While Bloomberg feels change in the way we treat others is impossible, I know it isn’t. —Nadia Karizat can be reached at nkarizat@umich.edu.
Last week, Michael Bloomberg spoke to graduates about a number of issues, including our nation’s widening political divide, the importance of dedication and the deleterious effects of safe spaces. With many of these matters, there is a deep generational divide between our views and those of our parents. This break was particularly salient in Bloomberg’s discussion of safe spaces, which he characterized as serving to shield students from ideas which they find controversial. Myself, and many students within the social justice community here, would disagree with this sentiment. I believe that safe spaces are essential for creating meaningful dialogue, but they do come with caveats. I was fortunate enough to take a course in criminology under Sociology Lecturer PJ McGann. Toward the end of the semester, we spent a number of classes discussing sexual violence. Nearly 30 percent of undergraduate women reported experiencing nonconsensual penetration or sexual touching by force or incapacitation during their time at the University of Michigan. So there were definitely students who had firsthand experience in our 100-person lecture. McGann was conscientious of their needs and let our class know that if anyone needed to step outside at any point over the course of the lecture, they were welcome to. This helped create an environment where we could earnestly listen and discuss one of our campus’ and nation’s most pressing issues. If a student were reliving past trauma, how could they be expected to engage in a class discussion? Safe spaces allow for students to effectively engage with controversial ideas. Similarly, when students are taught to recognize how people of color are often tokenized in academic spaces and how to stop this behavior, we can have more fruitful conversations about racial justice. This can additionally help alleviate the psychological burden that comes with being the only person of your race in a room, an experience that many of my friends are all too familiar with. As a white person, I can count on one hand the number of times that has happened to me. Safe spaces help place students of all backgrounds on equal footing. There are, however, legitimate grievances against safe spaces. In the New Yorker article “The Trouble with Teaching Rape Law” Harvard Law Prof. Jeannie Suk writes, “I often assign students roles in which they have to argue a side — defense or prosecution — with which they might disagree. These
pedagogical tactics are common to almost every law-school topic and classroom. But asking students to challenge each other in discussions of rape law has become so difficult that teachers are starting to give up on the subject. About a dozen new teachers of criminal law at multiple institutions have told me that they are not including rape law in their courses, arguing that it’s not worth the risk of complaints of discomfort by students.” Clearly, this is problematic. Without proper training, how can we expect our society to successfully fight against endemic sexual violence? A safe space is meant to engender a sense of comfort without permitting students to avoid essential learning. Earlier this semester, the University hosted Milo Yiannopoulos and Julie Bindel for a debate entitled “From Liberation to Censorship: Does Modern Feminism Have a Problem with Free Speech?” The duo has been banned from universities throughout the U.K. for their purportedly transphobic opinions and the effect that their presence may have on the campus environment. I think that this is inappropriate. Universities are meant to be bastions of open discussion, and to not invite guest speakers because of their convictions, particularly when those convictions aren’t even the subject of discourse, hurts our intellectual integrity. This is one of the few cases where an adherence to protecting campus climate has damaged a University’s commitment to intellectual excellence. There isn’t a dichotomous relationship between safe spaces and earnest discussion. Furthermore, to paint the creation of a safe space as an inevitably slippery slope to the maladies which they have carried in the past is disingenuous. On the whole, they enhance those essential conversations and, frankly, we could do with more safe spaces at the University. But there are definitely cases where unyielding dedication to making students feel comfortable has proven destructive, and to ignore these examples undermines how important safe spaces are. A safe space’s effectiveness largely depends on its implementation. All of this warrants a broader discussion about the limits of safe spaces, where they should be located and who should be responsible for making sure they are upheld. But that all starts with breaking down the false binary that Michael Bloomberg and others have created. —Roland Davidson is a Public Policy senior.
Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
OPINION 5
ELISE JAYAKAR | MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Don’t feel sorry for me Brown and white and never enough
F
our years ago this March, my mom passed away. She was terminally ill, so we knew for a few months beforehand what was going to happen to her. It was sufficient time to come to terms. Now I know not everyone OLIVIA has that cour- PUENTE tesy when they lose their loved ones — in a very morbid way, I was lucky. I was able to say my goodbyes before I lost her. Not everyone knows about her passing either. People ask me about my parents, and I usually just answer with some information about my dad. Sometimes people follow up with “And your mom?” which I then have to answer with something about how she passed away. It gets awkward because people feel terrible for pressing for more information and begin apologizing profusely. Death is inevitably sad, but I don’t want anyone’s pity. I understand to apologize is just the natural reaction to hearing about someone losing their loved ones, but it’s not your fault. Through an apology, you’re implying you feel bad for me. When I tell you, it’s because it’s an integral part of who I am. I’ve grown up and experienced “firsts” differently than people who had both parents, like my first day of college and my first terrible break up. I’ve adapted, though, and learned how to talk to my dad in a different way than most women my age. It has made me a very different person than I would’ve been had she still been here. Her death has also strengthened and made my relationship with my dad incredibly important. He really is my best friend and confidant. Who knows what it’d be like if she hadn’t passed away. But in an inexplicable way, I have to be grateful. There is no avoiding the subject at times, and at others, I often find myself wishing I could just bring it up in casual conversation without everyone cringing. By feeling bad
for me, it just reinforces the sadness that comes along with losing a parent. I have lived every day since she passed without her, some days being harder to get through than others. I’ll continue to live my days without her. After a while, I became “used” to her being gone. There has only been two times that I’ve talked about her outside of my family where I didn’t feel sad. Once when I was talking to my therapist, and once when I was casually speaking to a friend. Both times, they asked what she was like. They wanted to know who she was and how she impacted me. They asked about her as if she was still very much a part of my life, which she is, without a doubt. I think about her at least once a day and, if we’re being honest here — with fear of sounding a little crazy — I talk to her sometimes. Whether it’s on the pages of a journal I keep or just in my head as I’m walking around campus, it’s comforting to me to act as though she knows what I’m up to and everything I’ve accomplished. Remembering she was a very pivotal part of my life and asking me about her time with me makes me feel good. It’s a nice way to celebrate everything she did for me when she was here and brag to everyone how much I’m like her. Hardly everyone ever asks, so I never get to tell them about how I got my insatiable sense of adventure from her as well as her big blue eyes. They’ll never know about how she could never cook for less than 20 people. Or how her idea of a “midnight snack” was opening a tub of Cool Whip, pouring sprinkles on top and eating it like ice cream. These little things about her make me smile. It reminds me of a time when I wasn’t watching her fight her illness. I can’t speak for everyone who has lost a parent but, at least for me, don’t be afraid to ask what she was like. I love remembering her in happy times. Her death is but one blip on an entire 16 years I was able to spend with her. There’s no need to dwell on one moment that makes me sad when I have thousands of others that make me want to smile. —Olivia Puente can be reached at opuente@umich.edu.
I grew up hiding behind my mom’s light, long legs at grocery stores, burying my head into the cart-made skid marks and hoping no one pointed at the spectrum that lay between our skin. Meijer was terrifying. I worried that my big-hearted mother would again be labeled my “nanny” by some lady juggling a box of Cheez-Its and toilet paper. Even today, I can still feel the sting of the word “nanny” branded onto my mother’s heart, in the same way that it did mine. As I grew older, I learned to manage. I maneuvered my way through the fruits and vegetables aisle without shame. I let my sassy firstgrade confidence lead me. No one dared to hurt me again. I thought my poise and our matching bouncy laughs would discourage strangers from dividing us because my mother and I have the same cheeks, smile and heart. We speak the same language of love above all else. She taught me how to make lasagna and friends, and to love your family before yourself. But Meijer became my enemy again when I was in middle school. The day that I became afraid of my best friends coming along to the grocery store was the same day I lost hope in strangers. Once again, I began to doubt intentions and replaced admiration with jealousy. My best friend’s skin tone always matched the same porcelain color of my mother’s, and another ordinary shopper would tell my mother that “her daughter” is beautiful or how they look so much alike during checkout. They were never talking about me and my brown skin. So I stood at the empty cart, emptyhearted and betrayed by the soft “thank you” my mother returned. I wondered why I was so easily forgotten. I wondered when race became the thing that could so easy divide us as family. The divide split deeper. I noticed how “being tan” was only beautiful if you were olive after a thick hot sun. I noticed how bushy eyebrows meant nerdy, dirty, unkempt. How white boys never liked brown girls. I noticed that my body would never be lusted over with its dark skin and round features. My crooked middle
school smile broke when I was 12 and a boy made fun of the dark hair on my legs. A hairy Indian could never be desirable and half white only counts when you have green eyes and porcelain light skin. My prepubescent mind didn’t understand much, but it knew that Lizzie McGuire was what was beautiful: blond hair and striking blue eyes. Those eyes, the blond hair and the hairless legs were the same eyes, hair and legs of all the friends around me. I have dark, tangled hair. My left eye is brown while my right is almost black, and my knees and elbows are chalky. The same question of race becoming the thing that so easily divided us crossed my mind when I was 17 and applying to colleges. You see, they have added new boxes for race like “Asian/Pacific Islander,” “Native American” and “Other,” but I cannot squeeze so easily into any of the demographics listed. I cannot simply click one. I was never South Asian enough to press down on “Asian/Pacific Islander.” My whiteness doesn’t show in my skin; only in the way I learned how to cook and celebrate birthdays. And why should I press down on the “other” button when strangers at the grocery store do that for me anyway? Again, the same question recurred, stripping me down to only bone. A prickly-bearded boy walked up to me in the basement of some bar just to ask me where I came from. I politely responded with Sri Lanka and India in my soul and United States soil as my home. The boy smirked, his lips tightened. “Sri Lanka is just another part of India,” he announced selfishly. “You’re American.” Lately, I’ve been learning how to stand up for myself, to be more than docile and submissive. Tell me why I always have to prove where I am from. Tell me why my words are never enough. Again, last summer, my plump professor bellowed, “So, are you Hindu or Muslim?” I told him I am Christian, my family is Christian, but he couldn’t comprehend how such tanned skin could be so “American.” Christianity is usually
synonymous with white. But my whiteness is not what embodies my religious beliefs. My grandfather — a balding Indian man with thick skin and a love for spice so sizzling it burns your mouth — is the most devout Christian I know. Yesterday, a white girl giggled a big bubbly laugh while stating, “How typical for an Indian family!” after I described the hard work my family has persevered through. A family with a white mother, a Sri Lankan and Indian father, and three kids with mocha skin. I’ve started to learn that my family isn’t easy for people to gather. How could the same family who bakes chocolate chip cookies and makes sticky windowpane candy also stir a perfectly spiced chicken biryani? I am not brown enough. I am not white enough. I am not American enough. I am not enough to navigate this perpetual negotiation of my soul and body, though I’ve tried so hard to fit in. My parents didn’t see me for the slur of confusion that I am. My friends never understood the constant identity crisis of an entire culture expressed in my skin yet unfound in my heart. Who do you go to when being brown is meaningless and you want it to be meaningful? The desi community labeled me as white girl, and it hurts in places no mono-racial person could ever understand. I can’t find my people so easily. I don’t even know who my people are. Are they the Americans who don’t understand their melting-pot country? Are they the ones who eat their grandmother’s coriander shrimp curry swept into their mouths with their hands? Or are they the ones who always have “other” stamped on their brave hearts when they take surveys? Those people, though their skin is multi-dimensional, have never been from the same mix of lands that I am from. I have never met someone with identical white, Sri Lankan and Indian parallels. There has not been one day that I have mastered my mixed identity, but I refuse to hide from the grocery store any longer. —Elise Jayakar is a 2016 alumn.
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6 ARTS
Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ARTIST PROFILE
Student talks life and budding music career Aash Mehta discusses EDM beginnings in Ann Arbor. By AMELIA ZAK Daily Arts Writer
There’s the GarageBand geek from high school, or the kid who has been locked in his dorm room for a couple of days now, or your old nextdoor neighbor who always had the speakers bumping a little too loud: what’s their least common denominator? They’re characters of an allegory of our millennial generation who are most likely spitting out the following phrase on a regular basis: “Hey, check out my SoundCloud.” You can’t blame these artists. You can’t blame them for their need to self-market, their desire to get the word out about their ongoing projects or their drive to beat out all the others in the fight for relevance and recognition. The music industry is saturated with original artists right now, recording and producing tracks in the comfort of their own computers and sending them into the Internet’s universe. So with much of the same thing and so many options to choose from, it’s easy to doubt, and it’s even easier to become immediately overwhelmed. Aash Mehta, a graduating senior at the University of Michigan, had to make the best of poor industry conditions. It began in high school, following the voice changes of puberty, when Mehta decided that the sappy acoustic guitar (and such) weren’t completely for him. He decided, instead, to take on something that had turned him on for so long: electronic music. Mehta spent high school in India, where an excess of actual musical variety exists. Holding residence in a cultural epicenter like India gave him an early understanding of world music: K-pop, German electronic and pop and a host of others that many must search much
harder and longer for. So with a little more cultural depth and a lot to pull from, Mehta downloaded “anything free from the Internet” and took a stab at electronic music. “When I began I put a lot of mixes up on my SoundCloud. I would just plug into my computer, DJ live and then put up those mixes. A lot of people nowadays don’t always do that, but I’ve always preferred to do it live. I spent hours out of the day on YouTube, trying to learn new techniques and such, but the problem is, you can have a mind for how you want it to sound like, but for the longest time you won’t have the ability to put it on paper or on a computer. I had to work at it and get better in order to create what I actually wanted or thought that I wanted.” So in January of 2015, after having learned a lot and practiced more, Mehta purged his SoundCloud of all its previous content. He erased his past mixes and projects for the Internet to never know. With an appreciation for genre-bending, Mehta started in on something different. He started in on something a little more fun, a little more different and a little closer to the artist he wanted to be. “Where some kids in my class are saying: ‘Oh, I made this app!’ I’m sitting there saying, ‘Oh, hey I made this sick beat!’ I’m not doing Computer Science, my major, after college. I’ll probably move to Los Angeles, get a parttime job and pursue my music career on a basically full-time basis. I do think of it analytically, like I do think that there is some mathematical wave to it all, and you kind of need that with beat matching” Mehta said. “My remix to White Lies by Odesza was something that got me a lot of recognition, and I think that that was the first track where I thought: ‘I’m going to do my own thing with this song, even if people don’t like it,” and then I sent it out to a couple of blogs— a whole long list of them — and that got a ton of plays and listens,” Mehta said.
Mehta has been able to tap into the electronic music scene of Detroit as well. The internationally-renowned electronic artist Elephante recognized Mehta not long ago in a connecting moment not uncommon for electronic musicians. “I opened for Elephante’s show in Detroit, and he played his unreleased single during his set. After he gave permission I remixed it, sent it to him and got his approval,” explained Mehta. “And now I’ll be putting it out at the end of May. It’s cool that people are getting to know what my sound is like and then getting their approval on it at the same time. It’s an awesome process, and I’ll be having a lot of content coming out as it all happens.” There is something precious to Mehta’s beats, something genuine and organic that would, from an objective perspective, appear out of place among the masses. Writing his own lyrics, matching manufactured tones and sounds to the intangibles — it’s a medicinal, provoking process. It’s collecting what you know, and have known, and growing upon what you then want to create on your own. “Most people think that a lot of my sounds are instrumentations or beats that I have made, but a lot of them are vocal drops that I have messed with on my computer to make them sound so weirdly different,” said Mehta. Mehta is working towards something in Los Angeles, where the recording artists and producers range in variety, style and power. With a job to pay the bills on the side, the University graduate is taking his talents to the West Coast in search of something a little bigger, a little more. Mehta is standing among the army of millennial musicians, those that must fight amongst the battlefields of the unending Internet for relevance and recognition. But he’s got it: with the connections and almost one million hits on SoundCloud, Mehta is onto something. He’s using a popular platform to work for himself, as most innovators must and do.
FILM REVIEW
SONY PICTURES CLASSIC
You’re making things up again, Don.
‘Ahead’ a fake but lively biopic By MADELEINE GAUDIN Daily Arts Writer
This spring is starting to feel like a music biopic-heavy season in the middle of a music biopic resurgence. Some, like “Amy,” have masterfully captured B the torment and hardship of their Miles Ahead troubled stars, Sony Pictures while others, like Classic the forthcoming “Nina,” have sac- State Theatre rificed substance for controversy. So, how exactly did star, writer, director and producer Don Cheadle (“Flight”) make his storyline stand out in a genre where sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll (or in this case, jazz) are the norm? Easy — he made it up. It’s a risky move. Historical purists and Miles Davis biography junkies aren’t going to love it, but for the less historically inclined, the fiction is a pleasant departure from a genre that struggles with filling space between the music. What emerges from this blend of fact and fiction is an idea of Davis — namely Cheadle’s idea of him. In that sense, the film is less about Davis as a person and more about Davis as a cultural icon. To Cheadle (and I think to many of his fans) it doesn’t matter what Davis did on any given day, but rather what he made and what that product meant to the millions of people who listened to and loved his music. The exchange of plot points for deeper significance sounds wonderful, and in “Miles Ahead” it almost is. But unfortunately Cheadle doesn’t know how to stop his fantasy version of Davis from running wild. One of the film’s standout scenes — a gunfilled car chase — feels more like an outtake from Davis’s guest appearance on “Miami Vice” than a scene
in a serious and artistic film about his life. The scene sucks the romance out of Cheadle’s impressionistic portrayal and leaves it feeling childish and absurd. Narratively, the film follows a familiar strategy of throw-in-ajournalist-and-a-story-will-emerge. Dave Brill (Ewan McGregor, “The Force Awakens”) is a writer at Rolling Stone tasked with writing Davis’s “comeback story.” While his existence in the film — much like Jesse Eisenberg’s in “The End of the Tour” — is in part a vehicle through which to ask the questions Davis would never answer unprompted, it works. The two have chemistry — so much chemistry, in fact, that at times the film seems headed for buddy cop territory. While “Miles Ahead” may not be the film that solidifies Cheadle as a master storyteller, it could be the one that solidifies him as a master behind the camera. With the help of editors John Axelrad and Kayla M. Emter, Cheadle edits the film to the beat of Davis’s fragmented music. Flashback’s are cut side by side with current-narrative progression in a rhythm that in any other film would feel jarring. But, when set to Davis’s music, it feels natural and reminds the audience why we’re all here: not because someone named Miles Davis got in a fight at Columbia Records one time, but rather because someone named Miles Davis made amazing music with enough power to inspire a filmmaker to dedicate ten years of his life to immortalizing him. So maybe “Miles Ahead” is a purist’s nightmare, and maybe even for impressionist fans it dips too far into cartoon territory; but, love it or hate it, one has to acknowledge the love and passion that Cheadle eskews for his muse every moment he’s in front of the camera and every moment he’s behind it.
Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALBUM REVIEW
‘Views’ fails to impress Despite all the hype, Drake fails to deliver what’s expected. By MATT GALLATIN Daily Arts Writer
‘Views’ is a concept. It was incepted by a tweet in 2014, and subsequently swelled over two years into a commercial force spanning minimalist billboards and C predictable SnapViews chat filters. Before the album was Drake even released, fans OVO Sound called it a classic based on singles “Hotline Bling” and “One Dance,” in addition to a confident assertion by Drake himself. That confidence was on full display just prior to the album’s release, as Drake gave a rare interview with the ever-enthusiastic Zane Lowe on Apple’s Beats 1 Radio. He seemed at ease with himself, sounding more secure than ever. To add visuals to his boasts, he posted a string of meticulously staged photos throughout the release of Views — a perfectly-poised husky, a well-puffed fur coat, a Mad Men evoking combination of suits-and-whisky. But, as is often the case when the line that separates commercial products and albums is blurred, Views shines more brightly as an idea than an actual body of work. This is not to say that this is necessarily a bad album. The run from opening track “Keep the Family Close” to “Hype” is Drake at his very best: the production is transcendent, the vocals are (as claimed during the Zane Lowe interview) at Drake’s highest level yet and his flow feels more under-control than ever. All the classic Drake-isms are covered in this streak — catchy hooks, a love for Toronto, nostalgic reminiscing and so on. The Kanye-produced track, “U With Me,” is a particular standout. Drake weaves between what he knows well, talking of texting mind games — “3 dots, you thinking of a reaction still” — and shade — “fuck them stories, fuck the shade they throwing.” The beat churns and claps, well in-sync with the hook and the verses, and the third verse reaches a level that seems like it should have all along, as Drake’s voice soars
with anger. It’s unfortunate, because this trend begins to fall off after only a few tracks, giving way to frustrating inconsistency. “Faithful,” the center of the album, meanders with its redundancy, an adjective that describes the rest of the album all too well. During the Zane Lowe interview Drake explained that the album moves thematically from “winter, to summer and back to winter again” to reflect Toronto weather, but that theme doesn’t feel much apparent here, nor does it justify the lack of focus that plagues these later tracks. There are Caribbean dancehall tracks that Drake has shown an increasing interest in, first with his feature on Rihanna’s “Work” and later with standout single “One Dance.” Some, like Rihanna collaboration sequel “Too Good,” succeed, while others, like “Controlla,” feel unnecessary and almost boring. On the other hand, there are beatheavy bangers, ranging from weak ones, like the What a Time to Be Alive continuation “Grammys,” to better ones, like “Pop Style.” If you thought these would line up along that apparent winter-summer-winter theme, you would be wrong — they vary throughout, with little sense of cohesion. Ironically, the rapper’s release If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late from last year is a far more consistent and directional work, though Drake declared it a “commercial mixtape” and apparently never thought of it as a cohesive album. Still, that release towers over this one. Perhaps this is on account of an increasingly obvious lyrical disconnect within Drake’s music. Tracks like Too Late finale “6PM In New York” and So Far Gone closer “Fear” succeeded because of the clearheaded assessment they gave after the mistakes Drake made, both in his life and on his tracks. That unabashed venting has given him breathing space, room to explain his ups and downs, his questionably condescending view of his love interests and his goals. But Views is so harshly regressive in its tone on women that it’s more difficult than ever to forgive the borderline misogyny. Sure, he briefly acknowledges his hypocrisy on “Redemption,” questioning “Why do I want an independent woman to feel like she needs me? / I lost my way,” but more often than not the arrogance is fully internalized. Questionable language about
women is no doubt common in rap. But Drake is a special case in that he actually believes he’s the good guy here, placing the women in his life as his enemies, rather than entities as many rappers do. It’s classic nice-guy syndrome. Nowhere is this clearer than “Child’s Play,” whose namesake is all too fitting. In the first verse he claims “Momma is a saint, yes she raised me real good,” twisting this into an explanation as to why he should be even more of an asshole: “All because of her I don’t do you like I should.” The complete delusion he’s cultivated is unappealing at best, and outright offensive at worst. Rapper Killer Mike may offer us some choice words on the matter: “... she raised a bunch of fuck boys, next time do better.” Regarding the rest of the album: it varies little in tone. Those final clarity-revealing assessments like “Fear,” once prominent and forgiving in Drake’s music, are gone here. Closer “Views,” which would have once fulfilled this role, gives the listener no such satisfaction — the boasts are less enjoyable, and the man is, frankly, far less easy to sympathize with. Does any of this really matter? Probably not. Drake is king of “meme” rap, working in “What are those?!” references and subliminal Meek Mill disses to please the masses. It’ll surely make the internet crazy. Not even a day after Views’s release and comments on Rap Genius were already filled with excited gifs and rows of fire emojis. One commenter summed up the worship well: “10/10 Album, only Real Day 1 Fans will understand & vibe to this Amazing brand new album that Drake created for our ears. #Views.” There’s no room for discussion here — Drake could have released nearly anything, anything, and still have been praised. You could argue he deserves it. He has marketed and branded himself so well over the last few years that it would have been a surprise for this not to have happened. Some were caught off guard by the ferocity of “Back to Back” or his collaboration with trap king Future, but these moves were calculated and planned far in advance. His videos, his music, even his Instagram seem meticulously constructed to elicit the most traction possible from rap fans who describe albums in terms of “Tweetability” and determine the quality of a work by the standard of fire. And for that, Drake sits king.
TV REVIEW
ARTS 7
COMEDY CENTRAL
A rabbi, a priest and these guys walk into a plane.
L’chaim, ‘Broad’ By DANIELLE YACOBSON Daily Arts Writer
In the season three finale of “Broad City,” our favorite Jewesses took off to see the Holy Land. In an episode filled with drug A smuggling, makeshift Broad City tampons and, of course, Season 3 Finale sexual she- Wednesday nanigans, the at 10 p.m. dynamic duo made saying Comedy Central goodbye to “Broad City” for the summer virtually impossible. Ilana (Ilana Glazer) and Abbi (Abbi Jacobson) capitalize on a free trip to Israel through Birthmark, based on the real-life Birthright program, which sends young adults to Israel with a mission statement to advance the Jewish bloodline. With plenty of stereotypes to use as inspiration, Abbi and Ilana take full advantage of their Jewish heritage to deliver one of the wittiest episodes of “Broad City” yet. With plenty of yamakas, Ivy-league rivalries and pita bread to go around, the finale is everything you would expect from a plane full of Jewish bachelors and more. Unapologetically candid and always to be watched with a hearty sense of humor, the finale was able to poke at underlying societal issues without ever sacrificing a comical nuance. The majority of the episode is filled with a desperate hunt for a tampon. Of course, “Broad City” will use any and all opportunities to make a feminist statement, and when the topic of women’s health comes into play, the girls don’t hold back. While Ilana’s revelation that all tampons should be free digs at the patriarchy, Abbi’s interaction with an older woman high-
lights the underrepresentation of menopause on mainstream television. This unfiltered discussion of everything “woman” is intentionally at the center of the series’ content, a way for Glazer and Jacobson, both the show’s stars and creators, to express their opinions and interjections in today’s media-obsessed culture. A discussion of gender is never censored as virtually every episode confronts some sort of feminist issue. Season three was filled with celebrity appearances, most notably Hillary Clinton who made her iconic cameo on episode five. The finale did not disappoint, as Adam Levine was featured as a pilot in the in-flight safety video which, unlike in real life, everyone was paying attention to. The impressive list of guest stars that have graced “Broad City” is a testament to the show’s relatability and influence on the pop-culture landscape. Since its first season, the series has grown and flourished, gaining a loyal cult following that includes some of the biggest names in Hollywood. Perhaps what makes “Broad City” a must-see is the way Ilana and Abbi are able to observe and comment on millennial life. Sure, two girls with fine arts degrees trying to make it in New York City is nothing groundbreakingly original, but somehow the duo is able to make the most relatable things inexplicably hilarious. Whether it be a conversation about how Jesus is really just the hot rich kid or the societal influence of Drew Barrymore’s suitcase, the content is nuanced, relevant and applicable to anyone with even the slightest interest in pop culture. It’s going to be a long and tough summer without the queens, so for the time being we’ll be incessantly stalking the “Broad City” Instagram for some comical gold.
8 NEWS
Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 “Dragnet” star Jack 5 Campus military prog. 9 Die-hard 13 Gillette razor 14 Bridal path flower piece 15 Hindu princess 16 Apply crudely, as paint 17 Samuel on the Supreme Court 18 To be, to Tiberius 19 “Fiddler on the Roof” song 22 “What a relief!” 24 Continental trade gp. 25 Ritzy residence 26 Corned beef-andSwiss sandwich 28 Quantities: Abbr. 30 ’60s hallucinogen 31 Like businesses specializing in international trade 34 Second in command: Abbr. 35 Golfer’s concern 36 Convenience 40 Beatles hit that begins, “You say yes, I say no” 45 Sci-fi saucer 48 Bears or Cubs 49 At the back of the pack 50 Poe’s “The Murders in the Rue __” 52 ATM access code 53 __ Moines 54 Like some government partnerships 58 Hipbone parts 59 “__-ho!” 60 European capital west of Helsinki 63 No longer working: Abbr. 64 Forgetting to carry the one, say 65 In the sack 66 Scots Gaelic 67 Sheep fat 68 Unit of force
DOWN 1 Fistful of bills 2 Approx. landing hour 3 Quick reviews, as before a test 4 Hindu title of respect 5 Archaeologist’s find 6 Big name in elevators 7 London gallery 8 In the vicinity of 9 “__ you clever!” 10 Feudal servant 11 Enlarged map segments 12 Cut down on calories 14 PepsiCo, to Quaker Oats, e.g. 20 __-do-well 21 SALT I participant 22 Opera solo 23 Garment edges 27 This and that 28 Geometric given 29 Video file format 32 Jazzy Fitzgerald 33 Kennedy and Turner 37 Obeys, as rules
38 “Auld Lang __” 39 Brain scans, briefly 41 Small needle case 42 Freeloaders 43 Twist who asked for some more 44 Chaplin of “Game of Thrones” 45 Judge at home 46 More unpleasant 47 Planetary paths
51 Air freshener brand 52 Turn on one foot 55 Ecuador neighbor 56 In very short supply 57 Creek croaker 61 “Dancing With the Stars” judge Goodman 62 Keats’ “To Autumn,” e.g.
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05/2/16
05/2/16
Research shows children’s sweet tooth correlates with later obesity Preference for sweets can predict childhood obesity By MAYA SHANKAR Daily Staff Reporter
New University research shows a childhood preference for sweet foods may be a predictor of unhealthy weight gain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over one-sixth of children and adolescents were obese in 2012, which translates to about 12.7 million individuals. Over the past 30 years, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents. Childhood obesity is also correlated to adult obesity. Obesity increases the risk of developing many different health problems including cardiovascular disease, diabetes and many types of cancer. Julie Lumeng, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University, and her team recently published a study in Pediatrics medical journal describing the correlation between childhood eating habits and weight gain. Lumeng said childhood obesity is a major public health issue, but it is not well-addressed. According to Lumeng, the current methods to curb the problem — which primarily focus on emphasizing healthy eating and exercise — are not effective. “Childhood obesity is a significant public health problem, but there are few people to study it specifically in relation to children’s behaviors at very young ages,” Lumeng said. “The strategies for
obesity prevention that we use right now are not particularly effective. We need to find new ways to intervene, and this might be a novel point for intervention.” The team asked mothers to feed their toddlers of ages from birth to two years a typical lunch and then offer their children a plate of sweet and salty treats. The team observed that children who were offered sweet treats preferred increasingly sweeter food as they grew older and were more likely to be overweight. This correlation was not seen for children who elected salty snacks. Their findings suggest some people may be more prone to obesity than others and that food preferences from very young age can determine the likelihood of obesity later in life. “The findings suggest that children just have different predispositions to certain eating behaviors,” Lumeng said. “Parents may need to be particularly vigilant about limiting children’s access to sweets when their children have a particular love for sweets.” Lumeng said the results of the study may act as a key step in understanding childhood obesity. “There could be many biological factors contributing to children’s food preferences,” Lumeng said. “It’s important to actively notice what foods children chose because it could be a key predictor in unhealthy weight gain as they grow older.” The entire study took five years to complete. Lumeng and her team hope to follow the children in her study into adulthood to see if their eating behaviors in early childhood could predict future obesity.
Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
New children’s psych unit invites positive feedback New facility improves and de-stigmatizes mental health care for young patients By ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
The Nyman Family Unit for Child and Adolescent Mental Health and Wellness, a new pediatric inpatient psychiatric unit within C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, opened April 4. The unit is a structural and technological improvement from the previous unit located in the Health System’s old children’s hospital. Construction of the unit, which began about three years ago, was funded both by the University of Michigan and a donation from psychotherapist Jo Elyn Nyman. The unit can accommodate up to 16 pediatric patients through the age of 17. Ben Biermann, inpatient director for child and adolescent psychiatry, said the old psychiatric unit needed improvements to provide the specialized type of care young patients need. “It’s an inpatient unit for treating kids and adolescents who have a serious psychiatric illness,” Biermann said. “Most of the kids who are admitted to the unit are there because there’s a safety concern. These are kids who have severe depression and are feeling suicidal, or who have psychotic symptoms, or who are having significant behavioral disturbances or other dangerous behaviors such as eating disorders or substance abuse. It’s a safe place for those kids to get assessed and treated and get a safe transition to outpatient care.” Nursing Supervisor Nicole Figueroa said the new unit has an increased focused on creating a healing environment than the old unit. “It’s really important to have a state-of-the-art unit for patients, particularly pediatric patients, with mental health diagnoses because it
is a stigmatized group of patients and a lot of other institutions are older or they haven’t put a lot of thought into the design, so having a place where kids can really heal with their family around creates the best healing environment for the patient and their family,” Figueroa said. Biermann echoed Figueroa’s sentiments, saying the unit aims to decrease the stigma associated with mental illness. “Children and adolescents do struggle with psychiatric disorders just like their adult counterparts,” Biermann said. “Having the unit in the children’s hospital, along with all the other patients receiving medical treatment, does a lot to erase stigma, to bring psychiatric disorders and mental health issues to public awareness.” According to Biermann, having the pediatric psychiatric unit in Mott is advantageous for interactions with other departments. “The fact that we’re right in the children’s hospital makes it easier for us to get consultation from the medical services and makes us more accessible to our pediatric colleagues who might need our help with their patients,” Biermann said. Biermann added that there are additionally many structural improvements in the new unit, including the larger size and visibility of patients. “It is much more functional. There are some important safety features, like a lot of the sight lines that are used to be able to look up and down the hallway and see where the patients are, are improved. In the old unit, there were a lot of hidden spaces, and the shape of the unit didn’t lend itself to being able to see where the patients were,” Biermann said. According to Biermann, the new unit can accommodate families who want to stay over with their children. It also has improved workspaces for staff members, doctors and nurses as well as a separate area for patients who need particularly intensive care.
“Having the unit in the children’s hospital...does a lot to erase stigma”
Both Biermann and Figueroa said thus far the unit has received positive feedback from both patients and their families and has been operating at full capacity since its opening. “We have a large hospital at U-M that cares for kids and so, to have also this unit that is caring for kids within the bigger institution, that just shows U-M’s great commitment to outstanding psychiatric care and mental health care as a whole for the University,” Figueroa said. Biermann said those who lead the unit are happy with its improvements but are in the process of making further additions, such as hiring more staff members to improve the delivery of care and bring more specified care to patients. The unit additionally aims to continue improving parental and family involvement int he care process. “The University of Michigan can serve as a model of excellence for inpatient psychiatric care,” Biermann said. “I think we provide state-of-the-art care, and now we do so in a state-of-the-art environment and are pretty cutting-edge in terms of the services we have.” The University Health System and psychiatric unit staff is currently discussing what will be done with the previous unit.
DPS From Page 1 and we need legislation to both pay the debt and make sure that there are structural changes as well,” Chang said in an interview with The Michigan Daily. “The Detroit Democrats — I and my colleagues — have been working really hard for a while now on trying to advocate for both paying down the debt as well as some other changes. We are going to continue to fight for Detroit kids and make sure that we get some movement here.” Union Interim President Ivy Bailey railed against the forecasted suspension in pay in an e-mail sent to union members on Monday. “There’s a basic agreement in America: When you put in a day’s work, you’ll receive a day’s pay. DPS is breaking that deal,” Bailey wrote. “Unfortunately, by refusing to guarantee that we will be paid for our work, DPS is effectively locking our members out of the classrooms.” Rhodes is the most recent state-appointed emergency
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manager, following the resignation of Darnell Early, who faced much criticism over both his handling of DPS and the city of Flint, where he also acted as emergency manager during the water crisis. DPS has been under an emergency manager since 2009 and has been operating under a deficit of $515 million. In March, Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill to appropriate DPS $48.7 million so the district could stay open until June 30. He said he hopes to continue efforts to find a more permanent solution. “I will continue working with lawmakers on a longterm solution to restructure debt and direct more resources towards the classroom,” Snyder said in a statement. “Certainly today’s news is another sign of how urgently that solution is needed.” Snyder further criticized the sickouts on a visit to Flint Monday morning. “That’s not a constructive act with respect to getting legislation through,” he said. Bailey told Fox Detroit that teachers should not be expected to report to schools on Tuesday.
When you put in a day’s work, you’ll receive a day’s pay. DPS is breaking that deal,
FLINT LIVES MATTER
MARINA ROSS/Daily
Flint resident protests Gov. Rick Snyder (R) outside of Northwestern High School in Flint, MI.
10 SPORTS
Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sophomore forward Chatman to transfer
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Michigan to hire Donlon, Washington By JACOB GASE Daily Sports Editor
After losing two assistant coaches to head coaching jobs, the Michigan men’s basketball team’s coaching staff makeover is underway. In a move first reported by the Detroit News and ESPN’s Jeff Goodman and later confirmed by the athletic department, Michigan coach John Beilein has hired Oakland assistant coach Saddi Washington and former Wright State head coach Billy Donlon to fill the vacancies on his staff. The coaching change is the first for the Wolverines in six years, with Beilein and assistants LaVall Jordan, Bacari Alexander and Jeff Meyer making up a steady foundation that guided Michigan to five NCAA Tournament appearances. But, pursuing what Beilein called “long overdue” opportunities, Jordan accepted the head coaching job at Milwaukee a month ago, and Alexander was hired by alma mater Detroit two weeks later. “We are forever grateful for the fine work that LaVall Jordan and Bacari Alexander brought to our program over the past six years,” Beilein said in an official statement. “Their departures, however, have opened up a great opportunity for our staff to grow. Billy Donlon and Saddi Washington are exactly who I felt we needed to be able to continue our success and compete for more Big Ten championships.” Beilein had mentioned in recent weeks that he would be looking for fresh ideas and defensiveminded coaching from his new assistants, and he hopes Donlon and Washington can provide exactly that. Both new hires also bring a wealth of experience to the table. Washington, who played at Western Michigan, has served on Oakland’s staff for 10 years and has worked as both the recruiting
coordinator and post players specialist. Recently, he helped Oakland land under-recruited 5-foot-9 guard and Detroit native Kay Felder, who led the nation in assists last season and was fourth in scoring before declaring for the NBA Draft this offseason. “Saddi and I have known each other since his days at Western Michigan when I coached against them,” Beilein said. “We have also talked a lot of basketball in my nine years at Michigan. Saddi is an outstanding teacher of the game, and I love that he can coach multiple positions. “He has established great relationships as a recruiter both in and out of the state of Michigan. His poise and presence remind me of LaVall, and I know he will be a great asset to our program.” Donlon, meanwhile, spent 10 seasons at Wright State, working as an assistant coach for four years before being promoted to head coach in 2010. As head coach, Donlon led the Raiders to a 109-94 record but was fired in March. Like Washington, he crossed paths with Beilein as a player when his alma mater, UNC-Wilmington, played against Beilein’s Richmond teams in the late 1990s. “I have known Billy for almost two decades, and I love his passion and IQ for the game,” Beilein said. “He has tremendous experience as a player, assistant and head coach at the Division I level. Improving our defense is a huge goal for us, and defense is one of Billy’s specialties. He is also excellent in skill development, and that has been a key to our success at Michigan.” The announcement came as the first incoming move in what has been an offseason of attrition for the Wolverines. In addition to the departures of Jordan and Alexander, Michigan lost four players as transfers: senior guard Spike Albrecht (Purdue), sophomore guard Aubrey Dawkins (Central Florida), and sophomore forwards Kameron Chatman and Ricky Doyle (undecided).
“His poise and presence remind me of Lavall.”
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Kam Chatman becomes the third member of the 2014 recruiting class to tranfer from Michigan.
By ORION SANG Summer Managing Sports Editor
Close to two months ago, Kam Chatman hit a game-winning three pointer against Indiana that propelled the Michigan men’s basketball team to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and the NCAA Tournament. It appears that will be the most memorable moment of the sophomore forward’s career in Ann Arbor. As first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman and later confirmed by the athletic department, Chatman will transfer from Michigan. He becomes the third member of the 2014 recruiting class to leave, joining Ricky Doyle and Aubrey Dawkins. His decision leaves the Wolverines with two open scholarships for the 2016-17 season and a noticeable lack of depth at the forward position. “Kam is a wonderful young man with the potential to mature into a fine college player,” said
coach John Beilein in an official press release. “We have enjoyed coaching him over the past two years and wish him nothing but the best.” Added Chatman: “I honestly don’t think I could have had a more quality life experience than I did in Ann Arbor. I am incredibly grateful for my two years at Michigan. I would like to thank Coach Beilein and his entire staff for taking a chance on a small town kid out of Portland. I know my experience has inspired others as I will take all of my lessons learned to continue my pursuit of becoming the best man and player I can.” Chatman came to Ann Arbor as a much-ballyhooed recruit, ranked by ESPN as the No. 38 player in his class. He quickly earned a starting position at the beginning of his freshman year. But as the season went on, he found less and less playing time, and by the time the 2015-16 season rolled around, he
had fallen behind other players in Beilein’s bench rotation. After playing in 32 games and starting 15 while averaging 15.2 minutes per game his freshman season, Chatman played in 28 games his sophomore season but started just two of them while averaging 7.2 minutes per game, a sharp decrease from his first season. “(Kam) spent the first two years (spending) a lot of time sitting down in the bench with us,” Beilein said in the aftermath of the Indiana game. “But he’s ‘Yes sir, no sir,’ working hard every single day, trying to grow his game. And for him to be rewarded with that big shot, with that moment that he will always be remembered for, is worth it for me knowing he has done such a great job of handling all of his adversity of not playing.’’ And for better or worse, that shot that saved the Wolverines’ season will be a reminder of what Chatman’s career at Michigan could’ve been.
Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Ferlic qualifies for U.S. Olympic Trials
‘M’ wins CWPA title, reaches NCAA tourney By BRAD WHIPPLE Summer Managing Editor
By ORION SANG Summer Managing Sports Editor
When Mason Ferlic reached the finish line of the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the Payton Jordan Invitational last Sunday, the first thing he did was look up at the scoreboard. And when he saw that he had finished with a time of 8:28.77, he couldn’t help but feel discouraged. “I was actually frustrated, because I thought I had missed the standard by less than a second,” Ferlic said. “I was disappointed and pretty down on myself, and (Michigan assistant) coach (Kevin) Sullivan was telling me that I still did great and still had the collegiate lead.” Ferlic had hoped to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials by finishing with a time under the U.S. Olympic Standard, but his time was 0.77 seconds too slow. Or so he thought. After the race, Ferlic was congratulated by other competitors, and while he initially assumed it was in response to him setting the NCAA personal record, it was actually because he also came under the Olympic standard, which had been recently changed from 8:28 to 8:30. “It wasn’t until about 20 minutes (after) that finally one of the coaches was like, ‘No, you got it, it was 8:30,’ ” Ferlic said. “We didn’t believe him until we pulled it up on our phones. That was a nice mood-booster. Originally I crossed the line and wasn’t pleased with the race, but then I found out I hit the standard and went from feeling mediocre to feeling pretty awesome about it.” For Ferlic, the result was the culmination of a career’s worth of work and preparation. But even he didn’t initially expect to experience such success. Earlier in his competitive career, Ferlic aimed for smaller objectives, such as just making a Big Ten team. As he checked these off his list and continued to improve throughout his career at Michigan, he realized there was potential to achieve even more. “If you had asked me the same question last year, if that was a reasonable goal, I would have
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Mason Ferlic now has a chance to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
probably said no,” Ferlic said. “But as I’ve improved, recently it has become a very realistic goal of mine. “I look back at it and realize I’ve been making these huge jumps and leaps, and the run at the trials is something that I’m ready for and it’s a great opportunity. I feel like I can compete with anyone and that I have a legitimate shot to be one of the three Americans to go to Rio for the steeplechase.” For Ferlic’s two primary coaches, his finish at the Payton Jordan Invitational was somewhat expected. “I actually thought he was ready to run an 8:25,” Sullivan said, who is also head coach of the men’s cross country team and has worked extensively with Ferlic all year. “He’s a touch off that time. Running 8:28 was within the range of what I expected. I was hoping he was gonna be somewhere between the 8:25 to 8:30 range, and so from that standpoint we accomplished what we were looking to do this weekend.” Added Michigan men’s track and
field coach Jerry Clayton: “He’s had a really excellent year. Just one race after another, he’s just really stepped it up. Went on (the distance medley relay team) and ended up (an) All-American at the indoor nationals. With what he ran last weekend, we really felt that he had those capabilities, and coach Sullivan has done an outstanding job with preparing him to run at that level.” Ferlic’s next task will be to continue his ascent to the top. Plans for him are to sit down with Sullivan and craft a plan that will prepare him for both the upcoming NCAA Championships and the U.S. Olympic Trials in July. He certainly recognized the significance of what he has done and what he might accomplish in the coming months. “To represent Michigan and be the one wearing the ‘Block M’ is huge,” Ferlic said. “I’m representing an institution that over my five years has given a lot to me, so I feel this is a way to give back, to represent it at the highest level.”
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In just his second year at the helm of the Michigan women’s water polo team, coach Marcelo Leonardi took a plunge into the water as a champion. When he rose to the surface, his players continued to jump into Blodgett Pool at Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass. Junior goalkeeper Emily Browning held up a GoPro, ready to capture the moment that came next: the singing of the “The Victors.” For the first time since 2010, the Wolverines won the Collegiate Water Polo Association championship — their sixth title in program history — with a 9-2 rout of No. 13 Indiana. With Sunday’s victory, Michigan earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament, where it will face No. 9 Arizona State on Friday in Los Angeles, Calif. Wednesday, the Wolverines also jumped ahead one spot in the CWPA national rankings to tie with the University of California at the No. 4 spot, Michigan’s highest ranking in program history. “We’ve accomplished one of our major goals, which was to win (the conference championship) and qualify for NCAAs,” Leonardi told MGoBlue after Sunday’s win. “It feels a little bit surreal, because we feel like we still have unfinished business to do. But at the end of the day, we brought home a championship back to Michigan.” Though the Wolverines lost to the Hoosiers in the CWPA semifinals in each of the last two seasons, including an overtime loss by only one point last year, Michigan exercised its demons this time around. On April 2, the Wolverines (7-0 CWPA, 29-6 overall) stole the show in Bloomington, downing Indiana (6-1, 23-7) by three points in the rivals’ sole regular-season match. One time wasn’t enough, however, as Michigan still needed to reverse the Hoosier curse that has prevented it from making an even deeper dive into the postseason. Luckily for the Wolverines, they did exactly that Sunday behind a season-high 13-save performance by senior goalkeeper Julia Campbell and an aggressive offense led by
freshman driver Kim Johnson. In front of Campbell was an impenetrable defense that made it difficult for Indiana to make it more than halfway down the pool. Michigan prevented the Hoosiers from tallying their first goal until 10 minutes into the matchup, and the Wolverines’ power-play defense held Indiana to only one goal on eight extra-man opportunities. After Campbell held Indiana scoreless for the third quarter, the Hoosiers netted one last goal in the final frame, but it was insignificant. Michigan held Indiana to just two goals, tying the fewest goals allowed in the CWPA final since Hartwick downed the Wolverines, 5-2, in the 2004 CWPA championship game. Meanwhile, Johnson anchored Michigan’s offense with her firstcareer hat trick, earning her the distinction of the tournament’s top rookie to go along with her Rookie of the Year honor. As for senior attacker Ali Thomason, she was named the CWPA Tournament MVP with eight goals, four assists and eight steals in three games. The conference championship is not only the first title for each current Michigan player, but it is also the first for Leonardi, who had won a gold medal with the USA Youth National Team before coming to Ann Arbor. With one championship now in the books for Michigan, another still lies ahead. Friday, the Wolverines will face Arizona State, which earned one of three at-large bids, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Michigan last matched up with the Sun Devils at the Arizona State Invite on March 19, when thenNo. 9 Arizona State defeated the Wolverines, 8-5. , Michigan holds a 2-5 record against all nine teams in this year’s NCAA field. Overall, the Wolverines are 5-9 in the NCAA Tournament and have never survived a first-round matchup, so Friday’s game will be a true test for this year’s squad. Michigan’s last NCAA Tournament appearance ended with a sixthplace finish in 2010, and its most successful showing came with a fourth-place finish in 2002. Given how quick Leonardi has turned the program around, Michigan has high potential for the weekend ahead.
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Thursday, May 5, 2016 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
‘M’ Softball Academy provides perspective
BASEBALL
Michigan beats Eastern, 12-0 By NATE CLARK Daily Sports Writer
YPSILANTI, Mich. — Three times this season, the No. 21 Michigan baseball team played Eastern Michigan. And in all three games, the Wolverines (10-5 Big Ten, 31-12 overall) were victorious. They added a 12-0 victory Wednesday to their previous 12-4 win on May 3 and 19-3 drubbing of the Eagles on April 13. “We’re always looking to have quality at-bats and string quality at-bats together,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “We trust that when we do that, we will have scoring opportunities, and we want to cash in and take advantage of them.” Michigan wasted no time getting on the scoreboard Wednesday. With two outs in the top of the first inning, junior right fielder Carmen Benedetti walked, bringing junior catcher Harrison Wenson to the plate. Wenson promptly drove Benedetti in with a double to give his team an early lead. But it was the second frame where the Wolverines really put their foot on the gas pedal. Freshman third baseman Jimmy Kerr and freshman second baseman Ako Thomas revved Michigan’s engines by drawing back-to-back one-out walks. Sophomore third basemen Jake Bivens then grounded into a fielder’s choice, but an error allowed him to safely reach base and Kerr to score. The miscue proved to be costly for Eastern Michigan (8-7 Mid-American, 17-25 overall)
as fifth-year senior left fielder Matt Ramsay then hit a sacrifice fly to bring Thomas home and Benedetti scored Bivens on an RBI double to give the Wolverines a 4-0 advantage. “I’m just seeing pitches that I can drive, not trying to do too much,” Benedetti said. “The guys were doing a great job of getting on base today. I’m happy to drive them in and help the team out.” Michigan truly put the game away in the fourth as Benedetti smacked another RBI double. Wenson proceeded to reach on another Eagles’ error, permitting senior center fielder Cody Bruder to hit his own RBI double. The Wolverines only continued to pile on from there. But what might be the most impressive feat from Wednesday’s game was the pitching performance from freshman left-hander Will Tribucher. He threw six shoutout innings, allowing only one hit and three walks while striking out five. Part of Tribucher’s big night might have been due to a new pitch he recently added to his arsenal. “Coach (Sean) Kenny and I started working on a cutter yesterday,” Tribucher said. “I have to give it to him, he’s been helping me out a lot along the way. I got a couple of guys out with it.” Wednesday’s victory improves Michigan’s outof-conference record to 8-2 since March 25. However, the Wolverines won’t have much time to dwell on their nonconference success, as they will return to Big Ten action Friday night against Rutgers.
“I’m just seeing
pitches that I can drive, not trying to do too much.”
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Sierra Romero and the No. 2 Michigan softball team will don pink in their game Friday against Rutgers.
By ORION SANG Summer Managing Sports Editor
Just like the last series against Penn State, this weekend’s series against Rutgers is important for the No. 2 Michigan softball team in its chase for another Big Ten conference title. But before the Wolverines take on the Scarlet Knights, they will participate in an event that, according to coach Carol Hutchins, should allow her players a glance at the bigger picture outside of softball. Thursday, Hutchins and her team will host the seventh annual Michigan Softball Academy, a fundraiser aimed at raising money and awareness in the fight against breast cancer, before donning pink in their series opener against Rutgers on Friday. In exchange for a donation that serves as a registration fee, the event offers participants the chance to learn softball while interacting with coaches and players. Hutchins was intrigued by the women’s football academies held by former head football coach Lloyd Carr that similarly raised money and awareness for cancer research, and then one day, an exchange at her own summer camp inspired her to start her own fundraiser.
“While the kids were registering, the moms were talking about how cool it would be to go to camp and how they wish they could have gone to softball camp,” Hutchins said. “I said, ‘What would you do if you went to camp?’ They said, ‘We’d run the bases, get to hit on the field and drink wine.’ I said, ‘That sounds like a good camp,’ and that’s the way it was born. We were in at that time with the American Cancer Society, and I said, ‘This would be a great thing to do, and I’d really like to do it,’ and wow, it’s really turned into something. “The first year we had 84 participants, we raised $20-somethousand — I forget the exact number — but it was great and very heartwarming. We had a fantastic time. Within a year or two, we were up to $80,000, and the last two years, $125,000 each year. And we’re on pace this year to break it.” According to the academy’s website, it has already raised over $106,000 in donations. In previous years, other Michigan coaches such as men’s basketball coach John Beilein and women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico have participated in the event. And this year, there’s a special twist involving football coach Jim Harbaugh: a home run derby
between him and former Michigan football player Rick Leach that stemmed from a challenge Leach issued Harbaugh at his induction into the Pioneer High School Hall of Fame. “Jim Harbaugh’s wife had already agreed to be the (Honorary Chair), and Rick Leach has been a member of the academy on a couple occasions,” Hutchins said. “I thought it was a fantastic way to get Harbaugh involved, and I of course said we’re going to only do this if we make money on this. So I think we’ve raised $10,000 so far just on the home run derby, and we’re hoping for Harbaugh to get his fundraising going because Leach is beating him. How you win in the academy, whether it’s the home run derby or the academy itself, you win by raising the most money. That’s the name of the game.” For Hutchins, the event not only raises money and awareness for an important cause, but it also provides her team with a bit of perspective. “It’s a chance for our kids to step outside of their softball selves and recognize that there’s a bigger picture in the world,” Hutchins said. “We’re really overprivileged. I always tell people I work with overprivileged people — we’re healthy, we’re young and we have our life in front of us.”
Tribucher has added a cutter to his arsenal.