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ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Wedesday, November 9, 2016

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily

Students find fear in unexpected Trump victory Many student Republicans celebrate, but GOP rhetoric sparks concern for others LYDIA MURRAY Daily Staff Reporter

In a large upset victory, Republican nominee Donald Trump won the presidential election after capturing Wisconsin, North Carolina and Pennsylvania, which Democrats had considered crucial to their victory. The race was called at 2:30 a.m. by the Associated Press. On campus, which largely voted against Trump, his election sparked some celebration, but also significant anxiety and concern from many students because of his policies on immigrants, Trump will be the first candidate to be elected to the White House without having previously served in elected office or the military, and his victory comes after most polls predicted strong chances of a Clinton victory. As of early Wednesday morning, Michigan’s electoral votes were still too close to call, but their outcome will not impact Trump’s win. The state, along with several of the ones that

spurred Trump to victory, was originally supposed to be a part of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton’s “blue wall” in the Midwest. Polls throughout the election season showed the state leaning towards Clinton but in the days prior to the election, similar to other states that emerged as unexpected battlegrounds in Trump’s path to victory Tuesday evening, the state came into question again as a potential upset for Trump as the race narrowed. As of 2:30 a.m., Trump was leading with 48.1 percent in Michigan. If he wins, he will be the first GOP nominee to carry the state since 1988. Because of the closeness of the race, both Trump and Clinton made some of their final campaign pitches in the state. The University was also one of several places nationwide to receive a visit from President Barack Obama Monday, who campaigned for Clinton on campus in a bid to enthuse students and other state residents. Monday night in Grand Rapids, at Trump’s final rally, he told the crowd that a victory in Michigan

would translate to a nationwide triumph. “If we win Michigan, we will win this historic election and then we truly will be able to do all of the things we want to do,” he said. Upon the first announcement of his candidacy, Trump was not taken seriously by both

“We are exuberant to see the end of 8 years of Obama.” the media and the public, but he quickly gained support and corresponding media coverage. He has built his campaign around what now makes his presidency unique — being the first president elected with no experience in politics or the military — and overcoming significant doubt along the way. LSA junior Enrique Zalamea,

president of the University’s chapter of the College Republicans, wrote in an email interview that he is excited to see the country elect a leader who he believes will best guide the country. The College Republicans endorsed Trump early in the semester, several months after he was selected as the nominee. “We are incredibly blessed to see how the American people have recognized that Trump is the candidate to truly represent the American people, Christian values, and conservative ideals,” he wrote. “We are exuberant to see the end of 8 years of Obama, and cannot wait to help continue to bridge the gap between millennials and politics under a Trump presidency.” However, for many University students, comments that Trump made throughout his campaign both in speeches and online on immigrants, Muslim Americans, African Americans and women sparked significant concern Wednesday morning. Several students expressed fear for the safety of their family See ELECTION, Page 3A

279 48% 218

Electoral Votes Results as of 3:00 a.m.

Popular Vote

Electoral Votes

In Michigan Daily polls, student voters on campus are more liberal, engaged than average milllennial CAITLIN REEDY Daily Staff Reporter

Throughout the 2016 presidential election, candidates from both major political parties visited the University of Michigan and other locations across the state leading up to the primaries and general election to mobilize millennial voters. While this key electorate has had low voter participation rates historically, University students have deviated from that trend in this presidential election. Over the past few months, The Michigan Daily polled a sample of University students about their voting habits and priorities in the election, in effect creating a profile of student voters on campus. In terms of overall preference in the election, the most recent poll, conducted on Nov. 6, upheld the ongoing trend that most University student identified as a Democrat. In the Nov. 6 poll, 54 percent of respondents said their beliefs most aligned with the Democratic Party. In contrast, 19 percent identified with the Republican Party, similar

47%

to earlier polls as well. Over the past few weeks of polling, those numbers have shifted. The data has shown support for the Democratic Party has grown marginally among students, from 51 percent on Sept. 30 to 55 percent as of Nov. 6. For Republican supporters, alignment with the party has also grown at a narrow rate over this time, rising from 16 percent to 19 percent. In comparison to millennials on a national level, University students identify less strongly with the Republican Party, instead spreading their support amongst third parties or identifying as independents. Pew Research found that voters aged 18 to 33 tilt Democratic 51 percent of the time and Republican 35 percent of the time. As well, University students are also more civically engaged during elections than national data indicates the average student is. In particular for the 2016 election, student and residential turnout in Ann Arbor was exceptionally high compared to the national 2016 average. See MICHIGAN, Page 3A

Popular Vote

News

2A — Wednesday, November 9, 2016

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

BRIEF: STUDENTS LACK ENTHUSIASM FOR CANDIDATES AT POLLS As University of Michigan students line up at the polls Tuesday to select either Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton or Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States, some are expressing more hesitancy than enthusiasm as they cast their ballot and wait for the results. The race in Michigan has significantly narrowed in the final weeks leading up to the election, after Clinton’s lead in Michigan of 11 percent as late as October 21st diminished to a lead of only three percent t heading into Election Day, according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. Both the Clinton and Trump campaigns have spent considerable amounts of time in the state during the last week. On Monday, both Clinton and Trump held events in Allendale and Grand Rapids, and multiple surrogates visited as well, including a stop from President Barack Obama in Ann Arbor. In the final Michigan Daily student survey before the election completed on November 6th, 76 percent said they would vote for Clinton, 13 percent would vote for Trump and six percent for Gary Johnson. However, in the same survey, only 32.1 percent of Clinton voters and 11.5 percent of Trump voters said they were “excited” at the prospect of a presidency of their chosen candidate. This trend mirrors the national perception of the two candidates, with 54.4 percent viewing Clinton as “unfavorable” and 58.5 percent viewing Trump as “unfavorable,” according to the RealClearPolitics polling average. Some students at the polls Tuesday echoed this sentiment, including LSA senior Anam Shah who said he cast his ballot for Clinton, but may have chosen differently if he had a choice of other candidates.

“Honestly, it’s pretty much a lesser of two evils,” Shah said. “I am not a fan of her foreign policy, domestically, she’s perfectly fine; given any other Democratic nominee and I had a choice, I may not have gone with her.” Echoing Shah’s sentiments, LSA junior Dom Hamid said he doesn’t find either candidate appealing, but cast his ballot for Trump as a vote against the political establishment that he feels Clinton embodies. “Both candidates are the most unfavorable candidates in modern history; I don’t care for either of them, I don’t respect either of them,” Hamid said. “I voted for Trump because my vote was mostly an anti-establishment vote, I think that the Clintons really encapsulate about what is really wrong about government these days just in general.” Law student Michael Trombetta said he voted for Clinton, but also expressed discontent with the choices. “It sucks that we picked these two people, because they’re both clowns, honestly, they’re both clowns.” Trombetta. “It just sucks that this is what we’re left with, but honestly, I just want to be alive in four years and I feel like Hillary gives me that chance.” Ann Arbor resident Ryan Wolande, who graduated from the University in April, wouldn’t share who he voted for, but expressed distaste by saying he thinks this election is an extremely poor reflection on the United States. “I am not going to say who I am voting for but you can say it is not either of the two main candidates,” Wolande said. “This is a shit show, this is terrible, this is an embarrassment as a country.” Vicki Lawrence, also an Ann Arbor resident, said she cast her vote for Clinton. She also said though she’s been voting since the 1970s, this election cycle was

her most tumultuous. “Oh it was horrible! We all know that, I don’t know anybody on any side who doesn’t say that,” Lawrence said. “I think the amount of vilification, the amount of negativity, and of course the craziness of it, but I think Hillary’s been by and large a voice of sanity in the midst of an awful lot of craziness.” LSA junior Drew Summersett, said he voted for libertarian candidate Johnson because he felt he couldn’t justify a vote for Clinton or Trump. He said he found Trump to be rude and selfish, and cited his questionable business tactics as reasons for his decision. “I cannot in good conscience vote for the main party candidates,” Summersett said. “Trump’s not a good businessman in terms of other people besides himself, and I don’t want that kind of person as my president. Clinton’s email scandal also played a role in his decision, Summersett said. He added that as a member of the military, he questions Clinton’s responsibility despite her being recently acquitted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “For Hillary, yes, she’s been acquitted twice for the email thing, but I’m actually a military member myself and for us if anything like that happened even once that’s enough to go to jail for,” Summersett said. “For someone who has so much more authority and responsibility than me to be able to get away with something like that, not to mention she should know better, I don’t want that as my commander in chief.” Similarly, LSA freshman Sarah Riedel said the choice for president wasn’t preferable, but “I voted for Trump because I believe that he is the lesser of two evils in this campaign,” Riedel said.

However, some students were more enthusiastic about their choice — either because of the candidate they selected, or over concerns about their opponent. LSA senior Matt Sehrsweeney said although he doesn’t love Clinton, it was an easy choice for him to vote for her because he believes Clinton has many similarities to Obama. “I don’t love her at all, but I think in many respects, she’d make a very good President,” Sehrsweeney said. “I don’t like her foreign policy at all, but she is astoundingly well prepared to be President and I think domestically she supports some important things.” Another student, LSA senior Molly Weiss, also said she was enthusiastic to vote for Clinton, rather than simply voting for her because the alternative was Trump. “I’m definitely excited to be voting for her (Hillary),” Weiss said. “It’s not just to sort of outrule the other candidate.” Rackham student Nikolas Midtunn also voted for Clinton, but said he misses when the tone between candidates was more civil and the prospect of the Republican winning was less frightening. “I’m almost nostalgic for previous elections, like Mitt Romney and George Bush, they seemed so innocent,” Midtunn said. “I’ve voted Democrat my whole life, but the stakes just seemed so much lower, it was so much safer.” Law Prof. Michael Bloom, who voted for Clinton, instead expressed fear at the prospect of a Trump presidency. “It (the election) has gotten me more fired up about politics,” Bloom said. “I went to college here, I graduated 10 years ago, and I was a history major, and I took classes on the rise of Naziism and vimer Germany, and a lot of that redirect sounded too familiar.”

Voter turnout downtown reaches 1,000 at student-heavy precincts Daily Staff Reporter

Many students are facing long wait times to vote as lines snake through University buildings with peak waits of up to two hours, and both state election limitations or higher than usual voter turnout could be factors. At 8:00 p.m. when the polls closed, 1,200 people had voted in Ward 1 Precinct 1 and 868 people had voted in Ward 1 Precinct 4 at the Michigan Union; at the Michigan League, 1,067 people had voted in Ward 3 precinct 1 and 1,137 people had voted in Ward 3 precinct 2. As of Tuesday afternoon, wait times were estimated at 40 minutes for Ward 3 precinct 2 and over 90 minutes at Ward 1 precinct 1. Since then, wait time at the League’s precincts has dropped to about 10 minutes. At 8:00

COLLEGE BROKE.

p.m. at the Union, the lines were empty. Engineering junior Karen Xiong said she was frustrated with the long voting lines on Election Day, adding if she had more classes today she may not have waited to vote. “I think the waiting times are ridiculous and they should even it out more, because I’ve heard people saying other places don’t really have lines,” Xiong said. “Honestly, if I had more classes today, I probably wouldn’t have waited this long.” LSA freshman Lauren Chapman also said she had been in the line for Ward 1, Precinct 1 for about a half an hour around 5 p.m. She said she was not going to leave and come back, but wait - even though she said organizers told her the wait would be two hours due to incorrect districting this year. “I debated not voting just

puzzle by sudokusyndication.com

because of the wait,” Chapman said. “I don’t think anyone wants to wait in this line, especially because in Ward 4, there’s no line, so that’s super frustrating.” A third student, Engineering sophomore Andrew Kruper said he got to the polls around 4 p.m. At the time of his interview with the Daily, he had been waiting an hour. He said he expected to wait at least two hours total with what poll officials were telling students waiting in line. “(The election process) has been really annoying to hear about for the past year and a half, but it’s almost over,” Kruper said, highlighting that though the wait was long, he was enthusiastic to vote and see the results later in the evening. Ecology and evolutionary biology professor Meghan Duffy also expressed concern on Twitter over the long lines at the Michigan Union, even though it was not her polling place. “Very long voting lines at Michigan League,” Duffy tweeted. “Student leaving said she waited an hour to vote but line is now twice as long.” Contrary to what other election officials at polling places may have announced to voters, Jim Wessel Walker, Precinct Chairman in Ward 1, Precinct 1 said the delay in voting was not due to an Ann Arbor ordinance, but rather due to a lack of preparation for the high number of voters. “It’s not a city ordinance or anything like that, it’s just that’s how many electronic poll books. The hang up is the poll book. We’re issuing about one ballot a minute with our two poll books.” A poll book is the machine that reads and records ballots.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 — 3A

Two open seats on Board of Regents too close to call Incumbent Denise Ilitch holds lead in key counties; Weiser, Deitch vie for majority in populous areas RIYAH BASHA

Daily Staff Reporter

Mirroring the closeness of the presidential election, the race for two seats on the University of Michigan Board of Regents remained too close to call as of early Wednesday morning. As of 2 a.m., incumbent Regent Denise Ilitch (D) was pulling ahead of three other major contenders in most key counties as of 2 a.m. Wednesday morning. Following close behind, fellow incumbent regent Laurence Deitch (D) and former U.S. ambassador Ron Weiser, one of two Republican candidates for regent, were locked in a tight race for the second spot. In 47 of 83 total counties that had finished counting precincts as of 2:30 a.m., Weiser and fellow Republican candidate Carl Meyers had received 795,881 votes and 771,232 votes respectively. Ilitch and Deitch were behind with just 637,245 and 552,657 respective votes. However, the state’s most populous counties that had not finished counting showed Ilitch leading significantly, with Weiser close behind. Among large counties that had not yet fully reported, including Oakland, Washtenaw, Macomb and Genesee, results varied. As of 2 a.m., Weiser and Deitch were tied at 22.59 percent of the votes in Oakland County, one of the biggest in the state, with 515 out of 520 precincts reported and Weiser ahead by just 15 votes. Ilitch pulled away from both in the area with 302,864 total votes, or 26.3 percent. In Washtenaw County, Deitch and Ilitch had pulled ahead of Republican challengers with about 50 percent of precincts fully reported, receiving 83,794 and 92,643 votes respectively. In Macomb County, Ilitch and Weiser had pulled ahead with almost all precincts reported. Ilitch received 175,057 total votes and Weiser received 164,465, while Deitch had 140,413. Ilitch and Deitch gained the most votes in Genesee County after 76 percent of precincts counted with 80,127 and 71,971, respectively. Wayne County — the district of 1.7 million residents that includes Detroit — had not yet reported its results in aggregate as of Wednesday morning. Wayne usually swings Democratic. If Weiser were to be elected, he would become the third Republican voice on the Board, a significant chance from the past decade of a 6-2 Democratic majority in the body. The last time three Republicans sat on the Board was in 2006, when former athletic director David Brandon joined Andrea Newman (R) and Andrew Richner (R). Weiser, a prominent state Republican party member and

University alumni, campaigned on using his finance expertise as the founder of McKinley Associates to rework the budget to lower tuition. This is Weiser’s second time running a full campaign for regent, after an unsuccessful bid for the seat in 2014. In an interview early Wednesday morning, Weiser said he is wary of the outcome without Wayne County fully reported, noting that he was up by 160,000 votes at one point in 2014 but lost after Wayne’s votes came in. However, he said the fact that Trump is pulling ahead on the top of the ballot benefits other local Republican elections. Overall, he said if elected, his focus remains on keeping the University affordable for all students around the state if elected to the Board. “My biggest priority is seeing how we can keep tuition for freshman coming in at the same level for all 4 years that they’re in school,” Weiser said. “The other is trying to make sure the people going to Flint and Dearborn have the same quality of education as in Ann Arbor.” Ilitch, a Detroit businesswoman, ran for her second term on the Board on a platform focusing on student affordability and minimizing tuition costs. “I want to stay laser-focused on an affordable, accessible, quality education for all students,” she said in an October interview with The Michigan Daily. Deitch, in his 24th year on the board, emphasized his experience and commitment to diversity during his campaign. Both he and Ilitch criticized Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and “Trumpism” at a Clinton rally on Monday featuring President Barack Obama, with Deitch tying Weiser to Trump. Weiser is a finance vice chair for the Trump campaign. Early Wednesday morning, Deitch said he was shocked by the results of the national election, as Donald Trump had 248 electoral votes as of 2:30 a.m. in a race many predicted would swing toward Hillary Clinton, but he was honored to serve for the past 24 years. “If I win, I’m happy to serve,” he said. “If I lose, I’m honored to have served my time on the board but again, I’m just not sure what’s going to happen.” Meyers, a Republican from Dearborn, has focused his campaign on three main issues: freezing tuition, improving transparency between the board and students, and increasing in-state enrollment at Flint and Dearborn campuses. “I think the conversation needs to be bigger than just the number of underrepresented minorities who go here,” Meyers said in October interview with The Michigan Daily. “Focus on black, white, and brown statistics does not do justice to the challenge here.”

Opinion

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

4A — Wednesday, November 9, 2016

DAVID DONNANTUONO | 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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and REGAN DETWILER Editorial Page Editors

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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Carolyn Ayaub Claire Bryan Regan Detwiler Brett Graham Caitlin Heenan Jeremy Kaplan

Ben Keller Minsoo Kim Madeline Nowicki Anna Polumbo-Levy Jason Rowland Ali Safawi

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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

FROM THE DAILY

Together we must repair our wounds

hat we feel — and what most of our campus feels — is an enormous loss in Hillary Clinton’s defeat in this election. With Trump’s victory, racism, misog yny and hate appear to have won. People who have stood in staunch opposition to Trump are now left disenfranchised with him as our leader, and some are fearful for their livelihoods. Now we must move forward, both as a nation and a campus community. Nationally, we hope the structure of our government places strong enough checks on the president to prevent our commander-in-chief from doing anything catastrophic for the country or the world. And as students, we must mobilize to repair the wounds this intensely polarized election has inf licted upon our campus community. On a national scale, American politics have taken a turn toward nativism, populism and anger. By defying conventional wisdom and rejecting Clinton’s message of “Stronger Together,” the nation has signaled its strong distaste for the status-quo politician, messages of hope and a more inclusive nation where all people’s rights are protected. With Republicans keeping control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate and Trump’s presidency, our country will be forced to reject progressive initiatives many thought were the future of federal policy. We as a nation will have to rely on federalism to check Trump’s power as president. Though Republicans hold a majority in the House and Senate, over 30 have openly opposed Trump. We hope these legislators form a coalition with like-minded Republicans — as well as Democrats — to block the passage of more extreme policies Trump has proposed, like banning Muslims and building a wall on the country’s

southern border. If extremely exclusionary policies like these do pass in the legislature, governors at the state level could play a crucial role in enforcing these types of laws. What is of utmost importance about the next four years is the status of the empty seat on the Supreme Court of the United States. If Trump appoints a justice whose views align with any degree of closeness to Trump’s most extreme policy proposals, the best we can hope for is that the Senate rejects the appointment. However, a conservative of any kind on the court could seem better in the eyes of the Republicanmajority Senate than the evennumbered court that would result from the Senate denying approval of a Trump appointee. Perhaps of the most immediate concern, though, is how to move forward from this election as a campus community that has been fractured by highly polarized partisan politics. Across the nation and among students, individuals’ unique identities, beliefs and vulnerabilities have been

exploited by the media and pitted against one another for political gain. It is imperative that students respect one another’s voices as the University works to heal these wounds. Though the results of this election come as a disappointment for many of us in the campus community, we cannot let defeat stand in our way. Trump as president will set us back on the progress our nation has made toward a government that is by the people, for the people. But our efforts on the grassroots level can still have a positive impact. To recall President Barack Obama’s words at the get-outthe-vote rally Monday morning, the most important office in a democracy is that of the citizen. It is upon us as citizens to be champions of inclusivity — be that of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status or even political affiliation — and to work for the change we want to see. Together, even in the face of hatred, we can build a stronger campus community and a stronger America.

HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY ABOUT THIS U-TURN? Make your voice heard. Respond to our articles in a letter to the editor or share your own thoughts in an op-ed. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 650 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name, year and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com. ANNIE TURPIN AND JOE IOVINO | CONTACT JOE AT JIOVINO@UMICH.EDU AND ANNIE AT ASTURPIN@UMICH.EDU

The real problem with city elections

ast week, The Michigan Daily’s Editorial Board endorsed a controversial City Council ballot initiative to extend council members’ terms from two years to four years. This proposal made its way onto Tuesday’s ballot by a 7-4 vote this past July and has been a divisive topic in Ann Arbor local politics ever since, showing a close vote as of 2:30 a.m. Wednesday morning. Proponents argued that by moving council elections to evennumbered years, there would be an increase in voter turnout for local elections, as the elections would coincide with top-ticket races. Those in opposition to the proposal believe that it is a selfserving tactic for City Council members because it will decrease incumbent accountability by severely reducing the time they spend engaging with voters. Despite each side’s opposing views, there is one common thread in each argument: the need for council member accountability. Those in favor assert that increasing the volume of the electorate in each cycle would result in a council that is more accountable to a more diverse group of constituents, whereas opponents of the ballot initiative feel that more frequent elections and a smaller, more invested electorate is a more effective way to ensure council members answer to their constituents. Though both arguments have merits, they each neglect the real problem: the fact that all but two of the six local candidates (including the mayor) ran unopposed on Tuesday’s ballot. How do we increase voter turnout for local elections in a way that doesn’t give an unfair advantage to incumbent City Council members by extending City Council terms? The answer is fairly simple: Restructure so that the general elections are contested. If it’s clear that the victor in an August primary will not face an opponent in November, then that election should take place in November. If such a primary has more than two

candidates, then the top two votegetters move on to a contested race in November. Those extra three months could be crucial for another candidate to gain support and mount a real challenge to an incumbent. Such a revision would ensure contested general elections without eliminating the possibility of a Republican or Independent running for City Council or mayor. Such an approach is not without precedent. California, as an exceedingly Democratic state, sought to put an end to elections for state legislative and U.S. congressional offices being decided in primaries. In January 2011, California implemented the Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act. This law altered primaries so that all prospective candidates — regardless of party affiliation — share one ballot, and the two candidates who receive the most votes move on to the general election. Though California’s law does not apply to local office and puts Republicans, Independents and Democrats on the same primary ticket, differing from my proposed solution, it echoes the same sentiment: Uncontested general elections are a detriment to the democratic process. Thus, if it is greater accountability that seven of our City Council members demand, then let’s demand a real answer, because ensuring greater turnout in an uncontested election is not one. Given the fact that Ann Arbor is a predominantly Democratic city, it is no shock that Republican candidates have difficulty gaining traction in local elections. With this absence of Republican challengers, a majority of the council seats in any given election cycle are determined in the August primaries, where many incumbent council members face other Democratic candidates. The only incumbent facing an opponent on Tuesday was Chuck Warpehoski (D), who defeated David Silkworth (I). If proponents of a term extension are actually concerned about greater turnout for

local elections, their proposal doesn’t show it. Though it is true that turnout is higher in even-numbered years, the fact remains that there is no real competition come November. Because incumbents are running unopposed in the general election, doubling their terms would do less to increase accountability and more to reduce the frequency of council members interacting with and being evaluated by their constituents. In the August primary, voter turnout in Ann Arbor stood at a dismal 15.5 percent and every incumbent candidate who was in a contested race came out victorious. Though their victories could be partially attributed to a solid track record as council members, it could also be a product of their experience and the resources at their disposal (as incumbents) to galvanize the relatively small number of votes required to win a primary. In this case, for all but one council member, a victory in August meant a victory in November. Despite its shortcomings, this misguided ballot proposal did achieve one critical feat: It illuminated the rarely discussed problem of underrepresentation in local elections. However, rather than seeking a viable solution to this issue, the City Council leveraged it as a guise to further entrench themselves in their seats. If greater accountability is truly what our council desires, a term extension is senseless. A fouryear term would only diminish the ability of Ann Arbor residents to assess our local policymakers while limiting the ability of outside candidates to challenge incumbents. In contrast, reforming Ann Arbor’s local primaries would ensure a contested general election, empower non-incumbents and make our City Council members accountable to a larger group of constituents. David Donnantuono is an LSA junior.

ARIANA SULEJMAN | OP-ED

Muslim women and the patriarchy

ARIANA SULEJMAN

slamophobia is a huge problem in the West in this day and age. An argument often cited against Islam is that it calls for the oppression of women, but this is simply untrue. The patriarchal system we see today was set forth culturally, under the guise of religion, to the point that even a vast number of women believe their subordinance is a religious truth. Empowering Muslim women is essential to combatting sexism within Islamic countries. On Oct. 26, Shirin Ebadi, Iranian human rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner, visited the University of Michigan and spoke about the role of gender and culture in Islam. She explained that since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, women have been discriminated against worse than ever before. For example, in Iranian court, the testimony of two women is equivalent to the testimony of one man. In the treatment of homosexuality, women are punished far less severely than men because “(they) do not really have a dignity and reputation to lose.” Of course, levels of discrimination between Islamic countries vary, but Iran is not alone in propogating such practices. In 2006, Ratna Sarumpaet, a renowned playwright in Indonesia, very succinctly addressed the underlying problem here when speaking out against a controversial anti-pornography bill. She stated, “Religion these days has become trapped into being a tool for power.” So, how exactly is religion being used to justify oppression? Ebadi delves into this question during her discussion. She breaks down many of the parts of the Quran that today are considered sexist, but had a place in their time. For example, the Quran states that a woman is only entitled to half the amount

of wealth of a man. This made sense because, at the time, men were the people who created all wealth. But this is no longer the case: Women, too, do their part in the workforce, and because the social conditions have changed, so too should the laws of Islamic countries. Ebadi also cites slavery as an example: Though slavery is conditionally permitted in the Quran, all Islamic countries have since prohibited it. If slavery has become unacceptable with time due to social progress, why aren’t the laws against women being changed?

As history has shown, progress will occur as more and more women become enlightened and impassioned to their disposition. How then will the situation of women ever improve in places like Iran? Just like work that must be done in feminist movements in the west, women in Islamic countries need to first recognize that they are being treated unjustly and then stand up and fight for the rights they deserve. Of course, this does not excuse men of responsibility. They, too, should stand in solidarity for the rights of the women in their societies. But I specifically suggest that women not be passive when it comes to their own fates. They should play the leading role in pushing for change and enhancing their lives. After all, it was less than 100 years ago that women gained the right to vote in the United States. We as a country have

come a long way because women have fought for progress. This is not to say that similar processes have not already begun in the Islamic world. A group called Musawah, launched in 2009, works to promote gender equality without compromising Islamic tradition. Many Islamic countries are participants. To combat sexism, this group creates educational materials that reveal that Islam and equality are not incompatible. A prominent member of the group, Zainah Anwar, states that many Muslim women spend their entire lives believing that their oppression is justified by Islamic teachings and that “when they are exposed to this new knowledge, they feel duped.” Musawah represents a route for change. And though we are on the other side of the globe, we as Americans can do our part, too. We can both work to raise awareness of the existing inequalities in these countries and also to support groups like Musawah, which are fighting for change within these Islamic countries. As history has shown, progress will occur as more and more women become enlightened and impassioned to their disposition in society, and the international community should certainly support these women in the process. It is often said that history repeats itself, or perhaps, comes in waves. The wave of feminism hit the west first, and now, perhaps, it is time for a new wave. Olympe de Gouges, a French feminist of the 18th century, may have been alive long ago, but her words written in 1791 in the “Declaration of the Rights of Woman” still have great relevance to the women suffering discrimination in Islamic countries today: “Woman, wake up; the tocsin of reason is being heard throughout the whole universe; discover your rights.”

Ariana Sulejman is an LSA junior.

Arts & News

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

TV REVIEW

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 — 5A

open for an appeal for voters to brought on by both candidates get to the polls. during the presidential race. The sketch pushed Cecily McKinnon portrays Clinton as Strong’s (“The Boss”) Erin deeply exasperated, with her Burnett concerns over together with the election McKinnon closing in and and Baldwin the closeness on her CNN of the race “Saturday Night Live” news show, showing Season 42, Episode 5 “OutFront.” through in the Starting off sketch. Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. strong, the Benedict NBC sketch mocked Cumberbatch Trump’s (“Sherlock”) suspicious hosted — a affiliations first for the while Clinton was questioned 40-year-old British actor, who over the ongoing investigation is fresh off of the Marvel film of her email scandal. After a “Dr. Strange” — alongside brief interlude in which Trump musical guest Solange. In an pursed his lips for kisses coming excellent counterpoint to his from the likes of the FBI, stereotyped intellectual roles, KKK and Vladimir Putin and Cumberbatch showed the silly Clinton pleaded for America side that he is known for during to reconsider our options, the personal interviews and off-thecamera panned out to Baldwin record taping sessions. Playing and McKinnon, alone on the characters such as an emo British stage. “I just hate yelling all this magician (obviously a play on stuff at you like this,” Baldwin Criss Angel) and a construction confessed, “Don’t you guys (the worker-turned-male stripper à audience) feel gross all the time la “Weekend at Bernie’s” style, about this?” he questioned, Cumberbatch pulled his comedic turning to an audience that side out for the camera. From roared with laughter. The two an Apple iToilet advertisement held hands and dashed outside modeled after the 1984 Mac the Rainbow Room to join commercial to another hilarious hands with Trump and Clinton sketch, a game show titled “Why supporters alike, returning is Benedict Cumberbatch Hot?,” not too long afterward to urge Cumberbatch explored his viewers to vote on Tuesday, sexuality within his fan base, regardless of the candidate the self-titled “Cumberbitches” they’re supporting. — a fact that Cumberbatch One of the more noticeable makes sure to clarify in his and planned breaks in character opening monologue. “Can’t they for the series, the cold open be Cumberfolk?” The game succeeds in focusing on the show in particular showed off exhausting controversies Cumberbatch’s modesty, as

B+

NBC

The bird-man is maybe more attractive than Benedict Cumberbatch.

SNL contemplates Trump, Clinton and Cumberfolk Benedict Cumberbatch hosts final episode before the election MEGAN MITCHELL Daily Arts Writer

In the 41 years that “Saturday Night Live” has been on the air, the long-standing live sketch comedy series has thrived on the special material that ensues during electoral years. This

year has been no exception to that rule, with Kate McKinnon (“Ghostbusters”) and Alec Baldwin’s (“30 Rock”) respective portrayals of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump taking the stage for one last laugh. With no debates left as comedic fodder, this week’s “SNL” focused on

political commentary of Trump and the media’s coverage of the candidate’s transgressions versus Clinton’s email scandal with the FBI. This past Saturday’s episode of “SNL” is the last before the polls open, and McKinnon and Baldwin broke character during the cold

Aidy Bryant (“Brother Nature”), Vanessa Bayer (“Trainwreck”) and Cumberbatch played contestants left to ponder the long-questioned mystery — why exactly is Benedict Cumberbatch hot? The answer — nobody really knows. Maybe it’s the hammerhead shark look. Emmy winning comedian and “SNL” alum Dana Carvey returned as the “Church Lady” for Weekend Update, coming after Donald Trump in this sketch. Belligerently pushing Jost to accept his homosexuality and to spend his nights away from the criticism of social media, the church lady played on the material that has been surging around

“Why is Benedict Cumberbatch hot?” a game show asks. Trump’s Twitter account since his presidential run announcement. On a more lighthearted note, “SNL” alum Bill Murray also returned to the screen to root on the Chicago Cubs, following their recent World Series win against the Cleveland Indians. Overall, balancing the comedy standard of “SNL” during an election year with the cast’s more serious notes regarding the fast-approaching decision day was a daring move by “SNL” — but it certainly paid off in the end with McKinnon and Baldwin in the lead.

The Best Photos from the Presidential CampaignTrail The Michigan Daily photostaff presents their best photos of the presidential campaigns, from the early stages when candidates were vying for the Democratic or Republican party nomination to Election Day. To see more photos from the campaign trail, visit michigandaily.com.

CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, the Republican vice presidential candidate, and his wife Karen Pence wave from the top of the stairs of a campaign jet as they arrive at a rally in Lansing, Michigan, on November 4, 2016.

CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily

Students look on and take photos as Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks at a campaign rally for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at Western Michigan University on November 2, 2016.

ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks in support of his own campaign for Democratic presidential nominee in the Crisler Center in Ann Arbor on March 3, 2016.

GRANT HARDY/Daily

A young boy, Connor, protests the Democratic National Convention with his father outside the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on July 25, 2016.

DAVID SONG/Daily

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), an early Republican presidential candidate, signs a book at a town hall meeting at the GOP Field Office in Livonia, Michigan, on February 2, 2016.

Arts

6A — Wednesday, November 9, 2016

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SOCIAL MEDIA COLUMN

FILM REVIEW

A eulogy for Vine Abrupt end of social media app makes for a bitter goodbye

NETFLIX

Look at alllllll that #content.

‘XOXO’ sets Netflix back Netflix’s latest original film a dismal showing for platform cleavage. That’s about it. Ethan has trouble getting into the Daily Arts Writer festival because his manager hasn’t made proper arrangements “XOXO,” a film set at an for him. Tariq gets held up electronic dance music festival, working at his father’s restaurant. tells the story å six strangers But when Tariq finally arrives at who float in and out of each the festival, he ends up making other’s music fest out with a scantily experiences. Just clad woman like an EDM fest in who he finds out real life, there are had acid on her “XOXO” too many flashing tongue. Many neon lights, too more shots of Now Streaming many people doing characters kissing too many drugs and women wearing Netflix an aggressively brofew articles of ey crowd. But to say clothing and ass there is a real plot shots follow. The or character development would movie indulges the viewer in the certainly be an overstatement. excess of EDM culture without he Most suprisingly, “XOXO” is or she having to attend an actual one of the recent productions put event. out by Netflix as original content. “XOXO” is voyeuristic in how For the most part, Netflix has it looks at the EDM subculture. put out middling to high quality Screenwriter and director original content ranging from Christopher Louie (“Lucky”) likes of Tallulah” to “Beasts of doesn’t leave much room for No Nation”. Recently, however, critical thought or exploration there seems to have been a of the culture it presents. This is lowering of the bar as exemplified not to say that people shouldn’t by “Crouching Tiger, Hidden be able to act, dress and party the Dragon: Sword of Destiny,” “The way they want to, but rather that Ridiculous 6” and most recently, the way it should be presented the underwhelming “XOXO.” in a film is a critical and artistic In the film, Ethan (Graham choice. “XOXO” reduces other Parker, “The Good Wife”) has aspects of EDM culture and recently had his new single, affirms that there is only one featuring vocals from his mom, acceptable behavior. When go viral on YouTube. His best Kyrstal (Sarah Hyland, “Modern friend and manager, Tariq (Brett Family”) is getting ready for the DelBuono, “Let Me In”), books festival, she puts on an outfit but him a spot at XOXO, a music is told by her friends that it isn’t festival that spans less than 12 sexy and revealing enough. She hours. From there on out the succumbs to peer pressure and movie primarily consists of EDM changes. Although there is an intercut with shots of women’s obvious questioning by Krystal, JOE WAGNER

Classifieds

the movie ultimately presents peer pressure as acceptable. At another point in the film, a group of “bros” want to beat up a character, but are convinced by a tripping Tariq that they need to be happy and loving and all end up dancing together. There are clear attempts to show the misinformed actions of certain characters, but no character is developed enough to lend the feeling that they learned something and their behavior will permanently changed. The troubling thing is it seems Netflix is OK with putting out this kind of low-quality content. There is no doubt that movies like this have long been made and will continue to be made. There will always be a place for B-grade movies, and there should be. They can be fun, entertaining and enjoyable in a way that more serious works simply can’t be. Using tropes and stereotypes that people have seen so much they know them by heart is part of the fun of the B-movie, yet it doesn’t seem that Netflix should be the company producing and distributing movies of this sort. The company should more carefully choose the original movies it puts out and think about how they reflect the company. The Netflix banner at one point denoted a show or a movie you could expect to be good, but now this doesn’t seem to be the case. Netflix shouldn’t demean itself or its audience by producing movies like “XOXO” that only use stereotypical characters and erotic images to engage their audience.

Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

HELP WANTED

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Welcomed at the door 6 “Shame on you!” 9 German tricktaking card game 13 St. Teresa’s town 14 Use as a source 15 Egg on 16 Shade lighter than jade 18 Reckless act instigator 19 Witty Bombeck 20 Euros replaced them 21 Buffoons 22 Target Field, e.g. 24 Nowhere near cool 26 N.L. mascot whose head is a large baseball 28 Cracks up 31 Finnish telecommunications company 34 Lindsay of “Freaky Friday” (2003) 36 Bud’s partner 37 Exclude from the list 38 Shrewd ... and a phonetic hint to this puzzle’s four longest answers 39 Creatures of habit? 40 Like Mars, visually 41 Storybook elephant 42 Sneaks a look 43 Points of view 45 Sleeping giant 47 Actors memorize them 49 Riddle-ending question 53 Chew out 55 “Now it makes sense” 57 One-named supermodel 58 __ Scotia 59 London cocreator of the International Plant Names Index 61 Meryl’s “it’s Complicated” co-star 62 Chevy subcompact

63 Pasta tubes 64 Skip a turn 65 Headed up 66 Infuriated with DOWN 1 Sushi bar brews 2 Prevent 3 Bedrock wife 4 Words starting a confession 5 Lawmaker’s rejection 6 22-Across level 7 Energetic mount 8 He’s a doll 9 Numbers game 10 Super-strong adhesive brand 11 Soil-related prefix 12 Pro shop bagful 14 Forensics facility 17 Feeling blue 21 Cereal component 23 Nest egg letters 25 Big name in facial scrubs 27 Forum robes 29 Traffic alert 30 Puzzle (out) 31 Screenwriter Ephron 32 It may be a bad sign

33 Extreme care 35 “Fasten your seatbelts” 38 Violin protector 39 “Swell suggestion!” 41 Calisthenics movement 42 After-school org. 44 Shrubs with lavender blooms 46 Perlman of “Cheers”

48 Colander cousin 50 Change, as a motion 51 Old Testament food 52 Illustrator’s close-up 53 Easy-peasy task 54 Picnic soft drink 56 Neighbor of Nor. 59 __ Kan pet foods 60 Tach reading

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n October 27, Twitter up cultivating a plethora of announced that they videos that were a combination would be discontinuing of surreal, hilarious, iconic and one of its most popular and singular. With the right music, universal apps: Vine. While editing, setting, acting and the company said timing, Vine could that they will keep make anything seem existing Vine videos possible. for archival purposes, Users would mash users will no longer up pop music with be able to create sixinfamous scenes second looped clips. from TV and film, For those who don’t incorporate hip use Vine or are not hop into awkward particularly familiar situations and with the app, this synchronized dance SAM may not be relevant routines, capture cool news at all. But for ROSENBERG moments in slowthose who do use it, motion and poke fun the death of Vine is an immense at current dance trends. Vine also tragedy. created its own vernacular that Since that fateful would bewilder any baby boomer announcement, Vine users have or Gen-Xer, producing phrases been mourning the loss of the app. like “A potato flew around my To commemorate Vine’s legacy, room,” “Suh dude,” “Do you gotta popular Viners, such as chloe lmao bae or nah?” “Do it for the Vine” (920.4k followers) have, generated and “Eyebrows on fleek.” specialized remakes of the Vines Like its video counterpart that made them viral. They’re also YouTube and its parent company changing their usernames to their Twitter, Vine provided a Instagram and Twitter accounts, landscape for today’s youth hoping that their followers will to integrate pop culture with continue to interact with them, comedy, shed light on national post-Vine mortem. Other popular issues through relatable content Viners, like leathershirts (311.3k and — most importantly — followers), GETTER (396k connect with one another through followers) and J. Cyrus (1.5 million an online, globalized community, followers) showcased their sense all within six seconds. of dread for Vine’s ending with In addition to all that, Vine comically dark clips. Users have was a major source in making also created mini montages of talented (and even untalented) viral Vines and reposted old viral people famous. Andrew “King Vines for nostalgia’s sake. Bach” Bachelor (16.2 million It’s strange and sad to think followers) was one of the first that an app that has given so much Viners who gained an enormous joy to so many people will soon amount of popularity. Most of his be gone. But what was it about Vines, which garnered thousands Vine that made it so special? Was of likes and revines, were filled it having the ability to produce with racially tinged humor and memes at a remarkably rapid funny catchphrases like “But pace? Or was it the physical and that backflip tho.” Though he virtual community it formed is currently the most followed among the app’s active content person on Vine, Bachelor is now creators? an established online personality, Despite all of its flaws and having taken his Vine fame and detractors, Vine possesses a put it to good use on Instagram, myriad of wonderful qualities. YouTube and even film and TV. During its first month of activity He starred in the Wayan Brothers in January 2013, BBC News parody film “Fifty Shades of called Vine “mesmerizing” and Black” last January and had a a “bewildering carousel of six- guest spot in Joe Swanberg’s second slices of ordinary life rolls Netflix anthology series “Easy.” past.” But since then, the app has Even if Bachelor and his become a triumphant achievement other Vine compadres may not in online creativity, encouraging be everyone’s cup of tea — they tech-savvy millennials to go out mostly perpetuated and satirized and make their own content on racial stereotypes in their Vines their mobile devices. — it still goes to show how much The app’s hook of recording power Vine obtained as a tool for something under six seconds stardom. Previously unknown may have been daunting at first, musicians Bobby Shmurda and but the six-second limit ended Shawn Mendes received record

STYLE NOTEBOOK

Fashion’s fairy godfather: A stylish retrospective on ‘Dior and I’ doc SARAH AGNONE For the Daily

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11/09/16

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deals after Vines of their work (Shmurda’s “Hot N****a” and Mendes’ renditions of pop jingles) became viral. Songs that already existed, such as OG Maco’s “U Guessed It,” Chedda Da Connect’s “Flicka Da Wrist” and T-Wayne’s “Nasty Freestyle,” also became well-known after Vine users popularized them. Essentially, Vine recognized voices that would have otherwise not been seen or heard by social media users, paving the way for artists to express their creative selves. Vine also encouraged people to infuse the medium with social commentary. For example, the app became a huge part of documenting the Ferguson protests in 2014. Recorded Vines of the protests helped catalyze a national conversation on police brutality after police shot and killed Michael Brown. Had Vine not existed or reached the peak of its popularity at that time, Ferguson’s social significance would have been much more diluted. Why, then, has Twitter decided to take away Vine from its loyal followers? The reasons given for Vine’s demise are varied, including a decline in the app’s popularity and changes in the company’s goals. But perhaps the main reason could be that Viners have outgrown Vine. Most of the app’s bad aspects involve vapid imitators who aggressively replicate trends in a deceptively simple and unoriginal way. Users also tend to make Vines that require a minimal amount of work. This pertains specifically to condensed Vines that use scenes from TV shows and movies with the addition of a few visual or audio changes for comic effect. Sometimes, they would make for clever Vines, but mostly they fail to capture what made Vine so good in the first place. Regardless of its defects, though, Vine will be forever missed. It gave our generation an accessible, short-form platform of entertainment, a place to joke around and express our individuality through the evergrowing medium of social media. Until Twitter announces the app’s official death date, at least we can continue to watch and laugh at our favorite Vines loop endlessly until there’s nothing left to fill the existential void of reality.

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Fashion, with its air of magic and enchantment, has long fashioned fairy godmothers of its own — Coco Chanel and Miuccia Prada in particular come to mind. But Christian Dior, equally iconic and unforgettable, stands one of fashion’s greatest fairy godfathers. In 2014, the Tribeca Film Festival released Frederic Tcheng’s (“Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel”) documentary “Dior and I” to illustrate the continuation of Christian Dior’s legacy through the eyes of new creative director Raf Simons. The film is mostly in French but utilizes English subtitling. The opening presents the tall, intimate and quintessentially French character of Christian Dior, followed by the less abstract, charming and shy figure of Raf Simons. Simons and his team face the priceless privilege and daunting pressure of carrying out Dior’s particular brand of craft, to create a

breathtaking collection in mere weeks. Faced with every imaginable obstacle in the business, the team faces crippling challenges but triumphs by the skin of their teeth. The show goes underway and achieves overwhelming success, especially in harkening back to days of classic haute couture. Tcheng gives his viewers an exclusive look into the mechanics of bringing such art to life, only hinted at in the layers of tulle and hand stitching floating down the runway. Each of the team members has their own snippet of the film, a chance to comment on their own role in the process while running around to finish the day’s work. But the chaos, stress, and scramble of putting together the modern collection are juxtaposed by shadowy intervals of Dior’s history. Women dressed in vintage Dior framed in black and white cinematography swirl to Christian Dior’s soft, alluring voice. The film does two things admirably. Primarily, almost akin to the feeling of desperate hope inspired by an

inspirational sports movie, the audience is breathlessly rooting for Simon, and his team to win the metaphorical trophy of high fashion approval. While they pray to the spirit of Christian Dior, the audience is praying for the flustered seamstresses and the nearly faint Simons. Secondly, the film resurrects the word “sublime.” Every stroke of genius, fortunate moment or execution of another piece is marked by someone’s proclamation of “sublime!”(in a perfect French accent, of course) making us wonder why anyone ever stopped saying that word. The film reminds us why we find ourselves so fascinated by fashion. “Dior and I” bestows a glimpse into the raw vision that is molded by blood, sweat and tears in order to make true couture. And more than any sports team, the house of Dior’s teamwork behind the scenes was unparalleled and aweinspiring. Much like the work it displays, the film is sublime in its portraiture and reminds us why Dior will continue to mark the pages of Vogue for years to come.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Sports

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 — 7A

Wagner seeks breakout year BRANDON CARNEY Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan men’s basketball team hopes it can look back at summer 2016 as not only one of the healthiest summers in recent memory, but also as “The Summer of Mo.” By the end of the 2015-16 season, sophomore forward Moritz Wagner was beginning to break through and make an impact for the Wolverines. His eight-rebound, four-block performance against Tulsa in the NCAA First Four helped Michigan into the next round of the NCAA Tournament. In the win over the Golden Hurricane, Wagner displayed he had the talent to lead the Wolverines at the post for seasons to come. But there was still much he had to work on. Wagner showed he was having a tough time adjusting to the physicality of college basketball compared to what he experienced playing in Germany. The forward was getting into foul trouble too often and knew he needed to be stronger to find any sort of success in the college game. So, Wagner decided it was essential for him to spend his summer months in Ann Arbor, focusing on strengthening himself and all aspects of his game. And on Friday, in Michigan’s exhibition against Armstrong State, Wagner began delivering the fruits of his labor. In 25 minutes, the sophomore was 7-for-9 from the floor, scoring 15 points while grabbing two rebounds. It didn’t matter that the Pirates were a lowly Division II team — Wagner was still making intelligent and confident plays. He wasn’t perfect in the exhibition, still struggling in some areas of rebounding, but it seems Wagner has come out of the summer as the Wolverines’ most improved player and will

Daily Sports Writer

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Forward Moritz Wagner’s start Friday went a long way toward advancing his status as a breakout sophomore.

likely open up Michigan to more options offensively as the season begins. “(Wagner’s) going to have to get out there,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “His defense is better, and he stayed out of foul trouble. He really understands that. The big thing is right now, we think he can take a lot of guys his size off the bounce. … You can play through him.” In past seasons, several of Beilein’s most prolific players have made huge leaps between their freshman and sophomore years. After spending hours in the gym like Wagner, past guards Trey Burke and Nik Stauskas went from aboveaverage Big Ten talents to NBA lottery picks. But Beilein’s greatest hits have always been in the backcourt. Former Michigan forwards Glenn Robinson III and Jordan Morgan saw decreased

Wolverines win rainshortened tournament Weather ends event in Dallas after one round; Michigan paces 14-team field For the Daily

The tournament didn’t play out exactly the way it anticipated, but the Michigan women’s golf team took home the victory at the Trinity Forest Invitational in Dallas in its last tournament of the fall season. The 14-team tournament, which was hosted by Southern Methodist University, was originally a 54-hole competition set to be played on Monday and Tuesday. But due to heavy rain, the tournament ended up being cut short after just 18 holes. In Monday’s first round, the Wolverines made it to the 11th hole before the rain forced them into the clubhouse. Two hours later, they were back on the course, and by the end of the round, they found themselves with a score of 304 and a onestroke lead over Texas A&M. Rain canceled the second round that was also scheduled to be played that day, and in the morning, the Wolverines found out the final round would be called off as well, giving them their first team title since 2012. While the Wolverines were disappointed that they weren’t able to play a full tournament, coach Jan Dowling was quick to point out the positives from their performance. “We put ourselves in a great position going into the final round,” Dowling said. “It would have been a really fun and really competitive experience for our program, but at the same time, we have to give credit to our round that was played. We played well in tough conditions, and we beat a lot of good teams.” Michigan was powered by sophomore Elodie Van Dievoet and junior Emily White, both of whom posted scores of 75 (plus3) to finish tied for sixth place,

Freshmen adjust well in first career game SYLVANNA GROSS

WOMEN’S GOLF

JACOB SHAMES

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

four strokes back of the winner. Juniors Megan Kim and Kathy Lim were two strokes behind them, tying for 20th. The weather wasn’t the only factor that had a substantial impact on the Wolverines’ performance on Monday. Trinity Forest Country Club, a newly built seaside links-style course with no trees, was already one of the most challenging courses the Wolverines had experienced all year. In particular, Dowling mentioned the greens, which despite the rain remained hard and fast. “They’re huge greens, and because it’s a very new course, they were really, really firm,” Dowling said. “You’re landing your ball on a flat area or a downslope, and the ball almost 100 percent of the time rolls to the back of the green.” However, Dowling believes that this apparent disadvantage actually worked in the Wolverines’ favor, as it allowed them to strategize more and rely more on mental attributes. “You really had to plot your way around the golf course, almost like you had to think one or two shots ahead,” Dowling said. “It became a chess game, which played into our favor.” With the fall season over, Michigan has a three-month break before its next tournament, the Lady Puerto Rico Classic in February. During this time away from competition, the Wolverines will be motivated to build on the momentum from their victory as they prepare for the second half of their campaign. “The players have some individual things they need to work on, and we’re excited to attack them at the right time,” Dowling said. “It’s a great confidence booster and motivator for us heading into the spring.”

production in rebounds and points per game, respectively, between their first and second seasons, while Mitch McGary’s sophomore year was cut short due to an injury. But some changes may lead to Wagner breaking the trend. Changes on Beilein’s staff may create the right conditions for a frontcourt player to finally break through. New assistant coaches Saddi Washington and Billy Donlon bring expertise in post and defensive play that Michigan hasn’t had in years past. Wagner also brings a mentality completely different from the Wolverines’ past forward talents. Coming from Germany, Wagner had to simultaneously adjust to playing American college basketball and living an American college life. He also had the extra hurdle last year of overcoming cultural and even language gaps that no other

player under Beilein has gone through. For Wagner, spending the summer in Ann Arbor was as much about learning more about Michigan culture as it was about Michigan basketball. “I didn’t realize it last year,” Wagner said. “But now that I’m here, I realize it’s easier to focus if you know what to expect and don’t ask yourself what’s coming and what’s next.” Despite his struggles last season, Wagner still had flashes of his true ability that broke through, including the tournament game against Tulsa and a 19-point outing versus Charlotte. He’s hoping his work over the summer can lead to more consistency in being able to perform at that level. “I feel very good right now,” Wagner said. “I wasn’t confident there when I didn’t play a lot, but in practice I always try and keep it as high as possible. That doesn’t really change a lot.”

A high school gym is much different than Crisler Center. Understandably, the TV coverage, brighter lights and sizable crowd induce nerves into freshmen who are gearing up for their first season. But for seasoned players like junior guard Jillian Dunston, Crisler is the norm. “I didn’t say anything to (the freshmen) before the game because their nerves were inevitable,” Dunston said. “But afterwards I just said, ‘Welcome to college basketball.’ ” The goal of the upperclassmen’s relationship with the new players, according to sophomore guard Nicole Munger, is to keep them positive. Especially for Munger and the rest of the sophomore class, they’re well aware of how intimidating freshman year is. When the freshmen on the Michigan women’s basketball team returned to their locker room after the Wolverines’ exhibition game against Wayne State on Thursday, they were able to finally know what it’s like to play for the Wolverines. The freshman class consists of guards Kysre Gondrezick, Kayla Robbins and Akienreh Johnson, as well as forward KeAsja Peace. In the 93-41 domination of the Warriors, all four were able to see some playing time, with Johnson making a definite statement in just eight minutes on the court. Johnson, who committed to Michigan almost four years ago — a Wolverine longer than some upperclassmen — scored a total of three points and garnered three rebounds. Her rebounds in the second half helped her teammates erase a somewhat disappointing first half in which Wayne State and Michigan were neck and neck.

Gondrezick, on the other hand, didn’t perform her free throws like she had been in practices, but the Wolverines aren’t concerned. “She’s played pretty consistently up to this point,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “I think she pressed a bit (on Thursday) and I think that’s probably a common thing for a freshman when they get an opportunity to get out on the court. “Kysre is going to be a special player for us. But I think any time you have a local kid that’s a superstar, there’s a tremendous amount of pressure. She’s a far better player than everybody saw (on Thursday). I’m not worried about her. She just needs to let the game come to her sometimes. I’m confident that she will.” Robbins scored two points for Michigan in field goals, but like Gondrezick, underperformed in her free throws. Peace went 1-for-4 in free throws to round out the freshmen’s contributions. Part of the nerves — and excitement — for the freshmen came from being able to put on the Michigan uniform and compete in it. In her pre-game speech, Barnes Arico made sure to emphasize the honor of being able to defend the block ‘M’. Though the freshmen may not have played up to their own expectations, Barnes Arico wanted them to know that the Wayne State exhibition game was just the beginning. “(Their performance) was unbelievable,” Barnes Arico said. “There are local kids and they had their family and their fan section here tonight and they’ve been waiting to just get out there to get on that court. “They’ve been watching for years other players come and play before them. For them to get out there was an exciting opportunity to get in and contribute.”

Marody putting in extra work during absence AVI SHOLKOFF

Daily Sports Writer

He may not be making an impact on the ice during games because of an academic suspension, but Cooper Marody still manages to contribute for the No. 17 Michigan hockey team. While the stat sheet was once filled with his own scores in the goal column, the sophomore center now keeps tabs of his teammates’ chances as he sits on the bench with the coaching staff during games. “Particularly during the games, in the weekend, we’ll give him something to do and then he can get back to us in between periods as to what he sees,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “Because he’s a center, I want him to be dialed in on faceoffs. We’ve had him critique our power play as well. We try to keep his head into the games, especially the home games.” This weekend, as the Wolverines take on No. 4 Boston University, Marody will have the chance to spend time with his teammates on game day again — something he was unable to do the past two weeks because he is prohibited from traveling. He will resume his typical duties of stat-tracking at Yost Ice Arena, though. Last week, he took advantage of the team’s early departure. While his team prepared its gameplan in Tempe, Ariz., Marody skated Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday mornings. Six weeks remain before Marody can put on the new Nike maize-and-blue sweater for the first time. For now, though, he continues to push himself in practices. Mornings when he doesn’t have class, he will work out in the weight room, oftentimes by himself — something that Berenson and Marody’s fellow players recognize. “The only thing he can do right now is work hard in practice,” said senior goaltender Zach Nagelvoort. “He can make the guys better in practice by playing his hardest, working

hard every single rep. That’s where he’s going to be able to make a difference to this team right now.” Added junior forward Tony Calderone: “He knows he can’t play. But, he’s in the gym every day, being a positive influence, trying to make everyone better. Playing against a guy like that in practice will make you better (because) you’re playing against guys like that all the time in games. I think he’s making everyone better out there. (Marody’s a) very skilled player, and it’s very cool to watch him out there.” When Marody practices, his physical skills on the ice become obvious. He shows his ability to shoot the puck from all across the ice and continues to improve his skate speed. According to Berenson, Marody’s skills separate him from his teammates, as he focuses on developing his skating, puck touches and strength. “Certain times, he’ll get the puck and he’ll score from anywhere,” Berenson said. “He knows how to score. He can be a special player with the puck. We all wish he was playing, (but he’s) taking advantage of the practices, (and putting in) extra work in the weight room.” The time off the ice during games allowed Marody to focus on becoming a mentor for the younger players. He may be just a sophomore, but on a young Michigan team, his year of experience could prove invaluable. Marody endured some highs last year — like scoring a goal in four straight games, including the game-winner against Niagara last November — and some unfortunate lows, like missing six games due to mononucleosis. “He played a big role last year,” Calderone said. “He can give all his advice to those guys,

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Cooper Marody has not played all season, but he has still proven to be an asset.

the younger guys. Spreading (his) knowledge and experience that he had will be helpful to the younger guys.” Added Berenson: “(His role is) to be a good teammate. To be a good mentor for the young players, especially. For our team as a whole, push other guys in practice so that he’s trying to make them better so our team will be better.” It is unclear which line Marody will join once he returns in late December for the Great Lakes Invitational. In practices, Marody pairs up with players who are not normally a part of the regular line chart, like junior forward Alex Talcott and — before he returned from his own suspension — freshman forward

“He’s in the gym every day, being a positive influence.”

Adam Winborg. Marody has not yet played with first-line players like senior Alex Kile and freshman Will Lockwood, or even his former line partner Calderone. This will happen in the week before he returns, according to Berenson. When Marody returns for the puck drop against Michigan Tech on Dec. 29, he is sure to have an instant effect. “He has a chance to make an impact on our team when he comes back,” Berenson said. “He’s had a chance to watch games, but he hasn’t played them. It’s one thing to watch, another thing to play, but I still think he’s got the pulse of the team and he knows what he has to do to be an impact player. He’ll get the chance, and all this work should pay off the minute that he plays his first game.” And maybe the next time he looks at a stat sheet, he’ll see his name alongside his teammates in the goal column again.

Sports

8A — Wednesday, November 9, 2016 T E A M

S TAT S MICH 48.0 24.7 251.7 5.5 36 245.8 65.4% 8.7 17 3 73.8 497.4 48.2% 61.5% 3.3 17.6 17.9 36.0 10-15 8/3 45.4 33:37

Points/Game First Downs/Game Rush Yards/Game Yards/Rush Rushing TDs Passing Yards/Game Completion % Yards/Pass Passing TDs Interceptions Offensive Plays/Game Total Offense 3rd-down Conversions 4th-down Conversions Sacks/Game Kick return average Punt return average Punting average Field Goals-Attempts Fumbles/Lost Penalty Yards/Game Time of Poss

I N D I V I D U A L

OPP 10.7 12.9 107.4 3.1 3 138.9 44.1% 5.7 8 10 59.0 246.3 19.0% 30.0% 1.3 21.3 8.8 31.9 4-9 12/5 46.0 26:23

S TAT S

PASSING Player Speight O’Korn Morris TOTALS

Cmp Att Yds TD 149 231 2053 15 13 18 114 2 4 5 45 0 166 254 2212 17

INT 3 0 0 3

Att Yds Avg 109 564 5.2 57 456 8.0 58 418 7.2 68 404 5.9 17 150 11.5 13 150 11.5 9 47 5.2 5 37 7.4 21 34 1.6 3 19 6.3 2 17 8.5 3 15 5.0 6 12 2.0 1 2 2.0 1 1 1.0 1 1 1.0 2 -1 -0.5 1 -2 -2.0 1 -11 -11.0 10 -15 -1.5 22 -33 -1.5 410 2265 5.5

Lg 42 57 45 53 63 33 17 13 4 14 10 11 3 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 63

TD 8 3 6 4 3 0 1 1 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 36

No. Yds 42 741 34 421 25 416 6 114 12 93 5 84 5 59 3 43 11 38 5 33 2 27 2 24 1 23 1 21 2 18 1 15 1 12 2 10 1 7 2 6 1 4 2 3 166 2212

Lg 46 37 40 54 15 56 33 18 17 15 21 22 23 21 15 15 12 5 7 4 4 5 56

TD 6 4 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 17

RUSHING Player Smith, D. Evans Higdon Isaac Peppers McDoom Chesson Henderson Hill, K. Morris Davis Crawford O’Korn Hirsch Wilson Beneducci Hewlett Gedeon Allen TEAM Speight TOTALS RECEIVING Player Darboh Butt Chesson Perry Hill Evans McDoom Crawford Smith, D. Poggi Wheatley Ways Henderson Isaac Asiasi Hirsch Jocz McKeon Harris Bunting Johnson, N. Peppers TOTALS

Avg 17.6 12.4 16.6 19.0 7.8 16.8 11.8 14.3 3.5 6.6 13.5 12.0 23.0 21.0 9.0 15.0 12.0 5.0 7.0 3.0 4.0 1.5 13.3

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Calmer Speight wins Harbaugh over JACOB GASE

Daily Sports Editor

Coming into fall camp a year ago, Wilton Speight was pretty sure he was never going to be Jim Harbaugh’s quarterback — and it wasn’t just because he’s allergic to milk. In the new coach’s first spring camp in 2015, Speight struggled through four-hour practices, took expletive-filled tonguelashings from Harbaugh and found himself buried on the depth chart. Heading into the fall, the then-redshirt freshman had had enough. “I was on the phone with my parents, basically saying, ‘OK, I’m out. Let’s find a different school,’ ” Speight said. Speight had his parents reach out to other colleges — North Carolina State emerged as an early favorite because of some family ties there — and he was dead-set on leaving Ann Arbor. He told some of his teammates he was leaving, including his camp roommate, then-redshirt freshman receiver Drake Harris, and he planned to go to Harbaugh’s office the first week of camp and tell him the same. On the morning Speight woke up to do it, though, Harris asked him, “Are you sure?” Speight wasn’t. He never made it to Harbaugh’s office, and he ended up playing through the rest of camp. He ultimately won the second-string job, and the rest is history. A season later, he is the starting quarterback for the third-ranked, 9-0 Wolverines and has thrown 15 touchdowns and just three interceptions. If there was any lingering doubt about Speight from Harbaugh, the second-year coach shattered it in a press conference the Monday following Michigan’s win over Michigan State last week. “I think we’re looking at a

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight was once a long way from running the show, but he stuck around and became one of Michigan’s leaders.

budding — really good player,” Harbaugh said. “I almost said ‘budding star.’ I mean, it’s really close to that. He’s doing so many good things, and he’s been almost flawless, really, when he has time and space to see things.” Now, Speight can look back at the exhausting practices and tough-love coaching and realize that he was getting tougher and stronger the whole time. That realization didn’t come to him until this spring, when he emerged as the clear frontrunner for the starting job over redshirt juniors John O’Korn and Shane Morris. More importantly, he’s appeared calm on the field all season, which is a feat that

hasn’t always come easy for him. Speight said he’s the type of person to break a paddle if he loses a ping-pong game. When he was younger, he would stop speaking to his mom if she beat him in a game of “HORSE” in their backyard. But thanks to his high school basketball coach, who doubles as a “mindfulness teacher,” Speight has found a way to maintain a level head when he’s under center. “I practiced a ton with him, almost like a meditation-type

thing,” Speight said. “We figured out whenever I click my buckle in my helmet or lick my fingers before a snap, that kind of brings me back to this chill mode. In football, I feel like I’ve kind of mastered it, but I’m still working on the other stuff.” That calmness has helped him improve every week. Multiple teammates, including fifthyear senior offensive lineman Ben Braden on Tuesday night, have compared Speight’s trajectory to last year’s starter,

“I was ... basically saying, ‘OK, I’m out. Let’s find a different school.’ ”

Jake Rudock, who rode his lateseason success to become an NFL draft pick. And finally, Speight has earned the endorsement of Harbaugh, who speculated that it might be time “to throw (Speight’s) hat in the ring” for Heisman Trophy consideration. As for Speight’s milk allergy — which often forced his family to buy raw milk in a Whole Foods parking lot (“The cow’s name was Apple, if you guys were wondering,” he said) — he hasn’t told Harbaugh yet. After all, it was a long road to get on his coach’s good side. “He just gets so into his milk brand and his whole milk and stuff,” Speight said. “I’ll let him have his whole milk.”

PUNT RETURNS Player Peppers Jocz Evans Perry TOTALS

No. 15 1 1 0 17

Yds Avg. Long 257 17.1 54 27 27.0 0 15 15.0 15 6 -6 305 17.9 54

TD 1 0 0 1 2

Michigan’s defense facing struggles on edge

INTERCEPTION RETURNS Player Stribling Hill, D. McCray Thomas Lewis TOTALS

No. 3 3 1 1 2 10

Yds Avg. Long 60 20.0 51 36 12.0 27 22 22.0 22 4 4.0 4 0 0.0 0 122 12.2 51

TD 1 1 0 0 0 2

Yds 9 9

Avg. Long 9.0 9 9.0 9

TD 0 0

Yds Avg. Long 182 26.0 55 34 11.3 18 28 14.0 15 26 26.0 26 6 6.0 6 5 2.5 5 281 17.6 55

TD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

FUMBLE RETURNS Player Hill, L. TOTALS

No. 1 1

KICKOFF RETURNS Player Peppers Lewis Henderson Evans Hudson Hill, K. TOTALS

No. 7 3 2 1 1 2 16

KICKOFFS Player Allen Foug Tice TOTALS

No. 63 8 3 64

Yds 4038 460 189 4041

Avg. 64.1 57.5 63.0 63.1

TB 35 2 0 30

No. 27 27

Yds 1138 1138

Avg. 42.1 42.1

Lg 56 56

PUNTING Player Allen TOTALS FIELD GOALS Player Allen Tice

FG Pct. 1-19 20-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Lg 0-0 6-6 3-5 1-3 0-0 45 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 0-0 0

10-14 71.4% 0-1 0.0%

LEADING TACKLERS Player Gedeon Peppers McCray Thomas Hill, D. Winovich Glasgow, R. Wormley Hurst Gary Godin Charlton Lewis Stribling Kinnel Watson Bush Clark Glasgow, J. Metellus Hudson Furbush Pearson TOTALS

Solo 27 33 23 22 26 8 6 10 12 8 8 7 11 7 9 6 6 6 5 6 3 3 2 275

Ast 47 20 26 17 10 23 22 14 11 15 13 13 5 8 4 5 5 4 4 2 5 4 5 306

Tot 74 53 49 39 36 31 28 24 23 23 21 20 16 15 13 11 11 10 9 8 8 7 7 581

TFL 11.5 13.5 10.0 2.5 6.5 5.0 5.5 8.5 5.0 2.0 5.0 2.5 1.0 1.0 0.5 1.0 0.5 1.0 84

SK PBU 3.5 2 3.5 3.5 4 6 2 3.0 2.0 1 4.0 3.0 1.0 1.0 4.5 7 9 3 1.0 1 30 36

2016 SCHEDULE

MAX BULTMAN

Managing Sports Editor

There’s not much the Michigan football team doesn’t do well on defense. By now, the statistics have been well covered. The Wolverines are the best in the country in scoring defense, passing defense and total defense. They rarely allow teams to extend drives, much less score touchdowns. So it was a bit of a surprise Saturday when Maryland was able to repeatedly exploit the same apparent weakness in the Wolverines’ defense. “(Maryland coach DJ) Durkin, he was our (defensive coordinator) last year, and when he was here he felt as though we struggled with tempo and on the edges,” said redshirt sophomore linebacker Jabrill Peppers. “So we kind of thought that we were going to get a game plan similar to that. We didn’t know how much spread it was going to be and how open they were going to have us.” Throughout the game, Maryland continuously attacked the edges when it needed a play. Sometimes it was on an outside rush. Other times it was a tunnel screen. Usually, it was effective — at least as effective as an offense can be while scoring just three points. But the low point total wasn’t necessarily indicative of how effective they were when using the screen game. On the final play before halftime, wide receiver D.J. Moore took a screen 47 yards and looked bound for the end zone. But at the 1-yard line, redshirt junior linebacker Mike McCray was able to stop him short and preserve the shutout. “Great effort can cancel out

9/3

9/10

9/17

9/24

HAWAII (4-6)

UCF (5-4)

COLORADO (7-2)

PENN ST. (7-2)

GRANT HARDY/Daily

Michigan’s defense had issues setting the edge Saturday against Maryland, giving up a season-high 289 passing yards even in an otherwise dominant performance.

a lot of those things,” said fifthyear senior defensive tackle Ryan Glasgow. “Clock ran out. That was a really big play for our defense, big stop by Mike and (senior safety) Dymonte (Thomas).” The screen was the main factor that led the Wolverines to allow more passing yards (289) against the Terrapins than they had all season. Michigan’s vaunted pass defense was still highly effective in coverage, as evidenced by its six pass breakups and three sacks, but on screens, the dynamic was different. The quarterback gets the ball out fast to avoid some of

10/1

10/8

WISCONSIN (7-2) at RUTGERS (2-7)

the pressure from the defensive line, and the cornerbacks are rarely close enough to break up the pass. That leaves the play’s outcome up to pursuit from defenders and blocking by the offense. And when it came to screens on Saturday, Maryland’s offense appeared to have the edge. Peppers said the effectiveness of the screen was more about good play-calling from Maryland than it was any specific challenge inherent to the play. (“It’s not really tough to tackle,” he said.) Glasgow even offered an

10/22 ILLINOIS (3-6)

10/29

antidote to the problem, simple as it may be. “It’s just smelling a rat,” Glasgow said. “Someone getting in the way, causing a cutback and people hustling to the ball. That’s basically all. It comes down to effort.” It’s a concept Michigan may be tested on soon. Even while the Wolverines run up blowout wins over Maryland, Rutgers and other Big Ten non-contenders, there are real threats still out there. Ohio State is plenty capable of running the same types of plays, and the Buckeyes would do so with significantly

11/5

at MICH. ST. (2-7) MARYLAND (5-4)

W, 63-3 (1-0) W, 51-14 (2-0) W, 45-28 (3-0) W, 49-10 (4-0) W, 14-7 (5-0) W, 78-0 (6-0) W, 41-8 (7-0) W, 32-23 (8-0) W, 59-3 (9-0)

better talent. There’s no reason to believe Michigan can’t correct the issue — earlier in the year, it had trouble in contain, but it worked out those kinks rather quickly. But still, the members of the Wolverines’ defense are cognizant of the urgency. “We didn’t make the adjustment we needed to, and I feel like (we will) learn from that right now,” McCray said. “We’re going to improve on this game because we know they’re probably going to try to do the same thing. So we’re ready for it.”

11/12

11/19

11/26

at IOWA (5-4)

INDIANA (5-4)

at OHIO ST. (8-1)

8 p.m., Iowa City, Iowa

Michigan Stadium

Noon, Columbus, Ohio

body of the father

statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | N OV E M B E R 9, 2016

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 / The Statement

t h e s t at e m e n t

the tangent

Magazine Editor: Karl Williams

Editor in Chief: Shoham Geva

Deputy Editors: Nabeel Chollampat Lara Moehlman

Managing Editor: Laura Schinagle

Design Editor: Shane Achenbach Photo Editor: Zoey Holmstrom

THO U GHT B U B B LE : ACTIVISM

Copy Editors: Emily Campbell Alexis Nowicki Taylor Grandinetti

Creative Director: Emilie Farrugia

TV and Me: Indelible Optimism BY ALEX INTNER

was talking to a friend of mine about a recent episode of “This Is Us,” a show I’ve written about substantially in the past. She was telling me how she’s dreading the moment when the show goes off the cliff. It’s a general fear about the show not being able to maintain its quality over its run. My response, though, was why not trust the show to be good and enjoy it while it’s at its peak? Every TV show fades at least a little before it ends, but there are too many strong moments in great shows to not celebrate them. The problem with this view is I sometimes end up spurned by TV that lost its quality over its run. Last summer, thinking about this phenomenon, I wrote about “Scandal.” At its best, the series ran like a runaway freight train, moving through story and plot twists at a breakneck pace. But this season, it seemed to run out of momentum and doubled down on boring stories and ideas that stopped surprising me. There were fleeting moments, but I kept wishing for more from it and for it to show me why I liked it in the first place. That failure on the part of “Scandal” left a bitter taste in my mouth, but there were times when skepticism almost got the better of me in my viewing. My favorite show on the air right now is “Jane the Virgin.” If you read the logline at face value — “a virgin is accidentally artificially inseminated by another man’s sperm” — it sounds completely ridiculous. But I gave the show a chance, and I am so grateful I did. It’s one of the kindest, warmest and funniest shows on network TV right now, but if I had maintained my skepticism, I would never have stuck with it. I think this sense of taking a chance on TV comes from an inherent sense of optimism from which I look at the world. I’ve always looked at situations with a sense of “why this will be good” rather than “how this can and will go wrong.” That’s just a part of who I am as a person, and, in this case, it extends to how I watch my TV. To go back to “This Is Us” though, I can see why someone would be doubtful about its ability to continue on its path. It has a very high degree of difficulty for what it wants to do. But, for now, watching Sterling K. Brown, who’s so good in his role, and the family dynamics are enough for me to very much enjoy what I’m seeing.

EMILIE FARRUGIA/Daily

At this point, I’ve reviewed dozens of shows and watched dozens of others. However, I don’t approach TV with the skepticism of a veteran TV watcher. I still try to give every new show a chance to prove itself before I write it off. Whether it’s a serialized drama or the most basic sitcom, there’s always the chance it will go off the rails, but why not try to give it a shot? Maybe I’m inherently optimistic, but there’s still every reason to enjoy something I like, without having to worry about when the experience will go bad.

“The most important thing to me is women’s rights, our basic rights about our body, our right to vote, I don’t want to go back 50 years, we should have equal rights with men and with everyone.” – School of Music, Theatre and Dance sophomore Sydney Sheperd ILLUSTRATION BY ELISE HAADSMA

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 / The Statement

on the record: closing arguments “I want you to know and I want you to spread the word: I want to be president for all Americans. Not just some. None of us want to wake up Wednesday morning and wish we had done more.” —HILLARY CLINTON, former secretary of state, in a final campaign speech in Raleigh, N.C.., on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

“It’s going to be the very beginning of the new adventure. The new adventure is making America great again. If we don’t win, this will be the single greatest waste of time, energy and money in my life. We have to win.” — DONALD TRUMP, in a final campaign speech in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

“Donald Trump is uniquely unqualified to hold this job. But the good news, Michigan, is you are uniquely qualified to make sure he does not get the job. And the good news is, you don’t just have to vote against something — you actually have a candidate who’s worthy of your vote.” —PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA in a final campaign speech in Ann Arbor, Mich., on Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Life Is A Mixtape: On Spending the Night Alone BY MELINA GLUSAC

ou could call me a socializing addict. I’m not an extrovert — though I am extroverted. I’m not an introvert — though I crave my alone time. I fall somewhere in the middle (I think many of us do), with a slight tilt on the extroverted side. The thing is, people are wonderful. And though I crave myself, people teach me about myself, and so I crave them all the more — their idiosyncrasies, foibles, hugs and shrugs. I have to be around it. I need to be around it. Sometimes I don’t even know why, and I sacrifice my own wellbeing for the high. Alack: addiction. “Flavor of the Weak” — American Hi-Fi The philosophy my mind has adopted these past three hazy years in Ann Arbor is that this is college, and this

is the time for ballyhoo. When will my best friends and I be within a virtual arms-length of each other ever again? And in a bustling town with lights and clubs and people-filled streets all around us? And those sweaty, dark house parties and boxed wine and drunken conversation about the holiness of “Stacy’s Mom” and other early2000s sonic relics? I can’t miss those things. I just can’t. “Stacy’s Mom” — Fountains of Wayne

and ekphrastic poem, five nights in a row of work, a photo shoot, a film to see and review, and smiles, endless smiles, to present to the world throughout it all. In essence, I am utterly exhausted, and a few hours ago I was making plans from my bed until I realized I literally could not get up from my bed. So I did something I most certainly never do: I sent my best friend a text that said I’d be taking a rain check for the night to lay low. Sorry. I love you. I’m so sorry. I owe you one. “Sorry” — Simple Plan

Right now, it’s a Friday night. I’m sitting in my room — in an apartment that houses six girls, five of whom have gone out — dead alone. And I’m trying my best to make it alive alone. I just got off the Ferris wheel that was my craziest week of the semester: a huge English paper, an original sonnet

Now what? I haven’t left my bed. Social media has given me all it could for the evening. I just pulled out the poems I wrote and discussed with my brilliant professor this morning, three classes and a pile of No Thai ago, though it feels like a lifetime. He loved the poems, and I teared up as he was complimenting me. Poetry is something I want to be good at. I recite them aloud in my room, as if I’m Dorothy Parker or Truman Capote at a reading. I’m in New York; I’m draped in pearls, a black turtleneck. I’ve got just enough age in my face to be respected, but enough youth left to be felt. People like my writing. People cheer after those last few lines. “Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous” — Good Charlotte

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE FARRUGIA

Oh, there’s my MC5 poster. I’m still in my room, and the Franzia is gone. I’ve still only written two good poems in my life, by other people’s standards.

There it is again: people. People are still plaguing my thoughts. How in the hell did Emily Dickinson do it? It was just her and her f lowers and the imminence of death. And J.D. Salinger? He didn’t leave his house for, what, 50 years? What was there to do? To see? Ironically, in writing about these recluses, I am still writing about people. Somebody stop me. “In Too Deep” — Sum 41 OK, let me shavasana (a yoga position in which you lay on your back and do nothing) for a minute here. Just feel my heart beating. My hands and my head. I am spectacularly alone, and I am writing. The only activity that — every single damn time — makes me feel sane. It’s my other favorite addiction. And I do feel sane right now. And thankful. And for the first time in a long time I don’t want anyone to come back to the apartment. I want to be here with my pen and diary and fingers and keyboard until I get it so right that I can’t hear applause anymore — I can just see the words in front of me.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 // The Statement

Body of the Father: Sifting through a changing relationship with my dad

BY KARL WILLIAMS, STATEMENT EDITOR

nd so we drove, taking his way, the way he always takes, we always take, past the trees and fields that form, I imagine, the mental landscape of his childhood, a time lost and, with each passing, not quite regained. We drove past those fields, those trees, that granite sky, the ones we’ve always passed, the ones that haven’t changed. It was during the liminal season between winter and spring, when the snow cakes the grass. He sat in the driver’s seat — my dad, reticent, reserved, quiet in his familiar way, with a resignation that isn’t quite melancholy — navigating us through the roads in northern Michigan, where he grew up, served as the pastor of Grace Lutheran Church and now spends his retirement. He was driving me back to school, like he usually does, to Ann Arbor, where I rarely leave now. We drove down Herron Road, the quickest way, he always says. Perhaps it is. I know no other. And so we sat there, quietly, looking out our respective windows at the place he calls home, that I don’t, can’t. And so we sat there, just looking, and we let the silence grow. *** A scar, somewhere between a foot and 18 inches in length, runs down my dad’s right leg. It’s a record of an irrevocable change. It’s from one of his first surgeries — he’s had eight now, I think, just on the lower extremities with hip replacements likely to come. It’s a mark that divides two times of his life: before his body was damaged and after. For my entire life and before it, my dad has suffered through various health problems. Right before I was born, when he was around 35, there was an accident, the details of which are still ambiguous to me, that ravaged his joints and started a cycle of knee surgeries that ended with replacements for both. This accident, coupled with years of wear from playing baseball, weakened his joints. Eventually, sometime when I was in elementary school, he developed psoriatic arthritis, which not only inflames the joints but produces red lesions on the skin. I can’t remember when he didn’t have it. I can’t remember a time when his beard was without gray, when he walked without the tired rhythm of old age, when he didn’t seem old. It’s strange, even now, to name it, the arthritis, to articulate it as though it weren't the structuring condition of his life but a mere disease. It seems, rather, the very mark of his experience in the world, of my experience with him, of the man that I know. When arthritis was all that plagued his body, my dad, stubborn and implacable, retained his independence. He still worked outside, cutting wood for the fires that heat our house and tinkering with this boat. But in recent years he’s suffered from a growing number of vertigo attacks and a nascent deafness. His independence wanes. He’s only 55, but his body bears the weight of a man of 70.

I have more diligence in our interactions than I once did, now, more of an awareness in his needs and discomforts. When he visits, we eat at the place closest to his parking spot, saving him the trouble of a long walk. And I have the growing awareness that, perhaps sooner than later, he’ll need me to take care of him. But when I was younger, I felt as though he and his body’s failure had robbed me of something, that because he wasn’t like the usual dad, which exists only in the mind of a child, that I was deprived of an essential aspect of my childhood. *** I’ve always been a pastor’s son. It’s a moniker I’ve worn with bewilderment and, at times, disdain. I spent much of my childhood in church. I didn’t just attend services, after which old women would approach me and my mom, complimenting us on how handsome and intelligent a boy I was, squeezing my cheeks with wrinkled hands, but I’d also roam throughout while my dad was at work. I’d sit in his office while he wrote his sermons, his shelves lined with books, ancient texts and scriptures in German, ancient Greek and Hebrew. I remember sitting there, awed by his knowledge, his apparent wisdom. The church, however, never provided the moral and intellectual education for me that, it seems, it does for so many that attend. Church was often a place where I was hounded with attention and expectations I didn’t want. Whatever spiritual beliefs I may have developed, the social life that the church entailed pushed me away from it. I’ve never known why my dad became a pastor nor understood it. But, I suspect, it has less to do with doctrine than its social mission. Most of his work was outside of the church. Many times, during the week, he traveled to meet with parishioners, in hospitals most often, giving them communion. He worked with the people on the social periphery — the poor, the addicted, the forgotten people that populate a place like Alpena, our hometown. Christianity, preaching, isn’t so much a system through which he can arrange the world and make sense of its chaos but a place for moral action. Religion and the church, it seems, were a means by which he can take care of the world. For example, when our dog, Lucky, who I named and subsequently cursed, developed cancer and had his right front leg amputated, my dad made four-egg omelets and bacon every morning for him to help rebuild the tissue damaged in the operation. He’s dedicated his life to taking care of the world. The misery, then, of these accumulated ailments — the arthritis, the vertigo, the deafness — isn’t the just the pain they bring; it’s that he can no longer take care of the world because he can no longer take care of himself. ***

Besides the home, cars are the primary domestic space in my family, and it’s where my dad and I have shared the most time. In our home, with the exception of dinner, we rarely see each other. He has always been the driver in my family. My mom, though she has been driving for 40 years, can barely parallel park. He could do it blind. My dad, who can’t sleep past the sunrise both because of habit and the stiff pain that sleep causes in his joints, used to drive me to school on most days and pick me up. I can’t remember, now, what happened during those or what we talked about — the Tigers, probably, or the Bush administration, which he hated as much as he loves the Tigers — but I remember the silences, the moments of shared solitude that formed our relationship. Those silences, now, hold an anxiety that seems both new and inveterate. I feel guilty letting my dad drive me back to college. I have no idea if he will have an attack of vertigo while driving home alone, and I don’t want to be responsible for forcing him into one. As much as I know he probably wants to take me, it worries me that he’ll get an attack and be stranded on the highway. It worries me that, as he gets older, he won’t be able to take care of himself. It worries me that I won’t be there to help him. And it worries him, now, that I won’t have a job when I graduate, that I’ll continue to rely on him and my mom, that I’ll remain dependent. Our conversations turn without fail to the question of my life plans. “What are you doing after graduation?” he’ll ask me. “Fuck if I know,” I respond, and we end there and repeat for the next time. College is a swamp between adolescence and adulthood where one is stuck in the medial space between dependence and independence. And its end poses an unavoidable question: How do I take care of my dad when I haven’t even figured out how to take care of myself? *** As fathers tend to do, my grandpa enjoys bragging about my dad. A star catcher on his high school baseball team, he could’ve gone pro, my grandpa tells me, not infrequently, in the way that the elderly repeat the stories that have solidified enough as to be easy to recall. He was the fastest kid in school, from kindergarten through high school, I’m told. My grandpa had never seen anyone that fast. In the prime of his life, he says, my dad could pick up a 500-lb. car engine alone. It’s all bullshit, probably, or at least so altered by memory as to have erased enough of the truth to be classified as bullshit. When I was younger, I used to assemble the spare details that fell through conversations with family, verbal artifacts at once vanished and resurrected, and imagine who he was before I was born. There’s a strangeness in this gap of memory, of imagination, in which the absence of an alternative life and the possibilities of what he once was linger. But I’ve never been able to mythologize, even in the benign way my grandpa does, who he once was. I can’t, even in a fiction, summon another vision of my dad as a star baseball player. He’s still the old man.

Then, there’s the intellectual. Somehow, my dad is intellectual without being snobbish in a place where education is itself a form of arrogance. In Alpena, a small town on the eastern coast of northern Michigan where we both grew up and where little has changed in the intervening decades between our youths, intellect, specifically intellectualism, is abnormal. Once, as it was later told to me, a kid I knew in high school said to my friends that I was so smart it was like I was autistic. My grandma once told me, furtively, with an admonishment that he wouldn’t want me to know, a story about a night my dad went missing. My grandpa woke up one morning when the sun was rising, like always, to begin work on the farm, and went to wake my dad up. He wasn’t in his bed. After searching across the farm, my grandpa found him near the outskirts of their farm, lying in the grass with a flashlight and a Bible. To be intellectual, to have interests outside of that small sphere of rural experience — especially as a male — was, is a transgression. I remember, in 10th grade, reading “Hamlet” in the secrecy of my grandparents’ guest room, because I knew, know still, that if my friends found out they’d call me a faggot, or a queer, or one of the other dozens of epithets that circulated through my high school’s walls. There was, is, a shame in reading, in learning. It always seemed strange, somewhat inconceivable, then, why my dad decided to — why he even wanted to — preach there. The name, the word itself, Alpena, cannot leave my tongue without a taste of contempt, of rejection. When I was in high school, I resented my parents’ choice to live there, to have me live there. I spent most of 10th grade petitioning them to send me to private school somewhere, anywhere. It’s a place antithetical to my values, to my being, which was formed, of course, by its opposition to my hometown. Reading and my interests, weren’t developed out of some passion within me, but from the environment without. More than my mom, I blamed my dad for this, for being born in a place that I grew to hate, in a home that was alien to me. Reading, learning, was a method of defiance to the people I grew up with. I did it out of arrogance and alienation, out of a sense that I was better than them. But I think, now, of that story my grandma told me, of that night in the Bible, and I realize now how much, like myself, he needed the intensity of that private mental space, of learning, of wrestling with the ambiguities outside of that small, simple, formative town. *** Two scars run down my left leg, each, perhaps, six inches long. They’re from my first surgery, one of few, from when I was hit by a car and broke both of my legs and my left pelvis. I was 4. I hadn’t even gone to school yet. A year before, in daycare, I was playing tag in the woods and tripped whereupon a stick on the ground struck through my skin right underneath my left eyeball. From an early age I had a keen ability for self-destruction. After my car accident, the surgeon inserted two metal rods into my legs, which stayed there for six weeks. My dad waited outside the surgery, my mom

told me years later, more upset than she’d ever seen him. We’ve never gotten along, my dad and I, in the way it seems fathers and sons should, with a gentle, intimate camaraderie. My dad and grandpa have this — they hunt and fish together, watch the baseball game and work on their boat. Ours, my dad's and mine, isn’t a relationship filled with conflict but one with a distance, quiet yet impassable. During my freshman year of college, I had a sort of eureka moment, an insight that both terrified me and clarified a central question in our relationship. I realized how much I had inherited from him, how much I had been formed by his presence in my life. Ah yes, I thought, we’re too similar. It’s not much of an epiphany — of course I was influenced by my dad. But there’s some incongruence in our similarities, in the ways we crave solitude and the ways we withdraw into ourselves, that makes it impossible to bridge those silences that disturb and sustain our relationship. There’s a shame that followed me, still follows me, that I hadn’t quite repaid him for the life he’s given me, a solid, comfortable, middleclass life, and that now, or soon, when the debt is due, I’ll be penniless. But there’s another shame, now, a shame that comes with the thought of his dependence, of that condescension, of somehow taking from him what he’s given to me — the opportunity to live independently. And then there’s a silent shame, the core shame, which flares now and then, a quiet conflagration, the shame I feel for resenting him for his body’s failures, for a life that, like me, was formed by some fate he didn’t choose. *** And so we arrived. I took my baggage out of the car. I made sure to take as much as I could. I knew he’d try to help me and that he’s stubborn enough to succeed. He put some of the lighter things on the porch, and for others, I met him halfway to grab them. “All right. Well, have a good semester,” he said. “Thanks, I’ll see you.” He opened the door then stopped. “Do you know how to get back onto the freeway?” “Yeah, one second, I’ll look it up on my phone. But I think you just have to go back down Packard and turn at Main.” “Ah, don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out.” “Just one second,” I insisted. “Actually, you know what, you’ll find your way.”

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 // The Statement

A Collection of Tinder Memories

by Roland Davidson, Daily Arts Writer leanor*

The first time I ever went on a date, it was with a girl from Tinder. I was 19, fresh off my freshman year and spending the summer back home in New York. So innocent. So pure. So skinny. I remember seeing the notification that Eleanor had messaged me flash on my phone and immediately thought she was a bot. Usually these bots present themselves as very attractive women whose low standards are only matched by the low resolution of their photos and a very high interest in your routing number. Since she had instead complimented my alliterative bio, I took the plunge and messaged back. We spoke back and forth mainly in alliteration, then assonance, then consonance, then in French, then like normal people about Kurt Vonnegut, Soulja Boy’s descent from godhood and the trailer for the new SpongeBob movie. Our conclusions were as follows: The movie was a sham. The whole premise is that SpongeBob and his pals are finally adventuring above water. They already did this in “Pressure” (Episode 32, Season 2). SpongeBob and his posse were all popsicle stick puppets for the abovewater scenes. The movie sold out by making them CGI. We would’ve paid good money for a feature-length, popsicle-stick, puppet movie. Anyhow, one thing lead to another and I asked her on a low-key Tinder date. I don’t drive so my dad offered to dress like a Secret Service agent and chauffeur me to and from the date. The main problem with this plan was that he drove a 2004 Honda Odyssey. The windows aren’t even tinted. I ended up taking a train two stops over to meet her. I still have the ticket stubs floating around my room. We wandered around town and saw the hipster version of Teddy Roosevelt and left a bunch of pennies heads up for people to find. I accidentally got overcaffeinated at a Starbucks, which has become a reoccurring theme in my love life. A lot of that relationship involved hooking up in cars, which fortunately did not become a reoccurring theme in my love life. One day I’ll properly delineate the difference between “going on dates with,” “dating” and “seeing” (and all other variations ad infinitum) someone. That day isn’t today. That was prelude to disarm the follow: We ended up going on dates for the rest of the summer. Jenni* This was my first Tinder booty call. I marveled at how she mixed blueberry vodka with seltzer. My childlike fascination with basic mixed drinks would also become a recurring theme in my love life. I had been reading a lot of people’s last words and we talked about what we wanted ours to be. The word scrimshaw was said at some point. I’ve suppressed the rest of our conversation due to what happened when we started hooking up. I had whiskey dick (really blueberry vodka and seltzer dick,

but whatever) and she was very keen on that fact. She repeatedly let me know that I was having technical difficulties. My expression, not hers. I think I would fall in love with someone who referred to my impotency as technical difficulties. Eventually I finished and she told me I really seem like I’m autistic, which was not very cool of her. My silence was punctuated by the still playing episode of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Eventually we went back to the sex thing and she asked me what she could do to fix my poor performance. I was pretty bitter about the whole autism thing and asked her to make pterodactyl noises or recite the U.S. constitution. I have the subtle belief my life is a movie and I do things that would only be funny to a live studio audience. Once I broke up with a girl while

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE FARRUGIA

wearing a Drake sweatshirt and smattered Drake lyrics throughout the conversation. I love Drake so much. Anyhow, digressions aside, she looked at me quizzically. I mumbled never mind and kept thrusting. I came; she left. I think to do mission work in Africa. I asked Eleanor* if she thought I seemed autistic; she said I was cool and idiosyncratic. We drew Twitter participation trophies for one another on the back of index cards and sent them back and forth. I was back in New York a little while ago and Jenni and I matched on Tinder, then she unmatched me. So at least I now know that this was a sufficiently traumatic experience for everyone involved. Girl Who I Have Literally Zero Idea What Her Name Is We went to a decent diner and I had an anxiety attack. I couldn’t make eye-contact for the majority of the date. That went over about as well as you would expect it to. I shook her hand and told her this was a very solid two out of 10 experience. On the bus ride home, Eleanor* and I discussed whether my campers calling me their favorite gringo was a compliment or not. Eleanor* pt. 2 (October 2016) A couple months ago, I was visiting a friend from high school who goes to the same college as her and asked if she wanted to get a cup of joe. Eleanor did me one better, and invited me to her literary society’s wine tour. It was weird. The conversation didn’t flow like it should have even though we were both drunk. The pauses were punctuated by the wheels on the bus going round and round. We had both changed a lot but in a lot of the same ways, which is to say that we both became somewhat depressed leftists with an affinity for meme culture. The usual millennial liberal arts evolution. Later that night, we went to a vegan dim sum joint and talked about how it’s often impossible to fully appreciate potato curries. Too often, potatoes are left bland despite being drenched in sauce. They just don’t absorb flavor as well as tofu, really unfortunate stuff. It felt like a sufficiently quirky conversation. I got what I came for. All of our dates had ended on public transport; some things don’t change. I turned around to get one last glimpse of her and the bus blurred her form into the street lights. I surveyed the crowd of my fellow Greyhounders; there was a man resting his amputated leg on a CVS basket to keep himself steady. It’s impolite to stare so I did what’s natural: looked down at my phone and began swiping again. *All names have been changed to protect the innocent.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 // The Statement

A Toast to Grandpa John by Jackie Charniga, Daily News Editor

’d wake up feeling sticky. The inside of my mouth, my hair, my skin. I would lurch out of the twin bed and stumble over to the sink in my dorm room to survey the damage. It was all a smudge. My eyeliner down my face. My memories of the night before. I always knew if I had smoked because my chest hurt and my fingers tasted salty. I knew what I had eaten because it was smeared on my sheets. I knew what I was wearing because it would be crumpled on the floor. I had clues, and with those I could piece together what I could not remember. This past summer I studied abroad in Oxford, England, for five weeks. I stayed at Magdalen College, one of the 38 colleges that make up the university — which can get confusing. Founded in 1458, Magdalen has its own living quarters, classrooms, chapel, graveyard, library and lecture halls. It even has its own bar. I adored that bar for being so peculiar and un-American. There’s nothing like it at the University of Michigan, where I would be continuing my senior year that fall. I can only imagine the wealth of furious emails the Office of Student Life would receive if the Michigan Union started serving happy hour for undergrads. But here it was commonplace, part of the tradition with which I would dive in head-first to engage. The bar was situated near the stairs to the dining hall, and after dinner I would wait until its doors opened at 7 p.m. Charmed as I am by young men in black T-shirts pouring me drinks, I spent a great deal of my time and money at the Old Kitchen Bar. I was unaware, however, that I toasted each hard cider and single malt scotch to my departed grandfather. Grandpa John, with his funny quirk of getting drunk and belting his children, was the nightmare that haunted my youth and young adult life. He was an anecdote, a punchline, a warning and a promise. But more than that, he was a folk story, dusted off by my aunt and occasionally my mother every time I went out to a party or, when I became of age, a bar with my friends. It was in England when I first began to think seriously about my grandfather John, a man I had never met nor had anything in common with besides one-quarter of my genes. John had been a soldier during WWII, when he met my grandmother while stationed in her tiny Italian village. He survived a Russian labor camp, and left his entire family behind to start a new life in Canada and then eventually America. He died in the 1980s of prostate cancer and it was one of those deaths that wasn’t sad for everyone. Because John was an asshole. My grandmother — my Nona, as they say in Italy — wears a hearing aid. It used to malfunction constantly. It’s probably the most irritating part of my childhood, listening to it whistle and chirp at me. “What? What? What did she say?” He broke that ear, John did. More specifically, the eardrum, by throwing her up against the wall time after time, day after day. It ripped or shattered or whatever eardrums do when they stop working. Thirty years after his death, technological advancement replaced what he took from her. But my grandmother’s whistling ear was a reminder growing up, that somewhere in the mess of spirals and double-helixes was the capacity to lose myself to an addiction and use it against the ones I love. Our last evening at Magdalen was my worst. I will never forget what I can remember about that night. During our

final formal dinner we had, as usual, a champagne reception on the gorgeous green lawns of the Harry Potteresque quadrangle. One glass per student was the rule. But for a special bon voyage, they’d “top up” our glasses, the posh British way of saying bottomless bubbly. The server, an Italian whose name sounded like a cleaning product, was particularly generous. Throughout the program, they would serve us wine just once a week during Monday night dinners. For the first course we’d always have a white wine that tasted like vinegar. Tonight, it was sweet. But the red wine with the entree was seductive, wet and deep. I had three of those. My speech began to slur. Speaking to my tutor — who had yet to finalize my grade — across the dining table was a struggle. My dress felt tight and my face grew increasingly hotter. I couldn’t hear her over the sound of my drunkenness, as if the wine was sloshing around in my ears. I couldn’t even hear me. I must have known to slow down because I only had two glasses of port, a heavily saccharine wine, when it was served with chocolate and strawberries. Delicious. I ran wild that last night in Oxford. Only flashes remain. We ended up, as one does, at the Half Moon, because it was a townie bar that opened late. It was the definition of quaint, with low ceilings with wooden beams and a jukebox in the corner. It was where the old English drunks would wash in like debris from the tide. We washed in, too, with bodies full of wine that clouded our vision and judgement. That night was a hazy kaleidoscope of semi-familiar faces. Someone thought it was a good idea to buy me a shot of vodka. I remember finding this hilarious, and then very little after that. I shouted instead of speaking. I tripped as I was walking. I left when I should have stayed. One of the bartenders at the Half Moon — I told you, I have a thing for bartenders — was called Tobias. He had studied philosophy, pulled his hair back into a bun and could roll a perfect joint. We went out for a cigarette and he took me around the bar, pressing me up against the wall. He kissed me sloppily, or I could have been the sloppy one, his hands gripping my arms to keep them against the bricks. One of his hands shifted to stabilize my shoulder while the other slipped down my pants. I retained enough sense, enough self, to shove Tobias off, my own back still against the bricks of the Half Moon. He was grinning, having gotten more than he’d expected. He asked if I wanted to come back to his place. I mostly wanted to throw up. It was late. We stumbled back to the front of the bar where my friends stood waiting. They wanted to go home. His hand was still around my waist. I found out later from a friend that he had a girlfriend. I found out later that he asked that same friend if she was interested in having a threesome. I found out later the plan was to include me. I was swaying lightly in the shadows in front of the bar while my friends looked on with pained expressions. I said things no rational person would. I leaned against him heavily. I deliberated when I should have been deliberate. I lingered, but I should have left. The hangover lasted until the plane cleared Greenland. For every minute of the eight-hour flight, I felt that I deserved it. I felt like a driedup starfish without a sand dollar to my name.

Mostly because I had run out of money. I had worked and saved all summer, and now I didn’t have enough cash left for the bus ticket to the airport, or even a cup of coffee. My friends paid my way. My friends held my hand. My friends got me home. After Oxford, I had scared the living shit out of myself. I felt guilty for what I had put my friends through, for forcing his weaknesses on them. Mine or his? Who was driving that night: John, or me? I resolved to abstain from alcohol. This plan backfired quickly. By not drinking, I didn’t feel a return to self. I felt that I was depriving myself. “You’re not drinking?” they’d say, like they didn’t know what else to do with me if I was sober. “Is something wrong?” Yes, I would argue to myself. Something is wrong. It’s my damn Grandpa John. I let him win. I started drinking again about two weeks after I got back from Oxford. I was sitting on my couch in my old apartment next to a friend. I had a long conversation with the man behind the counter at the liquor store. He hadn’t seen me in a while. Wanted to know where I’d been I got drunk that night, but was focused on not losing myself. I sent my friend home at a respectable hour and went to bed. It was a test, and by my standards, I had passed. I’m certainly not the first student to overindulge while abroad. Many of my friends have described similar experiences where nights bled into days and afternoons trying to study or travel through hangovers. But without the threat of John, I wouldn’t have taken it so seriously. Or so personally. I haven’t given up drinking. I may never. I don’t think I have a problem. Regardless, it’s not in my nature to quit. It’s not in my genes.

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILIE FARRUGIA

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 // The Statement

V I S UA L S TAT E M E N T: S TA N D I N G R O C K P R O T E S T PHOTOS BY CAROLYN GEARIG

On Saturday, I traveled to Lansing to cover Standing Rock protests in front of the state Capitol. Over 400 people were present to protest the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, which will cross land belonging to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and has the potential to contaminate their water access. The protest was planned and run by Native Americans who came from across Michigan to stand up for Standing Rock. A participant holds a sign at the protest.

LSA senior Noor Ahmed holds a sign at the protest.

Protestors gather in support of Standing Rock.

Signs are held protesting the pipeline in front of the state Capitol.

A participant holds a sign at the protest.

Rihanna Medina, 6, holds a sign at the protest. Medina, a Saginaw resident, belongs to the Leech Lake band of the Ojibwe tribe.