ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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“Holiday spending”
Chronic pain in Thailand?
A cartoon by Annie Turpin
Lecture compares Western medicine with global understandings of pain
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GOVERNMENT
For many in state, DeVos nom. sparks big concerns PHOTO: GRANT HARDY DESIGN: KATIE BEUKEMA
Officials observe trends in gameday crime based on weather, timing
Number of ejections, hospitalizations peak at 64 and 83, respectively, during season JENNIFER MEER & ISHI MORI that may have influenced arrests, hospitalizations and ejections. Daily Staff Reporters Michigan’s Sept. 17 game against Colorado set the season’s Though crime statistics from peak for medical emergencies on the University of Michigan a football Saturday at 83 treated home football game days follow students, and the Oct. 1 game no clear trajectory, police and against Wisconsin set the season students have observed trends peak for ejections from the such as game time and weather stadium at 64 people ejected.
According to Joe Piersante, director of University Security Services, who manages game day operations, the season went smoothly overall but for one significant incident. “Aside from the arrests made of the pickpocketing ring at the October 1 game, we did not encounter any significant issues,”
he wrote in an email to the Daily. DPSS spokeswoman Diane Brown pointed to several general factors that she said play into dangerous activity on game days, such as changing weather throughout the season. “Over the years we have observed that there are several See CRIME, Page 3
Teachers, nonprofits point to impact charter-school advocate had on Detroit NISA KHAN
Daily Staff Reporter
President-elect Donald Trump recently appointed Betsy DeVos, Michigan native and education activist, as the secretary of education, much to the disappointment many state stakeholders such as Steve Norton, executive director of Michigan Parents for Schools, an organization of Michigan parents working for public school funding. “We were dismayed. But unfortunately not terribly surprised,” Norton said. “I believe (Trump) reached out to probably this most controversial, the most extreme
option. I think it stunned a lot of people — I guess you could say we were stunned as well.” DeVos and her husband, billionaire Dick DeVos, have been involved with numerous conservative efforts in Michigan, particularly the American Foundation for Children, which pushes for the expansion of charter schools and vouchers. DeVos has argued that this allows for less government regulation and permits parents to choose their children’s education, showing that public schools were not sufficiently meeting needs. School vouchers are a system in which families are provided government subsidies to aid in See DEVOS, Page 3
SACUA members discuss concerns Peppers a A2 Council finalist for about transition from CTools to Canvas selects new
FOOTBALL
ANN ARBOR
Heisman on defense
Body also plan to fill terms ending early during regular meeting
Redshirt sophomore would be Michigan’s first winner since 1997
Sean DeMonner, the information systems executive director of teaching and learning, highlighted the need for more faculty training and discussed the migration from CTools to Canvas with the the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs Monday. The committee also addressed German Prof. SilkeMaria Weineck and Sport Management Prof. Stefan Szymanski’s terms on the committee, which will end early due to Winter Break. No final decision could be made, as it is not under SACUA’s jurisdiction, according to LSA Representative and Biology Prof. John Lehman. “It’s actually not SACUA’s decision to make,” Lehman said. “It’s the Senate Assembly’s decision to make, but in the case of somebody who is not going to complete their term, there is precedent for going down the hierarchy of votes. In terms of temporary replacement, we don’t really have precedent for that.” The gender imbalance of SACUA was a key issue in the discussion of Weineck’s and Szymanski’s replacements. According to David Wright, associate professor of accounting, said the committee fears it is missing an opportunity to diversify the
MAX BULTMAN
Managing Sports Editor
Jabrill Peppers is heading to New York. One day after the Michigan football team learned it would be spending the end of December at the Orange Bowl, the Wolverines’ do-it-all standout was announced as one of five finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Other finalists included Louisville’s Lamar Jackson, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield, Clemson’s DeShaun Watson and Oklahoma’s Dede Westbrook. After a standout redshirt freshman campaign, Peppers surged to the forefront of the college football world as a redshirt sophomore. Playing as a linebacker, safety, nickelback, running back, slot receiver and wildcat quarterback, Peppers made an impact all over the field for the sixth-ranked Wolverines. He tallied 15 tackles for loss, four sacks, an interception, a punt-return touchdown, three rushing touchdowns and 751 all-purpose yards. See PEPPERS, Page 3
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WILL FEUER
Daily Staff Reporter
members because Weineck, one of the only two women on SACUA, is leaving. “There is already a gender imbalance in SACUA and we don’t want to worsen that,” Wright said. “It may come close to looking like a quota, but perhaps we should consider taking gender into account.” Ultimately, SACUA agreed on four possible courses of action that will be presented to the
Senate Assembly: leave SACUA as a seven-person committee until the next formal election, fill the two vacant seats with the runners-up of the previous election, hold a formal election for the two seats or fill only one of the seats. The discussion will be continued and voted upon at the next Senate Assembly meeting on December 12. In his remarks, DeMonner
shifted the conversation to the migration from CTools to Canvas, which is scheduled to be completely finished by the end of fall 2017. While DeMonner said he was confident in the success of Canvas and other programs that the University of Michigan has contracted, such as Box, some SACUA members expressed concern regarding See SACUA, Page 3
AARON BAKER/Daily
David Wright, associate professor of accounting talks gender equity at the Fleming Administration building Monday.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVI, No. 41 ©2016 The Michigan Daily
member to fill vacancy
Councilmembers also approve condo project SOPHIE SHERRY Daily Staff Reporter
Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) officially resigned from Ann Arbor City Council at Monday evening’s council meeting. The vacancy was immediately filled by Jason Frenzel, who will now serve the remaining year of Briere’s two-year term. Frenzel worked for the city of Ann Arbor from 2001 to 2011 as the Volunteer Outreach coordinator for the city’s Natural Area preservation program. He ran for City Council this year as a Democrat, but lost in the primary to incumbent Councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy (D-Ward 1). At Monday’s meeting, Councilmember Chip Smith (D-Ward 5) cited his experience in city hall and community outreach as basis for their selection. “His knowledge about very complex issues facing not only the first ward but the city are superior,” Smith said. Following the appointment Frenzel said in an interview with the Daily he was deeply appreciative of the council selection and eager to get to work “I am deeply honored and humbled to be placed in City See COUNCIL, Page 3
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 CL ASSIFIEDS.................6
SUDOKU.....................2 ARTS..................5 SPORTS....................7
News
2 — Tuesday, December 6, 2016
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Thursday, the University of Michigan Board of Regents will hold their final meeting of the calendar year. The board is set to hear proposals including renovations to the Law Quad, approval of the schematic design for the new William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center and approval for an honorary law degree to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor. If approved, Sotomayor is slated to receive the honorary degree on Jan. 20, 2017 at the Presidential Bicentennial Colloquium. The Law Quad proposal, submitted by Chief Financial Officer Kevin Hegarty, calls for improvements to walkways, exterior lighting and underground utilities and
is slated to cost 6.2 million dollars. “The iconic Law Quad is in need of significant infrastructure improvements,” Hegarty wrote in the request. “This project proposes to refurbish the historic exterior building lights at all entrances, install Collegiate Gothic style light poles, and replace deteriorated walkways with bluestone pavers.” The proposed project will also repair and replace storm sewers, electrical issues and tunnels. A total of 25 on-site construction jobs are scheduled to be completed in the Law Quad by fall of 2017. Additionally, E. Royster Harper, vice president of student life, and Hegarty
are seeking approval for the schematic design of the new Trotter Multicultural Center. Last Dec., the Board of Regents approved the project to replace the old center’s facilities. The new Center will have a multipurpose room for events and conferences, along with an active learning configuration. Its construction has caused mixed reactions from students of campus, who worry the construction will add traffic and commotion to an otherwise quant area. In Winter 2014, the Black Student Union called for the relocation of Trotter as part of the #BBUM movement — a student-driven campaign sharing the experiences of Black students on campus.
Bill Marr @superstar48198
“The proposed William Monroe Trotter Multicultural Center is a result of extensive outreach and input from a variety of constituents,” Harper and Hegarty wrote. “Engagement included four town halls, eight focus group sessions, benchmarking to other university multicultural centers, and a survey of students.” The 20,000 gross square foot project, located on State Street near the Kelsey Museum of Archaeolog y, is slated to cost $10 million, and will include 13 on-site construction jobs. The construction is set to be completed in the fall of 2018.
Snow not staying on the ground here. It’s a great thing. #MichiganWeather @PureMichigan @OnlyAnnArbor Love it! Khalid Hill @Thatboylid80 Michigan fans Ima need y’all to vote for @gmoores11 if he wins or not is in y’all hands.
—KEVIN BIGLIN
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Inclusion Requires Fracturing
Israel and Diaspora Relations
WHAT: Presented by Swarupa Anila, director of interpretive engagement at the Detroit Institute of Arts, this event will outline the challenging work of developing diversity in museum representation. WHO: University of Michigan Museum of Art WHEN: 6:30pm - 7:30pm WHERE: Museum of Art
WHAT: Three panelists will discuss the historically changing relations between the State of Israel and Diaspora Jews in America and Europe. WHO: Judaic Studies WHEN: 4pm - 6pm WHERE: 202 S. Thayer, 2022 Thayer Building
Queering Families
Dissertation Performance
WHAT: University of South Carolina Prof. Carla Pfeffer will present on her interviews of cisgender women and transgender men and the experiences of their partners. WHO: Institute for Research on Women and Gender WHEN: 4:10pm - 5:30pm WHERE: 2239 Lane Hall
WHAT: This event will be a recital of Frederic Rzewkski’s North American Ballads. WHO: School of Music, Theatre and Dance WHEN: 7:30pm WHERE: Earl V. Moore Building Britton Recital Hall
Positive Links Speaker WHAT: Andrew Hoffman, University prof. of sustainable enterprise, will speak about understanding the cultural and institutional aspects of environmental issues for organizations. WHO: Michigan Ross School of Business WHEN: 4pm - 5pm WHERE: Ross School of Business
Orange Bowl @OrangeBowl
Professional Autobiography WHAT: Todd Ester, director of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Michigan School of Dentistry will speak about his professional life. WHO: Health Sciences Scholars Program WHEN: 7pm - 8pm WHERE: Couzens Hall Multipurpose Room
Expansion of Medicaid Workshop
China’s Security Concerns Lecture
WHAT: Shooshan Danagoulian of Wayne State University will present on the effect of Medicaid expansion on medical diagnoses and procedures. WHO: Health, History, Demography and Development WHEN: 11:30am - 1pm WHERE: 201 Lorch Hall
WHAT: Avery Goldstein, University of Pennsylvania prof. of Global Politics and International Relations , will present about linked internal and external security challenges in China. WHO: Lieberthal-Rogel Center for Chinese Studies WHEN: 12pm - 1pm WHERE: 1636 School of Social Work
University professor discusses nature of chronic pain in Thailand COLIN BERESFORD Daily Staff Reporter
Scott Stonington, assistant professor of anthropology and internal medicine physician, explored a Thai physician’s claim that chronic pain doesn’t exist in Thailand during his lecture, “Toward Anti-Ontology: The Unmaking of Chronic Pain in Thailand” Monday afternoon. While conducting fieldwork in Thailand, Stonington said he learned through a conversation with this physician that “there is no chronic pain in Thailand.” The lecture examined the ways in which Stonington found this to be both true and untrue. He began the lecture by discussing the traditional way of dying in Thailand. “Dying in the hospital is incredibly bad,” Stonington said. “Hospitals are terrible places
BOWLING WITH BUMPERS. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
of a hospital, with the exception of treating pain linked to cancer. Throughout the lecture, Stonington referred back to Western medicine and the differences between Western and Thai medicine to further delve into chronic pain in Thailand. Will Thomson, a post-doctoral student in anthropology, he thought Stonington’s research has various applications to Western medicine, especially in context of an ongoing opioid epidemic in the U.S. “With all the opioid addiction and use, rethinking the way we think about and experience pain is probably a useful medical, social and political project,” Thomson said. Stonington explained the ban and history of opiates has a long history in Thailand, possibly dating back to the Opium Wars in the mid-1800s and the CIA Secret War in Laos. More recently, in 2003, Thaksin Shinawatra, then-Prime Minister of Thailand, launched a war on drugs, giving the police permission to kill anyone suspected of an association with the drug trade,which has lead to roughly 2,500 extrajudicial killings. In general, Stonington said, definitions of pain in Thailand are different. “We don’t have that in Thailand,” Stongington said. “Chronic pain is a Western invention. You can say that something hurts, but pain itself is not a thing. It’s just a judgment.” Information graduate student Pei-Yao Hung said she appreciated Stonington’s comparisons between differing perspectives on medicine. “I come from Taiwan and so it was interesting to see people bringing Western medicines into perspective and try to understand it … in a different kind of context,” Hong said. During his remarks, See CHRONIC, Page 3
We’re here in Ann Arbor visiting @UMichFootball! If you see any orange jackets around campus, make sure to say hello! UMich Catholics @UmichCatholics Starting the day off bright and early in the UGLi #finalsszn
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Scott Stonington talks culture around death and hospitals to die partly because they are haunted by ghosts and they’re haunted by ghosts because (hospitals are) where bad, bad deaths happen.” That fear leads many people to rush their loved ones home from the hospital before they die to ensure a peaceful death. This has led to some people taking extreme measures on the trip home from the hospital and in some situations, more painful deaths. “(The patients are) mostly sedated: They’re sedated on opiates, they’re sedated on anesthesia, and then we take all of that away and we put them in a truck and drive them home,” Stonington said. “So sometimes we take them off and they wake up screaming in horrifying pain.” In Thailand, patients aren’t allowed to take any opiates home with them due to a law banning all opiate use and possession outside
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DEVOS From Page 1 covering the tuition for children to attend charter or private schools. The practice is highly criticized, as leading to the defunding of public schools. In a statement following her appointment, DeVos stressed she was dedicated to bolstering education. “I am very excited to get to work and to talk about my thoughts and ideas on making American education great again,” DeVos said. “The status quo is not acceptable. I am committed to transforming our education system into the best in the world.” The DeVos’s were also donors to the Trump campaign. Norton has worked with other Michigan parents and activists for increased funding of public schools while working primarily with grassroots organizations and state legislature. He said he frequently comes up against DeVos-funded groups such as the Great Lakes Education Project. “It’s really stunning to see folks out there who honestly believe public schools ought to be eliminated and left only to the hopeless cases,” he said. “And everyone feels like they ought to be in private schools. The people, through their government, should have no role in actually operating the schools. I find that dismaying.” He also noted DeVos served as the chairwoman for the Michigan Republican Party in the 1990s, and her connection to the party and her fortune make it easier to pass her policies and
CRIME From Page 1 factors that may contribute to behavior from fans — the weather, which could include hot, cold, rain, sleet, snow,” she said. “They tend to impact how much people might consume, how much alcohol and food and how much they might participate in other activities. If it’s raining, sleeting and snowing in the same game, a lot of people won’t stay or won’t even come.” Business sophomore Maxwell Frenkel said he was surprised at the statistics from the final home game against Indiana given the snowy weather. Fifty-one people were treated by emergency medical responders. “For Indiana, the number of individuals treated wasn’t high, but it wasn’t super low,” he said. “That was a freezing day and a lot of people I know didn’t go to the game. Most people didn’t want to sit in the stadium. A lot of people watched at home. So I’m surprised the numbers are still somewhat high.” According to Brown, kickoff times also play a big role. She said games that start at 3:30 p.m. tend to have more enforcement action than games that begin at noon. Engineering freshman Sam Harris said he thought there was a simple reason start time of games was significant in understanding why more students might be treated for a medical emergency. The football games on Sept. 3 and Sept. 10, which started at noon, found 74 and 55 individuals, respectively, treated by emergency medical responders, while at the following two games on Sept. 17 and Sept. 24, which started at 3:30 p.m., 83 and 76 people, respectively, were treated. “It seems for 3:30 games, there are more people taken to
PEPPERS From Page 1 A stellar start to the season buoyed many of those numbers. In the month of September alone, he recorded 9.5 tackles for loss, returned a punt for a touchdown and totaled a whopping 332 allpurpose yards, setting the stage for early Heisman hype. That hype reached a boiling point at Rutgers, when Peppers ran for two touchdowns in his home state of New Jersey. After the game, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh declared that Peppers should be in New York for the Heisman ceremony. Now, he will be. Jackson, a quarterback from Louisville, is considered the
spread her influence. “When they have such a strong influence on one political party and that political party controls the state government, they can do a lot of things they want to do,” Norton said. “And it has been a constant fight and I would say we probably lost more than we won.” Erin Wright, a teacher at Ann Arbor public school Eberwhite Elementary, said she thought DeVos’s influence on the state with schools of choice and vouchers has led to an increase in
“I am committed to transforming our education system.” racial and class segregation. “I would say her actions at the state level have been detrimental to the public schools,” she said. “They have been funneling millions of dollars to charter schools which have little oversight and therefore are typically not successful and have sometimes have lower (scoring) schools than our public schools. And I am worried about that on a national scale.” LSA junior Grant Strobl, national chairman of the Young Americans for Freedom board of governors, said he was thrilled to hear about DeVos’ appointment. “Frankly, the ineptitude and corruption of the Detroit Public Schools has squandered the
the hospital, probably because there’s more time to drink and party,” he said. This year specifically, the first five football games were all played at home, something Brown said is almost unprecedented. “At the beginning of the semester, students and others might not be quite so busy with other activities as they are at other times of the year,” she said. Noting that only 11 people were transported to the hospital during the first game against Hawaii, Frenkel said he thinks this makes sense given it was the first of the season.
“They haven’t been drinking and partying over the summer, so they may go especially hard.” “The most individuals were taken to the hospital at the Hawaii game probably because it’s the first game of the year so a lot of people are coming back,” he said. “They haven’t been drinking and partying over the summer, so they may go especially hard. It’s welcome weekend.” Brown said the intensity of the rivalry between the schools can contribute to more drinking and partying as well. “There were opponents that we didn’t play at home this year where we have been known to have to deal with more enforcement action,” she said. Similarly, Frankel said the Big Ten rivalry between Wisconsin and Michigan, as well as the relatively small distance between the schools, could have contributed to the 64 people ejected from the stadium — more
favorite to win the award after a year in which he tallied 51 total touchdowns. Twenty-one of those scores came on the ground. Jackson and the Cardinals were long projected to face off against Peppers and the Wolverines in the Orange Bowl, but after Louisville lost its season finale to Kentucky, Florida State earned the berth instead. Watson, a returning finalist from a year ago, came on strong late to clinch another standout season for the Tigers. Playing against Virginia Tech in the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Game, Watson’s stellar passing — particularly on third downs — kept the Hokies at bay and sent his team to the College Football Playoff. The Sooners had two finalists,
News future of generations of Detroit’s children. Unfortunately, Detroit is not alone,” he wrote in an email. “Many public schools in this country are keeping children in the cycle of poverty. I am confident Betsy DeVos will be innovative, including the possible creation of a voucher program, to give each child the education they need and deserve.” Michigan currently has a lenient schools of choice policy, giving citizens the ability to choose what district they want their children to attend. However, there is a ban on vouchers in the state constitution, which the DeVos family has been working to repeal. Wright said DeVos’s hometown of Holland has had a high number of public schools shut down because of her influence. In Holland, schools of choice have led to high rates of segregation and multiple public school shutdowns. According to the Holland Sentinel, white students started leaving Holland schools for less diverse districts, a phenomenon generally referred to as “white flight.” Michigan’s schools are also facing troubles academically, as the state is currently falling behind in early reading rates and has shown negative growth since 2003. Norton noted that Michigan differs from most states as the state calculates a school’s budget based on how many students they have. For example, in the average Michigan school, a student is worth $7,500. If a child leaves, however, the money leaves with them and the public school loses the $7,500. Wright said she thinks DeVos’s
than in any other game. “There were an abnormally large amount of ejections at the Wisconsin game, probably because a lot of Wisconsin fans travel here,” he said. “It was one of the first big games of the season.” Harris said he expected there would be more arrests during the Indiana game since it is also a Big Ten school, but as Brown noted, the snowy weather could have played a role. There were only two arrests during this game — the second lowest number of arrests all season and the lowest in a Big Ten game. “There aren’t that many arrests for Indiana,” he said. “You’d expect because it’s a Big Ten that there would be a lot of people doing stupid stuff.” In response to high alcohol consumption on game days, University groups have taken on several initiatives to increase student safety. This year, Central Student Government hosted a sober tailgate before the Colorado game. CSG has also taken other initiatives to keep students safe during high-risk times, including Hydration stations outside Greek life housing on game days through a joint effort between CSG and the Interfraternity Council. Public Policy senior Joe Shea, CSG communications director, said CSG tries to keep students safe in any way they can, though he noted the police are ultimately responsible for student safety in these instances. “Our goal is to try to get students to be responsible on game days and we saw this as an opportunity to promote a fun event where students can come out, have some pizza, stay hydrated and have fun,” he said.
sending a tandem to New York that would have been hard to separate. Mayfield and Westbrook were as dynamic a combo as existed in college football. Westbrook hauled in 16 touchdowns for Oklahoma, and Mayfield threw 38, limiting himself to just eight interceptions. As a primarily defensive player, Peppers is not likely to take home the trophy from New York, though the most recent defensive player to win the award also went to Michigan — Charles Woodson in 1997. Desmond Howard (1991) and Tom Harmon (1940) are the other Wolverines to win the award.
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 — 3
argument that competition in schools leads to more innovation is faulty, since most public schools, which do not have the resources to pursue different types of learning and unique programs. She added that she thinks DeVos is doing nothing to help public schools become more innovative. “I am concerned (about) our public schools, while not perfect (they) still have wonderful attributes about them,” Wright said. “When we take resources away from them with vouchers and schools of choice and give money to other types of schools, the public schools that are struggling then have absolutely no chance to correct and do better. So we are just starving schools who are struggling and that’s not going to help them get better. That is just going to end the schools.” Wright also said DeVos strongly supports Christian private schools. Both she and Norton agreed this could lead to a further strain on the separation of church and state doctrine. Wright added that it could create more funding for religious schools over public schools. “I can’t foresee myself teaching at a private religious school ever,” Wright said. “I would be looking a different career. I hope that is not what happens to public schools. I hope that our country recognizes the value of all different types of schools, public schools being the main option provided for our country for decades of welleducated citizens.” Public Policy junior Nadine Jawad, who is the co-president and co-founder of Books for a
Benefit, a program that provides supplies and workshops to cities like Dearborn, Dearborn Heights and Detroit, echoed the criticism. “I think (DeVos’s policies) can be very, very detrimental to marginalized communities across the United States but especially in Michigan, like Detroit and other communities here,” Jawad said. Jawad said the voucher system is only successful for families who can pay the difference between a public and private school education. Voucher money
SACUA From Page 1
more than information sharing. “It’s a sharing device, isn’t it?” Szymanski asked. “It’s not a
the programs. “I think the system sucks,” said David Potter, professor of classical studies. “The reason we’re using (Box) is because we’re not able to use CTools and we’re being shoved into a system that doesn’t seem to be as functional as the old system.” Szymanski, who also frequently uses Box, an online file sharing and project management tool, was surprised that it is being used for anything
CHRONIC From Page 2 Stonington also bought in personal stories in relation to the ideas of Thai physicians, such as one of a man who had abdominal pain, but his pain was not treated until the day he found out he had pancreatic cancer. “He said, ‘That day was the best day of my life,’ ” Stonington said. “It shifted him from this category, of
COUNCIL From Page 1 Council,” Frenzel said. “It is a very strange process to go through being appointed in comparisons to running and being elected, and obviously the timeline has been very fast and there is only eleven months for the appointment by mind is both spinning in the humbleness and the work to be done.” Last month, Briere announced her intention to resign at the Dec. 5 City Council meeting to move to California. After the announcement was made, the city opened applications to fill the soon-to-bevacant seat. Seven Ward 1 residents – K.C. Lopata, Brent Eliason, Jason Frenzel, Charles Bultman, Jeff Hayner, David Moya, and Taha Hussain – applied for the position. All seven were interviewed by the council on Nov. 28 at a public meeting. The meeting began with a tribute to Briere’s service on council from state Sen. Rebekah Warren (D–Ann Arbor) and state Rep. Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor), thanking Briere for the work she has done in the community and wishing her the best in her move to California. In the last hour of the meeting, Briere offered a resolution declaring her resignation. After the council approved the resolution, Briere stepped away from her seat and Council began discussion on selecting a replacement. In an interview in a November,
“I can’t forsee myself teaching at a private religious school ever.” would come from the government and then families are left to pay the rest of the private school’s fee. This, Jawad argues, leads to more socioeconomic inequality. “Even the idea of what she is trying to do is, I think, is terrible,” she said. “Right now, Michigan ranks 42nd in terms of public education quality. And if we are the 42nd state and we know that there are public schools that are lagging behind, it doesn’t make sense that she wants to create an even larger division and even more inequality.” DeVos’s appointment has also been criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union and the American Federation of Teachers. AFT President Randi
“I think the system sucks.” device for filtering information. I’m just shocked to hear it’s being used for administrative
Weingarten denounced the choice in a press release. “DeVos has no meaningful experience in the classroom or in our schools,” she wrote on the AFT website. “The sum total of her involvement has been spending her family’s wealth in an effort to dismantle public education in Michigan. Every American should be concerned that she would impose her reckless and extreme ideology on the nation.” However, conservatives like Tennessee Sen. Lamar Alexander (R) have said they appreciate DeVos for her small government policies. State Rep. Bill Huizenga (R–Mich.) said on his website DeVos’ policies would help children get quality education “no matter their zip code” and that she will “disrupt business as usual in Washington.” Norton said his group’s next steps are to reach out to other education activists on a national level and inform others of their experiences in Michigan. “(Our board hopes to) let people know precisely what this means,” Norton said. “I think that a lot of people in the country from other states didn’t really understand how extreme this choice was, how extreme the positions of DeVos and her husband and colleagues are.” Though his appointment of DeVos has been met with much criticism, especially from educators and activists, Trump said in a statement that DeVos is “a brilliant and passionate education advocate” and will be able to “break the bureaucracy that is holding our children back.”
purposes. I use it all the time for storing data and sharing with researchers. Are you kidding me, that it has an administrative function?” DeMonner’s overall response to the concerns was that problems associated with these new programs can be attributed to a lack of knowledge about how to use them, making better training the solution. “There could be problems with any of these programs if they are misused, but that’s more of a training problem than an intrinsic problem with the program,” DeMonner said.
pain that wasn’t being treated, into cancer pain.” Stonington also shared another story of a 76-year-old woman who went to the doctor because of pain in her legs. After two visits of telling the doctor of her pain, she received no help. After a third visit, when she told the doctor her legs felt “slow,” she received treatment and had an X-ray taken on her legs. “‘I don’t like taking X-rays, especially for pain,’” Stonington said a Thai doctor told him.
Stonington concluded the lecture by posing a question to the audience about what he characterized as the overall issue at hand — his attempts to try to make sense owf something that exists, yet is actively erased. “How do you make sense of sort of a silence where everyone knows that something exists but no one can name it or talk about it or identify it?” he said.
Briere said she began working with city officials early on when she decided she would be vacating her seat. “In other situations in the past, people have moved and resigned, but because I have full warning and I’m the kind of person I am, when I understood that my son was successful in purchasing the house and I had a basic idea of when I would move, I worked with the Mayor and the city administrator and the city attorney to create a reasonable process proposal, and council then looked at that process proposal and improved it,” Briere said. A large portion of the meeting before the vote on Briere’s replacement was focused on an ordinance to rezone 5.34 acres of land from a Township District land to a Multiple-Family Housing District to allow for the creation of a three-story, 75-unit condominium structure as well as the development of a regional water basin, which was approved with an 8-3 vote. During public comment, a dozen residents of the Ascot Road/Village Oaks Court area, where the proposed development would be built, urged the council to vote down the zoning ordinance. The residents argued that the development would be damaging to the area’s water systems and would change the appearance of a neighborhood that is all singlefamily homes. Many argued that the creation of a water detention center would be beneficial for some
residents of the area but would create far worse problems for those near the new development, leading to more flooding. Paula Uche, an Ann Arbor resident who spoke twice during the public comment section, said after the vote that he thought the Council’s decision to pass this ordinance disregarded their ethical duty and the voices of their constituents. “The city has cut a deal with a very wealthy developer, who is going to get even wealthier with his $75,000-a-year condos, when the rest of us who suffered to pay off our houses are going to get flooded again because (the council’s) decision totally ignores one section of the area and have neglected our complaints, our concerns, our warnings,” Uche said. Councilmembers Jack Eaton (D– Ward 4), Sumi Kailasapathy (D– Ward 1) and Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2) voted against the ordinance. The dissenting council members echoed the concerns of the residents that spoke. Eaton also stated that this rezoning goes against the city’s overarching master plan. However, Councilmember Graydon Kraphol (D-Ward 4), who voted in support of the proposal, argued that the master plan is a guide, not meant to be interpreted as an absolute. Smith also noted that that just because the area is currently dominated by singlefamily dwellings does not mean non-single family housing is at risk.
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4 — Tuesday, December 6, 2016
MAX RYSZTAK | COLUMN
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com
SHOHAM GEVA Editor in Chief
CLAIRE BRYAN
and REGAN DETWILER Editorial Page Editors
LAURA SCHINAGLE Managing Editor
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
Kevin Sweitzer Rebecca Tarnopol Ashley Tjhung Stephanie Trierweiler
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
O
Block DeVos’ appointment
n Nov. 23, President-elect Donald Trump officially announced his nomination for secretary of education, Betsy DeVos, sparking fierce criticisms from proponents of public education — including residents of Michigan, where the issue of public education is in need of so much attention. During her time as chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, DeVos fiercely championed the notion of schools of choice and student voucher programs, which funnel government funds initially set aside for public schools toward private and charter schools. DeVos seems to be blind to the fact that in her home state of Michigan, privatization programs have historically failed to reform education systems in cities such as Detroit and Flint. Despite clear evidence of the charter school sytem’s failures to provide equal education opportunities for all students, she and her family donated to the GOP after the Republican-led State Senate approved pro-charter school legislation. Considering this, as well as her lack of experience, The Michigan Daily’s Editorial Board opposes her appointment as secretary of education. But should she be voted in, we believe DeVos must take a critical look at the reality of Michigan school systems, consider the role and purpose public schools serve in the United States and reexamine the effectiveness of her proposals in Michigan before implementing similar programs nationwide. The Department of Education’s mission statement to “promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access” must apply to all U.S. citizens, not just those who already have access to quality education. Currently, while a schools of choice system in which families can have the option to send their child to charter schools in theory provides more opportunity, oftentimes it benefits wealthier families because they can afford to drive their child to a better school option. In turn, this leaves public schools and poorer families in a worse financial state. If DeVos becomes head of this department, she must uphold the mission statement and consciously design an educational system that provides resources for every student’s success. Additionally, though charter schools have had success in Michigan, according to a Detroit Free Press report, charter schools are only marginally better than public schools. It’s alarming that despite the large failures of schools of choice in Michigan, DeVos has championed these initiatives as some of the best. DeVos should consider the implications her proposed policies will have on areas of lower socioeconomic status.
In particular, DeVos staunchly supports expanding the student voucher system that currently exists in 13 states and Washington D.C. On the campaign trail, Trump proposed delegating $20 billion in federal funds to school choice vouchers for K-12 students. As secretary of education, DeVos would spearhead the implementation of this flawed solution to failing public schools. Despite the good intentions of voucher programs giving students opportunities to attend better schools, programs like these are risky because they channel money away from public schools, leading to a lack of quality education. For some families, transporting their children to a school outside their immediate district is an onerous task. For other families, charter schools don’t align with their values: Private and charter schools can be privately funded, and therefore are sometimes religiously affiliated. Students from low socioeconomic status families already face significant disadvantages in quality of available public education, because communities with lower socioeconomic status cannot always provide adequate funding for educational resources. By implementing schools of choice and an expansive private education system, DeVos could not guarantee students from underprivileged backgrounds would receive a better education with her plan than from their local public schools.
ANNIE TURPIN | CONTACT ANNIE AT ASTURPIN@UMICH.EDU
“Holiday spending”
While the effort to transition students from public schools to charter schools embodies a needed spirit of reform in education policy, DeVos’s current plans for the proliferation of charter schools would fail to produce the quality education that is desperately needed. Privatesector schools are largely unregulated by or accountable to the U.S. government, and create their own educational and teaching standards. The sheer lack of transparency in the standards being set is problematic, and poses significant challenges to reforming the U.S. education system. These scenarios are not theoretical; this is the reality for the Detroit area. The Michigan Daily Editorial Board opposes DeVos’s appointment and urges voters and Michigan senators Debbie Stabenow (D) and Gary Peters (D) to get involved and take action. As voters, we must call our senators — whether we are in-state or out-of-state students — and voice our opposition to DeVos’s confirmation. Michigan senators should take a close look at DeVos’s plans and how they are operating already and vote for the people. And if DeVos does become secretary of education, we implore her as well as ask others to ask her to take a better look at charter schools and privatization of education in Michigan.
W
The future of the GOP
ith the election to shed the wrongly applied labels over, there is finally of corporatist elites and gives a moment when us a path to prove that we have both major political parties can the policies that actually help examine their current standings American lives. and future paths. What is so In addition to successful fascinating about the outreach to different 2016 election is that groups of people, the Republican Party the party’s bench is was not expected to also strong. While win the presidency many ridiculed the nor retain the Senate; nomination processes some even speculated for having so many the House of candidates, it proves Representatives was that we have youth in jeopardy. Yet in in the party that a shocking manner, will eventually be MAX the Republican Party able to lead. Look kept both houses RYSZTAK at Congress, for of Congress and example. Members recaptured the presidency. like Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, When the new administration Speaker of the House Paul and a new Congress are sworn Ryan, Utah Rep. Mia Love in this January, Republicans and Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst are will control the White House, stars within the party and they Congress, 33 governorships and have the power to continue the have full legislative control in 32 party’s momentum in upcoming states. That is a remarkable gain elections. in a time when the Republican Party was said to be in deep trouble with the American electorate. Just a few months ago, many questioned the relevancy of the party — often predicting a complete reform of the right side of the political aisle. Yet the opposite happened; momentum since the 2010 midterms has carried the Republican Party to historic levels of power. Despite these victories, the GOP still needs to remain focused. By keeping their eye on both future electoral strategies and upcoming policy But in order to remain opportunities, the party is electorally successful, we need poised to solidify its control on to succeed on policy. If the GOP the nation’s institutions for the doesn’t follow through on many next decade. of its promises, this will be a In terms of electoral strategy, wasted opportunity. Whether Republicans certainly have it be repealing and replacing much to be optimistic about. Obamacare, securing the border, Trump was able to win over 300 reforming the tax code or electoral votes; he outperformed appointing very conservative with Latinos and women and Supreme Court justices, the unexpectedly mobilized turnout party will match the left’s course in Rust Belt states. However, the of achieving little if it doesn’t party cannot take these gains for implement significant changes granted. In future elections, the to current policy, if not replace GOP needs to remain focused policies entirely. on continually expanding our In my opinion, as a party. While we made inroads conservative Republican, we with minorities, we still have cannot miss out on the chance to plenty of room to grow. We need implement new policies. Every to prove to the Midwestern dollar taken out of my small working class, many of whom paycheck makes a difference. were Democrats who voted for A simpler, reformed tax system Trump, that the GOP is the party would go a long way to help out that truly represents them. This students across the country. election gives us the opportunity Repealing and replacing
In my opinion, as a conserative Republican, we cannot miss out on the chance to implement new policies.
Obamacare would jumpstart the hiring market, as many businesses have cut hours to get around certain Obamacare requirements. As a millennial who has experienced this phenomenon personally — a cut in my hours and pay because of new Obamacare regulations — I believe the GOP has so much potential to both help the country through its policies and solidify a moderate portion of the electorate. The Republican Party also has a rare opportunity to reshape the political debate. Hopefully, the party will be able to shift the nation’s attention toward economic and international issues. Moving away from many social issues will allow the party to put forth solutions on the issues that matter more to those on the right. The party, by maintaining a commitment to promised policy changes, can potentially solidify a voting bloc by restructuring the importance of different political issues with many different groups, especially students and younger people who are fiscally conservative and socially moderate. This said, one major question that remains is that of which path the party should take in the coming years. Does the party become more moderate on social issues in hopes of solidifying a large proportion of the youth that considers itself Libertarian? Do Trump’s nationalist views take over and remain a constant driver of policy for the foreseeable future? Or does Reagan’s party return to his principles and move farther to the right? It’s impossible to predict which path we will take. It will become clearer, however, as Trump implements his policies. Without clear proposals, it’s anyone’s guess as to what type of Republican he chooses to be, and if the party as a whole chooses to follow him. Nevertheless, it is obvious that the Republican Party is not as weak as many predicted before the election. With dominant control over America’s institutions and the potential for the implementation of solid policies, the Republican Party seems poised to be the party of the future. Max Rysztak can be reached at mrysztak@umich.edu
CHASE STONE | OP-ED
DAPL— what you can do CHASE STONE
E
arly Sunday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that the easement permit for construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline would be denied, temporarily halting construction by Energy Transfer Partners. The corps will now perform an environmental impact statement in the coming months, though Presidentelect Donald Trump’s administration will present inevitable challenges to environmental protection, specifically for the DAPL. In the wake of the permit denial, many of us will ask: Is this the end of the DAPL? And, frankly, how can we doing anything about it, 1,000 miles away in Ann Arbor? I’m a graduate student at the School of Natural Resources and Environment and a graduate student instructor for the Honors Program. Since September, I’ve been co-producing a feature documentary film called “Standing Ground” on the DAPL with director Raviv Ullman and producers Martin Spanjers and Jordan Harkins. Each of us are unaffiliated with the Standing Rock Sioux; however, we gained support from more than 800 individuals on Kickstarter to help us cover the DAPL protest on film. My responsibilities include managing research projects, summarizing environmental policies, sourcing interviews
and relaying newsworthy updates. But, despite all the time I’ve spent devoted to the DAPL documentary this semester, I freely admit: I’ve never even been to Standing Rock or set foot in North Dakota. At Michigan, many of us are informed by the books we read, people we talk to and the geographic location we live in. Some of us spend our days in lab mixing solvents and others pore over Excel spreadsheets; but no matter what we’re doing, the time we have on our hands right now can be just as impactful outside the classroom as inside it. We have no shortage of students devoted to their studies, well deserving of the “Leaders and the Best” moniker. Similar to my peers, the time I’ve spent on the documentary has been productive, but has incurred costs: I’ve gotten more Bs and Cs this semester than ever, I average five to six hours of sleep most nights, and lately, I’ve forgone most solid food in favor of Soylent because I’m too busy to cook. However, I’ve also been one of the first people outside Standing Rock to see the footage of water cannons being sprayed at protesters and share it with the world. I’ve connected with artists, Congress members and activists; I’ve written fact-checks to the Los Angeles Times, learned how to treat mace in the eyes (use milk) and inquired at least once about purchasing “drone insurance” (yes, it exists). So, when the Army Corps released its
statement on Sunday, despite being cautiously optimistic, for the first time, I got to share the taste of a small victory along with many others, but more specifically, a victory belonging to the tribes. Over the next six to 18 months, the predicted time period for the Army Corps’ Enivornmental Impact Statement to take place on the DAPL, consider your potential role — not just on this issue, necessarily, but in the context of the world. Dropping out of school is reserved for geniuses beginning their tech startup. Maybe instead, consider dropping your six-week internship to do something you’re actually called to do. My roommate’s father — a Michigan alum — once built a sailboat in the 1970s to travel around the world over summer break. He later became successful as a financial adviser. My point is that one’s “professional” identity is not one’s main identity — and that’s the reason why I am doing what I’m doing now. It is increasingly apparent that students feel pressure to find a job and a set of skills, or else they will lose out on something, when in fact, it might be the opposite. The Army Corps’ Enivornmental Impact Statement may or may not be favorable to the Standing Rock Sioux, and whether you are for the pipeline or against it, what is important is that no one stands complacent. Chase Stone is a second year graduate student at the School of Natural Resources and Enviornment.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
TV REVIEW
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 — 5
FILM REVIEW
HBO
When the Domino’s website crashes.
Intense ‘Insecure’ finale Season One finale is one of the most insightful and dramatic of the year While it may not be pretty, it ties into the theme of facing reality Daily Arts Writer that has bubbled throughout the season and broken to the surface in What makes “Insecure” so “Broken as F*ck.” fantastic is its nuanced storytelling, As Issa faces her reality, Molly characterized by and Lawrence are the slice-of-life similarly forced to quality that has take a hard look become so popular at themselves. in this most recent The episode is “Insecure” television season. structured around HBO The season finale, these parallels, “Broken as F*ck” is smartly binding Season One Finale no exception, using each character’s this quotidian trend harrowing journey to assert some of to come to terms its most dramatic and insightful with what’s happened and their narrative elements. own realizations with Issa’s own “Broken as F*ck” doesn’t path to contrition. attempt to hide or justify Issa’s In unintentionally hurting those culpability in her falling out with she loves most, Issa is forced to Molly (Yvonne Orji, “Love That finally take action, in contrast to Girl!”) or her painful breakup with her stagnation throughout the Lawrence (Jay Ellis, “The Game”) season, and assert herself to get her after cheating on him with Daniel relationship back with Lawrence (Y’lan Noel, “The Hustle”). Rather, and Molly’s forgiveness. The clever it explores these self-inflicted organization of this episode is circumstances with depth and extremely understated. Without poignancy. calling attention to the painstaking After the previous episode’s care taken in fulfilling the show’s jarring wake-up call, Issa is more themes, the finale provides a than ready to redeem herself with smooth transition into the next Lawrence, calling him multiple chapter of Issa’s life following this times and even showing up at his season. office to bring by a thoughtful gift. While it’s agonizing to see But she’s not getting off the hook Issa try to face Lawrence and that easily, and the episode strings Molly’s rejection and anger over us along on the precarious hope and over again, the repetitive, that he will forgive her and they’ll slow pace of the episode lends live happily ever after. itself to the emotional power of “Insecure” isn’t about that, this agony and makes Issa and however. It’s about telling things Molly’s reconciliation all the how they really are, even when more rewarding. It’s not a sappy it’s not pleasant. On a girls trip for moment either, but rather the Kelli’s (Natasha Rothwell, “The quick and unexpected kind where Characters”) birthday, the women the emotional reverse plays out — Issa, Kelli, Molly and Tiffany as a slight, emotive gesture and a (Amanda Seales, “My Brother gratifying return to normalcy. and Me”) get unpleasantly and The simmering drama hilariously real with one another. throughout the episode finds Kelli and Tiffany barely hold back its comedic relief in Kelli, the fits of cackling while pointing out hilarious, outspoken birthday girl to Molly the hypocrisy in her “new who prompts the group of friends Molly” attitude that allows her to to break out of their comfort do whatever she wants and own it, zones. By setting Issa and Molly’s even if it’s having a one night stand conflict in the intimate setting of with a much younger man from a Kelly’s birthday trip, the finale nightclub. intensifies the tension between Tiffany and Kelli aren’t safe the two characters while also from the group’s ridicule either, cutting through it with moments of also getting the most glaring flaws forthright comedy. But the humor in their lives thrown in their faces isn’t enough to distract from Issa’s during the riotous hot tub scene. inescapable issues. SHIR AVINADAV
A
Meanwhile, Lawrence attempts to escape his misery at a strip club with his friends, a jarring setting in contrast to Issa’s (mostly) peaceful girls weekend. When Lawrence finally calls Issa, it’s the moment of relief we’ve all been waiting for — their reunion is imminent and the long, drawn-out anticipation will finally find a satisfying end. However, we’re in for a rude awakening when Lawrence’s unexpected vengeance on Issa reveals that he’s not the man neither we nor Issa believed he was. Maybe “Insecure” doesn’t aim to tell us who its characters are, but who they can be. From its genesis, the series follows Issa through the ups and downs of transformative decisions and challenges in her relationship, career and friendships. The show has shaped a complex and acute character in Issa in just eight episodes. And while Issa is the protagonist around which the entire series is molded, the supporting characters serve an incredibly important role in exploring themes of love, life and identity in the series — most notably in “Broken as F*ck,” in which the highly conceptual structure thoughtfully indicates the robust development of the series’ characters. In doing so, “Insecure” resolves many of the storylines it has carefully nurtured throughout the eight-episode season with incredible subtlety, tying its assertive ending back to the very beginning of the season by demonstrating how far its characters have come. The season finale succeeds not only because it does this so well, but also because it leaves room for uncertainty. Though we see an enormous change in Issa and in the course of her relationship, we’re left wondering what comes next for her following the pivotal season finale. The series strives to challenge Issa in the people she’s surrounded with. And it challenges us to think about what Issa’s development really means and what changes will come of it. If this season and its finale have shown us anything, it’s that we can look forward to watching Issa grow in engaging ways.
DISNEY CHANNEL
“Yep, that’s me.”
Will the Disney ‘That’s So Raven’ reboot be relevant or just nostalgic? Lame cash grabs of beloved childhood classics? That’s so not Raven. MEGAN MITCHELL Daily Arts Writer
Friday evenings were a magical time when I was young. Coming from a household with strict rules regarding weekday television time, Friday nights
at five were reserved for Walt Disney — more specifically, for Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs), which conveniently aired right after Girl Scouts and just before dinner. It was during this time that the Disney channel was putting out its best work. From classics
like “Smart House” and “Life Size,” to the heavily-franchised “High School Musical” and “Cheetah Girls,” there is no question that the DCOM game was strong — I’d go as far as to call it the Golden Age of Disney Channel. Whether it was my fast-
TRISTAR PICTURES.
Should be Vinnie Dee up on that screen.
Vin Diesel shines while Lee’s ‘Billy Lynn’s Walk’ stays long and sober Despite cool tech, acclaimed novel suffers in adaptation for the screen tion in a deadly firefight. The footage is affecting enough to allow Bravo a brief respite from Iraqi combat; they go on a “vicThere’s a scene at the end of tory tour” of sorts, culminating Wes Anderson’s “Rushmore” in a halftime show appearance that never fails to behind Destifeel disjointed and ny’s Child at the awkward, albeit Thanksgiving Day on purpose. The Dallas Cowboys protagonist, delingame. “Billy Lynn’s Long quent high schoolThe soldiers Halftime Walk” er and part-time encounter passionTriStar Pictures amateur playate patriotic fans wright Max Fischcommending their Rave & Quality 16 er, is debuting actions, which his latest play, an they saw on the epic tale from the news, while Vietnam War with surprisingly pledging fervent support for high production values. The dia- the Iraq War. Billy Lynn (newlogue in Max’s play, “Heaven and comer Joe Alwyn) finds love in Hell,” is stilted and convoluted, a born-again cheerleader, Faison all those “-eds” that offend the Zorn (Makenzie Leigh, “James common critic. Max’s play reads White”). And, perhaps most beautifully on paper, perhaps, but importantly, they’re drunk — when acted out before an audi- very, very drunk — which is the ence, when people have to actu- only way they can deal with their ally read the lines aloud, as if they impending redeployment to Iraq are speaking them in real life, at the conclusion of their tour. whimsical mysticism thumbs That drunkenness, though over reality to a fault. emphasized in Fountain’s novel This is all to say there’s a big as perhaps the only escape from difference between the written the doom of military service, is and spoken word. That which is largely absent from Lee’s film. written is afforded a diligence Bravo squad, subject to a hygienand deliberation that allows for ic cleanse, is a sanitized version creative and expressive prose. of their literary selves. So, too, Spoken word is messy and is the dread of returning to Iraq, incomplete, with bits and pieces not as a prospect but as a satiric of thoughts hurriedly scrambled exclamation point that reduces together to get one’s voice in the the group to dead men walking, conversation. being celebrated for a brief stint This distinction is mangled at bravery. In other words, it’s in “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime hard to ignore that Bravo will be Walk,” the latest film from direc- redeployed, but it’s only a loomtor Ang Lee (“Life of Pi”). Featur- ing threat, not a cosmic joke. ing a screenplay with dialogue The film’s peculiar frame rate, largely lifted from the original which, at 120 frames per second, novel by Ben Fountain, “Billy is five times the standard of 24 Lynn” falls short as a biting war frames per second, compounds satire, as a drama and as a film. confusion. The motion is overly The film follows the Bravo smooth, but in a standard projecsquad, a fictional group of Ameri- tion, it’s not particularly dizzycan soldiers fighting in Iraq who ing, just a bit distracting. become famous when a Fox News Still, the frame rate seems to embed captures their participa- be innovation for its own sake,
and it isn’t used to enhance the story, even though the idea makes sense. American society has commercialized the spectacle and language of war — the halftime show is filled with explosions and model rockets, and Bravo is asked if they’re “battle-ready” to appear in the show, much to the dismay of the soldiers. But, just as dropping a group of rowdy 20-somethings into the middle of Iraq is not the way to win a war, dropping a story into a crazy frame rate fails to advance cinema technology in any way. The film is at times saved by its stars, who slip into their roles with a natural ease. Alwyn and Leigh do their best with a poor screenplay, but the rest of the squad, especially “Mango” (Arturo Castro, “Broad City”) and the group’s leader, Sergeant Dime (Garrett Hedlund, “Inside Llewyn Davis”), give the soldiers credibility as a ragtag bunch of American patriots. Chris Tucker (“Silver Linings Playbook”) is hilarious as Albert, the Hollywood agent trying to turn Bravo’s story into a film, and Kristen Stewart (“Certain Women”) delivers a raw gut-punch of a performance as Lynn’s sister, for she is consumed by concern for her little brother. Vin Diesel (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) is as good as Steve Martin (“The Jerk”) is bad, a surprising turn to say the least. Diesel is instilled with a calming patience that suits his military role, while Martin simply seems ill-fitting for the role as fictional Dallas Cowboys owner Norm Oglesby, playing the wealthy Southern oil baron with little affect. In the War on Terror age, we need war satires to digest the last fifteen years. But “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” more a filmic experiment than fullfledged argument, falls short of what we deserve.
approaching adolescence or teenage rebelliousness, I noticed that around the time I distanced myself from the channel, Disney began to take an abrupt shift away from originality and toward highprofit franchises. In the past few years, the Disney Channel of yore has almost blinked itself into obscurity, replaced by a channel that seems to value franchise-friendly material over originality. A recent YouTube search for DCOMs led to the very movies that had made such an impression on my youth, yet they all had something in common: age. Of all the DCOM movies I had searched for, none of the more celebrated films were spectacularly new, with the majority settling somewhere around the late 1990s to the early 2000s. In the year 2000, the Disney Channel released 12 DCOMs: one for every month of the year. Although recent material is still being tossed out by the channel at a steady rate, one has to wonder where the magic went. From 2003 to 2007, the Disney Channel entertained with one of its better-known series, “That’s So Raven,” a hit liveaction sitcom detailing the antics of teen psychic Raven
pointed, as the series had little to offer in terms of new material in the premiere season. It’s this lack of originality that sparks my concerns for “That’s So Raven” — what can this spin-off bring us that “That’s So Raven” hasn’t already covered? While it’s known that original cast members, such as Anneliese van der Pol’s (“Vampires Suck”) Chelsea will return, there are serious questions still left unanswered. How will the reboot relate to the original series? What generation is Disney aiming for, exactly? These questions are trivial — answers will soon emerge as the series progresses further into production, though the points they raise will remain relevant for the new standard of television production. It’s become quite obvious over the years that there is a stunning lack of originality in the newer DCOMs, possibly stemming from the abundance of source material within their more recent series. Although I’ll be anticipating Raven-Symoné’s series as much as the next fan, I’ll be going in with a critical mind, yearning for a return to the old school Disney Channel and awaiting some much-needed change.
DANIEL HENSEL Daily Arts Writer
C-
Baxter (Raven-Symoné, “The View”) as she navigated life, love and family. Growing up, the series was essential to my pre-adolescent angst — whether it was through the close scrapes the gang had with their parents or the trials being an outcast in high school could bring, Raven was relatable above all else. So when Raven-Symoné recently announced her plans to depart the daytime talk show “The View” to work full-time on a “That’s So Raven” spin-off series, I originally celebrated her return to Disney. I would gladly support anything to bring back nostalgia. However, there is a question of originality still at play here. Take “Boy Meets World,” which was developed into the spinoff “Girl Meets World” in 2014. Though “Boy Meets World” was a staple of the vintage Disney Channel, revival programs still beg the question — when is originality tossed aside in favor of nostalgia? When production details began flooding social media, my nostalgia turned quickly to déjà vu, as the plot suspiciously follows the storyline for Netflix’s revival series, “Fuller House.” And though “Fuller House” promised nostalgia, many fans were left disap-
Arts
6 — Tuesday, December 6, 2016
TV REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
GENDER & MEDIA COLUMN
NETFLIX
Mystery, Inc. has not aged well.
Looking for a low-grade 007? Try ‘Pacific Heat’
FOCUS FEATURES.
Don’t be the couple that sits like this in your Stats lecture.
Love may triumph, but Oscar contender ‘Loving’ doesn’t
Australian Netflix series is a blatant rip-off of “Archer,” etc. perceived — like the milieu that produced hidden gems Daily Arts Writer “Summer Heights High” and “Ja’mie: Private School Girl” — There’s something to be said then it’s difficult to distinguish for the willingness to produce it from even the jokes the show a blatant rip-off. “Pacific explicitly lifts from “Archer,” Heat” is not like the female good, of course, characters that but I can’t help always seem to but applaud the end up in their “Pacific Heat” sheer brazenness underwear on of an animated missions. Netflix TV show that But the is, essentially, underlying issue an Australian is this: what is version of “Archer.” the point of diluted satire? If Created by and starring “Archer” itself is a send-up of Australian comedy team Rob “James Bond” and its tropes, Sitch (“Utopia”), Santo Cilauro then “Pacific Heat” needs (“Frontline”) and Tom Gleisner something more to add to the (“Have You Been Paying subversion. The critiques of the Attention?”), “Pacific Heat” form that “Archer” makes are looks, feels and plays like a low- pointed and deliberate, and so rent version of FX’s animated “Pacific Heat,” by its existence, series. The show centers around must join the conversation. an undercover intelligence unit, From all available signs, it whose nickname the title bears, doesn’t. as they infiltrate, operate and The jokes are mostly decapitate crime on Australia’s obvious, as is characteristic of Gold Coast. There’s a square- the average comedy pilot. The jawed, somewhat incompetent comedic template the show lead, a domineering boss and establishes is not inviting or wearily sarcastic female agents. warm, but rather too eager That sounds, of course, to traffic in uncomfortably dispiritingly familiar. And stereotypical Asian jokes and if there’s some Australian exaggerated accents. The comedic sensibility to be characters are thinly sketched NABEEL CHOLLAMPAT
C-
Classifieds
(literally) and unconvincing. Prickly, in-your-face comedy is possible and necessary, but so is audience empathy. Moreover, “Pacific Heat”’s animation is disquietingly odd. The basic template is, once again, the stilted and halting motion of “Archer,” but there’s something different here, whether it’s the strangely colored eyes or the hair shading that seems a bit off. And while shows like “BoJack Horseman” couple this kind of stiff animation with the bored, deep-throated delivery to create deadpan perfection, “Pacific Heat” seems beset by the irritating urge to have its characters talk over each other instead, a comedic trope that becomes well-worn before the pilot is even finished. Mostly though, “Pacific Heat” reads as inessential. It’s a copy, but a worse one. A satire, but weaker. A show that, by all accounts, isn’t worth an investment. An Australian production team and an Australian setting can’t differentiate the show enough from its obvious influence, and in this modern context of TV as the wellspring of original, influential media, that’s difficult to reconcile.
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RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
HELP WANTED
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Rodent Templeton in “Charlotte’s Web,” for one 4 Provide with more than enough 11 Miner’s target 14 Flightless bird 15 Memorable Greek shipping magnate 16 Aggravate 17 Bake sale confections made with root veggies 19 Finish off 20 Chance for a hit 21 Asia’s __ Darya river 22 Cornstarch brand in a yellow-andblue container 23 Chair or bench 24 Shine-minimizing makeup layer 27 Harmonious 29 Scare 30 Soon-to-be grads. 31 Vanity cases? 33 Plagues 34 Wireless networking protocol 36 Degenerate, like Agnew’s snobs 39 Apt name for a Dalmatian 40 Mil. academy 43 Black, in Bordeaux 44 Like the flame at Arlington National Cemetery 46 Pop’s pop 50 Vacation site you might sail to 51 Painter Magritte 52 Managed care gp. 53 Follow, as advice 54 “Fear the Walking Dead” network 55 Driver’s alert about an infant, and a hint to what can precede both words of 17-, 24-, 34- and 46-Across 58 Peace symbol 59 Central Texas city 60 Bestow, to Burns
61 Chemical suffix with benz62 Cut at an angle 63 Always, to Poe
28 Like pool tables 32 Ave. crossers 33 Swag 34 Suisse capital 35 Newspaper page with views 36 Personalize at the jeweler’s 37 Work site supervisors 38 Bride-to-be 40 Performing in a theater 41 Dieter’s unit
42 Thin 45 Man who “wore a diamond,” in “Copacabana” 47 Abu __ 48 Realm of influence 49 Holmes’ creator 53 Still sleeping 55 “Kapow!” 56 “__ the land of the free ... ” 57 SSW’s opposite
DOWN 1 Finds new players for 2 One who plays without pay 3 Wrapped headdresses 4 Chimney residue 5 Colony insect 6 Tic-toe filler ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 7 Father of Jacob and Esau 8 Words on a volunteer’s badge 9 Highway headache 10 Half a figure eight 11 Late in arriving 12 Substance used for chemical analysis 13 Obtains via coercion, as money 18 Part of APR 22 Knee-deep (in) 24 Bach work 25 Therapeutic plant 26 Prince Siegfried’s beloved, in “Swan Lake” 12/06/16 xwordeditor@aol.com
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This true-story legal drama underserves its female protagonist.
I
walked into “Loving” con- are very much in love. But the fident I was about to see a film never really establishes the film that would blow me intimacy of the relationship. away. The trailer may or may not The two barely talk; they never have made me cry, and I knew make each other laugh; I don’t that it would add to think there is a single discussions about instance of Richard the inequalities talking to his children; still faced by people there are so many of color, women, lingering close-ups of and especially the Mildred’s concerned LGBTQ commuface that they begin nity, in terms of civil to feel almost stale. rights surrounding Often, the beauty of the right to love whoa shot seemed to be ever one does. held in her reserved SOPHIA About thirty femininity or her minutes in, I was KAUFMAN motherhood, rather sitting very still in than in her constant my seat, restraining myself from strength through emotional craning around to see if anyone labor. else was wearing a bewildered Of course, as this was based on expression on their face. a true story, it can be argued that “Loving” is based on the true if the real Mildred was a reticent story of Mildred Jeter, a Black woman, then her character woman, and Richard Loving, a shouldn’t have to be changed, white man, married in D.C. in or made larger than life. This 1958; their interracial marriage is true; timid or soft-spoken is not legal in Virginia at the women can be just as strong as time. When the Lovings return the loudest woman in the room. to Virginia and live as a married The stories of regular, everyday couple, their home is invaded people are just as important by local police who have been to tell as the stories of people tipped off that they are living as whose names and faces are in husband and wife. Their sentence our history textbooks; arguably of a year in jail is suspended on even more so, as the Western the provision that they leave education of history has been Virginia and don’t return for 25 studied and taught through years. only the lens of the Great White Eventually, after years of Man and What He Did for His moving and raising children in Country and thereby ignored the less than ideal circumstances, contributions and importance of Mildred is inspired to write a everyone else for so long. letter to Bobby Kennedy. She But there are ways to tell the is contacted by the ACLU, who stories of the everyday woman want to use the Lovings’ story to without making her seem passive. launch a case that would change There are ways to portray a timid the Constitution and alter the woman without taking away her course of American history — voice almost completely. The fighting the bans on interracial composition of several of film’s marriage. Spoiler alert: They are shots were shocking to me. There successful. are too many shots in which There were parts of “Loving” Mildred is tiny and cramped up that I did appreciate. The into a corner of the frame. Even moments with the photographer when she is allowed to take up from Life magazine are lovely; the more space on screen, there are delicacy required in capturing more shots of her blinking than the beauty of intimate moments talking. to sway national public opinion The film ends with a quote from is quietly beautiful. The actors’ Mildred that says, “I miss him. He performances themselves were took care of me.” After that, the organic and nuanced, especially screen fades to black and credits Ruth Negga (“Warcraft”) as roll. Of course, she said this in Mildred and Joel Edgerton real life. But when an entire movie (“Midnight Special”) as Richard. portrays a person who should have Negga imbues her character been more of a focal point of the with weariness alternating with film from the get-go as so passive, hope that makes your heart feel this cherry-picked quote was the full. The cinematography was wrong one to use. elegant if restrained, the natural, The one time it is pointed out understated color palette that Mildred had a lot more at allowing every scene to flow into stake, as the Black woman, than the next. Richard does as a white man, However, I was put off by it’s a small interaction, never a few things — namely, the addressed again. There was representation of Mildred’s more focus on a racist cop telling character. The film starts when Loving that he was going to get in the two protagonists are already trouble for sleeping with a Black in a committed relationship; we woman than there was on how are supposed to know that they the dangers of this relationship
were affecting Mildred. The film hints at the fact that the white lawyers are excited about this case because it’ll be an important win for their careers — but it then goes on to portray them as men who only wanted to do the right thing. And even though the scenes in the courtrooms are much shorter than in other movies with court cases surrounding issues of race — “Amistad,” “Lincoln,” and “To Kill a Mockingbird” are the first few to come to mind, all of which are also framed through the white male hero lens — the lawyers are still positioned as heroic. The music score picks up when the two lawyers start working on the case, and swells triumphantly when they are in the courtroom. The private side conversation between them about how they know their plan to get the Lovings arrested again puts the family in danger and they’re not completely sure they’ll be able to get them out of it unscathed is not framed as a serious discussion about the potential benefits of doing something risky for the greater good, but rather as a funny aside from one to the other as they smile and wave goodbye at the Lovings’ retreating figures. That scene was not a moment of comic relief from the upcoming tension, as it was probably intended to be, but jarring. I think there’s often a tendency, in coverage of American period films that revolve around conflicts we like to pride ourselves on having conquered, to praise them more than we would otherwise, because no one wants to have their criticsm interpreted as a sign that they aren’t aligned with the messages of hope and triumph within the movies. There is a tendency to exalt them because if we can say that a movie portrays something like the battle for civil rights accurately and beautifully, then that means we have 360 degrees of perspective around it. But now is not the time to only bask in the beauty of a period film that makes us feel good about how far we’ve come. Rather, we should be pushing ourselves and each other further than ever before in artwork that has a social message, understanding that no story like this will ever be perfectly told. We would only be doing ourselves a disservice by not allowing films that deal with important subject matter to be analyzed in every way that other pieces are. Kaufman is the new Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. To schedule a surgery, email sophkauf@umich.edu
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Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan picking up the pieces Berenson, Wolverines had meeting before practice Monday to recover from losses MIKE PERSAK
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Offensive woes plague Wolverines in defeat ETHAN WOLFE
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan hockey team was outscored, 11-2, in its twogame series at Penn State. There aren’t many positives the Wolverines can take away from those results, and in the press conference after Friday’s game, that sentiment was reinforced. When talking about the physical nature of the series, Michigan coach Red Berenson said his team still had pride, and senior forward Alex Kile quietly explained that Michigan simply wasn’t good enough against the Nittany Lions. Yet, the season still goes on. As devastated as the Wolverines (0-2-0 Big Ten, 6-7-1 overall) may have been after the weekend, Wisconsin will still travel to Ann Arbor for the teams’ series starting Friday. Despite how poorly Michigan played against Penn State, it still must find a way to refocus for the future. “We had a good meeting before practice,” Berenson said. “We talked about having a rebound week, and get back to playing the kind of hockey we were playing two or three weeks ago.” Shifting focus may be easier for Berenson than others — he’s spent most of his life playing and coaching hockey. For the players themselves, refocusing after a blowout loss can be more difficult, but veteran players can smooth the transition from a poor showing to the next game. “First of all, I spend personally — and I encourage other guys to do this — 20 minutes after any game, good or bad, thinking about that game,” said senior goaltender Zach Nagelvoort. “And then it’s all on to the next thing. And I think
Tuesday, December 6, 2016 — 7
Daily Sports Writer
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Michigan coach Red Berenson is looking to refocus his team over the course of the week after two blowout losses.
you’d find a lot of other guys in the locker room who have that same approach. So as far as the week of practice, we’re looking forward. We’re looking at Wisconsin this weekend.” Nagelvoort played in Thursday’s game against the Nittany Lions and faced 29 shots in just two periods, one more shot than the Wolverines had the entire game. As staggering as that total is, it pales in comparison to the 58 shots from Penn State that freshman Jack LaFontaine faced Friday.
Nevertheless, the number of shots a goaltender faces is not in his control. And just like how Michigan must refocus on the next game, Nagelvoort says, a goaltender has to refocus on the next shot. “You can’t make the save seven shots from now right now,” Nagelvoort said. “Staying in the moment is the biggest thing, which is one of the hardest things to do in goaltending, and in any sport I would imagine, and a lot of different things in life. But specifically as a goalie, you’ve got to just find some way to stay dialed
“We’re looking forward. We’re looking at Wisconsin.”
in to the moment you’re in.” Giving up a high volume of shots is just one of Michigan’s weaknesses that Penn State exposed. The team is working to fix those weaknesses, and Berenson isn’t going to overreact. He is focused on improving the team that he has right now. “It’s not any one thing,” Berenson said. “Our penalty killing wasn’t very good. Our power play wasn’t very good, our goalies were, I thought, OK. Our defense has to be better, and our forwards have to be better. “It’s a challenge. And yet, we’re not going to reinvent our team. We’re not going to trade all our players. We’re going to try and build them up and get them playing the way they need to play.”
When the Michigan women’s basketball team hosted Xavier last season, it ran the Musketeers out of Crisler Center to the tune of a 92-54 MICHIGAN 58 beatdown. XAVIER 61 But when it was the Wolverines’ turn to travel from Ann Arbor to Cincinnati, Xavier (6-0) made last season’s loss a distant memory, edging Michigan, 61-58. Unlike last year’s offensive blitzkrieg, the Wolverines (7-2) uncharacteristically struggled to sink their shots, shooting just 33.9 percent from the field. Michigan’s offensive troubles also hurt them in the paint. Two early fouls by sophomore center Hallie Thome sidelined her for much of the first half, and the Wolverines couldn’t develop a low post presence throughout the game. The two teams were mostly similar on the stat sheet, but the Musketeers held a big rebounding advantage on both ends. With Thome in foul trouble and a smaller lineup in to replace her, Xavier pounded the glass, outrebounding Michigan 46-32 and getting the second chances it needed, which proved to be the difference maker. While the Wolverines’ issues in those areas kept the contest closer than expected, their defense also stymied the Musketeers’ attack, forcing a 28-28 tie heading into halftime. Just as Michigan did against Western Michigan on Nov. 21, when it had a two-point lead at halftime but pulled away in the second half, the Wolverines
hoped they could replicate that same performance into the third quarter. “I definitely did expect (the team) to start clicking,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “I think we showed signs of it. But we really couldn’t sustain it. Xavier did a great job of taking us out of our game plan, limiting our transition, and we started to play in the half-court, which we don’t want to do.” Offensive difficulties for both teams carried into the second half, but the Wolverines entered the final quarter with a 46-44 lead thanks to a buzzerbeating bucket by freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick. But for Michigan, the worst shooting woes were yet to come. After a five-point run by Xavier, layups from senior guard Siera Thompson and junior guard Katelynn Flaherty put the Wolverines down only one with 3:08 left in the game. From that point on, Michigan made just three free throws and missed its final six field-goal attempts, unable to take the lead and the game. “I was trying to get us going offensively, but I think it cost us on the defensive end,” Barnes Arico said. “We really did get killed on the glass and didn’t have any secondchance opportunities. We went offensive to get something going, and it hurt us with our rebounding.” In Michigan’s worst offensive outing thus far, Flaherty and Thompson were the only Wolverines who notched double figures, scoring 21 and 12, respectively — a stark contrast from a team that came into the game seventh in the nation in scoring offense.
MEN’S SWIMMING
Michigan finishes sixth at Georgia Invitational Wolverines travel with young squad as Powers, other regulars sit out meet EFE EDEVBIE For the Daily
Traveling to Georgia for the UGA Fall Invitational, the Michigan men’s swimming and diving team managed to earn 503 points on Sunday, finishing sixth among seven teams and placing seven swimmers in the top-eight in the invitational finals. Michigan opened up Friday with 12 NCAA provisional ‘B’ times and two NCAA Diving scores. The team added to their ‘B’ times with 17 more on Saturday and finished the invitational on Sunday with an additional 11, bringing their weekend total to 40. The team missed some key pieces during the weekend, with juniors Paul Powers, PJ Ransford, Evan White, sophomore Mokhtar Al-Yamani, and freshman Felix Auböck all sitting out the competition to participate in the FINA World Swimming Championships that begin Tuesday in Windsor, Ontario. Leading the way for the Wolverines were a quintet of freshmen in Charlie Swanson, Miles Smachlo, Jacob Montague, Steven Anderson, and Jake Herremans, all five of whom qualified for their events’ finals on Saturday and Sunday. Swanson, a Big Ten Freshman of the Week, followed up a 400yard IM championship in the USA College Challenge with a fifth-place finish (3:46.06) in the same event on Saturday and
a 13th-place finish in the 200yard breaststroke, clocking a time of 1:58.88. Ranked fourth in the Big Ten in both the 100-yard and 200yard breaststroke, Montague took seventh in the 100 on Saturday with a 53.51 finish and outpaced Swanson in the 200 with a time of 1:57.30, placing him eighth in the final on Sunday. Anderson came away with a 10th-place finish in the three-meter springboard final on Saturday with a score of 295.10 and earned fifth in the platform final on Sunday (291.95). Herremans played an active role the entire weekend, receiving an NCAA Zone Diving qualifying score on Friday with a 309.75 mark in the one-meter springboard final on Friday, earning him sixth place. He followed the strong start with a score of 281.70 in the three-meter springboard final on Saturday and a tally of 262.35 in the platform final on Sunday, placing 12th and eighth, respectively. Smachlo finished fourth in the 100-yard butterfly on Saturday (46.88) and 10th in the finals for the 200-yard butterfly with a 1:45.09 mark on Sunday. The Wolverines will now enjoy a month-long break before competing again at the Orange Bowl Classic in Key Largo, Fla., on Jan. 3. And with the missing members of its team returning for that meet, Michigan will be in better shape going forward.
Michigan closed the weekend with 40 NCAA ‘B’ qualifiers.
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Michigan placed fourth out of eight teams at the Georgia Invitational over the weekend and will next compete in the Orange Bowl Classic on Jan. 3.
Ryan, Bi lead Wolverines in fourth-place finish COLE ZINGAS
Daily Sports Writer
The No. 4 Michigan women’s swimming and diving teams went head to head with some of the nation’s top competition and came out feeling positive about its results. For a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country at the beginning of the season, a middling fourth-place finish out of eight teams might seem like a disappointment. But at the Georgia Invitational in Athens, Ga., the Wolverines broke several school and conference records — a good sign for a team that is aiming to add to its a Big Ten championship season from last year — and were able to qualify swimmers for seven races at the NCAA “A” level, and 33 races at the NCAA “B” level. Five teams ranked in the top 11 competed at the meet, with No. 10 California coming out on top.
Junior G Ryan and sophomore Yirong Bi were the long-distance standouts from Michigan. In the first day of action, Ryan swam her best race of the season, posting a Big Ten record time of 4:34.28 in the 500-yard freestyle. It is Ryan’s favorite event to swim, and she normally competes well in the race. But the record finish time was a surprise, even to her. “It kind of came out of nowhere,” Ryan said. “It was a lot of attention to detail and consistency in training that really helped that race be what it was.” Bi was not far behind, joining Ryan in posting a time good enough to qualify for the NCAA “A” championships. The pair now ranks No. 3 and No. 4 in the event nationally, trailing only U.S. Olympians Katie Ledecky (Stanford) and Leah Smith (Virginia Tech). In the 1,650-yard freestyle, Bi and Ryan placed 1-2 again
— and this time Bi took the victory. She made the “A” cut for the event, while Ryan — a few seconds behind — qualified for the “B” level. Bi and Ryan also teamed up in the 4x200-yard freestyle relay to post a sub-7:00 time, finishing second in the event and earning another NCAA “A” status. They were aided by junior Gabby DeLoof and sophomore Siobhán Haughey — who also won the individual event to bring home Michigan’s only race victory in Saturday’s action. “The energy — especially on the relays — feeding off of each other and supporting each other … that was the best part (of the weekend).” Another “A” level performance came in the 400yard freestyle relay on Sunday, with the Wolverines clocking in at 3:13.65. But that was only good for third place in the race, on a day that showed just how tough the competition at the
meet really was. Haughey — the 2016 Big Ten champion in the 100-yard freestyle — swam well enough to qualify for the NCAA “A” meet in the event, with a time of 48.31 within six tenths of her personal record. Still, she finished just sixth in the race. Similarly, freshman Vanessa Kraus broke the Michigan school record in the 200-butterfly, but finished fifth overall in the event finals. Spending the weekend side by side with some of the nation’s top teams, the Wolverines know they can compete with the best down the line. What’s in store for the end of the season? Ryan doesn’t want to predict anything, but the team is feeling good about its chances. “It’s hard to predict the future,” Ryan said. “But what I see now is that we’re going to continue to work hard, continue to grow as a team, (and) put everything out there when we swim.”
Sports
8 — Tuesday, December 6, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Wolverines ready for up-tempo Longhorns Michigan welcomes Texas to Crisler for first year of home-and-home series MINH DOAN
Daily Sports Editor
GRANT HARDY/Daily
Redshirt sophomore quarterback Wilton Speight threw for 2,375 passing yards and 17 touchdowns in the regular season, his first as a starter for Michigan.
Season in Review: Quarterbacks JACOB GASE
Daily Sports Editor
With the Michigan football team’s 2016 regular season in the books, the Daily looks back at the performance of each unit this year and looks ahead to the future in 2017. In this edition: quarterbacks. With 2015 starting quarterback Jake Rudock departing after an impressive single-season leap from unproven graduate transfer to NFL Draft pick, the Michigan football team had a huge question mark at quarterback at the beginning of 2016. It turned out that question was all but answered in the spring, and that answer might be the key to the Wolverines’ offense for the next two seasons. The year started with an open competition between redshirt sophomore Wilton Speight and redshirt juniors John O’Korn and Shane Morris, but Speight emerged as the frontrunner for the starting job before the Spring Game in April. He never relinquished his lead, and he embarked on a remarkable first starting season that, in many ways, mirrored his predecessor’s. Despite throwing an interception on his first pass this season, Speight came back to throw seven touchdowns in his first two games, tying a school record to start a season. He overcame an elbow injury
to beat eventual Pac-12 runnerup Colorado, put up 49 points in a win over eventual Big Ten champion Penn State and uncorked a 45-yard touchdown to fifth-year senior wide receiver Amara Darboh to seal the deal against eventual Big Ten West champion Wisconsin. And that wasn’t even his best three-game stretch of the season (more on that later). If it wasn’t abundantly clear that Speight deserved the starting job early on, a lateseason shoulder injury proved it. Speight missed the Indiana game on Nov. 19 after sustaining an injury late in Michigan’s loss to Iowa, and O’Korn turned in a season-low 56 passing yards in his place despite still picking up the win. Of course, Speight returned for the Wolverines’ thrilling regular-season finale against Ohio State, throwing for two touchdowns and leaving his team just three points shy of a chance at the Big Ten Championship. The first-time starter finished the year with 2,375 passing yards and 17 touchdowns against six interceptions. He not only answered one of Michigan’s more pressing preseason questions, but he established himself as a potential face of the offense for years to come. HIGH POINT: Over one stretch starting in late October,
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said in three straight postgame press conferences that Speight had just completed his best game yet. During that run — which included wins against Illinois, Michigan State and Maryland — Speight completed 70.8 percent of his passes for 859 yards and four touchdowns, with his passer rating reaching levels of well over 200 during the games. To cap it off, Speight added his first career rushing touchdown against Maryland, leaping over the goal line after a 10-yard scramble — an image now immortalized on his Twitter account as a parody of the Jordan Brand’s Jumpman logo. It was the icing on the cake for a quarterback not known for his running ability. (As fifthyear senior defensive end Chris Wormley once quipped, “You see Wilton try and scramble and it looks like it hurts.”) LOW POINT: One could argue that Speight’s two interceptions and the fumble on the one-yard line against Ohio State were his three biggest mistakes of the season, but his command of the offense still put the Wolverines in position to win that game. His true low point came two weeks earlier in Iowa City, when Michigan mustered just one offensive touchdown in a 14-13 upset loss to the Hawkeyes. Speight completed 11 of 26
passes for just 103 yards, finishing with a season-worst 67.9 passer rating, zero touchdowns and an interception. His inability to keep the offense on the field late in the game proved fatal, as the Wolverines went three and out despite needing to kill less than two minutes of game time in the fourth quarter. A face-mask penalty on the ensuing punt set up Iowa’s game-winning field goal. THE FUTURE: Harbaugh does love his quarterback competitions — and he’ll have plenty of capable bodies next season — but Speight’s performance this season likely cemented his place as the starter going forward. O’Korn and Morris each have a year of eligibility remaining, but Harbaugh has said that fifth years aren’t guaranteed, and if this year is any indication, playing time should be hard to come by for the two veterans. The more intriguing name, however, is Brandon Peters — a soon-to-be redshirt freshman who has enough talent to be touted by some as Harbaugh’s next Andrew Luck. And highly coveted 2017 recruit Dylan McCaffrey will be on campus next fall as well, making for a gifted and crowded quarterback room no matter who the starter is. It seems likely that Speight will hang onto his job, but Michigan’s quarterback storyline will surely be heavily scrutinized for years to come.
A week ago, the Michigan men’s basketball team squared off against a Virginia Tech squad that head coach John Beilein Texas at said would Michigan “push (the Matchup: ball) up the Texas 4-3; floor right Michigan 6-2 down our When: throat.” Tuesday 9 P.M. The Where: Crisler Wolverines Center (6-2) held serve for most of the TV/Radio: game against ESPN2 the up-tempo Hokies, but ultimately faltered down the stretch, losing in overtime, 73-70. Michigan will get another chance to face an up-tempo team at home against Texas (4-3) on Tuesday night, in the front end of a home-and-home series that matches the teams up again next year in Austin, Texas. The two teams also met last season in the Bahamas at the Battle 4 Atlantis, where the Wolverines were victorious, 76-72. Coached by Shaka Smart, the Longhorns push the pace of the game not through their offense, but their defense, a strategy that led to much of Smart’s success at Virginia Commonwealth before he moved to Texas. “Shaka has more than he had last year, when we played them, of the havoc full-court defense,” Beilein said. “They’re playing some zones, and they have a lot of good action going on, and our players will have to play well.” Because of Texas’ up-tempo defense, the Wolverines will have to work harder and rely on bench players, especially freshman guard Xavier Simpson, who will have to give senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. a break. “We’re going to need (Simpson) to help Derrick,” Beilein said. “Not only to beat the press or attack their defense, but also to give (Walton) a rest.” Added Simpson: “I feel like I can handle it. I’m being worked on every day in practice and getting better and just learning
the pace of the game.” But besides the fact that Michigan is about to face a high-energy team, Tuesday night’s bout will also be the Wolverines’ third game in seven days. “(It’s) something we see a lot of in the Big Ten, so it’s been good for us to go through that type of schedule this week,” Beilein said. Most recently, Michigan is coming off an 82-55 win over Kennesaw State that saw sophomore forward Moritz Wagner score a career-high 20 points and redshirt sophomore DJ Wilson grab his second career double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. The duo, though, will have a much tougher time trying to repeat their feats against Texas. Inside, the Longhorns start 6-foot-11 forward Jarrett Allen at the ‘5’ and athletic forward Shaquille Cleare at the ‘4.’ Both will provide challenges for Wagner and Wilson at both ends of the court. “They’re a great post-up team,” Beilein said. “They’re going to play out of the post like crazy, so post defense has to be important.” Texas also features guard Tevin Mack, who leads the Longhorns in scoring with 14 points per game despite starting in only one game this season thus far. But while Michigan understands that Texas will bring something different to the table, the Wolverines still want to play their own game, which is something they haven’t been able to do in their two losses this season. “We just want to stick to our style of play,” said senior forward Zak Irvin. “We like to get up and down, too. We don’t want to do things uncharacteristically. The turnovers we had, we want to limit those.” Michigan is looking to build on its momentum from its win over Kennesaw State. Another win over a Texas team that has bounced in and out of the top 25, would be a nice springboard before the Wolverines play at No. 2 UCLA on Saturday. But right now, the Wolverines aren’t looking ahead. They have to take care of business on Tuesday first.
“We just want to stick to our style of play.”