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Wednesday, January 18, 2017
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UM faculty discuss new initiatives to fight poverty CAROLYN GEARIG/Daily
Governor Rick Snyder speaks at the State of the State address at the State Capital on Tuesday.
Snyder touts economic recovery, talks Flint at State of the State
University-related topics such as sexual assualt, autonomous vehicles also outlined CALEB CHADWELL Daily Staff Reporter
LANSING — The tone of Gov. Rick Snyder’s State of the State address was uplifting as he recognized the Michigan’s economic prosperity and pushed for accelerated improvements
to infrastructure Tuesday night in Lansing. Though not all state legislators were pleased as many expressed disappointment in the governor for not devoting enough of the speech to the Flint water crisis. “We’ve made Michigan a place where if you work hard and play by the rules, you can truly get
ANN ARBOR
City urges POTUS to stand by DACA laws The council passes a resolution in advance of Trump’s inauguration ISHI MORI
Daily Staff Reporter
With President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration date days away, City Council’s meeting Tuesday night was dominated by the discussion of how to protect undocumented individuals, a topic usually reserved for a national scope. Larcom City Hall was packed with more than 100 residents supporting the council’s resolution to urge President Barack Obama and state legislators to take steps protecting those who applied to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA is an immigration policy put in place by Obama in 2012 that allows undocumented immigrant youth who meet certain criteria to receive a two-year deferral from deportation and a work permit. Trump, who ran on a platform against immigration and refugrees, has proposed policies which would threaten it. The Presidentelect has previously referred to undocumented Mexican See CITY, Page 3A
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ahead,” Snyder said. “Not just survive, but thrive.” Job growth was a focus of the speech, with Snyder stating since taking office in 2010, Michigan has created almost 500,000 private-sector jobs, while unemployment is down to a 15-year low of 4.9 percent. Snyder recognized
manufacturing and investment from the automotive industry as the chief job-creator in Michigan and said residents no longer have to leave the state to find quality jobs. “We’ve created over 116,000 manufacturing jobs since 2010; we lead the nation,” Snyder See SNYDER, Page 3A
Grant program continues progress since initiated by President Schlissel in Oct. KEVIN BIGLIN
Daily Staff Reporter
Panelists at the University of Michigan met Tuesday afternoon to discuss Poverty Solutions — an initiative introduced by University President Mark Schlissel in October 2016 — and review nine research projects funded through a new grant program operated by the initiative. The projects, totaling $200,000, represent the initiative’s first investments in research and model testing aiming to use research about poverty to better suit different communities. Poverty Solutions
Director Luke Shaefer, an associate professor of social work and public policy, opened the discussion — held over Facebook Live — by introducing the interdisciplinary initiative, which, according to its mission statement, is designed “to become a leader in informing, identifying and testing new strategies for the prevention and alleviation of poverty in Michigan, the nation and the world.” Poverty Solutions researches and works with policymakers and community organizations to better understand the causes and See POVERTY, Page 3A
CSG confirms Indigenous People’s Day Students and upcoming election dates for fall pitch start BUSINESS
The holiday is slated for Oct. 10, election dates to be held March 22 and 23 HEATHER COLLEY Daily Staff Reporter
During Tuesday night’s meeting, Central Student Government set the dates for the election of the 2017-2018 academic year’s leaders to be held on March 22 and 23, with 31 voting in favor and one abstaining. As the current administration nears the end of its term, CSG President David Schafer, an LSA senior, praised the assembly for its hard work this past semester, encouraging the body to pursue its goals until the elections in March. “Day in and day out we have fought for progressive policies and we will continue to fight for progressive policies until our last day,” Schafer said during last week’s meeting. “This is our promise to you … Change is best realized from the bottom up.” Additionally, a resolution encouraging the University of Michigan to recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day was unanimously passed. The resolution was introduced last week and aims to celebrate the holiday on the second Monday of October, formerly Columbus Day which is no longer recognized by the University. The Ann Arbor City Council voted unanimously in November 2015 to replace Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples’ Day as well. The Ann Arbor City Council
resolution was proposed by Councilmember Chuck Warpehoski (D–Ward 5), who made the movement on the notion that Columbus did not actually “discover” America. “I think we all share a hope that this is more than just a changing on the name on the calendar, but it becomes an opportunity for a deeper community conversation about what’s happening with
indigenous communities,” Warpehoski said in November. “It is a stereotype that Indians are only in history books for many people and one of my goals is that through the education effort that groups like the Native American Student Associations are doing they will get a chance to say yes, they’re still here.” LSA junior Stephen Smith, Native American Student
Association co-chair, said the University should follow holiday recognition trends throughout the country. Both Washtenaw County and the city of Ann Arbor already recognize Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and Smith noted that wellestablished organizations do as well. “There seems to be a growing trend across the nation of large See CSG, Page 3A
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
Ayah Issa, Diversity and Inclusion Chair, celebrates the passing of her proposal at the Central Student Government meeting in the Union on Tuesday.
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Vol. CXXVII, No. 10 ©2016 The Michigan Daily
ups at CFE challenge
Ideas for websites, new companies pitched to panel of four judges TYLER COADY
Daily Staff Reporter
A panel of four judges entertained pitches for nearly four hours in the middle of the TechArb office as entrepreneurial teams took part in the initial phase of the University of Michigan Center for Entrepreneurship’s premier contest, the Startup Competition. Adorned with foosball tables, bookshelves lined with Wall Street and Silicon Valley memoirs and posters encouraging visitors to never give up, TechArb is a joint initiative between the Center for Entrepreneurship and the Zell Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies that aims to provide students startups with funding, advice and networking opportunities in the form of consulting, workshops and competitions. The teams, which were at varying stages of product development but largely male in makeup, presented their ideas Tuesday for innovative improvements of products and services to the Student StartUp Accelerator panel — located in a basement office on East Liberty Street. See CONTEST, Page 2A
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7
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2A — Wednesday, January 18, 2017
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ON THE DAILY: ‘U’ ALUM RUNNER-UP IN STEM CONTEST Last week, University of Michigan alum Midori Maeda was announced as one of ten runnersup from a pool of more than 7,000 applicants in PepsiCo and 21st Century Fox’s “The Search for Hidden Figures” contest, which aims to recognize talented female researchers for their work in the STEM fields. Maeda received a master’s degree in macromolecular science and engineering from the University in December 2016. She wrote in an email interview that she is currently working in an Ann Arbor research lab with Biomedical Engineering Prof. Shuichi Takayama, as well as at a startup, where she creates artificial biomaterials to understand how to cure different diseases. “I was very lucky to join Dr. Shuichi Takayama’s research group,” Maeda wrote. “Here, I currently work on making artificial versions of biomaterials, such as neutrophil extracellular traps, to better understand their role in diseases and how to cure them. I am also working in a startup in Ann Arbor, called
PHASIQ, developing new diagnostic tools.” The contest was inspired by the recently released movie “Hidden Figures,” which depicts the careers of African-American female mathematicians Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson. The women worked behind the scenes at NASA to provide computations to launch astronaut John Glenn into space as a part of the space race — a term describing the United States’s rivalry with the Soviet Union to get a man on the moon. “We are honored to have the opportunity to share the story of Katherine Johnson and her peers whose contributions have remained hidden for too long,” Lachlan Murdoch, executive chairman of 21st Century Fox, said in a press release. “At 21CF, we believe in the power of storytelling to inspire the next generation of talent to dream bigger and unlock their full potential, and through The Search for Hidden Figures contest we are excited to give young women across the country the encouragement to pursue those
dreams.” “Hidden Figures” has outgrossed all other box office films since its Jan. 6 release and received praise from numerous critics for revealing the untold stories of Johnson, Vaughan and Jackson. As a runner-up, Maeda will receive a free screening of “Hidden Figures” in her hometown, a membership to the New York Academy of Sciences and $10,000 toward education or research in her
field. Maeda found out about the contest through the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, which she was involved with on campus, and decided to apply because the contest’s message resonated with her. Maeda added that she is expecting to begin working toward her doctoral degree in August 2017.
UniversityofMichigan @UMich The bronze Block M, a senior class gift, was embedded at the heart of the Diag in 1953. #UMich200
- KAELA THEUT
POETRY RE ADING UMich Racism Lab @RacismLab “We love to love where we are” #ClaudiaRankine ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily Detlef Knappe speaks at the Environmental Research Seminar regarding the dioxane plume in Michigan.
Natalie Baughan @BaughanNatalie
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Fulbright Information Session
Michigan in Washington
Center Space
Winter Career Expo
WHAT: Come learn about earning a fellowship to study, research, teach English or train in the creative arts aborad from a University student adviser. WHO: International Institute WHEN: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work, Room 1644
WHAT: All majors are welcome to learn about spending a semester in Washington D.C. combining coursework with an internship. WHO: Michigan in Washington Program WHEN: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Haven Hall, Room 5670
WHAT: A drop-in event for different communities within queer life to build a community of resources and help people of similar identities feel supported, all moderated by a host. WHO: Spectrum Center WHEN: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union, Spectrum Center
WHAT: Day one of the internship and job fair kicks off with a number of opportunities for students seeking employment. Download the Career Fair app for more information. WHO: University Career Center WHEN: 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union
Free Groceries
MRelay Benefit Concert
WHAT: Come by to stock up on free groceries at the January Distribution event. WHO: MAIZE & BLUE Cupboard WHEN: 6:00 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Trotter Multicultural Center
Iconic Restaurants of Ann Arbor
WHAT: A benefit concert featuring several performance groups at the University of Michigan. WHO: UM Relay for Life WHEN: 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. WHERE: Lydia Mendelssohn Theater
CONTEST From Page 1A The Startup Competition is modeled after the NBC singing competition “The Voice.” Each round weeds out contestants, and those who advance are presented with the chance to achieve increasing levels of funding, mentorship and professional networking opportunities. The competition awarded last year’s winning startup $15,000. The competition kicked off with a pitch by two Engineering seniors, Rushil Bakhshi and Rohan Dasika, for a startup that aims to monitor local water usage. For Bakhshi and Dasika, as well as their two other partners, creating a company that also seeks to incentivize people to curtail excessive water usage — as the average five-minute shower uses about 15 gallons of water — seemed a logical decision. “When the four of us got together and started brainstorming ideas, one common thread that tied all the ideas together was that it had
EASY AS 1 2 3.
to impact people more than us,” Dasika said. “We wanted to know where we could reduce our water usage and how would we influence other people of our own nature to reduce water usage.” Though their venture is in its early stages, Bakhshi believes his team’s ideas have the potential to usher in change on a broad societal level. “We want to make a socioeconomic impact that empowers people,” Bakhshi said. “We want to help change the world but we want to change our locality first.” As a student startup in a more infant stage but looking to tackle an old University problem, Maize Book aims to provide an online marketplace where Michigan students can buy and sell textbooks without the hassle of posting on Facebook or waiting in line at Ulrich’s. Maize Book member John Falcone, an Engineering sophomore, is confident the group can fill a niche that needs to be dealt with. “I know, having joined last on this team and looking at it objectively as a student,
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WHAT: Jon Milan and Gail Offen present on their work, Iconic Restaurants of Ann Arbor, highlighting many of the local eateries that still thrive to this day. WHO: Literati Bookstore WHEN: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Literati Bookstore
that there is no kind of one streamlined process to buy or sell your textbooks,” Falcone said. The startup, which also consists of Business sophomore Maxwell Frenkel and Engineering sophomore Michael Kalmus, promises to save students money on textbooks and to ensure that textbooks do not gather dust on bookcases or desks. “I was looking under my desk last semester and I had a book from freshman year that is still sitting there and I paid way too much for it,” Frenkel said. “I realized there has got to be a better way than posting on Facebook about it … and (Maize Book) is really the only alternative at this point.” For Frenkel, Maize Book represents an opportunity to deal with a persistent problem. “If you are selling to other students, you can be a little more upfront about what you want without ripping them off,” Frenkel said. Ellis Fried, another Startup Competition attendee and an LSA senior, has already seen his company, proteinbits LLC, grow from a personal desire for a better protein-heavy snack into a full-fledged operation with snacks for offer for sale in cafes and shops all over southeast Michigan. Fried, a self-described nutrition and health enthusiast with an appetite for proteinheavy foods, worked with a local chef, regional packing companies and student consulting groups to bring to fruition, over just the past 11 months, a bite-sized, almondand-chocolate-flavored snack. Drawing positive taste tastes from the assembled panel of judges, Fried said he feels ready to take his company from its University roots to wider horizons. “I was nervous about running this company, but I think that in the past month or two, as I have been bringing on a lot of help with consulting clubs … and a distributor,” Fried said. “I have a lot of help and teamwork that is joining me now that definitely helps.”
Nobody on the face of the earth feels as entitled as a Umich student crossing the street in front of the union
EMU Student Gov @emusg
“Mind Game” Screening and Panel WHAT: This documentary tells the compelling story of basketball star Chamique Holdsclaw, and her struggles with mental illness. The movie showing will be followed by a panel with Holdsclaw and local experts. WHO: Depression Center WHEN: 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Theater, 603 E. Liberty St.
In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy SG stands in stolidarity with the 16 students being wrongly punished by the university
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SNYDER From Page 1A said. “We are number one both in terms of number of manufacturing jobs and growth-rate percentage.” In response to Snyder’s positive economic report, Jim Ananich (D–Flint), state Senate minority leader, said in a statement he feels as though average families are not experiencing the full extent of the recovery. “Governor Snyder speaks about an economic recovery, but the people I talk to every day still don’t feel it in their wallets,” Ananich said. “Michigan’s seniors, students and middle-class families continue to get the short end of the stick thanks to the last six years of bad Republican policies coming out of Lansing.” Midway through his address, Snyder pivoted from touting Michigan’s economic progress to speaking about the challenges still facing Flint after the water crisis, the central focus of his address last year. “This was a sad chapter in the history of our state: Last year the people of Flint suffered an unacceptable crisis. I made a commitment to the people of Flint to fix it,” Snyder said. “We’ve worked tirelessly to make Flint’s water safe to drink again and improve the entire city of Flint — we’re making progress, but we’re not done yet.” Snyder said he feels progress has been made and said $27 million of state funds were provided for lead pipe replacement, 24,000 new Flint residents were placed on Medicaid waivers and 827 new jobs were created in the community. Furthermore, Snyder said he would introduce higher water standards and better testing protocols for copper and lead than the federal government currently has in place. Rep. Dan Kildee (D–Flint) issued a statement following the address, condemning the governor for not devoting more time to talk about and propose
CSG From Page 1A government organizations recognizing the holiday, and I’m all for that,” Smith said. The resolution was passed on the premise that the University is located on land that belongs historically to Native Americans, and that tribes are still active inthe state. The resolution notes that it complies with
CITY From Page 1A immigrants as rapists and criminals, and has called for a suspension on accepting refugees from war-torn Syria. Though the University of Michigan has not declared itself a sanctuary campus, there are privacy policies in place barring the University from providing information about immigration status to authorities except under criminal legal situations. Ann Arbor also has not declared itself a sanctuary city, but the police can enforce immigration laws only under criminal circumstances. A series of speakers from By Any Means Necessary, a national student civil rights organization, spoke to the council and attendees in support of protecting DACA. Speakers reasoned undocumented immigrants will face threats during Trump’s presidency, which has promised of a deportation force and a wall on the U.S.Mexico border. BAMN member Jessica Provinski commended Obama on the work he has done to safeguard his legacy from the incoming administration, and said she hopes to see the outgoing president perform
additional solutions. “Shame on the governor for not using tonight to outline additional steps that he is going to take to ensure clean drinking water in Flint,” Kildee said in a statement. “I will not rest until the governor and the state step up to do more to help the city recover from this man-made crisis.” After the roughly twominute section of his address devoted to Flint, Snyder continued on the theme of infrastructure, saying billions of dollars will be needed for roads, pipes and updating the Soo Lock shipping channel in Sault Ste. Marie. “Michigan residents deserve safe, reliable, sustainable infrastructure,” Snyder said. “We need to invest more, we need to literally invest billions of dollars of new investment over the next several decades.” On the topic of education,
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Snyder said continued and new investments in early education, in computer science education and for women in STEM are forthcoming. “We need to give our kids the education that gives them the skills and judgement they need to achieve quality careers, start families and to give back to their communities,” Snyder said. State Sen. Geoff Hansen (R–Hart) said in an interview with the Daily he was pleased with the governor’s address, particularly his mention of continuing to push for technical education and computer science jobs. “There’s a big need in
Michigan right now: We’ve got about 80,000 engineering jobs open,” Hansen said. “I think it’s important we continue working with everybody to provide education based on what job opportunities there are.” On specific issues pertaining to the University of Michigan, like sexual assault prevention, Snyder mentioned the initiative to end sexual assault on college campuses led by Michigan’s first lady, Sue Snyder. This is the second time the University has received funding to address sexual assualt from the state. Synder spoke on the grant a summit on North Campus, and the University was awarded a $100,000 state grant in December. “We need to do everything we can to keep our college and university campuses safe; Michigan has become a national leader on this,” Snyder said. “We’re doing grants to multiple colleges — 18 colleges and universities — with $500,000 in grants to do better on this topic, we need to keep that up.” Additionally, Snyder touched on Mcity, the University’s autonomous-car testing center on North Campus, in his address as being part of the effort to place Michigan at the forefront of the world’s autonomous car development and testing. “We are winning the mobility race, but we have to keep it up,” Snyder said. “We have wonderful assets like Mcity, the new American Center for Mobility, we have smart highways … we are the world’s leader today, we need to continue to be the world’s leader, we need to be the catalyst for the world and invite all parts of the world to join us in doing this in a safe, smart way.” Concluding his address, Snyder said he is looking forward to this next year, his last in office as governor, and encouraged citizens to help him in making a positive difference in the state. “Let’s go get this done,” Snyder said.
the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan, introduced on Oct. 6. Under the DEI, the University strives to recognize the value of diversity within the college community by bringing in guest speakers, holding campus-wide inclusion events and promoting progressive rhetoric. The University, on its website dedicated to the comprehensive strategic plan, states the DEI “is based on the conviction that excellence is
not possible without diversity in the broadest sense of the word.” In keeping with the DEI, the writers of the resolution to encourage recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ Day hope that a formal holiday on the official Michigan calendar will make strides in acknowledging a demographic of students who are often, according to the writers, made invisible. LSA sophomore Ayah Issa, one of the writers of the resolution, presented
the resolution to CSG for the second time this week. At the last meeting, she stressed the need for a day that recognizes the University’s small Native American population, which is often overlooked due to its scale. “This holiday will not only represent the legacy of indigenous people, but also recognize that there is a Native American population at the University of Michigan, and to be sensitive of that,” Issa said.
one last move before he leaves office. “(Obama) must use his executive power to do everything he can to defend young immigrant recipients of the DACA program,” Provinski said. “If we are to defend each other and our society from a dark future, we must protect the most vulnerable of us.” Timothy Hunter, a high school teacher from the Washtenaw Independent School District, also urged everyone in attendance to recognize the humanity of the immigrant and refugee children he interacts with on a daily basis. “These children are like all children,” Hunter said. “They want to learn, they want to be productive, they want to go to college. Some of them want to just work, work, work. They are human beings. They breathe, they bleed, they love, they are just like us.” Councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy (D–Ward 1), who sponsored the resolution, recounted her childhood memories as a refugee in India during the Sri Lankan civil war. As a member of the Tamil minority who had to flee the island from violent Sinhalese mobs, Kailasapathy said rhetoric against immigrants and refugees strikes a personal chord with her. “Before we left our house we
just checked to see (its ruins),” Kailasapathy recalled. “There was a fish tank. Even the fish tank was pushed down. The fish were all dead. The people who came to burn our house were just so angry, not just towards us being minorities but our pets too. It just leaves a mark on you that just never leaves you, this blind hatred.” Kailasapathy urged everyone in the crowd to go beyond their preconceptions and understand the extraordinary hardships that immigrants and refugees experience. “I hope all of us can go beyond this racism that’s threatening this country,” Kailasapathy added. “(Refugees are) all minorities, and they all come from another country, and they’re merely victims. They are not to be treated as bad people.” Central Student Government body members also passed a similar resolution last week. The body voted 26-4, with seven abstaining. Arts and Design senior Keysha Walls, a BAMN member, said protecting documented students was Obama’s obligation, noting applying to DACA was a large risk for undocumented youth as it required personal information, including DNA samples, that could be used to identify and deport them.
“The safety of these undocumented immigrants is only promised under the Obama administration,” Wall said last week to the CSG body. “For Obama to know these things and not take every cautionable step to ensure the continued safety of undocumented peoples in this nation is disgusting and inhumane … If he will not act on his own, then we must take action, in doing so set the example for him.” The resolution was approved to thunderous applause from attendees. Councilmember Chuck Warpehoski (D–Ward 5), who also sponsored the resolution, praised it for upholding Ann Arbor’s history of protecting all members of the city’s community in spite of a political climate in Washington D.C. and Lansing that is unfriendly to immigrants and refugees. “This action … is part of a longstanding tradition of the Ann Arbor community and the City Council speaking up for protection of all of our community members, including those who are immigrants,” Warpehoski said. “The ways that we’re going to support each other, keep each other safe, and have the kind of community of inclusion and justice that we want is by finding every route and pursuing it on a local level.”
We need to do everything we can to keep our college and university campuses safe
POVERTY From Page 1A results of poverty, ultimately working toward preventing it. Shaefer explained that a goal of the program is to enact policy that opens economic opportunities, reduces educational disparities and improves health in order to lift families out of low socioeconomic status. “Poverty Solutions was launched this past October with a bold mission: To cultivate action-based research and teaching partnerships with community stakeholders and policymakers to build knowledge about what works in confronting poverty,” he said. The collaborative program is co-sponsored by the Universitysponsored Detroit CommunityAcademic Urban Research Center, the Detroit Health Department, Henry Ford Health System and nine communitybased organizations. The nine new projects, according to the initiative’s website, center around three main areas: “(e)xpanding economic opportunity to reduce poverty,” “(r)educing educational disparities to promote social mobility” and “(a)ddressing the health consequences of poverty.” Schlissel lauded the efforts and urged all colleges and schools to consider programs working toward solutions to poverty not only in Michigan, but the rest of the world. “I think, as a public university, our research should be focused on the challenges and opportunities that benefit the public that we serve,” Schlissel said. “My challenge as a university leader is to identify a match between what we’re good at, what we can bring to the table and what society needs.” Schlissel said the initiative owed it to the state to aid impoverished areas, especially as Michigan residents invest so many resources into the University. “The beauty of Michigan is we have representation in so many different academic
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 — 3A areas,” Schlissel said. “My job is to be your biggest booster and provide some money.” At a lecture in October 2016, Carol O’Cleireacain, the Detroit’s deputy mayor for economic policy, planning and strategy, referred to Detroit as a “rich public policy laboratory.” Public Policy junior Stephen Wallace, backed by many audience members, publicly criticized O’Cleireacain, highlighting what he perceived as an image of Detroit’s lowerincome citizens as projects for research — something he found particularly demoralizing as a resident. Shaefer, however, said Poverty Solutions studies are about more than just conducting an experiment, citing the expansion of community health workers in the Cody Rouge neighborhood of Detroit through the efforts of Michele Heisler, professor of internal medicine, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, medical director at the Detroit Health Department and Dave Law, executive director of the Joy-Southfield Community Development Corporation, who all sat on the live-streamed panel. Heisler said even with insurance, many Medicaid subscribers in Detroit still face difficulty in accessing health care. Because of this, community health workers who live in the same community are receiving training to reach out to families and work with them to meet their medical needs. Despite the success of these workers, however, they lack the necessary job-funding, prompting their collaboration with Medicaid companies to now try to create a financially sustainable model. “There’s a lot of evidence about how effective community health workers can be,” Heisler said. “The problem is that, to date, they’ve often just been supported by short-term grants. The idea is that you would have the health plans contributing to the salaries to support community health workers.” Law said, in addition to health, his team can now target all determinants of health such as food access, community
safety, housing and youth mentoring. “We’ve been trying to get a community health program going for years,” Law said. “This will finally provide the cement that will allows the residents and the stakeholders and the agencies that are helping to promote health, come together and make sure people know what’s available.” Khaldun added people are one of the most important resources in the city, saying many citizens are unable to get to their appointments, creating a need in the city for training for community health workers to help citizens to connect them with their resources. “The health department is thought of as a brick and mortar in Detroit,” Khaldun said. “But we are bringing our services to the city, to the people in the neighborhoods. We’re empowering the people.” Trina Shanks, an associate professor of social work who works on a summer jobs program in Detroit hiring thousands of youth for six weeks, said there must be jobs available for young people in low-income neighborhoods who are not in school or not working. By empowering young people early with jobs, Shanks said, such programs can put children on a path toward a successful career later in life. “The young people felt they were contributing to their families,” Shanks said. “We went from having a couple of thousand jobs in Detroit to 7,000, and we grew. Now that we’ve grown the numbers, we’re also building the infrastructure.” Schlissel said all these ideas are well-intentioned, but must be extensively studied to figure out what the best approaches are to help as many people as possible out of poverty. “The sweet thing to me about this is the University isn’t stepping in and behaving like a social services entity,” Schlissel said. “We’re behaving like researchers and teachers providing some organization but also studying how this gets implemented.”
Opinion
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
4A — Wednesday, January 18, 2017
COREY DULIN | COLUMN
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com
EMMA KINERY Editor in Chief
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY
and REBECCA TARNOPOL Editorial Page Editors
REBECCA LERNER Managing Editor
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Carolyn Ayaub Samantha Goldstein Caitlin Heenan Jeremy Kaplan Max Lubell
Alexis Megdanoff 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
State should reconsider bag ban
L
ast month, Michigan’s Lt. Gov. Brian Calley signed a law that will prevent local governments from taxing or restricting the use of “auxiliary containers,” defined as single or multi-use bags, cups, bottles or other packaging. This comes after Washtenaw County passed an ordinance last June to charge a 10-cent fee for paper and plastic grocery bags that would have gone into effect this April. With this statewide ban, we will continue to see the harmful effects of plastic bags and other non-recyclable containers on the environment and deny the state a possible source of revenue that could be used to counter those effects. While legislators cited a desire to not force a patchwork of laws regarding these containers on state businesses, The Michigan Daily’s editorial board believes the best course of action should be to pass a statewide tax on plastic bags, thereby enforcing one law across the state and discouraging the use of harmful disposable containers. Plastic bags, one of the auxiliary containers the Michigan bill prohibits regulating, are often not recyclable and can take years to decompose. Due to their shape, plastic bags snag on conveyer belts used to sort recyclable materials before repurposing and hinder machines’ and workers’ progress. They billow out of collection trucks and into the streets, where they become tumbleweeds of the city, twisting in the wind and eventually ending up in tree branches, drainage systems and waterways. From there, wildlife can get trapped in or consume these plastic bags, choking them or filling their stomachs with indigestible plastic. Not to mention, as the Great Lakes State, we must be mindful of our fragile freshwater ecosystem and work to protect this environment and its wildlife at all costs. This legislation is at odds with Michigan’s Bottle Deposit Law, which added a 10-cent deposit to bottles and cans as a means of decreasing the number of cans and bottles in landfills. This deposit helps fund cleanup, development and pollution-prevention efforts across Michigan. Consumers can earn the 10-cent deposit back by returning the items to return centers in grocery
stores, making this legislation friendly for people’s wallets as well as the environment.
As the Great Lakes State, we must be mindful of our fragile freshwater ecosystem. Michigan is not the first state to propose legislation surrounding the regulation of single use containers. Other states such as Alabama, Idaho and Missouri have also banned the banning of plastic bags. Washington D.C. has implemented a plastic bag tax, which has generated a large amount of revenue allocated toward environmental and social issues. California voters last year also approved the nation’s first statewide ban on plastic bags, which is estimated to remove 15 billion pieces of plastic each year once the ban takes effect. A 10-cent tax won’t eliminate plastic bags and their environmental impact — only a well-enforced ban
JOE IOVINO | CONTACT JOE AT JIOVINO@UMICH.EDU
similar to California’s will do that. However, the production of paper bags has a larger carbon footprint than that of the production of plastic bags, which calls into question the degree to which banning plastic bags outright would have a positive impact. Furthermore, a tax would also allow the state to allocate more funds toward cleanup and pollution prevention measures; a statewide ban would eliminate this source of revenue. Though a 10-cent tax may seem relatively inconsequential to those carrying extra change, this universal tax could have potentially stressful effects on citizens who already struggle to pay for groceries and cannot afford the alternative reusable canvas bags. Still, the tax would force all citizens, regardless of socioeconomic status, to be mindful of their consumption of the nonrecyclable bags. Nonetheless, the bill passed by the Michigan state Senate will leave containers like plastic unregulated and therefore more likely to pollute the environment through production or disposal. A statewide tax, which gets people to think twice about plastic bag use and promotes the recycling of plastic bags, is closer to the ideal solution.
R
#Unpresidential
eading Trump’s Twitter the “fastest growing metro areas rants is the best form from 2013 to 2015.” Trump’s of entertainment. You tweets overemphasize the issues never know what he will say or and completely ignore the positive who he will insult characteristics of the next. No one is district. Citing a few safe from his social negative statistics media-based shots. and using them to Not Alec Baldwin, represent an entire not Meryl Streep, district does not not even his fellow provide a complete Republicans like Paul characterization of Ryan. Trump takes the district. to Twitter to insult Trump, even anyone who doesn’t though he is the COREY completely agree with president-elect, is in DULIN him, so it is no shock no place to criticize he went after congressman and Lewis’s political experience and civil rights legend John Lewis. work. Besides his presidential Trump’s timing is impeccable campaign, Trump has no because if you’re going to call a experience in public service. man who has dedicated his life to While Lewis spoke with his public service and civil rights “all constituents and sponsored and talk” and “no action,” you might introduced bills in the House as well do it on Martin Luther of Representatives, Trump King Jr. Day weekend. Many made a name for himself in real people use the long weekend to estate and numerous business reflect on and celebrate the work ventures. This, in addition to of King and other civil rights the fact that Trump has no protesters. But Trump, always experience living in Georgia’s looking to shake up the status fifth district, leaves Trump quo, took a unique approach. unqualified to make these If Trump needs to see Lewis do claims. If he wants to tweet something, he can turn on almost about someone who’s “all talk” any documentary about the civil and “no action” in the realm rights movement and see Lewis of politics, I suggest he tweet marching and organizing to end about himself. segregation. However, based Maybe he forgot that he’s on Trump’s attitude, I suspect supposed to be president, but that he would call Lewis taking in any case, going on Twitter part in the Freedom Rides “just rants like these is a waste of sitting down in a bus.” When he time and should not be the watches Lewis take hit after hit behavior of an elected official. from a policeman’s nightstick, It’s fantastic that politicians sees Lewis pushed to the ground can use social media to interact and look up only to see the stick with their constituents; using coming toward him again, he social media makes politicians would say “he just fell down.” less like political figures or Though it is not a documentary, images only seen on TV or I recommend Trump watch heard in the news, and more like the 2015 film “Selma,” since he relatable people. New Jersey doubts that Lewis is a man of Sen. Cory Booker, one of the action. Then hopefully he will people on Trump’s growing realize that his statements about list of enemies, embraces social Lewis are completely false. media; he Snapchatted while In the tweet, Trump he campaigned for Hillary specifically attacks Lewis’s Clinton. Social media is a great public service record, so I way for politicians to connect assume he means to define with constituents, but it should action as vocalizing the concerns not make national news nearly of constituents and working every week and should not be to address issues within the used to insult others. district. Lewis’s district faces Instead of tweeting, Trump challenges, including poverty needs to direct his attention to and unemployment, but it is also his upcoming job. He needs to considered a tech hub. One of its receive the presidential daily cities, Atlanta, was rated one of briefings every day, not just when
he feels like it. He needs to figure out how to unite the country. On Friday, the task of addressing the concerns of all Americans will pass to his shoulders. He won’t be able to effectively complete this task if he can’t put his phone down. How will he have time to “make America great again” if he is too distracted by his Twitter? Trump’s tweet about Lewis is another example of how much Trump loves to stir up drama through social media. He can’t help himself — tweeting hurtful statements is his favorite pastime. But this type of behavior is unacceptable for anyone. When we see the first signs of it in kids, we take them aside and explain why it is not OK. Unfortunately, no matter how many times we tell Trump to stop insulting people, to act like an adult and not like the school bully, the message never sticks. For someone who claims to be a “smart person,” he can’t seem to figure out that insulting everyone who doesn’t share his ideas and beliefs is wrong. Trump cannot effectively work with anyone if he constantly attacks people who say anything against him on Twitter. Before his inauguration, he needs to realize that people will say things he doesn’t like and that should not encourage him to incite a Twitter war. Any time I read or hear about Trump’s latest tweets, I always ask in exasperation “Can someone please take Twitter away from him?” But part of me likes seeing all the ridiculous statements on his Twitter account. It gives a clear look into the mind of the future president. His tweets are more honest than any speech he will give, any statement he will make, any action he will do. On Twitter, he disregards what few standards he sets for his behavior. He can give a speech written by writers and reviewed by his staff, but what he tweets off the top of his head without time for anyone to check him or tell him to stop is where we see the true Trump. While I dislike him, I want to know what I’ll be stuck dealing with for the next four years. Corey Dulin can be reached at cydulin@umich.edu.
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY | OP-ED
Short, but not so sweet
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY
A
s much as I attempt to read as many New York Times and Atlantic articles as I possibly can, I confess: It just isn’t feasible. Given my school work, extracurriculars and attempt to get what’s considered a healthy amount of sleep, I just don’t have the time I’d like to sit down for hours and pore over every news outlet, read every breaking story and debate the findings. That’s why I’ve recently begun to swear by The New York Times’ morning briefings, essentially one- to two-sentence summaries of what the brief writers considered some of the most important news stories that day. This way, I feel as though I am staying up to date with the latest news. About a week ago, The New York Times added a section called “Smarter Living: Morning Edition.” While the contents of the first edition of this new section were off to a positive, seemingly encouraging start — including reminders to stay positive and giving me a few tips to relieve my stress — the second Smarter Living edition struck a different cord. Scrolling past the section title, a plug for one of the stories caught my eye: “Miss your morning meal? Don’t sweat it — the science around the importance of breakfast is still basically unproven.” In it was a link to a piece on how breakfast may not be as important as we thought, because according to the article’s writer, many of the studies that corroborate this stance are weak at best. While I don’t have too much of a problem with the fact that the author sets about to debunk the myth of breakfast being the most
important meal of the day, the intentionally short plug — meant to hook the reader and recap the piece — was worded in such a way that its writer appeared oblivious to the harmful ways in which our society discusses eating. If I hadn’t clicked on the accompanying article, I might read the takeaway as one that deemphasizes the importance of eating more generally. The plug implies people should focus on eating less, but the piece focuses on debunking the theory that breakfast is the most important meal. What’s even more jarring to me is the fact that if I suffered from an eating disorder, I might have read this short sentence and seen it as another affirmation of our society’s values. Instead of taking a flippant attitude toward skipping meals, we should be re-examining the way we talk about food. Even though this short sentence to draw in a reader may be misleading, what if this is how you get your news? We are a society that puts thinness on a pedestal; from the dimensions of Barbie to the style tips that tell us what colors will make us look thinner, we are constantly made self-conscious of our bodies. And though many eating disorders are about control, not so much food itself, there is no doubt that American society often emphasizes one ideal size. As a young college-aged woman, fitting within the demographics most at risk for eating disorders and body image issues, this anecdote is especially alarming to me. According to the National Eating Disorders Association website, in 2011, 20 million women and 10 million men in the United States suffered from some type of eating disorder. In fact, girls as young
as 6 are concerned with their weight or figure. Instead of encouraging people to eat, short statements such as these tell a society (and anyone else reading this) where many are already hyperconscious of their body that eating isn’t very important. (That said, I acknowledge that there is a significant number of people who are not a huge fan of all meals, and if they want to skip a meal, that is their prerogative.) But it is the job of journalists to be careful of every word they put out there — every phrase they shorten to make it fit into a briefing, every word they decide to use to pack more of a punch — because words matter. For the most part, I firmly believe that the fewer words you use to say things, the better. We need to think twice if we are attempting to boil something down that actually requires a more fleshed-out explanation, or we risk it being misinterpreted. For the young woman who, simply judging by her demographic as a young woman, already has a high risk of possibly developing an eating disorder, how does this seemingly inconsequential (yet attention-grabbing) sentence about how harmless it is to skip breakfast affect her? Something so stark published by a wellregarded publication like the Times has the power to help or harm in significant ways. It is the job of the Times and all publications — in fact, all journalists, friends, family, authors and government officials — to think: If I condense something complex down into so few words, am I doing more harm than good? Anna Polumbo-Levy is a co-editorial page editor.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 — 5A
SOCIAL MEDIA COLUMN
FILM REVIEW
Worldstar and the insidious appeal of online schadenfreude
20TH CENTURY FOX
Math!
“Hidden Figures” uplifts NASA’s unsung heroes Film highlights necessity of professional diversity and the ability storytelling has to retroactively write history STEM. “If you were a white man, would you want to be an Daily Arts Wrtier engineer?” a colleague asks Mary. “I wouldn’t want to be an Exiting the movie theater engineer, because I’d already last week, I heard snippets of be one,” she replies. The film a conversation about “Hidden outlines just some of the Figures.” “I reasons why: grew up in the A NASA policy same town as requires that all her,” a woman engineers take a said, referring to specific course “Hidden Figures” one of the main only offered characters. “And by segregated 20th Century Fox I didn’t even schools. When Rave Cinemas, know that she Katherine did that much joins an allQuality 16 until later.” white team, If this tells she is provided us anything, it’s a “colored” that storytelling coffee machine is powerful. exclusively for Following Katherine her use. She runs half a mile in Johnson (Taraji P. Henson, heels through the parking lot “Empire”), a physicist and because not a single colored mathematician who made restroom exists in the entire seminal contributions to building complex. celestial navigation, Mary Every shot is staged to make Jackson (Janelle Monáe, “The the discomfort Electric Lady”), NASA’s first known. Katherine black female engineer, and walks into a Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia sterile sea of white button-downs and black ties. The only color present comes from the cardigans worn by the two women in the room, and her dark skin. “Hidden Figures” aims to undo superstar culture, splitting hierarchy down to its core and revealing the multitudes of people that really make genius happen. Dorothy says, “progress for one of us Spencer, “The Help”), NASA’s is progress for us all,” and it’s first black female supervisor, evident in the making of the “Hidden Figures” understands film. While it sheds light on that what goes unsaid is often three incredible black women, what says it all. “Hidden Figures” also pays Despite their college tribute to the partners, children, degrees and unparalleled churches and role models that technical capabilities, the empower them. Dorothy doesn’t women face innumerable just aspire to be a supervisor barriers, big and small, to for herself. She stubbornly succeed as black women in stands by her girls in the colored VANESSA WONG
A-
“Hidden Figures” understands that what goes unsaid is often what says it all
computing team to ensure the security of their futures at NASA, refusing to advance if other they can’t advance, too. The space race contextualizes the civil rights movement within a foreign policy context. While this has a positive effect of categorizing people not by race, but as Americans on equal footing, its unrealistic execution makes it a distraction. With simplistic and unnecessary dialogue, John Glenn’s boyish, Labrador Retriever charm verges on dopey. The highly unrealistic space CGI also takes away from the heartwarming storyline of the women. Still, it’s a feel-good movie, stuffed with sweeping monologues and snappy comebacks against microaggressions. Though it’s unlikely that every conversation occurred in reality, the film does not sugarcoat how hard black women fough; how hard they still fight today. Instead, the optimism in “Hidden Figures” acts as a voice clapping back against racism, speaking for all people color who cannot speak out for themselves. Even for viewers, “Hidden Figures” has the power to bring together communities, eliciting the most sniff ling I’ve heard in a theater as of late. “C’mon, seriously!” someone muttered from behind me when the door of the command room closed in Octavia’s face. The theater erupted in applause when the supervisor who once actively emphasized her inferiority and lack of belonging passed by her desk and made her a cup of coffee.
Even for viewers, “Hidden Figures” has the power to bring together communities
INTERESTED IN WRITING FOR ARTS? MASS MEETINGS — 7 P.M. ON 1/19, 1/23, 1/26, 1/30 @ 420 MAYNARD Any questions regarding the application process? Don’t hesitate to email us at anay@umich.edu or npzak@umich.edu
If you peruse the Internet viewers with a funny, eye-catching endlessly like me, you are bound caption like “Racist Guys Attack An to have seen a viral video of a fight Interracial Couple In Washington break out. It was probably recorded State!” or “Dude Calls Classmate on a low-quality camera phone and The “N” Word Then Runs For has received thousands, possibly His Life Yelling “Help Me”!” By millions, of views. pulling viewers in with They can appear as these insane headlines, either single clips or people can laugh more compilations, with easily at the misfortunes the latter showing of whoever is getting extended clips of other punched, kicked or ridiculous stuff, like beaten in the video. pranks gone wrong There’s something so or outrageous public sinister about shock sexual acts. While value that it makes you videos of school wonder why people find SAM and street fights violence entertaining in are intended to be ROSENBERG the first place. funny, they instead In addition to the Social Media Columnist normalize violence by brutal violence, what portraying a fight as bothers me most about entertainment. WorldStar videos, as well as its other One of the biggest outlets of amateur, copycat sites like Quality these kinds of videos is WorldStar Fights (28.8k Twitter followers) Hip Hop, a video blog that has and Vine Fights (165k Twitter been producing online content followers), is that they perpetuate since 2005. As of 2013, WorldStar and generalize stereotypes about has garnered a large following, the people they depict in the video. currently coming in at 1.76M Take Sharkeisha, for example. In followers on Twitter, nearly 7 November 2013, WorldStar posted million likes on Facebook, 3.8 a one-and-a-half minute clip from million YouTube subscribers and Instagram of a woman named 7.2m followers on Instagram. Sharkeisha sucker-punching a With its multifaceted platform, friend, who seemed totally nonWorldStar has pervaded nearly confrontational in the video. every facet of social media, playing As the video circulated and a particularly influential role on the gained millions of views, the now-defunct Vine. Internet reacted in various ways. WorldStar Hip Hop isn’t Some expressed shock, disgust completely devoted to producing and disbelief, including the explicitly violent content; the site family of ShaMichael Manuel, the has been instrumental in promoting woman who Sharkeisha suckerBlack voices through music videos, punched. According to a report intimate behind-the-scenes from the New York Daily News, features, breathtaking rap battles ShaMichael’s mother shunned and other original content. In fact, people for “glorifying Sharkeisha” it reposts and shares many non- and simultaneously “taunting my violent videos that are genuinely daughter.” Others, however, were funny and captivating. At the same undeterred by the video’s violence, time, though, it’s astonishing that as Sharkeisha became a hit meme WorldStar is mostly known for among Twitter and Vine users and being unapologetic in distributing even got her own definition on violent content. Urban Dictionary. On November Perhaps a counter argument 27th, the day after the video was would suggest that WorldStar is published, “Sharkeisha” had simply capturing the uncensored, become the number one trending unfiltered reality of certain public topic on Twitter and the third most schools and neighborhoods in searched keyword of the day on America. But the kind of violence Google Trends. Nothing, not even in these videos are depicted as Sharkeisha’s punching, seemed to “shock value” humor, priming its stop the Internet from spreading
her name everywhere. At the time, the Sharkeisha phenomenon may have seemed like a humorous addition to the Internet’s world of strange viral videos. But as Hip Hop Wired pointed out in an article a day after the video’s release, people who find this funny will “think this is the sort of classless behavior typical of any and all Black women.” Sharkeisha may have an odd name and a physical strength unknown to mankind, but her sudden act of brutal violence against an innocent person, as promoted by WorldStar and other online outlets, is far from funny. It’s shameful not just for the way it depicts the violence and distorts the identity of the person who caused it, but also for neglecting the victim of the fight almost entirely. This is just one of many examples of popular videos that normalize and perpetuate unmediated violence without considering the consequences. Why do we laugh at other people’s misfortunes? Do we genuinely find school fights and public embarrassment funny or are they so startling that they naturally elicit an uncomfortable chuckle? Are we so masochistic that our sense of morality has been completely drained by the devious inner workings of social media? The Internet is obsessed with violence, but this notion isn’t a new development. Across most mediums, people consume violent content, whether through staged fighting on WWE or the Transformers franchise. There’s even a movie coming out this year called “Fist Fight” about two grown-ass male teachers (played by Charlie Day and Ice Cube) who engage in a classic, old-school fight in front of their school. It’ll probably score big at the box office. But what is most troubling about these videos, specifically the ones found on WorldStar’s website, is that they spread faster and become far more pervasive through social media. Watching people beat each other up is certainly a fascinating way to observe human behavior, but it’s not productive or entertaining in any way. To put it simply, it’s dangerous and needs to be stopped.
MUSIC REVIEW
SOHN’s ‘Rennen’ a weak, gloomy sophomore release Artist’s return to musical fold falls short of expectations Its sexy title and electronic layers are dulled by the surface-level, Daily Arts Writer redundant lyrics. For example, he sings repetitively, “she needs her hard liquor/give her that hard London-raised, Vienna-made liquor/and she’ll be ok.” and now Los Angeles-based “Conrad,” the second of Rennen’s Christopher Taylor — or SOHN three singles, matures lyrically and — just dropped his second album maintains the bassy funk of the first after almost three years of silence. track. Initially, it sounds like an The record’s title, 80’s jam as SOHN Rennen, translates croons, “I can feel Rennen from German to it comin’ we can SOHN “run.” With this never go back” in a follow up to his Michael Jackson4AD successful debut, esque tenor range. SOHN found The production himself itching to pivot away from progresses into a synthy, frenetic the snowy Austrian capital where collage that leads listeners into he made his first album, Tremors, the meditative “Signal.” The in 2014. The artist elaborates, “I anticlimactic third track is laced went from holing up in a dark with an eastern-influenced studio in Vienna, leaving at 6am riff — the only component that and trudging through the snow keeps listeners attention until it’s to get home, to being on a ranch almost-cringey conclusion. in the California hills, worried “Dead Wrong” and “Primary” that a fire’s going to sweep across are at times both disjointed and and blow everything away.” screechy — the former shows woodIronically, it seems the moody, clinking hints of a Glass Animals wintry atmosphere charged knock off, while “Primary” is Tremors with the signature grounded in unintriguing vocals spark that set SOHN apart in the and a generally messy electronic electro-indie arena. Despite his mix. sunny shift in scenery, SOHN SOHN simmers down into an seems proccupied by the shadow echoing piano ballad for the record’s of looming loss that the hills of LA eponymous track. Its ethereal callcast over his headspace — a shadow and-response vocals occasionally that dimmed the emotional impact overlap into chill inducing, weepy of Rennen. harmonies. The layered voices The majority of the record’s act as a reminder of the depth and poignant songs are placed at its captivating energy that pervaded opening. “Hard Liquor” is a pulsing, Tremors — a depth that Rennen, for soulful track that peaks at the the most part, lacks. ringing harmonies of the chorus. “Proof” attempts a last shot AVERY FRIEDMAN
at this sensual appeal before the album winds down in its concluding tracks. Loaded with distorted oohs and ahs, creaky bass vibrations and intermittent audible exhales, “Proof” is enticing. Beyond its sexual surface — lines like “skin to skin … I know that you need me now” — SOHN suggests something deeper, sighing, “yeah, we believe in a system, a system but everybody knows it’s wrong.” There is more brooding beneath the somber surface of Rennen’s concluding track, “Harbour,” as well. If listeners somehow make it to the last minute of this song (the last minute of the album, actually) they’ll be surprised by a sudden, suspense-inducing assault of pixelated noise. The conclusion of “Harbour” could effectively act as the the ending song of a “Mission Impossible” soundtrack – one that strikes when the screen goes black and reads, “to be continued.” It’s the type of frenzied song that beats in the background as the audience sits in a theatre, entranced by an uncalled-for finale. The album’s finish will seldom be reached, though, for the majority of Rennen’s alluring ambiance occurs at the front end of the album. Beyond a handful of ear-perking melodies and invigorating beats, SOHN seems to have lost some of the electro-lushness that set the bar high for his follow up record.
Arts
6A — Wednesday, January 18, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
TV REVIEW
Katya energizes Necto ELLIS HYMAN For The Daily
FX
If this ain’t “Young Pope,” I don’t care.
Hardy the heart of ‘Taboo’ but falters in its suspense buildup and overall sense of dread. Set in 1814 London, the story revolves around James Delaney (Hardy), Historical fiction dramas can be a formidable man presumed dead boring. Supernatural dramas can who returns to Britain to avenge be exciting. So what happens when his father’s death and claim his you combine the two genres? You inherited stretch of land. With no get something like FX’s new limited warning, Delaney’s sudden resurseries, “Taboo,” which is not quite rection spooks the locals and the exciting, but not compeople closest to pletely boring either. him — namely, his Given its ambiguhalf-sister/possible ity and lengthy run secret lover Zilpha “Taboo” time (each episode (Oona Chaplin, is almost an hour “Black Mirror”), Series Premiere long), “Taboo” is a her cruel husband FX demanding show. It Thorne (Jefferson draws viewers in with Hall, “Vikings”) Tuesdays at 10 P.M. elegant performances and Sir Stuart and visual splendor, Strange (Pryce), but has trouble mainthe charismatic taining its audience’s chairman of the attention as it lacks urgency and East India Company. emotional resonance. The series While each character possesses requires full concentration in order shades of complexity, the greatest to completely comprehend the strength of “Taboo” is its protagostory, yet it barely gives an idea of nist. With his signature gruff grumwhere the show is headed. ble and imposing physique, Hardy Despite these flaws, “Taboo” transforms Delaney into a perplexis rewarding for its much more ing yet fascinating and believable substantial qualities. It includes a antihero. He drives the show’s riveting title sequence, intriguing mystery, reflecting the enigma of cinematography, gothic imagery his character through his looming drenched in gloomy colors and, presence over a morally corrupt most importantly, some damn good Britain. Thorne, Sir Stuart and othacting, particularly from the per- ers perceive him as a barbarian, fectly cast Tom Hardy (“Legend”) but by exhibiting a sophisticated and the always reliable Jonathan demeanor, Delaney contradicts Pryce (“Game of Thrones”). both his doubters and the viewers. Produced and created by Hardy, Nevertheless, he also seems capable his father Edward Hardy and of animalistic impulses. In addidirector Steven Knight (“Locke”), tion to being a threatening figure, “Taboo” succeeds with its super- Delaney is haunted by troubling natural and atmospheric thrills, visions and demonic hallucinations SAM ROSENBERG Daily Arts Writer
B
Classifieds
from his travels to Africa, where he stayed for 12 years before coming back home. No one seems to know exactly who Delaney is, what his true intentions are or what actions he is willing to take in order to get what he wants. This character is exactly what powers “Taboo;” a disappointment considering the show doesn’t seem concerned with making its plot or themes a larger priority. “Taboo” is at best mediocre and at worst languid, but given its striking main character, it has the potential to develop into a much more layered story. “Taboo” falls on familiar themes from other British dramas — a forbidden romance, eloquent historical dialogue, the socioeconomic clash between the rich and the poor. But for some reason, the series differs from the conventional period piece. The show is in that weird, uncomfortable limbo, where it verges on being something transcendent, but instead settles for being just alright, relying mostly on its remarkable lead to carry it along. Part of FX’s phenomenal programming, “Taboo” certainly lends to the network’s thematic and aesthetic diversity with its compelling visuals and deliberately paced storytelling. Next to “Atlanta,” “The Americans” and “Fargo,” however, “Taboo” is not at the same level of incredible, entertaining storytelling (at least, not yet). For patient viewers, “Taboo” can be a real treat, especially for fans of Hardy’s previous work. But for those looking for something more engaging, “Taboo” may not be the right show.
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, January 18, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR RENT
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Early sitcom co-star Arnaz 5 It’s over a foot 9 Zagreb native 14 Wolfs down 15 Madre’s boy 16 Toy in many “Peanuts” panels 17 Not a fearful place for acrophobia sufferers 20 Casino lineup 21 Starting on 22 Palette choices 23 Morose 25 Droop in the garden 27 Tight hold 29 401(k) alternative, briefly 32 Went ballistic 36 Not a fearful fund for agoraphobia sufferers 39 Folk rocker DiFranco 40 Belittle 41 Showy Japanese school 42 To a degree, informally 44 Haul to the garage 45 Not a fearful Camus work for xenophobia sufferers 48 Name on the 1967 album “I Was Made to Love Her” 50 Pilot’s stat 51 Ward of “Sisters” 52 City with ferry service to Copenhagen 54 Damon of “Interstellar” 56 Fix, as a pet 59 Deft tennis shots 62 Ragu rival 65 Not a fearful roadster for arachnophobia sufferers 68 Prolonged assault 69 Way through the trees 70 Curly cabbage 71 Wielded an ax 72 “Button it!” 73 Actor Byrnes and announcer Hall
DOWN 1 Cotillion attendees 2 Banjoist Scruggs 3 Admired reverentially, with “of” 4 Elemental forms used in carbon dating 5 NBC weekend skit show 6 “’Sup” 7 Travel section listing 8 “Not happenin’” 9 Key econ. indicator 10 Subjects of the first 10 Amendments 11 Iolani Palace island 12 Kitty starter 13 Throw 18 Sch. near Topeka 19 TurboTax option 24 Outer edge 26 Mucho 27 Future MBAs’ exams 28 High-tech worker 30 Golf bunker tool 31 Got up
33 Online pop-up tailored to individual tastes 34 Recon goal 35 Pageant headpiece 37 Elusive Himalayans 38 “Batman” actress Eartha 43 Picket line placard 46 Word of greeting 47 Aries symbol
49 Journey 53 Zing 55 Droid download 56 Pageant band 57 Ballet class bend 58 Small number 60 Main squeeze 61 Pub crawlers 63 Fix, as a horse 64 Tram loads 66 Chinese lantern color 67 “Button it!”
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01/18/17
Necto nightclub on an ordinary Friday night is always a great place to begin the weekend with your friends. But this past Friday, January 13th, was no ordinary night. The line to get into the club stretched far around the corner, and a buzz of excitement so tangible you could almost feel the energy radiating off of people, could only mean one thing: Katya was here. Katya Zamolodchikova is a performance artist well versed in the art of drag. Drag is when a person, typically male, dresses as a woman and exaggerate certain characteristics for comic, dramatic or satirical effect. An alumna of two seasons from the hit television series “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” Katya has garnered a large fan base from all over the country. She is known for her outlandish and twisted sense of humor, f lexibility and ability to personify her character as a high-class “Russian whore.” Recently, she was a contestant on the second All-Stars season of “Drag Race” where she placed as a runner up. In the past, drag queens have
been part of a counterculture movement that disregards traditional gender norms and celebrates individual expression and artistic style. However, after seeing the popularity of Katya’s performance and her large and devoted fan base, it is evident that drag queens have struck a chord in the heart of pop culture. Upon entering the club, a sea of bodies and loud dance music overwhelmed the senses. Usually, Necto’s dance f loor is bustling with movement and dancing, but tonight there wasn’t even room to breathe. Everyone was jam packed and facing the stage so that they would not miss a beat when their favorite drag performer took the stage. And when she finally arrived, after what felt like hours of anticipation, she commanded it. When Katya entered for her first performance of the night, it was apparent that she was born for the stage. Wearing her classic red and white tracksuit jacket with the word “Russia” in big letters across her chest and a matching gymnastics uniform underneath, she took charge of the space by performing her part of the hit song “Read U Wrote U” from “Drag Race.” She enthralled the audience and created a state of enthusi-
asm with her signature brand of acrobatic dance moves. People were singing along to the iconic lyrics, throwing dollar bills at Katya and grooving along with their own moves. Drag creates an environment of acceptance, freedom, self-expression and jubilation, which were all present that night on the dance f loor. After the song was finished and all of the dollar bills collected, Katya sprinkled the crowd with her dark, twisted and witty humor and left the audience to boisterous cheers. She performed a second act at midnight for the brave souls who were dedicated enough to wait around (which ended up being most of the audience), creating mostly the same experience but with a different song and a new stylish outfit. If you missed out on Katya’s performance, do not fret because Necto night club is known for hosting many past contestants of the popular show as often as once a month, and have local drag queens performing every Friday night. Drag is an experience best seen live, so whether you’re a veteran fan or a first time viewer, Necto’s doors are always open to those who want to have a good time and enjoy the exciting art.
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
Díaz to speak at Rackham to life: Oscar Wao, subject of the 2008 novel “The Brief and Daily Arts Writer Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.” Díaz received the Pulitzer Prize, and handfuls of other awards, for this novel; due Writer after writer will tell in no small part to the sharp, you the same thing: It starts humorous, yet sometimes with a voice, with the faintest desolate voice of Yunior as he suggestion of a character. That narrates Oscar’s story. As Díaz character comes to inhabit the has written his character into world, the real world, and the being over the years, Yunior, it writer is thrilled, and maybe seems, really has developed a a little frightened, of how life of his own. real that character becomes. “Yunior was already in place Writing what it dictates only from my first book and when tightens its grasp. I started Oscar Wao he really For Junot Díaz, it all started dictated a lot of the form. (And with Yunior. boy do I mean The cerebral, dictated.)” Díaz impulsive wrote. An Afternoon Dominican This not only with Junot American strengthened character turned Díaz’s novel, but Díaz up over 20 twisted it in new years ago, back and unexpected January 18th at 12 when the writer ways, as his P.M. was applying unreliable Rackham to graduate narrator weaves Auditorium programs, and stories of his own Yunior’s voice until the truth is Free has been central as muddled as it to Díaz’s fiction is in life. ever since. Díaz, who’s been “Yunior dresses the novel in a on a hectic travel schedule, manner th helps to deepen and corresponded with the Daily complicate the narrative while via email from Japan before simultaneously obscuring his visit to the University of his narrative intentions,” Michigan this Wednesday Díaz wrote. “His narrative for the Martin Luther King elaborations are as much a Jr. Symposium. The author mask as anything.” reflected on his work and what For Díaz, this love of the it’s like to be an artist of color unreliable narrator, of the in 2017 — and, of course, he complexities and multiplicities elaborated on the role Yunior of any “true” story, lie at the has played as a narrator and a heart of his love for fiction muse in many of his stories. itself. It is easier, after all, to “Yunior is a particular say something of value when kind of cat with very specific Yunior can say it himself. textual, political and cultural The author may shy from the preferences,” Díaz wrote. absolute truths of nonfiction This adds life to his fiction, writing, but these days, he peppering his work with delivers truths of different references and asides that keep sorts — as a long time activist it current, yet situate it in a for immigrant rights in the U.S. specific place, time and culture. and the Dominican Republic, Yunior’s darker side — and and as a writing professor at by extension, Diaz’s — showed the Massachusetts Institute of up in “Drown” and its stories Technology. Both of these roles of alienation and abandonment; draw upon Díaz’s talents, but over a decade later, romance also stretch his attentions, and and lust grated on Yunior’s he finds he must throw himself conscience in “This Is How You into just one pursuit at a time. Lose Her.” Both of these were “My writing seems to serve collections of short stories, no one else but itself but with drawing upon Díaz’s immigrant community work there always childhood in New Jersey and seems to be a higher calling, his navigation through the U.S. civic responsibility and the educational system. like. I’ve never been able to be Yunior is narrator of Diaz’s do both madly at the same time, lively, dysfunctional stories though,” he wrote. “I seem to of American life — but he isn’t be very monogamous with my always the protagonist. It was passions. Either I’m writing Yunior’s voice that brought like crazy or I’m engaged in the another compelling character community like crazy. One or AVERY FRIEDMAN
the other.” While Díaz may not feel that his fiction contributes to society in the same way that his activism does, his stories of Dominican American immigrant life open up a world that wider audiences may never otherwise come into contact with. It doesn’t change laws or elect anyone to office. But all the same, Díaz believes that as a writer, he has a responsibility to bring an alternative perspective on American life into the national conversation. “My hope for all artists is that they try as hard as they can not to reproduce the dangerous hegemonic narratives that
“Clearly there’s a necessary and wonderful transformation happening in American letters, towards greater diversity”
our society seems so addicted to,” Díaz said. “As a country we’ve got a lot more work to do to bring our canon in line with reality and not with the artificial fantasies of those who use their power to populate the culture with their own images.” Coming-of-age immigrant narratives like “The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” are becoming a more standard part of the American literary landscape. There may still be a long way to go, but Díaz is optimistic that new voices are being heard, new narratives being written. “Clearly there’s a necessary and wonderful transformation happening in American letters, towards greater diversity and inclusion, a transformation whose ultimate trajectory we can scarcely imagine,” he said. “I’m glad to be writing and reading in this day and age. The future seems so damn bright from where I’m standing.”
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wednesday, January 18, 2017 — 7A
Zach Nagelvoort organizes book drive to benefit local students LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Editor
Forty-two days from now, it will officially be March — or as grade school students know it, National Reading Month. All across the country, schools are dedicating the entire month to providing quality reading time to students, regardless of the school they go to. It’s an annual educational tradition. But for Martin Luther King Jr. Education Center Academy in Detroit, things will be a little different this year. A public charter school located 37 miles from the University of Michigan, MLK Education Center Academy is an institution that caters to around 400 students in kindergarten and up. It’s a school that also offers early childhood programs, and a school looking for additional resources to compliment all 400 students’ educations — a school that could greatly benefit from donated books for this year’s National Reading Month. Enter Michigan hockey senior goaltender Zach Nagelvoort. Nagelvoort, with the help of his friend Katie Stepnitz, has streamlined the organization of a book drive put forward by the Michigan hockey community for MLK Education Center Academy. Last year, Stepnitz — a first-year teaching assistant at the time — asked Nagelvoort to read at a school where she was assistant teaching. Nagelvoort brought along a few teammates — senior forwards Justin Selman and Cristoval ‘Boo’ Nieves and current junior forward Tony Calderone — and casually stepped in to read to the children. Afterwards, Nagelvoort and Stepnitz looked to transform the one-time experience into a regular reading program. But it wasn’t as easy as it initially seemed. “We had this idea, ‘Why don’t we make this a regular thing?’,”
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Senior goaltender Zach Nagelvoort has partnered with MLK Education Center Academy to provide books for children during National Reading Month in March.
Nagelvoort said. “She’s now teaching at Logan Elementary in Ann Arbor, and we thought — we didn’t know at the time — we thought, ‘Whatever school she goes to, we’ll set up a reading program, we’ll come in and read.’ We tried to start doing that and then we realized it was going to be way too much work to do in one year, so what could we do to help impact a school around us? Let’s do a book drive.” So the search began for a school that could genuinely benefit from their support. Stepnitz reached out to some fellow student-teaching assistants, and the duo was ultimately set up with a visit
to the MLK Education Center Academy. And after touring the school, meeting with the principle and spending time with a classroom of students, there was no doubt that it was the perfect school for the book drive. While the administrators of the school were proud, the students’ enthusiasm really sealed the deal for Nagelvoort and Stepnitz. They began planning the book drive, but Nagelvoort brought it to another level. He pitched the idea to the Michigan hockey coaches, and the ensuing support from the staff of the entire program has now resulted in a full-scale book drive. The book drive will start as
I think Michigan can do a lot more than that
early as Wednesday, with boxes located at Yost Ice Arena and the Stephen M. Ross Academic Center. Anyone is encouraged to drop off books, and while new books are appreciated, they aren’t required. Nagelvoort plans to donate books from his childhood, and hopes many others will do the same. The ultimate goal is to collect 500 donated books by February 4th so that they can all be delivered by the start of National Reading Month. But Nagelvoort believes the Michigan community can do even better. “If we get 500 books, I’m going to be thrilled — I think we can do more than that, I think Michigan can do a lot more than that …. The platform that
we have here at Michigan as student athletes, and as students in general, but particularly as student athletes, I don’t think is used nearly enough,” Nagelvoort said. “And that’s part of my motivation at the end of last year, when Katie reached out to me about reading, I was like, ‘That’s awesome.’ “I have tried to get as involved as I can in things, going out to (C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital) on Thursdays and working with Athletes for Community Transformation. But I didn’t feel like I was doing enough with the platform I had, and like I said, here at Michigan,
It’s probably going to be very successful, so fingers crossed
athletes are great about doing it, but we can never do it enough. There’s never a limit. That’s kind of what motivated me to get out and make this happen.” The amount of work Nagelvoort and Stepnitz have put into organizing the book drive goes beyond what typical college athletes tend to do. In addition to schoolwork and a Big Ten hockey schedule, Nagelvoort has now added a new slew of responsibilities to his to-do list. But he doesn’t see it that way. Instead of watching NHL highlights while relaxing in the evenings, he’s organizing social media content and scheduling with Stepnitz. He even sent out an email to other student athletes asking for their participation, and is looking to start a group that will attend readings with students once a month. He’s also hoping that this experience will make such an impression on fellow student athletes that they will keep the tradition going after he graduates. For fellow goaltender and freshman Jack LaFontaine, none of Nagelvoort’s actions in the book drive surprised him. “Honestly, the type of guy (Nagelvoort) is, it doesn’t surprise me,” LaFontaine said. “He’s just a very sympathetic young man, and I think he holds a lot of integrity. Just doing something like this doesn’t surprise me at all. “I don’t know how he does it. Between hockey, school and now this book drive, it’s pretty crazy. But he puts 110 percent into everything he does, he’s a very passionate guy and I know he’s going to do this book drive to the fullest of his abilities. It’s probably going to be very successful, so fingers crossed.” The book drive will extend until February 4th, when Michigan plays in a two-game series against Ohio State at Yost Ice Arena.
WRESTLING
Wolverines off to strong conference start Massa dominates again SYLVANNA GROSS Daily Sports Editor
Five games into Big Ten play, the Michigan women’s basketball team has lost only once — against Ohio State on Jan 7. The Wolverines are ranked third in the conference, with the Buckeyes and No. 3 Maryland — according to both the AP Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll — notching second and first, respectively. Michigan, Northwestern and Michigan State have received votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll, too. Though Michigan (4-1 Big Ten, 15-4 overall) isn’t having an unprecedented start to conference play, it is shaping up to be one of the most competitive rosters the Wolverines have recently seen. Hopes were high after last year’s performance, but Michigan did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament and instead headed to the WNIT for the third season in a row. This year, the Wolverines are determined to fight their way to a — rightful — position in the NCAA Tournament, and the next stop on the road to redemption is an away game at Maryland on Thursday.
“(Maryland’s) a great program,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico after Sunday’s win against Minnesota. “One of the top programs in the country. We’re going to go in with nothing to lose. We’ve played them in some real tough games in the last couple of years. I think we have a certain level of confidence.” But even without an upset against Maryland, the Wolverines are on their way to a substantial season if powerhouses sophomore center Hallie Thome and junior guard Katelynn Flaherty continue to dominate the court. Thome and Flaherty have been consistent starters, along with junior guard Jillian Dunston and senior guard Siera Thompson. Pushing her way into the lineup this season has been freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick — who’s been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week three times — who typically trails just Thome and Flaherty in points per game. The Big Ten season isn’t even halfway over, but the conference is turning into a battle with few wildcards. The Daily breaks down the most threatening upcoming competition for Michigan.
No. 3 Maryland (5-0, 17-1) Terrapin coach Brenda Frese recently earned her 50th Big Ten victory against Iowa on Jan 14. It was just her 57th career conference game, earning her the title of third-fastest coach to win that many games in conference history. Adding to the impressive team is senior center Brionna Jones, who was just named the espnW and USBWA National Player of the Week —as well as being named the Big Ten Player of the Week for the third time this season. Jones averaged 33.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game with a .727 field-goal percentage and two doubledoubles over the past two games. Though Maryland seems slightly invincible, they aren’t undefeated — though the loss was to No.1 University of Connecticut. What the game does show, though, is the Terrapins’ vulnerability once their shooting percentage dips. If Michigan can promote its presence on defense, the Wolverines could pull this one out. Northwestern (3-2, 14-4) The Wildcats are grappling with the death of one of their teammates, Jordan Hankins,
EMMA RICHTER/Daily
Senior guard Siera Thompson and the Wolverines are playing their way into the NCAA Tournament conversation.
who passed away a week ago. In Northwestern’s first game back after the shock, they fought hard against Indiana and walked away with an emotional 80-67 win. Guard Nia Coffey has notched 10 double doubles this year — second in the Big Ten and 12th in the nation. Supporting Northwestern is guard Ashley Dreary who broke the Big Ten all-time steals record on Jan. 3 against Ohio. In total, Dreary holds 383 — something the Wolverines will need to be wary of in their contest with the Wildcats at the end of the month. Michigan State (3-2, 13-5) Adding to the turbulent turn of events for certain Big Ten teams, Spartan’s coach Suzy Merchant announced on Tuesday that she will be taking a medical leave of absence after Saturday’s game at Rutgers. Her symptoms were similar to the ones she had on Jan. 1, when she collapsed during a home game against Illinois. The coach’s record is 116-13 when reaching at least 70 points in a game. Michigan will have to defend against the Spartans reaching this marker. Michigan State will lead the charge with guard Tori Jankoska, who is just 127 points away from becoming the first Spartan player to reach the 2,000-point mark in program history.
MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Writer
Maryland’s Josh Ulgade found himself on the ground, clutching his left knee and desperately attempting to catch his breath in a match against Michigan redshirt freshman Logan Massa. But against the mercilessness of the country’s second-ranked wrestler in the 165-pound weight class, those recovery attempts proved to be futile as Massa completed seven takedowns to win by a technical fall, 20-5. It was the 17th consecutive win for the Wolverine, continuing his undefeated streak for the season thus far. “He just stalks his opponents,” said Michigan head coach Joe McFarland. “He goes out there with the thought that he’s going to dominate these guys. You can just see how hard he competes when he’s out there — I mean he wrestles every second. He’s constantly thinking about scoring that next point.” And true to his coach’s words, Massa completed three takedowns in the third period via ankle picks, singles and doubles to earn five team points for Michigan. “He didn’t want to tie up with me. He wanted to wrestle me from space,” Massa said. “I knew he couldn’t hand fight, and he wanted to keep away and get in shots from space. So if I could get
in ties with him, I knew I could score from there.” After the Wolverines forfeited the 125-pound class due to injuries, Massa watched as his team trailed the Terrapins heading into the locker room, before they took a four-point lead heading into his 165-pound match — the last of the night. With a possible six-points on the line, the overall result of the dual was still undecided before Massa hit the mat. But the wrestler was unaffected by the pressure of the meet’s results resting on his shoulders. He entered his normal routine prior to his match, bouncing up and down on Michigan’s sideline with a stern demeanor and Drake streaming through his headphones. “I just go out there and wrestle every match — I don’t think about that,” he said. “Obviously, if you need to get the pin, you need to get the pin. But that’s what you go for every match, so you just go out there and wrestle and score as many points as possible.” Coming off a decisive loss to Iowa to open 2017, Massa and the Wolverines earned a confidence boost with its 25-16 victory over Maryland before heading to Lincoln for a dual against No. 6 Nebraska.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Sports
8A — Wednesday, January 18, 2017
WRESTLING
‘M’ comes back to
defeat Maryland EFE EDEVBIE For the Daily
Coming off a 31-7 loss to thirdranked MARYLAND 16 Iowa, the MICHIGAN 25 Michigan wrestling team bounced back Friday with a convincing 25-16 win against Maryland at Cliff Keen Arena, with the group winning seven out of 10 individual matchups. “We talked all week about how we were approaching our matches, how we were going to compete, and I think for the most part, our guys competed hard for seven minutes tonight,” said Michigan coach Joe McFarland. “It was overall a really good team effort and it ended up showing in the final score.” Michigan gained a wave of momentum early on, taking an 11-0 lead with a trio of victories from juniors Myles Amine and Ernest Battaglia and freshman Jackson Striggow. However, the tide quickly shifted. Freshman Dan Perry was pinned in the heavyweight division, and freshman Austin Assad forfeited the 125-pound match when he sat out due to injury. At the intermission, the Wolverines fell to an 11-12 disadvantage. Coming out of the break, freshman Sal Profaci and senior Brian Murphy helped push the dual meet back in Michigan’s favor with a couple of close victories in the 141- and 157pound divisions, winning 8-4 and 6-3, respectively. Locked at a 4-4 tie after the first period, Profaci broke the
draw in the final moments of the second period to take a 7-4 lead. The freshman added a final point in the last stanza. “I knew if I wrestled my pace,” Profaci said. “I was going to be able to not only tire him, but just get in on his legs. Just giving up two takedowns, I knew I wasn’t out of it. … I just knew I could keep plugging away and tiring him out. There’s just more of an overall pace and just plugging away. “Nothing fancy, nothing overthinking it. Just getting after it.” Murphy also found himself in a closely-contested match, as he faced a 3-3 tie in the final period, but he went on to score three unanswered points to secure the win. “(Murphy) stayed tough,” McFarland said. “He’s a solid wrestler. I thought he was in command of that match for the most part, even though the score was tight. (Murphy) ended up getting the takedown at the end, rode him out and put it away.” Michigan held a 20-16 lead going into the final match. Serving as the team’s closer was redshirt freshman Logan Massa, who entered the contest as the nation’s second-ranked 165-pound wrestler. He crushed any remaining chance of a Maryland comeback, winning by technical fall, 20-5. The Wolverines showed promise with the bounce-back victory over the Terrapins, proving that they can remain unfazed even after the sting of a tough loss.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan leaves Madison with close loss BRANDON CARNEY Daily Sports Writer
MADISON – Entering Tuesday, John Beilein had coached 17 games against Wisconsin in his career. He had won just two of those contests, with each loss adding to the mounting frustrations of the last. “Two games,” Beilein said, expressing his frustration. “Two great wins, though, those games were great, freaking wins. There was a whole bunch of close ones. ...They’re just really good. They’ve had better teams than us, and they have tremendous coaches.” With Tuesday’s game knotted at 43 points, junior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and redshirt junior guard Duncan Robinson each hit 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions to extend the Michigan lead back to six. The Wolverines regained momentum after the Badgers erased an eightpoint lead and silenced the rowdy Kohl Center crowd. An away win against a top-25 conference opponent, a .500 Big Ten record and massive résuméboosting win were all within reach. But Wisconsin responded with a 15-0 run, led by one of its senior leaders, Bronson Koenig, leaving Beilein and the Wolverines baffled again. The Badgers were able to maintain the lead from there despite Michigan closing within two points, and Beilein once again leaves the Kohl Center with a loss, 68-64. “Being on the road, we knew. Wisconsin being a great team, we knew they were going to make a run,” said senior guard Zak Irvin. “They made a run in the second half, and we made ours. We were going back and forth. Just late, when (Beilein) said they made some shots we weren’t able to. They (just) got a couple breaks.” What will bewilder Beilein the most following this most recent unraveling against the Badgers is how the Wolverines got in trouble to begin with – by fouling. “It’s all confusing. Confusing,” Beilein said. “We lead the country
Michigan Wisconsin
64 68
43
FG %
48
3FG%
10TOs 32 REB 10 assists
45FG % 38
3FG%
8 TOs 32 REB 11 assists
in not fouling. It was confusing what happened, so we’ll just let it go.” Michigan entered Tuesday’s contest leading the nation in fewest fouls committed per game. With 14:26 to go in the second half, the Wolverines put the Badgers in the bonus. Minutes later, redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson and sophomore forward Moritz Wagner each picked up their fourth fouls, leaving Michigan searching for options on the bench. Without their starting big men, the Wolverines couldn’t maintain their established lead off the 11-0 run they had opened the second half with. After shooting 0-for-3 from the field in the first half and looking visibly frustrated with himself, Wagner came out of halftime looking like a different player. He helped erase a five-point halftime deficit, and boosted Michigan’s offense after an uncharacteristic low-scoring half. Despite the struggles offensively in the first half, the Wolverines looked like a completely different team defensively in the first
half compared to their prior five conference games. Michigan held the Badgers to just 26 points in the first half, forcing them into shooting 38 percent from the field and 22 percent from behind the arc. Wilson and Wagner led that defensive effort by making their physical presence known down low. Wilson blocked two shots in the first half, and both were doing well to control difficult matchups guarding two of Wisconsin’s leading scorers – Ethan Happ and Nigel Hayes. “I thought as a group we played really well defensively, especially in the first half,” Irvin said. “We knew in order to put ourselves in position to win tonight we had to play well defensively and I thought we did that.” But that aggression boiled over in the opening minutes of the second half. Wilson picked up his third and fourth fouls on two consecutive possessions with 12 minutes to go. Wagner played victim to his bad habits, picking up unnecessary fouls going for rebounds, and was benched with
his fourth foul shortly after Wilson. “We’ve got to find a way to be physical without fouling, especially in the second half,” Wagner said. “I think there was a four-minute battle where we just gave up too many easy foul calls in the post and rebounds and stuff like that.” The Wolverines only had Irvin to rely on for consistency throughout the game. Scoring 20 points on the night, Irvin made an impact early and played a key role in Michigan steadying the ship after massive Wisconsin runs. Irvin scored the Wolverines’ first six points, extended Michigan’s leads in the second half and came up with scores in tight situations down the stretch. But down the stretch, Koenig and the Badgers put together the most dominant run of the night, and that was enough for Wisconsin to defend its own court. Beilein once again leaves Madison scratching his head, as a win over the Badgers seems as elusive as ever despite the game being one of the Wolverines’ most complete performances of the season.
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Sophomore forward Moritz Wagner found himself in foul trouble in the second half and sat out down the stretch.
Koenig scores ten points too many KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editor
MADISON — Sophomore forward Moritz Wagner sat at a table in the bowels of the Kohl Center. He rested his head on his fist, looking off into the distance as a question was directed at his teammate, senior wing Zak Irvin. Then his shoulders dropped, and his head fell to his chest. In the simplest sense, he looked like a man who had just had his heart broken. And in all likelihood, there isn’t a much better way to describe what he was feeling. Because Tuesday night the Michigan men’s basketball team had its heart broken, and it has Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig to blame for it. There are a lot of “what ifs” that could come from both benches after Tuesday night’s matchup. For Michigan, what if Wagner and redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson didn’t pick up their third and fourth fouls, respectively, within 43 seconds of each other and with 12 minutes still left to play? For Wisconsin, what if its own forward — sophomore Ethan Happ — had played more than just 12 minutes in the second half after getting into foul trouble himself? Though those questions can never be answered, it’s fair to say with near certainty that if Koenig hadn’t done what senior leaders are meant to do when their team has its back against the wall, the Wolverines could be heading back to Ann Arbor with their best win of the season against the 17th-ranked Badgers. Michigan had led by as much as eight before Koenig hit the first layup. But little did the Wolverines know that one layup could open Pandora’s box. The first came with 5:51 remaining in the game. Thirty-five seconds later, Koenig took a ball in transition, beat his man off the dribble and overpowered Michigan to the rim for another lay in. Then Wagner missed a three
after a Wolverine timeout, and Koenig grabbed the rebound himself. This time, the Badgers used an elevator screen to let their senior guard run with the hot hand. Koenig obliged, pulling up three feet behind the arc and burying one from deep. Then the Kohl Center woke up, so much so that senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. needed to walk up to his teammates on the next possession just to scream the play directly in their ear. Once again, Michigan missed. The Badgers came down the floor, and Koenig caught the ball in an open position in the corner. He pulled up, let it fly, and as the ball fell through the hoop, he gave everyone an indication of how this game was going to end. Michigan had led for over 11 minutes. Koenig turned that into a consolation prize for the trip to Madison. That’s what makes this one a heartbreaker. Michigan had the golden goose in its crosshairs when it was never expected to have it in the first place.
For all intents and purposes, Wisconsin did exactly what was expected of them heading into Tuesday night. Its blueprint for success has always been to play through the post — something Beilein admitted Monday. And with the way Michigan’s big men have been playing, it seemed that blueprint would be the precursor to a blowout. Yet on Tuesday night, Michgian convinced viewers that they had better stay up until the final buzzer. It all started on Wisconsin’s first possession. The Badgers fed Happ down low, and Happ backed down Wilson, before pivoting to shoot a hook. Except the result was entirely unexpected — Wilson rejected Happ and the Wolverines claimed possession. It was just a microcosm of a night that was filled with deviations from the expected. And those deviations nearly were enough. But, in the end, Bronson Koenig scored 10 points too many.
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Wisconsin guard Bronson Koenig stopped Michigan short of a possible upset.
statement T H E M I CH I G A N DAI LY | JA N UA RY 1 8 T H , 20 17
Navigating New Policies and Old Prejudices
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Wednesay, Janurary 18th, 2017 // The Statement
T H E S TAT E M E N T: GE N DE R E DI T ION Gender — and relationships between them — is front and center in this week’s Statement edition. Daily Arts Writer Maria Robins-Somerville digs into the experience of being transgender on campus, while Lauren Theisen takes a personal approach, debating the weight and the power in a name as a transgender woman. In the Column Corner, Tess Garcia ruminates on a broken relationship, and Jackie Charniga walks into Circus bar for the last time. Managaing Editor: Lara Moehlman
Design Editor: Katie Spak
Deputy Editors: Matt Gallatin
Photo Editor: Claire Abdo
Brian Kuang
Managing Editor: Rebecca Lerner Copy Editors: Danielle Jackson Taylor Grandinetti
Editor in Chief: Emma Kinery
In Excess: The Boy on Outer Drive B Y T E S S G A R C I A , D A I LY A R T S W R I T E R I don’t like to talk about him.
what happened, I say that his
solitude seldom found in Ann
a complete farce) and that
of tears each time he posts
life ran out of time for mine
Arbor.
I’m getting over everything
on Instagram; a borrowed
that happened in the summer
shirt I never returned. It’s
(complete farce).
going through photos I took
It is December, the last
( bullshit). When they ask if
The f lashbacks return as
month of my first semester
I miss him, I say yes, very
soon as I find that space. I
of college. When people ask
much. My cheeks pull my lips
feel the warmth of our first
about him, I say he’s doing
into a smile, closed-mouthed,
few weeks spread through
f lashbacks
the
just to twist the knife. It’s a
well. If they want to know
and I duck away, in search of a
me, the revelation that comes
present in incoherent waves.
pair of eyes that I can’t stop
with finding someone who
I peck at my screen: Nothing
imagining, knowing they will
understands
never look at me the same.
bleed
to
when
he
wasn’t
looking,
everything
is great. I miss your eyes. I
about you. It is my last night at
want to know how your kitten
I hear his name and I want
home. I’m kissing him on his
is doing. Remember when you
to hide. On that first day in
porch, and I don’t stop until
f lew to New York just for me?
Ann Arbor, I examined every
two in the morning because I
When I left for school,
bump and crack of my dorm’s
know it will be the last time.
every conversation became
white ceiling in my fit of panic
I feel my eyes burn as my
an arg ument. I was walking
— I can’t even look at it now.
mom moves me into my dorm
through
sickly
Right now, I’m breathing fast.
the next day. I dry-heave
state of anger. To him, I
I made my friend stay in the
on my bed just as I did that
was irrational, my opinion
room with me to write this.
afternoon, re-experiencing a
invalid. I didn’t understand,
Memories of him no longer
torment too severe for such
he assured me, I’d never
seep into my everyday life,
a privileged young girl. I
experienced true hardship.
though I miss what we had
am crying now. I go back to
He talked down to me. My
every once in a while. I feel
September, when he tells me
best friend was turning me
like I’m finally living again,
he’s addicted to a very cruel
into a lunatic — and a recluse,
catching up on a semester’s
drug. It is over, but I am
too invested in one person to
worth of risk-taking, friend-
crying, encaged in glass.
reach out to any of the 40,000
making and happiness. At
around me.
least I finally made it.
My
ILLUSTRATION BY CLAIRE ABDO
The glass breaks and the
phone
buzzes.
He’s
life
in
a
texted me again, asking about
But then it came. I think
school. My heart sinks and
we should stop doing this,
about him. But now, it’s not
jumps. I say hello, that it’s
his text read. It was my first
such a point of weakness.
nice to hear from him. I tell
weekend back home.
I just have more important
him classes are great ( ha!),
I don’t write well enough to
that I’m making friends (not
explain that pain. It’s a burst
I still don’t like to talk
things to say.
Wednesday, Janurary 18th, 2017 // The Statement
3B
A Girl Walks Into: Circus
B Y J A C K I E C H A R N I G A , D A I LY S TA F F W R I T E R The show will not go on for
artifacts — a place so tacky they
Circus, the clubbing complex
should be selling keychains by
in
West
the coat check. Circus couldn’t
Side. After 22 years, the adult
make up its mind about what
funhouse is slated to close its
it wanted to be, and catered to
doors in early February.
an audience that didn’t want to
Ann
Arbor’s
Old
Circus has been a staple to
grow up.
some and an anomaly for many.
I went to the farewell bash
Though I have lived in Ann
last week with two friends to
Arbor for more than a year,
get a sense of how the campus
my first visit to the bar and
and surrounding community
billiards hall was this summer.
would react to the end of the
By that point I was well worn
Circus era. A surprisingly wide
into my 21 years, and having
range of ages turned out for
never debated with a bouncer
the goodbye soiree, and the
over the authenticity of my
wardrobes ran the gamut from
ID, I wasn’t accustomed to
camouf lage hats to sombreros,
bars with themes other than
formal wear to f lannel. With all
“we serve alcohol here.” From
four clubs open and connected,
the strangeness of the scene,
it’s impossible to describe the
with a faux koi pond, plastic trees and twinkly lights, is an unexpected Eden — an angel bust graces
I thought for a moment I had
scenery
the bar, and a distressed “Creation of Adam” fresco provides the perfect backdrop for posterity
wandered
wrong
like Stefon from SNL: “Ann
place, or another of the many
Arbor’s hottest club has year-
Cavern reminds me of the underground pubs I frequented last summer in Oxford. We exit the
establishments stacked Lego-
round Halloween decorations,
veritable Rainforest Cafe, or we try to until the DJ plays a remix of “Who Let the Dogs Out” that
like at 210 S. 1st St.
elephant heads, boys singing
drags us back by our leashes. In spite of my previous reservations, I am spellbound by Cavern, and
Blondie and blondies singing
for the first time feel a pang about the club’s passing. We dance, pose in front of the fresco, then
Boyz II Men.”
push for a change in scenery.
into
the
Inspiration for the club pulls heavily from the Ringling Bros. Circus, another cultural staple
Unlike
without
at
a
sounding
real
circus,
shots. Part speakeasy, part bomb shelter, the edifice of
“I love Circus,” the girl in front of me in line says. “It’s just weird. I fucking love it.”
that coincidentally announced
here the clowns talk. “Can I
The ability to barhop without ever stepping foot outside was so attractive we maintained a constant
this week it would be closing
buy you ladies a shot?” a boy
circuit through Circus, blurring the milieu like the view from a carousel ride: passing funhouse
the caravan for good. The
asks us. Let’s call him Brady,
mirrors, a serene water fountain, a miniature Statue of Liberty. The drinks were terrible, but they
clashing decor can be visually
in honor of the Tom Brady
had cheap PBR and gloriously free popcorn. Strangers of all creeds and classifications meet, grab
disturbing: a smear of bright
jersey he was sporting. His
one another by the shoulders and sing. It’s a scene that isn’t dignified, nor easily duplicated.
colors
buddy went to grab the shots
Asking why visitors go to Circus is like asking why people drink in the first place — it’s an
lighting, carnival trimmings
while Brady spins us two at
escape, but in a setting that glorifies a history of the fantastical. In 19th-century America, traveling
butting up against pool tables
a time. Millennium, another
performance troupes brought the strange and peculiar to small towns nationwide. Circus and
and big screens playing sport
of the clubs in the complex,
Co., inspired by the pioneers of entertainment, provided a similar service to the Ann Arbor area.
channels. There was a worn
is
a
Millennium is a retreat into the ’90s, while Gotham caters a slice of a venerated franchise. There
sadness to it, like collagen lips
bowling alley, with Tiffany-
was more to this bar than a counter over which alcohol is served. Though it’s low-budget Vegas
or a falsely straightened nose.
style lampshades over the bar
sideshow appeal is not universal, it was effective. It became as real as you wanted it to be.
Any character that could be
and plenty of disco balls. We
I had a great time at Circus, watching social constraints melt over showtunes and pool tables.
derived from the building ’s
spot Brady later, spinning girls
It was a spot where — because it was so odd, because it was trying so hard to appeal to so many
165-year
like records upstairs in Circus.
demographics, because it wanted nothing from you besides to show you a good time — coming as you
Jerk. Cavern in the basement,
are meant never standing out. As I wade back through the crowd, I overhear a man’s voice: “This
dimmed
history
by
has
poor
been
smoothed over like wrinkles after
Botox
by
its
decorated
much
garish
ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE SPAK COVER DESIGN BY CLAIRE ABDO AND KATIE SPAK
like
place is kind of nuts!” Well, that’s kind of the point.
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Wednesday, January 18th, 2017 // The Statement
Wednesday, January 18th, 2017 // The Statement
Tr a n s g e n d e r on Campus: Navigating New Policies and Old Prejudices
b y M a r i a R o b i n s - S o m e r v i l l e , Daily Ar ts Writer
L
SA junior Emily Kaufman jokingly refers to herself as a “trans-mama,” a guide of sorts to other women at the University who are navigating what it means to be a transgender woman on campus. “When I first came to this University I knew I was a woman but I didn’t look like a woman,” Kaufman said. “I started transitioning between the fall of ‘14 and winter ’15 my freshman year. There was only one other trans girl I knew about in the entire undergraduate class early on.” In October 2016, Kaufman gained national attention when Cosmopolitan magazine published a profile of her decision to rush a sorority on campus, under the headline “Can Trans Girls Be Sorority Girls?” Candid and witty during our interview at the State Street Espresso Royale, she describes the growth of the population of trans women on campus as slow but gradual. “A few more came in. A few more came out,” Kaufman said. Gender identity refers to an individual’s internal selfperceived gender — this self-identification could be male or female, but also may fall outside the conventional binary. The manner in which people externally present their gender — commonly through appearance, dress and behavior — is referred to as gender expression. Those who are born with a biological sex that matches their gender identity and expression are categorized as cisgender, while transgender generally describes those whose biological sex, gender identity and gender expression do not align. An estimated 0.6 percent of the U.S. adult population identifies as transgender, according to a UCLA Law School study. Her freshman year, Kaufman lived in the Gender Inclusive Living Environment, housed in East Quad and established in 2013. The housing community supports students who identify as transgender or gendernonconforming. In her first semesters on campus, professors would frequently mis-identify her as a male — unaware of her gender transition — which Kaufman accepted with an air
of inevitability. “That’s sort of the way it goes,” she said. “Unless you’re blessed with a feminine heart-shaped face and bombed with makeup.” As an active member of the campus LGBTQ community, Kaufman hopes to educate peers and faculty on how to better understand transgender identity and avoid the misunderstandings she finds prevalent on campus. “The biggest problems that I’ve had at this University are with professors... they are for the most part ignorant on trans issues,” Kaufman said, citing an incident in which one of her professors referred to Caitlin Jenner as transsexual, an outdated term many people find overly clinical. “It’s not okay that they are teaching people who maybe aren’t experienced with trans stuff false information. I am not cool with that.” However, Kaufman acknowledged many many of these misunderstandings result not from malice, but a lack of information. “Expecting everyone to have this knowledge is problematic,” Kaufman said. “They don’t have access to this knowledge, they don’t know. There’s some things you’re not going to find on Google. There are some things you can only learn from another trans person.” For instance, someone may not realize that asking a trans person for his or her pre-transition name can be offensive and hurtful, she said. *** On October 5, 2016 University President Mark Schlissel announced the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion initiative, aimed at promoting an inclusive and diverse campus environment through the implementation of individual strategic plans within each of the University’s 19 schools and colleges, administrative units, athletics and the health system. Recently, the University’s administration has taken steps to assist transgender students amid the rollout of the
campus-wide Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Plan. For instance, a newly implemented preferred pronoun policy — adopted in October 2016 — allows students to choose the pronouns they self-identify with on Wolverine Access to avoid misidentification by professors. The policy was met with some backlash from some segments of the University community. LSA junior Grant Strobl, chair of the conservative student group Young Americans for Freedom, drew national attention when he changed his pronouns on Wolverine Access to “His Majesty,” mocking the new policy. The Spectrum Center, located in the Michigan Union, is a resource for members of the LGBTQ campus community. Founded in 1970, the center was the first of its kind at an American college, and worked to promote policy that would bar University discrimination against students based on sexual orientation. In 1995, the Center expanded to provide resources for transgender students and professionals on campus, and it’s since fought to educate and activate the University community to promote inclusion and support for LBGTQ students. Will Sherry, director of the Spectrum Center, said the center functions not only to promote and pursue policy change, but also to ensure these practices remain in place beyond their initial implementation. The Spectrum Center makes space for LGBTQ student leadership, employing students part-time to serve in various education and advocacy capacities. The center’s student advocacy board — which Kaufman sits on — provides training and workshops on inclusivity to different student organizations and departments. “One of the biggest obstacles is always just education, lack of information, getting information out to people in a way that they can grapple with that if that is something that is new for them and that is a big goal of our center,” Sherry said. “I don’t think that should be on every person who holds that identity (to educate others), and so it’s really important to have structures like our center in place.” Sherry stressed that the most important role of the center
is not simply to introduce new rules — like the preferred pronoun policy — but also to fundamentally shift how the campus community approaches gender and sexuality. “(The preferred pronoun policy) was a system, a tool that was put into place this semester...it feels new, in that way, but the practice is something that we would have expected of people before the system was in place,” Sherry said. “I have talked to many students who have greatly benefitted from being able to assert who they are without having multiple conversations and have had their gender respected in the classroom in ways that felt really good for them.” *** Kinesiology senior Laima Augustaitus said they experienced insensitive comments, jokes and dismissive language from professors regarding their gender identification, an issue they attribute in part to a lack of diversity and dialogue within STEM fields. They attribute the alienation not as the fault of any organization or individual, but of a systemic lack of dialogue on gender identity. There’s ageism there too, Augustaitus suggested: “Sometimes people say, my professor’s old, they won’t get it.”. Augustaitis’s academic department is small, which they said limits their anonymity. “I feel like if I do say something I am automatically outed to the whole department and it would just get really uncomfortable,” Augustaitis said. “If I started insisting in my program of 12 people that they use my pronouns, it would be followed with: ‘what is that?”
Photo by Claire Abdo
Augustaitus additionally addressed feelings of isolation they face as a transgender person in a same-sex relationship. They described their gender identity as subtle, and therefore something that is often overlooked and coped with internally. “I’ve felt sometimes like I can’t go to a meeting for other trans or non-binary students because I look the way I do, like I shouldn’t be allowed to get upset when my pronouns are misused,” Augustaitis said. “I’m sure other people feel this way too.” Overall, they expressed disappointment with the University’s resources for transgender students, saying they would have liked to have had access to more LBGTQ resources and support organizations earlier in their academic career. Augustaitis was also skeptical of the University’s DEI initiative, suggesting the efforts are more cosmetic than substantive, “using people’s identities to have them speak and do all this emotional labor, but for what?” However, Augustaitis has found a place beyond campus. As a member of the Inter-Cooperative-Council, they found an educational community they were comfortable in. “(ICC) has provided not only resources, but people I could engage in conversation with about identity without seeming like I was complaining or something that was only relevant to me,” they said. Reena Pang is an LSA Junior in the Residential College who came out as trans last year. Living in East Quad has provided her with a supportive and open environment, she says. Being said, there are still challenges to being a trans woman at the University. Systems in place at the University to accommodate trans
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people, such as gender-inclusive bathrooms and resources available through the Spectrum Center and CAPS, were also reassuring to her. Even with the new pronoun policy, Pang said professors have misidentified her gender twice already. “There’s just a feeling of mild anxiety when people misgender you, especially when professors are doing it,” Reena said, harkening back to the mentions of a certain discomfort and power dynamic by Kaufman and Augustaitus. She also discussed the infrastructures in place for helping students transition. “The University is actually putting out a system through UHS where people can actually start hormones because they are training and bringing in endocrinologists to basically start hormone replacement therapy for people who need it,” Pang said. However, there is only one endocrinologist currently at the University Health System, with a long waiting list. Additionally UHS is provide blood tests and continuing hormones, but not necessarily start the hormone replacement therapy. As Will Sherry of the Spectrum Center mentioned as a common theme, the resources are often there, but the access to them is in many cases, very limited. “As much as I trust students to be able to understand things on their own,” Sherry said. “There is a lot of value in being able to explore identities and talk about them in a class.” In saying this she showed hope at least, for the University community to learn and grow, even as policies limit access to resources individuals need.
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Wednesday, January 18th, 2017 // The Statement
“Call Me Lo” by Lauren Theisen, Daily Arts Writer
R
ight now, I don’t have a name. More accurately, I have about five. A few are more correct than others, but I’d respond to all of them. Rather than a “real name,” I might just be in possession of a bunch of labels — some of which describe who I used to be, while others lay out my plans for the future. Since I came out as a trans woman, my legal name doesn’t match the name I call myself, which sometimes doesn’t match what I hear from friends and family, or the one I use in class. I juggle my monikers throughout each day, trying to decide which one feels best for each situation.
wonder if the people at the other end of the line know what the prescriptions are for, what the names of the drugs actually mean, and if so, do they realize how weird and confusing it is that they still call me Adam? But if they are raising their eyebrows at the boy’s name next to a request for Estradiol, they don’t betray it in their voices. And truth is, I don’t mind Adam all that much. It’s a fine, efficient name, and I can easily deal with hearing it from professors and dentists and whomever else. There’s a power in your life story and identity, and it’s freeing to share it or not share it with whomever you wish.
expression and privacy — is simply, “Theisen.” It’s my last name, pronounced like “Tyson” for reasons I’ve never been able to explain, and in some circles, it’s turned into this cool kind of mononym that I honestly really enjoy. It’s mysterious and gender-neutral and it hints at the truth without being overly blunt about it. It’s clearly temporary, but I think it’s a fun and effective way to handle the awkward middle ground I’m in right now. I look male, but I’m not. I feel female, but I’m not quite there yet, visually. At least my last name is nice and consistent. When I first knew that I was trans — like, not when I was just worried
very long time ago, my mom told me that’s what she would have named me if I had been born cis female. And once I said it in my head a few times, I realized it was perfect. Like Adam, it’s fairly simple, and it also happens to be cute and very much me in a personal, real way. I like that it’s not quite a name that I chose myself, and that it seems to hint at an alternate version of me, one I’ve often thought about — that other universe where I’m born female and proceed to live my whole, normal life that way. And so, Lauren has become the name I’ve used on job applications, the name I’ve given to people once I know them well enough to feel safe,
ILLUSTRATION BY CLAIRE ABDO
If I met you for the first time in person today — shaking your hand and all that — I’d probably say “Hey, I’m Adam.” And you probably wouldn’t think that much of it. I basically look like an Adam. I have longer hair, maybe, or more feminine glasses, but in sweaters and jeans, I still look male, and I’m not going to fuck up that impression and tell you my life story the very first time we meet. Adam is still what my parents call me. It was the name on my Christmas presents this year. It’s still what some of my friends call me. And, given that it’s my legal name, Adam is still what I use when I’m on the phone with pharmacists or insurance people, trying to figure out how to get the prescriptions I need to facilitate my transition. I always
At the same time, I can’t help but say I’ve been having more and more visceral reactions to being called Adam in social settings. I choose not to correct anyone, because I’d rather they call me the most natural word they know rather than force someone to do something that doesn’t feel right to them. But I’ve started feeling this tightening in my heart, little pricks of denial and rebellion in my brain when I hear my old name. It’s nothing I take personally, but I think I still look in the mirror too much and see a lie. I feel like I’m showing the world something that I don’t want them to see — that nobody actually recognizes who I really am. My old name reinforces that false perception. The best workaround I’ve found so far — the best mix of personal
about my gender, but when I finally confirmed it to myself that I’m a trans woman — a new name was an overwhelming choice. I didn’t know if I should just feminize my name into something like “Adele” or “Addison,” but that felt too weird, too much like I was just tweaking my male life. There were too many choices, though, in the wide world of names. I needed something I could have a personal connection to, something I thought was cute and would say something about me and didn’t have any negative associations. I looked at hundreds of names and tried to picture my future with each one, how they would sound coming out of my friends’ mouths. It was impossible. I went with Lauren because one night I suddenly remembered how, a
the name I use to make accounts on websites. With my friends, there’s the somewhat androgynous nickname “Lo,” which I love, and the more playful “Lolo,” which always makes me smile. I’ll admit that it still took a little while for Lauren to feel like my natural name when people used it. It’s something I’m just starting to get conditioned to, and while I’m trying to work on my new signature and not get overly excited when I hear people use it, I’m often still painfully aware of how my name doesn’t match my face, or my clothes or my voice (God, especially my voice). I’m working to fix all that in the timeframe that’s most comfortable for me, but even before that time comes, I love my name, and I can’t wait until it’s my only one.
Wednesday, January 18th, 2017 // The Statement
7B
Personal Statement: The View from Here by Danielle Colburn, Daily Copy Editor
M
y eye problems started about five years ago. I remember the moment distinctly, actually. It was my sophomore year of high school and I was walking into sixth-period biology when I noticed something was off with my vision. The strangest part then, and for a few years following, was not having the vocabulary to explain what I was seeing. It was hard to communicate my situation to people and doctors when I felt it necessary to follow every description with “It’s like that, but not exactly.” At the time, I asked my mom to imagine the gray, grainy static of a TV station. That’s how I best described what was going on at the edges of my vision. I used the word “buzzing,” a verb that doesn’t even make sense in the context of eyesight. It was an odd kind of isolation; I knew that something was happening that wasn’t right, but it was such an unusual experience that none of the words I used to explain it felt right. On Nov. 11, 2015, I was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa. RP is a progressive condition that causes retinal degeneration. A brief overview: Those with RP experience a loss in vision because the photoreceptors in the retina, which are responsible for sight, start to die. The symptoms and rate of progression differ from person to person, but RP usually starts by affecting night vision and peripheral vision, as it has for me. I don’t want to say that the diagnosis was a relief, necessarily, but after five years of not being able to really understand or share what was going on and seeing a doctor who kept telling me that he couldn’t find any reason for the symptoms I was describing poorly, I started to wonder if I’d somehow tricked myself into seeing something that wasn’t there. So getting a diagnosis, something I could Google and learn about, a name that would connect me to other people dealing with the same thing, was, in a lot of ways, a relief. Putting a label on something makes it feel heavier, more permanent, and that was something that people close to me worried about. It made the condition more real, absolutely, but that condition had already been a reality for me. Making my condition real was what I needed to shrug off the nagging doubt that it was all in my head, even if I knew, realistically, that that was a ridiculous idea. But there were other feelings at that appointment. The doctor who gave me the official diagnosis asked me about my major. I told him English, and he told me that I might want to come up with a contingency plan, since careers related to English are pretty dependent on, well, being able to see. He also told me that I should stop driving — I later found out that it wasn’t just that I should stop driving, but that legally I had to stop driving in Michigan — and that I would probably want to think about living in an urban area in the future. That was the first time that I thought about how the situation was going to affect my life in the years to come. I asked him if I was going to go blind, and he didn’t have an answer for me. Since RP affects everyone so differently, it was hard for him to say what, exactly, was in store. It changes the atmosphere of a room when a doctor tells you that there’s no way to rule out blindness being in the future and that you may want to adjust accordingly.
The thing about a situation like this is that there’s not a lot to do besides go on with your life. I stuck with my English major, because I’d already gone through the very college crisis of figuring out what I cared about enough to spend years studying. And because I love English. If the legions of people asking “But what are you going to do with an English major?” weren’t going to get in my way, neither was this. The word about my eyes got around, as it does. I had people reaching out to tell me I was brave. Or strong. I think that’s what people say when someone is dealing with something that they don’t understand. The sentiment was sincere, kind and appreciated. But it was hard to feel brave just continuing on. I started to feel like a fake, like a trickster who had duped family and friends into believing that there was something fundamentally admirable about just moving forward in the face of some doubts and changes. Especially when, as far as doubts and changes go, this one wasn’t earth-shattering. Of course, this is only my experience of RP, a condition that affects every person differently. But for me, I knew that I was doing pretty well as far as this situation goes — I still have my central vision, all I’m really dealing with is an inability to see at night and peripheral vision that doesn’t do its job. But that knowledge didn’t stop feelings of fear, confusion or frustration. Those moments were accompanied by guilt and the worry that I was letting down those people who praised my bravery, as if any show of strength would be negated by moments of weakness. Going on with my life isn’t especially noteworthy. It just is what it is. But in times of fear or frustration, the support of the people around me helps me to move forward instead of giving in to some alternative. I think it’s hard to feel like living my life as regularly as possible is out of the ordinary because everyone deals with things that others don’t understand. And because the people around me have
done everything they can to accommodate me and make me feel like nothing has changed. My mom has always come to my doctor appointments and is always at the other end of the phone when I need her. My dad drove from Grand Rapids to Ann Arbor to go to the appointment where I got my official diagnosis, and made a late drive home after I asked him to stay for dinner because I wasn’t quite ready to see him go yet. My younger brother Zach, relatively recently licensed, drives me places when I’m at home. Over Thanksgiving break, he was in pajamas and settled in at home for the night when I asked him to drive me somewhere because I was seriously craving chocolate cake, and he obliged. Even when I found myself unable to really share what was going on, they never let me feel alone, and for that I am so grateful. My friends always let me take their arms or hands in dark rooms when I’m adjusting and struggling to navigate. One of my best friends has, on multiple occasions, let people know that I wasn’t ignoring their high-fives, I just couldn’t see them. It’s the small ways in which those closest to me let me know that, while they don’t understand what I’m seeing, they’re around anyway for whatever I need. I visited another hospital this summer with my family, a hospital that is doing all kinds of research and looking for ways to stop, and even reverse, the progression of RP. My parents came with me to speak to the doctor who specializes in inherited retinal diseases. My mom asked him if I was going to go blind. To this, he replied something to the effect of “Not on our watch.” He handed a tissue to my teary mother nonchalantly, as if it were all in a day’s work to tell parents that their children aren’t facing some kind of life sentence. And while this doesn’t change that the only course of action is to keep on keeping on, it doesn’t hurt to have hope and to know that there are people working on the behalf of people like me with RP.
ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE SPAK
8B
Wednesday, January 18th, 2017 // The Statement
VISUAL S TAT E M E N T: PLANET ROCK PHOTOS BY JEREMY MITNICK
From the beaches of San Pedro to the rainforests of Belmopan, Belize’s beauty radiates. Taken softly before the interuption of Hurriance Earl, which swept through and devastated the natural beauty of this country.
A climber stretches out to maximize use of a foothold.
A climber attempts to switch his footing on a difficult climb.
Man climbs rock at University of Michigan
College of Engineering senior Gabriel Pascualy attempts to climb a 5.11 pitch.
A climber holds on with just his finger tips.