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University presidents pen op-ed on globalization Schlissel, presidents of MSU, Wayne State co-author Detroit News article CALEB CHADWELL Daily Staff Reporter
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Kevin Deegan-Krause from the European Journal of Political Research speaks at a town hall meeting at the School of Social Work on Thursday.
City hosts town hall, discusses redistricting reform in Ann Arbor
The speakers discussed different methods to prevent negative effects of gerrymandering MADELEINE GERSON Daily Staff Reporter
More than 100 community members gathered in a room Thursday night at the University of Michigan School of Social Work to attend one in a series of town halls organized by two grassroots organizations aiming to end gerrymandering, Voters Not Politicians and Count MI Vote. The political practice of gerrymandering — manipulating
the boundaries of an electoral constituency to favor a candidate or party — has been a topic of major debate in recent months following the election of President Donald Trump. Kevin Deegan-Krause, a professor of political science at Wayne State University, said the practice does not receive enough attention. “The drawing of lines is an incredibly powerful tool, and one that I don’t think we appreciate enough,” he said. Deegan-Krause, along with
University Law Prof. Nancy Wang, are hoping to transfer the power of redistricting from legislators and politicians to Michigan citizens. The town hall started out with a short history of gerrymandering and how it has been used by both major parties as a mechanism for winning elections and creating constituencies in their favor. Deegan-Kraus said both Michigan and Maryland are guilty of gerrymandering, despite their difference in
partisan leanings. “If you are a Republican in Michigan or a Democrat in Maryland, you could look at the map and say, I care deeply about what my party wants,” he said. “My partner wants what is good for the country. My challenge is that is there any other reason that besides pure partisanship that you should be against this.” The day after the presidential election, Wang joined the Facebook page for Count MI Vote and created a ballot question See GERRYMANDER, Page 3
Mark Schlissel, president of the University of Michigan, emphasized the importance of international students and the global economy in a Detroit News editorial co-authored with Lou Anna Simon, president of Michigan State University, and M. Roy Wilson, president of Wayne State University, on Thursday. The three presidents wrote they believe it is essential to keep their doors open to foreign students, because it will lead to enhanced growth in Michigan’s innovation and economic growth. “Our research universities give the people and businesses of our state an advantage in the global innovation economy,” Schlissel, Simon and Wilson wrote. “Keeping our doors open to the global community of scholars will enhance our ability to compete and power Michigan’s future.”
They also wrote more than 10 percent of students at their respective colleges come from foreign countries and Michigan’s economy retains much of their talent after they graduate. “While the vast majority of our students come from the state of Michigan, we also attract more than 10 percent from foreign countries,” Schlissel, Simon and Wilson wrote. “And those who remain in the U.S. to work after graduation are nearly as likely as domestic students to stay in Michigan.” Schlissel, Simon and Wilson also wrote international students contribute to diversity at each of their respective colleges and enhance knowledge as a result. “Students from different places also help our campuses better ref lect the global diversity our graduates are expected to understand, and they enhance the quality of See OP-ED, Page 3
Wolverines’ season ends with oneStudents, Stories of community point loss to Oregon in Kansas City coming out
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concerned with AAPD
Walton’s last-second 3-pointer falls short; Michigan loses, 69-68, in Sweet 16
Recently decided upon audit to review behavior following Aura Rosser case
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With nine seconds left and the Michigan men’s basketball team down by one, Derrick Walton Jr. received the inbounds pass looking for a shot that would lead the Wolverines to the Elite Eight. And with two seconds left, the senior guard got his chance, jab-stepping his defender and stepping back for a 3-point attempt. But unlike so many of Walton’s shots in Michigan’s seven-game undefeated run, the ball fell just short, clanking off the front iron as the buzzer sounded. “I thought (the shot) was good,“ said junior forward Duncan Robinson. “That’s a shot that I’ve seen him make over and over, and I have the utmost confidence in him to make that shot.” That was it, as the Wolverines’ season ended with a 69-68 loss to Oregon (16-2 Pac-12, 32-5 overall) at the Sprint Center on Thursday night. But for a game that featured two of the top-20 scoring offenses in the country, it sure didn’t feel like it. The two teams combined for just 68 points in the first half of a game that was tightly contested down to the final buzzer. The first half was marred by off-the-mark shooting — Michigan (10-8 Big Ten, 26-12 overall) shot just 39 percent on 11-of-28 shooting, while Oregon
ISHI MORI
Daily Staff Reporter
Ann Arbor City Council’s March 5 decision to contract Hillard Heintze LLC, a Chicago-based security consulting firm, to review Ann Arbor Police Department practices elicited a variety of responses from Ann Arbor students, activists and other stakeholders. The decision to audit the police department was a result of two and a half years of protests and complaints regarding the Aura Rosser case, in which a Black woman was shot by a white police officer, David Ried, who was responding to a domestic violence call. Prosecuting attorney Brian Mackie said in a statement in Jan. 2015 no criminal charges will be brought against Ried, citing “lawful self-defense,” but activists across Ann Arbor have advocated for more police accountability and transparency to avoid another incident. For example, Radical Washtenaw, a local See AUDIT, Page 3
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MINH DOAN
Daily Sports Editor
shot just 41 percent on 12-of-29 shooting — and general lackluster play. “We talked to people who play (Oregon) often, and they said ‘We don’t know what they’re doing, we don’t have a formula for it,’ ” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “It’s just this off formation of zone defense.” The Wolverines, who had given up just 10 turnovers in their past two games, turned the ball
over seven times in the first half, allowing Oregon to run out in transition, a big part of the Ducks’ game plan. Senior guard Derrick Walton Jr. was his usual self with a stat line of 11 points, two rebounds and seven assists in the first half, but he had little help from his teammates. Walton finished with a strong second half, totaling 20 points, five rebounds and eight assists.
Sophomore forward Moritz Wagner, who had 26 points in Michigan’s victory over Louisville just four days prior, was off the mark, totaling just four points on 2-of-8 shooting in the first half. Wagner’s second half wasn’t much better, as he played eight minutes and scored three points. But as poor as the offense looked, Michigan’s defense See BASKETBALL, Page 3
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Michigan senior point guard Derrick Walton Jr. finished with 20 points but missed a potential game-winning shot.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 52 ©2017 The Michigan Daily
shared at speak out
Students shared their experiences at an event hosted by College Dems DYLAN LACROIX Daily Staff Reporter
Over 80 students and community members came together Thursday night in the Michigan League to share and listen to anonymous and personal experiences of individuals coming out with their sexuality at the Stonewall Democrats event “Coming Out Speak Out.” Stonewall Democrats is a subcommittee of the University of Michigan’s chapter of College Democrats that promotes education, transparency and action around LGBTQ-related legislation and aims to achieve equality for LGBTQ-identified people. Throughout the year, the organization plans and hosts events regarding the advocacy for LGBTQ rights and identities. LSA sophomores Kallie Bernas and Tyler Eastman, the co-chairs of the subcommittee, were inspired to host the event on behalf of College Democrats after similar speak outs on social events took See SPEAK OUT, Page 3
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7
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2 — Friday, March 24, 2017
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The road to the Final Four is made in Michigan, as both the men’s and women’s playing surfaces have been built in the small town of Amasa, Mich. since 2005. A company named Connor Sports, which has been in business since 1872, manufactures the playing surfaces, with all the wood coming from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, MLive reported. After the courts are used in the championship, the playing surface is usually purchased by the winning school to be installed or used to fundraise, according to MLive. The company
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produces 12 courts every year for the tournament, including the Final Four playing surface, Gary Gray, Connor Sports portable sales manager, said. “We’re a proud partner of the NCAA and proud to be the official court for March Madness,” Gray said. “We get to see our labor of love out on television sets all across the nation.” In any case, Michiganders can take pride that, even if the Wolverines don’t make it, the state will still be represented in this year’s final. - CALEB CHADWELL
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JEREMY MITNICK/Daily LSA freshman Che ‘Rai Laster colors at the De-Stress Through Play event in Angell Hall on Thursday.
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Graduate Conference on South Asia WHAT: This interdisciplinary conference will showcase the work of graduate students studying South Asia. Dartmouth Prof. Douglas Haynes will be the keynote speaker. WHO: Center for South Asian Studies WHEN: 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work, Room 1636
Ross Application Workshop WHAT: Bring your applications, including job and internship materials, to be reviewed by current Business students. WHO: Association of Latino Professionals For America WHEN: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Ross School of Business, Blau Hall
Lebanese Cooking Class WHAT: The Lebanese Student Association will host its annual cooking lesson, where participants can learn how to make hummus and manaeesh. WHO: Lebanese Student Association WHEN: 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Trotter Multicultural Center
Ann Arbor Film Festival WHAT: The Ann Arbor Film Festival will be screening “Broken — The Women’s Prison at Hooheneck.” Tickets are available at aafilmfest.org; use discount code AAFF55_PCAP. WHO: Prison Creative Arts Project WHEN: 9:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Theater, Main Auditorium
Americans and the Spanish Civil War
Social Justice in HipHop Panel
WHAT: This keynote lecture will focus on American opposition to the Franco government, focusing on student action at the University. WHO: LSA Bicentennial Theme Semester WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:20 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League
WHAT: Prof. Derrick Darby will moderate a panel with Detroit artists William Copeland, Mahogany Jones and Khary Frazier. WHO: Artists of Color in Ann Arbor WHEN: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. WHERE: C.C. Little Building, Room 1528
Tech Talk: Getting Started with Fitbit
Out of the Ordinary
WHAT: ITS will give a presentation about the different kinds of Fitbit trackers and the individual advantages of each. WHO: Information and Technology Services WHEN: 11 a.m. to Noon WHERE: Michigan Union, Room G312
Nicole @nikkielliee
WHAT: Clements Library is displaying some of the most extraordinary objects in its collection, which it has been building since 1923. WHO: William L. Clements Library WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: William Clements Library, Avenir Foundation Room
10th annual monologue show for women of color talks racial issues Daily Staff Reporter
“Hush,” the 10th Annual Spring Monologue Show presented by Yoni Ki Baat was a performance, directed by LSA senior Irene Syriac, aimed to challenge stereotypes and address cultural taboos faced by South Asian women and other women of color held. “Yoni Ki Baat” means “talks of the vagina” in Sanskrit. In 2003, the South Asian Sisters organization in San Francisco, inspired by the Vagina Monologues, put together the first Yoni Ki Baat performance as a space for women of color to share their stories. Thursday, it was put on in Rackham Auditiorium. Many monologues contained stories of queer women of color and the often-silent battles they
face, often bringing the audience to their feet. Syriac commented on the importance of the event. “I’m hoping people in the audience leave today thinking ‘I never thought that way before’ or learned something new,” Syriac said. “I think that as humans we are constantly learning and we are constantly having these new experiences — it’s good to hear someone else’s perspective on it.” Over a dozen performers took the stage to address numerous topics, including their frustrations with social norms, understanding love and sexuality and coming of age. Most of the monologues were written by their performers, and took the form of rhythmic prose, music, poetry and monologues. The Michigan Daily was asked not to record the event. Music, Theatre & Dance freshman Maxwell Lipari commented on the effect the
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show had on him. “The most important thing is hear other people’s stories,” Lipari said. “To get another perspective, especially for me as a white male. I don’t have these experiences, and hearing these stories can help me try to understand other people’s problems and try to be able to understand where they are coming from. That way, I can also help others try to understand what’s going on, and also recognize my own privilege.” The program of the event contained a glossary, which Syriac said she felt was a necessary supplement to the performance. “The thing about social justice is that there are a lot of terms that not everybody not really understands well,” Syriac said. “If anyone is here to maybe learn something or are not super into social justice and they don’t know a term, they might learn something while they’re here.” Public Policy junior Chandani Wiersba, president the University of Michigan’s chapter of Yoni Ki Baat and event participant, expressed how she felt storytelling is critical in changing hearts and minds, and mentioned the weight it can carry. “I hear over and over from all sorts of people that narratives are the most powerful way to connect and to have empathy,” Wiersba said. “I think because there is not a space on campus for women of color otherwise, we create that space to empower them and to have their voices heard.” All proceeds of the event were donated to Mai Family Services, a community-based non-profit organization that focuses on addressing the needs of the South Asian community in Southeast Michigan. The organization specializes in domestic violence and mental health issues.
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BASKETBALL From Page 1 held strong. Despite two fouls to both senior wing Zak Irvin and redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson, the duo held Pac-12 Player of the Year Dillon Brooks to just four points on 2-of-6 shooting in the first half. Brooks ended the game with 15 points. “We knew he was a downhill driver, so I just tried to keep my body between him and the rim,” Wilson said. “I tried to make as many looks as possible tough for him.” Oregon, though, didn’t back down with its star player struggling to score, as guard Tyler Dorsey filled the void. Dorsey, who had averaged 23.6 points a
AUDIT From Page 1 activist group, wrote in its booklet, “People’s Retort to the Prosecutor’s Report,” the death of Aura Rosser and the exoneration of the police officer responsible is part of a national pattern of racism and questionable police practices. “Aura Rosser’s killing and the official exoneration of Ried is part of a national pattern of disregard for Black lives,” the booklet reads. “Ann Arbor, one of the 10 most economically segregated cities of any size in the nation, is not exempt from racism and patterns of police violence. Indeed, Ann Arbor is America.” Though Councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy (D–Ward 1) said there is no major progress happening yet, the city’s Human Rights Commission meeting on March 8 provided a glimpse of what may follow in the next few months. In the meeting, Kenneth Bouche, chief operating officer of Hillard Heintze, stated reform in community policing is impossible without direct engagement from the community. “In order to move forward, in order to enter a new era of policing and to solve the problems we have seen over the last several years, (reform) has to be collaborative between government, between police and between the community,” Bouche said at the meeting. Bouche then expanded on how the proposed citizen advisory board for the AAPD should also be built upon collaborative spirit, explaining that adversarial oversight boards around the country do not actually modify police behavior or improve community-police relations. “Whatever you build, it’s not going to be adversarial, it’ll be cooperative,” Bouche said. “It’s designed to be a positive way because what we see around the country is, adversarial oversight only solves some of
game in his last five contests, got hot late, finishing the first half with a game-high 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc to lead the Ducks into the halftime break with a two-point lead. The first four minutes showed some promise for the offensive fireworks many expected, as the two teams combined for 21 points before the first media timeout. But the offensive spurt was just that — a short burst of energy — and the two teams went back to struggling to find the basket. While Oregon led for most of the half, back-to-back 3-pointers by Wilson and Walton gave the Wolverines a rare one-point lead with 4:15 remaining in the game. Afterward, the two teams traded baskets — and the lead — until Michigan got a defensive
PIANO AND POLITICS
stop, and Walton hit a jumper at the other end to give the Wolverines the lead with just over two minutes left in the game. “We all felt confident down the stretch,” Robinson said. “Credit to them, they made plays, and that’s what it takes to win a game with two good teams.” But Oregon roared back and, in the span of less than a minute, took back the lead. Then it came down to the last shot, Walton’s jumper that fell just short. It wasn’t the ending the Wolverines’ seniors wanted — that would’ve happened in Phoenix next weekend — but it was about as close to it as they could get. And for Beilein and his team, that’s about all they ever could have hoped for.
the problems.” Debra Kirby, senior vice president of law enforcement counseling at Hillard Heintze, explained her team will conduct onsite data collection for at least one week every month and analyze the results offsite. Consultants will conduct interviews and ride-alongs with police officers, research policies and data, and talk to community members about their concerns, holding at least one public forum. Kirby said her team is aiming to complete its report by late June. “Our goal at this point in terms of the assessment is to really be objective and let the facts show what they show,” Kirby said. “We look at what are national practices, we listen to what this community wants, we identify what are the specific needs of this community and at the end of this assessment phase, we’ll come in with recommendations for the people here to determine, assess, evaluate whether we’ll take this forward.” When asked whether Hillard Heintze plans to do what is “right” as opposed to what the majority of the community wants, Bouche responded what his team is looking for is constitutionally correct policing that takes into account what every subset of the entire community — be it marginalized, rich, immigrant or undocumented — wants from the police. “When we say that the community should direct how the police polices its community, it doesn’t mean the majority should direct how everyone is policed,” Bouche said. “When we say community, we don’t mean majority, but an inclusive community.” Libby Hunter, a representative of Radical Washtenaw who was present at the meeting, wrote she was pleased to see real steps toward the improvement of community-police relations. “I was surprised because they spoke quite powerfully about how the (Human Rights
Commission) was going to have to really get involved, and how community involvement was crucial to their process,” Hunter wrote. “They repeated multiple times, in different words, how community involvement was key. You could see the facial
In order to move forward, in order to enter a new era of policing and to solve the problems we have seen over the last several years, (reform) has to be collaborative between government, between police
expressions change on the faces of the HRC as they began to understand that these people meant business.” HRC Chair Leslie Stambaugh said consultants from Hillard Heintze also engaged with the city’s leadership, the AAPD — including Police Chief Jim Baird — and the court system from March 7 to 9. Baird wrote a memo last June describing his opinion that a civilian advisory board was unnecessary. Baird said he was also impressed with Hillard Heintze’s attitude. Baird maintained that he still views the advisory board as unnecessary, but reiterated he would support such a plan if it were recommended from
OP-ED From Page 1
SPEAK OUT From Page 1
our teaching and research,” they wrote. The three presidents also added they agree with Gov. Rick Snyder’s comments that immigrants add to Michigan’s economic strength. “We agree with Gov. Rick Snyder that immigrants have added significantly to the economic strength of our state,” the three wrote. “All three of our universities can better serve society — and our economy — because of international scholars.” Schlissel, Simon and Wilson ended the editorial by writing about the achievements of three immigrant faculty members at each of their respective institutions, including UM Engineering Prof. Kamal Sarabandi, who is from Iran. “Known as a leader in radar sensing, his [Sarabandi’s] research is used by NASA and U.S. Department of Defense,” Schlissel, Simon and Wilson wrote. “He holds 14 U.S. patents, has eight more pending, and has founded companies to market some of his technologies.”
place on campus, like the Abortion Speak Out presented by the University’s chapter of Students for Choice last semester. Eastman pointed to the current political climate in the United States and the fear in the future of LGBTQ rights under the current administration as the motivation for the event, as well as its importance. “Right now, LGBTQ rights are at stake,” Eastman said. “We wanted to make sure that people had a safe space to express how harmful stories can be.” Bernas, who was encouraged to join College Democrats by a friend, felt the need to run for the co-chair position based on her own experience of coming out, and expressed how she felt personally compelled to lead, even though she doesn’t identify as a natural-born leader. “This is important work I need to be doing,” said Bernas. “My sexuality was very new to me and even coming to the University and accepting it had
Friday, March 24, 2017 — 3
LSA freshman Che ‘Rai Laster colors at the De-Stress Through Play event in Angell Hall on Thursday.
Hillard Heintze. “(Hillard Heintze) will be well positioned to make a recommendation on what type of community board would work well in Ann Arbor,” Baird wrote in an email interview. “I have met with team members from Hillard Heintze and believe that their assessment and experience will be instrumental in designing and implementing such a board.” Though the creation of a civilian advisory board will most likely pass a council vote, its role may be limited, because the board’s recommendations will be non-binding. Only City Council and the City Administrator have oversight power, per the city’s charter. Public Health student Vikrant Garg, a representative for Students4Justice, a group fighting racism on campus, criticized what he saw as a minimal role for an institution with great potential. He argued this was a classic case of those in power being unwilling to give the people actual decisionmaking power. “I think we need to reimagine governmental structures that can be held to account in a system that currently fails marginalized folks, especially black trans women,” Garg wrote in an email interview. “The problem is when institutional accountability measures are just advisory existences, rather than those with actual perceived power.” However, Councilmember Chip Smith (D–Ward 5) stated in a previous article Hillard Heintze is looking for a way for the advisory board and City Council to work alongside each other. “Ultimately as a council person, I look for a board like that to give me advice on actions to take,” Smith said. “You know if there are complaints about an action or an officer, certainly I want to know what Chief Baird says about it, but I also want the independent group to be able to provide me their interpretation of what happened and how to best proceed.”
been very new and I had just come out at the end of senior year and felt that was the time for me to really start working towards changing policy and doing something tangible.” LSA senior Lauren Harsh
My sexuality was very new to me and even coming to the University and accepting is had been very new shared her own personal coming out story of when realized she was lesbian after attending a summer camp at the Methodist church she attended as a child in the months leading up to leaving for college. Harsh went on to describe some of the mixed reactions she received from various groups of people she had in her
life. “When I was at the camp, I was really scared,” Harsh said. “It’s church camp, and the staff members starting a relationship together was frowned upon anyway, and that made me kind of distance myself from my friends, which I really hated that I felt like I had to do that.” After, she described the immediate sense of belonging she felt when she arrived at the University in the fall. “Once I drove up here to college, I dove head-first into all the gay shit,” Harsh said.“I’m out and proud now, but that doesn’t mean my story is over.” Art & Design freshman Kevin Moore shared his personal experience of coming out as bisexual in a hypermasculine environment on the west side of Detroit. In sharing his experience, he emphasized how coming out is a constant experience people in the community have to face, if they choose to. “The thing about coming out is that it’ll never be a one-time thing,” Moore said. “You’re going to constantly come out to people that you are sharing
GERRYMANDER From Page 1 committee to begin drafting policy for a ballot proposal. Wang has traveled throughout the state, gathering feedback from communities before the petition is released. “We’ve reached out to all of our state representatives and all mayors of any population greater than 3,000,” Wang said. “We’re really trying to make this bipartisan, nonpartisan and as inclusive as we can.” Deegan-Kraus said opposing gerrymandering is simple and involves a basic level of fairness, and some of the current boundaries are lacking manageability, making it difficult for legislators to be responsive to their voters. Other states have passed similar proposals that transfer the redistricting authority to the voters, including California, Arizona and Iowa. In 2008, California voted to pass Proposition 11, which created a redistricting commission composed of fourteen members — five Democrats, five Republicans and four unaffiliated members. Still, Wang, Deegan-Kraus and other members of Voters Not Politicians and Count MI Vote have not yet drafted a policy for the ballot proposal for a redistricting commission. The policy team is considering drafting a policy similar to that of California, yet there is one major barrier. Wang said while in California voters are registered as Democrat, Republican or Independent, in Michigan it is optional for voters to register with a political party. There would be no way to ensure that restructuring commission members are indeed from the political party they claim, which is why Wang and Deegan-Kraus are seeking residents’ input to create a system for structuring these committees. There are a few reasons
a piece of you to someone, if you want to approach someone in that way. You do not have to approach people saying, ‘I am this way,’ because guess what, your sexuality is not your personality.”
I’m out and proud now, but that doesn’t mean my story is over
He went on to offer some positive thoughts behind the idea of sexuality. “The best thing about your sexuality is that it’s yours,” Moore said. One of the most compelling stories of the night was told unscripted by a local high school senior attending Plymouth Canton Educational Park who shared a somber,
KAETLYN MULCAHY/Daily
why voters should care about gerrymandering, DeeganKraus said. Among those are that gerrymandering can allow incumbents to retain office with lower vote counts, and it often breaks up communities. If the authority of redistricting switches to Michigan residents, the possibility exists that voter turnout will increase. Wang said following the establishment of California’s redistricting commission in 2008, there was an increase in voter turnout. Social Work student Katherine Hammond said in recent months, following the election, there have been a number of issues to be concerned about and to fight for. But for Hammond, fighting to end gerrymandering is an issue that is worth the fight. “Gerrymandering determines who is in power,” Hammond said. “To me, that gets to some of the root causes of why we have so many issues and why they are so highly contested.” During the Q&A portion following the presentation, audience members voiced opinions on how to go about creating guidelines for restructuring committees. Some members suggested creating an algorithm to ensure the selection process is fair and unbiased, but also to have experts, like academics with political science backgrounds, serve as advisors. Hammond, though concerned said he was these committees would be elitist. “I think demographics and geography should be a factor in who gets picked, as well as socioeconomic status,” Hammond said. “I think there should be bipartisan support and independence.” There will be two virtual town halls for those interested in learning more about the future proposal. Once the petition is drafted, it will need 316,000 signatures to get on the ballot in November.
yet insightful, story about the details of coming out first as bisexual and later as transgender. El Hanley, who identifies as a transgender female, shared that, even though her experience of coming out as bisexual in middle school was met with overwhelming joy by her family, her experience of coming out as transgender in high school was the opposite. “Coming out as trans is the most complicated thing on the planet,” Hanley said. She expressed the fundamental difference between coming out as bisexual and trans, stating that coming out as bisexual or gay is more of an option, because they relate to a matter of who someone is interested in, where as coming out as trans is matter of physically visible changes. In a more comical sense, she referenced the specific differences in interactions she shared after both of her experiences of coming out. “When I came out as bisexual, a lot of people asked me if I wanted to have a threeway, and I got on with my life,” Hanley said.
Opinion
4 — Friday, March 24, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MEGAN BURNS | COLUMN
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and REBECCA TARNOPOL Editorial Page Editors
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EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Carolyn Ayaub Megan Burns Samantha Goldstein Caitlin Heenan Ibrahim Ijaz
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
LAUREN SCHANDEVEL | COLUMN
Y
Death of a meme page
ou didn’t have to follow The conflict arose when some the Students4Justice members began posting memes sit-in or listen to LSA about University President junior Evan Rosen, who ran Mark Schlissel — some of which for Central Student appropriated African Government president American Vernacular with the Movement English — that party, completely glorified him in a dismiss people who way that made me a were offended by little uneasy. While his controversial there did not appear campaign video to be any malicious to know that this intent, students of campus has a problem color on the page were when it comes to uncomfortable with LAUREN empathizing with SCHANDEVEL their fellow students students of color. Both jokingly praising deliberately and unknowingly someone they felt had failed to pushing marginalized students advocate on their behalf time further into the periphery is a and time again. It appeared as theme that runs deep among the though their concerns were being University of Michigan’s cautious trivialized. The tension reached administration and 65 percent a breaking point when those white population. It was therefore students spoke up about their not surprising when this theme frustration in a post and were met manifested itself more recently with resistance — specifically, over in an unlikely place: a collegiate 100 comments of resistance. meme page. Frankly, it was cringe-worthy I was lucky (or maybe unlucky) and alarming to watch people enough to witness the chaos who were supposedly just there to firsthand. Some context: Last have fun get so worked up when month, I received a message from confronted with the possibility my friend, who had created a page that their definition of fun was called “UMich Memes for Edgy exclusive and even offensive. Even Teens” (inspired by the smash- the more nuanced and sensitive hit, “UC Berkeley Memes for Edgy arguments of the opposition Teens”). He asked me to moderate seemed to admonish people they it and, reluctantly, I agreed. felt were ruining the lighthearted The content started slow — a nature of the page. Diag squirrel meme here, a post As students continued to make about Canvas there. Students exasperated pleas for the memes poked fun at Greek life, dining hall to stop, some members were quick food and their own binge-drinking to comply (one tried to divert the habits. For a week or so, it was attention to another University a tight-knit community of close icon: the Cube), while others friends and acquaintances bonding were not so willing to bury the over shared experiences. It served hatchet. Meanwhile, moderators primarily as a place to laugh, vent (myself included) were in a frenzy, and seek validation from peers. debating whether or not to archive Then it started to pick up. Soon, the page in a private group chat. I was receiving requests to join We worried that there were only every five minutes, and I even a few of us and too many members noticed students browsing the to moderate properly. After all, we page in lecture and tagging each weren’t really edgy teens; we were other in posts. The content was sensitive adults, at best. evolving as well, from broad and The group folded in on itself simple to niche and creative. My because most of the members friend had seemingly developed who clashed with students of quite the phenomenon, and the color on the page did not seem to group was on a trajectory to grasp the notion that they were grow exponentially — until out actively contributing to a system of nowhere, just weeks after its of oppression that reaches so inception, the page crashed and far beyond the realm of comedy. burned with greater intensity What they did not understand than it began. is, in cases such as this, the “fun”
we are having is at the expense of marginalized groups, and it is rooted in our ability to poke fun at things that they understandably cannot dissociate from enough to find humorous. To some, a meme glorifying the president of the University may have been hilarious, but to others, it is a reminder of their constant struggle to be heard by an administration that doesn’t always prioritize their safety and inclusion. The conflict on the page could be chalked up to people refusing to sacrifice their sense of humor for other people’s wellbeings — the conflict on campus more broadly can be chalked up to people refusing to inconvenience themselves for the sake of helping people of color feel comfortable and secure at their own school. Eventually, the mod team decided to delete the group following the conflict. From the page came two main offshoots: “UMich Memes For Edgy Teens who are ACTUALLY Edgy” (a group that claims in its description that it is “not a safe space”) and “Now THAT’S What I Call ‘Edgy Memes for UMich Teens’ VOLUME 2.” The former continues to post Schlissel memes, while the latter has banned them. Obviously, something as trivial as a meme page doesn’t really matter in the big picture. However, the more I analyze the situation, the more I realize that the implosion of “UMich Memes for Edgy Teens” is representative of students more broadly brushing off the very real concerns raised by people of color because they “ruin the fun” or “take things too seriously.” When you don’t suffer at the hands of pervasive systems of oppression every day, of course you find it easier to turn those systems or symbols of those systems into something humorous. It’s easy to separate yourself from that thing, to laugh at it. However, not everyone has that luxury. To listen and empathize with those who may feel excluded or offended by your humor is not a buzzkill: It’s just a decent thing to do. Go back to posting about Diag squirrels, please. Lauren Schandevel can be reached at schandla@umich.edu.
MICHELLE SHENG | CONTACT MICHELLE AT SHENGMI@UMICH.EDU.
Hope, fear and political motivation
L
ast week, I was walking would begin to feel like familiar to class when I scrolled rhetoric. The importance of past a picture of Hillary remaining vigilant was stressed. Clinton on Twitter. I suddenly It seems that the hatefulness remembered of his rhetoric and the period of policy has not been hopefulness and lost yet on people, confidence before and he’s not become the election that a normal politician in was so prevalent their eyes. among my peers Many have and on social media. accepted that Trump The realization of is the president, as how different things painful as it may would be had she be for some to say MEGAN won the election hit aloud. But instead of BURNS me hard, and I was letting their guard struck by the intense difference down and relaxing, many in pervading mood between have remained skeptical and then and now. vigilant. Fear is not a great Hopefulness tainted my motivator to act, though it does every move, from my posts on inspire values of personal safety Facebook to my interactions and protection, of watchfulness with students and discussions and wariness. with friends. I was naively optimistic, making jokes about what life would be like in Donald Trump’s America. Got a C on an exam? Hey, it could be worse, we could have a divisive reality star in charge of the nuclear codes! And so on, and so forth. Before the election, individual political concerns were purely personal, while after the election, many feel they have a moral obligation Instead of accommodating to speak or act politically. It their identities to his presidency, certainly seems as though many have accommodated his moral and personal priorities presidency to their identities. have shifted significantly since Many identify themselves the new administration was through his presidency, inaugurated. Yet, how have fear voluntarily or not. Instead of and hope influenced the mood preparing themselves for the and emotions we experience chaos of the next four years by now? How do we move forward ignoring the news and avoiding using what little power we politics, they’ve chosen instead have to influence politics in the to hold the administration future and make change? accountable, to remind each Interestingly, hope and other that this is not normal. fear were tied deeply into It was widely discussed at the both campaigns of the most time of the election that Trump’s recent political season. Hillary successful campaign ran on fear undoubtedly played off the alone. The campaign fed off fear of Trump, and many who the worries and qualms of the voted for her voted not out of people who felt themselves to hope for the change she would be disenfranchised, forgotten. bring, but rather out of the fear Yet I don’t believe their fear of a Trump presidency. took them to their polling place After the election, an last November; I believe it was informal campaign began their hope. They hoped for a reminding people to keep in country in which they felt they mind that this presidency is not could prosper, and Trump’s normal. Many predicted that, campaign slogan, “Make as time went on, the bigotry America Great Again,” was and hate expressed by Trump appealingly hopeful.
Hope, unlike fear, motivates people greatly.
Hope, unlike fear, motivates people greatly. In 2008, the “Hope” poster came to be a major aspect of former President Barack Obama’s campaign, which was ultimately successful. Since the 2016 election, new social justice student groups, like Progressives at University of Michigan, have popped up on campus, and others, like Students4Justice, have become more active. These groups seek to inspire and encourage greater individual political change. While for many the Trump presidency is far less than ideal, the sense of hope for change has not disappeared entirely. Fear may drive many to hold Trump accountable for his actions during his presidency, but hope will elect the future leaders of our country. If there’s anything we learned from this election, it’s of the slow and steady power of hope to lift a campaign and push individuals into positions of power. If this tactic is recognized and utilized, the outcome of the next few elections will reflect this. The recent Women’s March (on Washington and around the globe) empirically exemplifies the power of collective hope. Yet hope doesn’t have to take its form in the gathering of hundreds of thousands of protesters. Hope can also be individualistic, familial, a partnership; hope takes infinitely many forms. As clichéd and outdated as the hope and fear dichotomy may be, it is nonetheless evident that these themes permeate U.S. politics. Hopefulness in the wake of fear may seem unlikely, but while fear spreads, hope grows. Strip yourself of cynicism, but remain vigilant. Be hopeful, but take care not to cross into naivety. When left unchecked and unbalanced, fear controls. Yet, when fear is controlled, the passion and energy inspired by it can be channeled into something productive. Hope and fear may walk along different paths, but that’s not to say they can’t work in tandem. Megan Burns can be reached at megburns@umich.edu.
CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com. JOY PEHLKE | OP-ED
“Y
Why sleep matters
ou can’t put sleep on a resume.” I had a visceral, almost dejected, reaction to this statement by a student because it keenly nailed why a majority of University of Michigan students don’t prioritize sleep. As a health educator with Wolverine Wellness at University Health Service, I am often asked to talk about sleep and well-being in the college environment. I love talking about sleep. And what I’m finding out is that students love talking about it, too. Why? For one, it’s an area of student well-being that tends to be less controversial than some of the other topics we frequently discuss with college students, including substance use, body image and sexual health. Sleep is a more benign topic, generally. However, sleep is not completely absent of stigma, as some may view those who nap as lazy or less motivated. In my experience, most students love to sleep. Most students want to sleep more, and they understand the downfalls of lack of sleep. When I ask students about the negative consequences of sleep deprivation, they can easily rattle off the following: moodiness, headaches, increased anxiety, drowsiness and decreased focus to even more concerning complications, like heart palpitations, lowered immune response and overuse of stimulants.
One morning, I had a student in my office comment, “Sleep deprivation is an affirmation of busyness.” This makes sense in a competitive culture where “busy” is often worn as a badge of honor. Somehow busyness and sleep deprivation have become untenably entangled with success. Students often say there’s just not enough time to sleep. They relay feelings of guilt — sometimes self-inflicted, sometimes cultural — when tempted to sleep more, figuring they could be using their time “better” by working harder, doing more, being more. And what is the unanticipated cost? According to 2016 National College Health Assessment data, 73 percent of University of Michigan students (75 percent of undergraduate students, 68 percent of graduate students) did not sleep enough to feel rested for more than five days per week. I believe this is an unintended consequence of the “Leaders and the Best” mentality. And I wonder if we can start to challenge it a bit. What if students could find a way to integrate sleep a little bit more as part of their overall well-being, in varying ways? What if there is a way to have it all, instead of the myth that you have to pick two: academics, social life or sleep? Sleep is connected to so many other dimensions of well-being, and a slight positive shift in one area can have a direct effect on other areas. For starters, improving
the quality and quantity of sleep, and discouraging the use of sleep medication, is an effective, simple and cheap method of raising health and well-being. One way to increase sleep for chronically sleep-deprived individuals is a nap. A short nap (think power nap!) has the potential to increase energy, alertness and improve mental performance. One study showed that a six-minute nap increased memorization by 11 percent! Yet, it’s not that simple. Some of the barriers to napping are being away from a bed most of the day, accidentally turning a power nap into a three-hour sleep session and concerns that napping may signal laziness. Increasing students’ sleep and restfulness in practical ways is a complex problem, and I invite us all to dialogue more about it. While it may seem that students can’t put sleep on a resume, perhaps wellbeing is reflected on one’s resume more than we think. How can students prioritize sleep so that they can be more productive and well overall? How can we begin to shift the culture of well-being at the University? Let’s start with sleep. Check out the University Health Service sleep page for more tips and techniques to improve sleep, and to take an online sleep assessment to learn more about your sleep personality profile. Joy Pehlke is a health educator at Wolverine Wellness.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, March 24, 2017 — 5
FILM INTERVIEW
SONY PICTURES
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
20 years after cult classic, sequel ‘T2’ finally arrives MUSKET’s ‘Sister Act’ is comedy and community
COURTESY OF MUSKET
MADELEINE GAUDIN Senior Arts Editor
Twenty years ago, long before the zombies or the Oscar, director Danny Boyle’s sophomore film — a dark comedy about heroin junkies called “Trainspotting” — was blowing up. An instant success and undeniable cult classic, the film launched the careers of numerous actors and shifted the course of popular culture. Two decades later, Boyle is diving back in to the world of his 1996 hit for “T2 Trainspotting,” which picks up with Renton, the original’s protagonist of sorts, 20 years after his betrayal and follows his attempt at reentry into the world he left behind. This isn’t, however, the first time the idea for a sequel has been pursued, but Boyle wanted to make sure he didn’t revisit the film until the time was right. Because, of course, there’s nothing worse than a bad sequel to a great film. “If you’re going to update it you’ve got to have a reason,” Boyle said in a conference call with the Michigan Daily. “And it didn’t feel like there was a reason.” The first attempt at a sequel was abandoned approximately 10 years ago, before the script even made it to the actors. Two years ago, on the cusp of the twentieth anniversary, Boyle, screenwriter John Hodge, source book author Irvine Welsh and their production team reunited in the hopes of pursuing a sequel once again. “And what emerged was much more personal and gave us a reason to make the film really,” Boyle said. “I think, is that it becomes not just a sequel, it is obviously a sequel, you can’t deny that, but it has its own right to exist … raison d’être” Much of that reason is owed to time. The entire core cast is set to return in the sequel, and they’ve aged both physically and emotionally since the last time they were all together
— something that was not as apparent the last time Boyle tried for a sequel. “Age is cruel, and you don’t realize that until you get to this point in your life,” said Ewen Bremner, who plays Spud in both films. “In the first film we were full of exuberance and potency, and we thought we were invincible. And it took us 20 years to realize that we’re just running on the spot and time is f lying by.” The opportunity to return to a character after this much time is one not many actors get to experience. The cast recognized the rare chance “T2” presented. “To come back together and find each other again under the same conditions, if you like, and with the same responsibility for this film was just fantastic,” said Ewan McGregor, who plays Renton. “It just felt like coming home.” The actors aren’t being thrown into exactly the same world, however. Now all aged 46, the group faces a set of emotional challenges that both stem and diverge from those of the first film. “The other film is obviously a great celebration of a certain period of your life through the most extreme prism you can imagine, these junkies in Edinburgh,” Boyle said. “Then obviously the update is when they’re 46 and they’re fucked, as Renton says.” “Trainspotting” became a cult success in ways that no one involved with the film could have imagined. Shot in only seven weeks with a small budget and a cast of relatively unknown actors, the film transcended its humble origins amassing awards and inf luencing popular culture in ways none could have imagined 20 years ago. “We worked really hard on it, and we were also all aware that we were doing something really special and important, and so we were giving it our all,” McGregor said, ref lecting on the first film. Much of that cult status is
owed to “Trainspotting” ’s iconic soundtrack, something Boyle and his team wanted to recreate in the sequel. From Primal Scream to New Order, the original soundtrack is a celebration of British alternative music at a time when Britpop groups like the Spice Girls were taking over the scene. Boyle describes finding the first film’s “heartbeat” in the Underworld album dubnobasswithmyheadman. “Coming to do the new one you want to try and find that equivalent heartbeat, and we found this band, Young Fathers,” Boyle said. The band is from the same part of Edinburgh as Irvine Welsh, which also serves as the inspiration for his novels “Trainspotting” and “Porno,” upon which the films are based. Relatively young, Young Fathers, were just kids when the first film was released. “And yet their stuff just fits in the film,” Boyle said. In addition to the soundtrack, “Trainspotting” was helped on its way to cult stardom by the now-famous voiceovers, delivered by McGregor’s character Renton, that bookend the film. “There’s that confidence and that fearlessness which permeates the first movie and it’s really summed up in the voiceover,” said Jonny Lee Miller, who plays Sick Boy. “Especially in the end speech there, this is what I’m going to do, this is who I am, this is who I’m going to be.” There’s a certain assuredness in that final speech, but it’s never preachy. There’s no clear lesson or morale to “Trainspotting,” something that the film has been both lauded and condemned for. But ultimately it was something Boyle did intentionally. “You hope people recognize it as honest really,” Boyle said. He doesn’t make films with the intention of sending a message or proving a point. Instead, Boyle strives for honesty. “T2 Trainspotting” opens in wide release on March 31.
ALLIE TAYLOR Daily Arts Writer
For their long-awaited Winter semester musical production, the University of Michigan’s premier studentrun theatre troupe, MUSKET, will be presenting the lively and hilarious “Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy.” The musical, which is based on the 1992 movie starring Whoopi Goldberg, follows the story of Deloris Van Cartier, a wayward woman who, after seeing her ex-boyfriend commit murder, hides in a convent. Coming from Philadelphia with dreams of being a singer to ending up in a house full of nuns, Van Cartier finds herself in an entirely different world. She uses her talents, however, to teach the other nuns choreography and music, resulting in wonderfully entertaining, powerful musical numbers with convivial spirit. Playing Deloris Van Cartier is Music, Theatre & Dance senior AnnEliza Canning Skinner, who has been involved in SMTD productions like “Caroline, or Change,” “Music Man” and “American Idiot.” Through MUSKET, this is
Like MUSKET itself, “Sister Act” channels the importance of community her first ever leading role in a musical. “‘Sister Act’ is actually the show that made me want to pursue Musical Theatre when I was younger,” Skinner said in an interview. “It’s so cool to see it come full circle like that.”
Completely student-run, the production includes cast and crew from many areas of the University. MUSKET is made up of about 50 percent performance majors and 50 percent non-performance majors. Part of MUSKET’s mission is to ensure that nonperformance majors have the opportunity to pursue their passion for theatre and performance. “Honestly, I love this
MUSKET presents “Sister Act: A Divine Musical Comedy” Power Center March 24th & 25th @ 8 p.m. March 26th @ 2 p.m. Students $10, Adults $15 experience so much because of the aspect that it’s studentrun,” Skinner said. “My favorite part about this show is the standard that we hold each other to. Even though we’re all students, I’ve never seen such a hard working cast. The dedication, the universality and the passion for the theatre is so cool to experience.” With rehearsals starting in January, the MUSKET cast and crew has been working long and hard for the April production. Music, Theatre & Dance junior Chris Campbell, the show’s Director and Choreographer, began his work before winter break. “It’s hilarious. It’s nonstop laughing for two hours,” Campbell said. With this being his first time directing and choreographing a MUSKET production, Campbell’s excitement and gratification is tangible. “I think what makes this
production different and special is the energy that all the cast members bring,” he said. “There’s such a fresh, youthful energy to it.” “Sister Act” features music by 11-time Grammy winner, eight-time Oscar winner and Tony award winner Alan Menken, who also wrote the music for other Broadway hits such as “A Christmas Carol” and “Newsies,” along with classic Disney movies such as “Hercules,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Aladdin.” “Sister Act” earned five Tony nominations. “I have to say it’s so exciting and just so fun. Everyone is so supportive and unconditionally dedicated to this project,” Skinner added. “I struggle a lot with acceptance of myself, and I feel like this is such a great opportunity for students to work with other students, and especially to have some psychological freedom from the pressures that we put on ourselves.” After months of working on intricacies, perfecting details and rehearsing little bits and pieces of the show at a time, when the time to put everything together came, it was nothing short of magical. “The highlight of this whole process definitely would have to be the first time we ran the whole show,” Campbell said. “It was so exciting for me. Everything started to take form. The ending product exceeded my expectations by 1000 percent: I did not think we would have the cast that we have, the set that we have, the lights that we have, the costumes we have, the orchestra we have.” Like MUSKET itself, “Sister Act” channels the importance of community. “With everything that’s going on in the world, it’s such a great story of sisterhood, unity and love,” Skinner said. “I think everyone can gain something from it.”
FILM COLUMN
A Tale of Two Buffys No, I’m not talking about the Buffybot (BuffyBot? Buffy-bot?). I’m talking about the mega-campy 1992 movie “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” that predated the hit TV show. This month marks the twentieth anniversary of Joss Whedon’s groundbreaking teen drama — 20 years of stakes and butterfly clips and refreshingly enlightened portrayals of teen and young adult life. But before Sarah Michelle Gellar breathed life into the chosen one, Buffy was a cheerleader from L.A. played by Kristy Swanson. The film — for which Joss Whedon is also responsible — is pure camp, a visually stylized horror comedy. It’s hard to compare the movie to the TV show, but looking at this movie as source material helps make sense of what made “Buffy” the TV series stand out from other teen dramas. Little details stick out — Pike became Spike, Seth Green has a
don’t-blink-or-you’ll-miss-it role as a vampire — that tie the two together. The film serves, in its own way, as the backstory the show never gives us, of Buffy’s discovering her slayerdom as a shallow, popular girl in L.A. The movie also points out why the story excels on television. It lacks the depth of character or story that “Buffy” the TV show so benefitted from. Over 144 episodes, we saw Buffy struggle and falter in ways that only solidified her status as a hero. The format of the TV show gives Buffy room to move around inside her character, something that makes her all the more real and all the more compelling. It’s important to see a heroine — especially one on a show targeting young people — make mistakes and feel real pain. On the small screen, “Buffy” upended the expectations for TV storytelling. Recently, IndieWire compiled a list of the best “concept” episodes of all time, and, to no
surprise, “Buffy” was among the most referenced shows. The three standout episodes “Hush,” “The Body” and, my personal favorite, “Once Again With Feeling” share something beyond their status as “concept” episodes. They can stand alone. As episodes, they can be plucked from the show’s seven season long arc and hold their own.
MADELEINE GAUDIN The show’s first season does this same sort of thing to noticeably weaker effect — focusing on individual episodes as contained stories (find a monster, kill a monster, end episode). But
in the later seasons these concept episodes not only play with what we expect from TV, but also blur — way before Netflix — the line between television and the movies. That’s how the assertion that Buffy has to be a TV show gets more complicated. It does and it doesn’t. “The Body” could stand alone as a sharp, poignant portrait of the specific grief young people grieve. Perhaps one of the show’s most cinematic episodes, it shows Whedon’s directorial chops in a way unique from most episodes. Really, it could be a movie. Any of these so-called concept episodes could. So, yet again “Buffy” straddled the line between film and TV. Good TV is made every day. But “Buffy” was good TV — beautiful, complicated, smart TV — for teens. It was teen TV in a way completely unlike “Gossip Girl” or “Riverdale” because it didn’t exploit or mock — it listened and saw. I’m having a hard time thinking of a show
specifically targeted at that demographic that held its audience in such high esteem. That’s why the show’s ending works as well as it does. Buffy spreading her power to every potential slayer — which, if you’re me, can be taken to mean every girl in the world (heck yeah!) — is a powerful celebration of not only female capability, but also of girlhood itself. It’s recognition that to be a woman — but especially to be a girl — is its own kind of fight. Sometimes, in fact, the hardest thing in this world is to live in it. And “Buffy” knew that. While that sort of thing is hard (nearly impossible) to find on TV, it’s all over teen movies. Especially recent genre additions like “The Edge of Seventeen” understand the everyday tragedies of adolescence as well as they do the milestones. “Buffy” operated with a type of empathy usually reserved for the big screen. So even if narratively they
couldn’t really be movies (and as Netflix makes this piece less and less relevant by the minute, blurring the lines between the two mediums), they felt like them. The way an episode of “Mad Men” does. The supernatural helps make sense of the inexplicable. Boys, bras and biology homework are easily compartmentalized in a world of vampires and demons. That’s why so many teen TV shows, like “The Vampire Diaries” or “Teen Wolf,” lean on it. What Buffy did, though, was marry the successes of both, the supernatural teen show and the rich, emotional teen movie. One isn’t better than the other — that’s not the point. But, together they demonstrate the two ways teen media can excel. One as a richly realistic TV show and the other as an unabashedly kitschy horror comedy. Buffy saved the world a lot. And “Buffy,” both “Buffy”s, saved TV a whole hell of a lot.
Arts
6 — Friday, March 24, 2017
TV REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALBUM REVIEW
ABC
‘Crime’ continues to wow Issac (Richard Carbral, “Southland”) tries to recruit Coy (Connor Jessup, “Falling Skies”), a drug-addicted, poor When I wrote about man to work at the farm. Also, “American Crime” at the we see the underage Shae (Ana beginning of its second season, Mulvoy-Ten, “CSI: Cyber”) I had no idea where the story work as a prostitute. was going, but I still said there Within these stories are were no other powerful shows that tackled themes that the its thematic show looks to “American Crime” material with as explore with much intelligence deftness and Season 3 Premiere and gravity. As poise. Not only ABC the second season does this season progressed, that talk about illegal Sundays at 10 p.m. continued to be immigration, true. The season it also deals built its characters with child sex and its story, and trafficking and pulled off some truly shocking drug addiction. Each one of twists (like the brilliant scene these issues has had its moment at the end of “Episode 7” in in the political spotlight which a character shoots recently, especially illegal a former classmate at the immigration. As president school). There’s nothing to Donald Trump begins to crack suggest that season three will down on illegal immigration do anything differently. It’s in the US, the story the show taking on a new but no less is telling about Luis takes on compelling set of themes with increasing relevance. During a different group of characters the premiere, he’s placed at and a completely new story. a farm for work and is told The premiere is saddled with he owes a major debt to the a significant amount of setup, people who brought him to but it seems like the payoff will North Carolina. It’s clear the be worth sitting through the show has something to say on legwork. these subjects, and I’m looking The third season takes place forward to watching the show in Alamance County, North explore these ideas. Carolina. It follows a group “American Crime” ’s of people who are trying to ensemble remains one of the get by, despite their situation. best on television. This season, In the premiere, Luis (Benito the show brought back many Martinez, “House of Cards”) of the stars of last season and crosses the border and moves added a couple big stars as well. into his work at a farm in Regina King (“The Leftovers”), North Carolina. Meanwhile, who won an Emmy for both ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
seasons of work, plays a social worker who tries to help out the kids involved in the sex trafficking case. She spends a lot of the premiere setting up her character, but the role is ripe with opportunities to grow. Jessup, who was a pleasant surprise as Taylor last year, is another actor with a character with a lot of potential. Cherry Jones (“24”) and Tim DeKay (“White Collar”) are the show’s biggest additions, playing a brother and sister who are running a financially-strapped farm. My biggest criticism for the premiere is that it spends so much time setting up the characters and their roles that it doesn’t clearly lay out the arcs for the season. It introduces who the people are and the role they play in the county, but I can’t say where the story is going and how the show is going to explore its themes. “Crime” is using world-building rather than story to introduce its season. Still, I trust that showrunner John Ridley (who won an Oscar for “12 Years a Slave”) knows what he’s doing and will explore this world to its fullest potential. Last year, “American Crime” was one of the best shows to air on TV. It explored difficult material with grace and composure. This year appears to be no different. With compelling characters and relevant thematic material, “Crime” looks like it’s going to maintain that crown this season.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Friday, March 24, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
MAYBACH MUSIC GROUP
Rick Ross’s tried & true Rick Ross. Quintessential Rick Ross also means quintessentially phenomenal production. Somewhere on the “Santorini Greece” works theoretical spectrum of thanks to a comfortablyridiculousness, roughly paced drum, dreamy piano situated between Pusha T and pitched vocal riffs. It calling himself the “L. Ron transports back, all the way Hubbard of the back, to 2010. Cupboard” and Lil Rick Ross Rather You Than Wayne claiming ideally needs a Me that “everyday grand entrance, Christmas, I’m egg a red carpet of Rick Ross nogged out,” lies sorts, and once Maybach Music Rick Ross, he of upon a time, on Group ultimate excess. Kanye West’s When it comes “Devil in a to luxury, Rick New Dress,” Ross isn’t merely part of he got just that. After over a the equation — he makes minute of similarly dreamy the equation, each boast riffs, in came Rozay. Rozay leading to more attention, is a French champagne. all new attention leading French champagne is rather to an exponentially more objectively dope. The math extravagant life. For Ross, adds up: He is inherently extra there’s an eternally correct in the best possible way, and answer to sustaining said “Santorini Greece” is another equation: Blow Money Fast. entertaining embodiment of it. So let’s talk about his latest Maybe Ross needed a release, Rather You Than Me, Chris Rock intro on “Idols which is sufficiently nice. Become Rivals” and “Powers There are fireworks, sure. That Be” to prove he doesn’t They begin with the first track, take himself too seriously. “Apple of My Eye.” Ironically When he opts for compelling enough, the apple of Ross’s eye substance — if you absolutely is himself — not his significant need that sort of thing from other, or his child, but himself, him — it comes in the form for doing it big. Especially for of “Game Ain’t Based On thinking introspectively about Sympathy” and “Scientology.” doing it big. He stays true to There’s gorgeous jazzy himself by shining a light on, instrumentation in the former well, himself. In other words, track. the track is quintessentially Even so, it’s undebatable that the hits, nay, unapologetic bangers, have been the lifeblood of Ross’s career; this is crucial to acknowledging Ross’s accomplishment. He’s a Call: #734-418-4115 visionary because he survives Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com and thrives on hits, and it works, if only because his hits really fucking bang, time and JOEY SCHUMAN Daily Arts Writer
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When it comes to luxury, Rick Ross isn’t merely part of the equation — he makes the equation
Three years from now we very well could be bumping “Trap Trap Trap” (“Only fuck if she exclusive / Her favorite rapper Lil Boosie / To tell the truth I didn’t ask / When it come to bitches I’m Gucci”), what with its almost reckless features from both Young Thug and Wale. The single, along with the trappy “Dead Presidents” and hook-friendly “She On My Dick,” certainly feels like it has staying power. Rather You Than Me, as an entire album, exists in a fantastical world that feels fairly exclusive to those other than him and his crew. All are invited to experience what it’s like as long as the guests don’t try to rationalize, well, any part of it. With this in mind, it’s not too difficult to find a funny sort of sanctification still surrounding Rozay.
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
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Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, March 24, 2017 — 7
Wolverines advance to WNIT quarterfinals Barnes Arico defeats her former team in 60-40 blowout SYLVANNA GROSS Daily Sports Editor
This game was always going to be memorable. For the first time, Michigan women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico faced off against her old team — ST. JOHN’S 40 MICHIGAN 60 a team that she had led to 176 wins over 10 years and exited as the winningest coach in program history. The Wolverines hosted St. John’s at Crisler Center for the first time in Barnes Arico’s tenure, and her team did not let her down, beating St. John’s, 60-40. “I thought it was incredible,” Barnes Arico said. “I’ve been pretty sick about it for the past few days. It’s tough. I think more from the outside noises of my family wanted to fly in, my uncle coming in, seeing some people I haven’t seen in a long time. “There’s a lot of memories there, which stir up a lot of things. Very positive memories. St. John’s gave me my first opportunity at the Division I level so I’m always loyal to them.” During the contest, senior guard Siera Thompson became the program leader in games played with a total of 138. She finished with eight points, three assists and two steals. The game started off with a surprise, however. Instead of walking out with the starting five, freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick missed Thursday’s game and will take a leave of absence for personal reasons. In her place, senior guard Danielle Williams earned the start, but Gondrezick’s absence was noticeable. The team did not comment when she’ll be returning. The Wolverines initially struggled from the field, shooting 0-for-7 in the first four minutes
of gameplay and only managing a pair of free throws from junior guard Katelynn Flaherty. St. John’s, though, managed just five points during that timeframe. The best play of the second quarter was a layup by Munger with 4:53 left to go. A huddle of Red Storm and Wolverines were beneath the basket, and, from the corner, Munger rushed into the paint and stole the ball. The twopoint boost brought Michigan within one point, the closest it had been all game. Then, Williams pushed Michigan over the edge with a layup to give the Wolverines their first lead. The first half ended, 30-29, with Flaherty making three free throws to push her team ahead. “I’m kind of mental with my free throws,” Flaherty said. “I was just hoping I could end the half by hitting those three and really helping our team get back our momentum. So I think that was the best part of it.” The second half was a completely different story. Michigan held St. John’s to just 10 points on 5-for-26 shooting. The Wolverines also managed to foul out two of the Red Storm’s most prominent performers. To fill Gondrezick’s place, Michigan needed to go deeper into the bench, meaning freshman guard Kayla Robbins stood out. She finished with a game-high seven rebounds. “I don’t know if it shows up in the box score in points,” Barnes Arico said. “But she was able to draw some key, key fouls on their kids, and actually the fifth foul on their best player and get them out of the game. So sometimes people don’t recognize and see that, but for us that was critical.” Barnes Arico had prepared for the game knowing St. John’s kept their opponents to around the
60-point mark — which Michigan hit squarely — and this game was no different. For a team that hit the century mark three times in a row at the beginning of the season and regularly reaches 80, that was an anomaly. “We definitely just had to execute well and take advantage of the shots, because we knew we weren’t going to have many,” Thome said. “We really just had to make sure we had stops on defense down on the end, because if it’s going to be a lowscoring game, we can’t have it being too close.” At the end of the game, Barnes Arico still shook the hand of her former assistant coach — now St. John’s head coach Joe Tartamella. And she did so victoriously.
Without Gondrezick, Michigan goes inside to find offense CHRIS CROWDER Daily Sports Editor
A few minutes before the Michigan women’s basketball team’s third-round WNIT matchup against St. John’s, reporters received an announcement that Wolverine freshman guard Kysre Gondrezick, a breakout star this year, is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team. Gondrezick had been scoring 14.9 points per game on the season, and her absence left a void in the team’s offense. Michigan decided to compensate by taking the ball to the paint almost exclusively in the first half, scoring 32 of its 60 points there by game’s end in
MAX KUANG/Daily
Junior guard Katelynn Flaherty led Michigan with 18 points Thursday night.
a 60-40 win. “At the half, it was good for us to keep encouraging the kids,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “They came in like they couldn’t get a shot off. We had to say, ‘If they’re over there, then penetrate the basket or push and wear them down.’ ” St. John’s coach Joe Tartamella instructed his players to “stay vertical” when his players were defending in the paint. With the Red Storm keeping their arms up and not fouling, Michigan struggled scoring in the game’s beginning. St. John’s has held its opponents to just under 62 points per game on the season, giving the Wolverines a challenge in the scoring column. Michigan managed just 10 points in the first quarter, just six of which came in the paint, and sophomore center Hallie Thome went 1-for-4 from the field. Without Thome’s post presence, the Wolverines had difficulty scoring in other areas, failing to make one 3-pointer while shooting below 20 percent from the field. The Red Storm led, 13-10. “I think they’re very aggressive and it took me a moment to get used to it,” Thome said. Thome readjusted and got to the basket with ease in the second quarter, scoring the team’s first four points. But Michigan’s guards had less success against the Red Storm interior defense, as St. John’s swatted three shots by the midpoint of the second quarter. Michigan started to gain some momentum at the same time after sophomore guard Nicole Munger rebounded an airball in the paint and put it back up to cut the deficit to one, 23-22. On the next Wolverine possession, senior guard Danielle Williams
made a finger-roll layup while driving through the key to give Michigan its first lead of the game. By halftime, Michigan had 20 points in the paint but still trailed 30-29. The Wolverines didn’t make either of their two attempted 3-pointers and scored seven from the charity stripe. That left just one made jump shot as Michigan shot 38 percent for the half. “By the half, I think I only took one 3-point attempt,” said junior guard Katelynn Flaherty. “It was definitely different trying to take it to the basket.” The first 3-pointer came in the first minute of the second half when senior guard Siera Thompson nailed one from the corner to tie the game at 32. Thome ran to the low block on a fast break a minute later to give Michigan a two-point lead. The rest of the third quarter continued to be a defensive struggle as Michigan made only one of its last seven shots while St. John’s made one of its last nine on a four-minute scoring drought. The Wolverines led 43-36 going into the fourth quarter. Michigan began to pull away in the fourth quarter as it had a 12-point lead with just 6:10 remaining in the contest. Flaherty pushed the lead to 15 with her first triple of the game two minutes later to continue a 10-0 run for the Wolverines. She finished with 18, and Thome ended with 19 to help Michigan close out the game without Gondrezick. It’s fitting that without their third-best scoring option, that the 1-2 punch of Flaherty and Thome would carry the load to lead the Wolverines to the WNIT Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.
Wolverines begin Big Ten play at Maryland Michigan looks to extend SOFTBALL
dominance vs. Penn State
JACOB SHAMES Daily Sports Writer
Prior to the season, the Big Ten’s coaches picked the Michigan baseball team to finish second in the conference, right behind Maryland. But as the Wolverines prepare to open Big Ten play against the Terrapins, rankings are the last thing on their minds. “Preseason rankings really are worthless,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “The only rankings that mean anything are the final ones. Even the in-season ones don’t mean jack squat. We’re not going in to prove anything to anyone, we’re just going to play our butts off.” While the Wolverines (16-4 overall) may not be paying attention to polls, it’s clear that after their hot start, the polls are paying attention to them. After taking three out of four against Northern Illinois last weekend, Michigan moved up three spots in the D1Baseball.com poll, going from 21st to 18th, and currently finds itself in the Top 25 in three other polls as well. Regardless of the Wolverines’ opinions about rankings, the polls still demonstrate the respect that Michigan has earned from its early triumphs against a challenging non-conference schedule. “We’ve gone toe-to-toe as a conference with some of the nation’s best and we’ve been fortunate to have a lot of early success,” Bakich said. “We bring a high level of confidence going into conference play. We recognize it is conference play, but we’re not going to change anything, that’s for sure.” Michigan will look to continue its early-season momentum against Maryland (13-7), where Bakich coached from 2010 to 2012 before taking the Michigan job. While the Terrapins have a slightly worse record than the Wolverines, their statistical profile indicates what should be a well-matched series. Offensively, Michigan and Maryland have put up almost identical numbers – the Wolverines bat .270 as a team with
MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Writer
MATTHEW VAILLIENCOURT/Daily
Junior first baseman Jake Bivens is on a hot streak heading at the plate heading into this weekend’s conference opener.
18 home runs and a .792 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS), while the Terrapins have a .269 average, 18 home runs and a .797 OPS. Both teams also love to run, and excel at doing so – both rank in the top 10 nationally in steals, with 47 and 44, respectively. The beginning of the home schedule saw some lineup changes for the Wolverines, most notably the ascension of senior shortstop Michael Brdar. With a .325 average, three home runs and a .907 OPS, he has been Michigan’s hottest hitter recently, earning a move to third in the batting order. “In baseball, you try to play the hot hands,” Bakich said. “Sometimes you go off hunches, and sometimes you just go off statistics. He’s been hitting in the six-hole most of the year and we just felt like we wanted him up more often. If there’s opportunities to get him more at-bats throughout the game, we want to do that.”
While statistically the Wolverines lack the individual offensive firepower of players such as Maryland’s right fielder Marty Costes, who is hitting .350 with four home runs and a 1.027 OPS, there are very few weak spots top to bottom in their lineup, especially with junior first baseman Jake Bivens and third baseman Drew Lugbauer emerging from their slumps to begin the season. Bivens recently recorded multiple hits in four straight games – a streak that came to an end during Wednesday’s game against Western Michigan – while Lugbauer batted .333 with three home runs and nine RBIs in the Northern Illinois series last weekend. While Michigan and Maryland appear to be even on offense, the mound has proven to be a different story. The Terrapins possesses an earned-run average of 4.24, a full run higher than
“We’re not going to change anything, that’s for sure.”
the Wolverines. But this isn’t to say Maryland lacks shut-down potential: Brian Shaffer (2-1) has a 1.65 ERA and 38 strikeouts in 32.2 innings, while Tyler Blohm (4-1) has kept pace with him by putting up a 1.78 ERA. However, Michigan’s starting rotation this weekend – consisting of junior left-handers Oliver Jaskie and Michael Hendrickson and junior right-hander Ryan Nutof – is well-equipped to keep pace with Maryland’s hurlers. While Jaskie leads the staff with a 3-0 record, 2.60 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 27.2 innings, Hendrickson has come on strong lately as well, having not allowed an earned run in two of his previous three starts. The optimism around the Michigan program has been palpable all season. And as the Wolverines prepare to take on the Big Ten, there has been no change in their confident attitude. “We just try to stick with our brand of baseball and the toughness and grit that we bring every day,” said senior catcher Harrison Wenson. “We’re just going to go in there and win some ballgames.”
Timing is vital to extending winning streaks when hungry competition presents itself. Almost as essential as it is to hit the softball. After scoring 15 runs in two contests against Bowling Green and Eastern Michigan this week, the Michigan softball team looks like it has finally turned a corner offensively — just in time for the start of Big Ten Play. This weekend, the 19th-ranked Wolverines (19-71) will ride its five-game winning streak as they open conference play against Penn State (12-14) at Alumni Field. Michigan’s offensive production — though down by a run per game since last season — is now rolling behind the bat of junior first baseman Aidan Falk, who notched two hits and two RBI on Wednesday. After being moved to the cleanup spot in an ever-changing order, Falk drove in five runs in a doubleheader against Kent State last Sunday. “She’s settling into the fact that she’s in the four-hole, which is a big RBI spot,” said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins. Falk and the Wolverines, however, will have to contend with the augmented frustration their opponent carries into this weekend, as Michigan has ended the Nittany Lions’ season in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament the last two years. And that suffering for Penn State is even more far-reaching. It has lost the last 25 games in the series — a streak that extends back to 2007. When the Wolverines struggled to score against ranked teams
in preseason tournaments, it looked as if 2017 might finally be the Nittany Lions’ time to dethrone the king of the Big Ten. The Wolverines, though, are playing like the team they were expected to be at the season’s start. Junior right-hander Tera Blanco is throwing like the pitcher she was supposed to be as a highly touted recruit, surrendering just three combined runs and notching 12 strikeouts in this week’s games. Most importantly, however, the offensive attack has begun to return to its form of previous seasons. Eight runs, four extrabase hits and homers from Blanco and sophomore right fielder Natalie Peters on Wednesday provided a marked improvement over Saturday’s win against Kent State, in which the Wolverines had to rely on costly errors from the opposition to squeak by what should have been a far inferior opponent. Hutchins credits the improvement to a combination of some players’ extra work and an improved sense of timing at the plate. “We’ve been working on our swings and working on our timing,” Hutchins said. “We saw some well-hit balls and hit two home runs in two games — that’s definitely an improvement. “We’ve had some kids (practicing) extra this week, and their desire that’s what a coach wants to see.” Those additional repetitions might make Michigan even more nightmarish for Penn State this weekend, as the Wolverines’ confidence is blooming. Michigan will look to continue its win streak and hold the Nittany Lions to an additional loss.
“Their desire, that’s what a coach wants to see.”
Sports
8 — Friday, March 24, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
THE END OF THE ROAD
OREGON 69 MICHIGAN 68
KEVIN SANTO
Managing Sports Editor
K
ANSAS CITY, Mo. — “Money.” Plain and simple. When Derrick Walton Jr. pulled up from beyond the arc with a chance to send Michigan to the Elite Eight, that’s what Andrew Dakich thought. That’s what Walton thought himself. That’s what everyone thought. “You felt like it’s meant to fall,” said senior forward Mark Donnal. But it didn’t matter that everyone thought it was going in. It mattered that everyone cared who took it. With the game on the line, the answer was unanimous. The Michigan men’s basketball team wanted the ball in Walton’s hands. That wasn’t always the case. For the majority of the season, if you were trying to guess who would have the ball in their hands for the shot, you were better off picking a name out of a hat. First came the game against Virginia Tech at Crisler Center. The Wolverines surrendered a 15-point lead to fall, 73-70, to the Hokies. Justin Bibbs converted twice from the line with three seconds left to give Virginia Tech the three-point advantage, but Michigan still had a chance. Muhammad-Ali AbdurRahkman sent the ball toward the baseline. Moritz Wagner needed to use every inch of his 6-foot-11 frame to keep the ball inbounds, corralling it toward Duncan Robinson. Robinson had no choice but to let it fly from deep. Waltonwatched from the opposite wing as it rimmed out. In the final five minutes of the game, Michigan was 2-for9 from the field. That night, the Wolverines needed an answer down the stretch. It was nowhere to be found. Against Texas the following week, things fell in Michigan’s favor. The Wolverines won, 53-50, but things could have just as easily gone the other way. With 19 seconds left against the Longhorns, Michigan trailed by one. This time, Zak Irvin took the final shot — driving to the basket only to watch the ball clank off the backboard.
Fortunately for him, Wagner was there to clean up the garbage. The sophomore big man corralled a rebound, and kissed the ball off the glass to give the Wolverines a one-point lead with 16 seconds left. Walton was standing at the 3-point line watching it happen. Michigan had a man hit the final shot. It didn’t have the man hit the final shot. Then came the trip to Iowa City in January. Michigan went back and forth with the Hawkeyes all game — it was only fitting that the matchup went to overtime. Once again, the Wolverines dropped one — 86-83 — in crunch time at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. With 19 seconds left, Iowa’s Peter Jok knocked down two from the charity stripe to put the Hawkeyes up three. But Michigan had the final shot. With seven seconds left and a chance to tie, DJ Wilson pulled up from three. It didn’t even come close, and Zak Irvin’s offensive rebound was for naught. Walton was the one who passed it to Wilson in the first place. John Beilein needed someone who could take the ball and go get a bucket. He had one of his most inexperienced starters shooting a deep 3 to tie instead. But somewhere along the line, Beilein found his guy in Walton. As he said on Feb. 25, after
Walton led the Wolverines to an upset win over Purdue, Beilein got the guard “we always wanted him to be.” Walton’s teammates had their man to rely on down the stretch, too. And in the locker room, after Michigan’s season had ended, it was clear to see how they found him. “The thing that hurts the most is to see these guys down, and that’s all that really matters to me,” Walton said. “I love these guys so much, and I just wish we could extend their season.” Their season. Not my season. If there were a moment for Walton to be selfish, Thursday night was it. After four years, he had played the last game of his Michigan career. He had done everything he could to make sure it wasn’t, too, turning in 20 points — tied for a game high — on 6-for-10 shooting, while adding eight assists and five rebounds. But that’s Derrick Walton Jr.’s self-described M.O. — a servant leader. And that’s why — at some point this season — everyone figured out who they wanted with the ball in his hands against the Ducks on Thursday night. It’s not because Walton played outside of himself for the final six weeks of Michigan’s season. It’s because he’s type of person you trust to keep your season alive.
Wolverines come up just short in three areas to end season BRANDON CARNEY Daily Sports Writer
Last possession wins. As the seconds ticked down in the final minutes of Thursday’s slugfest between Michigan and Oregon, those were the three words everyone was thinking. Every shot, every dribble, every pass would count for more. As the Wolverines and the Ducks exchanged the lead five times in the final five minutes, all it could take for either team to emerge with the win was one of something. Inevitably, Oregon emerged with one more than Michigan in several categories: One defensive rebound... ...Oregon inevitably outrebounded Michigan. The Wolverines had worked so hard to overcome many defensive shortcomings in the second half of the season, but the one area that proved to be their Achilles Heel was the offensive glass. Michigan will finish ranked 212th out of 351 teams in offensive rebound percentage on defense. For the game’s first 38 minutes, the Wolverines had done as good a job as ever, limiting the Ducks’ second chance opportunities. Oregon had just four offensive rebounds and two second-chance points. Senior wing Zak Irvin and redshirt sophomore forward DJ Wilson were making aggressive moves to ensure they weren’t outmuscled or out-positioned Duck defenders — plays they weren’t making earlier in the season. But in the last two minutes, two relapses proved to be the costliest offensive boards Michigan would give up all season. The first — off a missed front end of a one-and-one — would have given the Wolverines the ball up three with 1:49 to
go. Instead, Oregon forward Jordan Bell grabbed the loose ball and went straight up to the basket for the put back. “If I could, I’d do anything to take back that one shot,” Wilson said. “That offensive rebound on the free throw that I missed that resulted in two points. That’s the one point that really sticks out to me the most.” That Bell score was the first of a 4-0 run that put the Ducks in the lead for good. After the second basket, Michigan needed another stop with less than a minute to go for a shot to win the game on the final possession. The Wolverines ended up forcing Oregon forward Dillon Brooks into a rushed layup at the end of the shot clock, but left Bell free without a block out again. The forward came down with his second offensive rebound in the final two minutes, and Michigan had no choice but to foul. Just one of those rebounds could have sent the Wolverines off to extend their lead or find a winning bucket. Instead, their biggest weakness hit it at the worst possible time. “We knew we were going to have to get stops down the stretch, and we didn’t get those stops,” said junior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman. “We gave up offensive rebounds, fly-bys on drives, things of that nature. You just can’t have that at the end of the game. You have to be standing there and get stops.” One turnover… … the Ducks committed in the second half. Michigan’s turnover margin was winning it games this postseason. The Wolverines were forcing opponents into 12.8 turnovers per game in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments, while only committing 7.8 per game
“I’d do anything to take back that one shot.”
themselves. But Oregon never seemed to be making the passes that could be served up for Michigan to pick off. Or dribble into the wrong lanes. Or make the mistakes that could have sent the Wolverines into transition for a momentum-changing basket. “I don’t think we’ve had the same pressure we have had in the past,” Abdur-Rahkman said. “I don’t know why. I don’t think it’s fatigue. They’re a great team that took care of the ball better than we did.” Michigan’s defensive renaissance over the past couple months had winning the turnover battle as the keystone that held everything up. But Oregon knew if it took care of the basketball, they’d be in as good as any position to win it in the end. One shot… … More Oregon made from the field than Michigan. Senior guard Derrick Walton Jr’s pull-up jumper in the final seconds may stand out, but the Wolverines had other chances in the final minutes to put pressure on the ducks. Walton himself had a chance to finish a layup — a similar look to the dagger he put in the final minute against Louisville last Sunday — to put Michigan up three, but came up too strong. Wilson had a look from three after Oregon took the lead with a minute left, but he ended up air balling his chance, and the Ducks were bailed out. Michigan and Oregon each had 58 field goal attempts. The Ducks made 26 shots. The Wolverines hit 25. All together — that one offensive rebound, that one missing turnover, and that one unwise shot cost Michigan a one-point game in a tournament where you only need one loss to go home. “It basically just says the ball didn’t go our way,” AbdurRahkman said. “Shots didn’t go in and they were the better team today. You only have to beat a team once in the NCAA Tournament, and they did that.”