Weekly Summer Edition Ann Arbor, MI
inside NEWS
Research University research links mental illness to discrimination in Black men.
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MI officials and University professors speak on Russia
>> SEE PAGE 2
NEWS
Democrats Gubernatorial candidate and congresional candidate speak in Bloomfield. >> SEE PAGE 3
OPINION
Normalizing war “the American public has been almost unaffected by the wars...” >> SEE PAGE 4
ARTS
Movie Review: “Spider-Man” Latest installment impresses casual and diehard fans alike. >> SEE PAGE 6
SPORTS
Recruiting trail Harbaugh has put together a class that 247Sports ranks No. 19 nationally. >> SEE PAGE 11
INDEX Vol. CXXVII, No. 80 | © 2017 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ...............................4 ARTS ......................................6 CLASSIFIEDS.........................8 MiC.........................................9 SPORTS................................ 10
Donald Trump Jr. tweets out proof of meeting with Russian official during campaign By JENNIFER MEER and NISA KHAN Summer Managing News Editor and Summer Editor in Cheif
The Michigan Daily administered a survey to 1,000 randomly selected respondents at the University of Michigan campus. There were 135 respondents. The following article includes data collected in this survey, particularly with to student reactions to the Trump presidency and possible connections to the Russian government. “You need to think about it from the standpoint of Republicans in Congress right now, this is a president whose supporters still really admire him,” Charles Shipan, University of Michigan Professor of Social Science, said. “If they take on the president of their own party, they, at this point, need to worry about what they’ll impede for their political careers.” On July 7, President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss U.S. elections and Syria — a relationship met with criticism for those who worry about the
GRAPHIC BY ISHAN VASHISHTA
foreign government influencing United States policies. This week, his son has tweeted out proof of meeting with Russia in order to find incriminating evidence on former Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. In the Michigan Daily survey, approximately 79.21 percent of students responded that they disapprove of Trump’s actions thus far by selecting either a 1 (being not at all) or 2 on a scale of 1 to 5 when asked whether they approve of Trump’s performance as president; uncertain was an option. Additionally, approximately 48.51 percent indicated they believe impeachment of Trump would be appropriate on the same scale. According to Gallup, Trump’s approval rating from January 20 to July 11 is 40 percent. The U.S. - Russia situation In June 2016, a hacker — later reported to be associated with the state of Russia — leaked the Democratic National Committee’s research file on Trump. Since July 2016, the FBI has been investigating ties between Russia and the Trump campaign; Congress has also been investigating the situation. Allegedly, the state of Russia interfered in the 2016 election in order to benefit Trump; whether Trump himself was involved in this disturbance is unknown. However, even prior to the election and the inauguration, Trump and his campaign were
subjected to scrutiny due to the alleged ties. According to the Washington Post, Michael Flynn, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency under former President Barack Obama, served as Trump’s National Security Advisor for merely 24 days, before he was forced to resign under contentious circumstances. In December 2015, Flynn joined a panel discussion on Russia Today — a Russian news channel — and reportedly increased communications with Sergey Kislyak, the Russian ambassador to the United States. He is also known to support the Turkish government and Turkish business interests, which are tied to Russia. The FBI began investigating Flynn in April 2016. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, formerly an Alabama senator, is also known to have been in contact with Kislyak on multiple occasions, though he denies any conspiracy. In July 2016, private Democratic National Committee emails were exposed by Wikileaks. In October, the directors of national intelligence and the Department of Homeland Security warned the country of potential Russian interference in the election, saying Russia was involved in the release of the emails. After the election, in December, Flynn and Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-inlaw and senior advisor, met See RUSSIA, Page 3
Thursday, July 13, 2017
ANN ARBOR
Road work to cement South U as vibrant Ann Arbor spot Business owners, students cope with difficulties, hoping for long-run returns By CHETALI JAIN
Summer Daily News Editor
Downtown Ann Arbor has been a medley of bright orange construction barrels and torn up asphalt this summer as a result of the drastic road work being done in many busy downtown areas. Not long after students had packed up their things and exited Ann Arbor after taking their finals, streets were blocked off and detour signs were posted around Catherine Street, South State Street, South Division Street and Fourth Avenue to name a few. The construction has impacted both students and local businesses. Information junior Jessica Vu is currently living in University Towers, located at South University and South Forest avenues and said the construction has added some difficulties to her day-to-day life. Vu has a car on campus and revealed the roads were never of particular concern to her before the work started. “The construction has complicated my commute to work and classes,” Vu said. “The loud construction has become my new alarm clock. I often wake up to it at around 7 a.m.” Much of the work consists of road resurfacing and sidewalk See SOUTH U, Page 3
2 NEWS
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
University researchers link mental illness to discrimination in Black men Police brutality, mass incarceration among sources of discrimination By ALEXA ST. JOHN Managing News Editor
Racial discrimination during one’s youth can predict longterm negative mental health consequences in Black men, one University of Michigan researcher found. However, these consequences later in life differ between males and females. Shervin Assari, a research investigator with the School of Public Health, studied data from 679 Black youth from 1994 to 2012, all of whom lived in Flint, referred to as an “economically disadvantaged urban area.” Assari found that perceived racial discrimination throughout that time later influenced psychological symptoms such as anxiety and depression, but mostly for men. “Racial discrimination may contribute to mental health
problems through several potential mechanisms including: 1) heightened negative psychological stress response, 2) increased physiological stress response, 3) hypervigilance, and 4) increased participation in unhealthy behaviors,” Assari wrote in his new paper. This information has been confirmed through the National Institutes of Health; according to another study, “In the United States (U.S.), as in other racialized countries in the world, racially stigmatized and disenfranchised populations have worse health than their more advantaged counterparts.” According to Assari, based on higher rates of discrimination against Black males — including police brutality and mass incarceration — he expected worse effects on mental health later in life for males than in females. The paper also outlined a number of negative stereotypes associated with Black men, such as being considered endangered,
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aggressive, angry and selfdestructive. Assari also attributed his expectations to differing coping mechanisms between genders; Assari noted in his paper females tend to use an avoidant coping mechanism while males are more confrontational. In a previous study, Assari noted differences in vulnerability and susceptibility to stressors between the genders as well. “Those who get exposed to more discrimination over time become more depressed and more anxious one decade later when they are young … but particularly if they are male,” Assari said. Females have more social support, express emotions and hold conversations about their problems, Assari said, while masculinity tends to be a barrier for males wanting to reach out and seek help. “Women tend to have access to social support and use it better,” Assari said. “Discrimination is worse in the presence of high masculinity.” Additionally, males and females are sensitive to different types of discrimination; males are more sensitive to fear-based discrimination, while females are more sensitive to being ignored or disregarded in a discriminating manner. Nonetheless, Black men make up the group least likely to seek mental health care, Assari said, stemming from a consistent social lack of knowledge about this community
DESIGN BY MICHELLE PHILLIPS
and a stigma surrounding the current health care system. Daniel Lee, a postdoctoral student working at the Prevention Research Center in the Public Health School specifically working on the Flint Adolescent Study data used in Assari’s research, wrote in an email interview that because of this data, mental health and services to treat mental illness need to become priorities in communities. “This may involve dismantling negative attitudes and stigma around mental illness and mental health care,” Lee wrote. “Antistigma programs such as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill may play a vital role in this process. A study actually found that people of color (especially males) are apprehensive about seeking mental health care due to stigma, but that they still want to seek out help in some form.” Lee also stressed concern for institutional barriers such as affordability and insurance coverage, as well as the need for mental health care to be culturally tailored. “Ethnic and racial groups possess unique cultural practices, traditions, and beliefs,” Lee wrote. “It is, therefore, crucial that mental health professionals integrate key cultural elements into their clinical assessment, case conceptualization, and treatment plan.”
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The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published every Thursday during the spring and summer terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SOUTH U From Page 1
Construction on South University street in Ann Arbor.
MAX KUANG/DAILY
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Russia could compromise Flynn by threatening to leak information.
RUSSIA From Page 1
and curb revamping, but it is the work being done on South University Avenue that has proved to be the most intensive. Developer and city work on the street began May 1 and has been going on ever since. According to the City of Ann Arbor website, eastbound South University Avenue between East University and Washtenaw avenues had to be closed to allow for water main work to be done as well as streetscaping, which is the designing of streets based on the natural and built fabric of it. Elizabeth Rolla, project manager for the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, explained the goals are to widen sidewalks, improve seating, create rain garden landscaping, plant street trees, update pedestrian street lighting and work on utility improvements. “Our board of directors selected this project because it saw a need to create a more vibrant part of downtown,” Rolla said.
NEWS 3
with Kislyak to establish communications between the Trump administration and Russia, reportedly to discuss issues related to Syria. The FBI believed the meeting included talk of easing sanction against Russia in exchange for financial assistance. Meanwhile, at the same time, the Obama administration increased sanctions against Russia in response to the supposed election interference. U.S. intelligence agencies released a report to explain why they believe Russia was involved in the hacking effort. FBI Director James Comey assured Trump that he was not personally under investigation. In fact, on different occasions in February, March and April, Comey assured Trump he was not personally being investigated. After the inauguration, the FBI interviewed Flynn about his December meeting with Kislyak, and his statements differed from other public statements, sparking concern
In March, for the first time, Comey announced to the House Intelligence Committee that there was an investigation occurring on the Russian hacking and links to the Trump campaign. In May, Comey testified at a congressional hearing and was fired by Trump; he never publicly stated that Trump himself wasn’t under investigation, which the president had asked him to do. Former FBI Director Robert Mueler then was appointed special counsel to oversee the FBI’s investigation. According to Bill Moyers, in June, Comey testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee and said he believed he was fired because of the investigation. “It’s my judgment that I was fired because of the Russia investigation,” Comey said. “I was fired in some way to change, or the endeavor was to change, the way the Russia investigation was being conducted.”
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Democratic candidates for Michigan governor and U.S. representative speak at a campaign stop in Bloomfield Abdul El-Sayed, Haley Stevens discuss auto industry, public health issues By NISA KHAN Summer Editor in Chief
A crowd of 50 gathered in the Bloomfield Township Public Library to hear from gubernatorial candidate Abdul El-Sayed and Haley Stevens, the Democratic candidate for Congress in the 11th Congressional District. Hosted by the BirminghamBloomfield Democratic Club on Monday night, the speakers spent the meeting introducing themselves and their campaign
before taking questions from the audience. Stevens is an Oakland County local who served in the previous Obama administration. She was the chief of staff on the Auto Task Force for the U.S. Treasury Department — this team was delegated the task to work on the auto industry in Detroit. She also created the first online training program for digital manufacturing. “This is a moment for all of us,” she said, stating elected officials were not steering the country in the direction everyone was comfortable with. “Because there is something happening in Washington that is disconnected from the rest of us.” Stevens was asked on her positions on certain issues and her plans to work with the opposition party. Along with supporting Medicaid and recognizing the gerrymandering-
faults in Michigan, she said it was imperative that Michigan had younger representatives in Congress that could work with Republicans. She further explained the average age of a Michigan representative was in their 60s and they needed fresh, new voices. After Stevens, El-Sayed, who began canvassing in Ann Arbor on Sunday, began explaining his background the audience — beginning with his parents back in Egypt coming to the United States and feeling like they belonged in this country. He then explained the crux of his interest, which is the politics of health. He explained most sickness and life expectancy comes from the politics side rather than the biological side; it is politics that affect the differences of health care coverage and sickness between Detroit and Bloomfield Hills. He emphasized Detroit had
plenty of hospitals; public health was preventing care, and hospitals were too meddled in bureaucracy. Despite his young age, El-Sayed said he would be a fit for governor with his expertise in public health, following Michigan’s handling of the Flint water crisis. El-Sayed then answered questions as well. An audience member commended El-Sayed for being a Muslim man running during “Trump’s era.” While El-Sayed thanked her, he reminded the audience Trump won by a small margin and “this country is still our country.” Over half of the audience were newcomers to the Democratic Club, ignited by the current Trump presidency. Audience members, such as Bloomfield Hills residents Deborah Bernstein-Seagal and Brian Kott, were more familiar with Haley Stevens and came to hear her talk.
“My son went to high school (Seaholm) with her,” BernsteinSeagal said. “We were recently reintroduced to her as a potential candidate, and we think it is important to elect Democrats in the current environment,” Kott said. El-Sayed was a new face to many as well, who heard him for the first time that night. Kott said while he was impressed by El-Sayed, his unfamiliarity to some Michigan residents may leave him at an disadvantage with the other, wellknown Democrat gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer. “I would was also introduced to Dr. El-Sayed,” he said. “A very impressive man … And I think his problem is name recognition and the fact that Gretchen Whitmer is known fixture and a minority leader of the House and all of those other things. He’s certainly qualified and deserves to have a voice in our current society.”
4 OPINION
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com NISA KHAN EDITOR IN CHIEF
SARAH KHAN EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR
DAYTON HARE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Summer Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
MICHAEL MORDARSKI| COLUMN
L
ate one night when I was five years old, unable to sleep, I wandered out of my bedroom to find my mom watching TV in our living room. Despite her futile protests for me to go back to bed, I sat with her on the couch to see what she was watching. The grainy images from our TV were then quickly etched into my memory as I watched military planes taking off and missiles being launched. Turning to my mom, I asked what was happening, and as best as she could with a sad expression on her face, she said that “we” were going to war. My mom and I were watching what I later found out to be the first images of the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in late 2001. I was five years old that night watching our nation deploy thousands of soldiers to that faraway country. And I am now 21 — and yet again, I am watching as our country proceeds to deploy thousands of more soldiers, some younger than myself, to Afghanistan in order to continue a war that has been raging for nearly 16 years. And that is why I question if “we” are still going to war? Because in that 16-year expanse, many Americans, myself included, never felt like the country was truly in a state of war. There was no period of rationing for fuel, no utilization of factories to build new tanks and military equipment. During this time, there was no draft to fill the ranks of our military, no push in our education and state departments to teach Arabic or Afghani Pashtun within our schools. And there were no new taxes meant explicitly to finance both the war and to comfort the pain caused to veterans and their families.
War made easy Essentially, unless you or your family member were enlisted within the military — life in America was completely normal. Because to us as Americans, war as seen through our TVs and smartphones is perfectly normal. Since the Cold War, we have had our military engaged in a near constant state of warfare that seems to be increasing in magnitude across the globe. From Vietnam to Grenada, to Somalia and now Syria — our military being in combat is just a part of present reality. It is just the accepted standard that in some distant part of the world, U.S. soldiers are fighting and dying. The drone strikes that kill innocent civilians are normal. The deaths of special forces soldiers are normal. And now, the increase in troop deployments in Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq have become normal. As detailed in Rachel Maddow’s excellent book “Drift,” a dramatic detachment occurred between the American public and the U.S. military in which the “country” stopped going to war, but the military still did. This began during and especially after the war in Vietnam. Lack of public support for the war culminated in a detachment of the military from the general public. Congressional approvals for military operations became difficult to attain due to the lack of support for sending more Americans to Vietnam. Therefore, subverting the standard protocol for war became more common for the executive branch and the Pentagon. For example, the War Powers Act has allegedly been violated multiple times with no
resulting legal action against the executive office. War has essentially become easier to conduct. And throughout the entire process, the American public has been almost unaffected by the wars raged in different parts of the world. No rationing ever occurred, no new taxes were levied, no transformation occurred in our public education to train a new generation to deal with terrorism and foreign policy — instead, from our living rooms, we sat back and watched the planes and rockets fly. Desensitized to the violence, our country has further divided into the normalization of the constant state of warfare, reaching a point in which it is almost satirical, with Fox News airing clips of bombs being dropped to the tune of patriotic country music. Why do we even ask how Roman citizens could watch gladiators slaughter each other in the arena? Our lack of empathy and understanding toward both veterans and victims of war is displayed with our current foreign policy. Military options are always on the table, often preferred over other alternatives due to our true lack of understanding of actual consequences. The true consequences of this normalization of warfare are barbaric and depressing. And the ang uish is experienced not only by the thousands of veterans and families who lost a loved one in combat — but the innocent civilians caught in the hell that becomes their homes. As we watch the escalating conf licts going on a world away — thousands upon thousands of lives are lost and traumatized in ways that we as American
civilians only get subtle glimpses of through our twitter feeds, televisions and the next Mel Gibson or Clint Eastwood movie. We as a country are entering the 16th year in which our military will be engaged in
combat in Afghanistan. Despite what my mom said on our couch that late night in 2001 — “we” never went to war, our military did. — Michael Mordarski can be reached at mmordars@umich.edu.
REGAN DETWILER| COLUMN
My commute through the heart of it all
A
t the start of this summer living at home, one of my goals was to ride my bike eight miles to and from work, through the neighborhoods between my suburb and the downtown Columbus area. At first, I was afraid on the commute to my restaurant job — I’m a woman with a fairly small frame, alone, wearing a backpack, riding a visibly fancy road bike. I’m not quite comfortable enough with my bike to make repairs if something happened, and I was scared to be stranded, alone, female and carrying precious cargo as I was in an unfamiliar area of town. I wanted to stop relying on my car — and gasoline — to get to work, but I was having trouble bucking up the courage. As the summer went on, though, I grew tired of paying for parking meters at work, and I needed the exercise biking gave me. In the beginning of June, I did a practice ride to and from the restaurant one afternoon after I got off work and have been commuting via bike three times per week ever since. Lucky for me, I get the opening shift a lot. At a breakfast and lunch place, this means I have to be there by six, which means I have to leave my house at 5:30 a.m. Just before dawn, hardly anyone is out. Bexley and the surrounding areas are serene and sparsely populated, and I get to see the sun go up and the streetlights turn off. I go from my house down side streets between average-sized houses that grow into mansions as I move further westward. Between the trees that line the streets, birds fly freely and low to the ground across my path, not expecting humans to be out and moving so quickly at such an early hour. Their warning cries to one another reach my ears from both sides as I barrel toward the bike trail that borders Wolfe Park, the site of ancient Adena tribe settlements I wrote about before.
When the gridded streets of Bexley open to the curved trail between the grassy park and Alum Creek, I can see where the fog has settled just above the ground, and above the treeline, dawn explodes across the sky. I wonder if Native American inhabitants were ever up at this hour, either to begin the day’s work or because a small child woke them for breakfast. But I only ever catch a glimpse of all this, because I have to pay attention to where I’m steering. I never have any worries riding my bike through Bexley. I know those streets are meticulously guarded by the Bexley Police Department, and recreational road bikers and even commuters aren’t a rarity in that area — mostly because lots of people who live in Bexley can afford to buy and maintain the light, high-speed bikes that are most desirable for such activities. The bike path follows Alum Creek, then crosses over a newly rebuilt bridge out of the Bexley area and into the Franklin Park neighborhood. On the other side of the creek, there’s a bench along the path. I suspected people may sleep there sometimes, but I had ridden my bike to work so many times without seeing anyone there that I’d forgotten my suspicions. One morning, however, I rode across the bridge and was distracted, trying to commit to memory the image of a particularly beautiful sunrise over Wolfe Park. I rode under the bridge’s final arch and BAM — there was a person right in front of me. He was a man, asleep, with a couple plastic shopping bags holding his possessions resting below the wooden boards of the bench.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com — Regan Detwiler can be reached at regandet@umich.edu.
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
DAVID KAMPER| COLUMN
The man who mistook his senses
H
owdoweknowtheexistence of something? For most, we use one or more of our five senses. For example, we know a car exists because we can see or hear it. We know an apple exists because we can see the apple and taste it. This is one of the basic ideas of metaphysics, yet we run into a problem when we ponder the existence of something without the use of our sense, such as atoms. How do we know that atoms exist? According to my senses, I cannot see, hear, taste nor feel atoms, yet I “know”they exist. At its cornerstone, when we postulate the existence of atoms, we can suddenly explain a lot about the world. We can describe how we as humans are built, why certain reactions occur and how certain materials are better for our technology than others. The basis, as you might notice, is that society uses atomic theory to explain how our world exists. However, as explained by Socratic metaphysics, we search not simply for an explanation, but for the best explanation. Metaphysics, as much as it distinguishes itself from science, is an area of philosophy I keep returning to in my scientific debates. As a person who does extensive research in the neurolinguistics laboratory at the University of Michigan, studies neuroscience and is usually surrounded by “science activities” throughout my day, I have become a full supporter of the scientific process. Yet, on a daily basis, I am inundated with news of scientific doubt, be it climate change, evolution or vaccines. Why does this doubt occur? Will it help to increase science education? If we should, how do we do so? Is scientific doubt really the problem? Perhaps our problem as a nation is rooted elsewhere. As stated in Socratic metaphysics, we cannot use our senses to determine the existence of climate change, evolution or vaccines. We can do research and posit an explanation for the increase of carbon in the atmosphere, the breaking of ice caps or how homo sapiens came to be. Through peer review and replicated studies, we, as a society, come to the best explanation of these issues. Even though we may agree on this process, doubt is inherently human, especially of something that is not confirmed by our senses. Many science skeptics, as well as contributors and analysts on the news, say this scientific doubt has simply gone awry in our country; however, I propose it is more than that: at its core, science skepticism isn’t based in doubt, it is often based on how we identify ourselves.
Our identities, especially today, are often correlated with a political party, a religion and many other “cultural identities.” We as humans construct our societies and belief systems based on emotions, so it should be no surprise that emotional attachment to scientific research can influence the way one approaches climate change, evolution or vaccines. Research done at Yale Law School on cultural cognition shows that a layperson’s belief in science does not reflect the knowledge that the person possesses — on evolution, for instance. Evidently, knowledge of science in this country does not always correlate to scientific trust. That means a significant portion of those who believe in climate change don’t understand the basics of the science. The problem isn’t the inherent doubt, it’s our society’s inability to remove identity from science. Climate change, evolution and vaccines have large swaths of doubters because of the conflict the theories pose to an individual’s emotions and belief systems. In order to fix this, scientists and educators need to become more creative in their educational endeavors. We, as a diverse society with many perspectives, must extricate the science from identity. Those who support climate change theory do so because, in many cases, it supports his or her identity. The same can be said for those who doubt it. Association with a particular political party, a religion and other emotionallycharged identifiers creates the misunderstanding surrounding the science, not the science itself. Removing science from these markers is a possible way we can gain a consensus on scientific evidence supporting climate change. This has begun in many schools that teach genetics, where evolution is approached but freed from a belief system. This is the next crucial step needed in climate change education to nonscientists. Though science education, as well as exposure to scientific literature, can be improved in our schools as well, this, in my view, is not the root of science mistrust. We must find a way to remove the stigmatism surrounding science by introspectively recognizing the role our identities play in influencing policy. Only then, we can come to a consensus on the best explanations for our global problems. — David Kamper can be reached at dgkamper@umich.edu.
ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY| COLUMN
N
OPINION 5
Expand your horizons
early all last year, every time I would go on Facebook and scroll through my newsfeed, I would see dozens of articles I wanted to read. But as someone who is generally too busy for their own good, I often had to save articles for later. So, 99 percent of the time, I saved the link to the article in a note-taking app on my computer. Finally, this year, I sat down, and I started to clicking through my list of nearly 150 articles that I had been meaning to read. And as overwhelming as it seemed in the moment, I quickly realized something as I browsed through the articles. After reading the first twenty or so articles, I began to recognize the title or the cover art as that of an article I’d already read. And even when the title and cover art didn’t remind me I’d read the article, the contents of it would sound vaguely familiar, and I would eventually remember I’d already read that one. I put two and two together and realized that as the year had gone by, many of the same articles that I saw and had saved to read popped up again, months later, when I’d forgotten about them, and, again intrigued (after all, it would be the same article), I would save it to read. Last semester at the Daily, the staff talked extensively about how to increase our publication’s presence online, and one particular topic of discussion has still stuck with me: Facebook and how its newest algorithm made it so users will only see posts that — based on likes and interactions with accounts, articles and pages — Facebook believed they would be interested in. While it can be nice not to have to sift through every single post from each one of my Facebook friends — especially when it had been so long that I only recognized some my Facebook friends by name — seeing first-hand how Facebook not only filtered profile pictures, statuses and cover photos, but also articles, was especially alarming to me. Equally alarming is that the majority of Americans are getting their news from social media, therefore the algorithms that determine what we see are increasingly important. While my Twitter presence is dismal at best, I have seen how Twitter can have the same effect. In March 2016, Twitter launched a new algorithm. Like Facebook, instead of showing posts from all the people you follow, you would
now only see certain tweets based on what the algorithm thought were your preferences. And even though there was significant backlash against the switch to an algorithmic timeline, prompting Twitter to provide users the option to opt out of the new algorithm in favor of the old timeline where you saw every post in chronological order, only about two percent of users opted out and took the time to actively change the settings back to the old version. As technology has become more innovative and complex, so have programs that analyze what we “like” on Facebook, what we read, what we listen to, the places we shop online and the searches we put into Google. Though tailoring content can be useful at times, it can also be problematic. Because of these algorithms, we are seeing more of the same type of articles and same type of posts, and we aren’t so much exposing ourselves to new ideas or opinions. As I wrote about in my most recent column, opinions won’t always change, but if we never hear the other side, we will never have the opportunity to challenge our opinions. We won’t have that chance to think and expand our worldview. With algorithms that show us what it thinks we want to see, it’s helping to vastly shrink our world, not encouraging exploration and openness, which I argue is crucial in any society. Politics aside, though, the issue of tailored content based on algorithms and computer programs is also problematic because they can help, even subtly, reinforce stereotypes. Recently, MLB.TV had a half-off discount for Fathers Day, but, at least when it comes down to the playoffs and postseason, women account for nearly one-third of those who watch sports such as baseball, basketball and football, to name only a few, so why not a Mothers Day discount? Furthermore, even though networks almost always have monetary gain as a main concern, by assuming X or Y parties won’t be as interested, they could be missing out on a large market (I know the Father’s Day discount enticed me to purchase the rest of the MLB season even though I never would have for the regular price). And though less pressing an issue, with tailored content, companies and analysts assume people won’t find something interesting they previously may not have thought much about. Yeah, I like what I like, but that doesn’t mean I won’t be open
to new content. That doesn’t mean it will be a surefire indicator of what I will like in the future. Netflix, for example, has a new feature where it tells users, based on previously watched movies and TV shows, the percent “match” a movie or show is for you. I recently saw Lee Daniels’ “The Butler,” which Netflix told me was a 70 percent match, but it was one of my favorite movies I’ve seen this year. In fact, two of my favorite movies could not be more opposite each other. But had I listened to an algorithm or a matching program, I may never have seen them. In fact, everyone from movie producers to car companies, journalists to sports teams, lose out when they are always trying to predict which audiences will be most likely to be interested in their content. I’m not saying trying to place Heineken ads on Disney Channel is a good idea or putting an article about the stock market on an eleven-yearold’s Facebook page makes sense, but it wouldn’t hurt for everyone to expand and experiment and think outside the box that says X or Y won’t find the article, product or movie interesting. In the last year, The New York Times morning briefings have started to include a section on partisan articles, to try to bridge a gap between people on different sides of the aisles. Companies and newspapers need to do what the Times is doing. They need to rethink how and where they disseminate information, what articles they should provide that might help them see and understand other side of the aisle, how to promote a movie that Netflix’s matching system would otherwise say they wouldn’t like or how to play with a potential market for a product that analysts said people who watch that TV channel wouldn’t be interested in. As for people like me who aren’t making the advertising decisions or who can’t control the algorithms, we should take the initiative to read articles that aren’t just the first ones to pop up on Facebook or Twitter, seek out information on topics we wouldn’t think we’d be interested in, watch movies regardless of the fact that they were or were not recommended to us, branch out and try new products. It can be fun, and not to mention important, to try new things. — Anna Polumbo-Levy can be reached at annapl@umich.edu.
6 ARTS
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM REVIEW
MUSIC REVIEW
HAIM sister shredding
SONY PICTURES Tom Holland stars as Spider-Man
Latest ‘Spider-Man’ thrills JEREMIAH VANDERHELM Daily Arts Writer
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” marks the second reboot of everyone’s favorite webslinger, this one within the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the aftermath of the dumpster-fire-inside-a-trainwreck that was 2014’s “The Amazing Spider-Man 2.” The efforts of Hollywood to get another strong Spider-franchise off the ground speaks not only to the obvious money-making capabilities of the character, but to his ability to resonate with audiences after 50 years since his first appearance. There’s a simple reason for that: Peter Parker is not a billionaire, a prince or an alien. He’s an ordinary guy whose greatest trials are often finding the balance between heroism and day-to-day struggles like jobs, friendships and romance. He’s one of us. And for the first time since Sam Raimi’s “Spiderman 2” way back in 2004, it seems we finally have a movie that understands that. So much of what “Homecoming” does well comes down to two things: the script and Tom Holland (“The Lost City of Z”). Featuring no fewer than six credited writers, the former blends classic high school comedy and all the highflying superheroics you’d probably expect. The resultant tone would have been pleasant enough to sustain the movie, but the script’s greatest strength comes from its function as a stealth origin story for its title character. To clarify, by the time the story
begins, Peter has already been doing whatever a spider can for about eight months. Despite this, “Homecoming” feels like the beginning of Spider-Man proper, as Peter begins to reflect on his future and what a life as an Avenger would mean. We don’t see the radioactive spider or Uncle Ben. Instead, we watch Peter come to grips with his
“Spider-Man: Homecoming” Ann Arbor 20 + IMAX, Goodrich Quality 16 Sony Pictures dual identity and learn to listen to his most heroic instincts, a theme that audiences young and old will be able to relate to. Holland, on the other hand, turns in a terrific performance as what may be the best Spider-Man yet. Spidey’s relatability is his lifeblood, but nearly as important is his youthful exuberance and humor. Holland nails both. Whatever the moment calls for, whether it’s a well-timed quip or tearful confession to Aunt May (Marisa Tomei, “The Big Short”), there’s never a moment that doesn’t feel real. As silly as it sounds, if a high schooler were given superpowers, this is probably what it would look like. The rest of the cast is accordingly sound. Tomei doesn’t get as much screen time as her counterparts, but she still gets the funniest moment of the entire film. Robert Downey Jr.
(“The Judge”) falls easily into the mentor role, and the relationship that develops between Tony Stark and Peter is yet another high point. Still, the highlight of the supporting players is without a doubt Michael Keaton (“Birdman”) as Adrian Toomes, who ranks as one of the most gripping villains the MCU has offered up. Unlike other MCU villains, time is actually spent developing Toomes’s motivation. He feels like a fleshed-out character, one whose fury is understandable but who is nevertheless terrifying, especially in the scenes he shares with Spider-Man. If “Homecoming” does have one glaring weakness, it’s that the action is pretty weak. The argument could be made that this is due to Peter still learning his powers, but even putting that aside the direction from Jon Watts (“Cop Car”) lacks the life on display in other scenes. There’s nothing too inventive or exciting about any of it, and it lacks any sort of visual flair. Ironically, the action scenes wind up being the most boring bits of the movie. But the weak action aside, “Homecoming” brings SpiderMan back into the Marvel fold in perhaps the best way fans could have hoped for. It goes small where other interpretations have gone big, setting him up as a street-level hero whose problems and failures feel more realistic because they’re our problems. When he triumphs, it gives us hope that we can do the same. That’s what makes SpiderMan one of the greatest superheroes of all time, and understanding that is “Homecoming”’s greatest success.
POLYDOR RECORDS
HAIM pays off working. With Something to Tell You, Daily Arts Writer HAIM finds the happy medium between progressing sonically It’s been awhile since we’ve as a band while remaining last heard from HAIM, the warmly familiar. Partly due to LA-based indie-pop band co-writing by Ariel Rechtshaid, comprised of three San who specializes in songs that Fernando sisters. Their debut straddle the border of pop and garnered critical success and, soul (Adele’s “When We Were with a co-sign by the industry Young” and Carly Rae Jepsen’s queen herself (Taylor Swift™), “All That”), HAIM delivers an HAIM accumulated tremendous album that strongly resembles momentum. But after a short the indie-pop roots of their debut, tour for their full-length debut, but takes notable steps towards the band grew quiet. Over the experimentation. “Found It In course of 2016, HAIM featured Silence” features profound synth on a Calvin Harris track and strings with a simple bass drum occasionally hosted their own accompaniment — a familiar Beats 1 show, but no new music. sound in HAIM’s discography. For a new band to gain so much ws. buzz and go silent for the next At 11 tracks, the album is the three years, it was easy to forget perfect length to keep listeners about them. With Something to engaged without exhausting Tell You, HAIM reminds fans attention spans. It’s amazing that they have a lot to say — and to hear how much lead singer you should be listening. Danielle Haim’s voice has grown Distilled, Something to since their debut. However, unlike Tell You hits on every point their last album, which featured discussed from the beginning to greater vocal variety from Este the end of a rocky relationship. and Alana (see “The Wire”), On the upbeat Something to Tell “Ready For You,” You feels more like Something to the sisters recall Danielle and the Tell You a casual lover, Haim Sisters than wishing they could HAIM, causing HAIM go back and try to some of the tracks Polydor Records make things more to lose depth due serious. “Little of to a lack of familiar Your Love” pleads collaboration. a partner to meet In retrospect, the girls halfway and offer it’s understandable that HAIM them a glimpse of reciprocated took three years to gather their feelings. With “Walking Away,” thoughts. Something to Tell You the pop-iest standout, HAIM is extremely rich both sonically mourns the end of a relationship and lyrically and, just as Danielle while facing the harsh reality sings on “Found It In Silence,” of needing to remove yourself sometimes a long silence is a from a situation that just isn’t good thing. DANNY MADION
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MUSIC INTERVIEW
MUSIC REVIEW
An Interview with Festival Organizer Nick Mavodones SEAN LANG
Broken Social Scene members perform with glee
ARTS & CRAFTS
‘Hug of Thunder’ an album of hits Flag” fades gracefully into “KC Accidental,” immediately after Summer Managing Arts Editor “Sol Luna” we’re hit with a quick burst of energy with “Halfway Broken Social Scene are a rarity Home.” And this sets up Hug of in contemporary music: They’re Thunder quite well, considering a supergroup that’s actually the album maintains a surging incredibly good. Sure, we’ve seen pace for most of its 52 minutes. decent supergroups emerge in “Halfway Home” in particular, recent years, but none have been however, stands out as being as influential as this Canadian especially triumphant, a lot like collective. All members, including a musical embodiment of a postthe brilliantly talented Kevin Drew tennis match victory celebration: and Leslie Feist, unite and combine not in-your-face but still full of creative endeavors in the most emotion. complementary way. BSS has had Yet, Hug of Thunder avoids up to 19 people in its ensemble, and the melodrama and eccentricity all contribute just that basically enough without launched the more Something to stepping on one commercially another’s creativity successful Tell You and individuality. Montreal-based HAIM After a seven year Arcade Fire. hiatus, they return in Unlike the (dare Polydor Records top form. I say overrated) Hug of Thunder aforementioned comes as a surprise Quebecois band, for fans who thought they would these Ontarians rely on their never hear another BSS album. own songwriting abilities to fill Thankfully, those fears were put a track rather than grandiose, to rest earlier in May, though pretentious arrangements. after a series of performances Take “Protest Song,” a neatly last year, the announcement structured pop song with plenty wasn’t overwhelmingly of musical complexities. It surprising. Following their 2010 features a wall of sound with release Forgiveness Rock Record, layers of guitars and effects, Hug of Thunder is a warm and but never feels bombastic. Not uplifting addition to darker actually a real protest song, its times. And even though their lyrics are cryptic yet powerful. political leader is less orange She sings “You’re just the latest and more progressive than ours, in a long list of lost loves, love,” even Canada could use some BSS- harrowingly cutting lyrics that induced optimism that we all would curse any ex into months love them for. of gloom. “Protest Song” delivers “Sol Luna,” the album’s what we’ve come to expect from instrumental intro, reminds BSS and is some of their finest me a lot of “Capture the Flag,” work. the intro to their ambitious magnum opus You Forgot It in Read more at MichiganDaily.com People. But whereas “Capture the WILL STEWART
ARTS 7
Daily Arts Writer
Having been raised in Portland, Maine and having lived the bulk of his adult life in Burlington, Vermont, Nick Mavodones III is finally right where he belongs — or at least where I think he belongs — in Detroit, Michigan, as the general manager of up-and-coming venue El Club. Located in Mexicantown, El Club opened in the Spring of 2016, Mavodones being hired in November later that year by clubowner Graeme Flegenheimer. “(Graeme) used to come to the venue I managed in Vermont when he was in middle school,” said Mavodones, “he ended up becoming friends with everyone at the venue and over the years we’ve just stayed in touch. He just called me Labor Day weekend and was like, ‘Hey do you think you’d want to move to Detroit?’ And I was like, ‘I don’t think so, man.’” So what changed? Mavodones came out to Detroit for a couple of days to help with shows and check out the scene. After he returned to Vermont, Flegenheimer kept on him. “I talked to all my friends and I was like, ‘ah shit maybe I should try to do this.’” So two months later, the day after Halloween and shortly after his 15th job anniversary at Higher Ground — a music venue in South Burlington where he will be dearly missed — he hopped in his car and moved to Detroit. Despite the quick turnaround, he was pleasantly surprised in Detroit when he found that he would be working with a couple of people he had previously worked with in Vermont. It also just so happened that his best friend from college had roomed in Portugal with one of the club’s other managers for a time. “I had a few familiar names to come into it. But everything’s been sweet; it’s been fun!” Since his arrival in Detroit, Mavodones has been working on envisioning an installment of Waking Windows — the festivalslash-booking-company that he runs with four other friends — in El Club’s space. Recently, the venue has hosted a couple small festival-like events which, Mavodones says, “gave us a
little better idea about how we could better utilize the space.” Now, only eight months into Mavodones’s time at El Club, Waking Windows Detroit has become an immediate reality, with headliners of Mount Eerie, Whitney, Dâm-Funk, Moodymann and Car Seat Headrest as well as 20 other acts. Waking Windows as it is today originally began with a blog Mavodones started over 10 years ago. During his time at Higher Ground, he started putting on shows — “house shows, gallery shows, proper shows” — and his blog eventually metamorphosed into a booking promotion company. That company evolved into another entity and two years ago he and the friends who operate the company changed the name to Waking Windows. “We’ve done seven of them in Vermont, two in Portland, Maine, with the third one coming up in September,” Mavodones said. The most recent iteration of the festival in Vermont was held early May, where they had “185 acts over three days and something like 12 stages.” But the festival didn’t start that big. Eight years ago, a friend of Mavodones’s who was involved in the local jazz scene put on the first and only “Other Music Festival,” a more experimental, weirder alternative to Jazzfest, which was happening at the same time. This original curator formed a band and moved out of town, leaving the festival to Mavodones and another friend. The two both worked at Monkey House at the time, a small, endearing bar and music venue in Winooski, Vermont, a city that had recently undergone some serious redevelopment. As a result, the city’s storefronts were mostly empty. The next year, in putting on the festival, Mavodones and company used this emptiness to both their advantage as well as that of the city. “We talked to the realtors and we talked to the cities, and they were letting us use all these storefronts for free, to showcase music to get people to come to the town and potentially move in there,” he explained. This is where most of the idea for the name “Waking Windows” came from; it was the idea that they were literally waking up these empty storefronts
for weekends at a time and hopefully longer. “We were taking overall of these empty spaces and then turning them into either galleries or performing spaces or reading rooms,” Mavodones said. The other inspiration for the name, Mavodones noted, came from “a list of bands that were coming through the Monkey House, and there was one that had ‘walking’ in the title, like ‘walking something’ and someone thought it said ‘waking.’ So we were like, ‘Waking Windows.’” The important bit, though, is that Waking Windows has always been a serious practice in community development, and will ideally continue in that same vein in Detroit. I am especially hoping that Waking Windows will help have a lasting, positive impact on Detroit and, more specifically, Mexicantown because when the venue originally opened Flegenheimer got no insignificant amount of kickback from the community for being an agent of gentrification in their neighborhood. Their worries were legitimate, but Mavodones held that Flegenheimer and the venue as a whole has been doing more, especially recently, to be involved in the community in a positive way. “Graeme maybe didn’t reach out to everyone he should have,” when originally opening the venue, Mavodones said, “but I think It’s always tough for folks coming in, that aren’t from an area, to gain the trust or gain the connections that make it worthwhile for everybody. I think there are still lots of conversations to be had.” Even now with the club’s recently successfully funded Kickstarter project — the Vernor Cafe, which will add another dimension of community to El Club with retail space, practice rooms and an additional, smaller music venue — there are plans to have the construction work done by local crews.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
8 NEWS
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan Trump Republicans event draws protest hoped to deflect attention from the criticisms and focus instead on rallying support for his reelection by holding meetings in multiple Michigan towns. The Novi event, which was third in the group’s tour, was held Monday night at an IHOP
By CHETALI JAIN Summer Daily News Editor
As nationwide censure of President Donald Trump and his controversial political acts rises, the Michigan Trump Republicans
Classifieds
restaurant to give Donald Trump supporters a chance to show their continued approval of the president and learn of ways to get involved with Trump Republicans. The meeting also drew in members of the Metro Detroit Political Action Network, who
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
RELEASE DATE– Thursday, July 13, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR RENT
gathered outside the IHOP to oppose the event taking place inside and garnered the support of drivers who honked to show their solidarity with the anti-Trump protesters. Inside the restaurant, Meshawn Maddock, co-creator of Michigan Trump Republicans, emphasized the group’s goals to elect Trump Republicans to offices, including her husband Matt Maddock who is running for local state representative. She said an additional goal was to stand in opposition to Indivisible, a group with over 800 localized branches in Michigan dedicated to resisting
The president has also been under scrutiny regarding his alleged ties to the Russian government and allegations the Russian state interfered with the 2016 presidential election. Marian Sheridan, leader of the Lakes Area Tea Party, said the claims were far-fetched and unsubstantiated. “Show us the evidence,” Sheridan said. According to The New York Times, Donald Trump Jr. had received an email saying that damaging information regarding Hillary Clinton was potentially a part of the Russian government’s
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Unit of heat energy 6 Like wild boar meat 10 Rock-in-pond sound 14 Bit part 15 Matty of baseball 16 Most Rembrandts 17 Arabian’s head covering? 19 “Concord Sonata” composer 20 Nevertheless 21 Cools quickly 22 Physicist Rutherford 24 Arequipa’s land 25 Pats dry 26 Mounting problem at Churchill Downs? 31 Film that’s barely shown? 32 Carry on 33 2008 TARP beneficiary 35 Bit that can be split 36 Luges, e.g. 38 Attracted 39 Sci-fi vehicle 40 Midwestern tribe 41 Prairie wanderer 42 Something well in hand at Waterloo? 46 Stole (in) 47 Track piece 48 “Wait, start again, please” 50 Track event 51 Horned viper 54 Like wild boar meat 55 Feature of 50Down? 58 Bollywood garment 59 Help in a bad way 60 Triage MD 61 Writer Waugh 62 Bustle 63 Symbols among notes DOWN 1 Frozen dessert chain
2 Overconfident fable critter 3 Throw off 4 White alternative 5 “Le Misanthrope” playwright 6 Allowed from the mound 7 See 45-Down 8 “You think I did it?!” 9 Christmas cracklers 10 Destination in a simple itinerary 11 Has extravagant ways 12 Fútbol cheers 13 Attractive sound? 18 Lampshade shade 23 Cad 24 Stuffy 25 “Ratatouille” director Bird 26 Word with brim or bean 27 Coach 28 “My word!” 29 Many a Belieber 30 Refrain from singing as a child? 34 Singer Stefani 36 “Enough!”
37 Room at the top 38 Kid’s tea party attendee 40 Singles 41 “You bet!” 43 Like much humor 44 Blue blood, for short 45 With 7-Down, bitter brews 48 “Play it once, Sam” speaker 49 Spread, maybe
50 ’60s TV personality who would especially enjoy this puzzle 51 Supports 52 Macbeth or Macduff 53 Muscle Beach display 56 “That price is negotiable,” in ads 57 Vein output
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ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: COURTESTY OF CHETALI JAIN Michigan Trump Republicans hosted a meeting at IHop in Novi.
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By Bruce Haight ©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
07/13/17
07/13/17
Donald Trump’s agenda. “So really, the Michigan Trump Republicans was formed to be the anti-venom for Indivisible,” Meshawn Maddock said. “I want (my husband) to have a Republican governor… all the way down to city council … that’s the way to drain the swamp.” Kevin Tatulyan, Coalitions Vice Chair of Michigan Republican party, lamented the backlash the president faced after the campaign was over and encouraged attendees not to trust liberals or Hollywood but rather their own hearts. “Look at the media: Trump says ‘make America great again,’ they say, ‘Trump’s a racist,’ ” Tatulyan said, as the crowd clapped in agreement. “... is this not 100 percent true? This is ridiculous.” Trump has also discussed his low tolerance of the media and news outlets such as CNN. The Michigan Trump Republicans share his distaste: volunteers wore “Fake News Network (FNN)” T-shirts, Maddock mentioned that they don’t like press to be present at events and a cameraman had been asked to leave once before.
effort to get Donald Trump elected as president, prior to Donald Trump’s son setting up a meeting with a Kremlin-associated Russian lawyer. Joseph Fournier, a co-founder of MDPAN, felt that those involved in the event displayed support for a regime that did not support many underrepresented groups of U.S. citizens. “It’s just really shocking that there are any businesses in this area in particular that feel comfortable endorsing an agenda which is openly fascist and bigoted,” Fournier said. “There is a cost if you publicly endorse hatred.” When asked why he felt it important to lend a countervoice to the Michigan Trump Republicans event, Fournier said he is gay and the cause is personal for him. “I am a human being,” Fournier said. “Can you imagine if a family brought their 13-year old gay son and he’s not out of the closet, and he’s sitting there in a den of people that are saying the kind of things those people are saying?”
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MICHIGAN IN COLOR 9
Reflections from an Ocean away By ADAM BRODNAX Michigan in Color Senior Editor
I crossed the ocean twice just to become it.
Reflective fragments, excerpts, bits from my journals, both paper and electronic since meeting my birth family.
Vietnam was supposed to be this surreal, visceral, place of peace. Two months since, my soul is still roaring into its body.
Waking up in a hostel in Hà Nôi with sweat on your face, or maybe it was tears, is never the best way to start the voyage to Ha Long Bay. Good thing I’m on the top bunk and no one can see me. I am wilting on the inside. — the morning after
I think I like to get as dark as I can so that I can see my mother’s manual labor on my back. Chi tells me that Me is out of the hospital and that she is asking about when I am coming back. Christine says I should write for pages in Viet.
Circumstances gave us 20 minutes to fit an entirety of a life. You cried for 19 of them. You couldn’t look at me for eight of them. You yelled at me for not knowing Viet for three of them. You’re still crying. You turn away from me. You tell me you could only care for me for 10 days. I ask you about my name. Ocean. You say it was because I was so big. It took me 20 years to come back. Security puts his hand on my shoulder. That was unfair. On the way to meet my sister in Long An. She’s a Buddhist nun. She comes out from the monastery living quarters to meet me. I see so much of myself in her. She puts her hand in mine. Her smile is contagious, her laugh is synonymous with joy. She bugs me about not knowing my mother’s tongue. She calls me “Em” so I call her “Chi”. She tells me Me gave her up when she was seven.1 So I wasn’t the only one. She is grateful that I am not mad at our mother. She assumed I never came back because I was mad.
unfair. To the mother who birthed me, I am sorry I am your wound. You are the reason I have my almond shaped eyes, burning heart, and brave spine I am the reason you are blistered and broken For 10 days, you rose with the sun anyway To the mother who raised me, I am sorry that I did not come to America a blank canvas I am sorry you did not get to have the first brush stroke I am scribbled on, crumpled up and slightly torn but you painted around it. You picked up right where Me left off You became the setting sun
The language barrier created beauty in smiles, embraces, shared stares, synchronized breaths, communal meals. Language isn’t just spoken.
I am at dinner with another transracial adoptee. I wonder if she has ever felt the same pain. Waiter refills my $6 drink. My mother lives off of $1.50 a day. I choke the guilt down my throat. You named me Ocean because I was so big. Who would have fucking thought. Once someone in Vietnam learned my birth name, they would only call me that. Đai Duong.2 It gave me life. My sister messages me over Facebook that my oldest brother dreamed of finding me one day. He adds me on Facebook. In Saigon’s airport — I spent 34 days in the country of my birth. I spent 14 hours in the village of my birth. I spent 20 minutes with the mother of my birth. In O’hare’s airport — I schedule a flight to go back to Texas, because I miss the mother who raised me. At Chipotle, I placed my fork down, full from eating three-quarters of a bowl. Naturally got up to throw it away before the weight of knowing my Me lives off of a $1.50 a day choked the guilt down my throat. I sat back down and finished the rest of the bowl. I still feel empty. I thought my harrowed heart would be filled with peace after we met. Not sure if consciously choosing to leave the second time broke her more. Detachment is a form of trauma. Vietnam was supposed to be this surreal, visceral, place of peace. 1 “Chi” means “elder sister”, “Em” means “younger sibling”, “Me” means “mother” 2 Translates to Ocean. It is an ancestral way to say Ocean, not used as common as the term, “biên” when referring to the ocean.
I am reading poetry by Ocean Vuong. Maybe this will bring me peace. Me, I hope you named me Ocean because you knew I would be restless. My mother tells me I was an absolute terror.
10 SPORTS
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ICE HOCKEY
Thirteen Wolverines attend NHL camps JACOB SHAMES
Summer Managing Sports Editor
From June 25 to July 12, 13 members of the Michigan hockey team attended 11 different NHL Development Camps. The camps are typically week-long events intended to simulate an actual NHL training camp for prospects, allowing them to gain valuable experience for a potential professional career in the future. Defenseman Luke Martin and goaltender Jack LaFontaine both participated in the Carolina Hurricanes’ development camp. Martin, drafted 52nd overall by the Hurricanes in this year’s NHL Draft, led the Wolverines last season with 76 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating while appearing in all 35 games as a freshman. La Fontaine, also a freshman last season and draf ted by the Hurricanes 75th overall in 2016, was part of a threeman rotation at goaltender for Michigan, tallying a 1-7-1 record and a .911 save percentage. The Philadelphia Flyers also had t wo Wolverines at their development camp — forwards Cooper Marody and Brendan Warren. Marody, a sixth-round pick of the Flyers in 2015, played in just 18 games as a sophomore af ter missing the f irst half of the season with a suspension, but still f inished f if th on the team with 15 points. Warren, whose draft rights were traded to Philadelphia from the Arizona Coyotes during the NHL Draft on June 24, was one of three players to appear in all 35 of Michigan’s games in 2017, totalling three goals and seven assists. Sophomore forward Nick Pastujov and his younger brother, Michael, were both invited to development camps, as well — Nick with the New York Islanders and Michael with the Detroit Red Wings. Michael, a product of
the United States National Development Team Prog ram, will suit up for the Wolverines as a freshman forward next season. Incoming center Josh Norris, a teammate of Pastujov’s on the National Development Team, attended camp with the San Jose Sharks, who selected him 17th overall in the NHL Draft. Norris was second on the USNDTP in scoring last season with 26 points in 25 contests. Forward Will Lockwood, who was named Michigan’s Most Valuable Player as a freshman in 2017, attended the Vancouver Canucks’ development camp after a season in which he tallied eight goals and 12 assists. The Canucks selected Lockwood 64th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. Rising junior Joseph Cecconi took part in camp with the Dallas Stars. Cecconi, the recipient of the Vic Heyliger award as the Wolverines’ most outstanding defender, scored eight points this season on one goal and seven assists. Michiga n’s leader in points t his sea son, for wa rd Ja ke Sla ker, at tended t he f irstever development ca mp of t he Vega s Golden K nights, a n expa nsion tea m set to beg in play t his sea son. In his f irst yea r in A nn A rbor, Sla ker scored seven points a nd added 14 a ssists. Goaltender Hayden Lavig ne competed with fellow freshman La Fontaine for playing time in the crease this past season, going 6-6-1 with an average of 2.92 goals allowed per game. Lavig ne attended camp with the Ottawa Senators this summer. Defenseman Nicholas Boka attended the Minnesota Wild’s development camp last week. As a sophomore in 2016-2017, Boka competed in 34 games, recording four points. The New York Rangers invited defenseman Griffin Luce to their camp. During his freshman season, Luce scored one goal and two assists in 27 games for the Wolverines.
Pearson welcomes three additions to first recruiting class at Michigan Transfers Roos and Morgan and incoming freshman Becker are expected to provide talent, depth on front line MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan hockey team has rounded out new head coach Mel Pearson’s first incoming class with two transfers and one additional commitment, the program announced Tuesday. Forwards Alex Roos and Luke Morgan will transfer into the program from Colorado College and Lake Superior State, respectively. Forward Jack Becker signed his letter of intent after three years with the Sioux Falls Stampede of the United States Hockey League. The trio will add attacking prowess to a program that frequently lacked it in the final few seasons under former head coach Red Berenson. The Wolverines’ Corsi percentage in 2017 — a metric used to measure shot attempt differential at even strength — was the third worst in college hockey at 42.8 percent. Pearson’s Michigan Tech team finished fourth, at 56.5 percent.
With five incoming forwards ready to replace the three graduating senior forwards — including Alex Kile, the teamleader in shots — Michigan has beefed up its depth up front. Becker has the track record at a high level to suggest he may be able to help out. The 20-year-old notched 28 points — including 16 goals — last season in 49 games in the USHL. Under Pearson, Michigan Tech showed fervent interest in Becker leading up to his commitment to the Huskies in January. Becker’s father, Russ, played for Michigan Tech in the 1980s, when Pearson was an assistant coach there. With Pearson moving to Michigan, Becker followed suit, inking his letter of intent to Pearson and the Wolverines. Roos played three seasons at Colorado College, totaling 15 goals and 13 assists in 105 games, though he saw his playing time decrease as his career progressed. Roos did not play for the Tigers last season, instead
stepping away from the program to focus on his economics degree. Roos, 22, will have one year of eligibility left. Morgan, 19, helped lead Lake Superior State with 22 points in his freshman season. He also spent a season with the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders of the USHL, where he notched 25 points in 60 games. While Roos (a graduate transfer) and Becker (a commitment) will be eligible to play right away, Morgan will be forced to sit a year, heeding the NCAA’s established transfer rules. While it would be ambitious to expect Roos or Becker to be slotted into the top six forward slots right away — those will likely belong to a mix of established players such as senior Tony Calderone, sophomore Will Lockwood, junior Cooper Marody and talented freshmen like Josh Norris and Michael Pastujov — the newcomers will bring valuable attacking depth as Pearson attempts to rejuvenate a struggling program.
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Defenseman Luke Martin attended the Carolina Hurricanes’ development camp after they drafted him 52nd overall this summer.
Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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Michigan’s 2018 class taking shape Wolverines have received 10 verbal commitments including seven four-stars, 247Sports ranks class as No. 19 nationally ORION SANG
Senior Sports Editor
In February, Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan football team inked one of the highest-ranked recruiting classes in team history. The coaching staff reeled in numerous top targets such as five-star prospects Donovan Peoples-Jones and Aubrey Solomon down the stretch to cement a class that 247Sports ranked as No. 5 in the nation. While Harbaugh and company may not sign a class as large as 2017’s 30-man group, the Wolverines certainly haven’t struggled in recruiting this year’s class, which currently ranks No. 19 in the nation with an average prospect rating of 0.9051, according to 247Sports. According to Wolverine 247 recruiting analyst Steve Lorenz, Michigan hasn’t missed often when it comes to its top targets in this cycle. That has been aided in part by geographical location — fourstar offensive tackles Ryan Hayes and Jalen Mayfield and four-star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson are all in-state prospects — but the Wolverines have had an impressive national reach, as well. Of the 10 prospects who have given verbal commitments to Michigan thus far, just four — four-star offensive g uard Emil Ekiyor of Indiana and the aforementioned trio — are from the Midwest. The Wolverines have three commitments from Georgia, two from Texas and one from Florida — three of the most talent-rich states in the nation. Meanwhile, seven of the ten commitments are ranked as four-stars, according to 247Sports, and all 10, says Lorenz, were at or near the top of the coaching staff ’s board. “I think the biggest thing for me is that they’ve gotten a lot of high-ceiling type talent,” Lorenz said. “Obviously (Orlando, Fla. quarterback Joe)
Milton kind of the headliner as far as that goes, maybe the most high-ceiling player in the class. Not a refined product yet, has a ways to go, but that’s a perfect complement to what they’ve done at quarterback, and they’ve done that at a few different positions. “ With the offensive line, (Jalen) Mayf ield another g uy in that vein, a g uy whose football is def initely ahead of him, and then at cornerback as well with (Myles) Sims and Gemon Green as g uys who are just perfect f its for the system, but they haven’t tapped a lot of their potential yet. I think they’ve done what they’ve wanted to do so far with the depth they got in ‘16 and ‘17, I think those are the t ypes of g uys they want in ‘18.” A f ter Ha rbaugh sig ned just 14 recr uits in his debut recr uiting cla ss (one t hat wa s hur t by Brady Hoke’s f iring a nd t he relatively prolonged hiring process t hat followed), he a nd his staf f sig ned 56 players in t he follow ing t wo cla sses combined. Those t wo cla sses have replenished Michiga n’s dept h cha r t while a lso limiting t he number of ava ilable schola rships for 2018. While the quantity of recruits that the Wolverines can sign this time around may be limited, that might still yield some positive results for Michigan on the trail — especially considering the recruiting pitch that the coaches have tailored for some prospects, such as Cameron McGrone, a four-star linebacker from Indiana. “The new foundation is in with these new classes, so with some of these g uys it’s, ‘ We’ll get you there eventually,’ ” Lorenz said. “Look at cornerback — those g uys could compete early, but they may have to wait. But they’re only taking a few, so they can tell them, ‘Hey, you’re our g uy.’ Or at linebacker, with Cameron McGrone, who’s now
the top target. They can sell him like, ‘Hey, you’re our g uy at linebacker period. We’re probably done if we get you.’ “... It is a different approach because the last two classes have not just been large, but they’ve been large and full of really talented players, so they kinda have to go about it a little differently.” Of course, there are some position groups that weren’t as well-stocked in previous classes that Michigan will have to address this time around. After failing to sign any tight ends in 2017, the Wolverines saw Devin Asiasi — the team’s highestranked signee at the position in 2016 — elect to transfer to UCLA. With a relatively youthful and unproven group after Asiasi’s transfer and Jake Butt’s graduation, Lorenz thinks Michigan will need to sign at least one of their top targets at the position in 2018, if not multiple. Jeremy Ruckert, a four-star from New York, was one of the staff ’s top targets but it appears that his college decision — scheduled for July 17 — will be Ohio State. The Wolverines, though, are strongly in contention for another one of their top prospects and may have an opportunity to make a move with another in the coming weeks. “I think (Ridge Point, Texas tight end) Mustapha Muhammad remains the best bet there,” Lorenz said. “I know (247Sports recruiting insider Steve) Wiltfong thinks that Michigan will really make a move with (Carterville, Ill. tight end) Luke Ford next weekend, so we’ll have to see there.” Like last year, Michigan may have to wait a while before it fills its class. The Wolverines experienced a f lurry of commitments last December, earning verbal commitments from Peoples-Jones, Cesar Ruiz, Tarik Black, Drew Singleton, Jordan Anthony and See FOOTBALL, Page 12
EMMA RICHTER/Daily
Hallie Thome was invited to the USA Women’s Basketball U23 Training Camp.
Flaherty, Thome earn invitations to U23 camp MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Writer
After the Michigan women’s basketball team experienced its most successful season in program history, two of its stalwarts earned invitations to the 2017 USA Basketball Women’s U23 National Team Training Camp. Senior guard Katelynn Flaherty and junior center Hallie Thome will each compete in the camp to be apart of the 12-person roster that will ultimately play in the first-ever U23 Four Nations Tournament in Tokyo, Japan this summer. Among the 40 players named to the preliminary roster, Thome and Flaherty are two of four Big Ten players. Kelsey
Mitchell of Ohio State and Teniya Page of Penn State will also compete for roster spots. Flaherty and Thome were each vital contributors to the Wolverines team that won the WNIT Tournament for the first time in program history. Flaherty, invited to a USA Basketball trial for the third time in her career, led Michigan in scoring this past season. In the WNIT title game, she made multiple career-defining plays, nailing two game-tying threes in the double-overtime victory, and scoring 20 of her 27 points after halftime. For the season, Flaherty led the team in scoring at 20.2 points per game and was a unanimous selection by the See BASKETBALL, Page 12
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Thursday, July 13, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
BASKETBALL From Page 11 coaches as a first-team all Big Ten player. Flaherty, a career 38 percent three-point shooter, could bring long-range shooting and leadership to the national roster. Not to be outdone by her counterpa r t, Thome pitched in 25 points in t he W NIT f ina l. Thome averaged 7.1 rebounds per ga me a nd shot 61. 3 percent f rom t he f ield on t he sea son, ra nking in t he top 10 in Big Ten in bot h categories. Thome wa s a model of consistency in her sophomore sea son, sta r ting a ll 37 ga mes a nd scoring in double f ig ures in 35 of t hem. She beca me just t he t hird sophomore in school histor y to reach 1,000 points. This is her f irst USA ba sketba ll inv itation. Thome and Flaherty are both coming off seasons in which they were named to the first team All-Big Ten and the WNIT All-Tournament team.
The i n aug u r a l t ou r n a ment will i nclude Au s t ra l ia , Ca n ad a a nd Japa n , in add it ion to t he Un it e d St at e s . The rou nd-robi n s t yle t ou r n a ment w i l l t a ke place f rom Aug u s t 1 2-1 5 , a nd w i l l feat u re exclu sively col leg e a g e d at h let e s . Both Thome and Flaherty fig ure to be crucial components of a team next season hungry to avenge what they perceived to be an NCA A Tournament snub. The appearance would have been the first in the program’s history. But under the g uidance of reig ning Big Ten Coach of the Year Kim Barnes Arico, the prog ram appears to be unequivocally headed in a positive direction. Flahert y and Thome’s invitations are yet another example of the talent that is starting to stream into and develop inside the prog ram.
CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily
Junior guard Katelynn Flaherty was invited to the USA Basketball Women’s U23 National Team Training Camp.
FOOTBALL From Page 11
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Coach Jim Harbaugh has put together a strong 2018 recruiting class so far.
Deron Irving-Bey over the span of a couple weeks. Similarly, most of Michigan’s top targets this year appear to be waiting to make their decisions after taking official visits in the fall. “Once the season hits, g uys want to take their officials,” Lorenz said. “The elite g uys, everyone is jockeying for position with those g uys, so you’re going to see things kind of slow down. Some g uys want to see how teams perform in season.” There a re a couple prospects, however, whose timelines may be shor ter t ha n t hose of t heir peers. According to Lorenz, McGrone a nd foursta r linebacker/defensive back Shay ne Simon, of New Jersey, may decide before t he summer ends. Michiga n is bat tling Not re Da me for bot h
prospects, a nd in t he ca se t hat eit her (or bot h) decide to pick t he Fighting Irish, t he Wolverines appea r determined to continue recr uiting until t he bell. “I know they’re basically biding their time with Notre Dame,” Lorenz said. “At least from their standpoint, I don’t think they expect Notre Dame to have a great season. I think they may be able to try to pick off a couple of (Notre Dame’s) guys.” Wh ile M ich ig a n’s 2018 cla ss may not have t he h ig h- end st a r power t hat ca me w it h prev ious cla sses, t he fac t rema i n s t hat t he coach i ng st a f f ha s h it on most of t hei r top t a rget s t hus fa r — even if t he recr uit i ng ra n k i ng s may not ref lec t t hat . Fur t hermore, t hey ’re still heav ily in t he race for ma ny of t heir rema ining ta rgets, such a s defensive tackles T yler Friday, R ick Sa ndidge a nd Michael Thompson, w ide receiver A mon-R a St. Brow n,
Muha mmad, McGrone, Simon a nd defensive back Josh Jobe, a mong ot hers. That ha s t he Wolverines potentia lly primed for a big f inish t his w inter af ter get ting of f to a quick sta r t t hat Lorenz g rades highly. “ I’d probably say a B+, At y pe g rade,” Loren z sa id. “ I k now (DeSoto, Texa s cor nerback) G emon Green is on ly a t h ree-st a r, but he wa s litera lly at or nea r t he ver y top of t hei r cor nerback boa rd. M ig ht not have t he rat i ng or ra n k i ng, but M ich ig a n’s ecst at ic about hav i ng a g uy li ke t hat on boa rd. Sa me w it h (G eorg ia cor nerback) Myles Si m s, who’s a g uy t hat M ich ig a n t a rgeted ea rly, i m mediately, a nd got . “Joe Milton was the first quarterback that Pep Hamilton offered. … That’s always a huge win. Then to get (Ryan) Hayes, (Jalen) Mayfield, Emil (Ekiyor), all very significant pickups. They’ve kind of done what they set out to do so far.”