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Thursday, August 10, 2017

“They did not see us. We made sure they didn’t.” Transgender individuals continue the struggle against possible military ban and healthcare complications By NISA KHAN and JENNIFER MEER Summer Editor in Chief and Summer Managing News Editor

This article is the first part of a larger piece dedicated to the experiences of some transgender individuals. The second part will be available on michigandaily.com soon. It was 1974; Charin Davenport was 18 when she joined the military. Despite opposing the Vietnam War, the teenager from Essexville, Mich., had many reasons for wanting to join the Navy. A need to give back to the country was one; there was also the desire to have more experiences outside of the town. “I really wanted to see the world,” she said. “And I did. Another part of it was I had to get out of there. Because there was no future, short-term or long-term for me there.” She also thought that joining the military would help her feel like more of the gender she was assigned to. “I thought at that age … the problem was that I wasn’t a good enough man,” the now 61-yearold Oakland University professor said. “And

that the Navy would help me become that man, that would kind of man me up. And I talked to a lot of veterans who felt the same way. Because it’s kind of that hyper-masculine environment. And so, in that environment, surely I would become the man I was suppose to be and I so far failed at.” Davenport was in the military for seven years. While she was not out in the military, she was aware of several of her fellow officers who were also trans. “I was not out when I served,” she said. “That would have been a death sentence. The secrecy between ourselves was far beyond any top-secret clearance the military could have had. They did not know us. They did not see us. We made sure they didn’t.” The reception of returning Vietnam and Korean soldiers was a national shame, Davenport explained, since they were not treated with respect. With all of the debate, the presidents at the time would at least be on the side of the troops. “And then on that day, the President of the United States Donald Trump spit on us,” she said. “And said, ‘No no no you’re right, spit on them.’ And to me, that is absolutely despicable. And I was so angry. So hurt. And I will never stop saying that. I’m angry. So angry about it.” “I hate war, let me be very clear about that,”

she said. “But we can never lose that bond. We cannot lose that bond. And Donald Trump, our president that we elected in this country, basically told us to fuck off.” “I will never feel any differently about what he did,” she said. “Analyze all you want — there is no analysis to be made. That’s what happened.” The military ban Davenport is one of the approximate

134,300 retired transgender veterans who have served in the U.S. military — a number that is difficult to pinpoint as the ban on transgender individuals was lifted just last year under the Obama administration. “Don’t ask, don’t tell,” the policy regarding sexual orientation, was discontinued in 2011, but repeal did not extend to gender identity — transgender individuals were deemed to have a See MILITARY, Page 3

Michigan’s talented linebackers primed for breakout season McCray, the lone returning defensive starter, taking on a leadership role By JACOB SHAMES Summer Managing Sports Editor

inside

Before last season, Mike McCray had recorded just two tackles in his college career and had never started a game for the Michigan football team.

NEWS

Diversity program Big House program encourages diverse applicant pool. >> SEE PAGE 8

McCray, a former four-star recruit out of high school, had always shown promise — a blocked punt in a victory over Appalachian State in 2014 had displayed as much. But McCray couldn’t stay on the field — health problems, including a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entire 2015 season, derailed his first three years in a Wolverine uniform. With the graduation of three senior linebackers — Joe Bolden, Desmond Morgan and James Ross — a healthy McCray finally got his chance last year and ran

OPINION

Being alone

“Solitude requires selfconfidence to enjoy...” >> SEE PAGE 4

with it. He made an immediate impact in his first start, a season-opening victory over Hawaii where he made nine tackles, 3.5 for loss and two sacks, to kick-start an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention campaign in which he totalled 76 stops, including 12.5 for a loss as well as 4.5 sacks and two interceptions. One year later, the fifth-year senior linebacker is the only returning starter from the previous season’s dominant defense. But that’s not the only thing different about McCray, according to line-

ARTS

‘Detroit,’ a tragic historical tale

New film retells the story of famous 1967 riot. >> SEE PAGE 6

backers coach Chris Partridge. “There’s an aura about him that’s different than it was last year and that’s important because guys will look up to him,” Partridge said. “He’s a hard worker and he’s tough, he’s a Big Ten linebacker. Now with that aura about him and that sense of leadership he’s stepped his game up.” To Partridge, McCray has carried himself in a different manner so far in fall camp — a manner that is essential. The omnipresent theme for Michigan — young See FOOTBALL, Page 11

SPORTS

Soccer roster Despite a 4-11-4 record last season, young talent abounds for Michigan. >> SEE PAGE 11

NEWS .................................... 2 SUDOKU................................ 2 OPINION ............................... 4 ARTS ...................................... 6 CLASSIFIEDS......................... 8 SPORTS.................................10

2 NEWS

Thursday, August 10, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

University community reacts to Justice Department’s affirmative action report Students voice concern that DOJ investigation will further marginalize minority groups By CHETALI JAIN Summer Daily News Editor

Last Monday, The New York Times uncovered the Trump administration’s intentions to funnel Justice Department resources into examining and potentially filing lawsuits against colleges and universities who take racial background into consideration when making admissions decisions. Millions were left wondering what effect the investigation and prosecution would have on students who come from underprivileged backgrounds. Such considerations, or affirmative action policies, were originally meant to level the playing field for disadvantaged applicants. Supporters of affirmative action state such policies are meant to take into account the access an individual has to resources that make them

a stronger college applicant. They would argue that groups such as African Americans and women who have historically been excluded from U.S. society are given a fair opportunity to succeed while opponents believe it fosters reverse racism. Though the U.S. Supreme Court deemed it constitutional for race to be a factor in admissions decisions, eight states have banned this consideration, Michigan included. According to Kim Broekhuizen, University of Michigan spokeswoman, the University will continue to watch for developments in the matter. “As always, the University follows all applicable state and federal laws,” Broekhuizen wrote in an email. Despite the legal restriction of affirmative action policies at the University under Proposal 2, a measure which bans Michigan colleges from using race as a factor in their admissions decisions, minority students like recent University alum Will Royster still live in a reality where they face unfounded assumptions regarding their place on campus.

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JOSHUA HAN/DAILY Chairs representing those denied admission to the University due to a change in affirmative action policy as part of the Stumbling Blocks exhibit in April 2017.

In an interview, Royster recalled how his identity as a Black male often caused people to question his intelligence and his reason for being at the University. Royster studied mathematics and African American studies during his time on campus and tutored other students in mathematics. “People will naturally think I’m an athlete …(they) think I’m an athlete because I’m black and I go to the University of Michigan,” Royster said. “Or it’s constant probes about (my) intelligence … even when I was in the Engineering school, there would be times when people didn’t want to be in my group for a project not knowing that I had one of the highest grades in the class. Plenty of times I’m in my math class and I get A’s … and people didn’t want to be in my group. When I (tutor) someone that is of a more privileged identity … and I show him how to get the answer, and I was able to successfully do this, it’s a startling thing (for him).” Other students and faculty members have also been affected by the controversial topic of affirmative action; this past winter semester, 950 maize and blue chairs were placed in the Diag to signify the students from minority backgrounds who wouldn’t attend the University due to Proposal 2. Postdoctoral fellow Austin McCoy studies racial justice. In a message, he said the proposed investigation contradicts the reality of race in admissions. “The DOJ’s proposal to investigate colleges’ and universities’

affirmative action policies are based in a faulty assumption that race conscious forms of redress have a disparate impact on white Americans as a group,” he wrote. “This faulty assumption belies the fact, at least in the context of UM before the passage of Proposal 2, that white students tend to enjoy a higher rate of acceptance and admission despite race-based affirmative action policies.” Public Policy junior Lauren Schandevel, public relations chair of College Democrats and a columnist for the Daily, said the plans to look into intentional race-based discrimination will only hurt diversity and underprivileged students. “Trump’s assertion that white people are disadvantaged by affirmative action policies is absurd and damaging to students of color, who already feel alienated by primarily white institutions,” Schandevel said. Conversely, Amanda Delekta, who is the vice president of internal affairs for the University chapter of College Republicans, believes it is not the responsibility of colleges to make considerations regarding a student’s background during the admissions process. In an email, she explained she feels that applicants should be selected based on merit alone and that admission policies that take into account race are unjust. “Affirmative action policies at colleges and universities are inherently

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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, August 10, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

University students screen films at Traverse City Film Festival University-wide collaboration on films impress festival audience By AMARA SHAIKH Daily Staff Reporter

At the 13th annual Traverse City Film Festival, two short films created by University of Michigan undergraduates were showcased on the big screen. The five-day event featured a variety of films, workshops and discussions about filmmaking. The two student productions, “Malignant Humor” and “Chasing the GOAT,” were developed throughout the semester by students in screenwriting program director Jim Burnstein’s and lecturer Robert Rayher’s Screenwriting 423 class and carried out with the help of fellow undergraduate writers, actors and producers. Though his students provided the plot and stage direction, Burnstein said the productions required participation from across the University. “Two teams are assembled out of (Screen Arts and Cultures), with our top filmmaking students,” he said. “Then we bring in from Stamps School of Design art designers, costume designers, sound designers, composers from the School of Music and even producers from Ross School of Business. So it’s the University-wide kind of collaboration.” Burnstein worked with the LSA Department of Screen Arts and Cultures to establish a partnership with the Traverse City Film Festival that allows two University films to be showcased each year. Now in their ninth year of collaboration, Burstein said attendees at the festival continue to be impressed with the talent of the students. “This all started when Michael Moore, who runs the Traverse City Film Festival, and festival director Deb Lake

contacted me asking if I would do something up there at the festival — meaning talk about screenwriting as a professional screenwriter,” he said. “I agreed, but I said I would like to, in return, show a couple of the films that are made in the class. When we did it for the first time and when it was done, Michael Moore turned to me and said, ‘So we’re going to do this every year, right?’ And I replied, ‘Absolutely.’ ” Malignant Humor, produced by LSA senior Matthew Barnauskas, an Arts writer at the Daily, follows the story of an improv comedy troupe that, upon arriving at a high school they’re supposed to perform at, find out a student there has committed suicide. “Malignant Humor” was the second film produced by Barnauskas. He said the most rewarding part of producing was seeing the finished product. “With producing, what you’re basically doing is you’re giving the supplies to others to do their work,” he said. “You’re giving locations, you’re making sure there is room for the crew, you’re making sure everything is locked down tight so your crew can go out and make the film they want to make.” LSA senior Annie Cohen, the supervising editor for “Malignant Humor,” expressed her excitement for the festival. “I personally was incredibly excited to attend the festival and get to see the hard work of so many people projected for new audiences to enjoy,” she said. “By the time the festival rolled around, I had been working on the movie for about six months and was just so happy to be able to share the work that we did over the course of the winter semester with those involved. Many people who were involved with the production, both cast and crew, hadn’t seen a final version of it all put together so it was amazing to hear their new thoughts on the movie that I had seen probably 50 times already.” Matthew Solomon, associate

professor of film history and theory, was one of the moderators invited to the festival to lead discussions about film with the audience. Solomon said he was also very impressed with the two student productions. “I just think they’re tremendously impressive highlevel productions done by undergrads,” he said. “It’s remarkable, the production values and the quality of those films always wows the audience at Traverse City, and it’s a great tradition that our department has built.” Solomon has been attending the festival for nearly six years now, and he recommends it to anyone who has an interest in film. “It’s a really great festival,” he said. “It’s really nice to meet the filmmakers and have such a vibrant audience that loves movies around you, so it’s a great experience. I highly recommend it to anyone in the area who has any interest in films. It’s one of the best festivals I’ve been to.” Both Cohen and Barnauskas said they are excited to continue working in filmmaking, and said they were grateful to have their experience with the Traverse City Film Festival help them with their goals. “I hope to work in editing in the future once I graduate, so the festival definitely helped with that,” she said. “This was the first time that I had worked in a setting of many editors all working together to create a mass amount of content. The festival turns out daily videos of recaps from the day’s events that had been happening throughout the week. So although Kat and I were only working on a small part of the festival’s editing process it was definitely beneficial to learn how a space like that can be run.” Next year, both Solomon and Burnstein intend on heading back to Traverse City for what will be the 10th anniversary of showcasing University films at the festival.

MILITARY From Page 1 “psychosexual disorder.” The University of California, Los Angeles report now estimates about 15,500 members are still on active duty. The U.S. military is often called the largest employer of transgender individuals in the world — Davenport estimates about 20 to 25 percent of the adult transgender community has served. On July 26th, President Donald Trump sent out a series of tweets proposing a possible banon transgender individuals from serving the military on the basis of high health care costs. The move faced negative reactions from the Democrats and mixed reactions from the Republicans. The U.S. joint chiefs of staff were not aware the tweets were about to be made. As of Wednesday, five active duty transgender individuals are suing Trump. In Michigan, Democrat delegates also called the move “discriminatory,” while many Republican delegates have yet to comment. In Royal Oak, Samantha Rogers, founder of transgender organization TG Detroit, held a rally in support of the troops in response to Trump’s tweet. With 400 people in attendance and no counterprotesters, Rogers said it was a great turnout as the mayor and ex-mayor of Royal Oak spoke to the protestors and transgender veterans as well. Rogers said she was told that it was the largest transgender-driven rally in Southeast Michigan. “Frankly I was disappointed we didn’t have more people because of the nature of the situation,” she said. LGBT Michigan President Emily Kaufman, an LSA senior at the University of Michigan and a transgender woman, said Trump’s actions create a culture of discrimination. “Now the conservative people on Fox News are talking about trans people, and they’re saying the military is not a social experiment,” she said. “When their ignorant viewers are watching and being brainwashed by them, they think that’s the gospel truth. Kaufman said the ban would have a considerable impact on employment. “It will increase unemployment for trans people — the ones that are serving, if they get kicked out … The unemployment rate is already extremely high, because it’s legal to discriminate against trans people in most states in employment.” She compared the abrupt proposal of the ban and its repercus-

NEWS 3

sions to the Trump administration’s guidance on transgender bathroom choice in February — forcing transgender people to use the bathroom of the assigned birth gender. She said such discrimination appears to be becoming a trend — something that is unacceptable. “By Trump doing this, it just sort of adds to the stereotypes about trans people not being fully human and it creates lots of problems,” she said. “I think saying or doing one thing — like with the bathroom bill — that’s bad enough. It’s starting to be a trend — and this is just out of the blue, he didn’t even discuss it with anyone. It really is just dehumanizing trans people by saying that.” Lilianna Angel Reyes, Trans Sistas of Color Project founder, said while she stands with her transgender brothers and sisters in the military, she wanted to emphasize that the publicity the issue has received has been largely in conjunction with only the white transgender community. “There technically hasn’t been a policy change for banning trans people in the military, it was Twitter,” she said. “It may be coming, but it hasn’t been official policy. But when people thought it was the possibility of a policy, they rallied. When different things are going on in the trans community on a larger level, they rally — by they, I mean mostly white trans people.” According to Reyes, 16 transgender women of color were killed in the first six months this year but have received little rally or support. Transgender women of color are also punished with heavy prison sentences, she said. “So I think that it is very difficult — race always plays a part,” she said. “Racism is always alive.” Reyes noted many transgender white people transition later in life — after they have had careers, stable jobs and homes. She said their transition — though still very impactful — is much different than that of a transgender person of color who transitions at 14 or 15, who could become homeless or have to partake in sex work. “Many of my trans brothers and sisters who are of color, who transitioned at 15 and 16, couldn’t have even went into the military when they were 18 because they were noticeably trans,” she said. “They had already started their transition, and at that point they could very well push you out of the military and not let you go in...”

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4 OPINION

Thursday, August 10, 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.

ANGELA CHEN | COLUMN

Embracing solitude

s popular culture suggests, adolescence is a time that social lives are expected of us. With the rise of smartphones and social media, the daily flood of Snapchat stories and Instagram pictures imply more than ever that the best of times are had in groups — whether it be friends, families or even strangers. The social taboo against being alone is understood since an early age. Those who are seen alone are labeled laughable and perceived as having neither friends nor something better to do (enter “when all two of your friends are busy” meme). In high school, I was very much alone in this sense. As the result of a severe case of strict parents, I spent 90 percent of my free time isolated in my bedroom, my social life confined entirely to iMessage and Facebook messenger. But in college, things are different. As I met more people and made more friends throughout my first year, I found myself increasingly accustomed to being with others in every area of my life — whether it be attending lecture, eating, studying or doing the bare minimum on a Sunday afternoon. Essentially, there is nothing stopping any of us from spending every waking (and non-waking) hour with company. We’re surrounded by people of the same age, walking in the same shoes and carrying the same social burdens. There’s really no excuse to be alone. Thus, the social dynamic of this summer came as a shock to me. With the whole campus on a hiatus from its usual bustling energy and only a few select friends remaining on campus, there were no more classes to study for together, no student activities to summon a crowd, no dining hall to serve as a convenient meetup site. Many days, I had no

choice but to be alone. As summer went on, I became suddenly very aware of my lack of plans after work and on weekends, which both discomforted and disheartened me. While I was thankful for the time to relax from the chaos of the school year, I was unaccustomed to excessive free time and saw my lack of plans as a personal setback. As I lie in bed for hours on end watching “Friends” at an inconceivably rapid rate, I couldn’t help feeling sorry for myself. Every Snapchat story seemed to be an implicit jab at my own seclusion, the negative

Solitude requires self-confidence to enjoy connotation of solitude manifesting itself as if on demand. Amid it all, I was forgetting that solitude itself is harmless. Sick of meaningless self-pity, I finally asked myself: in a world without social expectations and stereotypes, what’s wrong with being alone? If there was no social media, no way of comparing my own life to others, would my solitude still seem so strange, so unacceptable? Absolutely not, I thought. There is nothing wrong with being alone. Of course, this is not to say that we should avoid social interaction altogether. While it’s always healthy to spend time with others, quality time alone should never be underrated. Remember, there are two ways of being alone. The first is loneliness; my high-school self is a good example. I was averse to company, actively

withdrawing from social situations due to personal insecurities and strained relationships. It was completely unhealthy and a problem I’m happy to leave in the past. The second is solitude, a wholesome stateofalonenessmarkedbypeacefulness, privacy and comfort with oneself. And only when I learned to accept solitude was I able to recognize its value. In a sense, solitude requires selfconfidence to enjoy; when notions of social incompetence and superficial perceptions are abandoned, it is in fact an essential component to a healthy social life. Realizing this, I finally crawled out of bed and stopped scrolling through the endless internet feeds, using my time alone to catch up on personal activities that I’m unable to do in the presence of other people (and no, I do not mean Netflix!). As I reconnected with my violin skills, sang old songs at the top of my lungs, immersed myself in adult coloring books and wrote my first poetry in months, my free time effortlessly flew by. Strangely, I felt tangibly in touch with my whole self, but I couldn’t have done it had I not been alone. Of course, I will always welcome a good day spent with friends and will surely continue to make new ones this fall. However, I’ve learned to embrace solitude, knowing that no plans should be made solely to escape being alone — to do so would be to escape the only person with which I would spend my entire life. From time to time, we all need to wind down and appreciate some quality time with ourselves. Don’t worry, the silence won’t be awkward. — Angela Chen can be reached at angchen@umich.edu.

Short-term memory

ecently, on an early Monday morning, I was sitting in a crowded coffee shop sipping a large cup of scalding anxiety stimulant as I awaited an upcoming interview for an internship. I was running on a restful three hours of sleep due to the MICHAEL after effects of MORDARSKI spending my Saturday night enthusiastically switching from bar to bar with old friends. So,extremelyanxiousandlackinginsleep, my progress of memorizing answers for the interview ahead was interrupted by some nostalgia. Because in front of my table, a young boy and his mother were waiting to order. And just as I looked up, I caught what was just a typical and casual moment between them. He was being a kid, curiously looking into the cooler near the counter at the several treats and drinks while holding onto the leg of his mother. And she, while answering his innocent questions, casually reached down and ran her hand through his hair. He looked up and smiled at her. And then there I was, the anxious, bloodshot-eyed, 21 year old in a suit, staring at these two like a madman. My mind, triggered from such a typical interaction between mother and child, had a nostalgia-fueled recollection of the countless days I spent literally looking up to my mother while enjoying the innocence of childhood. And now here I was, a young man in his brand new suit, anxiously awaiting a prestigious interview, nursing a large coffee to combat his exhaustion from an exciting weekend — only there because of the undying love and effort from his two parents. Because I often delude myself into believing I am a partially self-made “man.” That my intelligence, work ethic and personality have been, and are being, further enhanced and crafted by my intervention solely. That obviously I am extremely thankful for benefitting from the massive investments and work my parents did for me, such as the private school education, excellent health care and lessons in morality and manners — but I fool myself into the thinking that my more recent past, which has been greatly controlled by me, has led me into my promising future. And all it takes is a kid who vaguely looks like me to smile at his mother to trigger the wave of memories I often repress of the undying love my parents demonstrated toward me. Not just the big things, but more so, the thousands and thousands of small interactions we had that unfortunately I cannot remember. These small expressions of love that add up instilling a sense of worth and character within a child that I as a self-

serving 21 year old cannot even begin to grasp how much effort is required to do so. Former President Obama explained this instilled love from the efforts of parents best in “The Audacity of Hope.” Writing about his daughter’s birthday party he explained, “I wonder if Sasha will remember that moment when she is grown. Probably not; it seems as if I can retrieve only the barest fragments of memory from when I was five. But I suspect that the happiness she felt on that (day) registers permanently in her; that such moments accumulate and embed themselves in a child’s character, becoming a part of their soul.” And that is exactly what happened with my parents and I. The countless moments and expressions of love my parents had toward a young me gave me that sense of worth and confidence which allow me to passionately pursue my future. My qualities and work ethic come from the fact that there were people in my childhood who loved me unconditionally and gave me some sense of worth. But the enthusiasm I have of the future often can blind me of that past. I’m full of energy, excited about what lies ahead and constantly preoccupied dreaming about what could be in a way that only an educated, adept and ignorant young person can. And my parents catch the collateral of this. The young boy they raised, the one who held their hand so tightly, crawled into their bed when he had nightmares and asked them thousands of innocent questions about the world, is now so focused on the present to determine his future that his focus often blinds him from the previous effort and love they put into him. My short-term memory hurts them. I’m busy, preoccupied and always excited for the next chapter. But now, I’m not entering a new chapter, but a completely new volume of life. One that feels far more independent and exciting but has changed the relationship between me and my parents. I now have adult problems, problems like they have. Sometimes, I forget how much I cherish those thousands of hours that weren’t particularly special or important, just brief moments with the people who loved me and raised me. And I can take some comfort in knowing that my ever-present nostalgia will constantly remind me of that. I’m sorry I’m getting older, mom and dad, I can’t help it. I’m busy thinking I can change the world.

— Michael Mordarski can be reached at mmordars@umich.edu.

Thursday, August 10, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Through the Heart of It All

s a white girl/woman growing up in the wealthier and whiter areas of Columbus, I’ve been taught to think of the inner-city neighborhoods REGAN of the city’s Near East Side DETWILER as crime-ridden, scary and dangerous. This implies that the suburb where I live is crime free, welcoming and safe. But nearly three months of commuting via bike from my mom’s house in the suburbs to the downtown restaurant where I’m working this summer has spurred an ongoing process of examining my own prejudices. In the Franklin Park neighborhood, which runs behind a sizeable park and conservatory, the homes are huge and beautiful, built for the city’s wealthiest families — mostly white — at the start of the 20th century. But by 1936, the areas just outside the park were subject to the infamous discriminatory housing practice of redlining. Much of the Franklin Park neighborhood was coded as declining in desirability, and since then, it seems that racial and economic segregation between Franklin Park and Bexley has only become more severe. As I’ve spent more time in the neighborhoods of the Near East Side, I’ve grown more comfortable there and have had lots of brief interactions with people who live there. These interactions have been new experiences for me, since the Near East Side has more Black inhabitants than the spaces I typically occupy, and they’ve prompted me to do a lot of selfreflection. Interactions that have been particularly thought provoking for me are the ones I’ve had with older Black men. Because, over the course of time, I’ve been verbally harassed repeatedly by older men I don’t know, I am automatically on guard from sexual objectification when I encounter older men on the street. Often, it seems that to behave defensively is to act in my own best interest, because harassment is frequent. I’ve noticed, however, that I haven’t felt objectified in any of the brief interactions I’ve had with older Black men on my bike commute. On the contrary, I’ve felt surprised at how friendly and utterly platonic our brief exchanges of “hellos” have been. What I want to interrogate here is not whether the Black men I’ve encountered have been friendly to me — they have, unquestionably. What I want to interrogate is this feeling of surprise I’ve had when the interactions are just that — friendly. Why am I

surprised when this happens? Yes, I do anticipate, even expect, men on the street generally to treat me with a certain degree of objectification. But is this expectation intensified when I encounter a Black man? I know society teaches me that Black men are overly sexual, but I like to think, as the “educated progressive” I identify as, that I’m impervious to these racist influences. The more sympathetic theory I have to explain my reaction of surprise is this: most of the spaces I occupy are populated in majority by white people. The neighborhoods I live in and the sidewalks I walk down, the schools I’ve gone to, the restaurants I go to, concerts and festivals I attend, do not attract a lot of Black people, and they attract even fewer Black men over the age of 40 who are less affluent than I am. Since I rarely encounter the kinds of Black men I encounter on my bike commute, interactions with them have not played a part in my process of constructing my expectations for older men generally. Therefore, I am surprised because their friendliness has contradicted my expectations for older men, rather than contradicting my expectations of older Black men. But I don’t know. Am I just making excuses for myself? Why do I really feel surprised when an interaction with a Black man is nothing but friendly, even to the point of being unmentionable? This brings me to another question: Would the older Black men I’ve encountered have been equally as friendly to me if I looked like I lived in that neighborhood? Would they be friendlier to a neighbor they know better? Are they as friendly to other strangers they encounter — say, wealthy looking white men I’ve seen pass through on their road bikes? Were the men I’ve greeted thinking about how they should respond to my presence, or were they acting naturally? I don’t know, and I don’t presume I could authoritatively guess at these individuals’ experiences. Though society has taught me to fear the higher crime rates of the neighborhoods between Bexley and downtown, the scariest part of my commute has been examining my own racial prejudices and, through the process of writing this column, confronting my white fragility. In “Wanderlust: A History of Walking,” Rebecca Solnit, another white woman who I’d characterize as progressive, writes on the subject of walking through cities. But I think much of what she says can also be applied to biking: that it’s about being outside in public space, and that the

less one wanders the city, the scarier it becomes. While I’ve been verbally harassed riding my bike through the Near East Side, I was harassed more frequently by passers-by when I used to go on

long jogs through the streets of Bexley. Riding through the neighborhoods between Bexley and downtown Columbus, it seems any sense of tension or fear I feel is due more to my own preconceptions than the actions of

OPINION 5

the people I encounter there. — Regan Detwiler can be reached regandet@umich.edu.

Catholic Education in a modern world

“

OK, class,” my teacher yells across the classroom. “Father is coming to talk to us today, and I need you all to be on your best behavior!” It was days like these I enjoyed as a DAVID grade schooler KAMPER at a Catholic elementary school: a change in direction and new questions. When Father enters the classroom, we all stand and say hello. He goes to the board and begins to explain the religious lesson on Genesis, interestingly enough. I increasingly had become more involved in the light scientific readings that only a nine year old could understand, and my skepticism of the early teachings of the Church, especially Genesis, was quite high. Nevertheless, Father spoke to us about how God created Earth in seven days, how Adam named the animals, how Eve came from Adam’s rib and how the Devil tempted Eve with the forbidden fruit. To me, even as a nine year old, this all sounded like hogwash. To change the direction of the lesson, I raised my hand and stated, “I have been reading about the Big Bang Theory. Have you read on this?” Father paused. “Yes, and it is good that you bring this up! Genesis is a description of how our Earth was created, but God’s days might be different than ours, and the length of time for him might seem like seven days, but for us millions of years. The Big Bang is an answer to that.” A voice popped up in the corner: “But that isn’t what it says though?” I added, “Aren’t we told that the Bible is the word of God? Does he want us to guess? If we have this doubt in the wording, how can we trust God’s words to begin with? Father said, “That is exactly what you should do. Question.” I am presently a practicing Catholic. Before attending the University of Michigan, I attended Catholic grade school and classes until I was 17 years old, when I was confirmed. Throughout all of this, I have been, at one time, an agnostic, an extreme doubter of Jesus’s existence, and outspoken about my issues with the Church. Today, I am still quite skeptical of the Church’s teachings, but I still go to mass every week, read at church and participate

in my local parish’s activities. Why, you might ask? Because doubt and debate are good. Questions about existentialism are good. The Church’s preaching of introspection is good. In our modern culture where I see introspection and inquiry dying, I find that regardless of the church’s teachings, it is in these habits that I appreciate most. I owe a large part of my curiosity to my involvement in the Catholic church, where I was encouraged to question the existence of God, query my own self-worth and analyze the world around me. I often tell people that constant selfquestioning is needed for improvement. The Church consistently asks us to look inside us to find areas in which we need to improve. While many would question the Church’s prescription (more time spent in prayer and time reading the Bible), it is the practice in itself that I find most appealing. Often, I find that in our modern society, people would much rather mindlessly scroll through Facebook or Twitter, watch endless hours of a television show and go out partying. While these might be fine in some amounts, it is what these activities are delaying that I am frustrated with. When interacting with my peers at the University, I am surprised with how many are frightened to look inside themselves for faults. This is also not just within our generation, but a more common problem. A 2014 Harvard and University of Virginia study found that most of the participants, all college students, would rather be electrically shocked than spend time in his or her own thoughts. While I should not be taken as a model of introspection, I appreciate that the Church focuses on developing this side of us as humans. Too often today, we are quick to blame others and society as the issue, when often we don’t take a second to ponder our own thoughts and faults. Sometime it isn’t society’s fault, it is of your own doing. If one does, it is the fear of change and work needed for self-development that deters a sizeable part of the population. The Church’s advocacy for this constant selfimprovement is an important message many should listen to. Though there are large sections of the Church that deter questioning

God’s existence, my experience as a Catholic growing up encouraged this. For me, I think this fueled and developed a sense of intellectual curiosity, which is especially needed in today’s college culture. Not only that, but asking questions about existentialism, why certain behaviors occur, what does it mean to be human and countless other philosophical inquiries not only helps improve one’s sense of self, but also helps one come to a better understanding of what it means to be human. In addition, the questioning of the Bible’s verses creates a sense of doubt in everything. For me, it has aided me in realizing bias. When I am reading an article from the New York Times or watching an interview on Fox News, I am constantly skeptical of the writing, looking for the particular parts that highlight its leaning. In addition, the Church’s promotion of doubt also makes me seek a difference of opinion, something I find lost on college campuses today. Though many believe they accept diversity of opinion, it is only when conflict occurs within one’s psyche that the inquiry stops. The Church, in my experience, has pushed me to enter in questioning the positions of others and why he or she came to that conclusion. I greatly appreciate that this doubt and advocacy for inquisitiveness was present in my early life and continues to be present. Faith is, in my own definition, the suspension of rationale in support of something that cannot be conclusively determined. Though this is obviously the cornerstone of the Catholic Church and creates great conflict in today’s secular world, the underlying teachings of self-analysis and questioning existentialism are habits that modern culture should take into consideration. My questions surrounding my faith have aided my work in the neurosciences, my school and my daily life. I have found that the more I question my faith, the stronger I become as a person.

— David Kamper can be reached at dgkamper@umich.edu.

6 ARTS

Thursday, August 10, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

MOVIE REVIEW

‘Ingrid’ is the darkest comedy of summer SAM ROSENBERG Daily Arts Writer

ANNAPURNA PICTURES

John Boyega stars as Melvin Dismukes

‘Detroit’ is a tragic retelling WILL STEWART

Summer Managing Arts Editor

The story behind “Detroit” is still as relevant today as it was in the late ’60s. To this day, African-Americans suffer from repulsive police brutality and crippling institutional racism. Kathryn Bigelow’s (“Zero Dark Thirty”) retelling of the Algiers Motel incident during the 1967 Detroit Riot is a graphic, brutally honest recount of the menacing mistreatment of Blacks at the hands of white police officers during one of the bleakest moments of the 20th Century. “Detroit” introduces the beginning of the Riot on July 23rd, 1967 following a police raid on a club welcoming home Black veterans from Vietnam. Other historical moments are documented, like Rep. John Conyers’s plea to stop the violence, along with Gov. George Romney’s deployment of the National Guard. Instantly, we are thrown into the mayhem and introduced to the characters who would later be involved in the Algiers incident. The madness unfolds rapidly, and throughout the first two-thirds of the movie, there isn’t a moment to catch your breath while watching the painful police brutality and destruction of the city. The story is told in three acts, the first serving as an introduction to the characters and how they ended up in the Algiers Motel. Act two focuses on the incident itself, while the third shows the resulting court cases. Although each act is connected, they all feel like their own independent movie, differing in both pace and tension. Mark Boal (“Zero Dark Thirty”), journalist and frequent collaborator with Bigelow, packs a lot of intensity into the first two acts. The third,

however, drags: After witnessing the horrors at the Motel, the rest of the movie feels especially slow and unrewarding. The 143-minute running time could have been cut to a more manageable length, but doing so would require sacrificing vital historical information. Either way, a courtroom drama ending is lackluster in comparison to the prior events. Every shot and moment in the Motel is painful to watch, mostly because messes like this do occur. The police’s incompetence and everyone’s visceral fear boils over into a situation where every possible thing that could go wrong does. Here, Bigelow boasts her knack at building tension and showing utter chaos candidly. The camera is always

“Detroit” Rave Cinemas, Quality 16 Annapurna Pictures moving, and with each cut between the police and their suspects — hostages, rather — everything intensifies. These moments are some of Bigelow’s most outwardly suspenseful, even considering “The Hurt Locker”’s bomb disposal scenes. Will Poulter (“The Revenant”) stars as Philip Krauss, a Detroit police officer who we first see fatally shoot a running Black shoplifter in the back. After returning to duty, he continues to cause harm, initiating the raid on the Algiers and killing an unarmed tenant. Krauss is a bitter taste of evil. He tries to cover up his wrongdoings — murdering innocent Black men in the Motel — by placing knives near the dead bodies to create the

appearance that they were armed. I would like to know if this form of racism, paranoia and sloppiness still exists in the police force, though, I probably shouldn’t ask questions I don’t want the answers to. Poulter gives a performance worthy of an Oscar nom and sets the standard for portraying a realistic antagonist. In an ensemble cast, Poulter is accompanied by many other actors in their prime, like “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”’s John Boyega, playing a security guard who tries to ease the tension. Hannah Murray (“Game of Thrones”) plays Julie, one of two white women abused by the police during the incident. We even see John Krasinski (“The Office”) play an attorney defending the police officers in the movie’s third act. But ultimately, it’s Algee Smith’s (“The New Edition Story”) role as Larry Reed, singer for the R&B group The Dramatics, that stands out as the most believable. When he walks onstage to an empty Fox Theater, his presence feels real, making the audience feel like they’re struggling with him through his pursuit for success. Bigelow forces the best possible performances out of every actor, and without such vivid representations of actual people, the movie would flounder and be nothing more than a C-grade History Channel documentary. For those who tote “Blue Lives Matter” insignia and proudly say “all lives matter,” “Detroit” should be first on the what-to-watch-next queue. It openly shows police acting with dangerous biases in ways that are not in the public’s best interest. At a time when our culture is more divided than united, “Detroit” is an invaluable movie to demonstrate that history does, in fact, repeat itself. Although flawed, it’s another gripping movie to add to Bigelow’s ever-increasing list of on-screen triumphs.

It’s no secret that our generation is one that is obsessed with itself. Narcissism runs deep in the roots of millennial culture, with social media being the main vehicle of maintaining a satisfactory virtual self-image. “Ingrid Goes West,” a new indie comedy starring the inimitable Aubrey Plaza (“The Little Hours”), searches to deconstruct this issue in the most twisted way possible. After a stint in a mental institution, the film’s title character, played by Plaza, decides to head to Los Angeles in search of a new life and a new BFF in Instagram influencer Taylor Sloane (Elizabeth Olsen, “Wind River”). Using a hefty inheritance from her deceased mother, Ingrid’s excursions to become exactly like Taylor — dying her hair the same shade of blonde, buying the same Joan Didion novel, eating the same vegan enchilada — lead to both disturbing and hysterical results. Once Ingrid gets acquainted with Taylor and her pretentious husband Ezra (a great Wyatt Russell, “Everybody Wants Some!!”), her obsession slowly turns into a very, very dark journey of misguided desire.

“Ingrid Goes West” Neon Despite how uncomfortable it is to see Ingrid put herself through this experience, it’s not far from reality. In a way, Ingrid represents all those who feel lost and seek to find meaning and solace in the “unique” personalities that live on social media. “Ingrid Goes West” prevails overall as a satire on identity in the modern age. At times, the themes of social media and self-image skim the surface of being heavy-handed and exploitative, kind of like Jason Reitman’s similarly themed “Men, Women & Children.” But what that movie lacked in nuance and depth, “Ingrid Goes West” makes up for with heart and intelligent storytelling. Perhaps “Ingrid Goes West” wouldn’t be nearly as absorbing

without its incredible acting. Plaza, in particular, gives a layered lead performance as Ingrid, complementing her usual deadpan expressions with a profound, relatable loneliness. Olsen nails the Instagram queen personality, neither downplaying nor exaggerating the artifice of her character. Both O’Shea Jackson Jr. (“Straight Outta Compton”) and character actor Billy Magnussen (“Friends from College”) nearly steal the show. Jackson Jr. imbues irresistible charm into Ingrid’s vapesmoking landlord/romantic interest Dan, while Magnussen’s role as Taylor’s douchey brother Nicky has the actor sliding from deceptively beguiling to off-the-wall bonkers. Along with the brilliant cast, “Ingrid Goes West” also benefits from nifty aesthetic sleekness. Bryce Fortner’s cinematography saturates his shots with pulpy neon colors and lurid day-glo undertones. The script, written by David Branson Smith and director Matt Spicer, tackles timely themes, though the millennial slang and excessive hashtags will induce some eyerolling. Even the traditional, stringheavy score stands out as the film’s most underrated aspect, bringing a nice, contrapuntal touch to the story’s postmodern vibe. As entertaining and wellacted as it is, “Ingrid Goes West” is not a perfect film, nor is it groundbreaking. Much like its protagonist, “Ingrid Goes West” feels like it can go off the edge at any moment of its brisk 97 minute runtime. The opening scene, in which a devastated Ingrid assaults her ex-best friend Charlotte with mace, makes for a rather unpleasant introduction. There’s an intense, semi-crime thriller bit in the third act that almost pushes the film’s tone off balance. And for some, Ingrid’s character may be grating and even unbearable, as we watch her lie and cheat her way to become Taylor’s best friend. The point of her actions and their ultimate consequences makes for a simplistic lesson on the façade of living a filtered lifestyle, a lesson that could be encapsulated in a simple tweet.

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BOOK REVIEW

MOVIE REVIEW

Daily Arts Writer

COLUMBIA PICTURES

Idris Elba locked and loaded

‘The Dark Tower’ does book injustice Daily Arts Writer

Of his 56 novels written over 43 years, Stephen King has most often referred to his eightvolume epic “The Dark Tower” as his magnum opus. Spanning multiple genres and literary universes, the series tells the story of Roland Deschain, the last of a noble group of pseudoknights called gunslingers, who constantly strives to reach the titular tower, which functions as

“The Dark Tower” Rave Cinemas, Quality 16 Columbia Pictures a kind of lynchpin at the center of the multiverse, keeping the forces of darkness at bay. Due to the at times outlandish nature of the books, a direct adaptation would have been nearly impossible. There’s even an argument to be made that to have done so would have missed the point of them entirely, as one of the major themes of the series is the power of art to create new worlds. The problem with the adaptation of “The Dark Tower” isn’t that changes were made. It’s that the changes that were made resulted in a film that only f leetingly brushes up against the epic tone to which it aspires. The most baffling of director Nikolaj Arcel’s creative decisions comes into focus early on, as much

ARTS 7

Tal Klein discusses sci-fi debut novel ‘The Punch’ SYDNEY COHEN

JEREMIAH VANDERHELM

Thursday, August 10, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

of the focus takes place in the real world as opposed to more fantastic settings. Early scenes are devoted almost entirely to the relationship between Jake Chambers (Tom Taylor, “Broken Hearts”) and his family, as the young boy feels distanced from his family due to visions of the Dark Tower. Not only is this type of broken family dynamic — communicated through longing glances at photos of happier times — commonplace, but it is at a total disconnect with the rest of the story. Was there really no better way to begin an epic western-fantasy-horror piece than with 20 minutes of generic family drama? What’s more is that after a brief jaunt to Mid-World, a postapocalyptic alternate dimension, the drama returns to New York City so Roland (Idris Elba, “Star Trek Beyond”) can partake in fish-out-of-water jokes. It’s not that Elba doesn’t sell the humor of the moments, or even that humor itself is unwelcome, but juxtaposed against a quest to save an infinite array of universes from an impending army of Satanic creatures, these kind of jokes have not only been done before, but they feel completely out of place. Perhaps what’s most disappointing about this is that, for the too-brief scenes set in Mid-World, “The Dark Tower” is actually quite a bit of fun. As Roland, Elba provides a presence that is perhaps never as commanding as it should be, but still embodies the stoic, tragic essence of the character that makes him so interesting.

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With his debut novel “The Punch Escrow,” author Tal Klein constructs a thrilling and thought-provoking narrative that blends the realms of love stories, hard science fiction and reeling suspense in one cohesive and addicting work. Set in the near future, the world of “The Punch Escrow” is characterized by teleportation as the dominant means of transportation as well as the shadowy corporation that controls it. The novel follows protagonist Joel Byram after he is accidentally duplicated midtransport and must confront the ensuing consequences to his autonomy and his marriage. In an interview with the Daily, Klein discussed his fascination with teleportation, his writing process and the cinematic potential for the world of “The Punch Escrow.” Klein’s novel exists in the genre of hard science fiction, a

“The Punch Escrow” Tal Klein Geek and Sundry

niche category of sci-fi defined by its commitment to scientific accuracy within the fictional narrative. Before writing his novel, Klein spent three years doing rigorous research to understand the intricacies of his imagined technology and ensure its feasibility. The pages of “The Punch Escrow” are distinctly characterized by the massive footnotes at the bottom of almost every page, in which the protagonist explains the real science behind the seemingly imagined concepts and tech. Klein’s fluid movement between literary voice and scientific fact sets his novel apart from others in its genre. Teleportation in the novel acts as a catalyst

for the novel’s major conflict. As a marketing executive, teleportation holds certain interest for Klein beyond its scientific challenges. “I think the thing that really attracted me to teleportation was that I was told it was impossible. And, you know, I’m a startup guy. I’m an entrepreneur, and I started companies, and I market products, and whenever someone tells me something is impossible I see that as a challenge... I wanted to find an origin story for the commercialization of teleportation, like when did it become anthropologically accepted by society, and then put a plot inside that world,” he said. “The Punch Escrow” also deals largely with the theme of societal control by a dominant and secretive corporation. This theme is largely present in contemporary society, with Snowden’s revelation of the NSA’s civilian monitoring programs and the practice of internet companies collecting and selling user data. When asked about these literary themes in conjunction with their presence in the real world Klein explained, “I think one of the things we have to accept is that as society evolves, data becomes currency, telemetry becomes currency... I don’t advocate for that kind of world in the book, and I don’t warn about that kind of world in the book — I see it as a pragmatic continuance of the current vector that our society’s on today.” “What I do see is a large disenfranchisement in the world with this notion of governmental control and I think the way I drew corporations in my book is not so much corporate takeover of governments — it’s more presented in the context of people revolting against the notion of being managed by things they don’t understand. And corporations, although they may be capitalistic and greedy, are at least defined by profits and losses which are tangible things we can grasp onto,” he added. While Klein is a successful chief marketing officer, he is new to the process of writing novels.

In describing his writing process, Klein remarked on the surprises of being challenged after already achieving professional success. “What surprised me is how humbling the editorial process can be. It’s ruthless. And I’m 40, so I felt like I’ve gotten to an age where I no longer have to be humble.” Regardless, Klein

What surprised me is how humbling the editorial process can be emphasized the welcomed humility of the process and his reignited passion for writing: “If I could change anything, I would have started writing novels earlier in life, because I’ve found a lot of zen in the process of writing.” Klein and his team recently negotiated a landmark deal with Lionsgate for “The Punch Escrow” and two subsequent books. As the books don’t necessarily have to be sequels, Klein is excited to explore aspects of his imagined world that were only hinted at in “The Punch Escrow.” What’s next for Klein is another period of heavy research, furious writing in the stolen hours of the night and hopefully “The Punch Escrow” on the silver screen. “There’s a lot of things that happen in ‘The Punch Escrow’ that I spent a lot of time researching that obviously didn’t make it into the book... So right now, I think in a lot of ways what I’m doing is a lot of research. Right now I’m researching ‘The Last War,’ and I’m reading a lot of books on letters from the front, soldiers from World War I and World War II. Lionsgate calls this project ‘The Future,’ they don’t call it ‘The Punch Escrow,’ because they bought a world,” he said.

8 NEWS

Thursday, August 10, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Big House program supports diverse applicants By DYLAN LACROIX Summer Daily News Editor

About 30 prospective minority undergraduate students gathered at Assembly Hall in Rackham Monday afternoon to meet with current University of Michigan students

and administrative members to explore the advantages of choosing to study at the University for their undergraduate career. The luncheon was one of a series of events held by the Big House Program, which throughout the summer and academic year supports chosen underrepresented minority

Classifieds

prospective students throughout the process of applying to the University. The program started in 2012. Compared to the 26.5 percent acceptance rate for the University overall for fall 2017, program participants yielded an overall acceptance rate of 82 percent, with 27 out of 33 participants accepted to the

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RELEASE DATE– Thursday, August 10, 2017

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

University. Reem Aburukba, Dearborn resident and Big House Program participant, said many who are often left in the dark when applying to college. The Big House Program seeks to amend this, she explained, by providing valuable resources to prospective students. This helped alleviate many of her concerns and fears around the college application process. “When you’re searching things up online, they make it seem really

organization, were reaching out to me,” he said. Throughout the summer and academic year, members of PILOT, a student-based organization working towards fostering diverse leadership within the University community, mentor and guide the chosen prospective students throughout the application process with the Big House Program. University Regent Shauna Diggs gave a brief speech at the event, attributing her own personal

FOR RENT

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Mus. key of “I Am The Walrus” 5 Gulf 10 They’re underfoot 14 Shade akin to ecru 15 Critical vessel 16 K-12 17 Tarragona title, in detail? 19 Tucked in 20 NBC show that inspired “30 Rock” 21 It’s hidden in some profiles 23 How great minds think 26 Sweet __ 28 Immature bee nourished by royal jelly 29 Arles animal, in detail? 32 Amorous murmur 33 Voice mail prompt 34 Wow 35 Rat Pack nickname 37 Wetland area 39 Fire 43 Sci-fi SFX 45 Take at a concert 47 Capital of Delaware? 48 Toulouse trace, in detail? 52 Poundstone of “Wait Wait... Don’t Tell Me!” 53 Like the occasional clean sock 54 Emphatic affirmation 55 Craftsperson 57 N.L. teams usually don’t use them 58 Bus sched. info 59 Augsburg above, in detail? 65 “Foiled again!” 66 Brat condiment 67 Gable neighbor 68 Jazz sessions 69 37-Across plant 70 CT scan component DOWN 1 They might be ripped

2 “The Simpsons” tavern owner 3 Gloucester’s cape 4 Lake craft 5 Word with roll or toll 6 Mason’s burden 7 “__ you coming?” 8 College in Northfield, Minn. 9 Colt producer 10 Cleavers 11 Finney with a recurring role in Jason Bourne films 12 “Look What __ Done to My Song, Ma” 13 What an LP has that a CD lacks 18 Like helium 22 Went like mad 23 Preschool song opener 24 Sainted pontiff called “the Great” 25 Revered one 26 Skipjack or bluefin 27 Came to light 30 Stand-up individual?

31 “The Blacklist” actress 36 Eye experts, old-style 38 DUI-fighting org. 40 TV Batman West 41 Biz biggies 42 Bingo kin 44 Dean’s list nos. 46 Friend of Job 48 “Nausea” novelist 49 Surpass in a hot dog contest

50 Small parrot 51 Yarn that makes fabric stretchy 52 Oater colleagues 56 Arctic divers 57 Check figure 60 Sore 61 Carry with difficulty 62 Backdrop for many jokes 63 Actress Longoria 64 Spanish king

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COURTESY OF JAD ELHARAKE

Michigan Regent Shauna Ryder Diggs speaks at an event hosted by the Big House Program at Rackham on Monday.

impossible to get a really good personal essay,” Aburukba said. “But here they’re alleviating our fears and telling us like, ‘You need to expose enough of yourself to show them you’ve been through things and that you’re ready for Michigan and just want to make a change.’ It’s a difference; it gives you ideas.” LSA junior Antonio Gallegos, who went through the program three years ago, spoke on how, with the mentorship offered by the program, his dream of attending the University became a reality. “I don’t think I’d be where I am today without the program,” Gallegos said. “I didn’t even really think Michigan was a possibility for me. I’m a first generation student so I didn’t know anything.” He shared how, once the application process was over and he had received admission, the program continued to guide him throughout his college transition period. “The Big House really gave me the resources necessary to apply and not only apply, but once I came here even at my orientation people within PILOT, the student

success to an experience similar to the Big House Program when she applied to college. “I went to quite a few programs like this, and they are in large part the reason I am a physician in private practice today, a regent at the University of Michigan,” Diggs said. She went on to describe the large amount of opportunities that the University has to offer that are not possible at other institutions. “There are a couple things that a program like this can do,” Diggs said. “The first is to present to you all the opportunities, to see the possibilities. Sometimes in our small world we can’t really see all the things that we can do, but when you come to a place like the University of Michigan, campus of Ann Arbor, Dearborn and Flint, you can really start to see all the things that you can accomplish.” Later this year, program participants will return to campus in the fall to shadow current University students and explore academic options, and again in 2018 to plan their collegiate transition and connect with University support services.

Thursday, August 10, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

The Asians who didn’t turn out right By STEFFI CAO Michgian In Color Contributor

I sip from a teacup at the dinner table, half listening to my family’s ear-splitting conversations — which, in our world, means light chitchat. My uncle and aunt are talking stocks. One cousin is showing us his dancing skills by flipping his sister over. My grandmother is putting salted fish down. On one end of the table, my older cousin has been roped into a conversation about a startup with my father. “— and so you could help me design the software for the A-PP,” he says, pushing a laptop towards my cousin. He looks over at the screen. “I mean, I guess, yeah.” “It’s all about artificial intelligence. That’s the hot industry right now, so many job opportunities!” My father looks pointedly at me. “Uh, I’m a Communications major.” I shift my teacup between my hands. “But communication is still important. A.I. is all about communication!” “Well, the major looks more at media —” “Man to machine! Communicating!” My uncle looks over. “I thought you wanted to do business?” “Um, I didn’t get into the program.” My foot drums nervously on the floor. Truth be told, I realized halfway through the year that I would probably hate myself if I ended up in a corporation selling a good I didn’t care about. “Well, that’s okay. You can transfer to engineering,” he shrugs. I refrain from mentioning that I failed high school quantum mechanics. A few days later I tell my family that I want to work in media diversity, maybe through social media or brand management. Try

and teach at a university later. I am met with a pause. “That’s not easy,” my father says slowly. “Nothing’s easy,” I retort. My aunt bursts out laughing. “That’s true. I like that.” Shame is rooted in the comparison between yourself and social standards. My cousin hosts a Brooklyn comedy show by that very name: Shame with Yang and Blane (free most Wednesdays in Brooklyn, New York). The older generation is not very aware of the side hustle, because he has a “real job” as an engineer. Maybe the irony is intentional. Shame and I, however, are on intimate terms, a bubbling in the back of my throat I can immediately associate with my family. To me, it’s always been clear that there is a right way to live, by my community’s standards. Go into a STEM field (even law was tabooed by my parents), keep a healthy savings account, raise kids, stay out of liberal arts. Combined with the throttling pressure of acting as society’s model minority, being a social justice-loving, articlewriting loudmouth has set me up to feel like the worst-kept secret of our new American lineage. Even my mother, who had the gall to get divorced and talks openly about politics, resists my career path. I know they are afraid I will not reap the rewards they sought for me when they immigrated to this country. I know I will probably never be able to pay them back, for all they have given me. But I also wish someone had told me earlier that my family hoped for my happiness. And to fulfill that, you must do it on your own terms. My cousins, who write and perform in secret. Girls at Chinese school who want to be dancers, diplomats, linguists. Kids who don’t have the top standardized test scores and go to mid-tier schools, when we are expected to outperform everyone else. There are so many Asians who didn’t turn out right. It is a monumental effort to go your own way. To reject your parents’ wishes, to brush aside their sacrifices. There are many reasons why a path cannot be feasible. But shame is not a reason to live someone else’s life in the hopes it will one day become yours. It’s not an easy decision. But nothing is easy.

Brown and white and never enough By ELISE JAYAKAR Michgian In Color Contributor

I grew up hiding behind my mom’s light, long legs at grocery stores, burying my head into the cart-made skid marks and hoping no one pointed at the spectrum that lay between our skin. Meijer was terrifying. I worried that my big-hearted mother would again be labeled my “nanny” by some lady juggling a box of Cheez-Its and toilet paper. Even today, I can still feel the sting of the word “nanny” branded onto my mother’s heart, in the same way that it did mine. As I grew older, I learned to manage. I maneuvered my way through the fruits and vegetables aisle without shame. I let my sassy first-grade confidence lead me. No one dared to hurt me again. I thought my poise and our matching bouncy laughs would discourage strangers from dividing us because my mother and I have the same cheeks, smile and heart. We speak the same language of love above all else. She taught me how to make lasagna and friends, and to love your family before yourself. But Meijer became my enemy again when I was in middle school. The day that I became afraid of my best friends coming along to the grocery store was the same day I lost hope in strangers. Once again, I began to doubt intentions and replaced admiration with jealousy. My best friend’s skin tone always

MICHIGAN IN COLOR 9

matched the same porcelain color of my mother’s, and another ordinary shopper would tell my mother that “her daughter” is beautiful or how they look so much alike during checkout. They were never talking about me and my brown skin. So I stood at the empty cart, emptyhearted and betrayed by the soft “thank you” my mother returned. I wondered why I was so easily forgotten. I wondered when race became the thing that could so easy divide us as family. The divide split deeper. I noticed how “being tan” was only beautiful if you were olive after a thick hot sun. I noticed how bushy eyebrows meant nerdy, dirty, unkempt. How white boys never liked brown girls. I noticed that my body would never be lusted over with its dark skin and round features. My crooked middle school smile broke when I was 12 and a boy made fun of the dark hair on my legs. A hairy Indian could never be desirable and half white only counts when you have green eyes and porcelain light skin. My prepubescent mind didn’t understand much, but it knew that Lizzie McGuire was what was beautiful: blond hair and striking blue eyes. Those eyes, the blond hair and the hairless legs were the same eyes, hair and legs of all the friends around me. I have dark, tangled hair. My left eye is brown while my right is almost black, and my knees and elbows are chalky. The same question of race becoming the thing that so easily divided us crossed my mind when I was 17 and applying to colleges. You see, they have added new boxes for race like “Asian/Pacific

Islander,” “Native American” and “Other,” but I cannot squeeze so easily into any of the demographics listed. I cannot simply click one. I was never South Asian enough to press down on “Asian/Pacific Islander.” My whiteness doesn’t show in my skin; only in the way I learned how to cook and celebrate birthdays. And why should I press down on the “other” button when strangers at the grocery store do that for me anyway? Again, the same question recurred, stripping me down to only bone. A prickly-bearded boy walked up to me in the basement of some bar just to ask me where I came from. I politely responded with Sri Lanka and India in my soul and United States soil as my home. The boy smirked, his lips tightened. “Sri Lanka is just another part of India,” he announced selfishly. “You’re American.” Lately, I’ve been learning how to stand up for myself, to be more than docile and submissive. Tell me why I always have to prove where I am from. Tell me why my words are never enough. Again, last summer, my plump professor bellowed, “So, are you Hindu or Muslim?” I told him I am Christian, my family is Christian, but he couldn’t comprehend how such tanned skin could be so “American.” Christianity is usually synonymous with white. But my whiteness is not what embodies my religious beliefs. My grandfather — a balding Indian man with thick skin and a love for spice so sizzling it burns your mouth — is the most devout Christian I know.

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Before last season, Mike McCray had recorded just two tackles in his college career and had never started a game for the Michigan football team. McCray, a former four-star recruit out of high school, had always shown promise — a blocked punt in a victory over Appalachian State in 2014 had displayed as much. But McCray couldn’t stay on the field — health problems, including a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the entire 2015 season, derailed his first three years in a Wolverine uniform. With the graduation of three senior linebackers — Joe Bolden, Desmond Morgan and James Ross — a healthy McCray finally got his chance last year and ran with it. He made an immediate impact in his first start, a season-opening victory over Hawaii where he made nine tackles, 3.5 for loss and two sacks, to kick-start an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention campaign in which he totalled 76 stops, including 12.5 for a loss as well as 4.5 sacks and two interceptions. One year later, the fifthyear senior linebacker is the only returning starter from the previous season’s dominant defense. But that’s not the only thing different about McCray, according to linebackers coach Chris Partridge. “There’s an aura about him that’s different than it was last year and that’s important because guys will look up to him,” Partridge said. “He’s a hard worker and he’s tough, he’s a Big Ten linebacker. Now with that aura about him and that sense of leadership he’s stepped his game up.” To Partridge, McCray has carried himself in a different manner so far in fall camp — a manner that is essential. The omnipresent theme for Michigan — young and talented, but inexperienced

— applies to its linebacking corps as much as anywhere, and McCray has asserted himself as a necessary veteran voice for that group. “Last year he was kind of feeling it out early, started gaining confidence and became a tremendous football player for us,” Partridge said. “This year he’s coming in having that background and he’s able to impose himself on the other guys and on the young guys.” The impact of McCray’s new role as an elder statesmen was visible even in the spring. Sophomore Devin Bush Jr. was immediately slotted in as McCray’s backup at the WILL linebacker position last season, and made a big impact in the Wolverines’ spring game, tallying two sacks. So far during camp, Bush has mostly played at the MIKE position vacated by Ben Gedeon from last season, and after a year learning the ropes from veterans such as McCray, he appears primed for a breakout in the middle of Michigan’s defense with his increased maturity and physical development. “Athletically, he’s a guy who works just as hard off the field as on the field, really enjoys the game and all aspects of it,” Partridge said. “His ceiling’s high and he keeps getting better and better. Obviously a very savvy football player from his background from his father playing and everything like that, so we’re excited about what he’s going to be able to do.” Perhaps the biggest hole in the Wolverines’ linebacker unit, however, comes at the VIPER position once home to the do-everything Jabrill Peppers. While the competition to win the starting job is far from over, sophomore Khaleke Hudson appeared to have the upper hand after an impressive spring. “(He’s a) guy that just loves contact,” Partridge said. “People feed off of that

too. He’s becoming very well-rounded as a player, so he’s going to be enjoyable to watch.” Hudson might be the most natural replacement for Peppers on Michigan’s roster — in fact, both were recruited as defensive backs before switching to the hybrid linebacker-safety position. Described as a “hammerhead” by Partridge, Hudson’s athleticism and explosiveness should provide a key dimension for the Wolverines and emulate to some extent what Peppers was able to bring last season, as he works to become a more skilled player instead of relying solely on aggression. “You’re never going to tell Coach Brown that you don’t want someone to run full speed into things,” Partridge said. “That’s a small part of it, but he’s gonna round out his game just like anyone always would. Coach Brown will never say take away that physicality, but you learn how to play with that physicality.” With the leadership of upperclassmen such as McCray and senior Michael Wroblewski, as well as the talent of younger players like Bush, Hudson and freshmen Drew Singleton and Jordan Anthony, Michigan’s linebacking corps has been touted by some as its best defensive unit. But Partridge stated that the pressure on the group to live up to those expectations will be key for them to fulfill that promise. “There’s pressure at all moments and that’s something you have to learn how to deal with. You gotta just put your head down and keep working,” Partridge said. “I tell these guys all the time, ‘You want to be tough, do tough things.’ Pressure is a part of being tough and camp is a part of being tough and fighting through things and working together. We’ll take on all comers, anything that will make us tougher and make us a better unit is something we embrace.”

Thursday, August 10, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SPORTS 11

Breaking down the men’s soccer roster JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily

Francis Atuahene is the centerpiece of a youthful Michigan men’s soccer team.

FOOTBALL From Page 1 and talented, but inexperienced — applies to its linebacking corps as much as anywhere, and McCray has asserted himself as a necessary veteran voice for that group. “Last year he was kind of feeling it out early, started gaining confidence and became a tremendous football player for us,” Partridge said. “This year he’s coming in having that background and he’s able to impose himself on the other guys and on the young guys.” The impact of McCray’s new role as an elder statesmen was visible even in the spring. Sophomore Devin Bush Jr. was immediately slotted in as McCray’s backup at the WILL linebacker position last season, and made a big impact in the Wolverines’ spring game, tallying two sacks. So far during camp, Bush has mostly played at the MIKE position vacated by Ben Gedeon from last season, and after a year learning the ropes from veterans such as McCray, he appears primed for a breakout in the middle of Michigan’s defense with his increased maturity and physical development. “Athletically, he’s a guy who works just as hard off the field as on the field, really enjoys the game and all aspects of it,” Partridge said. “His ceiling’s high and he keeps getting better and better. Obviously a very savvy football player from his background from his father playing

and everything like that, so we’re excited about what he’s going to be able to do.” Perhaps the biggest hole in the Wolverines’ linebacker unit, however, comes at the VIPER position once home to the doeverything Jabrill Peppers. While the competition to win the starting job is far from over, sophomore Khaleke Hudson appeared to have the upper hand after an impressive spring. “(He’s a) guy that just loves contact,” Partridge said. “People feed off of that too. He’s becoming very well-rounded as a player, so he’s going to be enjoyable to watch.” Hudson might be the most natural replacement for Peppers on Michigan’s roster — in fact, both were recruited as defensive backs before switching to the hybrid linebacker-safety position. Described as a “hammerhead” by Partridge, Hudson’s athleticism and explosiveness should provide a key dimension for the Wolverines and emulate to some extent what Peppers was able to bring last season, as he works to become a more skilled player instead of relying solely on aggression. “You’re never going to tell Coach Brown that you don’t want someone to run full speed into things,” Partridge said. “That’s a small part of it, but he’s gonna round out his game just like anyone always would. Coach Brown will never say take away that physicality, but you learn how to play with that physicality.”

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Despite a dismal 4-11-4 record, it wouldn’t be entirely accurate to call the Michigan men’s soccer team’s 2016 season a complete disappointment. Teams that rely on underclassmen as four of their top five playmakers, as the Wolverines did last season, tend to experience growing pains. That was certainly true for Michigan, as the Wolverines scored just 22 goals in 19 matches last season and shot .081 compared to .102 for their opponents. However, Michigan showed f lashes at times, especially towards the end of the season — in their last four matches, the Wolverines averaged 2.75 goals, defeated No. 9 Rutgers and battled No. 1 Maryland to two double-overtime losses. Meanwhile, coach Chaka Daley was able to land the No. 8 recruiting class in the country according to TopDrawerSoccer. com — a class that includes midfielder Umar Farouk Osman, the Gatorade National Player of the Year. With Michigan kicking off preseason training Wednesday, and its first exhibition game against Wisconsin-Green Bay 10 days away, the Daily previews the Wolverines’ 2017 roster. Goalkeepers Replacing Evan Louro will undoubtedly be Michigan’s biggest task going into the season. Louro, who tallied 68 saves as a junior, was a rock in goal for the Wolverines throughout his career, making 44 starts in three seasons and finishing with the secondbest goals-allowed-per-game average in program history. His decision to sign with MLS’s New York Red Bulls leaves a hole that won’t be filled easily. Andrew Verdi, who redshirted as a freshman last season, could get the first shot at doing so. Verdi and Louro share a number of similarities: Both were part of MLS youth academies — Louro with the Red Bulls and Verdi with the Philadelphia Union — and both have national team experience — Louro competed with the United States U20 National Team while Verdi was a member of the U.S. U18

squad. While Verdi is short on experience, his talent could propel him into an immediate starting role. The Wolverines have three other goalkeepers on their roster. Fifth-year senior Grant Mattia was the third-stringer last season, playing in one contest after not appearing in either of the last two seasons. Michigan also adds two freshmen netminders: Weston, Fla. product Henry Mashburn and Michigan native Jacob Nunner. Defenders The Wolverines are losing three defenders from last season: Lars Eckenrode, Andre Morris and Rylee Woods, who were three of Michigan’s top four defenders in minutes played last season. Morris and Eckenrode provided experience and leadership at centerback, while Michigan will miss Woods’ versatility and playmaking ability on the f lank, where he tallied a team-leading six assists last season. Left and right back should be in strong hands with junior Marcello Borges and senior Billy Stevens, respectively. Borges, who moved from left wing to the back four midway through the season, tied for third in assists with three, while Stevens has started 53 games over the last three seasons. Peter Brown, who started 11 games last year, is likely to fill one of the vacancies at central defender. Other candidates to see time include sophomore Abdou Samake and junior Daniel Mukuna, who should provide good size and physicality. Mukuna, a mid-year transfer from Campbell, was named to the All-Big South Second Team as a sophomore. The Wolverines add three freshmen to the mix in Nash Pirie (Barrington, Ill.), Joel Harrison (Langley, B.C.) and Jackson Ragen (Seattle, Wash.). Versatility is a hallmark of the group — Ragen, a skilled passer according to Daley, can play both centerback and the No. 6 midfield position, as can Harrison. Pirie has a reputation as an athletic, dangerous attacker at fullback. Midfielders Michigan comes into the

season with a wealth of midfielders, 12 in all. Central midfielder Tyler Anderson and Brett Nason, the Wolverines’ main holding midfielder, are the main losses in this group. Michigan will look for strong production from Ivo Cerda, who was named a team captain this season. The junior central midfielder scored two goals and added two assists last season, tying for fifth on the team in points scored. Junior Robbie Mertz appeared to find a home as a playmaking, attacking midfielder last season. Mertz provided four goals and chipped in three assists as a sophomore, and will be responsible for connecting the Wolverines’ forwards, keeping them engaged and providing them with scoring opportunities. Michigan’s recruiting class includes Austin Swietch, who Daley has described as being able to play holding midfield and attacking midfield equally effectively, Carlos Tellez, a hard-working central midfielder, and Marc Ybarra, who Daley believes could become a “top-class holding midfielder.” Osman, however, is the biggest name of the group, and with good reason. As a senior in high school, Osman contributed to 28 of his team’s 30 goals, scoring 63 goals and adding 45 assists in all. Osman joins fellow Ghanaians Francis Atuahene and Mohammed Zakyi on Michigan’s roster, and will once again team up with Atuahene after they played together at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. Despite his youth, his speed, skill and versatility should allow him to contribute anywhere and possibly have the game-changing impact Atuahene had as a freshman. Forwards The names to know here are Atuahene and sophomore Jack Hallahan, who were first and second, respectively, in goals for the Wolverines last season. Hallahan, a member of Ireland’s U18 and U19 national teams, impacted games last season with his pace and skill on the wing.

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12 SPORTS

Thursday, August 10, 2017 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SOCCER From Page 11 a hard-working central midfielder, and Marc Ybarra, who Daley believes could become a “top-class holding midfielder.” Osman, however, is the biggest name of the group, and with good reason. As a senior in high school, Osman contributed to 28 of his team’s 30 goals, scoring 63 goals and adding 45 assists in all. Osman joins fellow Ghanaians Francis Atuahene and Mohammed Zakyi on Michigan’s roster, and will once again team up with Atuahene after they played together at the Hotchkiss School in Connecticut. Despite his youth, his speed, skill and versatility should allow him to contribute anywhere and possibly have the game-changing impact Atuahene had as a freshman. Forwards The names to know here are Atuahene and sophomore Jack Hallahan, who were first and second, respectively, in goals

for the Wolverines last season. Hallahan, a member of Ireland’s U18 and U19 national teams, impacted games last season with his pace and skill on the wing. Atuahene, though, has been the centerpiece of Michigan’s offense throughout his career. He ranked fourth in the Big Ten in goals per match last season, tallying eight for the season, and was named First Team All-Big Ten for a second straight year. His speed, physicality and finishing ability should keep him in Big Ten team’s nightmares once again. The biggest loss among the Wolverines’ forwards is that of Yamann Salool, who scored three goals last season and was their top goal-scoring threat off the bench. Finding someone to give Atuahene a breather on occasion will be key. Zakyi, a product of Manchester City’s Academy and the Ghana U17 National Team who scored 60 goals his last two seasons for the Canterbury School in Connecticut, and junior Johann Bittner, who appeared in six games last season, are two candidates to do so.

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Tyree Kinnel looks to take on a leadership role in Michigan’s secondary this season.

Kinnel looks to take on leadership role in inexperienced secondary JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

The adjectives “young”, “talented” and “inexperienced” effectively describe every position group on the Michigan football team. However, they are perhaps most applicable to the Wolverines’ secondary. While the defensive line returns four players who saw significant playing time last season, including two Bednarik Award candidates in Maurice Hurst and Rashan Gary, and fifthyear senior Mike McCray — an All-Big Ten Honorable mention honoree — will anchor the linebacking corps, not a single one of Michigan’s defensive backs have even started a game. Gone is First-Team AllAmerican Jourdan Lewis. Gone are All-Big Ten honorees Channing Stribling, Delano Hill and Dymonte Thomas. Gone is Jeremy Clark, who was denied a sixth year of eligibility after a knee injury ended his final season. “If people will say that it’s because we did lose a lot, it’s obvious,” said junior safety Tyree Kinnel after practice Tuesday. “But the talent’s still there, the system’s still there.” Kinnel received substantial playing time last season on both defense and special teams last season, playing in all 13 games and recording 17 tackles and a forced fumble. He’s likely to start at free safety this season, and along with another relative veteran — redshirt junior cornerback Brandon Watson — he has been thrust into a leadership role almost by default. But according to special teams coordinator Chris Partridge, Kinnel is more than capable of stepping into those shoes, both on and off the field. “Tyree is a leader. Natural leader,” Partridge said. “He gets those guys going, another guy that loves the game and loves all aspects of it.” For Kinnel, the most important aspects of his new role are trust and communication. At safety, Kinnel will be tasked with anchoring the back of

the defense and making sure the defense is lined up in their proper positions. But he feels confident and comfortable with these responsibilities, especially because while much of the leadership of the secondary may fall on his shoulders, Kinnel knows he won’t have to do it alone. He has already seen a wealth of other players contribute. “Being one of the older guys there, I feel like I do need to take that leadership role,” Kinnel said. “I feel like I’ve done a good job this camp, as well as Josh Metellus, he’s been taking leadership, Brandon Watson and Keith Washington too. I don’t think it’s just one of us that’s leading. We’re all together, we’re all communicating together, you can tell everyone’s talking, even the freshman. We all feel good together, trusting each other and communicating.” Watson, who appeared in all 13 games last year and recorded 13 tackles, and Washington, a redshirt sophomore who had an impressive showing in spring camp, are both in the running to start at cornerback. Metellus, meanwhile, started the Orange Bowl at the VIPER position in place of Jabrill Peppers but moved back to the secondary, where he played alongside and developed a strong connection with Kinnel in last season and this spring’s practices. “He’s doing really well,” Kinnel said of Metellus. “We trust each other and that’s the key. We communicate back there and just trust each other.” Kinnel also pointed to sophomore cornerbacks David Long and Lavert Hill, both of whom saw action as freshmen, as players that have improved and benefited from their experience last season in maturing behind an experienced and skilled stable of defensive backs. “You can tell especially the

guys that came in in the spring, some of the guys that came in the games last year,” Kinnel said. “You can tell that the game started moving just a little bit slow for us. We’re just trying to take every rep as it can, mental reps, physical reps and get better every day.” Kinnel’s comfort with his enlarged role is also increased due to having a second offseason and camp with Don Brown as defensive coordinator. “I had two springs with Coach Brown, this is my second camp with him,” Kinnel said. “It’s great and I feel really comfortable. I’m good with my plans, just trying to help the other guys.” Having comfort in Brown’s scheme has also helped freshmen such as safeties J’Marick Woods and Jaylen KellyPowell, who both enrolled early at Michigan and participated with the team in the spring. “They’re getting even better, which is a really good thing,” Kinnel said. “You can tell that they came in the spring, it was a good thing they came in the spring because now they came in knowing the plays, knowing what they have to do, so now they’re playing much faster in Coach Brown’s system.” While Kinnel recognizes how much talent and experience the Wolverines lost from last season, the schemes and gameplans behind the nation’s No. 1 pass defense are solidly in place. Now it’s up to Kinnel, Watson, Metellus and anyone else who might step up to ensure the networks of trust between the defensive backs remain strong as well. And in Kinnel’s view, it’s off to a solid start. “We’re all hungry and you can tell watching the film every day at practice everybody’s going hard,” Kinnel said. “No lows. High expectations, as Coach Brown always says. Competition brings out the best in all of us, we’re competing.”

“We all feel good together, trusting each other and communicating.”