ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
michigandaily.com
ANN ARBOR
South U Ave. construction inconvenient for campus Students, locals complain about noise, timespan and consequences of building MAYA GOLDMAN Daily Staff Reporter
AVA WEINER/Daily
Student-parents nationwide face a cut in resources under Trump
Proposed 2018 fiscal budget will decrease access to funds, necessary child care ANDREW HIYAMA Daily Staff Reporter
For the vast majority of undergraduate students at the University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus, the prospect of raising a family is remote –– something they do not imagine doing for another several years, or at least until they graduate. According to Amy Szczepanski, campus child care homes network manager for Work Life Resource Center, there are only 57 undergraduates receiving a child
care subsidy through the Office of Financial Aid — though the total number of undergraduate parents is likely slightly higher. For more than 4.8 million college students across the country, however, leading a double life as a student-parent — or, factoring in work, a triple life — is their reality. The time they spend on child care makes them less likely to graduate on time or at all, and their responsibilities as a student force them to sacrifice time with their children. And neither child care nor
higher education are uncostly. With what little time they have between the two commitments, studentparents often must work just to keep themselves afloat; according to reports from Young Invincibles, 25 percent of student-parents live below the federal poverty line, and according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, 88 percent of student-parents at community colleges live below 200 percent of that. Child Care Access Means Parents in School One of the few programs
working to address the urgency of student-parent needs is Child Care Access Means Parents in School, a federal competitive grant program managed by the Department of Education that awards grants to colleges and universities intended to support or establish campusbased child care programs for lowincome student-parents. Funded at about $15 million per year, the program is small compared to the size of the Department of Education’s budget, and, serving approximately 5,000 students, the See PARENTS, Page 3
This summer, South University Avenue was characterized as a frenzy of construction. Several different projects, including the building of new sidewalks and new apartment buildings, have still been in the works since classes let out last April. LSA sophomore Josie Junkin, a University Towers resident, was especially bothered by the construction while moving in this August. “Moving in, it was pretty hard to find parking spots,” Junkin said. “And walking to class, we’ve had to walk in the street which is pretty inconvenient.” The sidewalk restructuring project, which is a collaboration between the city of Ann Arbor and the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority, was the first of the projects to start, and will be the
first to wrap up. Because of the construction, South University Avenue was closed to two-way traffic from East University Avenue to Washtenaw Avenue. The roads were slated to reopen last Friday, but at the time of publication South University Avenue is still blocked off from East University Avenue to Church Street. According to Amber Miller, a planner from the Ann Arbor DDA, the sidewalk repairs were much needed. The last time they had been updated was in the 1980s, and Miller said it was starting to show. “The sidewalk was in really bad shape, the trees were dying, so that was our first priority,” Miller said. “But we’ve also been able to put in a rain garden to deal with some standing water issues, we’re able to expand the sidewalk to reduce the crossing distance. There’s more space on the sidewalk for cafes and seating, See CONSTRUCTION, Page 2
Ann Arbor City Council considers University Students joins Big improvements for city crosswalk safety gather, put
CITY COUNCIL
CAMPUS LIFE
Ten voting challenge
The council also met to talk about increased mental health resources in the city
Schlissel encourages ‘U’ participation in contest for increased voter turnout
Ann Arbor City Council met Monday evening to discuss topics including pedestrian safety and crosswalk policies, a millage to fund the Washtenaw County Mental Health and Sheriff departments, and suicide prevention in the city’s parking structures. Discussion on pedestrian safety began during the public commentary period at the beginning of the meeting. Several local residents brought up concerns about crosswalk safety in Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor resident Stephanie Preston, leader of local organization A2 Safe Transport, stressed the need for a new crosswalk near Community High School at the corner of North 5th and Detroit streets. All crosswalks normally utilized in the immediate area are unusable due to construction. “We’ve been working with the city and with Community High School to figure out a solution,” Preston said. “Currently there’s a DDA (Downtown Development Authority) project in Kerrytown, adjacent to Community … this will promise to be a great project; however, it will take all year. In the meantime, there is no safe way for these students to get to school. … It’s a very tricky intersection, we get that.
DYLAN LACROIX Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan is used to winning competitions in various schools and departments, but the one it’s entering now isn’t exactly about academics. Instead, University President Mark Schlissel is calling upon students to take part in a Big Ten Conference competition to help increase voter turnout rates. “I invite you to take part and help the University of Michigan – and our society – win,” Schlissel wrote in an email circulated to the entire University community Sunday morning, focusing on the importance of voter turnout. This comes as no surprise as the state is approaching the 2018 midterm election cycle next academic year. Over the course of the next year, the Big Ten Voting Challenge will take place across all 14 universities within the Big Ten Conference, ending with the results of turnout rates among students for the 2018 See COMPETITION, Page 3
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MAYA GOLDMAN Daily Staff Reporter
There’s only one location where they could get across safely and we know that the city can prioritize having some safe options.” Citizens also raised general concerns about crosswalks. Jared Hoffert, current Ward 2 City Council candidate, voiced his worries that a review of the city’s current pedestrian crossing policies would lead to its abolishment.
“I would like to express my sincere desire that any review of this law is with an eye toward further education of its specifics to the residents of Ann Arbor, both pedestrians and motorists alike,” Hoffert said. “Ann Arbor has always been a city that values pedestrian safety and our laws need to reflect this value.” Later in the meeting during an additional public comment
session Soraya Streeter, Ann Arbor resident and Skyline High School student, and her friend turned attention back to the need for a crosswalk near Community High School. “We both have friends and my little sister goes to Community,” Streeter said. “We’re concerned because they seem to be the type that wear all black. … My sister has See CITY, Page 3
up positive messages
Organizations take stand against hateful writing by posting welcoming posters RIYAH BASHA, SOPHIE SHERRY & ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily News Editors and Managing News Editor
ARNOLD ZHOU/Daily
Ann Arbor residents present their concerns to Mayor Chris Taylor and City Council at the Ann Arbor City Council meeting at Larsom City Hall on Monday.
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In response to several recent incidents of racism on the University of Michigan campus and throughout Ann Arbor, students and faculty hung up posters with phrases of solidarity and support for targeted groups Monday night. “You are loved, valued, and important. Hatred has no place here. The Michigan community stands with you,” a poster read. Sunday morning, three Black students in the Michigan Community Scholars Program discovered racial slurs, including “n-----” written on their dorm room doors. The same day, Ann Arbor community members found the same word painted onto a building near campus, on Liberty Street and State Street, along with “Free Dylann Roof.” Students also tweeted flyers See POSTERS, Page 3
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
SUDOKU.....................2 CROSSWORD...............6 SPORTS....................7
News
2 — Tuesday September 19, 2017
ON THE DAILY: FOUR YEARS LATER AA PARK OPENS A new universal-access playground was unveiled at Ann Arbor’s Gallup Park this weekend. Named the Rotary Centennial Playground, the space is open and accessible to all people, regardless of age or ability. The project, which has been in the works since 2013, is a $1.1 million addition to Gallup Park. The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor donated $550,000 to make the playground a reality. Collyer Smith, president of the organization, told MLive that the playground aims to bring people together in its accessibility. “It is for people of all abilities and all ages,” Collyer said. “It’s not just for kids. It’s not just for disabled people. It’s not just for disabled kids. It is for people of all abilities and all ages to play together.” Colin Smith, director of the Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services, echoed the Rotary Club’s sentiments. “It’s for the child and for the caregiver too, or the parent, so everyone can be involved in every aspect of it,” Colin said. “I hope it continues to be a place where people can come together and enjoy together and to grow and play.” According to ClickOn Detroit, more
than 100 people attended Sunday’s ribbonbe any others like it in Ann Arbor any time cutting ceremony, where Ann Arbor Mayor soon. Christopher Taylor gave a statement. “(No other plans) for a playground of this “Ann Arbor is beautiful because of who we size, scope and cost — this one is unique!” are and what we do,” Taylor told the crowd. Hanzel said. “As we make improvements The playground is centered around a fairy to other Ann Arbor Park playgrounds the theme, with different play structures to make principle of universal accessibility is certainly players feel as if they’re in woodlands, rivers or considered and a goal we strive for.” prairies. The structures encourage cooperative - MAYA GOLDMAN play and are handicapN I G H T S AT T H E M U S E U M accessible. The city said it was thrilled with the way the playground turned out. Ann Arbor Parks and Recreation Services tweeted a photo of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, writing, “We could not have asked for a better outcome from this collaboration.” Although this playground is already a great success, Hillary Hanzel, one of the project heads and MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily landscape architects, told UMMA showcases Chris Doyle’s video piece “In the Labyrinth” as a part of the Nights at the Museum series on Monday. ClickOn Detroit there won’t
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES CIA Informational Interviews
Disability Awareness and Etiquette Workshop
WHAT: Schedule an appointment for an informational interview about careers in the Central Intelligence Agency. WHO: University Career Center WHEN: 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Student Activities Building, Program Room
WHAT: This DEI workshop for Engineering staff will outline the best ways to communicate with individuals who are differently abled in work and everyday life. WHO: Engineering Human Resources WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: Lurie Robert H. Engineering Cter, Johnson Rooms
Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell Visits U of M
Lecture: Cultural History of Women of Color in American Islam
WHAT: Colin Powell will speak at Hill Auditorium in a talk sponsored by the School of Engineering. WHO: Colin Powell WHEN 4 p.m. to 5:15 a.m. WHERE: Hill Auditorium
WHAT: Join Prof. Sylvia ChanMalik as she discusses the history of Islam in the United States through the lense of women of color. WHO: Prof. Sylvia Chan-Malik WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library, Gallery
area. The lot at 1107 South University Ave. will house the Collegian North building when completed. Brett Lenart, Ann Arbor’s planning manager, wrote in an email interview that proposals for 1209 and 1215 South University Ave. were submitted last year, but neither has received approval from the city yet. “For 1107 (South) University, I would anticipate about 2 years of construction once it starts,” Lenart wrote. “The others will depend on the owners time to submit and revise plans, receive necessary approvals, and commence construction.” Lenart is optimistic about the impact these new buildings could have on the University of Michigan community. He thinks these new buildings will draw new commerce to the area. “I think that adding student-oriented residential is a great opportunity for this area, allowing students to live practically on campus, potentially without need for a vehicle,” he wrote. “I think it will be interesting to see how
Dogs on the Diag WHAT: De-stress with some cute dogs who are ready to play with you on the Diag! WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: Noon to 2 p.m. WHERE: Diag, Central Campus
Boeing Information Session WHAT: Boeing is putting on an information session for any students interested working for their company. WHO: Boeing WHEN: 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: GG Brown Laboratory, 2505
One-on-one Meetings with P&G Customer Business Relations WHAT: Learn about CBD internship opportunities at P&G. WHO: P&G WHEN: 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: University Career Center
How to Use Public Domain and Open-Source Content WHAT: Ana Enriquez of the U-M Copyright Office discusses finding and using images in the public domain WHO: University Library WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. WHERE: Shapiro Library, Room 4059
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the retail in the area evolves with the addition of more residential units in that area. Adding units, or “rooftops” in market analysis speak, typically 420 Maynard St. and just overall a more pleasant increases the viability of Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1327 experience.” commercial uses.” www.michigandaily.com Although the project was According to the building finished this weekend, DDA plan for the Collegian North, EMMA KINERY NATHAN GUPTA project manager Liz Rolla said the ground floor of the building Editor in Chief Business Manager 734-418-4115 ext. 1251 734-418-4115 ext. 1241 there are a few final additions will be dedicated to retail space. kineryem@michigandaily.com nathankg@michigandaily.com that still need to happen. Councilwoman Julie Maintenance will also occur Grand, D-Ward 3, has heard regularly to keep the area some concern from her looking nice. residents about the way the NEWS TIPS ARTS SECTION PHOTOGRAPHY SECTION news@michigandaily.com arts@michigandaily.com “We’re still going to come new projects are changing photo@michigandaily.com back sometime this fall and the character of the district. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR SPORTS SECTION NEWSROOM update the lighting, so put She said her residents are tothedaily@michigandaily.com sports@michigandaily.com 734-418-4115 opt. 3 basically new lamps in the nevertheless mostly unaffected EDITORIAL PAGE ADVERTISING CORRECTIONS existing ground holes,” Rolla by the construction and new opinion@michigandaily.com dailydisplay@gmail.com corrections@michigandaily.com said. “And there’s some upkeep development. with the landscaping, so every “There are certainly some now and then you’ll see people residents who don’t like them watering, weeding, stuff like from an aesthetic point of view, AMELIA CACCHIONE and EMMA RICHTER that.” but because of how they impact Managing Photo Editors photo@michigandaily.com Rolla said there should be no their daily life because they Senior Photo Editors: Zoey Holmstrom, Evan Aaron, Alexis Rankin, need to close the roads again are so close to campus, it’s not REBECCA LERNER Zach Moore Managing Editor rebler@michigandaily.com Assistant Photo Editors: Claire Meingast, Katelyn Mulcahy, Aaron while this upkeep is going on, much of a concern,” Grand said. Baker, Sam Mousigian, Kevin Zheng though street parking may be “If there’s any concern, it’s over ALEXA ST.JOHN blocked off for short periods of the character of the district ... LARA MOEHLMAN Managing News Editor alexastj@michigandaily.com Statement Editor statement@michigandaily.com time. not over the quality of life.” Senior News Editors: Riyah Basha, Tim Cohn, Lydia Murray, Deputy Statement Editor: Brian Kuang, Yoshiko Iwai Nisa Khan, Sophie Sherry New high-rise apartments Still, the opinions of Grand’s Assistant News Editors: Jordyn Baker, Colin Beresford, Rhea Sudoku http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ areSyndication also slated to be built in residents will be something Cheeti, Maya Goldman, Matt Harmon, Andrew Hiyama, Jen ELIZABETH DOKAS and TAYLOR GRANDINETTI the South University Avenue the city must deal with in Meer, Ishi Mori, Carly Ryan, Kaela Theut Managing Copy Editors copydesk@michigandaily.com the coming years as more ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY and REBECCA TARNOPOL Senior Copy Editors: Marisa Frey, Ibrahim Rasheed development occurs. Editorial Page Editors opinioneditors@michigandaily.com Students, on the other DYLAN LAWTON and BOB LESSER Senior Opinion Editors: Anu Roy-Chaudhury, Ashley Zhang, hand, are divided as to Managing Online Editor lesserrc@michigandaily.com Max Lubell, Madeline Nowicki, Stephanie Trierweiler Senior Web Developers: Erik Forkin, Jordan Wolff whether they think the BETELHEM ASHAME and KEVIN SANTO changes on South University EASY ABE LOFY Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com Avenue are beneficial. Many Managing Video Editor video@michigandaily.com Senior Sports Editors: Laney Byler, Mike Persak, Orion Sang, Senior Video Editors: Gilly Yerrington, Matt Nolan, Aarthi were outraged when they Max Marcovich, Ethan Wolfe, Chris Crowder Janakiraman, Emily Wolfe first heard of plans to build Assistant Sports Editors: Rob Hefter, Avi Sholkoff, Matthew Kennedy, Paige Voeffray, Mark Calcagno, Jacob Shames more high-rise apartments JASON ROWLAND and ASHLEY TJHUNG Michigan in Color Editors michiganincolor@michigandaily.com in the area. 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In an Senior Social Media Editors: Kayla Waterman and Anna Haritos MICHELLE PHILLIPS and AVA WEINER interview with the Daily Managing Design Editors design@michigandaily.com last spring Jawad said it comes down to an issue of equity and that she plans to use her position in student CAYLIN WATERS Brand Manager government to ensure Ann Arbor is accessible and EMILY RICHNER CLAIRE BUTZ Sales Manager Business Development Manager affordable for all. Others, like JUEUI HONG JULIA SELSKY Junkin, are ambivalent to the Special Projects Manager Local Accounts Manager change. CAROLINE GOLD SANJANA PANDIT “It doesn’t bother me,” Media Consulting Manager Production Manager Junkin said. “I don’t know if I would notice a difference, The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. but it would be interesting. University OF Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. 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PARENTS From Page 1 breadth of its impact is similar. For those 5,000, the benefits are life-changing. Quisha and Byron Cooper have been working toward degrees at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., for four years, while raising children since their sophomore year. Without the program, the Coopers say, they wouldn’t have been able to go to college at all. “To us, the grant is humongous, because it’s literally how we live our lives and how we’re able to function and go to school and work and still have affordable, reliable daycare,” Quisha said. “Before I had children, I was always goal-oriented and wanted to obtain a degree and go to school for social work. So yeah, there was a time when we didn’t participate in the grant, but it wasn’t a time that I want to go back to.” However, that could all disappear with the passage of the next federal appropriations bill, likely to be passed by both chambers of Congress in late September. According to documents obtained by The Washington Post, the budgets proposed by the Trump administration and the House of Representatives for the upcoming fiscal year cancel funding for CCAMPIS, as well as several other higher education programs. Colin Seeberger, strategic campaigns director at Young Invincibles –– a policy and advocacy nonprofit for young adults that works with students in CCAMPIS –– said he was particularly disappointed by the news given the history of bipartisan support for the program. “Senator Susan Collins and her former colleague Senator
POSTERS From Page 1 found around campus with Roof’s face. Diane Brown, spokeswoman for the Division of Public Safety and Security, said DPSS was investigating the incident in West Quad Residence Hall. Brown could not, however, provide an update on the case as of Monday afternoon. Following the discovery of the most recent writings, MCSP hosted an event Sunday night to provide an opportunity for solidarity with Black students and other students of color. Those who were victims of the writing spoke out, noting a lack of tolerance for this on campus. One of the individuals whose door was targeted, LSA sophomore Travon Stearns, spoke to the Daily prior to the event about his experience seeing the writing on his door. “Everybody was, of course, especially in the Black community and even my friends who are not part of the Black community, was pretty outraged and really concerned,” Stearns said. “But they really were there for me and let me know that if I needed any help with support, they’re there was me. They were really upset with what had
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Olympia Snowe, both of whom are Republicans, formerly were co-sponsors of CCAMPIS reauthorization bills,” Seeberger said. “That’s something that hasn’t really been questioned before, whether it was something that had the support of Republicans and Democrats. We would hope that it would not and this would not become as partisan of a program.” In its budget proposal, the Trump administration justified the elimination of the program, saying “subsidizing expenses associated with child care is not consistent with the Department’s core mission.” But Seeberger disagrees. “Helping students get in, access and complete school has always been part of the mission at the Department of Education, so that was kind of alarming,” he said. Far from cutting the program, Seeberger thinks it should be expanded to a $500 million program via grant matching, with $250 million coming from the federal government and the other $250 million coming from matching funds from states and higher education institutions. Doing that, he argues, would allow the program to serve 250,000 student-parents living in poverty. As it is now, he said, the program meets the needs of the students it serves, “but doesn’t actually meet the scale of the challenges we’re seeing.” And while there are plenty of other government programs in need of funding, Seeberger points out each dollar going toward CCAMPIS has additional effect because of the program’s “multigenerational impact.” He said he’s had students who say the grant brings what would be a thousand-dollar monthly child care bill down to $150 per semester.
“You can imagine, when you’re a student-parent and you’re focused on your studies, maybe you’re working a full-time or part-time job but still raising a child — that extra $900 a month can be all the difference in the world of being able to buy your textbooks, being able to feed your family, being able to — for that matter — stay in school and take on less student debt,” he said. “You’re getting that much more bang for your buck, ensuring that kids are growing up in more economically stable family units as well.” The Coopers attest to this emphatically, saying they now feel confident in the environment in which their children are growing up. And more than just being safe and affordable, they say CCAMPIS creates an atmosphere that is uniquely enriching for their children. “If this grant was cut, we would probably have to go back to working full-time and maybe cut education out for a while. So our kids probably wouldn’t grow up in the same atmosphere that they are in right now, because right now we do this on campus in student housing, they have a very rich cultural setting around, just as far as the diversity,” Quisha Cooper said. “Literally, our children grow up on the campus of Ferris State University and get a huge experience and a different outlook that kids their age don’t often get just going to a regular daycare or just staying at home.” According to Byron, they never had any difficulty enrolling in the program and it never caused them any confusion. If they keep their GPAs above 2.5, he explained, then Ferris State covers half the cost of their child care. Above a 3.0, it covers 75 percent, and above a 3.5 all expenses are covered. “Our daycare facility pretty
occurred. Very outraged.” On Monday night, an ad-hoc group of students and members of the Muslim Students’ Association placed posters around campus posting walls saying “Black Lives Matter.” Other students posted posters saying “F--- White Supremacy.” Business senior Chelsea Racelis, also a member of the Black-Asian Coalition, said the action was as much about solidarity as it was about informing non-Black students about the incidents. “We expect hate from hateful people,” she said. “But we expect more from the rest, or those who say they’re non-political. In some classrooms, people act like nothing happened. And you can’t brush this under a mass email or tweet … saying racism doesn’t belong here. Clearly there has been made space here for these people.” MCSP Director David Schoem, an adjunct associate professor, helped lead Sunday’s event, noted a sense of unity among the community. “We feel terrible that in our community they had to experience those disgusting things that were put on their doors, and we want to show our support and love,” he said. “We hope you will feel that we are all here to express that to you.”
Members of the University’s Muslim Students’ Association flyered the pillars surrounding the Diag. MSA Outreach Chair Arwa Gayar, an LSA sophomore, said that when the incident occurred in MCSP the MSA began thinking of ways to immediately act. “Because we are MSA we are posting it from our perspective, we have a quote from the Quran, it’s basically saying a white has no superiority over a Black and a Black has no superiority over a white and the only superiority people have over each other is piety and no one knows how pious someone is,” Gayer said. “It is ingrained within our religion this idea of equality so it is a part of our mission to that we are doing are part to make sure equality is seen on this campus.” Racelis noted flyering constitutes just one component of students’ organizing. “An action like this can’t do anything wrong,” she said. “But it has to be flyering and demanding more of administration and calling out racism and standing in solidarity. It’s all of that.” The block ‘M’ in the Diag was also tagged with positive messages following the incident, similarly, with the phrase Black Lives Matter.
much helped us out with that a lot,” he said. “So it wasn’t a difficult process to sign up for at all. We just filled out a form or so, and our daycare provider did the rest.” Child care at the University And while the grant is not big enough for everyone who would like to use it, some institutions have taken the CCAMPIS model and made it their own. The University’s Ann Arbor campus was a CCAMPIS grant recipient until 2005, but stopped pursuing federal funding because the program was targeted mainly toward undergraduates, rather than graduate students. Since 2005, though, the University has been funding its own program, now known as the Campus Child Care Homes Network. Functioning as a complement to the University’s three main children’s centers serving faculty, students and staff, Campus Child Care Homes is now a collection of 11 homes in Northwood Family Housing that provide daycare for about 150 children. Recruited and trained by the University and licensed by the state, students’ spouses often care for other children alongside their own. Jennie McAlpine, director for the Work-Life Resources Program at the University, said the shift from federal to University funding was a natural transition. “Around the time the grant was about to run out, we looked at things differently and we thought that capping it to experienced and longrunning child care providers in the community would be a good way to go; it would be very stable and work for a very long time,” she said. “And at that time, we just began, once we secured funding here from the University, we just began to make that our focus, and now we have 11 campus child care homes which are
COMPETITION From Page 1 Midterm election cycle. Two awards will be given, one to the institution that yields the highest percentage of eligible voter turnout for the fall 2018 midterm elections and another to the one that has the best overall improvement in voter turnout in comparison to the 2014 elections. In order to track how many students each university is registering, the Big Ten Voter Challenge has paired with the online voter registering system TurboVote to show how many students from each university have registered by selecting their respective university when signing up online. The system, which streamlines the process of registering to vote, allows students to register in their respective districts and states in which they normally reside when not at college. At the latest Central Student Government meeting, CSG President
Tuesday, September 19, 2017 — 3
state-licensed, home-based child care centers for University families, and we count those child care spaces for any affiliates: Students, or staff or faculty.” And, according to Amy Szczepanski, the homes are preferable over the larger children’s centers for a variety of reasons. “They, in their agreement with us, we help them by providing support for training and equipping and improving their homes, so it provides another more than 150 spaces available to University families that often accommodate more flexible hours, that are a little bit less expensive than our children’s centers, they have more room for infants than our children’s centers,” she said. Veronica Varela, a Rackham student currently working toward her Ph.D. in neuroscience, has two daughters aged 9 and 12. She said the University’s child care stipend and flexible child care program options were one of the main factors in her decision to come here. While child care is still a major concern for her, it is less so than it used to be, as her children are of age to enroll in public school. It wasn’t always that way, though. Varela started her undergraduate degree at California State University at San Bernardino almost a decade ago, when her youngest was only 6 months old. The only reason college was a possibility for her –– then a single mom, though she got married two years ago –– was the college’s CCAMPIS program. “Because of the CCAMPIS program I was able to have the girls in preschool and daycare from 8 to 5. And I could utilize that time in between classes to actually study, because as soon as I got home, there was no time to study. I never would’ve been able to pass my classes, I never would’ve even
been able to go to college if I didn’t have that funding,” she said. “Only because I had that funding and because I had a safe place for my girls to be was I able to be successful enough to come to the University of Michigan.” Being a student-parent, Varela said, she still feels guilty about having to split time between her education and her children –– and occasionally having to take them to lectures with her when they get too sick to go to school or daycare. However, CCAMPIS has made it worthwhile for both Varela and her children. “I can say that it made a really huge difference in my life,” she said. “It made a huge difference in the life of my children, because they were able to be in programs that they had fun, they learned, while I was also getting my education. But at the end of the day, I could spend time with them.” And while safe, affordable, reliable child care is invaluable and life-changing to the students and students’ children CCAMPIS serves, Quisha said often what makes it worth it is the community of people who understand the unique challenges she faces. “I know students who use this grant at Western, I know students who use this grant at the University of Michigan, we might see each other on Facebook and say, ‘Oh hi, you use this grant, I use this grant, how are you, how are your kids doing?’” she said. “So just to say it’s a small grant, when you don’t have kids and you’re not in that lifestyle, yeah, it’s a small grant, but when you’re a student and you’re a mother or a father and you’re trying to raise children and go to school, you definitely link up with those people very easily because they understand your circumstances and what you’re going through.”
Anushka Sarkar, an LSA senior, clarified some concerns about the system. “We will not be encouraging people to be registered to vote in Michigan or Ann Arbor if this is not their regular residence because there are ethical concerns,” Sarkar said. In collaboration with CSG, the Ginsberg Center for Community Service and Learning has taken initiative in assisting students with the online process of registering to vote in their respective states and districts where they reside. With National Voter Registration Day approaching Sept. 26, CSG will be canvassing on the Diag throughout the day urging students to register to vote. Last year, after a voter registration campaign led on the Northwestern University campus called “NU Votes,” a record 96 percent of freshman students were registered to vote, whereas beforehand less than half of freshmen were registered to vote according to an NU Votes volunteer.
CITY From Page 1 to cross the road. She’s been hit by a car almost twice. We need alternate routes (because) we have to figure out ways to get kids across safely.” Council eventually went into a discussion of a resolution that would direct the city administrator to review the Ann Arbor crosswalk ordinance. The resolution received mixed reviews from the group. While some felt strongly a review of the process could only be beneficial, others argued it would unfairly and inevitably lead to the removal of the policy. Councilman Jack Eaton, D-Ward 4, is a sponsor of the resolution. He spoke of the need for a review of the process and advocated for a push toward a unified state-wide policy for crosswalk protocol. “I’m just pointing out that this resolution does not seek to overturn our current policy,” Eaton said. “We need to have this ordinance evaluated by professionals. … People who drive in Ann Arbor are unaware of our policies and how they drive around pedestrians.”
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Opinion
4— Tuesday September 19, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MICHAEL MORDARSKI | COLUMN
Horrify, comfort, forget, repeat
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LUCAS MAIMAN | COLUMN
P
Zuckerberg 2020?
ictures coming out of Williston, N.D., and Homer, Alaska, are beginning to make me worry. No, my anxiety is not because of destructive legislation coming from the Oval Office. Nor is it because I fear that the Harvey, Irma and Jose family might want an addition to their motley crew. My anxiety lies with a certain gray-shirted, bluejeaned, Willistonand Homer-visiting billionaire: Mark Zuckerberg. Early this year, Zuckerberg announced his goal to visit every state in the country in the hopes of understanding his 2 billion users better by “listening and learning about how more people are living, working and thinking about the future.”He has since visited places ranging from the attention-starved pockets of middle America to the more ethnically diverse communities on the coasts. Zuckerberg’s exploits in these areas have been well documented. Pictures from the tour depicting an attentive and beaming Zuckerberg candidly injecting himself into the daily lives of Nebraskan locomotive engineers or Iowan cafe-goers have been continually shared to his nearly 100 million Facebook followers. To the casual eye scrolling through Facebook, Zuckerberg’s tour seems to be typical procedure for the CEO of one of the most prominent companies on Earth. CEOs will often reach out to the diverse members of their base, learn from them and then, ideally, act on behalf of them. But Facebook is not a typical company, Zuckerberg is not a typical CEO and politicking today is far from typical. What differentiates Facebook from other companies is its gradually materializing monopoly on political change and persuasion. With Facebook’s 2 billion users and the revelation of fake news, Zuckerberg currently presides over an apparatus unrivaled in its power to discreetly sway public opinion. Zuckerberg ’s recent actions suggest that not only has he started to recognize these unique powers but that he is keen on using them to rework his own image. His announcement proclaiming that, in the face of his longheld atheist identification, he now views “religion as very important”; his hiring of Joel Benenson, Hillary Clinton’s campaign chief strategist; and, yes, his heavily advertised 50-state tour conducted under the g uise of brand building rather than cross-country campaigning suggest a push
to align himself with more mainstream beliefs held by the general U.S. populace. The upshot of all this is starting to become abundantly clear: Zuckerberg acts and projects like a man positioning himself for a public office run in the near future. Irrespective of policy, this is a terrifying prospect. First, let’s not forget Facebook and Zuckerberg’s outsized inf luence in enabling the vitriol and disinformation of the 2016 presidential election cycle. In late August, the company replaced all the human editors in its Trending section with an algorithm. Within 72 hours, a bogus story from endingthefed.com about how Fox News anchor Meg yn Kelly was fired for surreptitiously supporting Clinton made its way to the top
Zuckerberg’s recent actions suggest that not only has he started to recognize these unique powers but that he is keen on using them to rework his own image. of the section, where it stayed for a few hours. A joint team of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technolog y researchers further implicated Facebook in a study of media failure in 2016. The team researched more than 1.25 million stories published between April 1, 2015, and Election Day and found that “a media network anchored around Breitbart developed as a distinct and insulated media system, using social media as a backbone to transmit a hyper-partisan perspective to the world.” Nevertheless, Zuckerberg has not shied away from defending Facebook’s innocence. In January, Zuckerberg professed, “I’m actually quite proud of the impact that we were able to have on civic discourse over all.” The naivete of Zuckerberg ’s response is concerning as more and more people find their news on Facebook. He is in the midst of opening himself up to showcase his all-Americanness and humanitarianism, yet he cowers and def lects when
faced with one of the greatest weapons to democracy in recent memory. Fake news and disinformation, often originating from foreign actors as in the case of last year’s election cycle, ironically enough, legitimately inf luence the distortion of public opinion. Look no further than the most recent round of troubling news to directly find Facebook’s role in the aforementioned nexus. Last Wednesday, Facebook disclosed to congressional investigators that between June 2015 and May 2017 it sold $100,000 worth of advertisements to a Kremlinlinked Russian company that sought to target voters through “troll” accounts. Most of the purchased ads focused on divisive issues ranging “from LGBT matters to race issues to immigration to g un rights,” according to a note published by Alex Stamos, the company’s chief security officer. Facebook’s enabling of its own subversion should give Zuckerberg no reason to be proud. The company ruefully failed to combat fake news and sinister foreign inf luence, and, in the process, helped to elect the most unqualified candidate to the highest office in the land. Perhaps that surprising result has helped Zuckerberg realize the political gold mine he has on his hands. Perhaps he is leveraging that inf luence to build a foundation for loftier goals. After all, he supervises the data of nearly 2 billion users, and it seems that this data has told him to project a carefully orchestrated veneer of corn husking, religion embracing and aggressive Facebook gloating. But Zuckerberg needs to read between the lines. As Facebook reached the frontier of media inf luence during the presidential election, he propagated and enabled nefarious doings. Zuckerberg ’s shortcomings in addressing the fake news, his compliance in foreign subversion, his cavalier attitude and, most importantly, his unilateral control and mishandling on a media tool powerful enough to swing elections should render null any of his public office ambitions. But that does not mean he will at least give it a shot. Zuckerberg is smart enough to see that, with a little magic from Facebook, inexperienced billionaires are one for one in winning.
Lucas Maiman can be reached at lmaiman@umich.edu.
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wo of the most Florida are covered under destructive hurricanes such insurance, and in Texas in our country’s even fewer homes are insured. history just finished ravishing In Harris County, which the coastline of our includes Houston southern seaboard, and — one of the it made for great TV. hardest cities hit Both hurricanes had by the hurricane all the elements of the — only 15 percent perfect disaster story: of homes. terrifying predictions So as the TV including reporters in networks pack up raincoats struggling to their news cameras stand in the wind, the and we resume ever-present satellite Facebook MICHAEL our image of a multicolored discussions on the MORDARSKI benefit of hearing storm spiraling toward the homeland. A terrifying out Nazis, the hurricane victims aftermath full of flooding with who are uninsured are left to families fleeing their homes and, our federal government and the finally, the comforting videos assistance they receive already that somehow restore our faith looks dire. The little assistance in humanity as we watch first they will receive are through the responders and average citizens Federal Emergency Management rescuing people from a disaster Agency’s National Flood we’ve been watching nonstop, Insurance Program, a program spurring ourselves into some that has been inundated since form of action, most likely Hurricane Katrina in 2005 — and through donations and charity. currently owes the U.S. Treasury That is, until our attention some $23 billion — will now have spans run out. to extend its credit to continue Those distinct features that financing the rebuilding after capitalize on our desire to Harvey and Irma. watch such tragedies and be And this is where the moved into action to help are cynicism returns. Because such the same ones that divert our an endeavor by FEMA and the attention elsewhere. Flood Insurance program will North Korea, Trump’s be unable to keep up with the Twitter, Myanmar genocide, sheer magnitude of damage done Russian investigation, Neo- to Florida and Texas — disasters Nazis, DACA are all ready to requiring hundreds of billions of recapture our attention. Because dollars to repair the damages. no matter how horrifying the This is where the low-income disasters in Texas and Florida neighborhoods disappear, where were, no matter how much families flee their homes to never we are moved to charity and return and, most importantly, compassion — we and the media where new prime real estate will move on and forget. opens up. And when we move on, when Cue “disaster capitalism,” our attention subsides, when what writer Naomi Klein’s the dramatic black-and-white describes as corporations and images of mothers trudging governments utilizing disasters through water carrying their to “transform” regions and children are no longer the center gain financially. Hurricane of our attention — that’s when Katrina was a prime example we forget, and the people who of this, and as described in actually needed our help the Klein’s book “The Shock most never receive it. Doctrine,” the shock induced The individuals who were by the hurricane allowed the fortunate to have private flood government and corporations insurance will rebuild, move to exploit the disaster — paving back in and try to resume a life over poor neighborhoods with after total disaster, but only more profitable housing and 42 percent of homes in coastal commercial developments.
And now, after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the poorest people affected by these disasters, the ones hit the hardest, will be subject to a similar campaign. This is their punishment for not buying a coverage policy that covers actual flood costs. It will occur because we’ll move on. And I can already hear the “tough love” criticisms of those who are truly passionate about government assistance: “Let FEMA deal with them, let the grossly over-budgeted bureaucratic Flood Insurance Program figure out what to do with those poor people who were either too dumb or not working hard enough to buy flood insurance on their homes.” There is something to be said about the speed in which we handle these crises from afar. How we rapidly horrify and scare ourselves, engage on an emotional and charitable level and then so instantly move on and forget. Something like this requires months and years of rebuilding. It requires hundreds of billions of dollars. It requires an understanding that governments, and only governments, are capable of handling such massive emergencies and cleanup efforts. Something like this requires us. We need to engage and participate, not just through a constant stream of charitable donations to specific organizations, but an engagement on a level that requires journalism to respond. For us to make sure those poor people who lost their homes find a way to rebuild. To pressure our government to secure funding for these people, before we build that big, beautiful wall on the Mexican border. To slow down from the clickbait disaster-prone-ridden news that degrades our ability to understand issues and work toward solutions.
Michael Mordarski can be reached at mmordars@umich.edu.
KEVIN SWEITZER | OP-ED
Student voices matter in local politics
S
ome of this year’s biggest political issues have not been the big, drawn-out battles that take place in Lansing or Washington, D.C. Important issues like housing, jobs and taxes are debated right here in Ann Arbor by our local government, a government that has little input from one of Ann Arbor’s most influential groups: students at the University of Michigan. While it may not be evident to most students, Ann Arbor’s City Council has been locked in a fierce election over for the past few months. The Aug. 8 Democratic Primary election saw heated mudslinging between anti-development candidate David Silkworth and current incumbent Chip Smith. Blogs such as “Local in Ann Arbor” and papers such as Ann Arbor Observer hurled posts about each candidate’s politics for months. Even after the primary ended, independent candidates including Ali Ramlawi — owner of the Jerusalem Garden restaurant — declared candidacy over dissatisfaction with the results of the primary election. While it may be easy to brush these things off as simply village politics that don’t matter to students, City Council’s responsibilities actually include some of the most salient and visible policy items in the Ann Arbor community. Hot-button issues like the deer cull and the ongoing debate over the Library Lot highrise will likely be brought into focus in the next council cycle. These issues may not seem like monumental policy actions to many students, but issues that do matter to students — including rising housing costs and city-University cooperation fall on the hands of the council, which seldom has enough student input to fairly represent the needs of young people. We don’t realize it, but frequently, Ann Arbor has more
control over our everyday lives outside of the classroom than the University does. Simply looking at Ann Arbor’s gerrymandered ward map will point the viewer to the obvious conclusion that Central Campus, and the heavily student-populated neighborhoods surrounding it, have been sliced up in a way that no one ward contains the voices of students, and that the concerns of students can be placed on the back burner of all 10 council members. A student living in the West Quad Residence Hall would have a different council member than a student who lived across the street at the South Quad Residence Hall. These two students would be represented differently than someone who lived on Tappan Avenue, mere steps away. All of this is in spite of the fact that Ann Arbor’s population according to the census — which determines federal funding and congressional representation — includes students at their campus addresses. This creates a dynamic where student members of the Ann Arbor community won’t feel represented by their own government. The intentional disempowerment of student residents is also echoed by the fact that City Council elections are decided in August, during the partisan primary — a time when many students are away for vacations, internships or summer jobs — leaving the election in the hands of a few committed local residents. In fact, until this year, City Council races were held in noncongressional off-years, leading to even lower turnout and even less public participation. While the city of Ann Arbor recently established its Student Advisory Council, the roster for the committee currently only lists councilmember Julie Grand, D-Ward 3 with
the contact information for getting involved being listed as “TBD.” The stunning lack of representation of the more than 40,000 students who attend the University of Michigan, with 10,000 students confirmed to be living in Ann Arbor is unacceptable for a city that prides itself on being an epicenter of progressive public policy. If every Ann Arborbased canvasser with an antigerrymandering or pro-voting rights petition approached local politics with the same furor that they approach Republicanled gerrymandering or voter suppression in the state House, then Ann Arbor’s City Council would have seen a dramatic restructuring years ago. I urge students to stay aware of local political issues, and to contact their City Council member about issues of importance, and to always vote in local elections, even if that requires an absentee ballot. I also urge the city of Ann Arbor to focus on equal representation of all its residents. Reforms including redrawing wards to include a student-focused member of council, or including at-large or ex officio student members of council will go a long way to ensuring that all voices are heard in the political process. Many of us students may only be four-year Ann Arbor residents, but the student population of Ann Arbor will continue to exist for as long as there is a University of Michigan. If our current political state of affairs has taught us anything, it is that participation in government at all levels, is crucial to the advancement and success of democracy. Staying involved in Ann Arbor is no different.
Kevin Sweitzer is an Editorial Board member.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
ALBUM REVIEW
Tuesday, September 12, 2017 — 5
FILM REVIEW
FOREIGN FAMILY COLLECTIVE
ODESZA floats in space on their newest record and a striking, catchy beat that evolves into glittering chords Daily Arts Writer as the instrumentals pick up. When listening to the vivid ODESZA’s creations are what chorus, I could practically space would sound like if sound see neon lights ref lecting off could travel in interplanetary shiny car paint. “La Ciudad” emptiness. Through A Moment has a similarly bright, exciting Apart, Seattle duo Harrison sound, with the same air Mills and Clayton of nighttime Knight’s spiky, adventures and A Moment otherworldly, unforgettable chill planetary experiences. Apart fuzz spins a The difference ODESZA fresh take on between mainstream ODESZA’s Foreign Family electronica’s music and EDM Collective comparatively is especially boring, bass apparent here. powered bumps. EDM is wild, but almost For a heavily electronic violently so, and even though album, A Moment Apart does a “Late Night” and “La Ciudad” good job of balancing vocal and both have climactic moments, purely instrumental tracks. they also have softer, tenderer What’s more, the album has lulls. Ultimately, the two types great variety in its soundscape, differ greatly in tone and ranging from the soaring, overall song structure from powerful titular track, to the party music. easy-going “Across the Room.” While Regina Spektor usually Just like in 2012’s Summer’s sticks to more traditional Gone, A Moment Apart opens instrumental accompaniments with an “Intro,” a whispered like classical piano and guitar, clip of narration that sets the “Just a Memory” melds her theme for the rest of the album. captivatingly smooth vocals Where 2012’s “Intro” was more with ODESZA’s full bodied, of an introduction to electronic dramatic electronics. The song music as a whole, 2017’s “Intro” follows someone pining for a is actually an excerpt from 2011 former lover: “I want you back film “Another Earth,” where / In the middle of this fight / one character tells another a Baby come back and fight,” story about a cosmonaut falling Spektor croons. The track is in love with sound, introducing one of A Moment Apart’s more an attempted metaphor for the mellow compositions, and has listener’s experience with the the same bittersweet emotion album. As the dialogue fades as “Kusanagi” from 2014’s In away, “Intro” fades into “A Return. Moment Apart,” immediately “Thin Floors and Tall establishing the high energy Ceilings” calls to mind acres and evocative spirit the album and acres of free, unbounded runs on right off the bat. sound. The first ten seconds “Late Night” captures the of the track are reminiscent essence of breathless midnight of summer nights spent drives down city streets, stargazing, and the piece complete with the jingle of develops like a trip through car keys at the very beginning time. SAM LU
“Corners of the Earth” hits the sweet spot for a closing track; it’s slow and measured enough to feel like a proper wrap up to the album, but still emotive and memorable as a standout song all by itself. Australian singer RY X’s voice is deep and rich as he sings: “Tonight we run / We run into the sun / We run into the corners of / The love we choose to make.” Altogether, the album builds upon the undeniable strength and breadth of ODESZA’s discography while still introducing new folds. It’s important to note how
The album builds upon the undeniable strength and breadth of ODESZA’s discography universal the group’s music is; whether a listener is completely new to the world of electronica or a seasoned expert, there’s bound to be something that satisfies any itch. ODESZA may be one of electronica’s more seasoned artists, but that doesn’t mean their music is stale or without merit, even given the often negative connotations surrounding that genre and its cousins. A Moment Apart shows that the duo is far from running out of unique ideas.
PARAMOUNT
‘Mother!’ is disgusting, and nothing really else exponentially and inexplicably. Lawrence’s patience is pushed Senior Arts Editor to a breaking point. If “Mother!” stayed in the Movies, like novels, are world of dark domestic comedy, stories. But, perhaps even it might work. But, alas, it was more than a novel, a movie made by Hollywood’s heaviest is like a poem. A movie takes hand, Darren Arnofsky the basic units of narrative — (“Noah”). So instead “Mother!” image and word — and turns throws itself down the allegory them into emotion. And, as rabbit hole and promptly we’ve been told before, a poem spirals out of control. should not mean Allegory is but be. “Mother!,” tricky because “Mother!” unfortunately, it’s easy to let only exists to the allegory Paramount Pictures mean, and falls take complete Quality 16, Ann apart completely if narrative it steps outside the control. Movies Arbor 20 limitations of it’s like “Tree of allegory. Life” or “Natural In “Mother!” Jennifer Born Killers” work because Lawrence (“Passengers”) is the they let you fall so deeply in young wife of Javier Bardem them that you forget X equals (“Skyfall”). Both spend the Y and This means That. They entire movie nameless as prioritize being over meaning. they move around each other That’s where this film’s issues in their isolated mansion. begin. It’s too caught up in it’s Lawrence is fixing up the own tricks to be anything more house, rebuilding it from the than the sum of them. ashes of a fire. She walks It doesn’t help that the film’s around barefoot, plastering choice allegory is biblical. walls and trying desperately And the entire Bible at that. to show her dismissive poet As people pour into Mother’s husband how much she loves house it becomes a microcosm him. for all the evils of the world Their home is gradually — a reverse Eden of sorts. invaded by a couple, also Similarly, Mother becomes an nameless, who are fans of the embodiment of all women — poet’s work. Lawrence and silenced, ignored, infantilized the audience watch in awe and ultimately brutally and Bardem lets the couple attacked. take over their home. It turns I’m sure there’s a long list out, their stay opens Pandora’s of things Darren Arnofsky box and soon the house is can’t do, but first on that list bursting with unnaturally is subtlety. That’s not a death rude houseguests who multiply sentence, but it can be an MADELEINE GAUDIN
Achilles heel. For Arnofsky, the latter is creeping closer and closer to the former. There is something essential missing from the film — depth, profundity, something more challenging than allegory and violence. Arnofsky’s films are visceral — I left the theater craving a hot shower and a Valium. Which is to say, the only emotion he’s managed to convey thus
Disgust is boring because disgust is easy far in his twenty-year career is disgust. It’s become quite apparent that he’s run out of tricks. “Mother!” gave me cold sweats and confirmation that no matter how hard I try I will never be compelled by the deep unpleasantness of Arnofsky’s world. Disgust is boring because disgust is easy. Especially when it’s achieved, as it is in “Mother!” via a rapid succession of disturbing images. That’s why I’m hesitant to label this a “horror” film. There’s no horror in “Mother!” and it’s sorely lacking for that fact. “Mother!” is nothing but a movie made for film school term papers and sub-reddit echo-chambers. Its focus was so far in post-production that it forgot to be any good.
Women take the lead in latest ‘Top of the Lake’ Griffin. The day she arrives back in Daily Arts Writer Sydney, Griffin is mocked by cadets who reference her and After four years separated, Al during a training exercise, audiences are brought back which causes her to snap in to the universe of “Top of the response to obvious postLake,” a confusing, depressive traumatic stress disorder. At and riveting show. Detective a different place, a pastel-blue Robin Griffin (Elisabeth suitcase is thrown off a cliff into Moss, “Mad Men”) returns the ocean. Shots of the suitcase for another case, in the water are visibly shaken used as an anchor “Top of the after the ordeal between scenes. in New Zealand. The object, which Lake” After her houses the body of Sundance investigation of a young Chinese the sexual abuse woman, finally Sundays 9 p.m. of a twelve-year shores up. Griffin old, Griffin ends heads out after a up having solved call to the station, little-to-nothing, and in worse and delivers the cheesiest line trouble than she started. she can while opening the case: Long story short: she shot the “Hello, darling. Wanna tell me architect, Al Parker (David what you saw?” Wenham, “Killing Time”), One of the strengths of of the pedophilia ring after “Top of the Lake” is its focus discovering his involvement, on female-led narratives. but he survived, and is now Detective Griffin is a no bringing a civil suit against nonsense woman eager to get JACK BRANDON
back into work after her ordeal in New Zealand. She is hastily joined by another woman in the force, Miranda Hilmarson (Gwendoline Christie, “Game of Thrones”), to solve the case of a suitcase washed up at sea. Inside the suitcase is the corpse of a Chinese prostitute, which thus gives the name to this season of the series. The other SUNDANCE
Womanhood, and the women are leading this season most interesting characters in the series, Robin’s daughter Mary (Alice Englert, “Beautiful Creatures”) and her adoptive mother Julia (Nicole Kidman, “Big Little Lies”) drive the action forth. The men, by
and large, are on the sides, watching the action play out. It’s an interesting inversion that follows the current surge of female-led drama. For all its strengths, “Top of the Lake” does rely on a few cliches to tell its story. The insights in each characters’s lives are fairly one-dimensional, especially Detective Griffin. She falls into seeking work as a way to mask or cover up her pain from her earlier case, and her male colleagues treat her as an off-the-rails, emotionally volatile woman, which could
be either a negative or honest representation — you decide. Mary, who is seventeen, is about to run off with her 41-year-old, brothel-running boyfriend, with little motivation except teenage rebellion. Finally, Griffin’s new sidekick Miranda is only defined by her eagerness to assist. The problem is likely to be remedied in further episodes, but the show would benefit from exploring the interior lives of each characters. Womanhood, and the women that do not heed its traditional call, are leading this season
of “Top of the Lake,” giving space for some interesting interplay across multiple dynamics. There’s Miranda, who is striking and tall, not traditionally feminine, then Robin, who has been raped and mistreated, rebellious Mary and finally her mother, Julia, who divorces her husband and has an affair with a woman. All these levels of class, appearance and generation are ripe with drama and action, which will be sure to draw audiences in. The only question is — how soon are they going to have to wait?
Arts
6 — Tuesday, September 19, 2017
FILM REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV NOTEBOOK
HBO
MAGNOLIA
‘Whose’ is a call to arms
Social watching in the age of ‘Game of Thrones’ EMILY BICE
Daily Arts Writer
but she has to do it anyway. A group of black men are told by Daily Arts Writer police to “go home” as they’re standing in their own front “It is our duty to fight for our yard, just before the police freedom. It is our duty to win. throw tear gas at them. A line We must love and support one of young people holding hands, another. We have nothing to armed with nothing but signs, lose but our chains.” repeating their mantra over It’s a mantra spoken over and over again as they face off and over again in “Whose against rows and rows of police Streets.” It’s spoken quietly with guns and canisters of gas and in screams, at the ready. in loving circles But perhaps “Whose of hugs and tears the most and in the face of striking decision Streets” hordes of police on the part of the Magnolia Pictures with machine filmmakers was guns. It’s spoken to spend very Michigan Theater in the booming little time on the voices of massive particulars of crowds and by the Darren Wilson’s lone cry of a girl who can’t be case. His face gets maybe a older than 11. To describe it as minute of screen time. What “powerful” would be an insult. we see instead of his testimony To describe it at all would be a is a group of Ferguson residents disservice — you need to see it. and protesters outside the This movie is essential. Made courthouse, surrounding by Sabaah Folayan and Damon Michael Brown’s mother and Davis in both their directorial holding her as prosecutor debuts, the film was created on Robert McCulloch announces the frontlines of the Ferguson Wilson would not be indicted protests in 2014, following the by the grand jury. The look on shooting of unarmed black her face is unfathomable. teenager Michael Brown by “Whose Streets” insists on police officer Darren Wilson. the fundamental humanity and “Whose Streets” is pain of a community who is so cinematic, filled with striking, often painted by the media as chilling images. We see a violent thugs and looters. “This memorial of teddy bears and is so sad,” says a woman taking candles burned to the ground. a video of a convenience store We see an old woman pepper being set on fire. “This is so sprayed and dragged across fucking sad.” The film makes the street. A baby who’s been no space for the mainstream arrested and tear gassed. A media’s discomfort and mother who is forced to explain subsequent distortion with to her little girl that she might the movement’s method of get shot if she goes out there, resistance. As activist Kayla ASIF BECHER
RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 “More or less” suffix 4 Rose and fell on the waves 10 Tax pros 14 Cohort of Larry and Curly 15 Not widely understood 16 Boffo review 17 Extemporaneous, as a speech 19 Theater honor 20 “Firework” singer Perry 21 Near-perfect bridge feat 23 Amigo 26 Liam of “Michael Collins” 27 Appointed White House overseer 32 __ Vegas 33 Peaceful 34 Dalai Lama’s homeland 38 Planets, in poems 40 Not suitable for military service ... or an apt description of 17-, 27-, 49- and 64-Across 43 Thick book 44 Salami type 46 Nevada senator Harry 48 Red wine choice, for short 49 Laundry service option 53 ’60s dance craze 55 Opus __: “The Da Vinci Code” sect 56 DJ known for playing novelty tunes 59 Surrealist Salvador 63 Geological age 64 Beanstalk giant’s chant 67 Unclothed 68 Like bears 69 Alias, on police blotters 70 List of appts. 71 English writer Edward Bulwer-__ 72 “Oedipus __”
DOWN 1 “Didn’t hurt a bit!” 2 Living room seat 3 Lift with effort 4 Scoff from Scrooge 5 Calif. neighbor 6 Covertly sends an email dupe to 7 “The Wizard of Oz” author 8 __ terrible: difficult child, in French 9 Rid of parasites, as a dog 10 Multi-discipline strength-training program 11 Painter Picasso 12 Like many nestbuilders 13 Look (like) 18 Tap out a text, say 22 Departed 24 N.Y. Jets’ org. 25 Bread shape 27 Bathtub blockage 28 Cocksure Aesopian racer 29 Library ID 30 Mel’s Diner waitress 31 Blue toon 35 Memorable clown
36 Disney’s “__ and the Detectives” 37 See to 39 Began to melt 41 Stephen of “Michael Collins” 42 Locate 45 Grad 47 Pres. before JFK 50 Beneficial 51 Fancy duds 52 Pal of Rover
53 Perpetrate, as havoc 54 Love to pieces 56 Pats gently 57 Exam 58 “Think nothing __” 60 Many miles off 61 “Use the Force, __” 62 Big-screen format 65 Masculine Italian suffix with bamb66 Marshland
Reed says, “You can rebuild a building. You can’t resuscitate Michael Brown.” The filmmakers don’t make their presence known in the documentary, but it’s obvious by the intimacy of the footage and the ease with which their interview subjects speak to the camera that Folayan and Davis are trusted and respected within the Ferguson community. And that really is the subject of the documentary — not the individual activists whose stories are told, but the city itself. It’s a film about a community that’s been living in fear for as long as they can
‘Whose Streets’ doesn’t look away. It doesn’t flinch remember, but that still has a fundamental hope for a better future. They wouldn’t continue fighting if they didn’t hope. At its heart, “Whose Streets” is a call to arms. It’s impossible to watch this film and not feel pushed to show up, put in the time, the effort, the risk — because people are dying. There’s no space for anything but absolute urgency. “Whose Streets” is insistent to delineate between urgency and hatred, though. “We don’t do this because we hate the police,” says Reed. “We do this because we love each other. And love always wins.” “Whose Streets” doesn’t look away. It doesn’t flinch. It’s hard to watch at times, and that’s on purpose — this reality is anything but easy. It’s a movie full of heart, anger and genuine abject horror. And yet, you leave the theater struck by the pulsing, beating heart of this community and its relentless energy. Because they don’t just believe in a better future — they’re building one.
It’s Sunday night. Everyone gathers in a room too small for the party size. Beers are cracked open. Snacks are passed around. The group squishes, squeezes and finally settles into their seats. It’s Sunday night, and “Game of Thrones” is about to begin. The anticipation in the room is palpable. In the moments leading up to 9:00 p.m., theories are thrown around the room as to what bomb will be dropped this evening. Reddit is referenced. Someone says something outlandish that the rest of the group pretends not to hear. Two watchers engage in a heated debate about the parentage of a certain bastard. Another reminds the room of the significance of a twominute scene three seasons ago. The host silently worries something will go wrong with the sound or live-stream and he or she will face the wrath of the guests. At 8:58 p.m., the host logs into his or her parent’s HBO Go account and pulls up the home page. The room tenses. Then, at 9:00 p.m. the new episode appears on the site. It begins. The “previously on” rolls, signaling what will be significant this week. Eyebrows are raised when a moment from Season One shows up. One member of the group fist bumps the air when the two-minute scene from three seasons ago re-appears. Collective sighs are heard when a now-deceased character graces the screen. The room obediently sings along to the melodic “buhmbuhm- dum-dum- dum” of the theme song. Even after seven seasons, fans remain amazed at the theme as it takes them from Westeros to Winterfell to the Iron Islands. The magic of a map, scored by an intense instrumental beat, never gets old. Then the show begins, and
for somewhere in the range of 60 to 90 minutes, the room is enraptured in pure cinematic bliss. Even after it ends, they spend days re-living those moments, anxious for next Sunday and fearful for the rapidly-approaching end. In an age when television content is over-saturated and viewers can choose from 30 different platforms to watch 1,000 different shows, a common viewing experience is almost as mythical as Khaleesi and her Dragons. It’s out there, but hard to find. Even harder to keep safe and sacred, if you can get your hands on it in the first place. Once this experience is harnessed, however, the sheer magnitude and power it holds is inimitable. It’s rare, endangered and on the brink of extinction. People don’t set aside a consistent, weekly hour to watch a TV show anymore. They don’t gather their friends and family together for content that’s available anywhere, anytime. They don’t walk into a party, an interview, a classroom and feel confident that others will know anything about what they’ve just seen. With the rise of streaming content came the fall of collective watching. That is, with the exception of “Game of Thrones.” Disclaimer — I haven’t seen seasons four through seven of the show. My HBO account remains frozen on season three, episode nine. The infamous Red Wedding is one episode away. There are four seasons of secrets, betrayals and gruesome murders I’ve yet to see. Despite this deficit of knowledge, however, I tuned in on Sunday, Aug. 27. to watch the season seven finale. Now. This is the point where diehard Thrones fans cringe. Where they print out a picture of my face and throw darts at it. Unfriend me on Facebook and unfollow me on Instagram. What I’ve done, what I’m doing, what I do, is a travesty
to the narrative of the show. Despicable, some might say. Why, they ask, would I choose to ruin the show for myself? My answer? I don’t want to miss out. For roughly eight weeks of every year, this rare “collective watching” experience occurs. The opportunity to be a part of it is akin to Sunday Night Football. At the risk of overplaying the importance of “Game of Thrones,” there is a sense of something greater than ourselves when watching the show. It captures the essence of what entertainment should be — an experience that brings people together and sparks discussion. So, I choose to engage in a show I’ve only halfwatched. I don’t ask when an unrecognizable character enters. I keep my opinions to what I know. I try not to blow my cover as a dedicated “Thrones fan.” Because when shit hits the fan, when the dragons breathe fire, and the White Walkers wreak havoc, it doesn’t matter if you know everything there is to know. It’s about being there, in the moment, creating a collective memory. I watch “Game of Thrones” socially. On the night of the season finale, I found myself sitting in a room with six boys I’d met just minutes before. Eager to watch Thrones in a group setting with people passionate about the show, I asked my new neighbors if they were watching. They were. There is no better way to get to know the neighbors than over dragons, incest, murder and the general fear of winter. No other television series in recent years, in my opinion, has had the same widespread following and general public awareness as “Game of Thrones.” Maybe it’s because we’re desperate for something to bring us together. But also, maybe because at the end of the day, “Game of Thrones” is just an amazing fucking show.
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Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, September 19, 2017 — 7
Wolverines top Hoosiers, 2-1, in Sunday matchup ‘M’ prevails after four-game winless streak MIKE PERSAK
Daily Sports Editor
It was a day of relief for the Michigan women’s soccer team. After a 4-0-1 start to their 2017 campaign, the Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 4-2-3 overall) had been winless in their previous four games and had been shutout in their last two games coming into Sunday’s matchup with Indiana. But over the span of 3:27 in the first half against the Hoosiers (1-1, 5-4-1), Michigan’s offensive luck changed dramatically, and it was able to hang on for a 2-1 win. It started with forward Reilly Martin. The junior’s season exemplifies the type of frustration the Wolverines have faced — she leads the team in shots but, before Sunday, hadn’t scored a goal. She led the team in shots once again Sunday and finally converted on those opportunities. In the 22nd minute, Martin received a pass from redshirt sophomore midfielder Katie Foug. Martin flicked the ball in the air, spun around the Indiana defender and poked it into the back of the net. “(It was) definitely good to finally break the ice on scoring,” Martin said. “We’ve had some unlucky games and just couldn’t finish them, but I think we finally got back on track.” The Wolverines’ offensive fortunes continued to trend upward moments later. In the 25th minute, redshirt senior midfielder Ani Sarkisian sent a through ball into the box, and just before the Indiana goalkeeper could get to it, freshman midfielder Nicki Hernandez touched it over her and deposited it into the open net. It was Hernandez’s first career goal, but her own relief extended beyond even that. Hernandez has had lingering health issues that have held her out of action. According to her, it was actually her time on the shelf that gave her the ability to maintain composure on her goal.
“When I was out and injured with the concussion and the ankle, I was always practicing on my touches and things like that, situations like that,” Hernandez said. “So when the actual situation happened, I was able to be calm.” But Michigan wasn’t out of the woods yet. The Hoosiers pulled within a goal thanks to a header from Chandra Davidson off a corner kick in the 40th minute, and they pressed the Wolverine defense near the end of the game. At one point, Indiana appeared to have tied the game, but the goal was negated by a handball. In the end, Michigan staved off the Hoosiers, and for the first time in 21 days, coach Greg Ryan and his team celebrated. “We needed to win a game in
the Big Ten, right?” Ryan said. “We thought we were better than Purdue, but we didn’t come away with a win. So today, it was just critical to get the result. I was very happy with the way we played.” The Wolverines will continue Big Ten play next weekend when they travel to Minnesota and Wisconsin. And with a good feeling for the first time in a few games, they believe Sunday was simply a sign of things to come. “It’s great finally having a win, especially at home and being away next weekend,” Martin said. “I think just having that confidence on us to know that we’re going to do well this Big Ten season with a win on our back moving forward, it’s really going to give us a boost of confidence.”
Offense finally clicks, gives Michigan relief ROBERT HEFTER Daily Sports Writer
It may have taken the Michigan women’s soccer team some time to settle into its matchup Sunday against Indiana, but once the defense and offense clicked, the Wolverines prevailed over the Hoosiers, 2-1. Indiana outshot Michigan in the first half, 14-9, but the Wolverines — with a seamless offense on full display — managed to find the back of the net. In the 21st minute of the first half, junior forward Reilly Martin pivoted on a pass from redshirt sophomore midfielder Katie Foug and buried the ball past the goalkeeper in the bottom left corner of the goal.
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Junior forward Reilly Martin had half of the Wolverines’ 16 shots against the Hoosiers, as Michigan’s offense finally found its footing on Sunday afternoon.
‘M’ sweeps Cincinnati, caps off strong showing Wolverines win every set, finish undefeated in Michigan Challenge Tournament TIEN LE
Daily Sports Writer
Sophomore setter Mackenzie Welsh and redshirt sophomore middle blocker Cori Crocker shut down Cincinnati’s final scramble with a block, ending the third set as dominantly as they had in the first two sets. The final exclamation point by Welsh and Crocker sealed the No. 21 Michigan volleyball team’s sweep in the Michigan Challenge Tournament, capping off the final matchup against Cincinnati with a 3-0 victory. Against its previous opponents in the tournament, many Wolverines posted either season- or career-high numbers. Against UW-Milwaukee, junior outside hitter Carly Skjodt and senior middle blocker Claire Kieffer-Wright recorded a season-high 16 kills and seven blocks, respectively. Senior outside hitter Adeja Lambert also totaled five blocks, a career high. With momentum from the previous two matches, Michigan started the first set on a tear, outscoring the Bearcats, 9-2, and recording three blocks during the stretch. “Our defense across the board hasn’t been where we want it to be, and that’s been a big focus for us the whole week at practice,” said Michigan coach Mark Rosen. “I thought we were a little bit better maybe in the last two matches, but I thought tonight was the best defensive, and especially the best blocking match we’ve had this season.” After a brief Cincinnati timeout, the Wolverines continued to push the Bearcats, capitalizing off their mistakes and going on a seven-point run that forced another Cincinnati timeout. Four of the seven points scored were off attacking or ball handling errors made by the Bearcats. Michigan won the set, 25-16, despite allowing Cincinnati to score off careless errors, such as
It was a good finish by Martin. But the setup may have been even better. After a feeder pass from the back line, Foug made mincemeat of the Hoosiers’ defense, delivering a pass to Martin at the top of the 18. Martin took care of the rest. “Just working together, offense and defense, and putting in the extra work to make that last starting run or whatever it takes to get the goal is what it was going to take to win the game today,” Martin said. Michigan’s transition offense was in true form Sunday due to a combination of factors. First was Indiana’s formation. The Hoosiers played a 4-1-4-1, leaving the top of the defense vulnerable. As soon as the Wolverines broke past the four midfielders, they had
two service errors, a bad set and four attack errors. Though they ended the first set poorly, the Wolverines narrowed down their mistakes entering the second set to take the lead, 9-2. With a comfortable lead, Michigan took riskier points, as Welsh scored on two backto-back dump shots. However, Cincinnati answered with a small run, scoring four straight, and shortened the deficit through relentless attacks to make the set 15-13. With a call reversal going to the Bearcats, Cincinnati returned from the game delay down only one and with momentum in its favor. Hustling for every loose ball and making improbable digs helped Michigan counter the
Bearcats’ push for the lead. The two teams went back and forth before the Wolverines gained control toward the end of the set due to Kieffer-Wright’s efforts, who had six kills in eight attempts. Junior libero Jenna Lerg, who led all players with 16 digs, clinched the win by serving an ace that ricocheted off a middle blocker to bounce out of bounds to claim the set, 25-21. While serves helped Michigan win the second set, Cincinnati used them to dominate the beginning of the third. “(Cincinnati) came out and changed their serving, and they served the heck out of the ball.” Rosen said. “We use the term ace or error mentality. They came out and they were either going to ace it or make
We use the term ace or error mentality.
an error, and they were just blasting serves. In the third set they were banging serves at us really hard and our players had to really fight through that.” Down four points midway through the third set, Michigan used its first and only timeout of the game, unable to deal with the adjustments the Bearcats made during intermission. Returning from the timeout, Skjodt, the tournament’s MVP, attacked Cincinnati’s middle blockers with a cross court spike that began a 6-1 run. Skjodt ended the match with eight kills and nine digs. Once the Wolverines regained the 12-11 lead, they encountered few obstacles en route to a win, 25-18. Kieffer-Wright led the team in kills and blocks, with 10 and 7, respectively. The entire team stepped up on its defense, recording a season-high 13 blocks. This is the momentum Michigan will need as it prepares for conference play against No. 1 Minnesota.
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
Senior Claire Kieffer-Wright led the Wolverines in a concentrated defensive effort against Cincinnati on Saturday.
plenty of room to maneuver and connect every part of the field in their attack. “The way they played opened up the counter for us,” Ryan said. “… Today I thought we were a bit more patient with it.” That certainly showed in the 24th minute. Following a substantial amount of coordination in the midfield area above the four defenders, fifth-year senior midfielder Ani Sarkisian lofted a ball over the Hoosiers’ defense to freshman midfielder Nicki Hernandez, who poked the ball past the goalkeeper. Despite previous offensive woes this season, Michigan has found solace in its team communication and transitions, involving every single person on the field. “Right from the start we knew that it was going to be a tough battle,” Martin said. “Indiana is a great team.” Defensively, the Wolverines staved off 17 shots while letting in only one. However, the image from Sunday was not of an onslaught from Indiana’s front line, but scattered attempts by the Hoosiers to hit the net. Michigan’s pipeline from its backline to frontline was so overwhelming that Indiana was forced to take uncoordinated and frantic shots. After their recent losses, many would think that the Wolverines’ offense would not be able to gel enough to be productive. But Michigan proved that notion false Sunday by scoring two goals where the Wolverines showed that they were on the same wavelength, and that could easily be the key to turning things around. “This year we’ve had a lot of possession, but we haven’t been scoring as much in the counter,” said Michigan coach Greg Ryan. “Today we started to get the counterattack fired up again.”
MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY
Michigan dominates adidas XC challenge CHRISTIAN NEUBACHER Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men’s cross country team began its competitive racing season with a victory at the adidas XC Challenge in Cary, N.C. this past Friday. The Wolverines received a team score of 22, beating second-place North Carolina State and third-place Wake Forest, which finished with 36 points and 126 points, respectively. With 13 teams competing in the event, the Challenge gave Michigan its first proper race of the season, having held the Michigan Open two weeks ago. While the Open provided the team with a good opportunity to practice, it was not scored, and as such did not have the same competitive feel as a real race. Carrying the Wolverines to victory were fifth-year seniors Ben Flanagan and Billy Bund, who finished first and third in the individual category with times of 18:12.1 and 18:14.1, respectively. Flanagan, a two-time Academic All-Big Ten, missed most of last season due to injuries, making this weekend’s event his first healthy race in over a year. Having finished ninth in 2015 NCAA Championships in the 10,000-meter category, expectations for Flanagan are high this season, with Michigan coach Kevin Sullivan being especially pleased with his performance on Friday. Sullivan stressed that races like Friday’s are strong confidence builders, and that the coaching staff was looking forward to seeing Flanagan continue to improve over the course of the season. With three of the team’s top-nine runners at home to train, many younger athletes were given the opportunity to
compete. Notable performances came from redshirt freshman Isaac Harding, sophomores Ben Hill and Keenan Rebera and freshman Jacob Lee who finished 6-8-10-12 in the Challenge. “We’ve seen a big jump in performance from a lot of these guys,” Sullivan said. “They put in a lot of hard work (last year), which sometimes goes unnoticed, so it was nice to see them reaping the rewards of that hard work.” The XC Challenge was a good start and a solid first step in the Wolverines’ six weeks of preparation ahead of the Big Ten Championships, which it last won two years ago. A fifth-place finish in the conference last year marked a break from five straight seasons of top-three finishes in the Big Ten, as well as five straight appearances in the NCAA Championships. Hopes are high that this season can provide a return to success. “Our championship comes down to one day in October,” Sullivan said. “We don’t have a regular season championship, we don’t accumulate wins and losses, it all comes down to the last Sunday in October.” The upcoming races provide these aforementioned athletes — as well as other young talents such as redshirt freshman Andrew Lorant and redshirt sophomore Jordy Hewitt — the opportunity to develop and prepare for championships later in the year. Sullivan stressed that being able to compete despite being tired from previous races was especially important to the team’s success. “You may not feel your best, you may not feel your sharpest,” Sullivan said. “But you got to learn how to compete in those situations as well.”
Sports
8 — Tuesday, September 19, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Black out for season with foot injury teams units — kickoff, punt return and punt defense — and when he is on offense, he usually gets handed the ball in motion. Few opponents have had an answer for when McDoom comes flying across the field. And Michigan’s next opponent, Purdue (3-0), will have to prepare to see more of McDoom than it may have initially expected. He finally has the chance to take on a larger role, but McDoom still wished his teammate Black the best of luck in recovery. “It’s sad to say he had this injury,” he said. “I hope he returns very soon, but we have a game to play this week and we’re going to prepare for it.”
TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
The No. 8 Michigan football team (3-0) will be without its leading receiver when it begins the Big Ten season this weekend at Purdue. Freshman wide receiver Tarik Black suffered a foot injury against Air Force and will need surgery, said Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh on Monday. Black has a crack on the outside of his foot, and Harbaugh said he does not know if the receiver will return this season. However, later Monday evening, Black posted a photo on Instagram with a caption that suggested he would be out for the remainder of the year. In his first three games for Michigan, Black made 11 catches for 149 yards and one touchdown, leading the trio of starting receivers that also includes junior Grant Perry and sophomore Kekoa Crawford. “Tarik is a big-time player,” said fellow receiver sophomore Eddie McDoom. “He can take it downfield, he’s a fast guy, very good in his routes and he’s very smart. For him being that young, he’s a very good player.” Added senior offensive lineman Mason Cole: “A kid that’s that talented and putting in so much work to perform that well as a true freshman — to see him get hurt and miss a lot of time, it’s tough. You feel for the kid. … He’s a tough kid. He’ll pull through just fine.” Other Wolverines hoped to give Black their advice. Fifthyear senior linebacker Mike McCray couldn’t play his junior year due to injuries, but felt that there were still positives he took away from the experience on the sideline. That season, McCray spent ample time watching film and learning from older guys on the team. He hasn’t talked to
BY THE NUMBERS Tarik Black’s freshman campaign
11
EVAN AARON/Daily
Freshman wide receiver Tarik Black injured his foot against Air Force on Saturday, and will not be sidelined for the rest of what was a stellar opening season.
Black yet about the injury, but when he does, he’ll have words of encouragement. He hopes the young receiver takes time to grow his knowledge of the game. “Don’t let this deter you,” McCray said. “I know it’s hard. You want to be out there, but trust the process. You’ll eventually be back. Just grind, and you’ll be the same player as before, or even better. “…Outside of football, it kind of makes you think about your future. It’s one thing I thought about.”
Filling in for Black will be two candidates: the aforementioned McDoom and freshman receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Peoples-Jones made two catches for 52 yards against Air Force, and notably made the biggest impact last Saturday with his 79-yard punt return for a touchdown. Peoples-Jones fits the same mold as Black. Both excel when they line up out wide, and it seems likely that he’ll replace Black as the starter. McDoom brings his own strengths and spoke with media Monday about his role. McDoom didn’t win the
For him being that young, he’s a very good player.
starting job this season, and so far has notched just two receptions for 14 yards and three carries for 10 yards. Despite a lack of regular playing time, he has become a fan favorite. McDoom endeared himself to fans with jet sweeps last year met with roars of “Doooooom” from the Michigan crowd. Though outside of running jet sweeps from the slot position, McDoom hasn’t had a major receiving role to this point in his career. “I take what I’m given,” McDoom said. “If I get a jet sweep, I’ll make the best out of
it. If I get a route, I’ll run that route and get open.” With Black’s injury, McDoom may be forced to line up outside more often. Even though he mainly plays out of the slot, he said that he doesn’t have any preference regarding where he lines up. “On the outside, you can go over the top, and on the inside you can slide through the safeties,” McDoom said. Wherever Harbaugh decides to utilize him, McDoom’s speed will be his biggest threat. He plays for three special
He’s a tough kid. He’ll pull through just fine.
Receptions — first among Michigan receivers.
46
Yard touchdown against then-No.17 Florida
49.67
Receiving yards per game.
149
Receiving yards — good for first on the team.
Nordin’s three-point self: accurate, loud, Wild ORION SANG
Daily Sports Editor
Jim Harbaugh doesn’t find anything unusual about Quinn Nordin. Michigan’s head coach certainly knows Nordin well — he famously slept over at Nordin’s house while pursuing him throughout a long-winded recruitment. But to his teammates, Nordin is an enigma. “Quinn is an outspoken guy,” said sophomore receiver Eddie McDoom. “It’s very funny. When I see kickers, I don’t see them as Quinn. Quinn is very — I don’t know how to explain Quinn. Quinn is Quinn.” Given how Michigan’s new starting kicker has taken the world of college football by storm, it’s hard not to believe McDoom.
Nordin was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in three games this year. He’s connected on 11-of-13 attempts this season, tied for the most in the nation, and he’s been hugely important for a Michigan offense that has scored only one touchdown in 10 red zone appearances this year. The redshirt freshman tied a school record against Air Force this past week by hitting five field goals. Nordin had previously set a program record in the season-opening win over then-No. 17 Florida by kicking
two field goals of 50 yards or more. He’s also well on pace to shatter Remy Hamilton’s season record of 25 field goals. But it takes more than a strong and accurate leg to endear a kicker to a national audience. In Nordin’s case, what sets him apart is his haircut. It’s the same look that Charlie Sheen’s character, nicknamed “Wild Thing,” sported in the popular 1989 film “Major League.” And it caught the attention of many fans who viewed the season opener. “Ricky Vaughn, the ‘Wild Thing’ (nickname) — I just
When I see kickers, I don’t see them as Quinn.
have a mentality as a closer,” Nordin said after the Florida game. “When the team needs me, just go in there (and execute).” For his teammates, the hairdo is just more evidence that Nordin — as sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary opined — has more f lair than most kickers. “It’s actually cool,” Gary said. “I like the little swag. Little kicker gotta have something.” McDoom — who has a unique hairstyle of his own — said Nordin has the demeanor of a skill position player. “Quinn’s a really good
friend,” McDoom said. “Just hanging out with him, I feel like Quinn is not just a normal kicker. In my mind, he’s just like a normal receiver. Mentally, he has that vibe about him, that demeanor.” Perhaps purposefully, Nordin hasn’t given much public indication of what that unique demeanor is like. When asked about his success and his responsibilities, he’s mostly chosen to answer with platitudes. “Whatever they call me out to do, I’m going to do to the best of my ability,” Nordin said Saturday night. “If it’s a field
The ‘Wild Thing’ — I just have a mentality as a closer.
goal or PAT, I’m just going to try my hardest and put it through.” The little details, though, paint a different picture. The haircut, the testimonies of his teammates — and even an old recruiting video during which Nordin commits to Penn State while disembarking a private plane — show that Michigan’s kicker, indeed, does not fit the typical mold for his position. That certainly wouldn’t be as endearing to fans — and perhaps teammates — if Nordin struggled to make kicks. But that hasn’t been the case. “Quinn’s a beast,” Gary said. “There’ll be times in practice we go field goal block and he’s booming 60s. 60s. It’s just crazy seeing that. Sometimes I have to look back like, ‘Wow.’ Quinn’s a beast. I’m happy he’s my kicker.”
EVAN AARON/Daily
Redshirt freshman kicker Quinn Nordin is already well on pace to shatter Michigan’s single-season field goal record.