2017-09-20

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SIX YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Ann Arbor, Michigan

Behind the Lie: “It’s not alcoholism until you graduate”

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Behind the Lie

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STUDENT LIFE

After racist writing, no action from ‘U’ leaders HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily

Former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell dicusses his own past and his opinions on the future of national security at Hill Auditorium on Tuesday.

Colin Powell speaks on state of race relations in the United States

Also touches upon the importance of tech to a full audience in Hill Auditorium AMARA SHAIKH Daily Staff Reporter

U.S. General and former Secretary of State Colin Powell was greeted with a standing ovation at a packed Hill Auditorium on Tuesday afternoon. The event, organized

by the University of Michigan College of Engineering, was part of the James R. Mellor Lecture in conjunction with the Goff Smith Prize. The event was formatted as a discussion between Powell and Alec Gallimore, dean of the College of Engineering, who read questions composed from a few

of the hundreds of questions that audience members had submitted in advance. The questions covered topics such as technology and politics and offered advice for future generations. LSA freshman Eve Winter was interested in what Powell had to say about politics. “Colin Powell is really well

known, and I’m really interested in politics so I decided to come,” she said. “It’s also a really good way for me to continue to explore the field. This is the second event that I’ve gone to, and it’s really nice to see students come and get involved and I think that more students should take advantage See POWELL, Page 2A

Following racially charged incident, students want response from Schlissel AMARA SHAIKH Daily Staff Reporter

In light of racist comments written on Black students’ doors this past weekend in West Quad, many students are unhappy with University President Mark Schlissel’s apparent silence. Though Schlissel tweeted a response Sunday evening to the writings — where students found “N-----” written on their dorm door name tags — Schlissel has since not spoken outwardly about the racism and any action the University would plan to take with regard to these types of incidents. Aside from the

Division of Public Safety and Security investigation into the incident, there have not been any other administrative responses. LSA senior Isaiah Land, president of the University of Michigan branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, acknowledged the conf licts that Schlissel may be facing with regard to making a statement, but stressed the fact the Black community deserves the same amount of support and attention as any other group on campus. “I’m just really disappointed,” Land said. “I know that he’s handling a lot See RESPONSE, Page 3A

Blavin Scholars Program provides CSG body Lab works addresses support for students in foster care to advance

STUDENT GOVERNMENT

RESEARCH

West Quad racism, Lyft

Campus coaches, housing and educational programming help ease financial stress

The assembly also announced new ride program for night safety

The positive impact of the Blavin Scholars Program is unquestionable to donors Paul and Amy Blavin. Stepping back from the support it provides for 37 students who have experienced foster care in their life, they see a broader goal. “It’s the American dream personified,” Paul Blavin said. When the Blavins introduced the program, they said they were met with uncertainty. Still, since 2009, the Blavin Scholars Program has strived to create a stress-free community in which students can have a “normal college experience.” In addition to financial aid of up to $5,000, Blavin scholars receive campus coaches, educational programming and options for year-round housing, including during holidays and breaks. BSP Director Miriam Connolly said the program intentionally grants their scholars’ requests to remain invisible. She stressed how important the prospect of anonymity is. “This is what we call an invisible population,” Connolly said. “Some want to remain invisible because they just want a normal college life. I feel like it’s really critical for the student to feel like this is

JORDYN BAKER Daily Staff Reporter

On Tuesday’s Central Student Government meeting, CSG President Anushka Sarkar, an LSA senior, spoke on the weekend’s racist incidents in West Quad Residence Hall, in which three Black students found derogatory remarks on their dormitory door decorations. She confirmed CSG’s responsibility in representing those affected by such incidents, and expressed her disappointment in the weekend’s events. “To be honest with you, I don’t know what to say about it. It’s incredibly hurtful and frustrating for the students who experience that and to the campus community as a whole when we see this sort of thing happen and you don’t feel like you can do anything about it,” she said. “We are very passionate about finding a way to rework the bias response incidents program that the University has … this weekend is proof that if you don’t step up and work on these issues there will be no improvement in the way that we take on the response process.” See CSG, Page 3A

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KEVIN BIGLIN

Daily Staff Reporter

their program.” Housed within the Dean of Students Office and in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services, the program has admitted 54 students and currently supports 37 students, with eight graduating next spring. The program also boasts a 95 percent retention and graduation rate.

For more stories and coverage, visit

After reading Dave Pelzer’s novel “A Child Called ‘It,’” Blavin said he was inspired to begin the program with his wife. In the novel, Pelzer tells the story of an abused child who goes into foster care only to face even more challenges later in life. According to the Foster Care Alumni of America, only 3 to 10 percent of individuals who have spent time in foster

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care graduate from college, and more than 425,000 children in the United States are in foster care. The Blavins and Connolly aim to change the narrative of those who experience foster care. “There aren’t very many of these programs around the country,” Paul Blavin said. “Through trial and error, we’ve figured out that See PROGRAM, Page 3A

DESIGN BY OLIVIA STILLMAN

INDEX

Vol. CXXVII, No. 93 ©2017 The Michigan Daily

chemistry research

The Montgomery Research Group is led by Synthetic Chem professor JENNIFER MEER Daily Staff Reporter

In Montgomery Research Group, students are important contributors to many diverse research projects led by John Montgomery, the University of Michigan Margaret and Herman Sokol Professor in Medicinal or Synthetic Chemistry. Some of these students include LSA juniors Sara Alektiar and Jake Wilson, along with Rackham student Jessica Stachowski. Alektiar said one of her favorite things about studying chemistry, which directly relates to her research, is that the concepts are logical and applicable. “It’s nice to be working on something where you can see the point of it, you can see the direct application of it to something that is relatable to everyone,” she said. Alektiar explained the lab focuses on the science behind life, which contributes to a number of biological concepts. She said the lab also does work in organometallic chemistry, the study of compounds that See CHEMISTRY, Page 3A

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W O LV E R I N E O F T H E W E E K

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Every Wednesday, the Michigan Daily will be asking a University faculty member, staff member or student what the University bicentennial means to them.

Andrew D. Martin @ProfADM

“I watched this film about the University campus before it was this booming — everything is so different. There’s a lot that has changed. The buildings have been renovated and the students dress differently. But many things have stayed the same: frst parties, students orgs, people running around on the diag... it’s the future now, but the University’s character really isn’t that different.”

So pleased to welcome a HUGE group of #LSAstudents who have earned @umichLSA scholarships. We’re better because they are here. #GoBlue

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SMTD sophomore Jaime Murriel

If umich could get more public microwaves on campus, that would be great. AARON BAKER/Daily

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Problematizing Populism: The Polish Radical Right and the Return of National Communism WHAT: History Professor Brian Porter-Szücs discusses the current politics within Poland. WHO: Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies WHEN: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: Weiser Hall - Room 110

Consulting Track: Case Interview Prep

The Future Needs.. Something Blue

WHAT: Professor Zhou Qin of Suzhou University will deliver a lecture on the performance tradition of the Song dynasty (in Chinese with English translation). WHO: Confucious Institute at the University of Michigan WHEN: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union Kuenzel Room

WHAT: First-come, first-served pratice sessions to prepare for case study interviews. WHO: University Career Center WHEN: 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. WHERE: Program Room (Room 3003) University Career Center

WHAT: With shop window, gallery, and salon style displays, this exhibition features the theme of future possibilities. WHO: Taubman College of Architecture + Urban Planing WHEN: 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Liberty Research Annex 305 W. Liberty St.

Birds of India

Joseph Gascgo, harpischord and Aaron Berofsky, violin

A Taste of the Nation: Regional Cuisines in the New Deal Era

American Riddles: Learning How to Read with Medieval Poetry

WHAT: Dr. Camille Bégin will discuss food cultures during the New Deal. WHO: University Library WHEN: 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library - Gallery (Room 100)

WHAT: Near Eastern Studies Lecturer Michael Pifer will discuss the riddles of Nerses Shnorhali. WHO: Armenian Studies Program WHEN: 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Weiser Hall - Room 110

POWELL From Page 1A of that.” Powell began the event by talking about his upbringing in the South Bronx, and specifically how growing up in a diverse area formed the basis of his respect for others. This sentiment was similarly expressed in his opinions regarding diplomacy, and how it is necessary to keep an open dialogue with other nations to solve problems. Rep Debbie Dingell (D-Mich) also received a shout out from Powell. Prior to the event, she spoke in an interview about how much she admired him. “I have known Colin Powell for decades,” she said. “Alma is one of my best friends. I think he is truly the epitome of what a public servant is. He loves this country and he is really just a good man and I am excited that he is in my hometown of Ann Arbor.” Throughout the event, Powel emphasized the importance of continued investment in

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technology in ensuring the U.S.’s status as a top nation. “We are a technological nation, and we cannot lose the advantage that we have over other nations,” Powell said. “It is important that if our nation wants to stay on top, we

We are a technological nation, and we cannot lose the advantage we have have to continue investing in technology.” Powell also expressed his disappointment regarding the country’s race relations. In response to the recent racially charged incidents which have taken place on the University’s campus, Powell offered a message

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HARD BOILED.

Austin McCoy @AustinMcCoy3

Kunqu Singers and their Performance of Ci Songs

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WHAT: Washtenaw Audubon society member Amurthur Ramamurthy will discuss the 1,266 bird species of India. WHO: Matthaei Botanical Gardens & Nichols Arboretum WHEN: 7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Matthaei Botanical Gardens

of strength and support for minority students. “I think the college administration and the student bodies have to push back against this kind of thing. But don’t let one nut with a spray paint can destroy the community that exists in the University. There will always be folks like this — I’ve faced them throughout my life,” Powell said. “My own attitude has been, you can call me anything you want, but watch me, I’m going to do my job. I’ve always felt that those who’d like to look down on me because I’m Black or because I’m an immigrant or because I didn’t go to the right school — that’s their problem. I’m not going to let it become mine.” He also encouraged people not to let the racist actions diminish the University’s overall reputation. “We should push back with all the pressure we can against those who feel this way and believe these things, but we can’t do it by destroying the school or by having actions that are not in good order — or discipline, as we would say in the military — and if it’s one or two people, don’t let them turn upside down a university of 40,000,” he said. LSA senior Daniel Wu also shared Winter’s feelings and talked about his excitement to learn from Powell. “I like going to events where there are famous people coming to campus,” he said. “I love attending events on campus because there are so many interesting things happening and you just learn a lot. I love when famous people come to campus because they’re really interesting people with interesting stories.” Powell ended his conversation with Gallimore by stressing the importance of taking care of one another and understanding the responsibility that each individual has both to others and to the country. “Kindness is something you can give away, and you’ll never understand the impact that you had on another,” Powell said.

Happy to see students responding to the latest round of white supremacist graffiti/posters @umich. p. hodges @thelastadams tfw when you’re half asleep in a umich dining hall and africa by toto comes on to bodily drag you into another dimension

WHAT: SMTD professors will preform with Harmonious Blacksmith in this faculty recital. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: 8:00 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. Moore Building Britton Recital hall

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PROGRAM From Page 1A money is not the issue. It’s the struggles that continue once you get into college unless the proper support is provided.” Connolly said she believes in “student-centered planning,” and begins by looking at each prospective scholar’s needs, such as career development, life skills preparation, identity formation and their university community experience. “We provide a holistic approach,” Connolly said. “Each student is different. We work through each and every aspect of that scholars’ undergraduate experience and their life to really help them gain the skills they’ll need to be successful at the University of Michigan.” Scholars have access to oneon-one support, mentoring and community building. They also set goals at the beginning of each semester and meet with coaches at least once a month. Blavin scholar Samantha Wilson, an LSA senior, has been in the program since the fall of 2015 when she transferred to the University. She said her mentor has had a positive inf luence on her life and has helped her through difficult times. “My mentor is one of the best people on the planet,” Wilson said. “It’s just lovely to have her in my life. We can talk about personal things and that’s the beauty of being paired with a mentor — you get to choose what you want the relationship to be like.” Wilson said the program levels the playing field and gives students with difficult, complicated and differing pasts people they can trust. “To be on more of a level playing field, to say, ‘I am here, no matter my path and no matter what has happened’ is so impactful,” Wilson said. “To have someone say, ‘I’ve got your back,’ for a lot of people

CHEMISTRY From Page 1A bond a carbon atom and a metal. To preface her work, Alektiar explained most molecules have a carbon-hydrogen bond. When people get sick, the bacteria in their bodies can evolve, she continued, eventually making them immune to certain medicines. Therefore, there needs to be a way to develop new medicines efficiently. “The way that issue is being tackled is you kind of have to start at ground zero,” she said. “You have to start and basically make almost exactly the same thing, just change one thing about it, but you have to start from the very beginning. It’s not the most effective way because you are wasting a lot of the stuff that you’ve already made before you realized it wasn’t useful. So it’s just a much longer, timeconsuming process.” However, Alektiar explained she has recently worked in the lab with carbon-hydrogen bond functionalization to improve the process. Now, Alektiar is currently starting to do more research with metals — something she said aligns with what she is looking to do in the future. She

it’s unprecedented and it’s uncomfortable. … It provides such a serene, haven-like place for so many people, and I mean that in terms of state of mind.” The program helps students eliminate financial barriers by providing a $5,000 scholarship each year to help pay for personal needs in addition to their financial aid package. “It meets any gaps the student has in their financial aid package,” Connolly said. “Our students may have more emergent needs than the average student. Some scholars deal with homelessness while others just lack funds to finish their degree due to family obligations.” Wilson said she uses the scholarship money to pay for classes and food. “It’s removed a lot of barriers financially,” she said. “I don’t have to worry about where my next meal is going to come from or how I’m going to pay for this class. All the who, what, where, when and how’s now have answers.” Many struggles scholars face stem from a lack of community, Blavin said, which causes pressure socially and academically. There are therefore several events, including dinner with the Blavins on Thanksgiving for students without a home and social gatherings, in order to build a community. Connolly said a major goal of the program is to turn a large campus into a small place where students feel welcome. Blavin added how lonely college can be for minority students, both socioeconomically and racially, without a network of support. “College can be a lonely place,” Blavin said. “When you’re a minority on campus, it can be a very difficult place. So we have a supportive community that I think our scholars find beneficial. It’s the love and attention our scholars receive from everybody — that’s where success comes

from.” Connolly and Blavin said not all scholars have the privilege of having a family for support, which is where coaches help. Coaches, such as Connolly, help scholars move and provide dorm supplies such as bedding, laundry detergent and other items. “Thinking about this idea of family privilege, every scholar’s experience is different,” Connolly said. “Our scholars may not have family support like their roommates. We may be that support — so we’ll load up our cars and help them move onto campus. And we’ll also supply them with all of the things that they’ll need.” Wilson said she has struggled to build consistency in her life. “Abandonment can be a huge component of being in care,” Wilson said. “I’ve had a lot of overturn in my life. It’s like a revolving door. To have someone stay is a rarity. To have consistency, I think would be a component that needs to be worked on.” Going forward, Connolly and Blavin would like to have 100 scholars in the program and create a positive experience for students who have experienced foster care. Other goals include growing their alumni base, expanding even more in the community and affecting governmental policy. “In the future of the program, I do see us going to 100 students,” Connolly said. “And I do see us changing the narrative around students who have experienced foster care. We’re looking at how we can improve these outcomes.” Paul Blavin said he hopes organization, faculty and even students continue their support for the program because they drive its success. “We all can be rooting for the success of these students,” Paul Blavin said. “It’s an amazing example of the power of the human spirit.”

said wants to get her Ph.D. in organic chemistry, and is very interested in photocatalysis. Alektiar offered a simplified definition of the photocatalysis process, saying it uses light to make reactions occur. “A lot of the fundamentals and techniques that I’m learning through the different projects I’ve been doing at the Montgomery lab, I will be able to apply them to then do photocatalysis in the future,” she said. Wilson is also studying chemistry and has been working a project in the Montgomery lab since January. His work involves biocatalysis, which uses natural enzymes to speed up chemical reactions, of which he uses mutants to modify big macromolecules. “Essentially, we’re speeding up the process of the pharmaceutical company so that they can screen more antibiotics quicker,” he said. Wilson said he modifies substrates — substances that undergo chemical reactions. “For me, the most interesting part is that I can make modifications on the molecule and then force something that is biologically active to do that reaction on a molecule in a different way,” he said. “It’s

a little bit of a power trip in a way, but obviously in a nerdy way. You’re able to basically manipulate the molecule any way you want to.” Wilson took Chemistry 210, an organic chemistry course, with Montgomery as a freshman. He said he was interested in the theory behind the material so he often stayed behind to ask questions after class and soon expressed interest in Montgomery’s research. Wilson said he enjoys the research he is doing because he gets to establish a personal connection with high-level faculty that can help him to understand the material; he said speaking directly with experts in the field is a “one of a kind” experience that is not necessarily offered in classes. In terms of why research is important, Wilson said in the current political climate there is the perception that research isn’t as important because the results are not necessarily tangible. “I obviously have a scientific background … I understand that essentially all scientific research is important in some way no matter how far removed away from process it is,” he said. A Read more online at big

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Students pet therapy dog Kipper at the Dogs on Diag event, which was moved into the Ugli due to rain on Tuesday.

RESPONSE From Page 1A of different students and a lot of different donors and things like that. But even if it’s a small group of students, we matter here and I want people to know that. It’s kind of a slap in the face when I get an email about the Bicentennial when three days later there’s no address to the racists incidents, and you are still sending out emails about bicentennials.” LSA freshman Dylan Gilbert shared some of Land’s sentiment, and explained she is upset but not surprised by Schlissel’s inaction. “I wasn’t that surprised because (racist incidents) happens all the time, and at this point I’m pretty desensitized to it all. I think people don’t like addressing what makes them uncomfortable, especially in such a predominantly white university,” Gilbert said. “They probably have no idea what to do and are most likely f loundering a little bit. There definitely needs to be a statement made explaining that we protect students and don’t like stuff like this to happen.” Because of this, students have taken matters into their own hands: The Black Student Union and the Michigan branch of the NAACP held an event titled “Destress” Tuesday evening to discuss strategies for supporting the Black community and moving forward after the recent racial incidents that have taken place on campus and downtown Ann Arbor. Black students, faculty and allies piled into the Modern Language Building to look for ways to ensure that AfricanAmerican students feel safe and comfortable at Michigan. The event was orginally slated to be held in the Yuri Kochiyama lounge of South quad but changed due to high interest. It was casual, and offered

CSG From Page 1A Sarkar later expanded on this in a statement. “The anti-black targeting of students this past weekend in West Quad is indicative of a larger problem that is perpetuated by both active hatred and quiet bystanders,” she wrote. “It is impossible to stop every force of racism and hatred, but it is certainly within the reach of every single member of the Michigan community to vocally and actively stand up against these acts of hatred. If you are not doing so, you are complicit in these continued incidents. I encourage those of you who have stood by until now to join those who continue to face these attacks. Without communitywide and active solidarity, hatred will continue to manifest in these cowardly acts.” The assembly then moved on to their guest speakers. Dean of Students Laura Jones explained what the Dean of Students Office

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 — 3A students a chance to voice their emotions, experiences and opinions following recent incidents of racism in a safe and comfortable environment. One of the students was LSA sophomore Kaitlyn Brown, who ref lected on the alarm she felt after finding out about the writings in West Quad. “I was also shocked — hurt — that this is something that’s happening at my school and in my community. It’s personal. I’m appalled that this is happening now, in 2017, on my campus, happening to my people. Why is this something that is still going on?” Brown said. “And it’s hurtful that

people even think that’s OK. Like they actually thought about it, and then did it, and didn’t think there would be any consequence.” The Destress event is one of many ways the Black community on campus is working to heal and move forward. During the discussion portion, suggestions such as having mandatory racerelation training for each student, faculty member and GSI and reclaiming Black spaces on campus were explored. Throughout the day Tuesday, students and allies also participated in a “BlackOut,” dressing in all black to show solidarity with the Black community. Land explained the importance of a “Black-Out” and explained how the show of

solidarity is comforting during tough times. “When you look and see someone wearing all black, whether it’s an ally or someone in your community, you can easily look at them and say, hey, you’re with us, you’re not against me and you want to make a change with me,” Land said. The University chapter of the NAACP, The Muslim Students Association, Central Student Government, and JustDems, the University’s chapter College Democrat’s social justice committee, as well as handful other students organizations, tweeted in solidarity with the Black Student Union and the statement they released. Public Policy junior Lauren Schandevel, communications director for the University’s chapter of College Democrats, wrote in an email interview the black-out had full support from her organization. “College Democrats supports the black-out 100%,” she wrote. “We encouraged our members to participate, too.” Both Gilbert and Land hope people continue to show their support for the Black community and that the administration makes more of an effort to help minority students on campus. “They can start talking about it, holding people accountable for their actions and showing that if they find the people who did it that they take serious measures. Also by addressing it and showing that they stand with the Black students in the University,” Gilbert said. Land urged the entire community to stand in solidarity and support the movement. “This movement is for everybody. I think typically we come and see it’s mostly Black students in these type of spaces, and I encourage anyone who is with us to come out and voice your opinion and show support.”

offers and how they hope to facilitate leadership advancement with CSG. She said working with students from CSG is one of the matters that has defined her perception of the University of Michigan as such a distinguished institution. “I want to acknowledge and thank you for caring enough about the institution to run for office and to be a part of student government,” she said. “I really value and appreciate the role that you play and what your purpose is.” Jones also introduced Jim Hoppes, the newly hired program adviser for Central Student Government. Taking over a role that works closely with CSG, Hoppes, who attended the University as an undergraduate, looks to build upon previous experience working with student leaders. “I’m very excited for this year and I hope to help you all accomplish your goals,” he said. In updates from the executive branch, Sarkar discussed projects such as CSG’s new partnership

with Lyft, featuring $10 passes that work from midnight until 6 a.m. and that CSG hopes to make available to students next week. “One of the things we had campaigned on was security threats for walking home late at night among students, especially in the South U, East U area,” she said. “I worked with Lyft over the summer to get late night ride passes for everyone.” Other projects currently addressed by the executive branch include food insecurity initiatives that look to build upon last year’s progress, in which CSG worked with the dean of students to facilitate a referral program by CAPS and SAPAC that allows students in need to receive six free meal swipes at University dining halls. In addition, CSG approved the appointments for new leadership in several positions and commission chairs, including LSA sophomore Isabelle Blanchard as chief programming officer and LSA junior Niccolo Beltramo as chair of the Student Organization Funding Commission.

I’m appalled that this is happening now, in 2017, on my campus, happening to my people

Opinion

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EMMA KINERY Editor in Chief

ANNA POLUMBO-LEVY

and REBECCA TARNOPOL Editorial Page Editors

REBECCA LERNER Managing Editor

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Carolyn Ayaub Megan Burns Samantha Goldstein Caitlin Heenan Jeremy Kaplan Sarah Khan Anurima Kumar

Max Lubell Lucas Maiman Alexis Megdanoff Madeline Nowicki Anna Polumbo-Levy Jason Rowland

Anu Roy-Chaudhury Ali Safawi Sarah Salman Kevin Sweitzer Rebecca Tarnopol Stephanie Trierweiler Ashley Zhang

Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s Editorial Board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS & SENIOR OPINION EDITORS | OP-ED

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In solidarity with Black students

or many students, a dorm room functions as a home away from home, a personal space that is sacred, a place where they should always feel comfortable and safe to come back to. But this week, this space was violated. Four students in the Michigan Community Scholars Program came home to their dorm rooms in West Quad Residence Hall to find racial slurs graffitied on the nametags on their doors. Only one day later, racist graffiti, along with a picture of Dylann Roof — who shot and killed nine members of a predominantly Black church in Charleston, S.C. — were discovered on a mural on East Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor. These are just two of the horrific instances of racism that we have seen on campus, and there have been a number of other notable instances of publicly displayed racism during and after the 2016 presidential election of Donald Trump. These incidents have only served to create a hostile and unsafe environment for many students on our campus,

COREY DULIN | COLUMN

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and as editors of the Opinion Section of The Michigan Daily, we stand against this hatred and racism and we stand with and among everyone affected by these incidents during these times and always. As administrators, professors and communities

“We stand with and among everyone affected by these incidents.” across campus are reacting to these events and expressing their solidarity, we felt it was important that we remind those around us that we too stand with those affected. Our section prides itself in being an inclusive space where people feel comfortable expressing their opinions, but as was said in our letter from the Editorial Page Editors, racist, hateful speech is not tolerated in our

section, and we condemn the actions of those individuals that made those they targeted feel unsafe on our campus. As a newspaper, we are an institution that is forever grateful for the rights we have to exercise free speech and the rights afforded to us through freedom of the press. But as Wendy Woods, associate director of MCSP, said in her address during the MCSP solidarity event, incidents such as the racist graffiti on students’ dorm rooms is not an issue of free speech. It is threatening, hateful and plain and simple racism that we cannot allow to masquerade as something protected by the First Amendment. Signed, Anna Polumbo-Lev y Rebecca Tarnopol

and

Editorial Page Editors Max Lubell, Madeline Nowicki, Anu Roy-Chaudhury, Steph Trierweiler and Ashley Zhang Senior Opinion Editors

Shade

y story is nothing shades of a foundation, let alone new — I’m a Black 40. I wasn’t disappointed, which girl with darker skin, is not the norm for me when it so finding foundation and other comes to makeup. makeup in shades that don’t Even before I saw the make me look like a ghost is a products, I was excited. Rihanna challenge. At the very and everyone least, most brands behind the Fenty have a few “darker” brand made it shades to give the clear through their illusion of inclusivity, advertisements and but this facade comes posts on Instagram crashing down when that this makeup many darker-skinned isn’t for a select women put them on group of people. It their skin. isn’t just for people Popular drugstore in the skin tone COREY brands are especially range of “Porcelain” bad when it comes to through “Tan.” The DULIN making products for brand prides itself on those with more melanin than this, with a quote from Rihanna most. Going into any popular on the home page emphasizing drug store, I know the darkest that “Fenty Beauty was created foundation or powder of most for everyone.” Unlike many brands will be too light for me. other makeup brands, Fenty But even brands at stores like doesn’t just create the illusion of Sephora and Ulta have this inclusion — it actually delivers. problem too. Other brands’ unwillingness In addition, products to meet the same standards as marketed to Black women are Fenty doesn’t make sense. It’s more likely to contain harmful financially smart to make more chemicals. So there are few products catered to women with products to begin with, and darker skin. For example, despite when brands do offer products being a minority of the U.S. for Black women, they’re more population, Black women spend likely to be harmful than those 80 percent more on cosmetics marketed to the general public. than “general consumers.” This Makeup has recently made discovery was made years ago, me a bit emotional. Constantly but it seems like many popular walking through makeup aisles brands have decided to ignore filled with products you know this memo. If brands offer will be way too light or make darker shades they won’t be you look ashy gets irritating very disappointed with the additional quickly. When a brand actually revenue they generate because takes the time to ensure it carries there’s a market — even Fenty’s products for people with skin darkest foundation shades are too dark for the token brown selling out. foundation shade, it is a fantastic Fenty Beauty just launched shock to me. The release of on Sept. 8, but is not the only Fenty Beauty by Rihanna has inclusive brand on the market. made me feel like the industry is Supermodel Iman created her making more of a space for me. own cosmetics line in the ’90s It’s hard to find brands with 20 specifically for women of color.

Brands like L.A. Girl Cosmetics, Anastasia Beverly Hills and Nars also stock their shelves with colors that complement many skin tones. Fenty Beauty is part of a trend of bringing more products to the market for people with darker complexions. This topic is about more than makeup, it’s about who is valued and who is represented. The makeup industry as a whole has not made a strong attempt to cater to women with dark skin, and a lackluster attempt at best to cater to women with lighter shades of brown skin. For years, the beauty industry has given women with these skin tones no attention; it expects these women to be happy with the few brown colors on shelves and call it a day. The beauty industry uses the same approach in advertising. No one expects them to offer dark shades, so they don’t feature dark-skinned models in their advertisements. Sometimes, brands or stores decide to use a model with lighter brown skin, but this is not representative of all people with brown skin. Fenty Beauty and other brands like it signal a shift away from tokenism and toward inclusivity. We internalize what we see on shelves and elsewhere in stories and in society. As a society, we need to be exposed to more diverse products and images so beauty standards are less exclusive and specific. We can embrace people of all shades, and show that there’s a place for them, in beauty and in society as a whole. Hopefully, diversity will become the norm.

Corey Dulin can be reached at cydulin@umich.edu.

CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and op-eds. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while op-eds should be 550 to 850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.

Antifa impedes progress

n Thursday, President Donald Trump reiterated his controversial and widelycriticized assertion that “many sides” share blame for the violence in Charlottesville, Va., in August. Trump cited recent clashes between antifa, a militant antifascist organization and white supremacist groups in Charlottesville as well as subsequent rallies across the nation, claiming antifa’s aggression justified his earlier reluctance to denounce white nationalism. Antifa’s methods — particularly their willingness to provoke violence with the farright — are worthy of criticism, but one can denounce these methods without establishing moral equivalency between antifa and the white supremacists they oppose. In the weeks since the Charlottesville rallies, considerable attention shifted to antifa, the far-left political movement that has taken a visible role in opposition to the so-called “alt-right.” Antifa was present in Charlottesville and took on more central roles in subsequent rallies in Berkeley, Calif., and Portland, Ore. Videos of antifa members attacking right-wing protestors led conservative political commentators to vocally decry the group. After the episode of violence in Berkeley, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi released a statement condemning the group and calling for the criminal prosecution of instigators. Though other liberals have defended or expressed admiration for antifa, Pelosi is right. There is compelling evidence that antifa members incited the political violence in Berkeley and elsewhere. Jake Tapper, a CNN journalist, alleged that antifa members attacked journalists in Charlottesville. It is prudent to denounce these methods, as our democracy thrives only under the framework of peaceful and respectful dialogue. Violence, even if retaliatory, against political opponents, no matter how vile their views, only

degrades our ability to find and implement constructive solutions to our problems. Antifa’s violent tactics have demonstrated that the group aims to silence its political opponents through force and intimidation, which is an ugly and detestable strategy regardless of ideology. Such violence and intimidation is neither justified nor pragmatic, as it only lends credence to President Trump’s claims of moral equivalency while also perpetuating the white nationalists’ false narrative of white persecution by the left (when in fact, right-wing extremists have been responsible for 74 percent of politicallymotivated killings in the past decade). Furthermore, this violence irreversibly isolates antifa from the political mainstream, fracturing the opposition to white nationalism. The nation needs to form a united front against white supremacists, neo-Nazis and other far-right hate groups in order to effectively oppose white nationalism, but antifa’s belligerence impedes our ability to do so. Perhaps most detrimentally, antifa has become a political distraction, drawing attention away from the anti-hate message of the counterprotest and siphoning criticism away from white nationalism. The national debate over antifa has shielded white nationalists from further criticism, even as they continue to stage rallies and marches across the United States. It is clear antifa’s methods have overshadowed its message, and that it is now a glaring liability in the struggle against white nationalism. However, criticism of antifa should in no way establish, or even imply, a moral equivalency between antifa and white nationalism. Though labeled an anarchic group, antifa’s decentralized nature prevents it from developing a cohesive farleftist ideology. Rather, antifa’s ideology is rooted in opposition to white supremacy, bigotry and racial hatred — after all, the group’s name is shorthand for anti-fascism. Contrast this to the ideals of the white

nationalist demonstrators in Charlottesville: overt racism, anti-Semitism and homophobia. Many of them openly identified with neo-Nazi organizations and other hate groups. Perhaps some of the “alt-right” marchers would bristle at being labeled a neo-Nazi, but it cannot be denied that they willingly associated themselves with neo-fascism while enthusiastically participating in a rally that had become a symbol of white supremacy. Indeed, the demonstration was promoted as a rally to “Unite the Right.” This leads to another key distinction. While the “alt-right” marched in Charlottesville under the coordinated pretext of unifying the various factions of the “altright”, the counterprotestors were an ideologically eclectic group linked by only their common disgust of white supremacy and neo-Nazism. The anti-white nationalist crowd in Charlottesville included clergy, students and community leaders, with antifa only comprising a small, albeit visible, minority. Heather Heyer, the victim of the Charlottesville car attack, was not a radical, but an innocent woman brave enough to stand against racism. Heyer’s tragic death exemplifies why it is inaccurate and disrespectful to push a “both sides” narrative, especially when characterizing the events in Charlottesville. The aggressive methods of antifa warrant explicit denouncement, but critics must be wary of straw man-ing the counterprotestors, as the vast majority are not represented by antifa. Furthermore, any criticism of antifa must not establish a pretext of moral equivalency between white supremacy and its opponents. The strongest condemnation should be reserved for white nationalism, as it is simply misguided to continue to focus on antifa when the more clamant matter is the pervasive presence of bigotry in American society. Noah Harrison can be reached at noahharr@umich.edu.

SARAH NEFF | CONTACT SARAH AT SANE@UMICH.EDU.

ASSORTED U-M FACULTY | OP-ED

An Open Letter to African-American Students from U-M Faculty

I

n light of recent events, we offer these brief words, straight from our hearts: 1. We are glad you’re here, studying with us.

2. Please come introduce yourself at office hours, even if you don’t need help with anything. We’d like to get to know you. With love,

For a full list of contributors, see MichiganDaily.com

Arts

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

CONCERT REVIEW

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 — 5A

COMMUNITY CULTURE NOTEBOOK

FOREIGN FAMILY COLLECTIVE

Paramore commands the crowd at the Fox Theater LAURA DZUBAY Daily Arts Writer

At first, the screaming was so deafening that for a moment I was actually afraid. Then the moment passed, and I remembered where I was and what was going on. I was at a concert. The intermission after the opening act of Best Coast was over, and all seven members of Paramore had just run out onto the stage. Paramore is tied to an interesting brand of fan culture. Older bands typically spearhead devoted groups of longtime listeners, many of whom know the band’s history and can list every album chronologically, whereas the concerts of more recent groups are often attended by younger fans who are primarily excited about material from the last few years. Paramore walks the line comfortably between these two groups, which is part of why their concerts are always so much fun: there are people who just started listening to them (thanks to singles like “Ain’t It Fun” and “Still Into You”), and people who have followed their journey all the way back since Riot!, and even All We Know Is Falling. No matter which side of the aisle you fall on, though, the level of energy at their live shows is undeniable. The pop punk band kicked off Friday night’s concert with “Hard Times,” the footstomping single off their newest album, After Laughter. From there they plunged straight through consecutive, roof-raising performances of hits like “Ignorance,” “Still Into You” and “Daydreaming.” The show never seemed to falter — Paramore has so many catchy songs from so many successful records that every opening chord progression seemed to throw the crowd into a frenzy. The band skated

easily between their own songs, with equal enthusiasm for older hits like “That’s What You Get” as for newer ones like “Forgiveness” and “Brick By Boring Brick.” Hayley Williams herself was a force of inexorable energy. She strutted around the stage, f lipped her hair and weightlifted the microphone stand with one hand, all without losing the dynamic force of her vocal performance. The entire night, Williams commanded an intriguing and telling presence, in that the audience’s mood always felt mirrored to her own. When she was on her feet, jumping and shouting along to her own lyrics, so was everyone else; people cheered at the

Paramore Fox Theater Friday, September 15 top of their lungs, and bouncy balls pinballed around the lower level of the theater. And when she settled back down momentarily to thank us for coming and to talk about her feelings, we settled, too. “This is one of those nights where it feels like you don’t know how this happened, it’s like it’s not deserved,” she said. “It feels like a really special night to talk about feelings.” There were a few intimate moments like this. Part of it came through the music itself — during slower songs like “26” and “Hate to See Your Heart Break,” audience members closed their eyes and swayed, waving the lights from their phones back and forth in the air. But a big part of it came from Williams herself; every sentence she uttered came off

as truly genuine, and when she talked to the audience as one might a friend, she managed to make even The Fox’s huge venue seem intimate. When she spoke of the band’s appreciation for how far their fans have taken them since Riot!, one got the sense that she really was speaking from the heart. “I want you to close your eyes and imagine yourself ten years ago,” she said at one point. “Ten years ago, it was 2007 — that’s math — and it was a very different time, especially for good old bands like us. And we just so happened to put out our second record, it was called Riot!, that year, and we set out across the United States of America on the Warped Tour ... And it was beautiful because that year, we met so many of you. It was a big year for us.” By the time the show was over, there were plenty of fun moments to look back on: a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Everywhere,” the moment Paramore invited a fan onstage to sing the end of “Misery Business” and the fact that they dedicated the show, “like every show we play in Detroit,” to a fan named Papa Smurf who once gave Williams a pair of earrings in 2005. But what resonated perhaps the most was the band’s genuine effort to include the audience in the fun of the performance as much as they could. Williams closed out the encore by introducing the rest of the performers: Justin York, Logan McKenzie, Joe Mullen, Joey Howard, Taylor York and Zac Farro. “And all together, we represent something that’s bigger than each one of us alone,” she finished. “So who are we?” And when the audience shouted back, “We are Paramore!” it sounded as if, in that moment, everyone in the whole theater was telling the truth.

REPUBLIC

In pursuit of self agency: ‘I and Love and You’ and me ARYA NAIDU

Daily Arts Writer

Whenever life starts to get a little too heavy and days start to feel a little too long, I have a propensity to lose sight of myself. My interests, my footing, my breath — they all just evaporate in this haze of, “Why does everything always have to happen at once?” It’s paralyzing, this feeling of being in a funk but also needing to conquer the world. It’s in these times, this time, that I often turn to a certain pair of brothers to pluck me out. Directed by Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfiglio, the documentary “May it Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers” trails the band during the making of their 2016 album True Sadness. It’ll hit HBO in early 2018, and it had a onenight-only showing on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at various theaters across the country. God bless the Michigan Theater for being one of them. The summer after I graduated from high school (I sincerely wish I could refer to a less cliché time in my life), I saw the Avett Brothers, an Americana group, live. Despite having seen half of their set at a festival in 2015, I wasn’t super into their music yet. But in this setting, at that particular point in my life, something shifted. I felt so out of control of my future that I just let their performance move me. I can’t say I went home that night and cried, because “cried” isn’t a strong enough word. I was weeping.

That whole summer was full of hesitation, and it was an introduction to varying degrees of sadness and self-doubt that I hadn’t known before. Even with close friends, I had always felt a little out of place. My high school experience was somewhat unconventional, and there were moments when it got pretty lonely. When I listened — really listened — to the Avett Brothers that night, it was as if this whole new dimension of life just opened itself for me. Fearlessness, love, sorrow, heartbreak, freedom, agency — all of these feelings were just sitting there, waiting for me to claim them. They turned into possibilities and dreams and finally, thank whoever’s up there helping me out, I was awake for them. Now, almost a year and a half later, this documentary about the Brothers comes out. I know they don’t know me, and they didn’t know I needed them, but it’s really like they knew I needed them. The Avett Brothers are my reset button. Hearing their writing process and seeing the dynamic between Seth and Scott, I felt like myself again. From “Open Ended Life” from Magpie and the Dandelion, 2013: “I spent my whole life talking to convince everyone / That I was something else / And the part that kind of hurts / Is I think it finally worked.” These lyrics are poignant and eloquent on a level I can only ever hope to reach. I started to think of all these moments when I got hurt by

vibrating on everyone else’s frequency but my own. It’s not worth it. I keep having this same revelation, and someday I hope it sticks (maybe that’s what my thirties are for). Until the time comes, I have this album to revisit whenever the chain tugs at me. My dear love, my aching pain, my loyal friend: “I and Love and You.” The Avett Brothers wreck me like no one else can, and this album, this song, these lyrics, are the epicenter of this. “Dumbed down and numbed by time and age / Your dreams to catch the world, the cage / The highway sets the traveler’s stage / All exits look the same / Three words that became hard to say / I and love and you.” I’ll repeat it over and over again until the world stops spinning: I and love and you. They’re lyrics that have grown with me and will eternally continue to do so. From big dreams, to baby dreams, to crushed dreams, this documentary fed me perspective, and it showed me how to breathe again — grateful and boundless. So, I’ll go. I’ll listen to “Head Full of Doubt / Road Full of Promise” and start living the visions I drum up when times gets hectic and I feel inadequate. I’ll listen to “Murder in the City” and remember my mom and how much I miss eating her food and watching “Gilmore Girls” together. I’ll listen to “True Sadness” and let myself experience pure moments of just that. I just listen, and my heart thanks me.

FILM REVIEW

FILM REVIEW

‘They Killed My Father’ proves disturbing & tragic Beginning in 1975, the film chronicles the story of Loung Daily Arts Writer Ung and her family as they are forced to deal with an “First They Killed My increasingly terrible series Father,” directed by Angelina of events due to the rise of Jolie (“By the Sea”) is one the communist regime of the of the most heartbreaking Khmer Rouge. Fearing they will movies of the be targeted due year. Telling the to their family’s autobiographical connections to “First They story of Loung the previous Killed My Ung (who government, co-wrote the they f lee to the Father” screenplay with countryside Jolie and wrote where they end Netflix the memoir upon up forced to work which the film in a series of labor is based) and camps. The family featuring an all-Cambodian is slowly torn apart as the cast, the film is an epic and genocide ramps up its terror. disturbing recreation of one of Films about genocide the most horrifying events of are tricky. With a personal the 20th century. investment in this story, Jolie IAN HARRIS

fills every frame of the film with this sense of hopelessness and confusion that is as unnerving as it is compelling. The audience will find itself hard-pressed to look away as the atrocities begin to pile up and the sadness of the characters’s situation begins to hit home. The music by Marco Beltrami (“The Hurt Locker”) imbues the film with a sense of terror as well as a sense of scale. The scale of this film is stunning. Aerial shots of thousands of people walking convey the sheer number of people affected by the Cambodian genocide in a way that forces the audience to grapple with the subject matter , and realize what it would be like to be forced from your

home and lose everyone and everything that ever mattered to you. This is not a happy film. It is not a film you watch to “enjoy” in any real sense of the word. It is a film that forces its audience to look inside themselves and ask why their country didn’t do anything, why their country should’ve done something and if either they or their country

are doing anything now. There are terrible atrocities in the vein of the genocides of the 20th century being committed around the world today and by and large the western world is content to deal with its own problems and do nothing. In light of that, “First They Killed My Father” is not just an extremely important film but also extremely timely

NETFLIX

one. As extremist groups of all kinds continue to cause terror and fear all across the globe it is important now more thAn ever not to forget what happened in Cambodia in the ’70s. Americans did not pay any attention then. With “First They Killed My Father,” Jolie and Ung are doing their part to make sure that this time, they will.

Arts

6A — Wednesday, September 20, 2017

DAILY FILM COLUMN

Darren Aronofsky and his dangerousgod-complex

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

T V NOTEBOOK

Film Columnist Madeleine Gaudin criticizes Aronofsky’s recent‘Mother!’inhercontinuingdiatribeagainstthefilm MADELEINE GAUDIN Daily Film Columnist

I can’t believe I’m still writing about this damn movie. I’d like nothing more than to wash my brain of Darren Aronofsky and his latest assault of the senses. But, alas, three days later and I can’t get “Mother!” out of my head. I don’t remember the last movie that made me this mad. Beyond the hollowness of its selfserving allegory and its reliance on spectacle over substance, something in this movie got under my skin, and I haven’t been able to draw it out quite yet. Hopefully, by the end of this piece, I can bury this — and my now irredeemable relationship with Aronofsky’s films — six feet under. The image I keep seeing when I think about the film is that of Jennifer Lawrence, lying on her back in the middle of a crowd of people. We see her from above and headless hands rain down on her, hitting, clawing, cutting her. It’s a hard image regardless of who is making it. But knowing that the eye on the other side of the camera and the hand that wrote the scene both belong to a man, the same man — it’s not just awful, it’s bad writing. I’m reminded of a WIRED article from a few years back written in response to rape scenes in “Game of Thrones.” And, while there’s no explicit rape in “Mother!,” the same rules apply. Here, violence against women is not used to further a male character’s plot line, but rather for spectacle — a box Aronofsky checks off on his way to full sensory overload. More so, my nausea is heightened by the clear link between Aronofsky and the film’s male lead, the troubled male artist. A trope that normally warrants an eye-roll, in “Mother!” is, of course, brought to sickening heights. Javier Bardem’s character is a dismissive, emotionally abusive husband with a superiority complex. He’s a good character — probably the most interesting in the movie. But, it’s

also clear that he’s supposed to be Aronofsky. I thought, at first, that I was grasping at straws, looking for a way to connect the director to the center of the film’s evil. But then I read an interview in which Aronofsky described the script “pouring out of him” like “in a fever dream,” an event mirrored by the poet in the film. Bardem wakes up one morning and writes the poem that sets the third act in motion. While it’s not the poet’s hands that beat his wife in this horrific scene, it is his own inability to live without the attention his fans — who have overrun his house — give him that puts her in the

I’d like to think Arnofsky’s alignment with Bardem’s character is a selfaware one

position to be attacked. I’d like to think Aronofsky’s alignment with Bardem’s character is a selfaware one. I hope he isn’t that dense. But, even if this is a selfaware manifestation of himself, it doesn’t feel like one that has the level of self-criticism to make up for the vileness of the character. I don’t doubt that Aronofsky loves the attention and admiration his fan base of film school kids give. He’s talked about eavesdropping on people praising his movies. He clearly thinks himself a genius. I really wish I could laugh at him. This level of self-righteousness is hilarious. Aronofsky is the sort of character I wish I’d written. But, there’s something more sinister going on with the trope he buys into that keeps me from rolling my eyes, tweeting and moving on.

Classifieds

Everything Aronofsky does perpetuates the idea of “genius” as something that one man (always a man) achieves in a state of monomania, locked in his room, scribbling his masterpiece, riding the wave of adrenaline and the compulsion of God, the muses or innate and unmatchable skill. It’s absurd, yes. It’s laughable, of course. But it also severely limits the discussion of what art we consider “genius.” The solitary male genius is a dangerous narrative. It gives people like Aronofsky a hall pass to make movies like “Mother!” It asks us to overlook things like the aforementioned scene as part of a singular artistic vision, one whose power we mere consumers can only sense and whose deeper meaning we can only guess at. If Aronofsky wants to make a self-critical movie about an abusive, male “genius,” I’ll be the first in line. But I think he probably thinks he already did that with “Mother!,” which is a real shame. “Mother!” is a lot of things, but it’s definitely not a passable attempt to properly dismantle the myth of the solitary genius. “Mother!” could have been good. If it did the things I think it wanted to do, it could have been a challenging and deeply vulnerable look at the interworking of the director’s mind. But, simply, Aronofsky takes himself too seriously, believes more wholeheartedly than he’d like to let on in his own myth to be truly selfcritical. That’s precisely why the image of Jennifer Lawrence at the center of the raging sea of people is so unsettling, and why I’m thinking about the dumpster fire that was this movie days after I left the theater — it feels like we’re seeing the scene through Aronofsky’s own eyes. And he stays, watching, for a beat too long, pausing before intervening to help. He basks too long in the glows of his creation to be truly critical of the creator. That’s why, with all it’s disgust and gore, “Mother!” still feels like Aronofsky’s wet dream about himself. Though we spend the most time with her, this movie’s not about Mother at all.

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RELEASE DATE– Thursday, September 7, 2017

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

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COMEDY CENTRAL

Yet another creepy still from a long-lasting show

The Oversized Shadow: 20 Years of ‘South Park’ The animated show has graced and scarred the lives of millions. Here’s a testament to its cultural criticism CONNOR GRADY Daily Arts Writer

Philadelphia basements. Williamsburg hotel rooms. Michigan treadmills. For the past 20 years, “South Park” has been with me through it all, but it didn’t get that way overnight. It started — much to the disapproval of my parents — in fourth grade, once I discovered my brother covertly watching “South Park” in our dark, dusty living room. At the time, I barely knew “South Park” even existed. To me, it was just like any other raunchy animated comedy that I wasn’t supposed to watch. Settling into our peeling brown leather sofa, I quickly realized that it wasn’t like any of those other shows. I was hooked instantly. For the rest of that dreary November afternoon, my brother and I sat perched on the couch, our eyes glued to the television screen. Ignoring the huge sheets of water pelting our house outside, we ran through dozens of classic episodes, beginning with “Trapped in the Closet.” As the Tom Cruise and Church of Scientology jokes piled up, my body began to ache from laughing so hard. I was abruptly ripped from this euphoria by the noise of my mom’s white Ugg slippers smacking against the floor as she approached us holed up on the sofa. Almost immediately, my brother flipped the channel to CNN. I have no doubt that

my mom didn’t believe that we’d been laughing so much at the news, but by that point I no longer cared. I just needed more “South Park.” Luckily, it wasn’t hard to find — due to its overwhelming success, “South Park” had more airtime on Comedy Central than a shitty Viagra ad (and believe me, there were lots of those). It seemed

It started — much to the disapproval of my parents — ­ in fourth grade to follow me everywhere, even to the cramped confines of the Williamsburg, Va. Holiday Inn during a seventh-grade school trip. After an absolutely thrilling day exploring dusty shoemaker shops, we returned, weary and exhausted, to our worn-down hotel. To us middle-schoolers, all that mattered was sleep. That is, until one of my roommates heard that there was a new “South Park” episode premiering that night. Huddling in front of the small, ancient box in the center of the room, my roommates and I silently prayed for a good episode. Our prayers were immediately answered in the form of one of “South Park”’s most hilarious episodes, “It’s a Jersey

Thing.” For 22 minutes, “South Park” relentlessly mocked the worst that television has to offer in MTV’s infamous series “Jersey Shore.” And for 22 minutes, my roommates and I struggled to contain our laughter at seeing a gross render of “Snooki” run around yelling “smush smush.” Stuck in a 17th-century town on a trip led by everyone’s least favorite math teacher, “South Park”’s familiarity helped to not only entertain us, but comfort us by reminding us that there was, in fact, a world beyond our tiny Holiday Inn hotel room. But “South Park” didn’t stop there — it followed me for another seven years to Ann Arbor. As I brainstormed ways to make my daily (read: weekly) treadmill run less monotonous, I realized there was nothing better to run to than “South Park.” I spent many of those Spring Term gym trips screening the latest “South Park” season to catch up on the series. My addiction got so bad I almost started to enjoy running, except for when I inevitably had to pause each episode to ensure I didn’t fall off the treadmill from dying of laughter. I’ve never had enough time to watch every single “South Park” episode, but it’s always been there with me, like an oversized shadow following closely behind me. Whenever something big happens today, I’ve come to expect there to be a “South Park” episode dedicated to ripping it apart with jokes. It’s been that way for 20 years, so why stop now?

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Drains 5 Takes from page to screen, say 11 One of Beethoven’s nine: Abbr. 14 Party with tiki torches 15 Flashy Chevy 16 With 36-Down, Dr. Seuss classic with the subtitle “The Simplest Seuss for Youngest Use” 17 Cowardly Snoopy nemesis? 19 Seagoing “I see” 20 French film icon Brigitte 21 “The Racer’s Edge” 22 Urban air concern 23 Much 25 Curriculum __ 27 Gloomy route to Oz? 32 Actress Vardalos 33 Butte relative 34 RadioShack predecessor 35 Automaker Ferrari 37 Watched closely 40 Fictional London alter ego 41 United 43 Halt 45 Belonging to us 46 Embarrassed three-person Vegas act? 50 Kentucky pioneer 51 Divided sea 52 Applaud 54 Old PC monitor 56 “Altogether ooky” family name 60 Rocker Ocasek 61 Primary mixes that affect 17-, 27- and 46Across 63 Query 64 Fire up 65 Attract pigeons for, say 66 Bluster 67 Colorful fish 68 2016 N.L. East champs DOWN 1 Untidy type

2 Certain something 3 Early late-night host 4 Ice cream treat 5 Polish removers 6 Apply carefully 7 Latin I verb 8 “Friday the 13th: Jason Lives,” sequentially 9 Torrid Zone parallel 10 Junior 11 Words of reproach 12 Up-and-down toy 13 Downloaded video format 18 Jewish folklore figure 22 Mother of Isaac 24 Recipe amt. 26 B’way buy 27 Many of its knives have a limited lifetime warranty 28 Arkansas team 29 Mrs. Gorbachev 30 Compute 31 Salon worker 32 Twice-monthly tide 36 See 16-Across 38 Sicilian high point

39 Track events with mechanical lures 42 “Strange Magic” gp. 44 Museum with Goyas and El Grecos 47 Recital bonus 48 Red wine option 49 Gary who played Beethoven in “Immortal Beloved”

52 Outcropping 53 Songwriter Loeb 55 __ de force 57 “Dancing Queen” quartet 58 Bubbly maker 59 Old fast fliers 61 Player in an indoor tree 62 Soweto’s country: Abbr.

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Sports

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 — 7A

Long learns under Lewis, readies for new test KEVIN SANTO

Managing Sports Editor

Comparisons have been popular around Schembechler Hall this year. For a young Michigan football team, it’s easy to understand why. Plenty of elite talent is gone. Shoes need to be filled. And the frames of reference are made to emphasize that the young talent are worthy replacements. And on Tuesday night, the latest of those comparisons was revealed when senior receiver Grant Perry was asked, simply, what makes sophomore cornerback David Long good. “I see a lot of things in him that I saw in Jourdan Lewis and (Channing) Stribling,” Perry said. “He got a full year under their belt. They got to walk him through the ropes and he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s physical — you know, everything that you saw in Jourdan and Stribling, you see in David.” That’s not bad company. And, upon further inspection, the comparison makes sense. Long said he still talks to Lewis every day of the week — or at least three if he’s busy. And Long could arguably thank Lewis — who he dubbed as a role model — for his current starting role with the Wolverines. When it came to the technical side of playing cornerback, Lewis played mentor from day one. “When I first got here, I was in here a lot with Jourdan Lewis,” Long said. “… He helped me a lot with technical stuff. He was just helping me with stuff on the field, getting me comfortable with that.” On Aug. 6, though, Long’s fate as Michigan’s starting cornerback wasn’t so certain, as defensive coordinator Don Brown was vocal in saying that up to seven players could

compete for the two starting spots in 2017. Fifteen days later, not much had changed. Cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich admitted that sophomore Lavert Hill had seized one starting job, but expressed his frustrations with the rest of the group’s consistency. As he put it then, he wanted someone to “grab it and run with it and take it.” As it turns out, Long did. His coaches’ words motivated him. By the time Michigan opened against then-No. 17 Florida, he was the one who claimed the second corner spot alongside Hill. And given the way he has f lashed his knack for tackling — recording five for a season high against Air Force — he won’t be letting go of it anytime soon. “I just kept pounding away,” Long said. “My progress wasn’t where the coaches thought I needed to be, but I just kept working, didn’t let that

discourage me, take it like a grain of salt. That’s what you’re supposed to do. You’re supposed to coach me, be hard on me and I’ve progressed as the weeks have gone on.” But really, for Long, the progression has been going on for just over two years. When he was a senior at Loyola High School in Los Angeles, Long doubled as a receiver and cornerback before arriving in Ann Arbor. Long said playing receiver helped him with the “book stuff” that comes with football. He was able to easily pick up schemes and learn coverages. But Long admitted that he still wasn’t completely comfortable with the position until late in the summer. Now that he is, though, the small details of the position are starting to matter even more. “Coach Brown is really preaching to me,” Long said,

“ ‘See a little to see a lot’, so (I’m) working on my technique and it’s just slowing things down for me.” This Saturday, Michigan could benefit from things slowing down for Long — and the rest of the secondary too. Purdue is led by quarterback David Blough, who has completed 51 of his 67 passes for 597 yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions. Blough isn’t playing rollover teams either. Three of those touchdowns and 362 of those yards came on the road against then-No. 16 Louisville and at Missouri. And unlike Michigan, Purdue has scored a touchdown on 10 of its 13 red zone trips. Or put more simply, the Wolverines’ secondary is finally about to be tested. What better way for people to really find out just how much Long has learned from Lewis?

EVAN AARON/Daily

Sophomore cornerback David Long looked to Jourdan Lewis as a mentor during his first year in Ann Arbor.

MEN’S GOLF

‘M’ stumbles in debut ROHAN KUMAR For the Daily

After a rough first round at the East & West Match Play on Sunday morning, the Michigan women’s golf team was in last place with a score of 301. However, senior Emily White shot a 69 — three under par — in the second round later that day to lead the Wolverines, recovering from her initial round of 75. But unlike White, who finished the stroke play competition tied for seventh, the Wolverines failed to rebound. At the end of Sunday’s stroke play, despite a second round score of 290, Michigan sat in fifth place — only one position shy of the four-team championship bracket, won by Iowa State. “Our second round was the second lowest of the afternoon rounds on Sunday, so that was a good comeback,” said Michigan coach Jan Dowling. “We didn’t start very well on our first 18 on Sunday for the 36 hole stroke play portion. They came back really well and made a run to get into the top four for the match play part.” The format for the event was different than other tournaments. It was a three-day event, comprised of stroke play Sunday and championship and consolation match play brackets on Monday and Tuesday. Throughout the weekend, the Wolverines came up just short of victories as a team. Entering the consolation bracket as the first seed, Michigan faced Oregon State on Monday. Freshman Ashley Kim and junior Elodie Van Dievoet both won their matches, up by six with four holes left and two-up respectively, and Michigan was tied at two with the Beavers. Senior Megan Kim, Ashley Kim’s older sister, was all square in her match through 18 holes and had to play extra holes. She ended up losing on the 21st hole when her competitor birdied, giving Oregon State a 3-2 victory. “The other girl won it, and you

got to give her credit,” Dowling said. “She made the birdie when she had to, so we were certainly outplayed.” On Tuesday, Michigan faced Nebraska in a battle for seventh place. Megan Kim and White both won their matches, up by three with two left and up by three with one left respectively, thus securing two points for the team, while the Cornhuskers won two points of their own. In the deciding match’s 18th hole, Van Dievoet’s opponent, senior Audrey Judd, converted on a clutch birdie attempt. The Wolverines lost 2-3, finishing the bracket in last place. “All of our matches were really close,” Dowling said. “They were competitive matches ... but unfortunately we got outplayed in those matches.” Senior Kathy Lim represented Michigan in the individual match play portion of the tournament, after topping the field in 2015. Lim advanced to the finals, looking to claim her second title, but fell just shy. There are still positive takeaways from the tournament for Michigan. Ashley Kim found success in her college debut, carding rounds of 76 and 73 to tie for 21st during the stroke play competition, winning a point in match play. Dowling also mentioned that having sisters on the team certainly helps with the overall team chemistry. She mentioned that the younger Kim sister was already quite familiar with the program when she arrived. “For me as a coach, it has probably been the smoothest freshman transition I’ve ever experienced,” Dowling said. “Although she is a freshman on our team, she is someone they have known for a while already, so that has been really nice.” Michigan needs to make some changes but must do so quickly. Next Monday they travel to Vail, Colo. for the Golfweek Conference Challenge.

Big Ten matchups twice as important for Michigan BETELHEM ASHAME Managing Sports Editor

As far as the No. 8 Michigan football team is concerned, its season starts now. After two home nonconference games that didn’t exactly go according to plan, the Wolverines (3-0) are eager to close the curtain. While their mentality has always been that the most important game is the next one, the pressure is cranked up a notch now that the Big Ten season is set to begin. As Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh made clear Saturday night, conference games count for much more. With how close the Big Ten races have been in recent years — then-No. 2 Ohio State was left out of the Big Ten championship game after it allowed 17 fourth-quarter points in an eventual threepoint loss to then-No. 24 Penn State last October — Harbaugh said that Big Ten games are worth twice as much as nonconference contests. His team has adopted that mantra, too. “We want to win the Big Ten games. We want to win all of them,” said sophomore receiver Eddie McDoom on Monday. “We know that if we lose, it’s a big crush on the season, so we’re trying to go into the Big Ten season and tear it up.” The Wolverines will be tested right off the bat when they head to Purdue for their conference opener Saturday. The Boilermakers are off to a surprising 2-1 start after an abysmal 3-9 season in 2016. Though they opened the season with a narrow neutral-field loss to then-No. 16 Louisville,

they rebounded with blowout wins over Ohio at home and Missouri on the road. Much credit for Purdue’s early resurgence is due to new head coach Jeff Brohm, who previously spent three years at Western Kentucky — compiling a 30-10 overall record, a 19-5 Conference USA record and a 3-0 bowl game record. Not only were the Hilltoppers back-to-

back league champions in 2015 and 2016, but they were ranked in the top 10 in the nation in scoring offense, passing offense and total offense all three seasons. Brohm has taken that successful model and adapted it to fit the Boilermakers, rejuvenating the program in the process. While the Big Ten is traditionally known for stout defense and power running, Brohm and Purdue have taken the opposite

We’re trying to go into the Big Ten season and tear it up.

approach, emphasizing a pass-heavy and high-scoring offense more emblematic of the Big 12. The Boilermakers are averaging 286.7 yards per game and boast 10 passing touchdowns — a stark contrast from their average of 173 yards and four total touchdowns on the ground. The strateg y has worked well for them in non-conference play, but how well it will fare

in the Big Ten remains to be determined. “They have a lot of confidence right now,” said senior linebacker Mike McCray. “They do a lot of things well on offense. They use two quarterbacks, they have athletic backs (and) they have an offensive line that uses great technique. “... They’ll be a great challenge for us.” Michigan knows how beneficial it can be to inject

Going to Purdue and playing there is obviously a challenge.

EMMA RICHTER/Daily

Senior offensive tackle Mason Cole was quick to acknowledge that a matchup against the Boilermakers on the road will be a difficult test for Michigan.

a team with a new coach and overall philosophy. Harbaugh’s arrival just three years ago has already turned the program around faster than many expected after its dismal 2014 campaign, and the Wolverines see that same process could be happening now at Purdue. “When you get a new coach and you start winning, (there’s) just a lot of confidence,” said senior offensive tackle Mason Cole. “... And having confidence in this sport is a good thing to have. So, a team with a new coach that’s playing really well, it can be scary.” Adding on to the challenge of facing the Boilermakers, who Cole described as a team “with a lot of new energ y,” Michigan will be playing its first true road game of the season in West Lafayette. Though the fans at Michigan Stadium weren’t entirely forgiving of the Wolverines’ plethora of non-conference mistakes — as boos rained down in back-to-back games for the first time in the Harbaugh era — a hostile environment on every down will be new terrain for Michigan to traverse. “Going to Purdue and playing there is obviously a challenge,” Cole said. “... (It’s) playing on the road, playing against a team that’s been playing well, that has some momentum and has good players, too.” The Boilermakers may not have posed much of a threat to the Wolverines in recent years, but Michigan has been humbled into the lesson that it can no longer afford to look past any team. With the Big Ten season now upon them, the Wolverines know that every game counts. Twice.

2017 SCHEDULE

FLORIDA

CINCINNATI

AIR FORCE

W, 33-17 (1-0) W, 36-14 (2-0) W, 36-14, (3-0)

at PURDUE

MICHIGAN STATE

at INDIANA

at PENN ST.

West Lafayette, Ind.

Michigan Stadium

Bloomington, Ind.

State College, Pa.

RUTGERS Michigan Stadium

MINNESOTA

at MARYLAND

at WISCONSIN

OHIO ST.

Michigan Stadium

College Park. Md.

Madison, Wis.

Michigan Stadium

8A — Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Sports

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Notebook: Goaltenders set to lead Wolverines MIKE PERSAK

both of our strong seasons last year.”

Last season’s three-man goaltender rotation for the Michigan hockey team is now down to two. Zach Nagelvoort graduated last spring, and sophomores Jack LaFontaine and Hayden Lavigne remain as the two Wolverine netminders with substantial experience. And in his first season at the helm, Michigan coach Mel Pearson seems confident that the goaltenders can handle the increased workload. He called the rotation of LaFontaine and Lavigne the team’s “strongest position right now.” In addition to the increased playing time, though, LaFontaine and Lavigne find themselves in somewhat new leadership positions with the team. “I feel like as a goalie, you kind of always lead from behind,” Lavigne said. “You’re the quiet guy that’s just kind of there doing your job every single day, you know, in and out. There’s definitely going to be leadership, not just from me, but also from (LaFontaine) and ( junior goaltender Chad) Catt as well. And I think it’s just going to be by being confident every day in net, just coming to work, and being quiet — not necessarily an outspoken leadership position.” Added LaFontaine: “Me and Hayden both definitely feel a responsibility where we need to step up now, and this is both of our years to kind of take this team and kind of build off

NEWCOMERS PREPARING TO EXCEL

Daily Sports Editor

One of the main reasons for optimism with this season’s Wolverines is their incoming freshmen. Forward Josh Norris was a first round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, and defenseman Quinn Hughes is projected to be an early pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Pearson pegged them as players he expects to produce at a high level for Michigan. “Those are the two guys you expect to have the most immediate impact,” Pearson said. “Obviously Josh was a firstround draft pick, so there’s a lot of pressure on him to perform, and Quinn Hughes is ranked really high. They’ve both looked really good.” In addition to Norris and Hughes, the Wolverines welcome fellow first-years in forward Jack Becker, forward Michael Pastujov — brother of sophomore forward Nick Pastujov — and Dakota Raabe, who Pearson said has impressed him with his skating and skill. Michigan also added graduate transfer forward Alex Roos, who spent the last four seasons at Colorado College.

I feel like as a goalie, you kind of always lead from behind.

LOCKWOOD RETURNING AT FULL HEALTH When sophomore forward Will Lockwood was on the ice last season, it was easy

CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily

Sophomore goaltender Jack LaFontaine is prepared to step up and become a leader for the Wolverines after posting an impressive freshman campain.

to imagine what he could accomplish in the future. Lockwood was one of, if not the, fastest skater on the team, and he was second on the team in points (20), assists (12) and goals (8). The one thing that did stop Lockwood was a nagging shoulder injury that held him out of five games last year. This year, Lockwood hopes to have remedied that issue. He had surgery on his shoulder last spring, and he claims he’s feeling as healthy as ever. “I feel great,” Lockwood said. “The surgery was timed well, so I’m ready to go at the beginning of the season. So, yeah, I’m feeling really good about it. … We’ve done a really

good job rehabbing it and everything, so I feel confident. We’re starting the season up, and I’m really excited for that.” With that newfound health, the Wolverines will rely on Lockwood, as Pearson said at the team’s Media Day on Tuesday. “I’m looking for a big year out of Will,” Pearson said. “I like the way he plays. Being on the opposite bench last year watching him, he’s the kind of guy you want on your team. You didn’t want to play against him, so it’s going to be a lot more enjoyable and relaxing for me to have him on our team instead of playing against him.” DANCS, WARREN

“X-FACTORS” OF THE TEAM In his time at Michigan Tech, Mel Pearson turned the Huskies from a perennial underdog into one of the best teams in the country in Corsipercentage. As a result of that, many players on his teams put up impressive stat lines. With scoring being one of Michigan’s biggest problems last season, Pearson is looking to have a similar effect on the Wolverines. Tuesday, Pearson pointed out senior forward Dexter Dancs and junior forward Brendan Warren as “x-factors” for the team. Dancs showed some promise in his sophomore

season, accruing 17 points on seven goals, and Warren had a 17-point campaign of his own two seasons ago. But both Dancs and Warren regressed last season. Dancs scored only one goal, and Warren had just 10 points. For Pearson, the challenge lies in giving Dancs and Warren the confidence to be at the top of their game. “I think you have to give them that confidence as far as their roles and playing them,” Pearson said. “If they have a bad shift or a bad game, continue to play them. Give them an opportunity to work through that. “… They’re key guys to us having success.”

Pearson brings confidence, Michigan must back it up

I

t’s an unenviable task to take over a coaching job from the greatest coach in the history of a program. That’s exactly what Mel Pearson is doing with the Michigan hockey team. For Pearson, MIKE though, PERSAK taking over for Red Berenson — the Wolverines’ coach for the last 34 seasons — isn’t as enormous an undertaking as it may seem. He served under Berenson in different capacities for 22 seasons before taking his first head coaching job with Michigan Tech in 2011. Pearson knows Ann Arbor, and he knows Michigan hockey.

He’s surrounded himself with people he’s familiar with, too. Associate head coach Bill Muckalt won two NCAA Championships as a player with the Wolverines while Pearson was behind the bench, and he was an assistant coach under Pearson with the Huskies. Assistant coaches Brian Wiseman and Steve Shields were each recruited by Pearson to play at Michigan, and they coached with Pearson once their playing careers were finished. For one, Pearson and Muckalt have a tenure of turning around struggling hockey programs. They did it together with Michigan Tech, bringing them from a cellar-dwelling team to two NCAA Tournament appearances in just five years, and Muckalt won a Davis Cup with the USHL’s Tri-City Storm for the first time in the franchise’s history.

But whether or not they can turn around a Wolverines team that was the third-worst in the country in Corsi-percentage remains to be seen. Additionally, there are the highly-touted freshmen, who look like they’ll make immediate, positive impacts. Namely, forward Josh Norris — a first-round NHL draft pick in 2017 — and defenseman Quinn Hughes — a projected firstround pick for the upcoming 2018 draft — were picked by Pearson as first-year players who have impressed him. Even their contributions aren’t a sure thing yet, though. Still, at Michigan’s Media Day on Tuesday, players and coaches alike repeated that there’s a greater sense of optimism this season. “I think it’s just an excitement of everybody having a fresh start,” said senior

forward Dexter Dancs. “I don’t think Red and Mel’s coaching styles are too different but it’s just the excitement of having a new guy and having a clean slate.” Added sophomore forward Will Lockwood: “Mel’s bringing a lot of energy, and we have a lot of new guys, and everyone fits well. I think a lot of the chemistry between guys is great which has brought the mood in the locker room up too.” This talk of positive feelings came the day after the Big Ten Preseason Coaches’ poll predicted the Wolverines would finish second to last in the conference. Many of the Michigan players shook it off as something they try not to pay attention to, but all of them knew about the poll, and some of them let on that it will be used as motivation. “We don’t try and look too

much into that,” Dancs said. “But it’s obviously a little bit of an F you, I guess you could say, to us. We’re excited to prove everyone wrong. “It was a little bit of a topic of conversation, but, you know what, we’re not looking too much into it. But it will definitely be in the back of our mind when we play every team this year.” That type of language ran up and down the team. Whether it was sophomore goaltender Hayden Lavigne saying the Wolverines will “come out as the underdog and finish on top,” or Muckalt saying the beauty of the game is that it isn’t on paper, everybody relayed a feeling of confidence that this will be a successful team. And if you want to know where the confidence comes from, look no further than the new head coach.

“I’m not a forecaster, but if I had to pick, I’d pick us to win the league,” Pearson said. “We’ve got all the things we need to be successful, but you’ve got to go out and execute. You’ve got to go out and prove it.” And therein lies the challenge. Despite all the talented young players, the grizzled veterans who have been through the ups and downs of the last few seasons and the new head coach with a seemingly magic touch, Michigan still has to perform on the ice. The Wolverines have talked the talk. Now, when the regular season begins on October 6, they need to walk the walk. Persak can be reached at mdpers@umich.edu, on Twitter @MikeDPersak or on Venmo @Mike-Persak.

FILE PHOTO/Daily

Michigan coach Mel Pearson coached the Wolverines for 22 years, and now he has returned to Ann Arbor once again.

statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | S E P T E M B E R 20, 2017

Behind the Lie: “It’s not alcoholism until you graduate”

2B

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 // The Statement

statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | S E P T E M B E R 20, 2017

Managaing Statement Editor: Lara Moehlman

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Photo Editor: Alexis Rankin

Empath in the wild: struggling to justify my path to peace

A

s someone who’s dealt with and continues to deal with disordered eating, most mainstream forms of exercise have come to be at odds with my mental and physical health. All the numbers and measurements of gym equipment, and fluorescent-lit rooms with mirrored walls are like an obstacle course for my selfconfidence. Most of the time, quantifying anything in relation to my body — whether it’s weight, mileage on a run, or intensity level on an elliptical — facilitates harmful thought patterns that have taken me years of introspective work to break. My yoga practice began when I realized I could not keep running outside and going to the gym while maintaining my physical and mental health. I used to be big into running, but paired with an eating disorder, I damaged my bone density. Now, highimpact exercise leads to stress fractures in my legs and feet. And gyms are hazardous to my peace of mind. After years of struggling with all these factors, by 2015, during the spring of my freshman year, I stopped working out because I felt I had no good options. A few months later, I felt incredibly lethargic in my body and needed a solution. That’s when a friend showed me “Yoga with Adriene,” a YouTube channel that changed my life. Adriene’s videos walked me through the intricacies of basic yoga poses, and soon, I was able to follow along with her flow videos, all in the comfort of my own home. I did this all summer and into the fall of my sophomore year. Adriene’s videos were slow-paced and heavily focused on self-acceptance and personal well-being. She emphasizes adjusting poses according to one’s own physical needs, not pushing yourself too hard and remembering it’s a practice. You’ll get where you want to be eventually. Adriene calls most poses by their sanskrit names, and she mentions elements of Hinduism in her videos — something about the third eye I don’t quite understand, but about which I’ve been curious to learn more. She says “Namaste” at the end of every video, but I never said it along with her — again, I don’t really know what that word means outside of being a general greeting and a way to wish someone well. I know that much, but I don’t know why people say it when they’re finished doing yoga, specifically. Although I knew my yoga practice might be a form of cultural appropriation, I didn’t feel I was doing much harm because I did her videos alone in my house. It felt like I was the only person involved. But after a while I found myself wanting more than Adriene’s videos could offer me. I was pretty sure I

BY REGAN DETWILER, COLUMNIST

was doing the poses correctly, but I wanted someone who knew more than me to tell me for sure. I decided to explore some free trial classes at different studios in Ann Arbor and encountered a whole new level of appropriation, a whole new kind of Americanized yoga compared to what Adriene taught. Now, I’m very aware of my identity as a white affluent American suburban girl who now pays money to do Americanized yoga about three times per week. I know very little about the origins of yoga in the ancient Indian religions of Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism, so I feel uneasy about the ways I may be appropriating a culture that isn’t mine — patching together pieces of it to benefit myself. But the stakes are high for me when it comes to physical exercise. Because of the way society has taught me to view my body, and because conventional forms of exercise have become hazardous to my health, I’ve turned to a practice I struggle with internally. At the yoga studios I went to in Ann Arbor, I found a community of people with whom I shared some basic understandings about physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. Most people I met seemed to value meditation, a relatively slow-paced approach to life, and a generally healthy lifestyle. However, the classes were too fast-paced for me and too many things we did were quantified by the instructors. I didn’t have time in class to really feel my way into poses, and I hated counting breaths and straight up doing sit-ups in class. I did yoga to get away from the gym, but in some ways, I felt the yoga studios around here were the same thing — just with oil diffusers and better lighting.

ILLUSTRATION BY REGAN DETWILER

To maintain my practice in a way that feels good for me — that is slower and incorporates less counting — I supplement my time in the studio with yoga I do on my own, in my apartment. And even though I get frustrated with my studio, when compared to running or going to the gym, going to class provides for me a respite from measurements and frees me from assessing my self-worth accordingly. And it’s not just about the eating disorder and body image stuff. Like a lot of students here, I’m really busy with schoolwork, extracurricular activities, my social life, and keeping in touch with my family back home. When everyday obligations build tension in me, I can smooth it out with yoga. Instead of running or going to the gym, where my anxieties are just replicated in the act of measuring my body and ramping up my heart rate, doing yoga is my foundation of inner peace. I see the people, a lot of whom are students, in my yoga classes and I wonder if they feel the same. As students at the University, they likely have a lot of school work, maybe have a job, and are involved in at least one student org of some kind. Like so many undergrads on campus, they likely feel immense pressure to be “successful” in all of these endeavors. Maybe yoga, for them, too, is a way to find release, and I hope that they, too, feel just as uneasy about this Americanized version of what’s, for many people, a deeply religious, spiritual practice. When I see people say “Namaste” at the end of class, bowing their heads “to the light that is in each of us,” I don’t know what any of them are thinking. I know that together all of us in the studio have just worked really hard to relax our bodies and ease our minds. The expressions on the faces that surround me show a kind of making peace with what has passed before class, and a kind of making peace with what’s to lie ahead, outside the safe walls of the studio. Still, I don’t say “Namaste” at the end of class. It doesn’t feel quite right. And I don’t wear shirts that say things like “spiritual gangster,” a phrase that’s problematic on multiple levels. Can I say my yoga practice is justified because of the personal stakes at hand? I don’t know. I also, unfortunately, don’t personally know a lot of people who practice yoga as a religious practice to know how my own practice may be affecting others negatively. While I’m in college with so many things going on, I don’t know how I’ll find a form of exercise that balances my mental health, physical health, and my personal standards of social responsibility. I guess for now my best option is to remain thoughtful about my habits, to keep questioning them, and to keep looking for better solutions.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 // The Statement

Soundtracking: changing your major

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tripped and ate shit the moment I stepped into a 300-person lecture hall on the first day of classes. “Today Is The First Day Of The Rest Of My Life” — John Denver Composing myself and dusting off my freshly-pressed thrifted Hawaiian shirt, I made my way to my first lecture of my college career: Something-Something 101. Despite having just ruined any chances of making friends by becoming really solid acquaintances with the floor, optimism shined through me — no sense in being a stick in the mud when your entire future is sprawled out in front of you like Thanksgiving dinner. A goofy smile stretched across my face. I always knew I would major in SomethingSomething. My dad was a Something-Something major. My mom was a SomethingSomething major. My grandma’s brother’s uncle’s neighbor in West Palm Beach, Florida, was a SomethingSomething major. It was my destiny. No, it was my Destiny’s Child. Before I got that carpetshaped indent in my face, the first day of college couldn’t have been more picturesque. Nothing like Animal House though. “Perfect Day” — Lou Reed “It was a perfect day. I’m glad I spent it with you.” While there was no sangria in the park like Lou would have wanted, the morning started with a lukewarm shower, a long decision of what old man shirt I was going to start my college career with and an everything bagel, toasted, with cream cheese — everything I could have asked for. As I took my first step out of South Quad, the summer air washed over me — nature’s

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BY MATT HARMON, DAILY STAFF REPORTER

way of saying “Way to go, Matt. You are so handsome and charming and you would never smash your cranium on a dirty lecture hall floor.” Flash forward. I picked myself up and made my way to the third row (because you want to show you care but you don’t want to be a brownnoser). As the professor

The professor did that little clearing-your-throat, I’llwait, please-shut-the-hellup beginning of class thing. Everyone fell silent, opened their laptops and I prepared for the greatest first lecture of my life. “Okay class. Welcome to Something-Something 101. We’re gonna get started.”

but I live with this academic disadvantage. Give me a medal, please. By that point, I was freaking out. Was the lecture getting hotter or was it just me? (Not flirting, just genuinely sweaty.) “Hot in Herre” — Nelly My fingers were leaving balmy, gross marks on my

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE PHILLIPS

made her way to the lectern, the mental prowess of postsecondary education hit me. In the wise words of 21th century philosopher April Ludgate: “Time is money, money is power, power is pizza, and pizza is knowledge, let’s go.” Why don’t I just take every class ever? Money is not a constraint when the gift of knowledge abounds. “How Much A Dollar Cost” — Kendrick Lamar I’m going to major in Something-Something, take every prereq and optional course I can and stay here until I know everything there is to know about SomethingSomething. Intuition over tuition.

And that’s when I felt lost. “Lost Ones” — Ms. Lauryn Hill What in the wide, wide world of sports is this woman talking about? I thought I knew what SomethingSomething consisted of but this is nothing like the major description online. She’s talking too quickly. This lecture makes absolutely no sense, like when you say, “You too” when the movie theater attendant says, “Enjoy your movie”. While the professor sped ahead, I was about eight slides back — how am I supposed to type that quickly? I never took one of those elementary school typing classes so I still peck the keyboard. It isn’t fair

keyboard. I felt my shirt getting noticeably damper than it was on the walk over from South Quad. Things are moving too quickly. I’m not ready to grow up. I can’t handle this large amount of information packed into 50 minutes. How am I going to make my dad and mom and grandma’s brother’s uncle’s neighbor in West Palm Beach, Florida, proud without my Something-Something degree? I might as well waste away in an abyss of my own self-pity and Milano cookies. 35 minutes in, I was drowning in slides and bullet points and offhand comments that might be on the exam. I was about to burst into flames.

“Man on Fire” — Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros I was a shame. I was a fraud. I was a mess (well, I was a mess before this class but let’s let bygones be bygones). The 50 minutes expired and everyone packed up their notebooks, laughing as they headed toward their next class. I sat still, lost in thought. I thought maybe Something-Something wasn’t my true calling. I felt like I was abandoning everything I had ever known to be true, but what else was I supposed to think? I was always so set on my future that I felt like I couldn’t quit without becoming a disappointment. But it was the only thing I could think of. How was I supposed to force myself into this major and career if I couldn’t even survive the first day? I felt like I was stuck in a current, washing me away. “In Undertow” — Alvvays “You find a wave and try to hold on for as long as you can. You made a mistake you’d like to erase and I understand.” Am I in too deep? Can you make such a drastic switch like this so quickly? Yes you can. It doesn’t matter if you thought you wanted to major in Something-Something or Yada-Yada or Who-KnowsWhat. If you aren’t passionate about what you do, you need to find what you are passionate about and chase it. You know what you want. Not what your dad wants. Not what your mom wants. Not what your grandma’s brother’s uncle’s neighbor in West Palm Beach, Florida, wants. What you want. You can’t force a puzzle piece into a space it doesn’t fit in. Everything’s Gucci, you’re A-OK, and it’s all right. “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right” — Bob Dylan

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Wednesday, September 20, 2017 // The Statement

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 // The Statement

BEHIND THE LIE: “It’s not alcoholism until you graduate”

by Alexa St. John,

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f I hadn’t already known that graduate student Ary — who requested her last name not be published — was recovering from several years of alcohol and drug abuse, I wouldn’t have guessed it from her appearance. As we talked last Wednesday in my most comforting setting (the Daily newsroom) I quickly caught onto her dedication to her studies and noticed the bright smile on her face, much like that of any other student. No matter the substance, college students in recovery look and act as any other: walking the halls in a backpack and jeans, a ponytail or baseball cap, a cell phone in one hand and a textbook or coffee in the other. With my own perception of those in recovery inundated by dramatized depictions in the media, I realized I would have no idea if the person sitting next to me in my 10 a.m. was going through the same challenges as Ary. As I spoke with her, I was quickly reminded those in recovery are just like anybody else — and the negative stereotypes and misconceptions that plague these students are keeping them from seeking help. The stigmas attached to addiction are harmful to the recovery process. Ary said when her recovery began in the winter of 2015, she sought help with University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services — but getting there first was difficult. ***** Ary began drinking in high school and experimenting with various pills and other substances to overcome anxiety and depression upon entering the University, where her substance abuse spiraled out of control. “The big thing for me most of my time here was Adderall,” she said, adding that she felt her depleting mental health and drug abuse were tied. A therapist at CAPS recommended she try attending Contemplators, a student group for those interested in talking about issues of alcohol and drug abuse. Though Contemplators is no longer a student organization, it has been replaced by other resources on campus. Ary recalls it was during one of these sessions that she first admitted to herself she was an addict. “What became really obvious to me after a few sessions of that is that, many of these people looked like they would be able to use the tools from the group to control or limit their drinking and using and for me, it became really clear that that just wasn’t possible,” she said.

Managing News Editor

She became afraid and stopped going to the group. “That was scary. It was, ‘Fuck, I have this thing that is only going to get worse and it’s already pretty bad,’ and then also the stigma of, ‘Now, if I ever want to treat it, that’s acknowledging it and therefore I get that label of being an addict,” Ary said. “At this point, I would just go on big benders of three, four, five, six days of not sleeping and then I’d be drinking around the clock to counterbalance all the stimulants.” Even still, she was able to graduate on time, with honors in her program. But her recovery journey continues even today. ***** Alcohol abuse on college campuses has become increasingly commonplace. To many, substance abuse looks like extreme cases of fatality or assault. But for others it’s an everyday, binge-drinking session that results in months or years of hiding liquor bottles and trying to piece together countless forgotten nights. Roughly one in four college students report academic consequences — ranging from decreases in grades to missing classes — from drinking, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, and 20 percent of college students meet the criteria for an alcohol use disorder. Within the University of Michigan, a 2007 survey notes52 percent of undergraduates engaged in binge drinking within two weeks of being surveyed, as compared to 44 percent nationally. The abuse of opioids, opiates and prescription medication has become more silent — yet is growing, and subsequently, becomes more dangerous. Opioids are synthetic drugs, while opiates are derived from the poppy plant. Pill-sharing parties and a widespread opioid epidemic can quickly lead some to a vicious cycle of paying dealers and needing a fix, debt and overdose. In August, President Donald Trump declared the opioid crisis a national state of emergency due to numbers stating the epidemic kills about 100 Americans daily. Even within Washtenaw County, opiate and opioid use has spiked, ultimately leading to the introduction of Naloxone — a life-saving drug capable of reversing the effects of an overdose — in police departments locally and nationwide. Social Work student David Awadalla told me how he first attended the University of Georgia, where he played on the lacrosse

team until sustaining a sports-related injury. Awadalla was prescribed opioid painkillers, and at first, took them as prescribed. “It made me comfortable in my own skin and I could study, or talk to my parents, or go out with friends and I felt confident,” Awadalla said. “Over time, my dependence on them grew and I started doing illegal things to obtain more pills.” After two suspensions from the University of Georgia and spending time incarcerated, he was given another chance to graduate and then was accepted into the University of Michigan’s School of Social Work in fall of 2016. Last year, he interned with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Awadalla has been helping others with similar issues ever since. ***** The more alcohol Ary consumed and the more drugs she took, the less she showed up to her post-graduation lab position on time, if at all. Her system stoked from so many stimulants, Ary kept a bottle of gin next to her bed, slamming cupful after cupful every two hours to counterbalance the rush until 6 a.m. After one final night abusing several substances, she sought an assessment from University Treatment Services — a division of Michigan Medicine’s psychiatric services. “They had told me: ‘You’re definitely an addict and you’re definitely an alcoholic,’ and I was like, ‘Alcoholic? Everyone in college drinks like this, everyone’s grades suffer because of drinking, I only drink this much because I do too many drugs,’ ” Ary said.

She soon attended her first Alcoholics Anonymous meeting but suffered a relapse just 17 days later. Finally, a woman in one meeting told her about the Collegiate Recovery Program, which aims to reduce the stigma behind addiction and provides students with a supportive community in the recovery process. Ary attended a meeting and has been sober for two and a half years since. My first impression of LSA senior Mandy — who requested her last name remain anonymous — was that she, too, was motivated in her school work and dedicated to helping others. Mandy had a similar experience, though she only seriously started drinking during Welcome Week her freshman year. For her, it rapidly became a bigger problem. “I was nervous about being in a new place and insecure — I just felt more confident and it became this cure-all solution to everything,” Mandy said. “I wasn’t 21 yet, but if I had been, it would have been literally all the time.” Toward the end of her freshman year, Mandy went to meetings for AA and Students for Recovery (a group similar to Contemplators) in an attempt to curtail her habit. She found temporary relief, but she relapsed the following fall as academic and peer pressures constantly loomed. “I was trying so hard and was not able to do as well as I wanted, and of course the drinking didn’t help either,” Mandy said. “If I’m drinking before classes or missing class because I’m hungover, then I’d be upset about my grades so I would drink more or drink after an exam.” Though she didn’t want to, Mandy with-

ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily

drew from the semester to take time off. “I hated that I wouldn’t be graduating in four years and that I had to take time off and I thought I was a failure and all these things, but now, looking back, it was the best thing I could have done,” Mandy said. “I also thought I was better at hiding it than I was, but I definitely worried especially about my family finding out.” “I just felt very lonely and isolated and I didn’t know how I would get through it or how I would turn 21 and stay sober,” she added. This cycle of abuse continued until she met Matt Statman from the Collegiate Recovery Program when she returned to campus. The program changed everything regarding her recovery process. ***** CRP was founded with the help of Wolverine Wellness Director Mary Jo Desprez and a student in recovery, along with funding from UHS, CAPS and private donors. The CRP has introduced opportunities for sober events and recovery support to the University community. The CRP evolved from the Students for Recovery organization and has since become more accessible to the student body. Over the past year, for example, the group has held sober tailgates, birthday parties and a graduation for outgoing seniors. Statman, director of the CRP, said the program has helped hundreds of students cope with addiction. While alcohol and marijuana are the most commonly abused substances on the University of Michigan’s campus, the program has also seen students seeking help for opioid recovery. One of Statman’s central goals is to ensure those in recovery feel comfortable with their environment — and through abstinencebased programs, meetings and personalized recovery efforts — he believes recovery is a realistic goal. “Primarily, what we’re designed to do is support students who are already embracing a recovery identity on campus,” Statman said. “When you start to have a more visible recovery community, it’s attractive to people, especially people who are miserable with the status quo. If their relationship with substances is causing pain and misery, and they’re unable to change it on their own, being part of a community of students in recovery is attractive.” Statman sees about 25 students regularly each semester, in addition to dozens who come for help on a less formal basis and generally need more direction as to where to start with their recovery process. “My goal isn’t to get students sober, it’s to support those who are already sober and those who are highly motivated to make those changes that are required to get sober,” Statman said. “(It’s) really designed to support this very specific group of students who have this identity that is marginalized and often forgotten about.” The peer support group within the CRP helps those in recovery cope with a campus culture that isn’t particularly conducive to recovery. Statman specifically singled out the high-pressure academic environment

and unhealthy student behavior as drivers of this. “For people in recovery, wellness might be especially important, because if they’re not taking care of their wellness, they are vulnerable to relapse. A culture like ours that places a value on being out of balance, not sleeping … that culture is also threatening,” Statman said. “We’re seeing huge numbers of students who are having a lot of emotional and mental health issues resulting from the culture on college campuses, and I think the idea that all that matters is academic success is harmful.” Mandy — who was first enrolled in several demanding engineering courses — echoed Statman. She added the stigma she first experienced while in recovery about a year ago has been somewhat removed as awareness has grown on campus. But she said she still believes there is a long way to go in terms of changing the negative misconceptions of those with addiction to spreading awareness about substance use and misuse. “Hearing people talking about drinking and being like, ‘I’m such an alcoholic,’ and making light of it can be tough sometimes, and I’m just sitting there like — you have no idea,” Mandy said. “The saying, ‘It’s not alcoholism until you graduate’ … it prevents people from getting help sooner when they could use it or before things get more serious.” ***** There are additional resources available on campus and locally for those struggling with a substance, or who just want information on how to better manage their use. Aside from individual wellness coaching made available through UHS, there’s the Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention Program, Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention for College Students, the Individual Marijuana Education Program and the Ann Arbor Campus-Community Coalition, a resource for both students and Ann Arbor residents in recovery. BASICS and IMEP interventions are shorter-term interventions — a two-session alcohol and two-session marijuana screening and education discussions, respectively — sometimes mandated by the Office of Student Conflict Resolution to those who committed a related offense on campus, but many also attend of their own accord. And though the University has no specific housing for those in recovery, substancefree housing is available upon request. These environments host additional support for students choosing not to engage in substance use, a step further from traditional on-campus housing. At an event last November that promoted an open dialogue on opioid addiction in Washtenaw County, Mark Albulov, a residential therapist at Dawn Farm — an Ypsilantibased nonprofit with an outpatient center in Ann Arbor geared toward long-term drug and alcohol recovery — discussed the significance of labeling addiction as a serious medical concern. “We want to … educate people that it is a medical disease,” Albulov said. “It’s not a

moral failure, it’s not a criminal behavior, it’s a medical disease that has treatment.” Despite the different options, to many students on campus, the CRP has steadily remained the best avenue through which to recover. LSA senior Sophie — who requested her last name remain anonymous — first got into recovery one year ago. This in itself wasn’t easy. “I hit my bottom, dropped out of classes and dug a little deeper until I ended up going to treatment,” Sophie said. “When I dropped out, I really didn’t imagine coming back. I couldn’t imagine very far ahead at that point in my life.” It was a challenge not only to reach out, but also to find a place to fit. “You’re stuck between these two sides — where you’re in treatment, and everyone is just focused on getting a part-time job, and one day at a time, and then there’s the other side where there’s Michigan students where their resume is five pages long and I felt stuck in the middle,” she said. At the CRP, however, Sophie said she found a home. “It was totally acceptable and understandable and even an act of courage to have taken time off of school to get your head straight,” Sophie said. “I don’t think I found any other community at Michigan where that was the perception, because as an outsider, there is stigma and even before I went to treatment and didn’t think I had a problem, I thought that that was going to be the low point of my life.” Awadalla, also an intern with the CRP, says it the program has been the most important part of his recovery. “It’s cool to be able to come into a room with a bunch of other students who all are trying to accomplish the same thing,” Awadalla said. “Whenever we start doubting ourselves, someone else picks us up.” Awadalla said he embraces his experiences to help others, noting addiction’s nondiscriminatory nature. “It’s such a big part of my story that I can’t even try to hide it,” Awadalla said. “It doesn’t discriminate — it doesn’t matter what race you are, what gender you are, what sex you

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ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily

are, what orientation you are, what your socioeconomic status it, it affects everybody.” Many of those interviewed brought to light the question of using the word “addict.” “The term ‘drug addict’ — yes, I’m a drug addict, but sometimes now even still there’s a part of my brain that justifies it,” Ary said. “There’s something in that term that’s uncomfortable to be associated with.” Destigmatizing the word “addict” is important, and Statman offered up the option of saying an individual “has addiction.” On the other hand, however, Statman noted the importance of allowing those in recovery to accept the identities they want to best recover. LSA senior Heather Martin watched her sister’s health and well-being decline as her addiction to opiates spanned seven years, something that came to a rapid halt one day with a fatal overdose. Martin first opened up to the Daily about her family’s story last October. Now, more than three years after her sister Angie’s death, Martin and her family continue to maintain the organization Angel Wings for Angie, created in her sister’s honor, to provide local support for those in recovery. “How can we expect these people (to recover),” Martin said last year, “if everyone just keeps looking at them and telling them that they’re not going to be anything, that that is all they’re going to be labeled with?” ***** Statman believes providing these recovery resources on campus is a necessity. “We owe it to our students who have this disorder to provide support for them when they come to campus or return to campus. It’s an indispensable piece of the alcohol and drug puzzle,” he said. And for these students, receiving these recovery resources largely determines whether they will relapse. “The quality of my life is completely different now,” Ary said. “There’s a lot I need to do every day to maintain my sobriety, and now that’s just a part of my life, but just seeing how much things can and have improved for me in two and a half years makes me really excited about what’s going to happen.”

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Wednesday, September 20, 2017 // The Statement

From a celiac: I don’t like gluten-free people either by Elizabeth Dokas, Copy Chief

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wish this disease were as imaginary as everyone thinks it is.” Upon getting sick for the umpteenth time in the past six years, I’m now going to have to spend the next few hours not on my impending exam but instead curled into a fetal position in bed. People just don’t understand celiac disease and the medically required glutenfree diet that accompanies it, and it’s not entirely their fault. Many have started to follow the diet because they believe it will help them lose weight, and people like me with a medical diagnosis get grouped in with them. Recent popularity of the gluten-free diet has paved the way for a mass misunderstanding of what it is and its actual medical purpose — utterly indistinct in the public eye from the Atkins diet. When I was diagnosed with celiac disease my sophomore year of college, all my anxiety around my diagnosis had nothing to do with the actual disease or its management but rather how I’d be perceived; how I’d go to restaurants, how I could communicate the severity of my dietary restrictions and not be immediately mislabeled as a fad dieter, how I could ask for the things I needed and still save face. For the first year I refused to say “gluten-free,” opting instead for “celiac food” or other variations because I hated how “gluten-free” sounded coming out of my mouth. For context: Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder in which my body, instead of digesting the gluten protein (aka wheat, barley and rye), develops antigens that attack my small intestine. As you can image, it’s not a fun process, and the side effects are as numerous as they are unpleasant. For me, it’s regular nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, migraines, mouth sores, weight loss due to malabsorption of nutrients, severe cramping confining me to bed, lactose intolerance, two years of consistent colds due to a depleted immune system, hair loss, insomnia and constant and very noticeable bloating. And ingesting even the smallest bits of it (anything over 20 parts per million, literal bread crumbs) will set them off again. Not to mention that long-term disregard of celiac disease can lead to infertility, permanent digestive damage, malnutrition and a whole slew of other nasty diseases including, but not limited to, multiple sclerosis, lymphoma, diabetes and epilepsy. Suddenly all that is good and beautiful in the world (pizza, bread, pasta) didn’t seem like too high of an asking price, considering the consequences. Not that I particularly had a choice. Reactions to the news that I have celiac disease range from “you’re so lucky

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you’re allergic to carbs” to “dude, you can’t drink beer? That’s lame.” Trust me, bro, I know. That I will never again taste the sweet bliss that is a lukewarm can of Rolling Rock keeps me up at night. When I was first diagnosed I had a reoccurring dream where I would stand outside a Cinnabon and just look at the pretzels, sitting there gloriously. But these faded with time and made way for the deep and burning hatred I harbor for those who get giddy when I tell them because “OMG!!!! I’M GLUTEN-FREE TOO!!!!” The most aggravating comments I get are not from mostly well-meaning sympathizers but instead from people who elect to eat gluten-free simply because they believe it is healthier, or as I like to refer to them, “fake gluten people.” These are not other people with medical aversions to the protein. These are the people who voluntarily shop at Whole Foods, the ones who lord their salad-eating habits for all to see, the

from whatever (mountain of ) personal annoyance that it may bring. In claiming our medically required diet for themselves, they group us — celiacs and other non-celiac gluten intolerances — together with them. The word “gluten-free” now has a societal connotation with the obnoxious trendy diet and nothing more. Half the time the server at a restaurant will roll her eyes when I ask about glutenfree options, and for good reason — half the time she encounters a request for gluten-free foods it is most likely a voluntary one. But if a pan in the kitchen isn’t washed well enough, I’m out of commission, while fake gluten people don’t have to worry. And however vocal all the fake gluten people are, I am equally as quiet; people with gastrointestinal diseases have dignities, too, which is why most celiacs will give you a very shifty answer when you ask what happens when we eat gluten.

ILLUSTRATION BY MICHELLE PHILLIPS ones who turn up their noses at a perfectly good 50-cent piece of pizza because it’s “dirty.” These are the people who love to complain to me about how difficult eating gluten-free is, how they’re constantly tempted, how they’re so excited to talk to someone who actually “gets it” for once. And I hate them, bitterly. For “gluten-free” people do have a choice. They don’t have violent reactions that land them in a hospital on their “cheat days” and they are allowed the occasional “sometimes I’m bad when I’m drunk and eat a slice of pizza! Tee hee!” because there are no consequences for them. But this attitude has very real consequences for people like me, aside

We don’t want to talk about our diarrhea more than you don’t want to hear about it. The problem is, our shiftiness minimizes our experience. And I get it; my senior year of high school, when a girl I knew got diagnosed with celiac disease, I thought she was a big giant phony. We eat bread our entire lives and then one day we’re severely allergic. It sounds sketchy. But what everyone can’t see is the years of chronic illness leading up to the diagnosis — the endless, fruitless doctors appointments where they tell you to cut out whatever food and ask you if you feel better a month later. The answer is always sorta, I don’t know, maybe. And the process starts over. All of this,

coupled with the aforementioned lovely hipsters and bigorexic health nuts, have de-legitimized the severity of our allergies, downgrading an autoimmune disease to a fad. Twenty-something yoga enthusiasts around the country have since made a gluten-free diet the next trendy weight loss market, with the global gluten-free market growing from $1.7 billion in 2011 to $3.5 billion in 2016. Overall consumption of gluten-free foods by people who do not have celiac disease in the U.S. has more than tripled, from 0.52 percent of the population in 2010 to 1.69 percent in 2014. This is all in spite of a slew of scientific evidence that exposes real health detriments associated with following a gluten-free diet, that it will not help you lose weight nor is it inherently healthier, but instead is linked to a higher risk of obesity. I actually gained about 20 pounds after I went gluten-free. The reason people may lose weight on the diet is that they end up eating fewer carbs, not specifically gluten. Gluten-free substitute foods are generally higher in saturated fats and sugars, as they tend to be made from starchier substances like white rice f lour or potato starch than their whole wheat counterparts and rely on added sugars to make up for differences in taste. Additionally, already-expensive substitute grains like quinoa coupled with a sharp demand spike make gluten-free foods an average of 242 percent more expensive than their gluten-filled complements. For the people who elect the diet, it is a privilege to give up most foods and replace them with an expensive, tasteless substitute. They have the option of buying the cheaper wheat-filled version and instead elect for the more expensive gluten-free one. I do not have such luxuries. Think you’re struggling with funds buying 69-cent packets of ramen noodles? You’re right. Now imagine you have to pay $6 for a loaf of bread. Worse, imagine electing to do so. “Oh, I don’t have any real reason, I just feel better when I don’t eat it!” is one of my least favorite sentences in the English language. Contrary to popular belief, this diet is not a choice. And the people who do choose it for weight loss purposes or whatever other stupidity only reaffirm the “popular belief” that it is. So if you’re considering “going gluten-free,” just cut out carbs instead. Do all of us over here at Sad, Tasteless Headquarters a favor and stop going gluten-free for a week as a fun challenge. It won’t do anything. And, for the love of God, stop complaining about it on the internet. Let us deal with our diseases in peace.

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 // The Statement

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Personal Statement: camping against cancer

I

was given the name Annaka in 1998 in a hospital in Jackson, Mich. In Palmer Commons 19 years later, I was renamed, surrounded by 100 of my tie-dye-clad best friends. To the question “What is your favorite childhood movie?” I responded with “Monsters, Inc.” As ideas were shouted at me, I zeroed in on a suggestion from the crowd: Roz. In that moment, I stepped foot into something that would fill me with joy and drastically alter the way I think about the career in oncology that I am pursuing. The personal vendetta I hold against cancer extends far prior to my name change. It began when I saw my grandmother’s hair begin to thin for the first time, falling out in chunks until she finally decided to shave it off and put the scarves in her closet to a new use. It deepened as I later watched the fat slip from her bones, her body becoming skeletal and so delicate that even hugging her is now a task to be completed with great care. It turned into an obsession when she became too tired to lift her beloved paints to the blank canvases for which she’d planned scenes of lazy days in Ypsilanti and stilllifes of her childhood in Escanaba. I made enemies of the cancerous cells within her; the woman whose impact on my life can conservatively be referred to as that of a third parent. A career as an oncologist became a goal to eclipse all others. Nights were spent reading articles, watching documentaries and googling unknown terms in an effort to better understand the thing I hated so much. Write-ups about immunotherapy and clinical trials dominate the favorites bar on my laptop. Dreams of patients in complete remission dance through my head when I sleep. Camp Kesem allowed me to confront illness from a different perspective. Rather than focusing on only the disease, Kesem fights to weaken the rippling effects that cancer has on loved ones of those diagnosed. Camp Kesem is an organization, staffed by college students, that provides a free week of summer camp to

by Annaka Saari, LSA Sophomore

children with a parent affected by cancer. We strive to give our campers respite from holidays spent in hospitals, talk of treatment plans and nights spent worrying about their parent’s health. This support extends throughout the rest of the year as well — counselors attend important events, send birthday cards and even host camper-counselor reunions to keep in touch with our campers (and, admittedly, satiate our own camp withdrawal). Before attending camp, I saw cancer as a single entity — spots upon the scans of people’s bones, breasts and lungs to be attacked with chemotherapy and radiation. I viewed the aff liction as one-dimensional, not taking into consideration the children acting as caregivers to their own parents by completing household chores, dispensing medications, cooking meals and looking over their younger siblings. That quickly changed when I met my campers. Within minutes of meeting them, I knew that this camp meant more to its campers than I could have imagined. My girls entered our cabin with huge smiles on their faces, running excitedly into the

arms of old friends and introducing themselves to campers they’d never met before. They talked about memories of camps past and eagerly wondered about the memories that would be made this year. Under this year’s theme, “The Wonderful World of Kesem,” the University of Michigan’s chapter of Camp Kesem provided 260 campers with activities inspired by superheroes, Harry Potter, pirates and Disney movies, as well as more traditional camp pastimes, like canoeing, arts and crafts, swimming and (my personal favorite) frog hunting. I felt goosebumps dot my arms as children as young as 6-year-olds bravely spoke about their experiences with cancer, exhibiting more poise and clarity than I possess as an adult. I laughed as my fellow counselor Maple waded waist-deep into a swamp so a camper could catch a frog on his birthday. I sang and danced to songs about jellyfish, bananas and burritos. I cried when a camper told me she liked spending time with me because I reminded her of her deceased father. Camp is a place where children who feel alone in their struggles can create life-

long bonds with other kids who share many of the same experiences, and with counselors who truly care about them. The fun we have and the connections we create allow our campers to take a week to just be kids and forget about the troubles and responsibilities that affect them at home. Additionally, Kesem has allowed me to forge friendships with people whom I would never have otherwise. My friends can be found marching with the band at football games, hitting the lanes with the club bowling team, playing bass in rock ‘n’ roll bands, beginning careers as teachers in places as far away as Austria and working in several of the University’s many research labs. Counselors ate ghost peppers, posted embarrassing pictures of themselves and bleached their hair to raise money for Kesem. I had friends attend funerals, make blankets and attend doctors appointments for campers going through hard times. These people have shown me levels of love and compassion that I would never have known without Kesem, and have also felt the transformative power of camp reverberate through their lives. When people ask about my favorite part of attending the University, I quickly jump to stories of kids dumping buckets of water on their unsuspecting counselors. I run at the opportunity to tell about the dreamcatcher that a 6-year-old camper made for me and delivered to me at lunch. I tear up every time I try to articulate the magic that breaks through the air when a shy child opens up for the first time. Years from now, when I’m (hopefully) practicing as an oncologist, I’ll look back on these days and know that I will not be doing my job to the best of my ability if I am not offering support to the families of my patients. I will do everything I can to make the treatment process understandable, provide access to information about counseling services and, most importantly, let them know that their feelings and emotions are being considered throughout their loved ones’ battles. As future Dr. Saari, I will do my best to offer the highest level of care possible to my patients. As Roz, I will make sure that those closest to my patients will never feel alone.

8B

Wednesday, September 20, 2017 // The Statement

V I S UA L STAT E M E NT

WOMEN’S SOCCER Photos by Zoey Holmstrom On September 14 and 17, I photographed two Michigan women’s soccer games — one against Purdue and the other against Indiana. It was an incredible feeling to be back shooting sports again. I started the fall 2016 semester shooting women’s soccer, and it felt like I was coming full circle for my last year at the Daily. One of my favorite things about covering sports isn’t necessarily the peak actions themselves but rather the intimate moments in between plays. Here are some of my favorite frames from this past week. A Michigan player shows her team pride through her cleats.

Michigan defeated their first Big Ten opponent on Sunday, beating Indiana 2 to 1.

Sophomore Jada Dayne throws in a ball during the Indiana game.

Freshman goalie Izzy Nino reacts to a Michigan ball hit off the crossbar during the game against Purdue.

The team stands for the national anthem, ready to begin warmups immediately after.

Head coach Greg Ryan gives instructions to his players in the final minutes of the game against Purdue.

The team sings “Hail to the Victors” after defeating Indiana on Sunday.