2017-10-11 by The Michigan Daily

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Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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On Edge

Michigan in Color and The Statement look at how students of color combat campus apathy.

m i ch ig a n in co l o r x th e s t ate m e nt

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CAMPUS LIFE

Health Insurance In Michigan

1,692,500

2013 2,168,900 in 2016

Michigan residents were on Medicaid in

The uninsured rate in

2013: 11%

The uninsured rate in

456,000

2016: 6%

9,100

currently enrolled through individual marketplace

Deputy ACLU legal director and professor contextualize, distinguish kinds of speech

to lose coverage when Health Alliance Plan leaves the market at the end of the year

KATHERINA SOURINE Daily Staff Reporter

Source: Kaiser Family Foundation DESIGN BY MICHELLE PHILLIPS

ACA leads to drop in MI uninsured

Since gaining full control of the White House, Senate and House, GOP has attempted repeal ANDREW HIYAMA Daily News Reporter

Since the Affordable Care Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama in March 2010, Republicans have made its repeal a central piece of their party platform. Since gaining full control of the

White House, the Senate and the House of Representatives, various Republicans have made multiple attempts at repeal, falling just a few Senate votes short each time. But that hasn’t stopped President Donald Trump from utilizing the full capabilities of the executive branch to dismantle the program and undermine its effectiveness.

His administration has cut the open enrollment period for the individual marketplace in half (and during said period shuts down the healthcare. gov website for 12 hours every Sunday), indicated the IRS will not enforce the individual mandate penalty for people eligible to enroll in the marketplace, drastically cut funding for navigator groups

Panel talks ‘U’ protests, free speech and hate speech

helping people enroll and declined to guarantee cost-sharing reduction payments to insurance companies, among other things. The effect of all this is particularly notable in Michigan, a state that has enjoyed relative success in health insurance coverage under the ACA. From 2009 to 2011, the uninsured See OBAMACARE, Page 3A

The growing necessity to distinguish free speech from hate speech, especially in context of life at the University of Michigan, was the central topic of disccusion at a panel held Tuesday at the University Law School. The panel related this topic in relation to recent events on and outside campus as well as the upcoming visit of controversial figure Charles Murray this Wednesday. The event was co-sponsored by the Law School and the Ford School of Public Policy. Dan Korobkin, deputy legal director of ACLU Michigan, drew much of his talk from his own work at the ACLU, where he litigates civil liberties issues like free speech. Korobkin cited the

First Amendment as a protection to protest an administration, but also highlighted its recent use in protecting the expression of hateful ideologies. Korobkin claimed the legal protection of what we know as hate speech and protesting is one of the most difficult parts of his job, especially when students later related this to the Charlottesville, Va., protests in which an estimated 80 percent were armed with weaponry. “They key to me is that the First Amendment actually includes the word ‘peaceably’ in it, which implies to me that if you are planning to have a march for political reasons, but also bring your guns and do it in a way that is designed to intimidate counterprotesters … that’s not what the First Amendment protects,” he See PANEL, Page 3A

Trump administration rolls back Exhibition University eulogizes birth control coverage requirement launches

CAMPUS LIFE

suicide with backpacks

Display set up on the Diag represents 1,100 student suicide victims each year NICOLE TSUNO

Daily Staff Reporter

According to Send Silence Packing — a campaign designed to raise awareness of student suicide and to connect students to mental health resources on university campuses — one of every two college students thinks about attempting suicide at some point. Tuesday, the Diag was covered by backpacks — each of them representing one of the 1,100 college students who take their own life every year. LSA junior Summer LaPointe said this number surprised her. “The number is lower than I thought, but I’m not exactly sure why,” she said. “As someone who struggles with suicidal ideation even still, I think it really impresses me that so many of us are able to continue living and not die, and it also makes me sad that as many as 1,100 have killed themselves and it doesn’t seem like ‘that much.’ ” These backpacks were part of a travelling exhibition called Send Silence Packing. This campaign has been a See BACKPACKS, Page 3A

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ADMINISTRATION

White House officials cite the protection of religious and moral freedoms as motives CARLY RYAN

Daily Staff Reporter

After an unsuccessful attempt at repealing the entire Affordable Care Act, President Donald Trump’s administration repealed a mandate that required employers to provide free birth control coverage, which currently gives more than 55 million women access to birth control. These stipulations will allow a wide range of employers to deny birth control coverage, including those with “moral convictions” against the drug. Because of this, it is estimated hundreds of thousands of women will no longer be able to afford their birth control, which was free of cost under the Affordable Care Act. “Congress has a consistent history of supporting conscience protections for moral convictions alongside protections for religious beliefs,” the administration said in a statement. The mandate expands exemptions from only religious institutions to all organizations, including hospitals and universities. According to The New York Times, Trump said these mandates will prevent employers from being “bullied by the federal government because of their religious beliefs” and prevent “risky sexual behavior” among adolescents. However, LSA sophomore Helena Harmon, executive board member of the FemDems

committee of the University of Michigan’s chapter of College Democrats, said the argument that the mandates will protect freedom of religion is thinly veiled considering the vagueness of “moral convictions” allows for anyone to decline birth control coverage. “It’s totally a guise and a political move to appeal to further right groups,” she said. “I think it just shows that controlling womens’ bodies has become a political issue.” However, some pro-life students think since some birth control methods like abortifacients prevent an embryo from attaching to the uterine wall, no tax dollars should be going towards them. Nicole Hocott,

LSA sophomore and president of Students for Life, said because the mandate affects abortifacients, she is glad her tax dollars don’t have to go toward them. “If Planned Parenthood is technically not allowed to use tax dollars to fund abortion, then neither should our tax dollars be used for that which is essentially an abortion,” Hocott said. “In terms of other birth control that are not abortifacients and just block fertilization or ovulation, I am not completely sure on my stance, but I do know that I understand why someone would not want their money going toward something they see as so wrong, as this has to do with life and death, families and culture.” The breadth of the mandate,

New Birth Control Regulations Birth Control is Rad

which allows universities to decline coverage, also concerned some students. However, Women’s Studies professor Joanne Bailey said University employees likely do not need to worry about losing their coverage based on these provisions. “Generally religious universities like Notre Dame and other traditionally Catholic universities that would be opposed to birth control would be in the category of those who would be affected by this,” Bailey said. Harmon agreed University students and employees likely won’t be affected, and furthermore said women in our generation are privileged to See BIRTH CONTROL, Page 3A

The Agency calculated at most

120,000

women would be affected.

9 out of 10 women

Health and Human Service Officials said that the new rule would have no

of reproductive age will use birth control in their lifetime

For more stories and coverage, visit

michigandaily.com

impact on 99.9% of Women in the United States

Roughly 200 entities have been involved in 50 or more lawsuits over birth control

DESIGN BY OLIVIA STILLMAN

INDEX

bias report log online

Incidents listed on the site go back as far as July; includes written, verbal KAELA THEUT

Daily Staff Reporter

The University of Michigan launched an onlinebias response log this week amid student requests for more administrative transparency regarding bias incidents. The log details all bias incidents reported to, and actions taken by, the Bias Response team since July 1. The Bias Response Team, part of the larger Division of Student Life, works to maintain an inclusive campus environment for all students and support those who may have been impacted by such bias incidents. As noted in the log, the team of professional staff members also refers victims to appropriate University resources as needed. In a statement provided by the Office of Public Affairs, Nicole Banks, assistant dean of students, emphasized the level of professionalism possessed by those on the Bias Response Team. “This team of skilled professionals represent many aspects of the University community and work to coordinate a comprehensive response to each individual incident,” Banks said. See LOG, Page 3A

NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6

SUDOKU.....................2 CROSSWORD...............6 SPORTS..................7

News

2A — Wednesday, October 11, 2017

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Tweets

Every Wednesday, the Michigan Daily will be asking a University affiliate what the University’s Bicentennial means to them.

Matthew Altruda @TreeTownSound

“If you look around the University you can see women in positions of power which we really haven’t seen before. We have Anushka Sarkar who is CSG president, Laura Blake Jones the Dean of Students, and vice president E. Royster Harper. The Bicentennial is a moment within our history where we see more female power than we have in the past. I hope this event can mark it and be more representative from here on out.”’

You can rain on our parade but you can’t parade on our reign. #GoBlue

Candy corn is gross. @BadMonaLyssa ...umich 2021 is a different breed.

LSA senior Alyssa Wallace

EMMA RICHTER/Daily

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Is It Safe to Drink? WHAT: James Salzman from UCLA will give a talk on the past, present and future of drinking water. WHO: Program in the Environment WHEN: 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union — Pendleton Room

Presence as Profanation: German Naturalism’s Anti-Apotheoses WHAT: Through the work of Arno Holz, the legacies of antiapotheotic art will be examined. WHO: Germanic Languages and Literatures WHEN: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. WHERE: Modern Languages Building — Room 3308

An Engineering Student’s Guide to Networking with LinkedIn WHAT: This workshop will explain how to best utilize LinkedIn to aid the networking and job search process. WHO: Engineering Career Resource Center WHEN: 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. WHERE: Bob and Betty Beyster Building - Room 1670

Mohsin Hamid: EXIT WEST WHAT: Award-winning author Mohsin Hamid will discuss migration and the refugee crisis. WHO: Helen Zell Writers’ Program WHEN: 5 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Graduate School Ampitheater

Chinese Food and Female Characters in Late Imperial Chinese Novels

Artist Lecture: Sohpia Brueckner

mrsmichiganinsider @mrsmichinsider

WHAT: Artist and assistant professor Sophia Brueckner will discuss her design and engineering background. WHO: University Library WHEN: 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. WHERE: Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library — Gallery

Michigan football is like marriage: you don’t jump ship every time something goes wrong. You stick together and make it work. #GoBlue

From Earth to Space and Back Again

National Coming Out Week: Mixer

WHAT: Former NASA astronaut Dr. Tony England, who went on the Apollo 13 and Apollo 16 missions, will share stories of human missions and the future of the U.S. Space Program. WHO: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library WHEN: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library

WHAT: Music and crafts will be shared at this mixer to allow students to discuss the meaning of coming out. WHO: Spectrum Center WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union — Spectrum Center

WHAT: Two late Imperial Chinese novels will be used to discuss the intersection of food and women in wealthy merchant households. WHO: Confucius Institute WHEN: 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union — Pendleton Room

Central Student Government joins conversation on C.C. Little renaming Daily Staff Reporter

Following the initiatives put forth on behalf of LSA Student Government, Central Student Government briefly convened Tuesday night to introduce a resolution supporting the proposal to rename the C.C. Little Science Building. LSA SG President Nicholas Fadanelli, an LSA senior, was the co-sponsor of the CSG resolution with other CSG representatives. The resolution supported renaming the C.C. Little Science Building and opened discussion on the resolution by sharing some of the context of it. “It is very different to remember our history — both its dark moments and its finer ones — and to explicitly glorify a man who believed a lot students on this

campus should not have been born,” Fadanelli said. Presiding student government bodies like Rackham Student Government have already passed resolutions or discussed efforts in support of the 20-page proposal, which was put forth by LSA faculty and spearheaded by associate History professor John Carson. Fadanelli further pressed CSG to take action, calling upon the assembly to release a statement in support of the name change after smaller governing bodies have taken part in the support of the name change. “We would love to have CSG on board, not only to support the policy, but also release a statement so that campus knows this is an important issue for all of us,” he said. Late last month, in the midst of a week of filled with protests in response to racist graffiti

found on the dorms of West Quad Residence Hall, LSA SG passed a resolution denouncing the ex-University President Clarence Little’s troubling past, including his involvement with eugenics. That same week, hundreds of University students showed up to voice their concerns and support the name change of the C.C. Little Science Building at a public forum hosted on behalf of LSA SG at the end of the week of protests. The protests delayed the panel, which was a further point of concern for many, as all the speakers were white. Fadanelli said in an earlier statement he supports future dialogue about renaming the C.C. Little Building. “I just hope that all these people that came out here tonight sign the petition and we keep having this conversation … because this is an important conversation to have, as much as possible,” Fadanelli said. CSG itself has not released any official statement on C.C. Little or the series of racist incidents on campus, unlike the past administration. CSG President Anushka Sarkar, an LSA senior, has tweeted support of students on campus and has urged students to sign a petition on the renaming of the building. However, the assembly has briefly touched on the protests that occurred that week and other racist incidents, even in their attendance in SACUA. While Sarkar didn’t speak on the issue, CSG Vice President Nadine Jawad, a Public Policy junior, commented on the effort led by LSA SG.

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

Suicide Prevention estimates to be 25 attempts for every one completed. The severity of mental illness is especially prevalent on campus. The University of Michigan Counseling and Psychological Services reports that 35 percent of students have thought about or considered suicide. This number is continuously increasing, as CAPS sees 130 to 140 new students a week, according to CAPS director Todd Sevig. Additionally, a survey commissioned by a task force organized by former CSG President David Schafer found that over 91 percent of students and 75 percent of faculty members had dealt with some mental health concern. In response, the University has developed new programs to address mental health and suicide. The University’s Depression Center and its Transforming Research into Action to Improve the Lives of Students program has trained staff at 24 schools in 10 Michigan counties on ways to help students handle and cope with stress through

BIRTH CONTROL From Page 1A have grown up with birth control coverage being the norm. She said the concept of a lack of the drug seems to be shocking many students. “I do think we are really lucky to go to a public university that makes birth control accessible,” Harmon said. “But now people are realizing that if they didn’t have their parents’ insurance or didn’t go to a liberal public university that they might have their birth control lose coverage.” Regardless of the safety of University employees, Bailey stressed the larger issue at hand isn’t the repealing of coverage, but the fact that coverage is determined by employers in the first place. She said the idea employers have stake in an individual’s personal lives is an antiquated idea that stems from World War II, and is very different from other countries’ methods. “The fact that employers have that power over us is just sort of bizarre,” Bailey said. “I believe that access to reproductive health care, including contraception, should be an individual’s choice, not something that should be dictated by one’s employer or the government or by anyone but the individual.” Harmon said she agreed women’s health care is in the wrong hands. Apart from insurance being in the hands of employers, she said health care as a whole is being defined from a male perspective that can leave women without the specified coverage they need. “What is healthy and necessary is determined by and for men, and women fall through the cracks a lot. As we see now, men deemed birth control unnecessary to be healthy even though so many women use it for reasons other than contraception,” Harmon said. “There’s just not an understanding of what women’s health care is, and this administration seems to be trying to apply male health care needs onto women.” Contraceptives are often used for medical reasons, such as hormonal imbalances and acne, besides preventing pregnancy, but in the provisions these reasons are subject to moral rejection as well. Ruth

LOG From Page 1A

HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily LSA Freshman Meenakshi Seetharaman reads the letters on backpacks at the Send Silence Packing display on Diag Tuesday.

Disease Control and Prevention recorded the highest rate of suicide among females ages 15 to 19, more than double the rate in 2007. In that same time, the suicide rate among males ages 15 to 19 rose from 10.8 to 14.2 per 100,000 people. However, new statistics show the suicide rate in the state of Michigan is slightly higher than the national average. While, as a state, it statistically ranks toward the middle of the pack —sitting at 34 of 50 — the suicide rate has risen drastically every year in Michigan since 2000. Looking at young people specifically, Michigan also ranks toward the middle when comparing state suicide rates of 15- to 24-year-olds. However, in 2016, Washtenaw County saw 17 suicides among 15- to 24-year-olds, the highest amount of suicides ever recorded from the age group in the country, which has been documented by medical examiners since 2004. These numbers do not include the many who attempt suicide, which the American Foundation for

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 — 3A

cognitive behavioral therapy. The program recently received a grant, allowing them to begin expanding their program to 150 mental health care providers in Michigan. In addition, the University has increased the budget for CAPS by 66 percent over the past 10 years. However, many students think the University could do more to help students with mental illness and promote awareness. LSA senior Lauren Quinlan, who participated in the mental health monologues last spring, said she believes that while the University needs to be more active, this responsibility lies with the students too. “For many of those who suffer from mental illness, it is an all day, every day affair,” she said. “I think all people, not just big institutions, need to be more cognizant of the effects and tolls mental health takes on those who struggle with it. Awareness and unbiased education can start with the University, but we as individuals need to carry it forth with us every day.”

Within the same statement, Dean of Students Laura Blake Jones noted administration members worked deliberately with students and faculty to ensure the log is sensitive to the needs of those who have been affected by bias incidents. “We worked carefully with students and professional staff to create a bias incident log that shares information publicly while maintaining privacy for the affected students and other members of our community,” Blake Jones said. Blake Jones further explained the details of the log — ranging from the date of the bias incident to a full summary of responsive action taken — will be updated weekly. However, as bias incidents are oftentimes reported in a general manner to preserve the privacy of the victim, limited information may be available in certain cases. The launch of this log comes in the wake of many acts of hate towards communities of color and other marginalized groups over the past year. Most recently, racist flyers encouraging students to “Make America White Again” were found outside Stockwell Residence Hall last week. Despite administrative response, Black students and their allies continue to express their disappointment with

Lednicer, Planned Parenthood of Michigan’s director of media and communications, reiterated the bizarre nature of having an employer’s opinions come before those of an individual’s doctor. “They will no longer have access to what their doctor prescribed or what they think is best for them. There’s been arguments that lowincome women will still have the ability to get birth control in other ways but this isn’t about low-income women,” Lednicer said. “This is really about working women who have insurance that’s part of their benefits and now their employer can decide parts of their personal lives.” Moving forward, Lednicer said Planned Parenthood has had to make some changes based on the administration’s priorities. Still, she said advocacy and the well-being of the individual is their main focus right now, not the well-being of their institution. “They are making it very clear that they don’t think women can make health care decisions for themselves. We do expect more attempts like this from the administration,” Lednicer said. “But, it’s less about how it affects Planned Parenthood and more about how it affects the individual women.” The ACLU, the Washington Attorney General and the National Women’s Law Center have already prepared lawsuits against the administration. According to a statement released by Washington state’s Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, the mandate violates the first amendment by “requiring individuals to bear the burdens of religions to which they do not belong.” Additionally, some lawsuits called the mandate’s discrimination against women a violation of the Civil Rights Act. Still, many members of the administration stand by the constitutionality of the provisions. “No American should be forced to violate his or her own conscience in order to abide by the laws and regulations governing our health care system,” Caitlin Oakley, Department of Health and Human Services’ press secretary, said in a statement. “Today’s actions affirm the Trump administration’s commitment to upholding the freedoms afforded all Americans under our Constitution.”

the administration for not being more aggressive in dealing with bias incidents. In an earlier interview with The Daily, LSA sophomore Kaitlyn Brown said she thinks the University needs to emphasize strict consequences for perpetrators of such incidents. “They need to be more proactive,” she said. “Just sending an email doesn’t give the people who do this consequences, so I feel like there needs to be a form of consequence and some kind of way that the University comes out and strictly says, ‘We do not condone this and if you do this then there will be consequences.’ ” University President Mark Schlissel, in a previous Daily interview, expressed hope this log will aid students in understanding the multitude of actions the University takes to combat bias incidents, from both a personal and campus-wide perspective. He emphasized the University is not trying to hide such incidents when they occur, as it would not be productive. “I think one thing we are doing is trying to be more rapidly transparent about episodes that occur, so that everyone in the community knows where to look when they hear a rumor about something,” he said. “We’re putting up a website that gives basically a running summary of the events that happened, and the results of any investigations and practical things. I think that will at least help people know what’s going on.”

Opinion

4A — Wednesday, October 11, 2017

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BILLY STAMPFL | COLUMN

Want kids to stay in school?

never found school to be all that boring. I kind of liked high school, with its different clubs and sports teams to join, cool people to meet and interesting things to learn. Given my positive perspective of school, I was alarmed to read that 1.2 million students drop out of United States high schools each year. That’s one student every 26 seconds. That means about four high schoolers have dropped out since I started typing this column. Do kids really think high school is that bad? Why do they choose to drop out? In the 20th century, three prominent researchers — Jonathan Doll, a fellow at Harvard’s Center for Education Policy Research, and Zohreh Eslami and Lynne Walters, associate professors of teaching, learning and culture at Texas A&M University — proposed the main factors that led kids to drop out of high schools fell into three categories: students “pushed out” when affected by adverse influences, students “pulled out” by personal circumstances that prevented them from graduating and, finally, students “falling out” when they do “not show significant academic progress in schoolwork and becomes apathetic or even disillusioned with school completion.” While “pulled out” and “pushed out” comprised factors like financial difficulties or enlistment in the armed forces, “falling out” essentially means the dropout got tired of going to school. This last one caught my eye: According to the 2002 iteration of the study, 14.3 percent of the subjects dropped out of high school because they became apathetic or disillusioned with school completion. You might argue that things have changed since 2002, but a Business Insider article from 2015 reported that 25.9 percent of dropouts quit school simply due to boredom. But high school dropouts are a population in which, as of 2009, the average worker makes $20,241 per year, and 31 percent

between the ages of 18 and 24 live in poverty. Still, nearly 15 percent of the population of high school dropouts reject school because they just don’t like it? Do they know the alternatives? If we want to keep kids in school, we should teach them just what constitutes the alternative: a laborintensive, physical job that makes them wish they hadn’t ditched that air-conditioned classroom. I appreciate this because I worked a part-time job at UPS this summer, one that is nearly identical to many entry-level labor jobs that you could get without a high school diploma. The workday at UPS would last about five hours. We’d start at a set time announced toward the end of the previous day. I’d pull into the parking lot every workday 15 minutes before start time with a sinking feeling in my stomach. I wasn’t nervous. I wasn’t afraid. I wasn’t angry. But it felt like my gut was being pulled down by some package-induced gravitational force. Before I entered the complex, I’d have to go through a metal detector — no phones are allowed in the building. They say it’s because the metal or the signal or something interferes with the scanners, but we all knew that the supervisors just didn’t want us getting distracted. Walking into the guard office a hundred yards from the complex was almost the worst part of the day. It always smelled like yogurt. Probably because the guard ate a lot of it — the vanilla kind, I think. He had a mustache, salt- and peppercolored with specks of yogurt in it. After passing through the shack, I walked to the main building where all the packages moved from semis to sorters to actual UPS delivery trucks. I really don’t know how the whole system worked, actually; I liked to get in, do my job and get out. Speaking of my job: I was on “the unload,” so I had a number of responsibilities that ranged widely in scope and needed to be handled in a timely and reliable manner.

Just kidding. I picked up packages and I put them on a conveyer belt. No, really, that’s pretty much it. They were heavy, I had to be fast and I had to make sure the label was facing up, but that was my job. I remember when I interviewed and the lady said I’d probably be unloading packages. That can’t be too hard, I thought. That seems cool. I thought. The trailers we unloaded were jam-packed with boxes and hot air. A steady smell, one of sweat and cardboard, blanketed each truck. We’d extend the conveyer belt into the truck and place the packages one by one on the moving belt. Sometimes I got to unload trailers with a partner. This was easier, and the conversations could be interesting. I met nice guys at UPS; they all liked sports and music, and we shared a bubbling hatred for the job. We’d get a 10 minute break around halfway through the night. This was when a mass of people would march out of the east exit and smoke cigarettes. The nonsmokers, like me, went to the break area, a small room that looked like a 1970s diner. It had orange booths and wood-paneled walls, with a TV that always played grainy Chuck Norris movies. When the night ended I would clock out and head to the guard shack, where the mustachioed yogurt man bid everyone farewell with his metal detector. An empty yogurt cup lay by his clipboard. I smelled like sweat and cardboard. My arms felt heavy and my eyes stung from all the dust in the trailers. My fingers were sticky with ink. I longed for an airconditioned classroom, where all the ink went onto blank pages and dust was found only in the library, on the books no one ever checked out. There was yogurt, but only a little, and only in the lunchroom. I wanted the classroom back. Why would anyone leave school?

EMILY WOLFE | EMILY CAN BE REACHED AT ELWOLFE@UMICH.EDU

Billy Stampfl can be reached at bstampfl@umich.edu.

Celebrity opinions matter

hese days, it seems everybody has something to say. People of all political affiliations are bound to feel wound up and passionate about recent events. It’s better that our citizens stay engaged than become complacent; people who actively involve themselves in politics are looking out for the country’s best interests. Furthermore, some of the United States’ biggest critics are also its biggest patriots, exercising the First Amendment rights our Founding Fathers fought so hard for. As uncomfortable as it can be, challenging the status quo is the only way progress happens. Controversy gets important conversations started. It baff les me that some people call protests such as kneeling during the anthem “un-American.” Quite frankly, what is more American than a non-disruptive act of defiance? Many sports players do this to protest police brutality and racial resentment that have been crippling the country for some time now. And yet, people implore football players to stick to the sport next time. People label these players as ungrateful for criticizing the country that allowed them to reach such heights in the NFL. Both of these arguments not only silence these football players but delegitimize them as human beings. These football players are more than just your Sunday afternoon entertainment. They have lives outside their profession and have voices that deserve

to be heard just as loud as everybody else’s. Their success does not blind them to the pertinent issues of today. The same can be said for all celebrity activists. Take a look at the 2017 Emmys: Celebrities ranging from Alec Baldwin to Donald Glover to Jane Fonda all took shots at the Trump administration throughout the show. This politicization of the Emmys remained a topic of debate all throughout the next day; many conservative television personalities expressed their disgust with the Emmys and disclosed plans to not watch them next year.

Whoever has privilege has the responsibility to use that power to help those who are less privileged. ESPN host Jemele Hill received calls — some directly from White House officials — for her to be fired after she posted a series of anti-Trump tweets. It would be one thing if Hill’s criticisms were said on air amidst a sports segment. But why shouldn’t she be able to express her own opinions on her own personal Twitter account? Should working in the sports industry limit her to talking about sports only? Late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel also veers away from his comedic content to get political from

time to time. On Oct. 1, tens of thousands of people gathered in Las Vegas to watch country star Jason Aldean perform. Yet, 59 lives were cut short and over 500 people were injured in what is now the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. Kimmel delivered an emotional and passionate plea against such senseless acts on his show the following day, and people were mad at him for not sticking to comedy? Comedy is derived from current events, but sometimes the current events transcend the realm of comedy and must be talked about in a serious manner. Kimmel’s show gives him the perfect platform to discuss these issues, and it would be foolish for anyone to not take advantage of this. Some people claim celebrities shouldn’t try to speak on behalf of the “ordinary folk,” given the extent of their privilege. The way I see it, whoever has privilege has the responsibility to use that power to help those who are less privileged. This is exactly what these celebrities are doing. I don’t have sympathy for those who find the politicization of NFL games, award shows, comedy shows, etc. unwatchable. We do not have a monopoly on the content of such programs. We all have family and friends who post political rants on Facebook and with whom we often disagree, yet we are able to look past this disparity and carry on. So why can’t we do the same with celebrities? Nicole Kardas is an LSA sophomore.

SUBMIT TO SURVIVORS SPEAK The Opinion section has created a space in The Michigan Daily for first-person accounts of sexual assault and its corresponding personal, academic and legal implications. Submission information can be found at https://tinyurl.com/survivespeak. KATE STENVIG | OP-ED

Silencing bigoted voices

his Wednesday, the University of Michigan College Republicans and American Enterprise Institute are sponsoring Charles Murray, a white supremacist, to speak on campus and promote his new book. Murray, who is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, co-wrote the “The Bell Curve” in 1994. The publication of this book marked the 1990s re-emergence of racist eugenics and biological determinist theories using pseudo-science, linking IQ to race and claiming white intellectual superiority. He is considered a white nationalist by the Southern Poverty Law Center. He is an “alt-right” bigot who is emboldened by President Donald Trump. The sponsoring organizations have stated to The Michigan Daily that they want to distance themselves from the “alt-right” and white supremacist movement. If they are sincere, they should cancel this event. His upcoming event has already inspired another racist poster campaign on campus claiming white superiority, which threatens the safety and rights of the students and faculty at the University, especially immigrants, Muslims, trans people, women and other minority students who are most consistently targeted. The event must be canceled or shut down. Murray’s speaking engagements have been canceled at colleges such as Assumption College, Azusa Pacific University and protested at Harvard University, Middlebury College and some other campuses and venues due to safety concerns. There is no reasonable debate to be had with white

supremacists. Actions speak louder than words. Statements from the University logically refuting these theories, such as the University’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan last September, are important but insufficient. If the University means what it says about its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, the safety of its students and requests to stop the spread of racist violence on our campus, they will cancel the event.

“This is not an event any college campus should condone.”

The movement for immigrant rights and against Trump is gaining in strength, even forcing many leading Republicans to distance themselves from Trump. By sponsoring this event, the University College Republicans are not only supporting Trump’s attacks, but attempting to strengthen the most violent, racist and reactionary forces of the Trump movement. This is not an event that any college campus should condone — it threatens the safety and wellbeing of students and faculty and threatens the academic mission to promote learning and leadership. The confrontations will not be confined to the time and place of the event; hate crimes will escalate, and innocent people will suffer verbal and physical abuses. If

white supremacists are given a platform by the University, University administration will be directly responsible for aiding and allowing bigoted and racist attacks to endanger students. Especially after the horrific murder of Heather Heyer by a white supremacist in Charlottesville, Va., the danger of “alt-right,” white supremacist and fascist organizing is clear to anyone who wants to see the truth. The “alt-right” and fascists are emboldened by Trump’s explicit backing of racist, anti-immigrant demagogy and attacks, such as his move to repeal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. As long as Donald Trump is president, the “alt-right” and fascists will be emboldened and will continue to organize and make attacks. If we continue to organize independently and fight in the streets, in our schools and in workplaces, the resistance movement against Trump can force him to resign or be removed. By taking matters into our own hands and mobilizing our own community defense, we have the power to stop racist and fascist attacks, to defend DACA and win the Dream Act, restore affirmative action and make all our campuses, cities and communities sanctuaries for immigrants. Only then will our University be truly equal, diverse, integrated and inclusive. A protest is planned to begin at the Diag at 4 p.m. Wednesday and we are marching to the Charles Murray event at Palmer Commons. Join us Wednesday to protest and defend our campus community against racism and immigrant-bashing!

Kate Stenvig is a class of 2004 alum.

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Arts

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 — 5

COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN

TV REVIEW

The cause for disrupting what we label the ‘Norm’ Community Culture Columnist Bailey Kadian ponders the inequties of beauty product culture and challenges the typical

Larry David returns to HBO. Just look at that return. Wow.

HBO

Nothing (and everything) changed in ‘Curb’’s ninth

The return has a bumpy start but shows potential for the future CONNOR GRADY Daily Arts Writer

Larry David’s (“Seinfeld”) “Curb Your Enthusiasm” is a lot of things: Cringe-TV, a haven for celebrity cameos and, above all, a commentary on social customs. That last piece has become the defining feature of the series as it enters its ninth season. A ruthless “social assassin,” Larry uses “Curb” to call bullshit on all the social conventions we hold dear, holding nothing back. While a longtime fan of “Curb,” I feel I’ve only recently began to truly appreciate Larry’s perpetual offensiveness in our hypersensitive climate. I think it’s valuable to have such an unabashedly rude and childish character — one who revels in having others detest him — on such a prominent show today. It’s almost cathartic to watch. As HBO’s marketing machine went into full swing this past summer, I started to become anxious as my Facebook feed f looded with “Curb” ads adorned with the tagline, “Nothing has changed” alongside a photo of Larry. While I had no doubt that Larry would return to being a complete ass, I worried the show would change too much after being off-the-air for over seven years. Now having re-watched “Curb”’s latest episode “Foisted!” a few times, I must say that my fears have been realized, at least in part. The episode opens with Larry singing in the shower as he struggles to open a bottle of shampoo. Smacking the bottle against various surfaces to no avail, Larry finally lashes out and hurls the bottle against the ground, breaking its plastic protector. The gag itself is sortof funny, but I couldn’t help but be reminded of nearly the exact same scene — except with different packaging — during season seven’s “Vehicular Fellatio.” While I’m all for shows sticking to their proven scripts, this scene felt utterly copied-and-pasted. Fortunately, “Curb” doesn’t spend long on this scene, quickly moving toward one of the main jokes of the episode, as Larry declines to hold the door for Betty (Julie Goldman, “The People’s Couch”), who he later learns is Jeff’s (Jeff Garlin, “The Goldbergs”)

barber. Discovering that worse name than SoapsOn?” Betty is engaged to her more- Susie trashes Larry for his feminine partner Nooma comment, before convincing a (Nasim Pedrad, “Despicable faux-hesitant Larry to let Susie Me 2”), Larry breaks the news hire away Mara. Larry plays to her that she’s “not a bride” up his reluctance to let Mara and should let Nooma be the leave perfectly in this scene, groom in their wedding. It’s almost too well, as he ends kind of funny in and of itself the shot with his trademark that Larry, a cranky, old, line “pretty, pretty, pretty, by-the-book Jewish guy, is pretty good.” While David’s getting involved with a lesbian reliance on classic Larry gags wedding. Beyond and quotes works its satirical well here, “Curb” “Curb Your qualities, I like could stand to Enthusiasm” that “Curb” is let a scene go by confident enough without David Season 9 in itself to address overplaying his premiere one of the more own persona. controversial That’s my main HBO subjects in issue with this Sundays at 10 PM episode — David society today, even though the seems like he is series has never trying too hard shied from offending viewers. to live up to the reputation his Returning to the office after character has earned, spending his haircut, Larry learns that each scene going over-the-top his assistant, Mara (Carrie in his performance as Larry. Brownstein, “Portlandia”) has David’s overacting aside, missed the past two days of the episode remains strong. work since she is constipated. Having successfully “foisted” Mara is already on Larry’s Mara onto an unsuspecting bad side, so her unnecessary Susie, Larry has Leon fill-in absences only further incite as his assistant. As expected, Larry’s rage. It wouldn’t be Leon struggles to fulfill “Curb” if Larry wasn’t feuding nearly every one of his duties, with his assistant. especially with helping Larry In typical Larry fashion, prepare for his “Jimmy Kimmel he brings up his dilemma Live!” appearance. Larry is with Leon (J.B. Smoove, booked on the show to market “Date Night”) — he can’t fire his newly-penned Broadway Mara because she’s crippled musical comedy “Fatwa!” — and Leon rips Mara for about Salman Rushdie’s fatwa using constipation as an (death sentence) issued by excuse, claiming: “I shot a an Iranian Ayatollah. In the porno constipated… I was in a green room backstage, Larry fuckin’ hot-dog eating contest and Kimmel — in an excellent constipated.” The two then cameo — joke about Kimmel’s realize that Jimmy Kimmel “foisting” of Mara onto Larry. (“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”) Their chemistry is outstanding, “foisted” her on Larry because as Kimmel’s more reserved, he couldn’t fire her either. For composed persona meshes well me, this was easily the funniest with Larry’s unhinged energy scene in the episode due to and love of hearing his own Smoove’s confident delivery voice. of such an absurd line, not Once Kimmel’s actual to mention that “foisted” is show starts, Larry quickly another instance of “Curb”’s runs into problems. After brilliant terminology. Between Leon neglects to relay Jeff’s “foisted” and “lampin’” — message warning him about “black slang,” according to mocking the Ayatollah on Leon — this episode provides Kimmel’s program, Larry some quality additions to the finds himself on the receiving series’ unique lexicon. end of his own “fatwa,” with Recognizing he now must his impersonation prompting “foist” Mara onto someone Muslim leaders to call else, Larry raves about her to for Larry’s death. I never Susie (Susie Essman, “Bolt”) envisioned a “Curb” episode when she mentions she needs involving Muslim death an assistant for her growing sentences, but here we are, and business SoapsOn. Along the it’s glorious. If only Larry could way, Larry makes sure to rip tone down his performance, Susie for the company’s name, then “Curb” could truly shine “Could you come up with a this season.

Rihanna is taking the world by storm — but not in her usual manner. In early September, she released her makeup line, Fenty Beauty, and it received almost-instant praise for the line’s quality products and unique colors. It launched as a makeup line that is dedicated to inclusivity, offering 40 shades of makeup in an effort to target all skin tones and shades. Rihanna has put her incredible career in the music industry on hold and has traded that success for a bit of glory in the business world. Her interest in starting this line came from observing her mother’s love for makeup, and

What I love about this launch is how it clearly represents the flaws in our established industries

as time went on, she grew to love it herself. The world of bloggers and fashion insiders have claimed that the Fenty brand is truly worth the hype, as many responded to the launch with great reviews, believing that Rihanna has risen to the challenge of creating makeup that reaches a wide range of customers. What I love about this launch is how it clearly represents the f laws in our established industries. Rihanna moved from a thriving music career (which I don’t doubt she will return to), and decided to put a real and honest idea towards a range of products. The beauty industry has established a norm of releasing makeup lines with products that only reach people with certain skin tones, and it inevitably limits the choices for what people can

purchase. On the Fenty Beauty website, the brand states that the product line was created after Rihanna continued to see “a void in the industry for products that performed across all skin types and tones.” She has disrupted an industry that is stuck in a rigid system of releasing a limited amount of products, and then increasing shade options if there is a “need.” I’m not sure why a business wouldn’t consider the development of shade ranges for darker skin tones and lighter skin tones an urgent need. Instead, for years, the beauty industry has remained limited. Rihanna offers something new, and it is so refreshing to see from someone who doesn’t claim to be the leader of the industry.

skin shades in every launch. These brands have used a lot of their resources to uphold consistency, and produce what they know will sell. Rihanna came in with an interest, thinking under simple terms: She loves makeup and wanted to create a line that includes all types of people, who may look different, but all love the same products. We often rely on the familiar mantra: “It is what it is,” when faced with a problem or a trend that feels too far along to change. It is not impossible to make change happen. Rihanna chose to disrupt the beauty industry, and alter its obvious problems. Many of us have a list of things we wish we could improve, and sometimes think

We often rely on the familiar mantra: “It is what it is” when faced with a problem BAILEY KADIAN She just entered with an interest, and surpassed the brands that have already been there. Her brand emphasizes that makeup should not pressure anyone into thinking they have to look a certain way — it should just be enjoyable. Rihanna’s success illuminates a larger idea that I think is worth unpackaging. We often operate under this assumption that there is a “right” way to do things. The top beauty brands of the industry, like Estee Lauder or M.A.C. follow a “system” of running their businesses. They establish norms, which determine what products are released, which consumers are targeted, and what their goals are as a brand. Often the releases from these established brands only offer a few shades of foundation, and model the makeup on the same

it is not worth the effort to try. If Fenty serves as our example, we see that it is very much possible — and often necessary — to bring new perspectives to older systems, that are in dire need of reform. If there is a business, an organization, a campaign or a belief that you feel you can contribute to, I suggest you go after it. We place an emphasis on experience and “learning the ropes” of the system, which no doubt holds some merit. But often, I think those who truly thrive are the ones who never let the status quo deter them from creating change. The belief that we need established precedent, or a “known” name in entering the spotlight often loses its value when someone new steps in, and prospers, having identified the very problem all the others overlooked.

FLASH FILM REVIEW

HOLA MEXICO

IF YOU READ MANREPELLER, HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ON THE OVERSIZED POLO AS A FASHION STATEMENT AND INVEST TOO MUCH MONEY IN SKIN CARE, STYLE WANTS YOU E-mail arts@michigandaily.com for information on applying.

‘Couple’ tells of teen love VANESSA WONG Daily Arts Writer

“Tales of an Immoral Couple,” directed by Manolo Caro (“Elvira I Will Give You My Life But I’m Using It”), is a comic tale of love lost and found. When former high school lovers Martina (Cecilia Suárez, “Elvira I Will Give You My Life But I’m Using It”) and Lucio (Manuel García-Rulfo, “The Magnificent Seven”) run into each other 25 years later, they both pull out the classic trick to fool one another

into thinking they’ve moved on: faking a relationship. A

“Tales of an Immoral Couple” Hola Mexico Distribution Michigan Theater nostalgic dual narrative takes us back to the halls of a strict

Catholic high school, with Ximena Romo (“The Color of Passion”) and Sebastián Aguirre (“A Monster With a Thousand Heads”) playing teenage Martina and Lucio, respectively. As Martina and Lucio inch closer together in the present day, the f lashback reveals the teenage couple’s passionate puppy love and the reason it ended. “Tales of an Immoral Couple” offers the best of both worlds, a sweet blend of heart-pinching coming of age and situational comedy.

Arts

6 — Wednesday, October 11, 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

FILM REVIEW

CONCERT REVIEW DEAD OCEANS

20TH CENTURY FOX Idria Elba. Need I say more.

Survival narratives & the Mitski shreds & shimmers failure of ‘The Mountain’ for a full house at the Pig New ‘The Mountain Between Us’ comes close to becoming a successful survival story, but falls short due to multiplicity SYDNEY COHEN Daily Arts Writer

For those who love the genre, “The Mountain Between Us” promised to be another stressful but compelling movie about humans trapped in the hellish nightmare of the wild. The movie’s initial marketing framed it as a survival narrative, complete with people stranded in a deserted landscape, makeshift tools from limited resources and the obsessive hunt for food and water. Rather than sticking to the archetype of the genre, “The Mountain Between Us” veered painfully into the nonexistent niche of cheesy romantic dramas set in extreme climates. A plane crash on a snowy mountaintop forces two strangers, Alex (Kate Winslet, “Collateral Beauty”) and Ben (Idris Elba, “The Dark Tower”), to rely on each other to survive the elements and trek back to civilization. The film begins as a classic survival narrative; the two are stranded in the remote wild, Ben crafts a makeshift splint for Alex’s broken leg, and the pair overcome cougar attacks, frigid temperatures, mountain crags and frozen lakes to eventually make it back to society. The beginning of “A Mountain Between Us” aligns with the subgenre of survival narratives called the “Stranded Story.” Films of this subgenre are characterized by a critical moment that leaves the protagonist stranded in nature, with little hope of rescue, that forces the him or her (in this case both) to interact with the environment in innovative ways to survive. Winslet and Elba’s hopeless situation recalls the similar plight of Tom Hanks in “Castaway,” James Franco in “127 Hours” and Suraj Sharma in “Life of Pi.” While set in drastically different environments, these three films are almost parallel in their story arc; the narrative chronology involves a critical disaster, potential rescue efforts, coming to terms with the situation and surviving among the elements. Each main character is left completely isolated for an extended period of time, and he must use the resources at their disposal to fulfill the human need for food, water and shelter. The jarring back and forth between relative control and complete desperation elicits a sense of

clawing anxiety for both the dies from eating a poisonous character and the audience. In plant hauntingly similar to its order to deal with his isolation, harmless look-a-like. These each man creates a physical survival narratives, again, manifestation of himself to focus on the environment’s serve as a human placeholder. inf luence on the human body Hanks creates Wilson, Sharma and psyche. imagines Richard Parker and While Alex and Ben Franco talks to himself through don’t purposefully isolate a video camera. These objects themselves in the snow, their provide comfort and work environment provides a space as springboards for strategy for them to ref lect on their sessions. While marriages and the audience their happiness. knows Wilson is Eventually the “The just a volleyball, tundra becomes Mountain they also a backdrop for a accept the fact getting-to-knowBetween Us” that Wilson’s you process and presence is the a dramatic reveal 20th Century only thing that of predictable Fox gives Hanks the trauma. will to survive. The romance Rave Cinemas, between “The Mountain Alex Quality 16 Between Us” and Ben comes doesn’t feature out of nowhere a snowman and develops companion because it doesn’t rapidly. For some reason, Alex have to. Alex and Ben have each has an obsessive need to rif le other to discuss plans and talk through Ben’s things and listen about life. In fact, they tend to his private voicemails. This to talk more about the past invasion of privacy doesn’t than about the situation at annoy Ben, but rather leads hand. Instead of concentrating directly into a gratuitous and on their struggle against the unnecessary sex scene. Even elements, the film hones in more frustratingly, the trite on their burgeoning romantic gender dynamics render Alex as love. The film transitions from a fragile, crippled woman who a focus on the environment needs constant and miraculous to a focus on each character’s saving by a man. Ben even goes relationship with the other; so far as to bring Alex out of the stakes of being stranded a hypothermic coma with a in the mountains takes a back makeshift syringe made from seat to Alex random scraps. and Ben getting “The Mountain Between to know each Us” doesn’t illustrate the other through hero’s journey because we inappropriately don’t understand who the hero casual is. Because the film begins conversations. with the crash, we have no Survival attachment to the characters narratives don’t and no understanding of who necessarily they are beyond the pieces involve a they tell each other (which life-or-death mostly consists of Alex asking struggle against “who are you?” and Ben the elements. looking sullen). The film is The “Hero’s unable to create a meaningful Journey,” the relationship between the two other subgenre because it’s almost impossible of survival for the audience to become narratives, invested in characters they involves a don’t understand. willing journey Survival narratives are into nature successful for their deeply for self-discovery and rebirth. internal exploration into the Emile Hirsch journeys into psyche of the single character the Alaskan brush in “Into the and how it is altered by the Wild,” Reese Witherspoon physical environment around hikes the Pacific Crest Trail in him or her. “The Mountain “Wild,” and Mia Wasikowska Between Us” fails as a survival explores the Australian desert film because of its focus on in “Tracks.” Nature in these the multiple over the singular. films provides an escape from With two characters, the the trappings of society and a focus shifts from the dynamic space in which the protagonist between humans and nature can ref lect on the past. to only the dynamic between The hero’s interaction with humans. The cliché romantic people along the way, and how subplot seems drastically they inf luence his or her mental out of place in the frozen journey, is also a major theme and unsentimental tundra. of this subgenre. Wasikowska Alex and Ben’s relationship relies on camel farmers and proves that a romance cannot aboriginal guides for her trek operate within the genre of a across the Australian desert, survival narrative; a romance but the journey is largely necessitates two characters for herself. The wild is also while a survival narrative romanticized, but nature can requires a single character – be unforgiving. Hirsch revels thus, the two contradict each in his Alaskan paradise, but other.

Survival narratives are successful for their deeply internal exploration into the psyche of the single character

The singer and bassist gave the audience her all last Friday AVERY FRIEDMAN Daily Arts Writer

Last Friday night, 27-yearold Mitski Miyawaki took the stage in front of an eager, soldout crowd at the Blind Pig in downtown Ann Arbor. After opener Stef Chura (a Northern Michigan native) delivered a stellar, twangy-indie set, Mitski appeared, casually shrugged off her oversized black zip-up and slung on her silver electric bass. The singer-songwriter — known for her versatile voice and knack for dissonance — stopped in Ann Arbor on the final leg of her American tour. In the coming months, the Japanese-American musician will be travelling to play Hong Kong, Japan and Australia before returning to the U.S., where she will open for Lorde’s Melodrama tour next spring. In the dim, intimate grime of the Blind Pig’s standing room, Mitski kicked off the performance with the driving bass notes of “Francis Forever” — a fan favorite. Throughout her fifteen-song set, Mitski wore an expression that fell somewhere between a laser-focused stare and a dreamy, distant gaze. Sometimes, her presence would shift to match her lyrics as they oscillated between the vivid metaphors of a poet, and the blunt angst

of a heartbroken teen. During “Francis Forever,” as she sang the lyrics, “I look up at the gaps of sunlight,” Mitski tilted her head back and looked longingly — hopefully — at the ceiling, then gently wincing, she narrowed her eyes in icy clarity, her bass in crescendo as she sang, “I miss you more than anything.” Later, at the start of “I Bet on Losing Dogs,” Mitski patted her heart and raised her eyebrows slightly as she sang “My Baby, my baby /

An almost constant echo of the crowd spoke to the strength of her melodies You’re my baby, say it to me,” as if trying to persuade a lover looking back at her from the crowd. The set was speckled with these little tinges of the unfiltered emotion that fuel Mitski’s songwriting. With the backing of just a guitarist and drummer, the live performance enhanced the signature paradox of her recorded music: the distorted, chaotic urgency of the instrumentation juxtaposed against Mitski’s pure, angelic

vocals. At times, it was difficult to hear Mitski’s voice over the screechy guitar or thudding percussion, but an almost constant echo of the crowd spoke to the strength of her melodies — a quality she values in her work. In interviews, she has spoken about how she moved around a lot growing up, and much of her songwriting occurred on-thego, with her voice as her sole instrument. “No offense to all of the instrumentalists out there, [instruments] are not as important to me as the core composition, which is to me the words and the main vocal melody,” she told Rookie in May. “I want the songs to be able to stand on their own.” During her hit rock ballad, “Your Best American Girl,” Mitski pulled back the instrumentation and let the song’s fluttery verse guide the audience (who followed along obediently). As the chorus dropped and the guitar cracked in a shock of electricity, the crowd yelled those iconic lyrics, “your mother wouldn’t approve of how my mother raised me,” right back at the band. Like the disapproval of a lover’s mother, Mitski’s performance was widely relatable, yet rooted in the sharpness of isolated, individual pain; she’s mastered this balance, and her bass set the common pulse of the crowd last Friday.

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, October 11, 2017

JOIN DAILY ARTS WRITE ABOUT BOOKS AND FOR BOOKS AND WITH BOOKS IN YOUR HANDS OUT OF THE GOOD OF YOUR HEART

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Ballet divisions 5 Crank (up) 8 Hunchbacked lab assistant 12 Un-fizzy 13 PGA Tour golf course near Miami 15 Fish in salade niçoise 16 Inc. and LLC? 19 “No fighting!” 20 Self-worth 21 Gym unit 22 Beaming and shining? 25 Jibe grammatically 28 Come-__: enticements 29 Covent Garden highlight 30 Wolfish look 31 Pal of Pooh 32 Green shampoo 33 Ranking org. for court players 34 Google operating system 36 “Never __ Me Go”: Kazuo Ishiguro novel 38 Blue Cross rival 40 Dr. with Grammys 41 Managed __ 42 Donkey sound 43 Tie the knot 44 Socialite Perle 45 “Got it!” and “Roger that!”? 48 Hassle 49 Tic-tac-toe win 50 “Green Eggs and Ham” opening 53 “What are you in for?” and “I was framed”? 57 Like the T206 Honus Wagner baseball card 58 Eats by candlelight 59 Not in favor of 60 Summit 61 Affirmative action 62 Drain slowly DOWN 1 Langley, e.g.: Abbr. 2 Driver or putter 3 Subdue with a charge

4 Cocktail made with brandy and crème de menthe 5 Timber often used for guitar fretboards 6 Triage locales, briefly 7 “La Bamba” singer Ritchie 8 Addams family cousin 9 Military rebels 10 Ready for the worst 11 Speaks with a scratchy voice 13 Geometric art style 14 __ Mason: asset management giant 17 Aswan Dam site 18 In the direction of 23 Properly arranged 24 Underground find 25 Styled after, on a menu 26 Be judged unfairly 27 Performer’s array 31 Genetic code transmitter 32 Often fruity dessert

34 Slangy “Let’s move on ... ” 35 Like priests 37 What some caddies carry 39 The Northwest’s Sea-__ Airport 41 Private jet choices 43 “Any volunteers?” 44 Cultural pic that may go viral

45 Oscar-winning director Frank 46 Frog habitat 47 Pre-coll. exams 51 Spots to conceal 52 Dole (out) 54 Kinsey research focus 55 Producer of some Talking Heads albums 56 Sample

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10/11/17

Sports

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 — 7A

Beilein believes Matthews, grit could be key for defense MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Editor

For the Michigan men’s basketball team, good cannot be the enemy of great. “We won’t be great,” said Michigan coach John Beilein of his team’s defense while addressing the media last week. That came mere seconds after saying this might be one of his best defensive teams in his Michigan tenure. It’s a dynamic the veteran coach has had to deal with for much of his career — matching his offensive wizardry with defensive competence. Nobody expects the Beilein-led Wolverines to turn into a defensivelyanchored team. They won’t suddenly become Virginia, a team that allowed the fewest points per game in the country in 2016, and does so annually in arguably the best conference in the country. But based on the early practices and offseason workouts, Beilein has expressed optimism about his team’s defense and the personnel that they have to deploy on that end of the court. When asked whether he thinks this defense could be one of his best, Beilein did not hesitate. “I do,” he said. “It comes down to the players.” The most important piece to that puzzle? Redshirt junior guard Charles Matthews. Matthews, a transfer from Kentucky who averaged just under two points per game in his lone season with the Wildcats, comes into the year looking to prove the talent that landed

him in Lexington in the first place. But while Matthews may be eager to shine offensively, Beilein believes his best weapon may well be his defensive ability. “Right now, I think his defense is the one (thing) that will be the biggest positive addition to the team,” Beilein said. “Whether it’s deflecting balls, blocking shots, running through passing lanes, seeing the defense — he’s very bright. “I do think that his quickness and athleticism we’ve rarely seen here.” To some extent, this is still a guessing game. Losing D.J. Wilson — and his team-high 57 blocks — will hurt in the frontcourt. Adding Matthews and freshman Isiaah Livers to the equation theoretically brings coveted defensive versatility. But team defense in college basketball so rarely equals the sum of its parts. Instead, less tangible factors like cohesion and rotational ability ultimately dictate success. Especially given the stark roster turnover on this year’s team, it will be hard to decipher just how strong of a team this is defensively until well into the season. But Beilein feels strongly that the team-wide demeanor is there. “This is the most competitive our practices have ever been since I’ve been here,” Beilein said. “Because there’s enough grit. We’ve had quickness, we’ve had talent, sometimes we’re missing some of that grit to compete. We’ve got some competition going on right now that’s really healthy for us.” Last year’s struggles early on were often chalked up to a lack of that toughness, as has been

I think his defense is the one (thing) that will be the biggest positive addition to the team.

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Michigan coach John Beilein was quick to praise Charles Matthews for his defensive ability, citing his play as a factor that could serve Michigan’s defense well.

the main criticism of many of Beilein’s teams in the past. So if history is any indication, Beilein is right: They won’t be great. But he thinks they have the athletes and the demeanor to be good, or at least defensively adequate. And as history also shows, that’s all a Beilein-led team needs. Since he took over the program in 2007, Michigan has never had a scoring defense ranked higher than 33rd nationally. Yet there is an undeniable correlation between his teams that rank adequately defensively (55th or better) to a successful season, with one notable exception. In his ten seasons at Michigan, Beilein has had five teams with scoring defenses better than 55th and five teams rank worse.

In the five seasons better than 55th, Michigan has won nearly 65 percent of its games, won two regular season Big Ten championships and a Big Ten Tournament championship. In contrast, in the five seasons with a scoring defense worse than that benchmark, the Wolverines won just 58 percent of their games and failed to win either a Big Ten regular season or Tournament championship. The latter group also includes the aberrational 2012-13 national runner-up, which featured five future firstround picks — a luxury this team

does not have. Of course, everything smells like roses two weeks into practice. While attention stays on football, fond memories of last year’s magical tournament run linger. But there are still plenty of valid reasons for skepticism about Michigan’s defensive abilities. Primarily, if the season started tomorrow, sophomore Moritz Wagner and fifth-year senior Duncan Robinson would likely be the starting frontcourt. Wagner, who pulled out of the NBA Draft at least in part due to questions about his defensive and rebounding ability,

This is the most competitive our practices have ever been.

will need to improve upon those areas — in addition to rampant foul issues — not only for his own draft stock, but for his team’s defensive formidability in the low post. Robinson, for all his offensive merits, lacks the foot speed to deal with more athletic wings and, by Beilein’s own admission, “will probably never go to the backboard.” In terms of cohesion, the starting unit will feature two transfers taking the floor as Wolverines for the first time. But if Beilein’s optimism is founded, and the defensive unit turns out to be one of his best, that bodes well for this team. It might not be the country’s best, but the Wolverines won’t need it to be. For Beilein and Michigan, good might as well be great.

Wolverines’ win streak snapped by 3-1 loss in South Bend ETHAN SEARS

Daily Sports Writer

Michigan didn’t fall apart until the 90th minute. The 24th-ranked Wolverines (4-1-1 Big Ten, 7-4-2 overall) had been outplayed prior to that, with No. 7 Notre Dame (9-2-1 ACC, 3-1-1 overall) dominating

possession and leading 2-1. But when Fighting Irish forward Jon Gallagher sprinted past the defense on a counterattack as time wound down, they finally folded. Gallagher got all the way to Michigan’s 18-yard box before he was fouled by Wolverine sophomore defender Abdou Samake. Yellow card, penalty

kick, game, set, match. The Michigan men’s soccer team fell 3-1 in South Bend on Tuesday night. This loss snapped a two-game win streak and drops the Wolverines’ to 3-3-1 in nonconference games. Neither team scored until the 55th minute. Notre Dame strung together two light, arching passes

CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily

Junior midfielder Robbie Mertz scored the Wolverines’ sole goal in a 3-1 loss to Notre Dame on Tuesday night.

inside Michigan’s box. Then it was forward Jeff Farina who slammed it home off a half volley to give the Fighting Irish a lead. The Wolverines managed to tie the game 10 minutes later. Sophomore forward Jack Hallahan skittered in a cross from the right side and junior midfielder Robbie Mertz flew in unmarked for the finish. For a fleeting moment, Michigan had momentum. It didn’t last long enough. Notre Dame took the lead for good in the 81st minute. Farina found Gallagher with a pass that cut through Michigan’s defense. Despite a tough angle, the senior forward’s shot flew past Wolverine sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Verdi and into the back of the net. Michigan’s best chance to equalize came with two minutes to go. The ball came free in the box off a Wolverine corner and fell to junior defender Peter

Brown. For a brief second, there was space for a shot. But a Fighting Irish defender stepped in front before Brown could take advantage. Then came Gallagher’s final knife to the heart. Early in the game, Michigan had its chances. However, the Wolverines couldn’t do much with them. Junior forward Francis Atuahene accounted for their’ best chance in the 31st minute, cutting to the middle from outside the box and uncorking a missile. It flew wide left. As the game wore on, the absence of junior midfielder Ivo Cerda, out due to a suspension, was felt. “We missed him for energy within the team, to keep the game

lively. We were very very good in the first half,” said Michigan coach Chaka Daley. “As the second half wore on, we got a little bit tired and would have been good to have another experienced player.” Though the Wolverines had 12 shots on the game to Notre Dame’s 11, just three were on goal. One was Mertz’s goal, while the other two were from freshman forward Mahammed Zakyi early on. Those were easily saved by the Fighting Irish’s Chris Hubbard. “Soccer’s made up of maybe four of five moments (per game),” Daley said. “They had four or five moments in the whole game and they scored on three of them. We had four big moments in the game and we scored on one of them.”

We missed him for energy within the team, to keep the game lively.

8A â€” Wednesday, October 11, 2017

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‘M’ focused on improving run game ORION SANG

Daily Sports Editor

The atmosphere inside Al Glick Field House on Tuesday was noticeably different. Just ask sophomore running back Chris Evans. “Even the trainers were holding the Gatorade ( bottles) tighter,” he said. “(Harbaugh) was yelling, too. It was tough, it was intense.” Still smarting from a 14-10 loss to Michigan State on Saturday night, Michigan set out to correct issues in its run game. Against the Spartans, the Wolverines ran the ball 39 times for 102 yards, averaging just 2.6 yards per carry. And just as they have all season long, Michigan’s offensive issues were compounded by a turnover — the first of five on the night. With just under six minutes left in the first quarter, fifth-

year senior running back Ty Isaac fumbled the ball as his team was driving near midfield. It’s not often that one can point to a single play as directly changing the momentum. But Isaac’s lost fumble certainly gave a previously listless Michigan State team life. Before the fumble, the Wolverines had rushed 13 times for 58 yards, including crucial fourth-and third-down conversions that allowed them to control the pace of the game. After the turnover? The numbers aren’t so pretty there — Michigan ran

26 times for just 44 yards. So on Tuesday, practice for the skill position players included a twist — a longer and more intense version of their fumble circuit. As Evans explained, the drill involves three stations and the running backs, tight ends, fullbacks and receivers. Each group practices picking up fumbles and holding the ball tightly while somebody punches at it. Players run a lap if anybody fumbles, and there was even a new rule instituted — if a player was loosely carrying the ball during a “practice period,” he would miss the rest of the period, which lasts

Even the trainers were holding the Gatorade tighter.

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Sophomore running back Chris Evans fumbled against Air Force, and has worked to secure the ball better ever since.

MEN’S GOLF

Mueller sets record as Michigan falters JACOB KOPNICK For the Daily

For most University of Michigan students, Monday afternoons are typically filled with monotonous lectures, shots of espresso and mountains of homework. But for senior Kyle Mueller, Mondays are for rewriting the record books. This past Monday, he did just that, shooting an incredible 63 (-7) on day one of the Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate. The feat was accomplished in the second round of the event, as Mueller made a total of eight birdies to finish the round seven below par. Mueller finished the first day of the event as the second-best golfer, sitting only one shot behind Arkansas’ Mason Overstreet. Mueller’s final round was not his best, as he shot a 72 and fell to fifth overall for the event. However, it was Mueller’s second round that was the highlight, as he tied UNLV’s Shintaro Ban for the best round in the entire event at 63 strokes. Mueller is no stranger to the course as he played in last year’s Jerry Pate Intercollegiate and shot a 211 — good for a 13th-place finish. Playing at the Old Overton Club (Par 70, 7,204 yards), Mueller shot a 203 this year, beating his previous score by eight strokes. “(Mueller) is the best player in the history of our program,” said Michigan coach Chris Whitten. “The guys get to see that and see the way that he goes about practicing and handling himself in the tournaments — and even without the golf he’s a fantastic team leader. He’s everything a coach could ask for.” Despite Mueller’s valiant effort and demeanor, the rest of the Wolverines struggled on the course. Michigan finished 11th out of 12 teams in the event, and it was truly a mixed bag

of results as season bests and season worsts were had across the team. “It was a mix of two different sides of the team,” Whitten said. “On the one hand, we had Kyle Mueller who played so well — and then we had some good rounds from the other guys, but to count scores in the mid-to-high seventies on that course was tough and just put us behind.” Michigan’s second man, junior Nick Carlson, finished the day ranked 35th after rounds of 74 and 73, and hit a 68 in the third round. “For some of the guys, I think that they overall hit the ball really nicely,” Whitten said. “And around the greens is what needs to get cleaned up this week — and for some other guys I think we have some decisionmaking things to talk about.” Speaking to the difficulty of playing on a new course, Michigan’s top three golfers — Mueller, Carlson, and sophomore Brent Ito — had all played at the same event last year. The two newcomers, freshman Henry Spring and senior Ian Kim fought to find their bearings on the new terrain. Spring and Kim could have faced even less exposure to the course, as the Sunday afternoon practice round was almost derailed by Tropical Storm Nate. “The comfort level of having played the course before, it helps for sure,” Whitten said. “You know, that’s what happens with new players and we just gotta learn from it and get better.” Michigan will use its two weeks off from competition seeking to rebound on another familiar course in Dallas. The Wolverines will play at the Royal Oaks Intercollegiate on Oct.-23 “We’re going to a course that we’ve played before and know,” Whitten said. “So I think we’ll get in really good preparation before the tournament.”

around 10 minutes. “We always did fumble circuit, but today there was a lot of heat in the air for some reason,” Evans said. “The coaches were yelling more, trying to strip the ball more.” For Evans — who fumbled in Michigan’s 29-13 win over Air Force several weeks ago — protecting the ball is of the utmost importance. “Ever since I fumbled, I haven’t really had it in my left hand,” he said. “I just keep it in my right … until I feel comfortable.” Of course, the running backs are only one component of the run game. They can only find space if the offensive line opens up holes for them. And while the line hasn’t been doing any new drills, according to sophomore left guard Ben Bredeson, there has been an emphasis on re-establishing the rushing attack up front. “I think (running the ball is) definitely an identity of Jim Harbaugh’s offense, and I think it has been for many years,” Bredeson said. “Just getting back to our roots. Just a lot of physicality this week against Indiana.” Bredeson admitted that sloppiness from the offense has “definitely been a theme” so far this season. It hadn’t hurt the Wolverines in the loss column before. But things finally came to a boil against Michigan State — and now Michigan, whether it’s through holding the ball tighter or blocking better up front, hopes to shore things up. “We’re just eliminating small mistakes — each one — one at a time,” Bredeson said. “I feel like everybody’s got issues that we have to clean up — both individually and collectively as an offensive unit. So that’s what this week is for, is we’re cleaning everything up and focusing on Indiana.”

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 — 9A

FOOTBALL

Wolverines preparing for up-tempo Hoosiers TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan football defense has to play a “perfect game.” That is the message defensive coordinator Don Brown gave to his unit this week. “As a defense, we’ve been doing alright,” said sophomore defensive end Rashan Gary. “But we got to step it up. As you’ve seen, mistakes were made.” Tuesday, Gary said that Brown emphasized how important it was for the defense to stick to its fundamentals — running to the ball, playing physical, making tackles. But statistically, the Wolverines’ defense is playing far better than “alright,” as Gary said. The 17th-ranked Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 4-1 overall) boast the nation’s best defense in yards allowed and have given up an average of just 2.8 secondhalf points this season. It’s clearly a better defense than its own players are giving it credit for, but that is just the mindset the Wolverines will take to Indiana this weekend. The defense is not frustrated with the offense’s struggles, focusing only on what they can contribute to the team. When Gary was asked about what he expected to see from the Hoosiers, he focused on their fast-paced offense. “A lot of tempo,” Gary said. “We’re getting ready for that throughout the course of the week.” Added sophomore linebacker Khaleke Hudson: “They’ve got good, nice, big receivers, so they can throw the fade. Ultimately, they’re a good team. We’re going to treat them as a good team.”

The Hoosiers (0-2 Big Ten, 3-2 overall) have a lot of depth at the receiver position — an offensive dimension the Wolverines have yet to see from an opponent. Having faced Florida’s multiquarterback system, Air Force’s triple option and Purdue’s trick plays, the Wolverines are accustomed to preparing for new offenses week after week. Add to that list a spread-style system that regularly lines up with four or five wide receivers. “We’re ready for any offense that anybody throws at us,” Hudson said. “So that’s not going to be a challenge, going from a two-tight end or threetight end set that Michigan State was running to a spread offense which Indiana runs. That’s not going to be a challenge for us.” Leading the Hoosiers’ offense is wide receiver Simmie Cobb Jr., who has three touchdown catches and 370 receiving yards. Meanwhile, tight end Ian Thomas also has three touchdowns and has tallied 254 receiving yards. Indiana has split time between its two quarterbacks, Richard Lagow and Peyton Ramsey, but it was the latter that took all the snaps last weekend in the Hoosiers’ win over Charleston Southern. Ramsey excelled in his first start, completing 78 percent of his passes for two touchdowns and 321 yards. Ramsey and Lagow have utilized all their receiving options, as five different players have made touchdown catches. It’s a given that Michigan’s defense will see more passes, and if Brown wants them to play a “perfect game,” a lot will rely on the defensive line pressuring Lagow and Ramsey, and even more will rely on Michigan’s secondary staying disciplined in coverage.

Extra practice time a plus for Wolverines BENJAMIN KATZ Daily Sports Writer

There’s a common phrase often heard around the Michigan hockey team’s practices. “When the time to perform has arrived,” says coach Mel Pearson, “the time to prepare is long gone.” Following a split in their first regular season contests — a 3-1 win Friday against St. Lawrence and 3-0 loss Saturday at Clarkson — the Wolverines are looking to take full advantage of fall break and a bye week to prepare for their first home series next weekend against Vermont. “I’m really looking forward to this week and next week,” Pearson said. “We get nine quality practice opportunities and it’s a ‘get-better week.’ We have to approach each and every opportunity to get better, and we will.” During the preseason, coaches were allowed just two hours weekly to lead practice, leaving players to finish drills

on their own — which Pearson believes may have contributed to a “drop-off” in speed and concentration near the tail end of practices. Before its trip to upstate New York, Michigan had merely four standard practices. But with the regular season now underway, coaches have begun running practices for up to 20 hours weekly, a valuable teaching and learning opportunity for the new staff. “You can do a lot more coaching, which is nice,” Pearson said. “You can take your time in doing drills. You don’t have to just rush, rush, rush. Now you have a little bit more time. If you need to slow it down, you can. We want high-tempo practices, but at the same time, we can stop drills and correct them. I felt that in two hours it was hard to do that because you have to go right to the next drill because of the limited time. “I think the players really feel good about that too. They want

to be coached. They want to play at a high level and a high pace all the time. As much as you think they can do that on their own, they still need that leadership or that direction, so now we’ve been able to provide that, which is good.” A blended team of newcomers and veterans, the Wolverines are still grasping new systems under Pearson. In his first three games — including the 10-1 exhibition victory Sep. 30 over Western Ontario — Michigan experimented with new formations in game speed. The next nine practices will focus on further developing and executing those schemes. “A lot of it is new and a lot of it will be a little bit to adjust to,” said sophomore forward Will Lockwood. “But I think it’s going to help us in the long run for sure. “(The coaches) give us all the tools to succeed on the ice and in the games. And now it’s up to us to prepare and to be ready going into the weekend.”

Pearson is confident his team, specifically the freshmen, will start to grow into a routine of efficiently preparing each week for upcoming series. After focusing mainly on defense one week to puck protection and penalty killing the next, the Wolverines will have ample time to assess and enhance many aspects of their game — especially the power play, after a disappointing 0-for-8 showing against Clarkson — before hosting the Catamounts. “Well, we’re going to have to continue working on our special teams, especially five-on-threes,” Pearson said. “We haven’t had a lot of opportunities to work on those … but those are huge momentum swings in the game, and if we can score one on that, then we’re right back in.” So, when it’s time to perform and win games and the time to prepare is indeed long gone, Pearson hopes his motivational maxim will resonate with his team.

RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily

Sophomore forward Will Lockwood believes Mel Pearson’s new concepts will take some time to adjust to but can help the Wolverines in the long run.

10A â€” Wednesday, October 11, 2017

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statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | O C TO B E R 11 , 2017

ON EDGE

m i ch ig a n in co l o r x th e s t ate m e nt

m is si o n s t a te m e n t :

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 // The Statement

statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | O C TO B E R 11 , 2017

Managaing Statement Editor: Lara Moehlman

Editor in Chief: Emma Kinery

Managing Editor: Rebecca Lerner

Deputy Editors: Yoshiko Iwai Brian Kuang

Design Staff: Michelle Phillips Hannah Myers Emily Hardie Erin Tolar Emily Koffsky

Copy Editors: Elizabeth Dokas Taylor Grandinetti

Photo Editor: Alexis Rankin

Let’s talk about it: Health and happiness

BY RABAB JAFRI, COLUMNIST walk down to the kitchen to find a bowl of walnuts sitting on the

counter. “Your dad got them for ‘health and happiness,’” my mom recounts to me. “Health and happiness,” I repeat to myself. It’s a simple idea, but in practice it seems like a long journey in need of consistent upkeep. Being “in control” of your own happiness is a concept many people try to live by, but it is not representative of the direction of society. Sometimes, it seems, it is better to block out the noise. The competitive nature of the University of Michigan only acts as a barrier between students and their own self-care. Beginning with the motto “Leaders and the Best,” students try to achieve lofty goals, sometimes at the cost of their own mental wellness. Time and time again, student testimonies of their campus experiences show high levels of stress, but it seems that most professors and University are slow to catch up in making changes. Not only is this a problem because of the everyday stressors students have in terms of academics, teachers often fail to realize that students are affected by the various hate crimes and public bias incidents on campus. After starting university, I quickly found myself questioning how

much I belong on this campus, and having to create my own spaces where I could feel welcomed. As of last year, Central

survey done by the Mental Health Task Force, “74 percent feel uncomfortable addressing their mental health concerns with

I only discovered this when I was put in the situation myself, after being hospitalized with a virus at the end of my

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY HARDIE

Student Government created a Mental Health Task Force to determine the target issues students face. Although the task force is working on changes, accessibility to mental health services is often difficult, with CAPS waitlists stretching longer and longer. And yet, the question of where the stress originates from is one that often goes overlooked. According to a

faculty.” This may be because most issues of physical or mental health are dealt with on a case by case basis, between the student and the professor. Students are thus at the mercy of their professors for accommodations. And although the Dean of Students Office can send a letter informing professors of a student’s situation, professors are not obligated to make accommodations.

junior year. When I emailed my adviser, she asked if I would be withdrawing from the semester, as my professors did not have to accommodate me even if I did my work from home. Luckily, I was able to finish the school year from home, but I had to make arrangements with each of my professors in hopes that they would make accommodations. This situation only

mirrors that of the working world. Mental and physical health are often put on the backburner, despite the benefits of a healthy workforce. And for someone about to enter the workforce, the list of skills that each potential employee should have seems only to get longer. In the past, it seemed as though people only needed a couple of specialized skillsets; however, now employers look for high specialization in many more areas. Hundreds of articles seek to answer what employers are really looking for so that students ask themselves: “Do I need to learn to code?” or “Should I learn a third language?” Students at this university are often much more qualified than they believe themselves to be, and yet not many take the time to breathe before rushing full speed ahead. Almost all my friends have, at some point, told me they want to switch what they are doing or are not sure whether something will work out. I see in their eyes the same stress that I have gone through many times — as if I need to have everything in my life decided today and have not yet learned every possibly skill any potential employer could ever want me to have. Sometimes I just have to remind myself to breathe, and grab handful of walnuts.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 // The Statement

The picture stays in the kid: Ghosts BY DANIEL HENSEL, DAILY FILM EDITOR

n retrospect, it was a bad decision to review “A Ghost Story” for the Daily this past summer. But in my defense, how was I supposed to know that the film — in which a 30- or 40-something dies in a car crash and morosely yet patiently haunts his widow and home, where successive tenants cycle through until a developer buildings a large tower in its place — would be released in theaters when my grandmother stopped eating, when I learned we would have to put our dog down and when my family sold our house? That one-two-three punch wrecked me. None of these developments were unforeseeable, but their combined effect was devastating. Each represented a peripheral, yet still critical, aspect of my youth. I spent nearly every Sunday for a large chunk of my life driving down to Chicago to visit my grandmother in her Michigan Avenue condominium. When Nancy was diagnosed with primary progressive aphasia about 2009, for which she paid with her ability to use language, our visits became more frequent, and more important. We got Wrigley, our Tibetan terrier, when I was in preschool, 16 years ago, and his lifespan defied his own health. Once excessively fat and lazy, surviving off only cookies as my mother relented to his incessant begging, he began to lose weight a few years ago until his ribcage was showing. I called him “Noodle” as a joke, but the reality wasn’t too far off. I moved into my house on Kingsport Court in the middle of the first day of second grade, boarding the A bus in the morning and returning to a new home on the E bus. It was only about a half-mile away, if that, but the neighborhood felt different. Our neighbors on Ivy Lane were social and amiable; the

folks on Kingsport were quiet and private. And yet it was home, behind the police station, with a partially collapsing wooden fence in the back. The tertiary elements of my childhood — they are perhaps less formative and important than myself and my immediate family — nonetheless felt important, and while I might have been able to handle the loss of one after the other successively over a number of years, the combination at once hurt. I didn’t feel the effects until a little later. I flew into Chicago in the middle of the summer to attend the funeral and, incidentally, help my mom move into her new apartment. But once back in Washington, with most of my friends soon to be leaving for a break before school

my forthcoming years. I needed a friend, though, and in Washington, most of mine had already left. It was awful. I thought back to the film, which aside from its critical acclaim became notable when it premiered because of its five-minute-long, uninterrupted scene of Rooney Mara, in mourning, eating pie through tears. That scene is incredible not just because of how it depicts grief, but because of how it seemingly elongates time by refraining from editing. The scene feels so long, simply because we’re used to the fast pace of other films. It goes on forever, and yet it’s only five minutes. I felt her pain in those days. My appetite disappeared. I lost interest in my hobbies. I felt guilt over my lack of emotional expression (I still haven’t cried over any of these events, for which I feel profound shame). I felt like so much had been ripped from me. And that lingered for a while. I worried I would spend the rest of my life in this emotional purgatory, contemplating my own mortality, ILLUSTRATION BY ERIN TOLAR the inevitability of change, of started, I felt alone and fell into a moving on without an anchor. I depressive state. would recall that my father is about I watched “A Ghost Story” about the age when his father died. I a month earlier and it bummed me would remember I still have one out without deeply affecting me. grandparent left, and spry as she is, Still, I moped around the house, she is still in her eighties. eating dinner by myself, refraining But at some point, the depression from speaking, contemplating its — or whatever it should be called messages, which may not have — ebbed. Perhaps it’s because I been as deep as writer-director returned to school, where the David Lowery had imagined. In demands of work superseded my fact, I still haven’t truly figured it ability to feel remorse over any other out, and I’m starting to think that facet of my life, and that I haven’t its philosophizing was simply a returned home to see the carnage of façade. my parents’ divorce, of our move, of But whatever I thought at the the two deaths. time, “A Ghost Story” returned with Still, the film hasn’t left me, and a vengeance a few weeks after the like its titular ghost, it haunts me on funeral. I pondered the enormity of occasion and reminds me that some time, the inevitability of death and other foundation will vanish, too, all that I was bound to encounter in maybe this time without a warning.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 // The Statement

On Edge Students of color combat campus apathy b y M i C E d i t o r s : Adam Brodnax, Tanya Madhani, Halimat Olaniyan, Christian Paneda, Jason Rowland, Ashley Tjhung and Sivanthy Vasanthan

SA sophomore Tyrice Grice Jr. was eager to kick off football season at the Big House, ready to get started on his classes and to meet up with his friends after a summer spent apart. Like any other student at the University of Michigan, Grice was looking forward to his fall semester. What he didn’t expect was to wake up on the second Sunday of the school year with a racial slur written on

Tyrice Grice Jr.

his and his roommates’ dorm room door. Grice’s experience was one in a series of hateful acts committed against Black students on campus this year. A few weeks after Tyrice’s dorm room nametag was vandalized, f lyers advocating to “Make America White Again” were found near Stockwell Residence Hall and videos circulated of individuals defiling the #BlackLivesMatter slogans chalked on the Diag — all a part of the

ALEXIS RANKIN/DAILY

emerging large-scale backlash against students protesting for racial equality. Additionally, discontent rose from the University’s lack of official response to these incidents — from not finding the perpetrators to the consistently low levels of minority enrollment. The editors of Michigan in Color responded to the palpable racial tension created by the racist incidents over the past month through reporting the unique stories of Grice, LSA freshman Cydney Gardner-Brown and LSA freshman Amen Al-Moamen. While three voices cannot fully capture the feelings of all students of color on this campus and across the University system, their testimonies are nonetheless important. These three wanted to be heard — not only to show support for those struggling, but also to provide insight for students unaffected by these heinous acts. *** “As a former student, I can see that students are confused, uncertain, hostile and … overwhelmed and tired,” Fiana said. To her, the racial tension on campus is unmistakable, and she was far from alone in her assessment. “I was surprised that this would happen in the first three weeks,” Gardner-Brown said. “We didn’t even get a chance to (un)pack our bags, and we are already being attacked. But at the same time, why would I be surprised?” Gardner-Brown had barely settled into college life when she was forced to confront the unpleasant reality of life on this campus as a Black student. For her, the tense racial climate that dominated her first month at school allowed her to connect with her Black peers. But this came at the expense of feeling isolated from the greater campus community. All those interviewed emphasized the uneasy atmosphere in the classroom, in residence halls and even the library. What was surprising, however, were reports of a campus climate that ebbed and f lowed between heightened tension and relative calm. To many students, these seemingly random spikes are per-

haps more damaging to their day-to-day lives than a campus that’s constantly on edge. In the past, moments of tension on campus have led to increased activism and awareness. But when things calm down, these movements struggle to be heard — a fact most damaging to students of color. “I feel comfortable, but then suddenly the campus reminds us that we shouldn’t ever be complacent or comfortable,” Gardner-Brown said. Grice echoed this sentiment, emphasizing his concern for movements of racial equality. “We don’t want (these movements) to back down. We don’t want #BBUM to go down.” In times of heightened racial tension, these issues are often addressed head-on. When these topics leave the forefront of our minds, they tend to be ignored. His solution: “Fight until we know we are secure on this campus.” Students of color feel the administration is not providing them with adequate support during this turbulent time. Last year, Students4Justice sent out a list of demands directed at the University’s administration, including harsher penalties for oppressive hate speech, a process for changing the names of buildings named after controversial figures and an increase in Black enrollment. These demands largely have not come to fruition. Recently, students protested the University’s continued lack of progress in an effort to rename a building named after C.C. Little, a known eugenicist and former president of the University. In addition, undergraduate Black enrollment is currently under five percent. Though Gardner-Brown acknowledges non-Black students are supportive, she does not feel content, citing she feels a prevalent sense of complacency among non-Black students. “They can walk away and feel like nothing is happening,” she said. “The community is left to fend for themselves. No one else feels attacked. No one else feels like it’s their community too.”

Grice also sees a similar trend of detachment and responsibility when it comes to allyship. “The campus doesn’t invoke action on their own, and they need to be proactive in reaching out to me. There is nothing here to get done,” he said. “I don’t see any white student leaders standing up with us. We need leaders to provoke other students to build that community.” To bring sustainable change in the face of racism on campus, students want a multipronged approach: one that calls for a willing administration to listen to the pain of students and faculty of color, not one that puts this work on the shoulders of an individual, marginalized group. *** Each of the students who spoke stressed the need for the administration to take concrete, tangible actions to openly denounce acts of hate and racism and support students of color. “[There is] a big mistrust between these communities and the administration,” Al-Moamen said, explaining that this issue is a direct consequence of administration inaction. Grice highlighted the lack of people of color, particularly Black people, within the administration and Ann Arbor’s local government. “Since it’s primarily white advisers who are the ones in power, we need to find a way to convince them to help us and to speak out on issues.” There is an urgent need for change at both local and community levels. Gardner-Brown pointed out three urgent advancements: the need for more safe spaces, the need for increased Black stu-

Amen Al-Moamen

dent enrollment and the need for consequences for acts of hate and racism. She believes these developments are necessary for sustainable and long term change on campus. “It’s about increasing diversity in the campus. Not something that can change within a school year. It’s something to be incorporated for the future.” From us to you: College campuses and communities across the country are grappling with debates over diversity, equity, inclusion and safety. While the past month’s incidents have created a very specific climate on the University’s campus, it’s important to remember that we do not exist in a bubble. If an issue affects students at the University, chances are it also affects students at universities across the nation. All three students noted that though racism is not strictly a problem in Ann Arbor, it is still the job of the University to address itCydney Gardner-Brown on campus. “There’s no sense of comfort,” Al-Moa- This is a nationwide problem. Whether men said. “To enjoy and excel in college, in college or not, you have to be able to you need a sense of comfort without para- feel free to walk down the street and feel noia. You need to feel comfortable here. comfortable.” While the University may not be able to solve structural racism by itself, the three believe it is the University’s job to protect and support students of color on campus. Life at the University has always been a balancing act. Students juggle the pressures of schoolwork, jobs and their social lives. For students of color, tense climates on campus add yet another level of stress to their daily lives. Yet, despite the hate crimes Black students experience, they are expected to push through. They are expected to do better and rise above. They are expected to believe ALEXIS RANKIN/DAILY that somehow these incidents will work

ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily

themselves out and that tomorrow everything will be better. For many Black students, that’s simply not the case. Black students are left wondering if they will ever feel at home. Along with their allies, they’re left challenging the University’s administration to enact change. As for what’s next, only time will tell. These blatant acts of racism and threats to the emotional and physical well-being of students of color at the University must stop. As “the Leaders and the Best” we should be better than this. We are better than this. Michigan in Color stands in solidarity with the Black students, and all students of color, affected. We are here for you, and we will be your mic. *** Mission Statement: Michigan in Color is a designated space for and by people of color at the University of Michigan, where they are encouraged to voice their opinions and reconcile their perspectives and lived experiences that may be overshadowed by dominant narratives on campus. Michigan in Color is a writing initiative meant to foster a more elevated discussion on campus about the role that race and ethnicity (intersecting with our other identities including socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, religious identification, nation of origin, ability status, etc.) shape our social interactions and lived experiences at the University and beyond.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 // The Statement

Personal Statement: Trigger warning by Anonymous Editor’s note: The author of this piece remains anonymous to protect their identity. onday morning. I sit waiting with classmates for the professor of our literature and human rights class to arrive. “Did you hear about the shooting in Las Vegas?” someone asks. I hadn’t. I whip out my phone to read about an aged man who was an accountant and then a murderer before he committed suicide. I wonder what matters in this article. Does it matter to the victims and their families that this man used to crunch numbers at his 9-to-5 or that he was 64 years old when he ravaged lives and ended his own? Our professor arrives, and we begin our discussion of a scene in a novel where a woman is gang-raped. Her father wants to talk to her about it, wants her to seek justice, wants her to show him how broken she is from the experience. She doesn’t. My professor told us a few weeks back that he believes in trigger warnings, so to talk to him or email him if we might have an issue discussing sexual violence or graphic violence. Sexual violence is a separate category from other violence, conjures up other images and other characters. I try not to think at all when the topic comes up for fear of true images. Photographers, we think of ourselves as magicians trying to capture fleeting moments and ephemeral light. Some moments have enough of their own magic to stay in the mind. Dark magic, Sauran-level shit. I sent him an unobtrusive, professionally polite email. “Hey, I have a history with sexual violence, so I might

get quiet in discussion if we talk about it. Thanks for your understanding.” Just like that, another person who knows an episode of my story. I used to stand in the shower for what felt like

same table as someone who knows this piece of me, discussing the meaning of a female character’s rape — what matters when we discuss this? How can I abstract a type of violence I know so intimately? Am

never told me what part of him broke or died upon hearing the news. I’ve seen him cry at Pixar movies and discussing Martin Luther King Jr. and when we visited the American cemetery in Normandy. I

iced lattes together, go to Zingerman’s, wince at the smell of weed in the elevator of the parking garage. Her sister comes into town for the night so we can have dinner together. Our outfits always seem

ILLUSTRATION BY EMMA RICHTER hours, scrubbing my nails against my palms, doing nothing but feeling the heat of the water gnaw at my skin. I counted how many people knew every time I showered. I named them, murmured them to myself, lifted my fingers like a child to count them on my body. I do not know why this ritual mattered to me. I still don’t know. And now, I am at the

I imagining something sympathetic or concerned when he looks at me? Can he see the chill that crawls under my skin when we discuss this? He can’t know that my father is a crying man, that I told him I was raped on a walk in the woods together. My dad didn’t bother me or push me to do anything like the character’s father. My dad

didn’t see him cry over his daughter’s rape. I don’t know his sadness just as my professor doesn’t know my sadness as I sit in that brightly lit classroom. I wish we all carried this sadness together, from time to time. I wish we vocalized it, spat it out in profanities, wailed it. *** My mom visits me on a weekday. We drink

to match — silver jewelry, polished colors, looking as if we could all walk into a meeting with a business casual dress code. We all drink Diet Coke at dinner. We all love the sweet potato fries and rosemary fries equally (these things we share). My aunt doesn’t like ketchup; I didn’t know. By dessert we’ve devoured the topic of my grandmother’s

current living situation. “It’s just sad,” we all say. We don’t say that we’re sad; I know we are. “I just think so often about how she must have been raised, how her life must have gone,” I say. I perform the error of associating her with a 1950s housewife from time to time, but then immediately I recall how an individual, a woman with a husband and children cannot be a vintage trope. I know her complexity and persistent optimism after spending afternoons planting flowers in her yard and taking her out to lunch. I know the ways she folds her hands and fixes her hair. I do not know if she ever felt pressured by her life to conform or perform. I think of this as I sit with my mother and my aunt, my women in blood and conversation. I don’t know if they know what it feels like to be forced to submit or if my grandmother ever knew such repugnance. I wanted someone who knew the feelings of what happened to me this past week, someone who understood how my mind could be rattled years after a trauma as I sat in that safe, inviting classroom. In this way, I feel quiet. I do not ask. I do not answer; I do not have answers. We asked what justice would have been for the character in the book, but I cannot define what justice would have been in my own life or if how my Nana lives is justice for society’s expectations for women or if my aunt or mom ever cried to themselves for the reasons I do. Now, I do not need to know. I needed this, my mom and my aunt at the same table with me in a quiet restaurant on a Wednesday night, skimming over the topics of our lives and delving into them together.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 // The Statement

Copy That: Beauty in disorder by Emily Stillman, Daily Copy Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH MYERS

n fifth-grade art class, we learned about Jackson Pollock, an artist known for abstract expressionism. He became famous for dripping paint onto canvases, f licking and throwing and pouring colors all over the place in the name of art. Some of my classmates were skeptical, because, after all, to our 10-year-old selves, the Pollock replications we’d just stained our clothes painting looked eerily similar to the famous ones in the museums. I, on the other hand, was sold. As an artistically challenged, semi-introverted fifth

grader, I had found an uncanny resonance with the disorder of Pollock’s work. For the first time in my life, I felt as though my thoughts could be expressed on paper. Here’s the thing: I am not an organized person, but I am a perfectionist. The paradox of this does not fall upon blind eyes. The way I see the world falls somewhere between inherent tedium and absolute entropy, and that is how it’s always been. I never intend to be the exemplar of disaster, but I often am. I fill my calendar with plans, flooding my life with commitments I can’t

keep. I stumble into unmade beds at night, insistent that, this time, I’ll be complacent in the morning. I keep my car pristine but lose my keys religiously. I open a fresh notebook with the intention of planning and end up with pages of scratched words and half-baked ideas. I’m quick to apologize and slow to forgive. I, while wellmeaning, fall victim to my inner chaos, time and time again. Growing up, this contradiction lent itself to extreme bouts of premature writer’s block and, in turn, a thorough fear of writing. I could not find a way to organize my thoughts into

words, sentences and stories. I felt constrained by the way I was taught to write — by the rules, clear and concise. I feared that, much like myself, my writing would be messy and improper. Most of all, I was afraid of being misunderstood. Words were so meaningful, and, in turn, so terrifying. After years of frustration over unfinished sentences, unmade beds and late nights looking for lost keys, the right words or both, I have come to accept that we, as writers and people, are not linear, and we sure as hell aren’t perfect. This may seem odd coming from a copy editor.

I, after all, dedicate hours of my week to proofreading and correcting other people’s mistakes. The copy editor, by definition, is a curator of precision. We at the copy desk adhere to strict grammatical guidelines and seek to streamline the news we share with the clarity and concision that scared me so long ago. We are detailoriented and particular, and, as a child, I think the newsroom of The Michigan Daily might have scared the crap out of me. But the truth is, I don’t edit for perfection. I don’t write simply to organize my thoughts. I don’t proofread solely to correct

error or fact-check to streamline the world. I do these things because I believe in the value of the process; in what we learn about ourselves and the world when we challenge ourselves not to fear the chaos, but to create something out of it, whatever that may be. Years ago I sat with a pencil in hand, positive that to follow the rules was to create something meaningful. But now I think that meaning can derive from the opposite: pushing against the rules, throwing paint on the canvas and letting it become art.

Wednesday, October 11, 2017 // The Statement

V I S UA L STAT E M E NT

PERFECTING THE PIANO Photos by Emma Richter John Reeder sells pianos in his showroom in Lansing, but he also restores them in his expansive workshop behind the showroom. His staff works with power tools, precision tools, wood from Europe, refurbished wood â€” Â all the pieces that go into producing or repairing a beautiful instrument. Just as musicians practice every day, Reeder Pianos enables musicians by creating instruments of precision and visual beauty.

Each part and each piano stands unique in the workshop.

The pianos to be worked on are often exposed.

A brush sits waiting to be used on a freshly coated piano.

Each staff member works on a particular aspect of the restoration process.

Workshop desks and tables are littered with various tools and parts to alter and restore the pianos.

Reeder looks over a piano hiding away in the workshop.

The inside of a piano sits exposed and the intricate logo is revealed.