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Thursday, November 30, 2017
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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CHUN SO/Daily
Students gather as part of the #StopSpencer events to protest the University’s consideration to host Richard Spencer on the Diag Wednesday.
Hundreds walk out of class against A2 torn between ‘U’ negotiation of Spencer event free speech, hate
Students protest in march around Central Campus as a part of Week of Action COLIN BERESFORD Daily Staff Reporter
Last week, the University of Michigan administration responded to Richard Spencer’s request to speak on campus, and moved forward to negotiate the event. Today, in protest of the administration refusing to deny the request, students hundreds of walked out of their classes and rallied in the Diag, then marched into other classrooms on campus. A few hundred students and
community members gathered in the University of Michigan Diag at about noon on Wednesday, and after a short rally, marched to the Chemistry Building, Mason Hall and the Fish Bowl in Angell Hall. The rally is part of the #StopSpencer week of action, which includes teach-ins and other forms of protest. “On Wednesday, November 29 2017, Stop Spencer at the University of Michigan is organizing a student walk out at 11:45 AM in response to the failure of University of Michigan
President Mark Schlissel and the Regents to deny white supremacist Richard Spencer’s request to speak on campus,” the Facebook event reads. “We cannot learn in an environment that is constantly disrupting our learning by threatening our safety and dehumanizing us.” On Nov. 21, the University said it was going to proceed with Spencer’s request to speak on campus, given the administration can ensure the safety of students. In an emergency meeting of the University’s Board of
Regents, University President Mark Schlissel laid out “three components” to the decision: the safety of students, protecting free speech in a democratic society, and that denying the request would give more attention to Spencer and his cause. Schlissel repeatedly said safety must be guaranteed in order for the event to take plcae. LSA senior and organizer Hoai An Pham said, however, in a speech to the protesters in the Diag the walk out wasn’t just See WALKOUT, Page 2
After Taylor support, residents resist ISHI MORI
Daily Staff Reporter
The prospect of white nationalist Richard Spencer visiting the University of Michigan has raised alarm not only on campus, but also among city residents and community leaders. Just last week, Mayor Christopher Taylor (D) criticized Spencer in a Facebook post, noting Spencer’s white nationalist ideology runs counter to Ann
Arbor’s commitment to diversity and inclusion for people of all backgrounds. “Richard Spencer’s fearful vision of America is an affront to Ann Arbor’s values and we condemn him. He is not welcome here,” Taylor wrote. Nevertheless, Taylor supported University President Mark Schlissel’s decision to consider allowing Spencer to speak.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Development building in historic area Teach-ins CSG, LSA continue as currently undergoing city approval SG release
CAMPUS LIFE
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
profs. prep for no class
$40 million nine-story infrastructure proposed on site near Medical Campus
Faculty lecture on history of fascism, censorship: ask “are things getting worse?”
A new nine-story development, currently engaged in the City Council approval process, may be built on a currently vacant site next to the University of Michigan’s Medical Campus. At its Nov. 20 meeting, the council unanimously approved the zoning necessary for the development, and Catherine Ann Development, the Bloomfield Hills company responsible for the project, will bring its designs to the council on Dec. 18 for a public hearing and final approval. The development, which is estimated to cost $40 million, will sit atop a half-acre of land that used to be home to a gas station and then a laundromat before a development project was approved in 2005. The project was dropped for financial reasons, and the site has been vacant since then. For the past few years, Catherine Ann Development has been working on a design for the space, and it’s now proposed a mixed-use building with retail and restaurant space. However, its focus will be the building’s hotel — according to Catherine Ann spokesman Tom Shields, the company believe this development will fill a hole in the current Ann Arbor infrastructure. “Ann Arbor is probably one
MOLLY NORRIS Daily Staff Reporter
As part of the #StopSpencer week of action, the Campus Antifacist Network hosted a teach-in Wednesday at the Michigan League. The teach-in featured history lecturer Anne Berg and LaKisha Simmons, an assistant professor of history and women’s studies. Both speakers discussed their areas of study in the context of the possibility for Richard Spencer coming to speak. Simmons spoke about how certain speech gets censored through violence, and Berg discussed the genealogy of white supremacist thought. Berg related the issue to Nazi Germany and talked about the history of national socialism and how Nazi racism has a longer genealogy. She also discussed how violence and use of visuals communicates on a subconscious level, where people learn at an early age to read racial messages.
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MAYA GOLDMAN Daily Staff Reporter
of the few major university towns that doesn’t really have a signature hotel,” Shields said. “Even though most people in Ann Arbor are developing apartments and condos, they saw that as a real opportunity. … They thought the location was perfect, and the timing was perfect.” The site is located at Glen Avenue and Ann Street, adjacent to the Medical Campus and
University Hospital. Shields said the company hopes to service people who are coming to town specifically for the hospital, but also to the broader University and city community. “(It’s) a combination — for those people who are coming to Ann Arbor for University events or for business looking for an upscale, boutique type of hotel to stay in, and then combined with people who
are in town to visit patients who are at the University Hospital, combined with also the ability to have conferences and a convention space which could be used by people who are involved in the hospital or medical community,” Shields said.
fall election rep. results
5.365 percent of LSA students voted, marked increase from last year LEAH GRAHAM
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Daily Staff Reporter
Central Student Government and LSA Student Government have tallied the final results for fall elections, respectively appointing candidates to positions as assembly representatives and elected representatives. The University Elections Commission certified the results of CSG’s fall elections on Nov. 27, naming assembly representatives for eight schools and colleges across campus while Medical student Whit Froehlich was elected to the University of Michigan’s Police Department Oversight Committee. Rackham student Sharon Hu won seats in the Rackham Graduate School’s and the School for Environment and Sustainability’s assemblies, and, according to the Elections Report, the UEC recommended Hu take the Rackham seat and the SES seat be left vacant because students in SES are also technically Rackham students. EMMA RICHTER/Daily
City Council is in the process of approving a nine-story development on a vacant lot next to the medical campus.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVII, No. 39 ©2017 The Michigan Daily
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................5
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MIC.....................6 CLASSIFIEDS...............5 SPORTS....................7
News
2 — Thursday, November 30, 2017
M I C H I G A N F O R WA R D
ON THE DAILY: REGGIE THE CAMPUS CORGI GETS A NEW HOME Reggie the Campus Corgi is a beloved sight on campus — a beacon of light and hope during the dark days of incoming winter and finals. But he cannot stay the entire time, for he must go home and rest. But what if Reggie had a place on campus to stay, thus increasing his time for friendly head pats and picturesque photoshoots to be posted on Facebook? LSA sophomores Zane Harding and Kurt Schwartz created an event to build a doghouse for Reggie on campus. As of Wednesday night, 46 are going and nearly 251 are interested. The corgi has seen support from the student body before — at the beginning of this semester, his owner, Michael, said Reggie needed eye surgery that would cost over $1,000. He received
$810 for the procedure on his GoFundMe page. LSA junior Gaby Fabré voiced her support for Reggie in a message to The Daily back in the summer. “I just wanna see Reggie walking around campus again, the little fluff is a free spirit and makes my day a little brighter seeing him bounce around the diag from student to student,” she wrote. Reggie’s presence on social media started earlier this year; he currently has 4,274 friends on Facebook. “(R)eggie is a good boy and deserves a good place to stay on campus,” the new event page reads. “he is a dog who runs his own social media account. he cannot make his own house because he does not have thumbs.”
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Prince #DogAvi @PushaStee me: *receives email no I don’t want to fill out your damn survey for class also me: *sends email* pls fill out my survey for class
Haley Langeland @haleyyyy_10 this couple really out here in the pin drop quiet study room watching netflix w/o headphones cuddlin up n kissin n shit. 1 like and i throw hands
CHUN SO/Daily
Presenters and participants of the Michigan Forward Symposium exchange ideas about their research and diversity at Weiser Hall Wednesday.
-NISA KHAN
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Sacred Plants WHAT: Plants from the conservatory collection will be examined for their roles in myth, lore and different cultures. WHO: Matthaei Botanical Gardens WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. WHERE: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Michigan’s Best Dance Crew WHAT: Various University dance groups will perform in this year’s dance-off. WHO: Maize Pages Student Organizations WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Mendelssohn Theatre
WALKOUT From Page 1 in protest to the University’s response last week. “This week is not just about protesting Spencer coming here, it’s about protesting white supremacy and it’s about protesting the administration’s lackluster response, inactive, bystander response to a literal white supremacist coming on this campus,” Pham said. “The thing is here too, on this campus every single day, on a regular basis we have hate crimes that are coming.” Spencer’s representative first requested he speak on the University’s campus at the end of October. This request came after Spencer had requested to speak at several other universities, including Michigan State University and University of Florida. The University of Florida initially denied a request from Spencer, but after being threatened with a lawsuit,
UGH.
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Summer Opportunity Fair
A Nobel Symposium
ZoukMi Thursdays
Kevin Kollar @KevinKollar
WHAT: Middle school and high school students will have the chance to explore summer opportunities laid out by the University. WHO: University of Michigan Detroit Center WHEN: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. WHERE: Detroit Center
WHAT: A panel will discuss the work of this year’s six Nobel Laureates affiliated with the University. WHO: The Center for the Study of Complex Systems WHEN: 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Weiser Hall, 10th Floor
WHAT: Students and community members are welcome to learn Zouk with dancers of all levels. WHO: Maize Pages Student Organizations WHEN: 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union
We’ve reached that time of year in Michigan where if the weather is more pleasant than 35 F and overcast it’s “super nice out”
World AIDS Day 2017 Panel
Justine Mahoney: Tainted
Food for the Future Panel
The Black Sheep UM @BlackSheep_UM
WHAT: This panel will discuss the work and research being done to end the epidemic. WHO: Spectrum Center WHEN: 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. WHERE: School of Public Health Building 1, Room 1655
relented and allowed Spencer to speak in October. On Aug. 17, a statement released from the Office of the President at Michigan State University declared MSU would deny the National Policy Institute’s request to rent space on campus. The NPI is a conservative think tank led by Spencer. MSU now faces a lawsuit for not allowing Spencer to speak. The lawyer representing Spencer threatened to sue the University earlier in November if it did not accommodate Spencer’s request, giving the administration a week deadline to make a decision. This deadline has since been extended until Dec. 8. Previously, University Regent Ron Weiser (R) said in an email Spencer was “a dangerous and disgusting man.” University Regent Denise Illitch (D), however, was the only regent opposing the decision last week, stating while free speech is a concern of hers, the violence that accompanies Spencer must
puzzle by sudokusyndication.com
WHAT: Artist Justine Mahoney will discuss her sculptures and collages that draw from her experiences with the apartheid. WHO: Stamps School of Art and Design WHEN: 5:10 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Theater
be considered. “Unfortunately, I do not agree with the University of Michigan administration,” she said. “While I am a staunch proponent of the First Amendment, and stand firmly in support of our constitution, I remain very concerned that it is unsafe to allow him to speak at the University of Michigan. Violence follows him wherever he goes.” LSA senior Kim Truong, free speech should not justify the administration potentially allowing space on campus for Spencer to speak. “So a lot of people cling on to the idea that we need to have people speak because we should welcome all ideas, but sometimes their ideas have proven to be really harmful over and over again,” Truong said. “Why do we need to keep listening to Nazis? If we give them a space, it’s saying that those ideas are valid and should be listened to.” For LSA freshman Payton White, not walking out of class would be remaining complicit in Spencer coming to campus. “I feel like if you’re not against someone like him, then you’re basically advocating for him so I couldn’t just sit in class,” White said. “Personally, if he comes to campus, my life isn’t going to change because if I give him attention that he wants and that’s exactly what he wants and this is exactly why he did all of this but I feel like if we as a group ignore him and don’t give him any attention, it would be more effective than actually coming and being violent or being negative about the whole situation.” During the protest, a situation occurred in the Fishbowl where LSA junior Princess Felix challenged protesters, arguing it would not be fair to bar Spencer from speaking. If students didn’t like what he was saying, Felix said, they shouldn’t listen.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
WHAT: This panel will examine solutions to food insecurity in Michigan and beyond. WHO: AYUDH Michigan WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. WHERE: East Conference Room, Rackham Graduate School
need me a girl who: - isn’t afraid to eat - is super cute - loves to interact with people - likes to climb trees - it’s a diag squirrel. I want to date a diag squirrel
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FROM THE DAILY
F
Support #WeExist
or a substa ntia l por tion of the st udent body, approaching the race a nd ethnicit y section on Universit y of Michiga n documents poses a n issue: Their ethnic identit y isn’t there. Such is the rea lit y of ma ny st udents who identif y as Middle Eastern or North African. The #WeExist campaign, launched this past week, calls for the creation of a Middle Eastern/North African category on University documents to give more representation for people who identify with those ethnic categories. The petition, penned by orga nizers of the ca mpa ig n, has 704 sig nat ures a nd counting. With over whelming suppor t f rom st udent orga nizations a nd a ll three Universit y ca mpuses, The Michiga n Da ily ’s Editorial Board calls on the Universit y’s Board of Regents to include a ME/NA category on University documents. Including the ME/NA identity category on University documents would be a very easy, yet important, way for the University to show that it is truly committed to inclusivity of all ethnicities on all three of its campuses. According to the Student Campus Climate Survey on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, ME/NA students currently make up about 2 percent of the student body at University of Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus, while email correspondence with Sally Howell, director of the Center for Arab American Studies at U-M Dearborn, revealed these students make up a significantly greater proportion at the University’s Dearborn campus. Michigan also has the second highest Arab-American population in the country. Central Student Government and LSA Student Government unanimously passed resolutions in support of this addition. Moreover, the U.S. Census Bureau is proposing the ME/NA category be added for the 2020 census. The University administration should therefore mirror student and national commitment to inclusivity and follow suit.
Collecting this data will also allow students who identify as ME/NA to be better represented on campus. Currently, the students who would identify as part of the ME/NA category have to grapple with being lumped into a “white” or “other” box, effectively skewing the demographic statistics of the University. A more accurate depiction of the number of ME/NA students at the University could bring more lobbying power for ME/NA student organizations. We understand there are concerns among some that adding the ME/NA category could increase targeting from the government, especially given the nation’s current climate of increasing Islamophobia. However, targeting could potentially occur for a number of ethnicity or racial groups. Moreover, checking a particular box is a reflection of an individual’s self-identification as a member of a particular ethnic group, so if someone is not comfortable identifying as part of the ME/NA group, they do not have to report this information. These concerns also should not pose an issue to students’
safety on campus. Historically, the University has vowed to protect the personal information of its students that could potentially harm them. After the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals repeal, for example, University President Mark Schlissel was quick to state that the University would not release information pertaining to student’s citizenship status. Finally, and arguably most importantly, we must consider that those who are calling for the addition of this category are those on our campus who would be most affected by this change. Therefore, we should listen to the will of this community. When this campaign is presented at the Board of Regents meeting on Dec. 7, we urge the regents to vote in favor of adding the ME/NA category to University documents. If the University is serious about increasing diversity, equity and inclusion, and it is truly willing to listen to the community, the University must add the ME/NA identity to its documents.
BILLY STAMPFL | COLUMN
A
Fixing Black Friday
h, Black Friday. It’s difficult to understate the intensity and pure insanity of the day after Thanksgiving, when millions of turkey-stuffed Americans rush out of their homes in the early morning to stand in line at local retailers, awaiting all the season’s finest accessories. Except this description isn’t quite right. Many of these eager consumers actually leave their homes before the turkey comes out of the oven. Now, many stores open their doors on Thanksgiving Day to increase revenue. This comes at the expense of tired workers who are forced to spend more time away from their families on a day that is meant for gratitude. This doesn’t seem right. Another problem with Black Friday? People die — they get trampled like Mufasa in “The Lion King.” Fights break out. Is this really what the holidays are all about? Does Black Friday have to be so dark? No — it’s time we make some changes. With a few adjustments by the government and retail stores, we can fix all of these issues. Reform #1: Force stores to close on Thanksgiving First, federal law should require that stores close on Thanksgiving to allow workers to spend time with family and friends. While some may make the argument that many workers need the extra pay that comes from working on Thanksgiving, I think the majority of employees would prefer to have
Thanksgiving off — and they would benefit from time with loved ones as well. Of course, this is a debate that revolves around money. Earlier this month, USA Today published an article arguing for the economic benefits of staying open on Thanksgiving. As one would expect, there are many pluses, including increased foot traffic and (obviously) higher sales. The primary reason that a store should stay open on Thanksgiving, however, is the steep opportunity cost of closing; the company would miss out on tons of revenue, which would go directly to its competitors. But what if we eliminated at least part of this cost by passing laws that require stores to remain closed on Thanksgiving? This might seem far-fetched, but a few states (Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Maine, for example) already have these laws. Federal legislation requiring that retailers give workers Thanksgiving off would allow employees a chance to be with their families, and it would lessen the economic impact on companies because every business would be held to the same standard. Reform #2: Make Black Friday safe again It is time we make companies liable for injuries or deaths as a result of the Black Friday storeopening frenzies. This is simple: No one should have to die over a $59 Xbox or a half-price flatscreen TV.
Overaggressive shopping behavior has produced many click-bait news stories that are as incredible as they are horrifying. In 2008, 200 people stormed into a Long Island Walmart, trampling and killing an employee. Three years later in a Target in West Virginia, a man collapsed while crowds rushed into the store. No one helped him — some stepped over him in search of bargains. The man died later at the hospital. As if these tragic tales weren’t enough, here’s a sign that we’ve gone too far with Black Friday: There is a website, blackfridaydeathcount.com, solely dedicated to keeping track of Black Friday deaths and injuries. Of course, one solution is for shoppers to step up and be civil. But influencing behavior among a massive population of eager — sometimes desperate — customers is difficult; the more likely solution is for stores to be more vigilant in preventing Black Friday violence. Companies have myriad options: hire more security guards, install more cameras, work with local police so officers will be on-hand or only allow a small number of shoppers in when the store opens.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com Billy Stampfl can be reached at bstampfl@umich.edu.
O
Spencer will bring violence
n Aug. 12, a Nazi The University of Florida spent sympathizer ran a car $500,000 on security when over protester Heather Spencer spoke on its campus. Heyer in Charlottesville, Va., Far from condemning his crushing her to violent followers, death. She died Spencer consistently amid a melee during shows them support. the Unite the Right He called the rally, a collection of man who killed white supremacists, Heather Heyers a Klansmen and neo“scapegoat” in a “very Nazis led in part by ambiguous situation.” Richard Spencer. Additionally, Spencer Spencer called the has joked about rally a “huge moral the “alt-right” troll TOM victory” and vowed who purposefully AIELLO he and his white elicited epileptic nationalist friends would soon seizures in Jewish journalist return to Charlottesville. Kurt Eichenwald, an “alt-right” Now, Richard Spencer has critic. He has endorsed a legal vowed to spew his brand of defense fund for the person violent white supremacist hatred who triggered the seizures and on our campus. University of retweeted anti-Semitic slurs Michigan administrators stated targeting Eichenwald. Spencer they will allow Spencer to obviously has little problem with speak, given they can “assure a violence that contributes to the reasonably safe setting.” Given white nationalist cause. Spencer’s obvious desire for Furthermore, Ann Arbor conflict and connections to has the distinct displeasure of hyper-violent white extremists, being less than an hour-long car the University cannot assure any ride away from at least 11 racial sort of reasonably safe setting for hate groups, according to the this event. For the safety of this Southern Poverty Law Center. campus’s students and faculty, as One of these groups, the National well as city residents, I implore Socialist Movement, is one of the University President Mark largest neo-Nazi organizations Schlissel and the University to in the country. It has a history deny Spencer’s request. of political violence, including Spencer’s entire raison d’être soliciting the murder of a federal is to disguise the violent, bloody judge and harassing Latino Nazism of the American white immigrants. The Ku Klux Klan, nationalist movement under a anti-Muslim groups and more cloak of clean-cut charm and neo-Nazis round out the other academic acceptability. He has hate groups. founded an academic policy institute devoted to racial supremacy and claims he wishes to engage in academic debate on campus. He denies promoting violence and calls for a “peaceful” ethnic cleansing. Yet, anything more than a cursory glance at his past reveals Spencer is anything but peaceful. First, Spencer has consistently demonstrated a pervasive connection to violent white extremists. Alongside neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan, Spencer Spencer’s visit to campus was instrumental in planning presents these violent the Unite the Right rally near organizations with the perfect the University of Virginia’s opportunity to unite in a display campus, which resulted in of racism. Their proximity to three deaths and 34 injuries. campus significantly endangers Outside of Spencer’s speech in marginalized students and October at the University of faculty. If the Charlottesville Florida, police arrested three rally taught us one thing, it’s that of Spencer’s supporters who large groups of white nationalists threatened to kill and fired a gun engender violence. at campus protesters. At Auburn Moreover, Spencer fully University, police arrested a understands the controversy his Spencer supporter for beating up views breed and no doubt intends an antifa protester. to stoke conflict by appearing For every Spencer supporter on campus. He views college that commits acts of violence, campuses as centers of “cultural many more threaten to. For Marxism” — which he describes example, commenters on in coded anti-Semitism as blindly a video he posted after the promoting diversity for the Charlottesville rally advocated to sake of multicultural globalism. “gas the Jews,” start a “racial holy Spencer also maintains close ties war,” “physically attack liberals” to Identity Evropa, the group and start “killing n------ left and responsible for distributing right.” Wherever Spencer goes, racist flyers at Eastern Michigan violent white nationalists follow. University this year and that A police presence cannot exists to stoke racial tensions on guarantee safety from committed college campuses. racial extremists. A heavy police Organizers for Spencer’s presence at Charlottesville did college campus tour described not stop deaths or severe injury. the events as explicitly “antiIn fact, two Virginia State Police liberal,” and Spencer consistently troopers lost their lives in a mentions his anticipation of helicopter crash while patrolling violence between antifa and the chaos in Charlottesville. his supporters at his speeches. This policing is also expensive: Additionally, Spencer doesn’t
Spencer speaking on campus presents a threat of violence.
care about free speech — he has repeatedly demonstrated disdain for governmentprotected freedoms and the principles of the founding fathers in his writings. Rather than sparking meaningful debate, his appearances aim for the national media attention a violent clash between students and his supporters would bring. No fewer than five other prominent public universities understood this when denying him from their campuses. The University administration understands Spencer’s quest for attention, yet wrongly concluded that “denying the request would provide even more attention to the speaker and his cause.” The “alt-right” already views college campuses as intolerant suppressors of free speech. Allowing Spencer on campus will neither enlighten his neoNazi followers to the liberalism of higher education just as denying his request would not convince more reasonable Americans to join his cause. Furthermore, the media firestorm over potential violence dramatically outweighs any attention denying his request would bring. Take the case of the riots that erupted at University of California at Berkeley earlier this year in response to the campus hosting controversial speaker Milo Yiannopoulos. A group of extreme antifa protesters threw Molotov cocktails and even beat farright supporters, despite a heavy police presence. The violence has served as endless ammunition for conservative critics building a view of colleges as enemies of free speech. And given Spencer’s connections to violent extremists and inflammatory style, the University can’t reasonably guarantee violence won’t occur. An analogous violent outburst at our similarly liberal campus would likely do irreparable harm to the reputation of the United States’s public universities. I respect the legal bind the University finds itself in and realize the courts have compelled universities to host Richard Spencer before. I also revere universities’ role in protecting controversial speech and promoting heated yet productive dialogue. However, Richard Spencer speaking on campus presents a threat of violence far too high for the University to ignore. Schools such as Michigan State University, Penn State University and Louisiana State University have all denied Spencer out of concern for campus safety. I implore the administration to similarly throw all its legal weight behind barring Spencer’s presence on campus. You might not win the court battle, but the marginalized members of this campus community at least deserve a try.
Tom Aiello can be reached at thomaiel@umich.edu.
JOIN THE DAILY The Michigan Daily Opinion Section is currently accepting applications to join our team. We are currently hiring columnists, cartoonists, and editors for the winter semester. Applications can be found at tinyurl.com/ybmeejnw JACOB HARRIS | LETTER TO THE EDITOR
“I
njustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” These words by Martin Luther King Jr. have resonated deeply with me since reading them last semester. The problem now is that, coming from someone not firmly on either side of the political spectrum, I see injustice everywhere. When I went to hear Charles Murray speak, I wanted to be a fly on the wall during the protest, but I was moved to speak when the protesters shut down his speech. Murray wrote a best-selling book, predicted in 2012 a candidate like Donald Trump would win the
2016 election and was invited to speak at the school by a student organization. As the protesters left, they screamed, “No fascist USA!” I yelled back at them, “This protest is the most fascist thing I have seen at this school!” I read the op-ed titled “The only fascist, sexist bigot in the classroom” and the op-ed titled “To the fascist, sexist bigot in the classroom” and felt torn because they were both right and both wrong at the same time. I’ve been studying the rise of original fascists in my fascist cinema class, and it’s hard not to see the parallels to Germany in the ’20s. But the
constant polarization in our country only contributes more to that. By calling everyone who voted for Trump a fascist, you alienate them from your ideas, driving them to someone even worse like Richard Spencer. This kind of infighting that I have seen in our community is so dangerous because it makes us more vulnerable to true evils and true fascists. That is why when people say that you must pick a side, I respond that I am very happy to be in the middle, trying to bridge the gap between the right and the left. Jacob Harris is an LSA senior.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM REVIEW
Thursday, November 30, 2017 — 5
FILM REVIEW
NETFLIX
‘Cuba’ is a stark look at life under a dictatorship ‘The Star’ wildly fails to bring the Nativity to life
SONY PICTURES
of socialism in a struggling nation. What becomes clear in Daily Arts Writer Alpert’s work is that over the 45 years he returned to Cuba, a lot changed — his subjects aged, Cuba has historically been the consequences of socialism a site of popular glamour in food and medicine scarcity and mystery to Americans, began to truly sink in — but a but most have never had the lot of the country’s progress opportunity to see the country became static. The toughest for themselves. moments to “Cuba and the Aside from watch on-screen their cigars, the are those that Cameraman” nation’s cultural grimly reveal Streaming on allure has been that the nation Netflix inaccessible to and its people foreign travelers have remained due to a complicated political stagnant, stuck in a place history brought about by Fidel beyond political repair, a place Castro’s socialist revolution. with barren streets and roofs Thanks to Jon Alpert caved in. A place without water (“Redemption”), Cuba’s obscure to drink. charm is exposed in the form of Alpert follows the lives raw footage in his new Netflix of three different groups of documentary, “Cuba and the people, and as the years pass, Cameraman.” there is an amount of audience The documentary features investment and empathy that footage than spans over 45 naturally comes along with years and Alpert, who began seeing these repeated subjects his roots in New York City on screen. They color the piece activism, borrows from the with humanity. He tracks a French, cinéma verité style man named Luis as he goes of filmmaking that is highly in and out of jail, a woman direct in its formal approach named Caridad who begins as and that it aims to reveal a a bright schoolgirl who dreamt truth about a harsh reality: in of being a nurse but instead the case of this film, the toll wed at the age of 14. And then SOPHIA WHITE
Classifieds
there’s Gregorio, Cristobal and Angel, three campesinos (farm workers) who are reminiscent of the playful fraternal bond of Super Mario Brothers. They eventually have their livestock stolen and lose their means to work, but somehow they sustain happiness and remind us that you don’t need teeth to have a beaming smile and that rum should be carried on a person at all times. It is never explained how Alpert and his crew were able to travel in and out of Cuba so freely, especially during a period of heightened political tensions, nor is it explained why Alpert was allowed in such intimate settings with Castro, like his private plane. Alpert’s American speech subconsciously seems to distract and detract from the authenticity of these ordinary Spanish speakers that cannot speak English, so using only subtitles may have created more of a narrative flow. Though what really dazzles most about the piece is not Alpert’s impressive 45-year commitment, but rather the simple lives and stories of Cubans who find joy in the smallest things. We could all learn a lot from them.
Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com
RELEASE DATE– Thursday, November 30, 2017
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR RENT
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 WC 4 Cardiff-born 9 Many Dickens kids 14 Action film gun 15 Kauai greeting 16 Northern home 17 Pap 19 Like hardened mud on boots 20 Asks too many questions 21 Central points 23 Mountain legend 24 Pep 30 Getting-started instruction 32 1976 Dylan song about his first wife 33 Like FM radio, typically 36 Old lab heaters 37 Playa __ Rey: L.A. community 38 Pip 41 Biol. or chem. 42 Places to find stacks 44 Some DVD bonus tracks 46 Little dipper? 47 Lovey-dovey 49 Pop 51 Sounds of activity 55 __ beer 56 Legendary moralist 57 Angiogram image 60 Pup 64 Counterintelligence targets 65 The life of Paris? 66 Tre meno due 67 Disconcerting gaze 68 Stingray kin 69 Salary DOWN 1 Like poorly made Cream of Wheat 2 Clear blue 3 Stay and catch up 4 Techniques 5 “The Hobbit” being 6 WC 7 “Homeland” channel, for short 8 Enjoyed themselves
9 Contemporary pagan religion 10 In contact with 11 Kind 12 A Capulet, to a Montague 13 Cover for a bald spot? 18 Art theft, e.g. 22 Unlatch, poetically 24 “Deadwood” actress Jewell 25 Fencing sword 26 “Should I have waited?” 27 Lenox china brand 28 Word with period or note 29 It might be a mirage 31 Koppel and others 33 By the seat of one’s pants, e.g. 34 Indira Gandhi’s father 35 Plumlike fruits 36 Classic accusation 39 Be catty? 40 Missouri River native 43 Laser device
45 Clambake leftovers 47 Ottoman honorific 48 Ice dancing Olympic gold medalist Davis and Oscar winner Streep 50 Pull the plug on 52 Run through 53 2016 Disney film set in the South Seas
54 Spread apart 56 Tommie of ’60s-’70s baseball 57 Hee-hawing animal 58 Choose 59 Narrow inlet 61 Barrel wood 62 The Cavaliers of the ACC 63 It may be picked
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delivered painstakingly rendered frames with millions of details, Daily Arts Writer “The Star” features multiple scenes of characters looking at each other but seemingly not seeing each It borders on trite to say that a other. The expressivity allowed by great animated film can speak to animation is negated by the lifeless anyone, but that’s the nature of masks which comprise most of the the medium. It begs to explore its characters. topic in new and interesting ways, The writing does the characters so the idea of using no favors, either, “The Star” it to retell the story making the leads of the Nativity told easily identifiable Sony Pictures from the point of only by the tropes Entertainment view of the donkey they fall into. that carried Mary Bo the Donkey Rave Cinemas, to Bethlehem isn’t Goodrich Quality 16 (Steven Yeun, “The that far off base. In Walking Dead”) is the hands of a team the dreamer who more well-versed in animation’s wants something more than his unique storytelling capabilities simple life. Dave the Dove (Keegan– Disney, Laika, WAG or even Michael Key, “Keanu”) is the wacky Dreamworks or Illumination – sidekick. He shakes his butt in one there’s a potentially memorable scene and it’s called back to so often film in the works. Unfortunately, that it was apparently the scene in the hands of Sony Pictures that was supposed to clinch the Animation, the group which film its Oscar. Ruth the Sheep (Aidy birthed this year’s brain-numbing Bryant, “The Big Sick”) talks about anti-comedy “The Emoji Movie,” being a “flock” a lot and would have “The Star” becomes the latest in been the emotional heart of the a long line of poorly animated, film had she not been written with sloppily written cash grabs whose a crippling lack of personality. only purpose is to take advantage But the weak links in a cast of families looking for an accessible made up of weak links are the three Christmas movie. camels carrying the wise men of The problems with the “We Three Kings” fame. These animation rear their ugly heads are apparently meant to be comic early on; this quality would be relief, but somewhere along the standard and unremarkable if line, someone forgot to write any this were the mid-2000s. The fact actual jokes. At one point, one of of the matter is that the art form these camels (Oprah Winfrey, “The has progressed remarkably in the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”) years since, allowing for films gets the absolutely incredible like “Coco” which would have line, “That King Herod is up to been impossible even a few short something,” which is perhaps years ago. But where Pixar’s latest the most casual way the topic of JEREMIAH VANDERHELM
infanticide has been broached in film history. For the most part, the vocal performances are serviceable, and given the quality of the writing, it’s understandable that no one in the surprisingly packed cast brings their A-game. Gina Rodriguez (“Jane the Virgin”) and Zachary Levi (“Alias Grace”) are the standouts here as Mary and Joseph, if only because their characters are the only ones who can pass for interesting and the actors therefore have something to work with. Once more, the camels represent the worst “The Star” has to offer in this area. In addition to Winfrey, Tracy Morgan (“Fist Fight”) and Tyler Perry (“Boo 2! A Madea Halloween”) lend their vocal talents to the film, and they bring with them their respective shticks. Morgan shouts nearly every single line. On the other end of the spectrum is Perry, who reads every line without a hint of inflection. Winfrey, the most talented of the trio, hardly bears mentioning, as she never gets an opportunity to ingratiate herself to the audience beyond the aforementioned genocide line. The only memorable thing about “The Star” is when the Baby Jesus finally makes an appearance, he bears an uncanny resemblance to the Boss Baby, which is either an unfortunate mistake or the most brilliant, underplayed joke of the year. And when the best part of an animated movie very likely comes down to animator ignorance, it’s probably better to see what new brilliance the grown-ups — Pixar perhaps — are up to.
TV REVIEW
‘Runaways’ is lackluster the right eyebrow star tattooed girl in the very beginning? What Daily Arts Writer happened to Nico’s (Lyrica Okano, “Pimp”) sister, Amy? What is the weird human-like creature in Parents are supposed to be the Mrs. Dean’s (Annie Wersching, good guys, right? Well, that’s not “Bosch”) office? Why do the the case in Marvel’s “Runaways.” Yorks have a dinosaur in their Last week marked the series basement? Cliffhangers are an premiere of Hulu’s original show. effective way to keep an audience Six teenagers, all engaged, but too vastly different many just frustrate “Runaways” with a past, messy and confuse. Season Premiere friendship reunite The symmetry just in time to among the Hulu discover their six teenagers parents’ secret. appeared to have “Runaways” been broken a long is based on the superhero comic time ago. As the plotline reveals, book series written by Brian K. these six used to be best friends, Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, but high school and some tragic first published by Marvel Comics enigma (I think it had to do in 2003. Originally, the comic with Amy) happened that split book series cast the parents as these friends, but apparently robbers and mad scientists, but not for good. All of the friends Hulu creators Josh Schwartz have morphed into different (“The O.C.”) and Stephanie Savage stereotypes in high school. Never (“Gossip Girl”) opted for full on seen that before. We have the super villains. ’Cause let’s be goth chick, the dumb jock, the honest, parents being villains isn’t pretentious pretty girl, the nerdy the farthest cinematic stretch. and self righteous feminist, the Marvel has always been a quiet misfit and lastly, the socially favorite of mine. Superheros? excommunicated, emotionally Love ’em. Action? Count me in. broken kid that just wants his However, the pace of “Runaways” friends back. He attempts to is too jumbled compared to reunite this old gang — which past Marvel products. It hops leads to their discovery of their around from scene to scene in a parents in red robes performing mismanaged function, ruining some cult sacrifice. Creepy. the flow. There are a lot of I’m hoping this plotline is just unanswered questions while the catalyst to jumpstart a more watching: What happened to original series. The first episode OLIVIA ASIMAKIS
attemps to get the ball rolling. Although the premiere itself was nothing to rave about, I have a feeling the show will morph into a story with heart, action and some ass-kicking. There doesn’t seem to be enough variability between the characters. Each is filled with teenage angst that gets tiresome after watching it take shape in a few different shells. All of the actors have the same babyface pout, none bringing anything valuable to the table. The casting is subpar, neither brilliant nor terrible. Both the actors cast as parents and teenagers walk the line of average, none of them striking enough to report on. The special effects appear to be limited thus far, but there are hints that they will be more plentiful and complex in the future. Besides the one scene when Karolina’s (Virginia Gardner, “Zoo”) arms turn transparent with lights shooting out of them, there should be more to come. Marvel is known for their topnotch cinematic illusions, which I expect when I watch one of their products. The premise of “Runaways” has potential, but the series premiere was essentially a dud. The messy shooting, boring actors and mundane feel of the show in general take away from a seemingly great storyline. With time, the plot with hopefully develop to be stronger, better and more entertaining.
Michigan in Color
6 — Thursday, November 30, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Marginalized identity in ‘The Shape of Water’ STEFFI CAO MiC Columnist
Sivanthy and her family standing on what remains of her father’s house.
Courtsey of Sivanthy Vasanthan
A home away from home SIVANTHY VASANTHAN Senior MiC Editor
When most people think of home, they often think of a warm and cozy place filled with loved ones, light and home cooked meals. But what always comes to my mind are small rocks and slabs of concrete painted bright green and a dark, rusty red. This is all that remains of my father’s house in Jaffna, Sri Lanka — the house that I would have grown up in and the house that I would have called mine. What is left of my father’s house has melded
with the soil, indistinguishable from the earth it once stood upon, as if it never existed in the first place. Most people would not find solace in a pile of ruins. But I did. And I still do. A seemingly trivial mass of rocks, rubble and concrete grounds me, reminding me of my heritage. Each shard represents my roots, my family, my identity, my ethnicity. And so, I refuse to look at them as broken and meaningless. Tupac once wrote about a “rose that grew from a crack in the concrete.” While I’m not
sure that I can ever be that rose, I hope to be the roots growing underneath the concrete that supports my family while bringing awareness to some of the experiences within the Tamil diaspora. I won’t ever know what it would have been like to grow up in Northern Sri Lanka and I recognize that I have had the immense privilege of not being raised in a war-torn country. But at the end of the day, a mound of rocks and concrete will always be my home away from home.
Call to Action 4 Instructors to say ‘no’ to Spencer’s visit STUDENTS4JUSTICE and OTHER ORGANIZERS MiC Contributor
University of Michigan faculty, graduate student instructors, research assistants and staff: We are writing this to request that you to cancel classes Nov. 30 to pressure the administration to refuse to allow Richard Spencer to speak on campus, as well as show leniency to marginalized students who have been affected by our oppressive campus environment throughout the rest of the semester. The recent decision to “begin discussions with Richard Spencer’s group to determine whether he will be allowed to rent space” on the University of Michigan’s campus demonstrates, as we have learned time and time again, the administration’s refusal to truly prioritize the needs and safety of its students. Though President Mark Schlissel stated “if we cannot assure a reasonably safe setting for the event, we will not allow it to go forward,” Spencer’s history shows us there is no “safe” setting possible when white supremacists and neo-Nazis are given permission to come to college campuses. On this campus alone, marginalized students are in danger of hate crimes every day, from white supremacist f lyers, spray paint asking to “Free Dylann Roof” and the n-word written on door signs. The University has not been able to catch any of these perpetrators, nor to prevent such attacks from happening. There is no history or precedent of Schlissel being able to “assure a reasonable safe setting” within his own campus, let alone if Spencer chooses to come here. Howell, only 33 minutes away, is known as a base of the Ku
Klux Klan. Michigan has one of the largest armed civilian militias in the country, whose members engage in violent white supremacist rhetoric. These groups, and numerous others, will show up and harm marginalized students on campus. They have not failed to do so in the past. Students come to the University to attend classes and learn. When individuals like Richard Spencer and his followers are allowed to convene on campus, there is inherently a barrier created for marginalized students just trying to exist and receive an education. The academic integrity of this institution will always be in question when portions of students are denied the right to safety on campus –– this denial only exacerbates the inequities that already exist at the University of Michigan. At the very root, this university should exist to serve every one of its students, and it is not doing so if students are forced to skip class and schoolwork in order to advocate for their fundamental human rights. In allowing Spencer to come, students are forced to do work (for free) that Schlissel and administrators are paid to do and continually fail to do. This is not even including the mental and physical toll that it takes to have to face oppression here every day. These are simple requests. We ask that you stand in solidarity with us, marginalized folx across campus and the broader community, by canceling class, discussions, labs and any other academic obligations on Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017. Alongside this we ask that students get the leniency needed to successfully finish the term, given the reality that our campus, classes, homes, residence halls and community have continually remained unsafe. Students are unable
to academically succeed when they are forced to fight to exist on this campus. Students4Justice and other organizers We understand that leniency for marginalized students can be interpreted in many different ways. Our overall goal in this ask is for these students to be given a fair chance to succeed in their classes, because the current campus climate places them at a disadvantage. Below are some potential ideas that we have used our labor and time to come up with: • Waived class attendance requirements or more excused absences • Extensions on assignments • Create spaces in classes to talk about events • Make assignments more relevant to campus/world climate • Provide alternate assignments and opportunities for students to receive credit • Ask students what they need to be successful in the course given everything that has happened (do not target students who you feel like are “more” likely to be affected. E.g., Black students, brown students, etc. Those assumptions can cause more harm than good) • Make yourself available and approachable for students to ask for assistance • Read the news in order to keep yourself updated, so you can come into class with prior knowledge and not force students to explain everything
INTERESTED IN HAVING YOUR EXPERIENCES HEARD? SHARE YOUR STORY WITH MICHIGANINCOLOR@UMICH.EDU
Guillermo del Toro, a Mexican-American film director and writer, is renowned for his hybrid genres, weaving fairy tales with dark, haunting imagery of the sexual, religious and taboo. From his awardwinning Spanish gothic films like “Pan’s Labyrinth” to his supernatural-robot-monster stories like “Pacific Rim” and “Hellboy,” del Toro has made himself a household name in an industry traditionally dominated by The Whites. His upcoming film, “The Shape of Water,” is set to be released in December. But unlike most of his past works, he has made its underlying messages clear. In a Q&A session with Michigan in Color, del Toro explained his messages and intentions to promote the upcoming film. “The Shape of Water” is set in the Cold War era and follows government laboratory cleaner Elisa (Sally Hawkins, “Paddington 2”) as she encounters a captured Amazonian, an amphibious creature called “the Asset.” The story details the two falling in love. Her attempt to break the Asset out of its imprisonment, with co-worker Zelda (Octavia Spencer, “The Help”) and next-door neighbor Giles (Richard Jenkins, “Comrade Detective”), is obstructed by the violence of secret Soviet spy Robert Hoffstetler (Michael Stuhlbarg, “The Looming Tower”) and abusive American Colonel Richard Strickland (Michael Shannnon, “Pottersville”). Del Toro expands on his choice for the Cold War as a backdrop and what details the setting offers. “I think that movies that happen anywhere, matter nowhere; movies that happen anytime, matter at no time. Storytellers choose the place they take place in, and the time they take place in, very carefully and very specifically, del Toro said. “I think for me is of course, the Cold War, and the Space Race, of course, but it is the last fairy tale time in America — a time in which America kind of dreams itself into what we conceive as the modern America. The media is shaping the consciousness and the identity of the country and you have a candidate in the White House be a damage yet to escalate, and you have
suburban wealth everywhere: cars in every garage, TV, kitchens, petticoats and hairspray. It’s really a time of great hope for the future. In fact, we become so obsessed with the idea of the future, and I thought that and the Cold War were the perfect settings to bring a creature from the ancient past and a love story in a time of difficult communication.” Del Toro’s plain political commentary comes from the treatment of the Asset, who is tortured and abused by high-status white men simply because they are different. He calls it a representation of “The Other.” “Also the movie is a movie about our problems today and about demonizing The Other and about fearing or hating The Other, and how that is a much more destructive position than learning to love and understand,” del Toro said. “I thought, well, if I thought about today, there are two topics all over the news, we get it in the news, in social media, but if I say, ‘Once upon a time, this language, we used it too’ — this is a fairy tale for troubled times, and people can lower their guard a little bit more, and listen to the story and listen to the characters and talk about the issues, and the circumstance of the issues.” Something less prominent, but equally important, are the identities of the characters. Protagonist Elisa is mute, but her disability does not render her character f lat. She is still presented as a whole human being, with adult sexual desires and emotional capabilities. The film manages to capture her romance with the Asset in its fullest sense without verbal communication — a feat which del Toro detailed in the Q&A. “The first thing is that I think that words can lie but looks cannot. I wanted to have characters that were able to communicate to the audience their emotions and their love through looks, touch, and body language and essence, because it’s impossible to talk about love,” del Toro said. “You can sing about love but you cannot talk. And the idea is that Sally, the main character Elisa, and the creature have this in common: They are not looked at as complete beings, and yet they are. They are reduced to ideologies or ideas that are more reductive in complexity, to the point that the creature is actually read
by different people as different things throughout the film. For the antagonist Strickland, he is read as a filthy thing that came from South America; for the Russian scientist, he is seen as the magic of nature and science; to Elisa, he is part of her essence, that she recognizes. And for Elisa, she is read as different things for different characters. For Octavia Spencer, she is basically a listener to her in her monologue; for Giles, she is almost like a daughter; and for Strickland, she is a woman that he wants to dominate, or he thinks he controls because she is under his employment. And she is much more than that. The only one that sees Elisa exactly as she is, without seeing her incomplete, is the creature, is this elemental god from the Amazon that is as much a singularity as she is. “There is also a monologue in the movie, that Elisa has; it is a gesture monologue, a sign-language monologue, that plays much stronger with her emotions than being channeled by words. Her eyes are more hungry, there’s more emotion, her body — her sentiment vibrates through her body — and it is really quite a powerful scene because she cannot talk.” Between amphibian sex, shoot-outs in the rain and deep spiritual poetry, del Toro does what many big-name Hollywood directors have not: He manages to represent marginalized identities without making it the crutch of the whole plot. Elisa might be mute, but her disability does not affect the voice she has in the film; Zelda is a Black woman, without being the Black woman the film depends on to make a political statement; Giles is closeted as gay, but his sexuality does not define his entire presence on screen. The characters own their identities rather than the other way around, and the subtle change stands out. And when that is all stated and acknowledged, there is still so much more to take apart and analyze — from the color choices of the sets and costumes to the production techniques and inclusion of monologues and spoken word. When the misrepresentation of marginalized communities in film are widespread, “The Shape of Water” proves one very important thing: You can still be inclusive and make a good movie. Period.
Andrea Sahouri: I Am ANDREA SAHOURI MiC Columnist
I am Palestinian. Scratch that Ana Falastinieh Yeah — that’s better It’s more than just a word I am the olive trees that flourish in Palestinian soil The soul of our country I am the mish mish my Teta grows in Bethlehem She knows they are my favorite I am the Tutreez min Filasteen Beautifully embroidered into our culture I am the jewelry from the old city of Jerusalem History made by Palestinians Both pain and pride Worn by the bodies of Palestinian women I am the stomps of the dabkeh We exist And the patterns of the kuffiyeh We will resist We sing the song of revolution To exist is to resist Ana Falastinieh Ana Falastinieh Ana Falastinieh I am a Palestinian woman. Scratch that Ana bint Falastinieh
Yeah — much better God’s glory on Earth encompassed within women Abused during war and exploited by greed The strongest fight hard And suffer the hardest Today’s news: Yet another mother in Palestine Buries yet another father, son, brother Tomorrow’s news: Yet another mother in Palestine denied access to travel Gave birth at a checkpoint Yet again, no survivors I suffer with my people. My women. My mother. I am haunted by the image of my mother being stripped By the hands of a man who was not my father Ignoring the wet from the tears that fell onto his hands I remember the voice of the man telling her she cannot enter Filasteen She cannot go home The anger behind his voice … It still rings in my head I learned at a young age The strength of Palestinian women
I am angry Scratch that Ana ghadbaneh Do you understand me now? I am told I cannot be angry My people are being killed by the thousands Displaced by the millions I am told my existence requires dialogue — As if dialogue has solved anything As if dialogue was not just a scapegoat to keep those in power Stay in power Dialogue masks our oppression It does not liberate us But we are strong. We are the stomps of the dabkeh, We are the patterns of the kuffiyeh, Our women sing the song of revolution Ana ghadbaneh. To exist is to resist Ana bint Falastinieh No one can take that away from me. No one can take that away from us.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, November 30, 2017 — 7
Piazza, Cecconi provide leadership for struggling unit ANNA MARCUS Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan hockey team departed Yost Ice Arena on Saturday with far more thorns than roses. The Wolverines’ marred defensive performance was composed of too many giveaways, too many goals given up and too few meticulous passes — problems that were only exacerbated by an absent offensive spark. What can get lost in translation of this season’s repetitive plot is the noteworthy talent of individuals in the defensive core — in particular, its veteran leadership. Senior defenseman Sam Piazza and junior defenseman Joseph Cecconi have emerged as the Wolverines’ premier defensive pairing on the ice, and — as two of four selected alternate captains this season — have seen their influence expanded off of it as well. Michigan coach Mel Pearson noted that the defensive unit has already had considerable success. “You have confidence putting them out against anybody,” Pearson said. “Sam is good with the puck and handles the puck very well. He is not as physical, you know, Joe is ‘big and strong Joseph’ and can be physical. They seem to have some chemistry together, they play off of each other, so they are in sync, and that’s important.” While the Wolverines have seen many changes in player combinations this year, Piazza and Cecconi have remained a constant duo. And their talents happened to be on display this past weekend, which was otherwise ignominious for Michigan’s squad. Friday night, off a crossice pass from Cecconi, Piazza knocked in the opening goal of the game — good for his first
MAX KUANG/Daily
Junior defenseman Joseph Cecconi has found success on both ends of the ice while working alongside senior defenseman Sam Piazza on Michigan’s blue line.
of the season. The following evening, Cecconi was the lone Wolverine to score, equalizing the game in the second period before Ohio State’s offensive onslaught began. Their ability to step up on offense while Michigan’s forwards struggled to do so against the Buckeyes highlighted the pair’s versatile strengths. “Obviously, we’ve stayed together this whole time so far, so we’ve been doing something right,” Cecconi said. “We talk a lot on the ice, off the ice, and we have good chemistry. We know where the other person is going to be, and we both have pretty good hockey IQ, so that goes a long way.” Pearson added: “You’ve got to play sound defensively first and foremost, and then pick your spots offensively when you’re
jumping up in a play. I think for the most part, they’ve done a good job at that.” Part of what has made the duo cohesive this season is the variability in their contributions and improvements. For Cecconi, it has been his wellroundedness as a player. Netting 10 points over the first 14 games, Cecconi has been the largest offensive contributor from Michigan’s blue line. He has already surpassed his sophomore season total of eight points and that, paired with his physicality and work ethic in the defensive zone, has made for a dynamic
They seem to have some chemistry together
Michigan can’t recover from early deficit in loss to No. 3 Notre Dame SARAH HURST
Daily Sports Writer
Though the Michigan women’s basketball team won the tip, Notre Dame scored first. Within the first five minutes, the Fighting Irish went up by four, and they remained in the driver’s seat for the remainder of the game. While the Wolverines once held a four-point lead themselves in the first quarter, Notre Dame peaked in the fourth, taking a with a 25-point lead, to finish with an 83-63 victory. Going into the game Wednesday night, Michigan had two points of emphasis after its loss to Louisville: rebounds and turnovers. “Great teams gotta be able to rebound and gotta be able to take care of the basketball,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “We put both of those things together, and I think we can compete against the top teams.” The Wolverines turned the ball over only once in the first half while pulling down 11 rebounds. Though Michigan took care of the ball, it had a difficult time shutting down the Irish. Junior center Hallie Thome accredited the defensive woes to the offensive challenge put up by Notre Dame’s Arike Ogunbowale, who scored 20 points including four timely three-pointers. “I think it wasn’t like fatigue physically, I think it was mentally— just always having to locate Arike and just be aware of where everyone is,” Thome said. “I think that we all realized that we needed to shut down Arike and not let her get the ball, so I think more of a mental fatigue of always having your eye on someone.” Even with a 25-point deficit late in the game, Thome insisted Michigan never threw in the towel. “No matter what the situation is, we’re giving it our all,” Thome
said. “Even if we’re trying everything we can do and it’s not working then you have to put someone else in that position.” Even senior guard Katelynn Flaherty — the Wolverines’ top scorer — was quiet in the offensive half as she was being double teamed for a majority of the game. “I just think she didn’t have an open look the entire night. She was doubleteamed every single time she came off a ball screen,” Barnes said. “They knew where she was in transition. She had contested shot after contested shot. So that’s difficult.” Though the pressure on Flaherty was immense, Thome was confident in the ability of her team to rise to the occasion and
combination. Part of Cecconi’s development has stemmed from the formative experience he had last year, playing on the 2017 U.S. National Junior Team. During his sophomore season, Cecconi was the sole Wolverine — and just one of 23 players nationally — selected for the team’s final roster. His team went on to claim the gold medal at the International Ice Hockey Federation World Junior Championship in January. “I think he has grown as a player and a leader, and is really starting to blossom,” Pearson said.
fill in. Flaherty is a leader for the team, but there are other players who are capable of stepping up. “We have other players, I know Katelynn will always go down in history as one of the best players at Michigan but basketball is a five person sport so other people have to step up, other people have to take different roles,” Thome said. Despite the loss, Michigan saw how its strong play in the first half allowed optimism for future growth. “I think we realized we can really hang with anyone if we do the little things and proceed to do the little things as the game goes on and don’t get mentally fatigued as the game goes on,” Thome said.
Other people have to step up ... take different roles
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Junior center Hallie Thome struggled to match up with Arike Ogunbowale.
Piazza has demonstrated his talents in another way this season — through his ability to stand his ground in the defensive zone. The senior ranks eighth nationally in blocked shots with an average of 2.42 per game, a huge reason as to why Michigan has found recent success overall in shot blocking. Rather than laying out to block shots, Piazza prefers to stand in a lane and disrupt the opposition with a good gap and decisive stick placement. “I think we have complementing styles,” Piazza said. “Chico is really an allaround good defenseman. And I think in the past you would have classified him as more of a defensive guy, but he has a ton of points this year, too. For me, he is really easy to play with. You
always know where he is, which is a good thing. I think we play well off each other, and it’s been a pleasure playing with him.” In addition to a diverse set of skills, the two have seemingly polar personalities. Piazza tends to be more soft-spoken, while Cecconi makes his presence known. But according to Pearson, this divergence is a large component of what makes the two work, particularly when it comes to their roles as captains. “Sam is more of a quiet leader,” Pearson said. “He just goes about his business, he’s good in the classroom, he comes to the rink and he plays. He’s a good player. He lets his playing do his talking. “Joseph is a little more outgoing, with a little more energy, and I guess he’s a guy that people gravitate to because that’s how he is. And that’s why they complement each other I think, too.” Both of them know that despite their experience and leadership, there is still significant room for improvement — for themselves and the rest of the defensive core. And going back hard for pucks, crisper clearances and stronger communication are all at the top of that list. Yet while players of all ages have the capacity for growth, the efforts of these older defensemen are key in helping younger Wolverines develop their own game, as they are exposed to exemplary defensive styles of play. “They are both older and have been around,” Pearson said. “I think it’s good (for younger players) to take in some things — I don’t want to say steal from another person — but just to say ‘Hey, you know what, I want to be able to do that, and be like him in some ways’, and I think that’s a positive.” Perhaps their veteran leadership will bring Michigan’s defense back on the rails.
Flaherty shut down in blowout ETHAN SEARS
Daily Sports Writer
In blowing out No. 22 Michigan 83-63 at the Crisler Center on Wednesday night, No. 3 Notre Dame found the blueprint to beating the Wolverines: shut Katelynn Flaherty down and Michigan’s offense grinds to a halt. The senior point guard shot just 5-for18 from the field and 1-of-7 from beyond the arc, spending the night trying and failing to heat up from anywhere on the court. Not coincidentally, so did Michigan’s offense. The Wolverines scored less than a point per possession – 0.926 to be exact – as the Irish pulled away. “I just think she didn’t have an open look the entire night,” said coach Kim Barnes Arico.
“She was double-teamed every single time she came off a ball screen. They knew where she was in transition. She had contested shot after contested shot.” It makes sense that a team of Notre Dame’s caliber would key in on Flaherty. She’s the program’s all-time leading scorer and she averages 23.7 points per game. Michigan, however, wasn’t ready for the Fighting Irish’s airtight defense and Barnes Arico knew it. “I think the growth of our team is going to be – we talked a little bit about this at halftime, but we didn’t get to it in the second half – ‘Okay, if Katelynn is doubleteamed, can we get the ball out of that double-team and make extra pass, extra pass enough to get an open, uncontested layup by someone?’
I just think she didn’t have an open look the entire night
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Senior guard Katelynn Flaherty shot just 5-for-18 from the field Wednesday.
“And we’re not at the point yet of moving the basketball at that rate and getting Hallie (Thome) – cause a lot of times, Hallie was setting the screen, Hallie’s girl was doubling – get Hallie down to the block, move it, move it, move it, get Hallie an open layup. But the pressure of being double-teamed to make a good pass before people rotate – it’s gotta be boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.” In all fairness, it is early in the year, the Wolverines did lose point guard Siera Thompson and Flaherty herself is still transitioning into the position. To the senior’s credit, she had eight assists and just one turnover on Wednesday. But this is supposed to be a different Michigan team – one that can compete against teams like Notre Dame – and teams like that can’t get taken out of rhythm when the first option is struggling. The Wolverines were in it for most of the game, but it never felt like the offense was good enough to overcome the 10-point deficit that was present from the first quarter on. It wasn’t and at the start of the fourth, 10 turned into 20 and Michigan lost the chance to come back. Outside of postups from Thome, the Wolverines simply didn’t have other means of scoring. They shot an abysmal 36.5 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three. Freshman forward Hailey Brown was the only player other than Thome and Flaherty to hit double-digit scoring and she did so on 4-of-11 shooting. The offense was stagnant at times and Notre Dame constantly closed off driving lanes. “I think what happens – and it’s not Katelynn’s fault – I think everyone else stops and looks at Katelynn to make a play,” Barnes Arico said. “And when you have a really great player on your team, sometimes the rest of the team defers to her.” On Wednesday, that happened most of the time. In the future, it can’t.
Sports
8 — Thursday, November 30, 2017
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan can’t answer Tar Heels’ punches The Wolverines kept up with North Carolina in the early stages of the game,
but once they fell behind, they could never catch up in an eventual blowout
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Poor rebounding, defense sinks ‘M’
MIKE PERSAK
MARK CALCAGNO
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Duncan Robinson ran ahead of the pack. He had the ball in his hands, and with it, an opportunity to provide an answer to another punch that North MICHIGAN 71 N CAROLINA 86 Carolina (5-1) had thrown at the Michigan men’s basketball team (6-2). The 13th-ranked Tar Heels’ two stars, guard Joel Berry and forward Luke Maye, had just hit a three and a two, respectively, to give North Carolina a 34-29 lead with about seven minutes left. Robinson fought off a defender with his off-hand, gathered the ball with his right hand and missed the layup off the right side of the rim. The Tar Heels ran the other way, and forward Theo Pinson finished the sequence with an acrobatic reverse layup. From there, the Wolverines never found an answer and were dominated in an 86-71 loss Wednesday night. “Exactly what I thought this team’s weakness would be this year is when we needed somebody to settle down and make a play,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “We weren’t ready to make a smart play at that time. It would turn into hero basketball, and it would end up (creating) offense for them. That’s exactly what happened.” Added junior forward Moritz Wagner: “It was very disappointing, the way we put our heads down once we got down 10. Instead of making it a tough game, all of a sudden, it looked like a blowout.”
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — It was a play that the Michigan basketball team has practiced defending hundreds of times. Early in the second half of the Wolverines’ 86-71 loss Wednesday, North Carolina’s Joel Berry II called for a screen at the top of the key. Forward Luke Maye obliged, setting the screen and rolling to the basket. The two Michigan defenders involved — freshman point guard Eli Brooks and fifth-year senior forward Duncan Robinson — both switched to the ball handler. Berry then dribbled his way into space and found Maye for an open dunk, inciting roars in the Dean Dome. On a night when the Tar Heels shot 55 percent from the floor, those types of mistakes were common in what amounted to the Wolverines’ worst defensive performance of the year. “Just (not enough) grit,” Brooks said. “(We weren’t) able to get down and dirty.” After scoring just 45 points against then-No. 4 Michigan State on Sunday, the Tar Heels connected for 51 points on 65-percent shooting in the first half — a disastrous frame for Michigan defensively. “I don’t think we were ready for the quickness with the speed and precision that they run with,” Beilein said. “We just weren’t locked in. … We laid an egg for most of the first half defensively.” Part of the issue was the Wolverines’ inability to match up with Maye, who led the floor with 27 points on 11-for-16 shooting. And when that mismatch was combined with ball movement and the sharp-shooting of guard Kenny Williams, North Carolina had a formula too potent for the Wolverines. “Yeah, they were really moving the ball well,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “Luke Maye
Daily Sports Editor
Daily Sports Writer
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Fifth-year senior forward Duncan Robinson missed a pivotal basket that could have changed the course of the game.
After amassing a 14-point lead heading into the halftime break, North Carolina flexed its muscles at the outset of the second half. It went on a 16-2 run that included andone dunks, open layups and bruising post moves that blew the game wide open. Beilein shuffled lineups often, but none of the rotations yielded strong results, and his team shot a meager 35.1 percent from the floor in the final 20 minutes. “I don’t know who those next guys are,” Beilein said. “We’re trying to figure it out, and that’s why we said, ‘To heck with the
second half. Heck, you’re down 30. Let’s let the young guys play.’ ” Though the game ended in a blowout, it didn’t seem like that would be the case early. At that point, everything was falling for both teams. The Wolverines made their first eight shots. The eighth came on a fadeaway, bank-in threepointer from redshirt junior forward Charles Matthews. Michigan took the Tar Heels’ repeated blows until there were eight minutes left in the first half. Then, as North Carolina stomped its foot on the pedal,
We weren’t ready to make a smart play at that time
the Wolverines couldn’t keep up. Robinson missed his layup, and the rest of the team missed nearly everything else. Michigan will return home Saturday for its Big Ten opener against Indiana. It will be an opportunity for the Wolverines to forget a game that could have been a launching pad for the rest of their season. But it wasn’t, and like they were on Wednesday when everything was going wrong, Michigan is still looking for somebody who can step up and right the ship. “I think the most important thing … is that we can’t sit in the locker room and have our heads down, because that’s weakness,” Wagner said. “That’s my big point, and I think our coaching staff’s going to take care of the rest.”
2017 Season in Review: Tight ends, fullbacks TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
With the Michigan football team’s 2017 regular season in the books, the Daily looks back at the performance of each unit this year and looks ahead to the future in 2018. In this edition: tight ends and fullbacks. Ever since Jake Butt became an integral part to Jim Harbaugh’s offense, everyone knew tight ends would be a featured position in Michigan’s system for seasons to come. Butt, a former All-American, would obviously be hard to replace, but two frontrunners emerged as the Wolverines’ leading tight ends. They did a fair job making up for Butt’s absence. Sophomore tight end Sean McKeon led the team with three receiving touchdowns, and finished the regular season as the team’s second-leading receiver with 285 yards. McKeon was a frequent target for both redshirt freshman quarterback Brandon Peters and fifth-year senior
quarterback John O’Korn. The team’s third-leading receiver — behind wideout Grant Perry and McKeon — was another tight end. Redshirt sophomore Zach Gentry collected 276 yards and two touchdowns. It was the first season that Gentry and McKeon saw significant playing time, and the pair both served as reliable targets for Michigan’s quarterbacks. The Wolverines had little luck in the air this year — O’Korn and Peters couldn’t hit receivers on the deep ball very often — but they continuously hit McKeon or Gentry rolling off of the line. Those passes were much easier to make, and the quarterbacks utilized them regularly. At the fullback position, Michigan saw the same contributions for the most part that it had the year before. When Michigan needed a short gain, either for a first-down conversion or a touchdown push, fifth-year senior Khalid Hill was there to punch it home.
The ‘Hammering Panda,’ as his nickname goes, had three touchdowns this season on just 17 rushing attempts. In contrast, the team’s two main running backs each ran the ball over 120 times. Hill’s efficiency proved to be important again this season for Michigan. HIGH POINT: One of the best fullback moments of the year actually came on a play where Michigan chose not to hand the ball to Khalid Hill. In College Park, from secondand-goal on the three-yard line, Peters handed the ball to fifthyear senior fullback Henry Poggi. Poggi, a Maryland native, dove across the goal line and scored his first career touchdown. His fellow fifth-year senior center Patrick Kugler and senior left tackle Mason Cole quickly surrounded him in celebration. The score was not only Poggi’s first Michigan touchdown, but also his first rush attempt of the entire season. He wasn’t used as often as Hill or freshman
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Sophomore tight end Sean McKeon and redshirt sophomore tight end Zach Gentry emerged as reliable threats in 2017.
fullback Ben Mason, but Poggi’s touchdown against the Terrapins gave him a highlight moment to look back on. The Maryland game also saw positives from the tight ends, as both McKeon and Gentry scored touchdowns. McKeon’s came on a short three-yard rollout, his only catch of the game, but Gentry racked up 63 receiving yards on three catches to boost the Wolverines to a road win. LOW POINT: One tight end in particular never fully showed his worth. Sophomore Nick Eubanks opened the season with two catches for 61 yards against Florida, but didn’t catch another pass all season after falling victim to injury. Harbaugh never disclosed what that injury was specifically, but the Wolverines certainly lost a weapon without him on the field. THE FUTURE: At fullback, the future is in the hands of Ben Mason. Recruited as a linebacker out of high school, Mason converted to fullback. Harbaugh even said he was “born to play” the fullback position. Mason brings a lot to Michigan’s run game. He’ll be crucial in blocking, which he displayed an ability for midway through the season when he barreled a Rutgers player 10 yards into the end zone to pave the way for the Wolverines’ running back. Mason was the only underclassman fullback to see playing time this year, and his role will likely expand going forward as Hill and Poggi move on. For the tight ends, not much is going to change in 2018. Gentry and McKeon will both be back, and in addition, redshirt sophomore Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and Eubanks, who both made contributions this year, could see additional playing time. Ultimately, the tight end carousel revolves quickly. Gentry and McKeon rode it all this year, but with Eubanks back and healthy, wherever the carousel stops turning, the Wolverines will be just fine.
is a really tough matchup for us. We’re playing really small with Duncan Robinson as a skinnyfour man. This was really a bad matchup, and it really hurt us.” But even when Michigan executed defensively, the Tar Heels’ skill persisted. Midway through the first half, Berry drove from the key and got a step on sophomore point guard Zavier Simpson. Simpson, in an impressive showing of quick feet, caught up to cut off Berry — only for the former Final Four MVP to jump, lean back and kiss an eightfooter off the glass. “They didn’t miss shots,” Beilein said. “They’re not as welloiled as they were last year yet, but they’ve got really good talent.” But when the Tar Heels did miss, their talent was further magnified by their persistent second chances. Michigan allowed 20 points off 10 offensive boards and lost the overall rebounding margin, 37-31. “They just did a great job of getting second shots off offensive boards,” Beilein said. “We just weren’t good.” Added Brooks: “I think just the physicality (was most disappointing). Being able to command the glass, and just not playing physical inside. It comes with the guards, even those inside. We’ve got to get a rebound, we didn’t do a good job of rebounding, and that hurt us. We just didn’t have enough dogs out there to fight and compete on the glass.” Despite Michigan’s offensive struggles Wednesday, it still could have competed with the Tar Heels. Poor defense and rebounding lapses simply delivered the punches that left the Wolverines bruised by the game’s end. “It’s one that we’ve got to grow from,” Beilein said. “But I’m disappointed that some of the veterans right now weren’t as gritty as they’ve been in the past.”
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Junior forward Moritz Wagner and the Wolverines were outplayed down low.