2017-12-01

ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM

Friday, December 1, 2017

Ann Arbor, Michigan

WEEK OF ACTION

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Students strike, conduct sit-in to protest Spencer AYUSH THAKAR/Daily

Week of action against white supremacist Richard Spencer closes with strike on class ANDREW HIYAMA &KATE JENKINS Daily Staff Reporters

CHUN SO/Daily

HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily

On Thursday, students across campus participated in a strike as part of the #StopSpencer week of action. The event, hosted in part by Students4Justice — a student organization whose mission is to hold the University of Michigan administration accountable for inequities on campus — consisted of class cancelations, accommodations and a student sit-in. On Nov. 23, Students4Justice and other organizers called for faculty, graduate student instructors, research assistants and staff to cancel classes Thursday to pressure the administration to deny Richard Spencer’s request to speak on campus, following its decision to consider allowing him to speak if a safe time and venue is found. “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,” the statement read. “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 neoNazis are given permission to come to college campuses.” The groups explained that marginalized students on campus are in danger of hate crimes on campus every day; they fall victim to racist flyering, graffiti and slurs. They explained students come to the University to learn and when individuals like Spencer are allowed to convene on campus, there is a “barrier” to their existence and education. “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,” the statement read. On Tuesday, LSA Dean Andrew Martin and Elizabeth Birr Moje, dean of the School of Education, announced classes would not be canceled Thursday in response to the ongoing activities opposing Spencer. Martin and Moje wrote in See STRIKE, Page 2

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Teach-ins emphasize safety while protesting Events Thursday focused on protester rights, safety for possible Spencer visit ZOE BAXTER & GRACE KAY For the Daily

During a panel of local elected officials in the weeklong #StopSpencer campaign, officeholders discussed how to combat hate speech and white nationalism without providing a platform for a negative ideology, a conversation that was held as park of a teach-in. The teachin was just one event of their “Week of Action” protesting the University of Michigan’s consideration to allow white supremacist Richard Spencer to speak on campus if a safe venue and time is found. Many students expressed their frustration regarding how to proceed in the face of deciding between protesting if Richard Spencer were to visit and therefore providing him with a platform or allowing Spencer to spread his ideas without resistance.

“This is the tip of the iceberg,” said state Rep. Yousef Rabhi, D-Ann Arbor in response. “Richard Spencer is the tip of the iceberg. Richard Spencer is just a mouthpiece.” Rabhi cited the fact that Ann Arbor is the fourth highest metropolitan city in terms of racial segregation. “This is real and it’s happening here,” Rabhi said. “I hope we stop Spencer, but I hope it doesn’t stop there.” Many elected officials such as Washtenaw County Commissioners Felicia Brabec and Jason Morgan, and Rabhi, argued for students to stand strong and not provide a platform for Spencer’s hate speech. The officials argued students need to find a way to be heard without giving a voice to white supremacy, whether by forcing Spencer to speak to an empty room of people, or offering alternative rallies preaching positive ideologies. State Rep. Abdullah See TEACH-INS, Page 3

DANYEL THARAKAN/Daily

Student, alum launch online platform ‘U’ receives MI Dems, recognition to help others live a waste-free lifestyle Pelosi call

RESEARCH

GOVERNMENT

in research endeavors

McMullen siblings started the website based on their own waste-free experiences

University places first for its efforts in research development and spending

Live Zero Waste is an online platform that provides resources and tools for those interested in living a wastefree lifestyle, started by LSA senior Samuel McMullen and his older sister, University of Michigan alum Lydia McMullen, in 2016. The Live Zero Waste team has recently grown and is now composed of six students who are working to increase the initiative’s presence online, on campus and in the greater Ann Arbor community. Samuel first pledged to live “zero waste”, a lifestyle that entails generating no disposable waste and reusing resources, during the summer of 2015. His sister was writing a paper on renewable energy policy in Beijing as a side project for the Natural Resources Defense Council, and she brought him along as a research assistant. Together, they gave a presentation on how living zero waste benefits the environment. In researching for the presentation, Samuel started to learn how the vast majority of waste is caused by the production chain that yields a purchased good. “We started looking at the numbers and how much trash you can save not downstream but upstream of where you

KATHERINA SOURINE Daily Staff Reporter

The University of Michigan was ranked No. 1 in research and development spending among all U.S. public universities by the National Science Foundation, marking the University’s seventh consecutive year holding this title. Following the University is University of California, San Francisco, and University of Washington, Seattle. In the 2016 fiscal year, the University spent $1,436,448 dollars in research and development, surpassing UCSF by more than $100,000. LSA junior Gaby Fabré works with research in the political science department, and expressed her appreciation of the research opportunities available for students on campus. “Research is important because it allows for both individuals and communities to take that extra step forward in providing an understanding of a bigger picture in the grand scheme of things. It also opens See RESEARCH, Page 3

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are,” he said. “By not buying this thing you prevented all the trash that went into making it.” As part of the presentation, both Lydia and Sam pledged to live zero waste for a year. “Part of her presentation training was to make a promise and a request,” Samuel said. “We decided our promise would be that we would do zero waste for a year, and our

request was that other people join for like some amount of time if they wanted to. At the NRDC we got our first round of pledges.” After pledging to live zero waste themselves and learning more about the lifestyle, the McMullen siblings became invested in educating other people and enabling them to lead more sustainable lives. “After we did that

presentation we thought, ‘This is a pretty good idea, let’s work with it and make it a process where people can pledge and we’ll help them out,’” he said. “A lot of the struggle with zero waste is finding other resources and figuring out what it actually means.” Throughout the following year, the two worked on developing the Live Zero See PLATFORM, Page 3

ALEC COHEN/Daily

LSA senior Samuel McMullen and Ross senior Debbie Cheng share their reasons for becoming more environmentally friendly in Ross Tuesday.

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INDEX

Vol. CXXVII, No. 40 ©2017 The Michigan Daily

for Conyers resignation

Statements by Kildee, Levin and Dingell follow sexual harassment allegations CARLY RYAN

Daily Staff Reporter

Three Michigan representatives are now calling for their colleague, U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., to resign following allegations of sexual harassment. U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., was the first Democratic congressman from Michigan to urge Conyers step down from the seat he first won in 1964, telling CNN the people cannot tolerate an act that is an abuse of power. “I think Congressman Conyers should resign,” Kildee said on CNN. “No person … should have to tolerate what has been alleged.” Kildee is now joined by U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., and Sander Levin, D-Mich., in that request, according to the Detroit Free Press. Many other members of Congress have called for Conyers’s resignation as well, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. Conyers, the longest See CONYERS, Page 3

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

SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7

News

2 — Friday, December 1, 2017

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FRIDAY’S BICENTENNIAL FEATURE: ALL POWER TO THE PLAZA: PEOPLE SMASH REGENTS Every Friday, The Michigan Daily republishes an article from The Daily’s archives from a moment in University history. January 10, 1970 ­— “This is one struggle the people will win,” vows a bearded Blue Panther revolutionary, speaking of the battle over the name of the sign in the Regent’s Plaza. This battle, begun last term, seems to be growing more heated as the winter becomes colder. One minute the sign says “Regent’s Plaza,” and the next it is repainted to say “People’s Plaza.” You never can be quite sure what the name of the plaza between the SAB and the Union is at any one moment without first consulting the sign. The struggle to control the sign is escalating into

a half-serious game of wits fought by a group of students calling themselves the “Canadian Blue Panthers” and another group calling itself “the University.” According to a scoreboard posted in the SAB office of the SGC coordinating Vice President Bruce Wilson, the score in the battle is now People 713 and Regents a puny 100. This score is compiled by totaling up the hours in which the sign says either “People’s Plaza” or “Regent’s Plaza,” counting from Dec. 6, the day of the first repainting by the Blue Panthers. A spokesman for the Panthers, who called himself the chairman of the sign division, hinted that repainting of the sign, which as of yesterday

said “Regent’s Plaza,” is imminent and could take place “some night around about midnight.” He fondled a can of blue spray paint as he spoke.

involved in the struggles and more concerned with the problem of the sign itself, admits that “we haven’t any idea how to stop the repainting of the sign.” “We haven’t found the guy “We would have repainted who’s doing it yet,” Veker the sign sooner, but it says. was too cold,” he went Plant workers did try one on defensively, as if his tricky maneuver over the revolutionary zeal might Christmas holidays, taking be questioned. “Anyway, the plates off the sign. They the plant workers have put the plates, which said something which takes “Regent’s Plaza,” back on enamel off the sign.” the sign last Wednesday. As if to emphasize that According to the Blue the struggle for control of Panther spokesman, the the sign is a true people’s struggle for the sign is being struggle, the Panther aided by the fact that “the spokesman pointed out guys in the Plant Dept. don’t that “the masses have like working on weekends.” occasionally done the job for us.” ­—AL SHACKELFORD Plant manager A.B. Veker, less concerned with the ideological questions

College Student @CollegeStudent May your D’s turn to C’s and your C’s raise to A’s and B’s. In the name of GPA I pray, amen. Austin McCoy @AustinMcCoy3 Props to the guy who seemed to be streaming TV/movie while sitting in a public bathroom stall. I admire not having that type of shame. haha

CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES Fall Commencement Celebration: Big House Tour

World AIDS Day

Government, Business and Human Rights: What are the Stakes?

WHAT: Graduating seniors are invited to a tour of Michigan Stadium. RSVP required. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Stadium

WHAT: A screening and dicussion of ‘Alternate Endings, Radical Beginning,’ a video work about the narratives of the Black community within the AIDS epidemic. WHO: University of Michigan Museum of Art WHEN: 6 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. WHERE: UMMA, Helmut Stern Auditorium

CSAS Lecture: Self & the World in a Life Narrative

Contemporary Directions Ensemble

African Migration to Europe: Black Diamonds

WHAT: Chitralekha Zutshi, professor of history at the College of William and Mary, will examine the autobiography of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, the Kashimiri political leader. WHO: Center for South Asian Studies WHEN: 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. WHERE: Weiser Hall, Room 110

WHAT: Performance of works by three giants of contemporary music: Charles Ives, Pierre Boulez and Elliott Carter. Conducted by Oriol Sans. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: 8 p.m. WHERE: Earl V. More Building, Hankinson Rehearsal Hall

WHAT: Screening of ‘Black Diamonds,’ a film that follows the journey of two boys from Mali to Spain in dream of escaping poverty through becoming professional soccer players. WHO: Dept. of Romance Languages & Literature WHEN: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. WHERE: North Quad, LRC Viewing Room

to accommodate students missing class. David Gerdes, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Physics, did not cancel class Thursday, but offered accommodations for students in his Physics 240 class, making participation extra credit and providing students the opportunity to make up attendance points. Though Gerdes said he understands students should protest Spencer in their own way, he believes holding class Thursday and encouraging attendance is the most powerful course of action. “I understand the urge to protest Spencer, however I think that someone like him derives his power from the power to distract, disrupt and capture the narrative,” Gerdes said. “I don’t feel that the best way to respond to ignorance and hatred is to bring our teaching mission grinding to a halt. But I understand that people disagree about this.” Ultimately, Gerdes said he believes opening a conversation

WHAT: Lt. Col. Eldridge R. Singleton, a senior DoD official, will discuss the role government-business relations in addressing international human rights issues. WHO: International Institute WHEN: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Weiser Hall, Room 355

with students about recent events is a significant step professors should take. “I thought it would be important to not pretend their respective emails that that we live in a bubble, to though they support the acknowledge what’s going right of students to protest, on and to make the students they encouraged them to not understand that I am aware of participate. their concerns and that I share “We urge you not to many of their concerns and I participate in such a protest, am willing to support them which gives power to the within reason,” he said. people who spread falsehoods Associate Sociology and hate,” Moje wrote. professor Sandra Levitsky “Instead, we urge you to teach rescheduled her Thursday your courses and use them class in light of the day’s as an opportunity to engage events. our students in discussions “My planned lecture for about free speech, the power today was really essential of multiple perspectives, how for the final class paper and to launch productive protests, I didn’t want anyone to be and about the right to the disadvantaged for missing it,” opportunity to learn for all Levitsky said. people.” Fortunately, Levitsky had an Instructors take action extra class built in the syllabus, With a number of students meaning students will not be planning to participate in academically affected. the strike, professors across Several GSIs also canceled campus acknowledged discussion sections. One the ongoing #StopSpencer GSI, who asked to remain events and Syndication” made efforts anonymous to not jeopardize Loading “Sudoku her job, told her students that while canceling a class defies both LSA and departmental policy, she would do so. “I strongly believe that EASY learning happens in and out of the classroom,” she wrote in an email to her students. “Please take this time to educate yourself about current issues, reflect on your responsibilities to ensure a safe and welcoming space to learn, and act according to your beliefs.” Students sit in at Dean’s office Late Thursday morning, a couple dozen students held a sit-in at Martin’s office, talking to Martin and Angela Dillard, LSA associate dean of undergraduate education. Throughout the sit-in, students continually took issue with the administrators’ © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. NO BRAINER puzzle by sudokusyndication.com tones, saying they were dismissive and See STRIKE, Page 3 Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com!

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Friday Flicks: Dunkirk WHAT: A free screening of the acclaimed war film ‘Dunkirk,’ which portrays the English army’s evacuation from France during WWII. Popcorn and water provided. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: 9 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. WHERE: Michigan Union

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unnecessarily defensive. LSA senior Hoai An Pham, the press coordinator for the Stop Spencer at the University of Michigan coalition, said Martin’s disinclination to send the message that Spencer’s trolling matters was akin to calls to ignore Spencer and his followers. She said this would only allow Spencer’s ideas to flourish. “I think what a lot of people have been saying is, ‘Why don’t you just ignore him? Why don’t you just ignore this and let him do his thing?’ Are we supposed to just ignore actual Nazis when anything has happened? Do we just say, ‘Oh, it’ll solve itself?’ ” Pham said. “Let’s look at everything else that has happened in history. We can look at what

happened with Hitler, we can look at slavery — a lot of people sat there and said we’re going to let this happen, but if everybody had done that, if everyone had said, ‘Let’s just let them do their thing,’ it never would have ended.” Students also noted Martin wasn’t answering questions directed at him, instead letting Dillard answer for him. “We’ve asked you questions explicitly, and she answers,” one student said. “Not saying that she has to or you’re making her, but I’m just saying that you’re not saying anything. And it’s frustrating.” Following a long silence, Martin answered, “What questions can I address?” to audible expressions of further frustration from students. After Martin said there wasn’t anything happening on campus Thursday that put students in any physical

Friday, December 1, 2017 — 3

danger, students said the administration didn’t correctly understand their concerns or what they were protesting. “So you think people are lying? You think people

are lying that they feel unsafe? That’s what is really frustrating — that people here are literally telling you they feel unsafe and you’re saying that you don’t think it’s true,” a student replied. Pham said the issue was

also bigger than just Spencer’s request. “I think that what the administration don’t understand is that this entire week was not only to stop Spencer, but to stop white supremacy and to stop the white supremacy that already exists on this campus,” she said. “We do not feel safe in classrooms where people wake up in the morning and there’s the n-word written on their door decorations. They need to understand that it’s not us just doing this for fun. We don’t have a choice as students when we have to protest our own fundamental human rights.” After one student started speaking through a bullhorn, Martin and Dillard left the room. It was symbolic, a student said, that they could step out while the students were still there protesting.

Mursten works with UROP, investigating small screen media and scroll culture, focusing largely on social media businesses like BuzzFeed as well as individual consumption of this media. She expressed enthusiasm for continuing her work next semester, and has continued to expand her interests in behavioral and social research. “Whether we notice it or not, while watching our favorite pizza and late night snack videos, we are absorbing

heavy product placement and advertising,” she said. “Overall, I am very thankful to be participating in research and I know that I wouldn’t be able to have this experience at any other place.” LSA senior Jensyn VanZalen works with the Extracorporeal Life Support Program and researches extracorporeal membrane oxygenation there, investigating the development of artificial placenta, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and neonatal

artificial lungs. She recognized the value of having undergraduate involvement in research at the University, especially in collaboration with research professionals, all at different stages within their own careers. “I would love to see U-M research to continue to reach out to more of the undergraduate population to get involved, because I can attest to how invaluable my experience has been, being involved in research,” VanZalen said.

progressive.” Students and officials alike agreed the #StopSpencer campaign was nowhere near over and they would continue to discuss ways to combat his impending visit. Earlier in the evening, the second teach-in of the Week of Action for Protest Safety Training was held in an East Quad Residence Hall classroom. The event was hosted in part by the Non-Compliance Collective, an Ann Arbor-based group which, according to its Facebook page, aims to “reject all compliance with the rules, regulations, and norms that any person or system intends to impose on our bodies, minds, or beings.” The teach-in emphasized ways to stay safe and be prepared at protests. Attendees were advised to take several measures to protect themselves. Among other steps, they were advised to use a fake name while protesting and to not take photos or record any aspect of the protest. Before the event began, attendees were asked basic questions, such as if they were students or police to

and encrypt data so the police do not have access to personal information in the event of an arrest. Speakers also emphasized

and how to be safe around the police. They also went over the basic booking process so the attendees will be prepared in case of being arrested and basic medical procedures, such as giving someone with symptoms of hypothermia a jacket, and help for protecting their identity and avoiding a higher police presence. To conclude, the speakers stressed the importance of these procedures is so the protestors are able to take care of each other and get their message across in the most impactful way possible. In cooperation with the teach-in’s advice to engage in self-protection measures, after the event, student attendees asked to remain anonymous. “I think it’s important to give people, protesters, the idea that this a big deal,” a student said. “It is important to have knowledge of this matter, particularly because the other side has knowledge on that matter and so everything about this is all about information and so the more information you have the more successful you’ll be.” Another student emphasized the importance of ensuring safety and strategy while protesting, reiterating the key concepts put forth in the event.

Are we supposed to just ignore actual Nazis when anything has happened?

Professor K. Rivet Amico, Health Behavior and Higher Education research associate, speaks at the World AIDS Day Panel in the School of Public Health Thursday.

PLATFORM From Page 1 Waste platform, which aimed to provide resources and information for other people to join the zero waste movement. In the spring of 2016, Samuel was chosen to give a TED Talk at the TEDxUofM event about his journey and living zero waste. The talk helped to publicize Live Zero Waste on campus and catalyze the development of the website. The McMullen siblings continued to run and grow the platform by themselves until fall 2017, when Samuel enrolled in an entrepreneurship course in which students form groups and create something based on an idea. It was here that McMullen met Business senior Debbie Cheng, along with four other students, to help cultivate Live Zero Waste. “I looked on his website, I saw the TED Talk, and I was really amazed by it,” Cheng said. “I wanted to be part of it because (Sam) was super proactive and passionate about it and I really saw that we could really make something big on campus and around the globe.” Cheng works on the business development side of Live Zero Waste, reaching out to local businesses such as Lucky’s Market and Roo’s Roast to advertise the brand. Two other students work on developing the website and a mobile application, while another student, who is from France, brings an international perspective, as European culture and institutions are more zerowaste friendly. Engineering junior Brett Swiecicki is one of the members working to create a mobile application which will allow people to share their experience going waste-free and access helpful resources. by allowing users to post to the app when they make a change. The application would help involve millennials in the movement, Live Zero Waste’s

target audience. “The main motive to develop the app was so that it would be easier for users to maintain track of their progress and have easier access to educational content on a variety of different platforms,” Swiecicki said. The application would ideally involve a social media aspect in which people could post when they’ve made progress toward living waste-free for their friends to see. “It really relies on having a network effect to be successful,” Cheng said. “Once you have your friends doing it makes it a lot easier to try it.” The McMullens and Cheng hope Live Zero Waste can help increase awareness and action among students and community members who may already be environmentally conscious, but don’t know how to change their lifestyles to reflect their beliefs. “Mostly it’s getting the awareness that your purchasing decision causes a huge network effect that most people don’t think about,” Samuel said. “I didn’t think about it.” Going forward, the team hopes to use the University community as a launch pad for Live Zero Waste. “The local community here is our first step,” Cheng said. “Once we’ve got the website and the mobile application off the ground, which we’ve made a lot of good strides, but we want to improve it more, we can reach a bigger area.” Even if only for a short period of time, Live Zero Waste hopes to encourage people to try out a waste-free lifestyle so they have heightened awareness of consumption habits and make more sustainable choices in the future. “It’s really just about getting over the hump rather than trying to just focus on a few people doing it for like years and years and years,” Cheng said. “It’s let’s try to get them to do it for a day, then a week, a month, a year.”

The main motive to develop the app was so that it would be easier for users to maintain track of their progress

CONYERS From Page 1 currently serving member of Congress, is considered a prominent civil rights activist, and some worry these allegations will discredit the advancements he has made for the Civil Rights movement. However, Pelosi stood by a zero tolerance perspective regardless of the consequences. “The allegations against Congressman Conyers, as we’ve heard more and more since Sunday, are serious, disappointing and very credible,” she said. “It’s very sad. A brave woman came forward. … Zero tolerance means consequences for everyone — no matter how great a legacy is no license to harass or discriminate.” However, Conyers’ attorney, Arnold Reed, argued members

of Congress should hold no stake in whether or not Conyers leaves office, but rather it should be the choice of his constituents. “It is not up to Nancy Pelosi, Nancy Pelosi did not elect Mr. Conyers,” Reed said in a press conference, according to NBC. “And she sure as hell won’t be the one to tell the congressman to leave.” Fellow longtime member of the Congressional Black Caucus, U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C., and U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., also agreed Conyers should step down. Still, the rest of Michigan’s congressional delegation has yet to make a statement on Conyers since last week’s allegations. Conyers has already stepped down from his seat as the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, and was hospitalized Thursday morning due to to stress.

RESEARCH From Page 1 up an academic dialogue in order to achieve that goal,” she wrote in an email. The federal government accounts for 54.8 percent of the University’s expenditure for research and development, while other sources include state and local government, institution funds, businesses and nonprofit organizations. LSA freshman Annika

TEACH-INS From Page 1 Hammoud, D-Dearborn, said students should use this issue as an opportunity to bring strong civil rights leaders to the University to overpower Spencer’s ideas with powerful representatives of racial equality. Ann Arbor City Councilmember Zachary Ackerman, D-Ward 3, echoed this sentiment, stating the community should be focused on positive action rather than constant criticism. “We need to focus on the benefits we can bring,” Ackerman said. “We need to stop being hyperfocused on the ‘alt-right’ failures and instead what we can do to make it better because the ‘alt-right’ is more focused on us than Trump or his failures.” Throughout the panel, the elected officials highlighted the importance of the voice of the student body. “I believe that we can keep our idealism and passion. Hopefully we can bring them along or push them along,” Morgan said, regarding the importance of young perspectives in politics. In a room where every seat was filled and several students were forced to stand, Brabec said she was encouraged to see how many students had come out in response to the situation despite the stress of finals. LSA freshman Amy Ransom said she has participated in the week of action because she believes it is more important than everyday work. “It’s important that no matter what is going on in our lives — finals or papers — we all participate and stand against this issue,” Ransom said. Morgan said Spencer is representative of a much larger issue. In the past year, racist posters and graffiti have been found in multiple instances on campus. “We are not as progressive as we should be,” Morgan said. “We should be the most

ensure the safety of everyone in attendance. The speakers stressed that if a protester is going to talk to someone about their protest participation, it should be someone they trust. Speakers told audience members to consider how far they would be willing to go to protest. For example, attendees were asked to consider if they would be willing to get arrested. Though the speakers noted it would be inconvenient to get arrested, they explained sometimes arrests and the attention they draw may serve to help the cause. Additionally, speakers advised attendees to not bring their cell phones to the protests, but if they must, to disable the fingerprint and face recognition features, establish a strong passcode

It’s important that no matter what is going on in our lives - finals or papers - we all participate and stand against this issue

creating an affinity group — a small group of trustworthy people, with whom protests can be planned. Finally, the speakers discussed what the police strategies were like at University of Florida, which

ultimately allowed Spencer on campus after facing a lawsuit,

“This is important because it’s a reality that might happen, the protest, and if you choose to participate in it or not you want to know how to stay safe and keep others safe so it’s just a logical way to protest — not just on a whim, but have a plan going into it,” the student said. CHUN SO/Daily

Opinion

4 — Friday, December 1, 2017

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Draupadi’s sari

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

LUCAS MAIMAN | COLUMN

T

The new normal

his Thanksgiving, I The left — or anyone, frankly, who was upgraded from my believes in fairness and equality perennial seat teetering irrespective of race, religion or awkwardly in between creed — should not feel the kids’ table and compelled to be one of adults’ table; I was them or sympathize given permission with them. Articles like to officially enter a the softening profile more sophisticated of Tony Hovater, an environment. Eat your Ohio-based neo-Nazi hearts out, younger whose “Midwestern siblings and cousins. manners would please It was not long anyone’s mother,” before I realized that that The New York LUCAS the prospect of a table Times published last MAIMAN Saturday do just that. with candles and a centerpiece had made me too Though these self-serving optimistic. The topic discussed in pieces most assuredly cause the big leagues this evening: college liberals to rejoice in their supposed campuses and free speech — hardly show of tolerance, a shortcoming the lighthearted conversation that conservatives have loved to I wanted to have after gorging attack, any victory is shallow and myself with food. short-lived. Sympathizing with As far as I imagine political Nazi sympathizers is antithetical conversations at Thanksgiving to ostracizing their brand of dinner tables across the country baseless bigotry. Liberals need typically go, however, the one at not pat themselves on the back mine happened to be quite tame. for legitimizing an outsider voice; There was little shouting, frequent when that outsider espouses laughter and not once did I think white supremacy or Nazism, then that anyone was having second anything short of rebuke merely thoughts about foregoing politically- continues to lazily promote the affiliated assigned seating. narrative in which unadulterated But there was one thing in the hatred is falsely equated with debate over the campus free speech “political belief.” conundrum I found unsettling. Though this may be the reality It was something equally as of our current political landscape, unsettling at the Thanksgiving the kicking-the-can-down-thetable as it had been when it arose at road attitude that humanizes, the University of Michigan Board rather than ostracizes, America’s of Regents’ table two days prior neo-Nazis, must be curbed at once. and then at The New York Times’ Outlets like The New York news desk the next week. Free Times hardly owe anyone a speech on college campuses was platform on their powerful pages, exposing the larger normalization much less white supremacists and of neo-Nazism in today’s politics, Nazis whose beliefs have as great and liberals had become unwitting a factual foundation as fake news. contributors to this. While the media may indulge itself Like the rest of the country, I in propagating hate under the had expected at least some degree guise of tolerance, the University of of normalcy when a champion of Michigan should not. white nationalists ascended to the That’s why the Board of Regents’ Oval Office. Still, the throning of a and University President Mark Mexican-denigrating, both-sides Schlissel’s decision on Tuesday that shaming and Pocahontas name- moved Richard Spencer one step calling demagogue exceeded closer to speaking on campus was expectations. The once-dormant so disheartening. Stephen Millers and Steve Bannons In not allowing Richard Spencer of the world were allowed to enter to speak on campus, we would mainstream politics, bringing the not, as University Regent Mark “fringe” beliefs shared by their Bernstein (D) eulogized, be failing loyal acolytes with them. in our mission to promote free Neo-Nazis have enough expression. Nor would we “provide powerful allies as it stands today. even more attention to the speaker,”

as University President Mark Schlissel wrote in a campus-wide email, if the University were to reject Spencer, as schools including Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Pennsylvania State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Auburn University have done. These institutions have courageously challenged the new normal. What we are doing is embracing it. We are overcorrecting for our past transgressions in which our student body wrongly denied far less odious figures the right to free speech by choosing the nuclear option. Richard Spencer gets a platform at the University. Tony Hovater has a spread in The Times. I discuss the merits of Nazi speech at the Thanksgiving table. It is true that many students on campus need to realize that not all conservative speakers on campus are the devil incarnate. Heeding Elie Wiesel’s famous words that, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference,” would be an effective approach to combating this provocative strain of evil, because we cannot be complacent. But I am hesitant to use Spencer as the example for this re-education. When hate is as uniquely sinister and as far-reaching as Spencer’s is, we ought to be happy, not dismayed, that there is pushback from students and faculty on campus. For the administration, it is hard to say the same. At what point do we draw the line? When men with even more hateful views and actual political power than Spencer inevitably request to speak at the University, will the University let them speak too? Or will we continue to treat our adherence to the Constitution as a suicide pact until regrettable repeats of history emerge? I certainly hope not, but I am not holding my breath. There’s a reason why Dictionary.com chose “complicit” as its word of the year for 2017. When Spencer and his gang of swastikawielding, violent criminals roll into town, that reason will quickly become apparent. Lucas Maiman can be reached at lmaiman@umich.edu.

SARAH NEFF | SARAH NEFF CAN BE REACHED AT SANE@UMICH.EDU.

Editors note: The name of the author has been omitted to protect their identity. Trigger warning: description of sexual assault n the Hindu epic “Mahabharata,” a prominent turning point occurs when the princess Draupadi is inadvertently gambled away by her husband to his evil cousins. She is dragged in front of the entire kingdom and disrobed to be assaulted. Though she yells at her husband in anger, she doesn’t fight back against her assailant. Instead, she prays to the Lord Krishna, who blesses her with infinitely long cloth for her sari, so she cannot be fully disrobed. *** I was the type of girl whose reputation preceded her. In the Indian-American community at the University of Michigan, I was the girl who partied too hard, who’d hooked up with too many guys. We met at a party my freshman year and I already knew who you were. You were the type of guy whose reputation preceded him, too. In the Indian-American community, people called you an asshole. I always liked the bad boys. And you were the worst. Over the next few weeks, we would sneak away to talk alone at parties and make out in the corner. You told me I was different. You told me I was “so much better than all these other Indian girls, so much less of a prude.” You attempted to uplift me by putting down countless other women in our community. I laughed along. You took me back to your fraternity house after a party on Halloween. I had gone as a Disney princess and you didn’t have a costume. It was late, and it was dark, and I didn’t know that part of town very well. Your roommates were smoking weed and blasting Lil’ Wayne. You led me into your room, to your bed and I followed. You reminded me that I was pretty for a brown girl, carefree for a brown girl, chill for a brown girl. I accepted these as compliments. We began to fool around a bit. In a few minutes, you easily

I

unpinned the costume that I had taken an hour to assemble. No one had ever taken as keen an interest in my body before, and I was flattered. I was content to just let you look at me. I was 17, and you made me feel, for the first time in my life, beautiful. But I was 17, and I barely knew you. You looked at me, all of me, and your eyes told me you wanted more. I had never done more than this. I had received enough of your approval tonight. I wanted to stop here, while I was still comfortable, while I was still happy. South Quad was 30 minutes away, and I didn’t want to make that journey alone. I asked you to walk me home. You asked me to have sex with you instead. I said no, and started gathering my costume strewn across the floor. You asked again. I said no, but I didn’t want to come off too forceful. I didn’t want you to suddenly think I wasn’t “carefree” or “chill.” You asked again. I said no, and I asked you to please take me home. This was before the days of Uber and Lyft, and I couldn’t trust my tipsy freshman self to find my way home on my own. You asked again. I said no, but this time you cut me off. You said you would take me home, but only after we had sex. You asked again. I said no, but this time you reminded me that I didn’t really have a choice. You said if I wanted to get home safe, we had to have sex first. You hovered closely over me, giving me no room to escape. You asked again. I said yes, and I have chosen to forget the rest. *** You and I had bonded earlier that night over a shared interest in Hinduism. But Lord Krishna didn’t bring me more cloth that night, like he did for Draupadi. Prayer isn’t always practical advice, and our faith ultimately gave us little guidance on notions of consent and assault. The secular aspects of our culture didn’t help either. The Indian- and Hindu-American communities are notoriously conservative when it comes to sex and gender roles. My parents never gave me “the talk,” and maybe yours didn’t either. In my family, the men make all the decisions, and maybe it’s the

same in yours too. Even Draupadi was treated as just an object to be gambled away, and it seems not much has changed in the millennia since. My family doesn’t think I should date someone unless I’m going to marry them. My mom still thinks I’m a virgin. Any conversation that began to border on sex was immediately shrouded in judgment. Where was the room to talk about sexual assault? And though so many of our peers claimed to be far more liberal than their parents, they have often still inherited the same judgment and exercised it on people like you and me, people who in their view partied or hooked up too much. At the University, being part of the Indian-American community meant navigating constant judgment and moral double standards. Having sex was rebellious; talking about it was taboo and would inevitably lead to slut-shaming. Sexual assault was something we opposed in theory, but wouldn’t dare acknowledge in our community. Our parents had so many rules for us growing up, and our peers in college weren’t much better. By breaking their rules, I thought I was rebelling against our community. You probably thought you were rebelling too, but you broke me instead. *** I walked home after sunrise wearing your T-shirt, the Greek letters displayed proudly across my chest. I kept that T-shirt, perhaps in denial, in the back of my closet for the better part of a decade. If a friend ever saw it, I’d tell them about how I’d stolen it from some random frat guy freshman year. I finally threw your T-shirt away last year. Cloth may have been a physical barrier for Draupadi, but it wasn’t going to keep hiding my experience. Our community cannot keep wrapping up sexual assault with infinite cloth, pretending it doesn’t exist. The author is a College of Engineering alum.

This is the seventh piece in the Survivors Speak series, which seeks to share the varied, first-person experiences of survivors of sexual assault.

ANDREW MEKHAIL | OP-ED

L

I want Richard Spencer

et him come. Bring it on. I want Richard Spencer. I’m not the other that he fixates on. Sure, I’m one of the snowflakes who voted for Hillary Clinton, and I’m Middle Eastern. But I’m not Muslim. I’m not Jewish, either, nor am I Black. All of this is to say I am not the one who deserves the final say in this matter. I am not explicitly threatened by his toxicity the way my friends and classmates are. Still, I want him. I want his ignoble crusade to make a stop on our campus. Yes, his ideology is capable of inf licting great suffering, some of which we’ve already seen. But I’ve watched him take a punch; I’ve seen his followers try to peacock as something more menacing than the scared and threatened lot they are. I’m not afraid of him. I’m more afraid of not knowing his supporters, especially the ones so close to us. Come out. Own your violence and your hatred. I want to know who you are, even though you see a subhuman any time you don’t see a white human. I don’t think Richard Spencer wants to speak here. It serves his purposes more to be blocked from speaking, so that he can cast himself as the victim of an unruly and restless liberal youth that needs to be disciplined and educated in the realm of what’s “mature.” What he doesn’t realize is that we are far more mature than what his corrupted, compromised, feeble brain is capable of.

At its best, this campus is not a safe haven for his ilk. At its worst, it has enough dynamics to elicit conflict from a controversy like this. There is racism on this campus because there are racists on this campus. As there have been. This is not news. Unfortunately we don’t know how many, but we know that they are currently the silent, scared minority. Richard Spencer is more afraid of us than we are of him. At the end of the day, his fears of a more just, diverse and equitable world are coming true. Yes, this is delayed all the time,

I want Spencer’s ignoble crusade to make a stop on our campus

and in the news we see that it is possible not just to delay it but also to reverse it. But only in moments, not in totality. It’s easy for me to feel like the world’s never been worse. I’ve only been alive for a moment, and in this moment there seems to be sexual violence everywhere, racial injustice everywhere, human rights abuses everywhere. It seems that way because it is so — this evil is here, in great force. What I do well to remember is that this evil

has been around since the beginning, in quantities far more overwhelming. Ask any marginalized person; they can point to a time when their people were more persecuted, more degraded, more threatened, more isolated than they are now. The difference is our awareness of such evil. While excruciatingly painful, we better address our worst demons when we can see them. And so, we are at a junction. This is part of the fight for the direction of our country. We can shrink away from it and feel safer. We can drown out the voices we hate, block that Twitter account that causes us duress and turn off the channels that propagate lies and deception to our neighbors. Or, we can listen. We can allow Richard Spencer to speak to those that are interested. Where they supply violence, we’ll provide self-defense. Wouldn’t it be nice to know your classmate thinks you’re inferior? Isn’t it better to know if that professor you might have next semester thinks you’re subhuman? So, please, if an on-campus site doesn’t work out, stop by my apartment, Mr. Spencer, and bring your compatriots. I’ll make you some coffee, which you are free to throw out because it was made by somebody several skin tones darker than you. You can make your own cup after; I know you live a life of fear. I can’t relate.

Andrew Mekhail is an LSA sophomore.

Arts

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SHOW PREVIEW

Friday, December 1, 2017 — 5

BOOK REVIEW

COURTESY OF GROOVE

TED

Groove to rock the masses Transnational mystery at Michigan Theater show center of new Allende book the group from recruiting drummers.“There are Daily Community Culture Editor members in our group who have never touched a drum before,” Schildcrout said. So You’re walking out of as hard-working and musicMason Hall as you make your sharing Groovers do, they way toward Hatcher. You hear teach their new members how rattles and rhythms pounding to drum. from the heart of the Diag. Before Groove, College of These rattles and Engineering rhythms express freshman and a cohesive new Groover Groove unity — a unity Ryan “Bruce” presents of drumming, Mersol-Barg cheering and “Drumpalooza” only played a meticulous solo drum set. Michigan Theater beats. No, it’s But joining not the Michigan a group with Saturday, Drum Line, and coordination and December 2nd @ no, you’re not trust, Mersol7:30 p.m. making it up in Barg learned your head. It’s what it means to $5 students, $8 the eccentric give and take and adults musical group to become aware rocking out on of all the features trash cans and a that happen step ladder: It’s Groove, and during a performance. it’s the sound you’ve been “There are a lot of waiting to hear all semester. things you have to learn … A night filled with Learning to play with other alternative methods of music percussionists is challenging and entertainment, Groove in some regards. It’s definitely will be taking over Michigan something different, and some Theater tomorrow for their of the songs can get complex. concert “Drumpalooza.” You have to trust people to be More than a group of on time and make sure that creative minds, Groove is you’re with them. It’s all very designed to bring new talent coordinated … it’s fun, but to the campus’s music scene. it’s a challenge,” Mersol-Barg They believe their personality said. is built on extremes, ranging Additionally, with so from simple and accessible to many ideas, skills and complex and striking. talents, Groove has to find The best way to describe organization through all the the work of the 32 Groovers craze. would to be a mix of The “The best part of Groove is Blue Man Group and Stomp, the creativity,” said LSA senior however, the group sets out to and Groove President Hannah make an independent name for Buck. “But the hardest part themselves. is harnessing that creativity.” “Groove pushes the limit This harnessing translates to of what people consider to ensuring that members come be music and instruments ... to scheduled rehearsals and Any of the groups we compare giving deadlines for newly ourselves to are going in written music pieces. different directions than us,” A myriad of artistry, said College of Engineering Groovers build their own sophomore and Groove’s sets, share their expertise Music Director Bryan and write their own songs and Schildcrout. choreography –– they’re also Although drumming is their known to be “innovators.” core, the group seeks to find “You are not just a player talent outside of percussion. in this grand scheme you’re Whether it be dancing or joining,” Mersol-Barg said. playing the trumpet, Groove is “You’re in it. And you’re in all about seeing “what unique every part of it.” The same quality you can bring to us.” could be said for the audience’s Groove still celebrates attention, soaking in all the their focus in percussion, talent the group puts forth. meanwhile forming a mosaic Creative, explosive and of unique and talented most definitely engaging, the students. But that doesn’t stop audience can relate to the ERIKA SHEVCHEK

performance because of their relatability and accessibility. I walked into their rehearsal space to see shopping carts, pots, pans, buckets and trash cans –– these everyday objects are used as the foundation to produce power-house, raging beats. And that’s what makes Groove’s sound so special. “People would expect to come to our show and just see just 10 trashcans, but that’s not at all what our shows are,” Buck said. “Groove is more than drumming on trash cans and more than drumming.” Their past shows’ lineups have included wild piano pieces, improv, dance numbers, blacklight shows, funny

Filled with heartpounding beats and intricate musical scores, Groovers continue to be risk-taking, passionate and fluorescent performers

skits and overall incredible instrumentation. Regardless of what instrument or ordinary object Groove is rockin’ out with, through their willingness to spread musical talent and to use of all kinds of materials, they prove to their viewers that anyone can make music and anyone can be a performer. “Groove takes down the barrier between audience and performer,” Schildcrout said. “I think our music is something that people see and say ‘We could be doing that.’” Filled with heart-pounding beats and intricate musical scores, Groovers continue to be risk-taking, passionate and f luorescent performers; and most importantly, they’re a tight-knit group of friends who yearn to share their love for art.

experienced far-ranging global travel, untimely Daily Arts Writer deaths, political uprisings and exile — who better to write melodrama? Acclaimed ChileanMore than anything, it’s the American author Isabel human insight and empathy Allende is known for her Allende imbues her characters sprawling, multigenerational with that grounds the story. and multinational narratives, The book’s title comes from and her new a famous Albert novel “In the Camus quote, “In the Midst of Midst of Winter” cited as an Winter” is no exception. epigraph at Allende’s the start of the Isabelle Allende classic blend novel: “In the October 31 of cultures and midst of winter, personalities, I finally found Atria Books best known in there was within South American me an invincible epic “The House of the Spirits” summer.” Allende uses the and California saga “The quote as a simple double Japanese Lover,” is at full force entendre, evoking both the in her newest work. But this story’s snowy setting and novel, published in Spanish the inner strength of her earlier this year and premeired characters, who bloom over in English on October 31, adds an unexpected “murder mystery” twist to her familiar style. Allende’s latest story spans decades and global borders, but it begins closer to home, in present-day Brooklyn during a snowstorm. Richard, an American professor at NYU, and Lucia, his Chilean tenant, shiver through the storm in an old brownstone until Richard ventures out and gets in a car crash. Drama ensues with the other car’s driver, young Guatemalan immigrant Evelyn, and the three characters are thrown together in a wintry adventure that has it all: romance, murder and intrigue. If it all sounds like a little the course of the narrative. much, don’t worry — Allende is While she only chose to famous for her melodramatic feature the beginning of the plots, but she brings such Camus quote in her epigraph, humanity to her characters the French philosopher that you’ll be swept along for actually continued his winter the ride. All that melodrama, metaphor, “For it says that no particularly the murder matter how hard the world mystery that quickly takes pushes against me, within me, center stage in the three New there’s something stronger Yorkers’ lives, serves as a –– something better, pushing device to throw these unlikely right back.” This invocation companions together and of personal resilience drive the plot forward. All the certainly applies to Allende’s excitement makes for a page- characters, who are pummeled turner, but Allende deftly by tempests far more serious juggles the novel’s larger- than the winter storm that sets than-life events, capturing the story into motion. Evelyn, their gravity without slipping Richard and Lucia tell their life into schmaltz. This should stories to one another during come as no surprise to her the novel’s long winter nights, many fans, who are familiar and the narrative ricochets with the measured melodrama between the three characters’ of Allende’s novels. In her pasts and present. All have own life, the author has faced tragedies that go beyond MERIN MCDIVITT

Allende’s latest story spans decades and global borders, but it begins closer to home, in presentday Brooklyn

life’s ordinary challenges, and many of these experiences give a face to global and historical issues, from domestic violence to Chile’s brutal dictatorship, Central American gangs to U.S. migration. At first glance, some of the narrative seems ripped straight from the headlines, but Allende brings real compassion and humanity to her characters. Rather than reducing Evelyn, in particular, to a powerless victim or “illegal” migrant, as many Central Americans are portrayed in popular depictions, the novelist chooses to highlight her remarkable grit in the face of overwhelming adversity. While the novel contains considerable violence and suffering, it remains full of joy for life. This celebratory spirit is enhanced, not diminished, by the character’s suffering: a bout with breast cancer results in a newfound appreciation for life’s daily pleasures, and long-term loneliness gives way to a rewarding late-in-life romance. This joy is often enhanced by faith in something beyond each character’s pain and crises. Allende is unconcerned with the type of faith, preferring to show the diversity and richness of global belief systems, from Afro-Brazilian Candomblé to Chilean Catholicism to indigenous Guatemalan syncretism. “In the Midst of Winter” shows Allende at the top of her form, applying her brilliant, sensory prose to a whirlwind of destinations in the Americas, from the gray streets of Santiago to a small indigenous village in Guatemala, a New York City snowstorm to bright, boisterous Rio de Janeiro. In the novel’s colorful, interwoven tales, Allende’s most salient message can be found largely between the lines: a condemnation of modern-day isolationism and xenophobia in her adopted home, the United States. Allende expertly weaves these seemingly disparate narratives together, showing our riotous, divided hemisphere for what it really is, a place connected by so much love, blood and history that no one country can ever really isolate itself.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT BRITNEY SPEARS’ SEMINAL CLASSIC “TOXIC”? A fan? We’d love to hear from you. Want to elaborate on your feelings? Email arts@michigandaily.com for an application in return!

Arts

6 — Friday, December 1, 2017

CONCERT PREVIEW

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

CONCERT PREVIEW

UMS’s ‘Messiah’ to kick off Hill’s holiday season at the University of Michigan.” The Choral Union sings a Daily Arts Writer series of concerts throughout the season. “We’ll be hired by places In 1879, before UMS existed, like the Detroit Symphony a group of church musicians Orchestra, the Toledo got together and sang choruses Symphony Orchestra and from Handel’s “Messiah.” A the Ann Arbor Symphony year and a half after that, UMS to do concerts with them on was founded their seasons,” by those same Hanoian people. Every explained. “And, UMS presents year since then in addition Handel’s then, UMS has to ‘Messiah,’ we presented the will do our own “Messiah” oratorio in some UMS produced Hill Auditorium form, and this concerts.” year, for the This particular Saturday, 139th year in a performance is December 2nd @ row, UMS will in collaboration 8 p.m. be presenting with the Ann Handel’s Arbor Symphony. Sunday, December “Messiah” this With the holiday 3rd @ 2 p.m. weekend at Hill season in place, $16 to $40 Auditorium. the concert “It’s one of makes it “the those traditions thing to do” to that goes back to the very for many members of the Ann beginning,” said Scott Arbor community. The 3,500 Hanoian, Musical Director and seat auditorium is full every Conductor of the UMS Choral year. Union, in an interview with The “It’s one of Handel’s Daily. Hanoian, who has held masterpieces, so many people this position for the past three come to hear the music. Others years, is a University alum of come for the story,” Hanoian the School of Music, Theatre & said. “It’s got a lot of drama Dance, where he studied under and excitement in it. There’s Jerry Blackstone, who is also joy, and sadness, and pain and his predecessor as Musical sorrow. There’s exuberance Director and Conductor. all the way through it. It’s got “He was my teacher, so we a little bit of everything for have a lot of the same thought everybody.” processes when making music,” What makes it special, and Hanonian said. “Everybody separates it as an oratorio, is brings their own style to that it encompasses more than certain things. I have my own what a lot of Christmas music preferences, and I’ve been covers, like the birth of Jesus. working them into the chorus “The words cover a lot more and orchestra throughout my of (Jesus’s) life,” Hanoian said. tenure here.” “And the other thing is, the The Choral Union is a music itself is just so exciting Grammy-winning ensemble that if you’re not a Christian, comprised of 175 voices — it is or if you don’t go to Church, open to adults and students by or if you don’t believe any of audition. it, you can still find a place in “You are able to register ‘Messiah’ because the music is for Choral Union as a class,” so fantastic.” Hanoian said. “It’s not part With its annual presence, the of the School of Music — it’s timelessness of “Messiah” has a through UMS, and is also a class deeper meaning for many Ann ALLIE TAYLOR

Classifieds

Arborites. There are members of the community that have been attending for 30, even 40 years. “Ann Arbor has a history of supporting ‘Messiah,’” Hanoian said. “We hear so many great stories about people who make Handel’s ‘Messiah’ a part of their holiday tradition every year.” The loyalty of the audience is no surprise considering the assured excellence of each year’s performance. “The choral union sings this piece unlike any other group that I’ve ever worked with,” Hanoian said. “They have deep passion for this music, and they sing it with such confidence, and so much color and drama,

In 1879, before UMS existed, a group of church musicians got together and sang choruses from Handel’s ‘Messiah.’ A year and a half after that, UMS was founded by those same people

that it’s just a joy to conduct it. I would say that the audience picks up on it, and we pick up on that energy, and it’s just a blast.”

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RELEASE DATE– Friday, December 1, 2017

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

ACROSS 1 Qualifier for a hall entry? 5 Excuse descriptor 9 Med. recordings 13 Over, in much Twain dialogue 14 “__ my way” 15 Relatives of windsocks 17 Hugo character memorably portrayed by Charles Laughton 19 Fuming 20 Uncle __ 21 Risk pieces 22 Type of large TV 23 With 36- and 44Across, what 17Across might have said when his job became too repetitious? 26 Sitarist Shankar 28 Metal sources 29 Important part of a whale’s diet 31 Feigned 33 Many an IRS employee 36 See 23-Across 39 “Got it now?” 40 Parts of Walmart work uniforms 41 Frodo’s home, with “the” 42 Gentlemen 43 Actor Omar 44 See 23-Across 51 Lengthy account 52 Participate in a race, maybe 53 Fluoride-touting org. 56 Blazing 57 17-Across’ workplace 59 Problems electric razors should prevent 60 Avoid getting into deep water? 61 “Lobster Telephone” artist 62 “__ who?” 63 Monthly Roman calendar occurrences 64 Turned yellow, perhaps

DOWN 1 Customer info sources 2 Lago contents 3 ’80s cop show featuring Ferraris 4 USN rank 5 Keep in check 6 Merged gas company 7 Auto datum 8 Brian of music 9 What superheroes seek to thwart 10 Gold fineness units 11 Grind 12 “They __ up!”: scapegoat’s cry 16 Alteration target 18 Infamous Amin 22 Intrinsically 24 Rank partner 25 Doesn’t do much 26 Classic movie theaters 27 “Alfred” composer 30 Red state? 31 Broadway choreographer for “Chicago”

32 PC key 33 Cuts into, with “at” 34 Cop’s collar 35 Iowa college town 37 Jones or Gilliam of Monty Python 38 Passé pronoun 42 Impertinent in tone 44 PBS “Mystery!” host Cumming

45 LP players 46 Erie Canal city 47 More than fear 48 Circumflex cousin 49 Doesn’t do much 50 Satisfied 54 Editor’s mark 55 Like much of New Mexico 57 Md. airport serving D.C. 58 Not quite right

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Howie Day to take on The Ark this Sunday hopefully the audience, too, and is another thing missing Daily Arts Writer from popular music today.” You probably know him from “Collide.” A colossal hit “When was the last time from his 2003 album, Stop All you listened to music with the World Now, it embodies someone?” asked Howie Day all the inexplicable, stunning, in an email interview with heartbreaking longing that The Daily. was early I can’t 2000s singerremember. In songwriting. The HowieDay anticipation of intro still gives Howie Day his upcoming me goosebumps. show at The But, it’s not Day The Ark Ark, the anymore, and Sunday, December acoustic-rocker that’s OK (dare I 3rd @ 7:30 p.m. corresponded say, for the best). with The Daily, “After that, I $20 and I’ve been found myself in asking myself a changing and his question ever since. It’s declining industry that was frustrating in its passive dig at solely interested in reprising the truth: There’s some music that moment,” Day explained. that exists to move, and it’s “Since then, it has been a not often that people actually decade of fighting and falling take the time to be moved by out of favor with an industry it. Day lives somewhere in this oasis, playing with a grit and vulnerability that doesn’t demand to be heard, but gently begs that you — at the very least — try. “A show gives you a solid hour or so to get people to sit down and feel something,” Day wrote. A wunderkind, Day has been playing piano since he was five, and he started gigs at just 15. For someone still so young, he has an almost 20-year career backing him, making his concerts a rare melding of youth’s effervescence and wisdom’s skill. that doesn’t understand “The live loop sampling itself.” songs (like ‘Bunnies’) are still He’s an underdog, and it’s interesting to me because this innate scrappiness that they change night to night makes Day so endearing. depending on the actual “As much as I have been space and the energ y/mood discouraged by the way of the audience,” he wrote. “I the music ‘industry’ has also enjoy playing something evolved over the last twenty somewhat loud and cathartic years, it has nonetheless followed by something come with some pretty very quiet and vulnerable. amazing opportunities and This makes for a dynamic experiences,” he wrote. “One experience for me, and of my favorite experiences I ARYA NAIDU

A wunderkind, Day has been playing piano since he was five, and he started gigs at just 15

find myself in over and over again is being isolated in some far-off place at the end of a tour, and existing in this space where I’m purely an observer, as my own life is wildly decelerating from weeks or months of performing and traveling non-stop. I see and hear things so much more vividly in these moments, and it’s amazing. Any art form should strive to gently (or notso-gently) guide people to this place.” Having worked long enough to be disillusioned by human nature, Day rejects the notion that there’s anything to disillusioned by. “Human beings inspire me. Their resilience, curiosity, empathy, and willingness,” he wrote. “We live in this crazy world, and most of us still find the motivation to make it happen, whatever ‘it’ is. We’ve been at it for tens of thousands of years, but the moment we find ourselves in, now, where everything is just changing and progressing at breakneck speeds, is also very interesting. I feel pretty lucky to be alive to see it.” Looking forward, despite pressures to recreate his stardom circa 2003, Day is fervent and ready for wherever his life may turn. “I’m always dreaming of new possibilities, new paths,” he explained. “I don’t know where I’m going; it’s a road trip with no defined destination, no directions. I feel beyond lucky that I get to live the kind of life that meanders! I don’t even know how much longer I’ll treat music as my primary thing. There’s lots to discover out there, and that’s exciting.” Howie Day will play at The Ark this Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Go with a heart wide open and listen to his music with someone else.

HOW CULTURED ARE YOU? NOT AT ALL? THEN DON’T JOIN ARTS. PLEASE. DON’T. Offended? We’d love to hear from you. Want to prove yourself wrong? Email arts@michigandaily.com for an application in

By Jeffrey Wechsler ©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

12/01/17

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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Sports

Friday, December 1, 2017 — 7

A wake-up call in the heart of college basketball C HAPEL HILL, NC — In Chapel Hill, basketball isn’t so much sport as it is religion. The hardwood f loors carry a little more weight. The rafters preach hymns more than MAX they list MARCOVITCH numbers. The sea of Carolina blue overwhelms. There’s more history in the building than in some museums. Last Sunday’s loss to Michigan State and an embarrassing 45 point total isn’t so much disappointment as it is sacrilege. “It wasn’t very pleasant,” said North Carolina coach Roy Williams, in the aftermath of his team’s performance against the Spartans. “We got back at 6:30 Monday, I laid down at 7:15 a.m. and got up at 9 o’clock because it wasn’t doing any good. Then I got a haircut to see if that would help me. I was willing to try anything.” A bounceback, conversely, isn’t so much desired as it is required. The Wolverines took their lumps in Wednesday night’s 86-71 defeat, a game that wasn’t nearly as close the score indicates. They proved incapable of competing with a team fueled by vengeance and its own home crowd. Like an elite program does, the Tar Heels responded. In what is becoming an annual occurrence, the Wolverines got beat down by a superior team. But here’s the thing: That’s OK. In the Big Ten/ACC Challenge a year ago, Michigan lost at home to Virginia Tech

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

John Beilein and the Michigan men’s basketball team traveled to Chapel Hill, NC, on Wednesday night, only to come home with a 15-point loss to the Tar Heels.

only one week after losing by 15 to South Carolina. Ten days later, it fell to Lonzo Ball and UCLA by 18. Few even batted an eyelash — and for good reason. You play these games to win, sure. But above all, you play these games to dig deep and learn something about your team. Which is why, when Michigan coach John Beilein said he just hoped Michigan “would hang around” against North Carolina, he truly meant it. With much of his team in f lux, he likely didn’t expect it to go into Chapel Hill and beat a top15 team on the road. They didn’t “hang around,” of course. Michigan got run out of the gym by a team that was not only better but hungrier. Early on, Michigan held

its own. With the Tar Heels grasping a slim 34-32 lead, fifth-year senior forward Duncan Robinson grabbed an outlet pass and attacked the fast break. He elevated and laid the ball up, and when the easy layup fell off the front of the rim, the Michigan offense fell off a cliff. For the next 30 minutes, North Carolina’s pace and relentlessness overwhelmed a lackadaisical Michigan team. North Carolina went on a 36-9 run to open up a 29-point lead, and leave no doubt about the result. “I don’t think we were ready for the quickness, speed and the precision they run with, and we weren’t locked in defensively, we just weren’t locked in,” Beilein said. “We laid an egg for most of the first

half defensively, half the first half offensively, and I gotta find out really the reasons behind that.” Certainly, there are real reasons for concern. The Tar Heels played with energy, the Wolverines looked sloppy. The Tar Heels executed with precision, the Wolverines were stagnant. The Tar Heels fed off the crowd, the Wolverines looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. Michigan lacked a competitive “grit,” as Beilein described. That’s what disappointed him most. “They came out with a real vengeance towards us or towards the Big Ten,” Beilein said. “We did not answer, we couldn’t answer.” While the Tar Heels — the

defending national champions — are not afforded the same patience the Wolverines are fortunate to have. In Ann Arbor, the expectations are high, but basketball isn’t a religion. Each of the past five seasons, Michigan has lost at least twice before conference play, but it has still made the NCAA Tournament in four of those five seasons, and the Sweet Sixteen in three of those five. This early-season play is always exploratory, and with two transfers and three freshmen playing prominent roles, this season was never going to be an exception. Beilein played 11 players in the first 15 minutes of the game, and hopes to eventually cut down to eight or nine. All

three point guards — freshman Eli Brooks, sophomore Zavier Simpson and fifth-year senior Jaaron Simmons — played at least nine minutes. Beilein hopes a clear leader emerges, and that he can reduce that rotation from three to two. And he’s still waiting for a player to step up and get a bucket when the offense bogs down. For Derrick Walton Jr. last season, it didn’t happen until February, aligning closely with when the team took off. None of these changes, though, will happen until Beilein is good and ready. “I don’t know who those next guys are. If you know, you guys can let me know. … Just watch this team grow, you’ll like what they do.” For some fans, his patience is frustrating when it comes at the expense of blowout losses and underachievement. Yet given his track record, Beilein has earned the benefit of the doubt. That’s the big picture. Here’s the immediate reality. This was their first major test, and there’s no escaping the fact that they failed it. For better or worse, the Wolverines have no time to sulk. They return home to play a feisty Indiana team Saturday, hit the road again to play Ohio State on Monday, then return back home for UCLA the following Saturday — all before capping the gauntlet in Austin the next Tuesday against Texas. It is a slate of games that Beilein has regularly referred to as “the toughest stretch.” Like North Carolina a few days ago, Michigan got a wakeup call of its own Wednesday night. Now it’s time for a response. Marcovitch can be reached by email at maxmarco@umich.edu or on Twitter @Max_Marcovitch.

Wolverines heading to Plymouth for exhibition with USNTDP BENJAMIN KATZ Daily Sports Writer

While preparing for Saturday’s exhibition game against the U.S. National Team Development Program, three Michigan hockey players eagerly await a package with championship rings. Prior to arriving in Ann Arbor, defenseman Quinn Hughes and forwards Josh Norris and Michael Pastujov spent the past two seasons as teammates in the USNTDP. The now-freshmen skated for the U-17 and U-18 teams, the latter of which finished with a gold medal — and rings — from the 2017 U-18 World Championship in Slovakia. And in both 2016 and 2017, all three won goal medals at the U-18 Five Nations Tournaments. Last year, Norris led the U-18 team with 51 points in 52 games and Hughes followed closely with 47 points — on nine goals and 38 assists — in 56 games. Their stellar résumés turned the pair into two of the highesttouted prospects to join the Wolverines this season. And Saturday, they will lace up against the team that taught them to improve their skills, form lifelong friendships and gave them an opportunity to represent their country. “It’s kind of like a homecoming,” Norris said. Michigan will head 20 minutes east to Plymouth for the first time in its 18 years of annual meetings against the USNTDP, but this contest wasn’t supposed to happen in the first place. Not originally on the regular season calendar, Michigan coach Mel Pearson decided to add the matchup to the open weekend between series against Ohio State and Michigan State. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. The Wolverines are coming off a two-game weekend in which they were outscored eight to three and swept for the first time all season at the hands of the then-15th-ranked

Buckeyes. In its last six games — all against conference foes — Michigan has posted a 1-3-2 record. Pearson cites a need to face the right opponent to get back on track, and he believes he picked the perfect one. “I’m very happy that we scheduled it because we need a game to get that bitter taste out of our mouth and just to play,” Pearson said. “They’re a good partner. I enjoy the program, it’s a good game for us.” Throughout what Pearson refers to as a “work week,” his icemen have taken that motto in full stride, displaying an intensity in practice that was lacking in Saturday’s 5-1 loss. “They’ve worked hard and the energy level’s been up, especially when we don’t have much to look forward to this week,” Pearson said. Added Hughes: “Back to the basics and work hard. Obviously, last weekend was unacceptable, so we have to start over. A new

start, a fresh start, whatever you want to call it. We’re going to have a good five days of hard work here and then against the U.S. team. It’s just a good week for us to focus and get all our priorities straight.” Though already focusing on the looming Spartan homeand-home series Dec. 7 and 8 — and a hopeful return to the win column in Big Ten play — the Wolverines can’t overlook the task at hand against the USNTDP, especially following disappointing results against Ohio State. The developmental program targets and trains elite youth hockey players under the age of 18 for USA Hockey. Over the years, it has produced 47 Michigan players, including 10 current skaters — some of whom have played with present members of the U-18 team, making the game that much more personal. “I think they look forward to it,” Pearson said. “Most of

the guys that come out of that program really appreciate what it’s done for them and they really have a sense of nationalism. They really play up the ‘USA.’ “I think they have a huge appreciation for the program and what they’ve done. We’ve got to convince them ‘Wow, you’ve got to play hard and we’ve got to beat them.’ You’re friends until the puck drops and then it’s business.” Hughes notes the impact on player growth and attention to detail as the main aspects that lead to players excelling in college and, eventually, professional leagues. “I owe a lot to the program,” Hughes said. “The development there, you don’t get anywhere else. It’s the best in the world. You see how they pump out players every year — it’s ridiculous. It’s a business there and they treat it like a job. It’s kind of like pro hockey, so it’s really good for you to experience as young kids, so

when you come to (college), you’re ready.” Both Norris and Hughes believe there was a bigger adjustment from youth hockey to the USNTDP than from the junior league to the collegiate level — a true testament to the development team steering its players in the right direction. And after playing 20 games against older and more experienced college opponents last season, the freshmen say the program helped them make an immediate impact in the Michigan lineup. “I feel like that was my freshman year,” Hughes said. “I feel like this is my sophomore year right now and I didn’t notice a transition at all. They made it really hard for us there, so when I came here — not that they don’t make it hard here — it was a little bit easier.” Added Norris: “Learning how to play with different players and becoming mentally tougher. It’s not the easiest the first year.

RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily

Freshman forward Josh Norris spent last year with the U.S. National Team Development Program, where he led the U-18 team with 51 points in 52 games.

You’re 16 and playing against 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds, so I think just finding ways to get through adversity and stuff like that. It’s a big deal to learn from that stuff and grow.” Because of the team’s familiarity with the opponent, it would be easy to have a different-than-usual mentality in the locker room leading up to the game. But after recent setbacks, the team is approaching this weekend no different than any other. “I’ve been involved in a lot of them over the years when I was here at Michigan and some years it was hard to play in them because you’re playing the high school kids,” Pearson said. “It’s a no-lose for them, but you’re expected to beat them. Sometimes you’d look past it, but not this year. I think because of the way things went last weekend and because of who we have the weekend after, it’s an opportunity for us to get our stuff together.” Skating on the USA Hockey Arena rink in Plymouth for the first time since donning the USNTDP’s trademark red, white and blue sweaters — and mere days before Norris, Hughes and Pastujov receive their championship rings in the mail — will certainly be special for the three freshmen as well as the seven other players returning to their roots. But even that — and the fact the exhibition doesn’t count toward Michigan’s overall record — doesn’t mean the Wolverines will take the game against the youngsters lightly. “I played against Michigan last year,” Hughes said. “I thought it was a pretty big deal for me. I kind of know what those guys are thinking right now. I loved it last year, this year it’s probably not as cool, but it’s a game and we’re going to try 100 percent. It doesn’t really matter who we’re playing. “I know all those guys and obviously I had a lot of good memories in that rink, so it’s going to be cool and I’m looking forward to it.”

Sports

8 — Friday, December 1, 2017

FOOTBALL

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Season in Review: Wide receivers Michigan must extend its rotation or risk running out of gas BETELHEM ASHAME Managing Sports Editor

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: wide receivers. This season, the Wolverines had to absorb the loss of their two leading receivers from 2016 — Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson. Quite simply, their departures showed. The duo of fifth-year seniors combined for 1,362 yards and nine touchdowns to finish off their Michigan careers. This year, the Wolverines had five main receiving targets — junior Grant Perry, sophomores Kekoa Crawford and Eddie McDoom and freshmen Donovan Peoples-Jones and Tarik Black (the latter of whom fell victim to injury in September) — but managed just 938 yards and three touchdowns in comparison. Perry, the veteran of the group, led the way with 25 catches for 307 yards and a touchdown, but even as the primary option, he faced a drop in production from a season ago. As the third receiver in 2016, he collected 183 yards and a touchdown on just 13 targets. Crawford had a bright start to the season, hauling in a career-high four receptions for a career-best 83 yards with one touchdown against Cincinnati. But an increased role in the passing game didn’t last long for the sophomore, who didn’t catch more than two passes in a game for the rest of the year. His counterpart, McDoom, faced his own struggles in his second season, garnering just 81 yards all year. Peoples-Jones, though he didn’t begin the season as a

starter, turned into Michigan’s second-best receiver in his first year as a Wolverine, catching 16 passes for 219 yards. While he didn’t reach the end zone as a receiver, he did have a 79-yard punt return touchdown against Air Force. His classmate, Black, opened the year as a starter and looked poised to have a stellar campaign before a foot injury against Air Force derailed his season. To be fair, Michigan’s receiving unit had to deal with a carousel of quarterbacks throughout the year. Redshirt junior Wilton Speight, redshirt freshman Brandon Peters and fifth-year senior John O’Korn all spent time under center for the Wolverines during various points of the season, which could have factored significantly in Michigan’s struggles through the air in 2017. HIGH POINT: In a season with few options in this category, the Wolverines’ second game of the year against Cincinnati sticks out as the best performance from the unit. All three of Michigan’s starting wideouts — Perry, Crawford and Black — caught four passes on the day, amassing a total of 160 yards. Crawford and Perry also each found the end zone with 43- and 33-yard touchdowns, respectively — the only time that multiple receivers scored in the same game all year. Granted, the Wolverines’ passing game did have a few other strong outings, but much of the credit for that belongs to tight ends Sean McKeon and Zach Gentry. The pair combined for 561 yards and five touchdowns this year, and they connected especially well with Peters during his stint at the helm of Michigan’s offense.

LOW POINT: If his stellar start hadn’t reached an abrupt conclusion, Black might be in the above category. But just three weeks into his freshman season, the 6-foot-3 wideout had to be carted off the field late in the fourth quarter. He wouldn’t return for the rest of the year. The day after the game, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said that Black would need to undergo surgery to repair a crack on the outside of his foot. Though no announcement has yet to be made, Harbaugh said in mid-November that he will explore the possibility of pursuing a medical redshirt for Black, which would allow him to preserve four years of eligibility. Through three weeks, Black was the Wolverines’ leading receiver with 11 catches for 149 yards and a touchdown. Michigan certainly could have used his dynamic presence to breathe life into its passing offense in 2017. THE FUTURE: The Wolverines won’t be losing anyone this time around. All five receivers will be back to man the rotation next year, assuming Black’s recovery is smooth and he remains healthy over the course of the fall. While seniors Drake Harris and Maurice Ways announced this week that they will pursue graduate transfers elsewhere, neither receiver made an impact on the field for Michigan. The most notable transfer news came from Speight, whose departure should stabilize the relationship between the Wolverines’ throwers and catchers next season. With a full offseason as the presumed starter, Peters and his receivers will have plenty of time to develop their chemistry in order to turn the passing game around in 2018.

A

mong the problems exposed in the Michigan women‘s basketball team‘s loss to No. 3 Notre Dame on Wednesday: depth, or lack thereof. The Wolverines scored all of six bench points, four of them coming after coach Kim Barnes ETHAN Arico SEARS emptied the bench once the Fighting Irish stretched their lead to 20. When the game was still within reach, Michigan was locked into a seven-woman rotation. Freshman guard Deja Church and sophomore forward Kayla Robbins were the only players coming off the bench for any sustained time. All five Wolverine starters played at least 30 minutes. Senior guard Katelynn Flaherty played 39, senior forward Jillian Dunston totaled 38, and junior center Hallie Thome notched 34. Church was the only bench player with over five minutes. Given that no Notre Dame player went over 35 minutes, it may not be a coincidence that Michigan expired at the start of the fourth quarter. “I think that (our strength coach) Jamie (Preiss) has conditioned us very well so I think that we’re prepared for anything,” Thome said after the game. “It wasn’t like fatigue physically, I think it was mentally just always having to locate Arike (Ogunbowale) and just be aware of where everyone is.” There’s no doubt that trying to stop Ogunbowale — who finished with 32 points for the

Fighting Irish — took a mental toll on Michigan. But the notion that there was no physical fatigue at all, well, that’s a tough sell. The Wolverines were scrambling on defense all night, not just to keep up with Ogunbowale, but to stay competitive on the boards. They were outrebounded by a 42-28 margin, but given that Notre Dame had a clear size advantage, it could have been worse. To stay that close, Michigan bracketed the 6-foot4 Jessica Shepard off the ball for the early part of the game. That left the Wolverines scrambling for rotations on nearly every defensive

They can’t depend on Flaherty to play 39 minutes a night. possession. They scrapped that strategy before the first half was over, but sprinting around the floor like their lives depended on it had to have some effect — especially when nobody had a chance to catch their breath. Right now, Michigan doesn’t seem to have the depth to compete with the nation’s best. Even Robbins, who has flashed the ability to play Dunston’s role as a defensive grinder and off-ball catalyst, was trusted with all of five minutes on Wednesday. As for the rest of the bench, the Wolverines are still waiting

for someone to emerge. Freshman point guard Priscilla Smeenge got two minutes of playing time on Wednesday when the game was still attainable, but that was a flash in the pan. She’s had just five minutes of playing time this season. As for sophomore guard Akienreh Johnson, Barnes Arico has yet to trust her for more than a few minutes each game and didn’t play her against the Fighting Irish until garbage time. Ditto for sophomore forward KeAsja Peace. Junior forward Samantha Trammel has gotten on the floor for only three minutes all year. One of these players has to emerge as a reliable rotation option for the team to compete against tougher competition. They can’t depend on Flaherty to play 39 minutes a night — that’s an unreasonable ask for anyone, even the team‘s cornerstone. She‘s averaging 37.3 minutes per game right now and four of Michigan’s games have been against pushovers. What‘s that number going to look like once conference play picks up? This can’t continue, or the Wolverines will be out of gas by Christmas. Lucky for them, there’s still nearly a month left before Big Ten play starts and Michigan should breeze through teams like North Florida, Fort Wayne and Delaware State. Barnes Arico has to use that time to figure out an eighth spot in the rotation and balance out the minutes distribution a little more. If she doesn’t, it will come back to bite the Wolverines. Sears can be reached on Twitter @ethan_sears.

Big Ten beckons as Wolverines are looking to rebound ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Editor

It’s the season of giving, and boy could the Big Ten use some luck after this week. The Big Ten/ACC Challenge came and went, and it was an unsightly scene Indiana at for the former. Michigan The Big Ten posted a 2-11 Matchup: Michigan 6-2; record against Indiana 4-3 its fellow Power Five When: Saturday conference 12:30 P.M. ET foes, unveiling harsh signs Where: Crisler of the down Center year that many TV/Radio: expected. CBS Now for the Michigan men’s basketball team, with a newlydesigned Big Ten schedule, the first of two December conference matchups begins Saturday against Indiana and both teams desperately need a pick-me-up victory. The Hoosiers (4-3) have essentially been a captainless

ship thus far, with seven players averaging seven or more points. Guard Robert Johnson is the closest qualifier to be recognized as Indiana’s leader, ranking first on the team in scoring with 14.1 points per game. The bulky, 195pound senior is the only Hoosier averaging more than 25 minutes per game and could pose the greatest challenge to the Wolverines (6-2), who remain in limbo over who will take over the point guard reins. Johnson was especially impressive in Indiana’s narrow 91-81 loss to No. 1 Duke on Wednesday, showcasing an expansive range while contributing tough defense on the Blue Devils’ backcourt amidst an otherwise porous defensive effort by his team. On Saturday, the direction of the contest may ultimately depend on which Indiana shows up — the one that lost to Indiana State at home by 21, or the one that was neck-and-neck with Duke for almost a full 40 minutes. This volatility, though, is all too familiar to Michigan. After a nearly flawless performance

against UC Riverside last Sunday, the Wolverines looked like they somehow picked up more momentum against No. 13 North Carolina with an astonishing 8-for-8 start from the field. The incredulous shooting was short-lived, as Michigan followed that start with a more typical 20-for-58 finish en route to an 86-71 defeat. “I think North Carolina might be that good, and we’re definitely not that bad. But we certainly played poorly,” said Michigan coach John Beilein after the loss. “... We (shot well), too. But we all of a sudden went out of that and got a little uncharacteristic of ourselves and we got what we deserved.” Added junior forward Moritz Wagner: “I don’t like to say that (we’re young) because that sounds like an excuse. … We can’t allow that stuff. That

just can’t happen. We’re a great group and we always talk about how great our chemistry is. We’ve gotta show that on the floor.” A 15-point defeat to a college basketball powerhouse isn’t a cause for concern, of course. The Wolverines’ torrid scoring pace initially illustrated their potential to attack from all spots on the floor. Wagner waltzed freely in the paint, Charles Matthews continued creating space for his shots and Michigan was passing

Man, it’s college basketball, I’m not gonna say we’re young.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Junior forward Moritz Wagner finished with 20 points, but it wasn’t enough to lead the Wolverines past North Carolina.

well and finding open looks from beyond the arc — they just weren’t falling like they should have. An obvious weak point the matchup against the Tar Heels revealed, however, is inconsistent frontcourt defense from Wagner and fifthyear senior forward Duncan Robinson. North Carolina’s Luke Maye had a field day overpowering Robinson, and Wagner struggled to corral defensive rebounds over the more-athletic Theo Pinson and the towering Garrison Brooks and Sterling Manley. Indiana’s De’Ron Davis and Juwan Morgan may not carry the same finesse as the Tar Heels big

men, but they will be the biggest front court duo the Wolverines have faced so far. “We weren’t ready for the quickness, the speed and the precision that they run with,” Beilein said. “We weren’t locked in defensively, we just weren’t locked in. I can’t tell you why. We’ve seen it before, we’ve gotta shore it up.” Eight games into the season, Beilein is yet to solidify an eight- or nine-player rotation that would put the cynical fan at ease, even against a rebuilding team like the Hoosiers. With Big Ten season starting early, having that decided quickly is becoming the fine line between winning and losing.