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Tutoring can be hurdle for low-income ‘U’ students Access to private tutors allayed by ‘U,’ but some say resources underpublicized AMARA SHAIKH Daily Staff Reporter

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Lydia Polgreen, editor-in-chief of news blog HuffPost, discusses her relationship with journalism in her lecture entitled, “Who gets to define American Values,” given as part of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium at Rackham Tuesday.

HuffPost Editor-in-Chief talks challenges of American identity

Lydia Polgreen discusses the impact of her Black identity & sexuality on journalism REMY FARKAS

Daily Staff Reporter

Lydia Polgreen, editor-in-chief of news blog HuffPost, discussed her relationship with journalism and the way in which her past affects her vision of present-day America in her lecture entitled “Who gets to

define American Values,” given as part of the University of Michigan’s Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium. The Wallace House program, as well as the Knight-Wallace Fellowship and Livingston Awards, sponsored Tuesday’s event. Polgreen won the Livingston Award for Journalistic Achievement in

ANN ARBOR

City voices concerned over solar panel plans City Council approves changes to energy plans due for safety, aesthetic GRACE KAY

Daily Staff Reporter

At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, council members decided to amend plans for ground-level solar energy installations in residential zones in order to comply with public concern regarding the safety of children and the aesthetic integrity of Ann Arbor. In a public comment, Ann Arbor resident Irma Majer voiced her concern for the safety of local children and explained the dangers of ground-level solar structures in easily accessible areas. “By allowing unsecured, low to the ground solar accessories, we create opportunities for serious injuries to the public, particularly curious and exploring children,” Majer said. Majer, alongside several other residents, went on to explain that while they support solar energy, they are also highly concerned for the safety of the community. Majer explained solar panels can reach extreme temperatures, causing See SOLAR, Page 3A

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2009 for her international reporting in a piece called “The Spoils,” a story about natural resource exploitation in Africa. Before coming to HuffPost, Polgreen was the editorial director for NYT Global at The New York Times, as well as the West Africa and Johannesburg Bureau Chief. Polgreen officially became editor-

in-chief of the Huffington Post, which serves 200 million viewers per month, in December 2016, succeeding founder Arianna Huffington. On the heels of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Polgreen drew on the reminders of King’s message in See IDENTITY, Page 3A

Monday afternoon, University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel was awarded Rainbow PUSH’s Let Freedom Ring Award for his efforts to make college more affordable — specifically through efforts such as the Go Blue Guarantee and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan. While the program makes tuition more affordable for in-state residents coming from annual family incomes of $65,000 or less, there are still additional expenses at the University that may remain out of reach for those with a lower socioeconomic status, including private

tutoring¬¬ — a resource that can considerably improve an individual’s academic performance. According to a study by Research in Middle Education from 2011, groups of students who were tutored in Language Arts and Math outperformed students who did not receive such help from tutoring programs. With one in 10 University students belonging to the top one percent of incomes, according to a report by the Equality of Opportunity Project, many University students have the option of spending money at companies, such as Campus Tutors, that work to improve their academic understanding. However, those who cannot See TUTORING, Page 3A

Pro-Palestinian author, former prof. CSG listens Salaita denounces Israel in lecture to concerns STUDENT GOVERNMENT

In a speech on decolonization, Salaita talks anti-Zionism and latest book ABBY MURO

Daily Staff Reporter

On Tuesday, Steven Salaita, an American author, scholar and activist, spoke about his latest book, “Inter/Nationalism: Decolonizing Native America and Palestine,” and the lingering effects of colonization on modern countries. The event was hosted by the University of Michigan’s Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the International Institute in Weiser Hall. Salaita has been at the center of campus controversy in years past, after anti-Israeli tweets landed him in trouble as a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The UIUC board of regents rescinded an offer of tenure to Salaita in 2014 — his critics accused him of inappropriate online expressions, but others said he was being punished for political views. Salaita appeared on campus at the University shortly after his firing in 2014 to muted contention from pro-Israeli groups. This year, however, after the #UMDivest resolution passed in its fifth attempt before Central Student Government in November, some Jewish students decried Salaita’s speech. Before the event, about a dozen

Jewish community on campus stood outside Weiser Hall and passed out flyers featuring a tweet from Salaita that the students saw as anti-Semitic. The flyer, which was signed “Concerned Jewish Students,” accused Salaita of purporting discrimination against Jewish students on campus.

“Shame on the Michigan Center for Middle East and North African Studies for inviting this so-called academic to speak on our purportedly inclusive campus,” the letter read. Salaita began his speech by explaining the parallels his book draws between the colonization

of Native Americans in the United States and the Israel-Palestine conflict. He said he believes a true peace agreement cannot be reached while illegal settlementscontinue to be built on Palestinian land. “We ought to look at IsraelSee AUTHOR, Page 3A

on ‘U’ antiSemitism

Concern after Salaita talk from pro-Israel groups & new dialogue resolution SHANNON ORS

Daily Staff Reporter

HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily

Steven Salaita, an American author, scholar and activist, speaks about his latest book and the lingering effects of colonization on modern countries at Weiser Tuesday.

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On Tuesday evening, the University of Michigan’s Central Student Government met in the Michigan Union. During the public comment period of the meeting, concerned students spoke about the visit of Steven Salaita, a pro-Palestine author and activist, who visited the University earlier in the afternoon. Public Policy senior Samuel Lawrence addressed the meeting following Salaita’s lecture. Lawrence recounted his own experience with finding a swastika in the Modern Languages Building earlier this semester, which he reported to the Division of Public Safety and Security. Lawrence expressed his disappointment with CSG’s response. “After an article was published in The Michigan See SALAITA, Page 3A

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

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News

2A — Wednesday, January 17, 2018

TUESDAY: By Design

MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers

WEDNESDAY: This Week in History

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THURSDAY: Twitter Talk

FRIDAY: Behind the Story

THIS WEEK IN HISTORY: BSU DAAP CLASH DURING MLK RALLY January 16, 2001

Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action and Integration and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary. BSU members joined BAMN and the other organizations on the steps of the Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library. BAMN member Ebonie Byndon said although BAMN has encountered problems with BSU members in the past, BSU members have never before charged into a BAMN event. BSU members said they feel BAMN is an outside force which does not truly reflect the concerns of the minority students of the University. Monique Luse, an LSA sophomore on the BSU executive board, said BSUrespects that BAMN fights for affirmative action, but they don’t agree withtheir tactics.

By Jacquelyn Nixon Daily Staff Reporter As students took to the streets yesterday to advocate affirmative action, there were clear divisions among the 200 participants in how the message supporting affirmative action shoul be presented. Shortly after students marched from the corner of South University and South Forest avenues to the Diag, where the rally began, the crowd parted as members of the Black Student Union and the Black Greek The University’s 14th annual Martin Luther Association entered. They held green King Jr. Symposium signs stating affirmative action was their issue and not an issue for the

“The organization is not run by University students. BSU, on the other hand, is led by the students. BAMN does not have that same element,” Luse said. Throughout the rally, sparks began to fly between BAMN and BSU members in the crowd. “We would work hand in hand with this organization, but they won’t let us,” said BSU historian D’Yal Mcallister. Donna Stern, a paralegal for BAMN,said the BSU and BAMN have different ideas about the type of action to take for progress in the area of affirmative action. “They don’t want mass militant action. It takes people getting on the streets to win.”

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ON THE DAILY: SHOOT FOR THE STARS MATT HARMON Daily Staff Reporter

If you were looking out your window Tuesday night, you may have seen a bright f lash light up the night sky at about 8 p.m. While many assumed it was just lightning, the

National Weather Service and United States Geographical Survey confirmed the light was, in fact, a meteor. Many videos posted on YouTube and Twitter from car dashboard cams and home security systems show the sky fade to light blue, followed by a short burst of orange light and

then back to the normal black sky. Some videos show a trail forming from the meteor. Reports to the American Meteor Society of the bright light were received from locations in six states and Canada. According to NWS, the meteor caused a 2.0 magnitude earthquake near

New Haven, Michigan. Former U.S. Rep. John Dingell tweeted Tuesday night his bewilderment at the possibility of a meteor f lying over Michigan. “What’s this meteor nonsense?” Dingell wrote.

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LEO decries stalled bargaining process with University HR on new contract Lecturers’ union of 1,700 members calls for increase in wages, benefits and an expedited response minimum salaries, a dedicated fund to support lecturers who Daily Staff Reporter are advancing DEI objectives and all schools having a vote on enfranchising lecturers who As bargaining between are at least half-time and have the University of Michigan’s taught at the University for at Lecturers’ Employee least one year. Organization and University Philip Christman, co-chair of administration continues the Ann Arbor campus branch regarding wages, performance of LEO and English Lecturer evaluations and other factors, II, said he hopes to see lecturer LEO members are expressing salaries increase due to the frustration with what they say is revenue lecturers generate for a lack of administrative response the University. to their proposals. “A lot of people are taking LEO is a member-run our classes,” Christman said. organization representing non“Non-tenured faculty tends to tenure faculty among the three teach the classes that are more University campuses. Founded lower-level and introductory, so in 2003, the organization has we meet more students ... we’re approximately 1,700 members generating a lot of revenue for and aims to improve working the University.” conditions and protect the rights Christman also explained of lecturers at the University. standards for performance Lecturers are hired by term evaluation vary among campus or school year, as opposed to location and academic unit. professors who have established “I know there is a real contracts with the University. disproportion between academic Full-time lecturers teach three units and on the different or more courses a semester campuses in terms of how much at the Ann Arbor campus, effort some people have to go but lecturers at the Flint and through to do their annual Sudoku Syndication campuses Dearborn must or major review versus some teach at least four courses to be others,” Christman said. “For some people, the demand of review is reasonable, and other people are just outright being bullied by their supervisors.” According to LEO’s blog, HARD one example of this varied treatment within academic departments is a lecturer not receiving a raise because his school felt the salary he was paid was already high enough. The Daily was not able to confirm this anecdote, however. “A lecturer in a professional school at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor was due for his second major review,” the post reads. “The school wanted to skip his 7% raise, basically because they felt he was already being paid a lot.” Robinson also feels there are issues with how the University responds to nonfinancial proposals LEO makes. FROST BITE. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com © sudokusolver.com.“There For personal(were) use only. proposals where they didn’t RACHEL CUNNINGHAM

considered full-time. According to LEO president Ian Robinson, a sociology Lecturer IV, the starting salary for a full-time Lecturer I is $34,500 in Ann Arbor, $28,300 in Dearborn and $27,300 in Flint. The Ann Arbor campus’ average cost of attendance for a lower division in-state student is $29,526 per year. Robinson also said that turnover rate, or the percentage of employees that leave during a year, for Lecturer I positions is at 40 percent. Bargaining has been ongoing since the beginning of last semester. Lecturers can also lose their health benefits over the summer when they are not teaching, and pay for Cobra, a government program that gives those who lost healthcare benefits the right to their group plan for a limited period of time to alleviate this. Currently, LEO’s bargaining platform includes improved job security for Lecturer I and III positions, making performance evaluations more meaningful, streamlined and fair, extended affordable health care, significant increases to the

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DAYTON HARE necessarily involve money but Managing Editor haredayt@michigandaily.com they did involve a change in the way we were doing things and RIYAH BASHA and SOPHIE SHERRY their response was just to simply Managing News Editor news@michigandaily.com hand it back and ex out all of the Senior News Editors: Andrew Hiyama, Carly Ryan, Kaela Theut, Matt Harmon, Maya Goldman changes we proposed without Assistant News Editors: Jordyn Baker, Remy Farkas, Riley Langefeld, Elizabeth any real explanation,” Robinson Lawrence, Rachel Leung, Molly Norris, Maeve O’Brien, Shannon Ors, Amara said. “We feel like ... come up Shaikh, Katherina Sourine with a counter-proposal that ANU ROY-CHAUDHURY and ASHLEY ZHANG has some language that at least Editorial Page Editors tothedaily@michigandaily.com moves in the direction of the Senior Opinion Editors: Elena Hubbell, Emily Huhman, Jeremy Kaplan, Tara Jayaram, Ellery Rosenzweig concern we’ve expressed or tell us why you cannot do anything MIKE PERSAK and ORION SANG in response to that concern.” Managing Sports Editors sportseditors@michigandaily.com University spokespeople told Senior Sports Editors: Laney Byler, Mark Calcagno, Robert Hefter, Max The Daily they feel progress Marcovitch, Paige Voeffray, Ethan Wolfe Assistant Sports Editors: Aria Gerson, Ben Katz, Tien Le, Anna Marcus, Ethan being made in the bargaining Sears, Jacob Shames process. 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TUTORING From Page 1A afford a tutor from a company such as Campus Tutors may feel stranded by the University for not better publicizing the financially-accessible resources on campus. One of these individuals is LSA sophomore Abbigayl Burtis. Burtis admitted while she felt a private tutor could have helped her overall performance in certain courses, cost played a role in her decision not to go through with it. “I lacked the time to meet with a tutor, and it costs money,” Burtis said. “I feel like in both calculus and statistics, I could have benefited at least a bit from a tutor. Not as much in calculus, since I was better at that subject, but going over the material with someone who knew it well would have improved my performance in statistics.” Burtis also acknowledged while the University does have tutoring resources, students might not always know that they are available. “(The University) probably (is) good about offering it, but they are not so good at advertising it continuously,” she said. “I think I remember them talking about it at the

AUTHOR From Page 1A Palestine not as a conflict, not as an impasse, not as an argument, but we should look at it as settler colonization,” Salaita said. “Peace, actual peace, peace that allows both parties to live in dignity can never be accomplished under a regime of continued settler colonization.” He also argued colonization in the United States has not ended, but instead has persisted in today’s interactions between the United States government and Native Americans. “The idea is that what happened to those native nations was tragic, or horrendous, but it exists in the past and we must come to terms with the realities of those horrors last century or two centuries ago,” Salaita said. “Well, native communities, native nations, are still around, are still alive, and they are still practicing various forms of decolonization.” In comparing the two regions, Salaita argued the issues in Israel and Palestine today are similar to the occupation of Native American land in the United States. He discussed Zionist leader and author Ze’ev Jabotinsky’s essay “Iron Wall,” in which Jabotinsky asserted the existence of Israel is only possible if Palestine does not exist. “The Zionist movement purports to replace one population with another population and if you don’t have the chest for that sort of

SOLAR From Page 1A injuries such as electrical shocks, as well as thermal burns. “On an 82-degree day, a solar panel can reach as high as 150 to 168 degrees and cause serious burns in about one second,” Majer said. While many residents argued for the safety of the public, others also expressed concern regarding the aesthetic nature of the solar structures themselves, saying these accessories would compromise the natural charm and beauty of Ann Arbor. City Council responded to the public’s concern by amending the ordinance to prohibit solar structures in front yards. Councilmember Jane Lumm, I-Ward 2, said she agreed with the public in their concern regarding the solar structures. “I have received a lot of input from residents overwhelmingly in opposition,” Lumm said. “It is important to indicate that in every instance residents have said that they are supporters of solar and alternate energy sources. Their objection is with allowing the solar panels in front yards.” Councilmember Zachary Ackerman, D-Ward 3, agreed with public commenters, moving for an amendment to the ordinance.

beginning of the semester. However, that was not when I would have benefited so I did not pay attention. I think it would be useful if they talked about those opportunities more throughout the semester.” Business sophomore Lucas Reynolds is both a University student and private tutor for Campus Tutors. Campus Tutors seeks to offer a comprehensive review of lecture material for courses such as calculus, statistics, chemistry and economics. During the reviews, students are able to go over concepts with a tutor and receive additional practice problems and exams. However, the company charges around about $60 per session. Reynolds discussed his role as a tutor at Campus Tutors. Despite his work with Campus Tutors, Reynolds does not serve as a representative for the company. “My job really is to lead the kind of lecture style review and answer any questions they have, and design the packets,” Reynolds said. Reynolds also admitted even though he believes that private tutoring does offer added benefits for students’ academic performance, he finds the University to have sufficient resources, and has even made use of them himself. “I think the obvious answer is

work then you don’t understand the ideology correctly,” Salaita said. “And what happened in the United States is justified simply by the fact that a superior civilization replaced an inferior one.” In an email interview, LSA senior Kyla Klein, who attended the lecture, wrote Salaita’s definition of Zionism simplified the ideology and represented the entire belief system as one specific branch, which she did not see as fair to the pro-Israel argument. “He used Ze’ev Jabotinsky to describe Zionism, which is actually only one strain of Zionism, Revisionist Zionism,” Klein wrote. “This Zionism is also the most hard-line and conservative. This was his perspective for his argument against Zionism. Regardless if one supports Zionism or not, Zionism is extremely complex and multifaceted.” Salaita concluded his talk by defining his thoughts about what Zionism is and then explaining what it means to him to work against it in the United States today. To work against Zionism, Salaita offered, is to work against injustice everywhere. “To me, Zionism is a belief, whether it’s through a liberal or a conservative paradigm, that a Jewish majority state ought to exist at the expense of those who can lay claim to that land historically,” Salaita said. “AntiZionism is something that ought to transcend Palestine. AntiZionism, when it’s done correctly

“I would rather council move in a different direction,” Ackerman said. “I fundamentally have questions about solar structures in front yards.” Amid discussions regarding solar energy solutions in Ann Arbor, council members also moved to add two new full-time employees to positions within the Sustainability and Innovation Office of the Systems Planning Unit of the Public Services Area. While the movement to add two new employees passed, several council members discussed the negative impact this decision could have on the budget. Lumm expressed her concern the impact adding more employees could have on the budget process. “I do not believe we should be making budget decisions outside of the budget process,” Lumm said. “We are making two positions permanent that were temporary, which is a long-term financial commitment.” Lumm went on to state that recent employment decisions have added a heavy burden to the general fund. “Assuming this tonight passes we will have added over 20 new city staff in the last two years, which is adding over $1 million of recurring annual costs to the general fund,” Lumm said.

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Opinion

4A — Wednesday, January 17, 2018

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NOAH HARRISON | COLUMN

On civic ignorance

rior to last week’s A third of the country could college football not name any of the three national championship branches of government and game, President Donald only a quarter could identif y Trump took all three. They also the field for found 37 percent the national could not name a anthem. White single civil liberty House officials protected under the likely hoped First Amendment, the appearance and none of the First would help boost Amendment rights an embattled were identified by president, but the more than half of plan backfired respondents. when TV cameras For what it is caught Trump worth, a separate NOAH mumbling as HARRISON ABC poll found 60 he sang along, percent of Americans leading many observers to don’t know the national conclude that Trump did not anthem’s lyrics. Moreover, know the words. The outcry the country’s ignorance of was swift and harsh. basic civics seems to be on the For the record, I am not upswing. The Annenberg poll convinced that Trump has been conducted annually forgot the national anthem’s since 2011, and the results lyrics. The footage seems have shown a steady decline to show a man somewhat in the civic knowledge of awkwardly trying to appear Americans. The concept of presidential on national civic knowledge is two-fold, television rather than a man involving both practical struggling to remember the topics like the provisions of words. But either way, a more the Constitution and more interesting, and far more symbolic matters like the consequential question is national anthem, but the this: how important is it for polling suggests Americans presidents and other political largely don’t know much leaders to know aspects of about either. our civic culture, like the Frankly, these fig ures are national anthem? depressing and alarming. Suppose Trump did An educated electorate is indeed forget the lyrics: essential to the health of Was the deluge of criticism a modern democracy. The that followed merely an Founding Fathers were well instance of liberals trying aware of this and feared to score political points, or the irrational decisions of was it a warranted critique? an ignorant populace. Some I contend it’s the latter. forefathers believed the Admittedly, knowing the solution was to limit the national anthem’s lyrics will role of everyday citizens not boost the economy. It in governance, leading the won’t fix health care, nor will drafters of the Constitution it thwart terrorism. But not to create institutions like knowing the words would the Electoral College, be an affront to our nation’s the indirect election of civic culture, which can be senators and voting rights loosely defined as respect, restrictions. Others, like admiration and knowledge Thomas Jefferson, believed of our country’s democratic the political participation values, history and system of average citizens to be of governance. The national imperative in an egalitarian anthem is a celebration of our society and saw the education civic culture, but this civic of the masses as the cure to culture is arg uably in decline an ill-informed electorate. Last fall, researchers at the Jefferson’s commitment to University of Pennsylvania’s this goal led him to found the Annenberg Public Policy University of Virginia with the Center conducted a survey purpose to educate Americans on Americans’ knowledge of to better our democracy after the government and the U.S. his presidency. Constitution, and the results Fortunately, in the centuries were less than impressive. since the Constitution’s ratification,

we have endorsed Jefferson’s view and gradually eliminated voting rights restrictions and other roadblocks to true representative democracy. But in order for Jefferson’s vision to be realized, we must commit ourselves to being informed, responsible citizens, which begins with knowing rudimentary civics. Though ignorance towards civics does not directly translate to ignorance towards policy, voters are unlikely to make reasoned decisions at the ballot box if they do not even know how the government works. Though this lens, civic ignorance constitutes a real threat to political efficacy, since research suggests the less people know about government, the less confidence they have in it. Trump’s national anthem mumbling raises another concern: the possibility that civic ignorance, that is a lack of knowledge and even a lack of regard for basic civics, could spread to our leaders. Politicians are rational actors, and if voters don’t care about their civic knowledge, neither will candidates for public office, which will presumably lead to ignorant leaders. We should want our political leaders to be knowledgeable about the Constitution, our country’s history and other elementary civics. However, even assuming we want this in principle, we need to know civics ourselves if we are to determine if candidates do. Who knows if Trump knows the words of the national anthem. What is clear is that most of us don’t, and our blissful ignorance extends far beyond that to serious matters of law and governance. This is not to suggest that learning about our government is some magical fix to our nation’s problems, but rather that our nation’s ignorance is a problem in itself and one worth fixing. The loss of civic knowledge ref lects a corrosion of America’s civic culture, and it is our collective responsibility as a country to rectif y it.

Noah Harrison can be reached at noahharr@umich.edu.

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A familiar voice

eeling hatred is a given, rejecting it is a choice. It is not enough to disagree privately; we must vocally remind ourselves that every person has value, regardless of origin. My friends from shithole countries were pretty incensed by the president’s comments last week. When I first heard his words, I stopped for a second and wondered if Eg ypt, my country of origin, would be considered a shithole country by his standards. It’s safe to say that without the pyramids, Eg ypt certainly would be among the brown and black countries that Trump, and many people, find inferior. But, with this designation comes a certain sense of pride because I know that immigrants will persevere despite this perception of us. Yet I can’t always shake the way the president’s words resonante with me when I look in the mirror. Sometimes, I do feel like I’m from a shithole country. I see violence, the restriction of freedoms and a lack of prosperity. What I must remind myself is that every country struggles on some levels with these issues. There are historical and sociological reasons for the circumstances of each country. Although we can’t always mute selfhatred, it’s our responsibility to respond to it with positive reinforcement—both for our own sake and for others. I thank God every day that my parents immigrated to America. Because of that, I was born in what is, for me, the greatest country in the world. However, with that blessing comes a lot of strings. America has a way of reminding you of all the ways you’re different. This isn’t always a bad thing, and the individuality and creativity it promotes is part of what makes it great. Still, I know from personal experience

how easy it is to conf late being different with being less. A sense of belonging is not the most natural impulse when nobody in your lecture hall looks like you. It’s hard to feel heard by representatives who don’t tune in to your narrative. Caring about headlines 12 time zones away, asking your parents questions about America they don’t know the answer to; it’s part of the territory of being an immigrant. It builds character, and I’m at peace with the difficulty of it. I believe it makes me a stronger person, more ready to raise kids here and continue the experiment of being an American.

“I can’t always shake the way the president’s words resonante with me when I look in the mirror.” We learn every day just how heterogeneous our society can be, and how many different walks of life can be accommodated peacefully instead of rejected violently. What it means to be American is always in contention, and our responsibility is to affect that meaning positively. I’m not personally upset at what the president said because that’s how many people feel. I’m upset because, for a moment, I felt the inferiority that somebody else determined for me. The young immigrants who hear these remarks may feel worse about themselves, and all of us – whether we were born here or not – might fail to reassure them that these voices of self-hatred are false. How much worse would my

mom feel, as a child-arrival bullied for the food she ate and the clothes she couldn’t afford, if her president reaffirmed the negative feedback she was getting at school? Would my dad find the same success if he saw other immigrants as rivals instead of allies? I can imagine both of them being invigorated by the president’s comments, as my friends are today. It’s not impossible to succeed in this country as a minority, but self-hatred fuels those moments of ambig uity when I question whether or not I belong here. Even though it’s unhealthy, it’s natural to question whether I can fit in and stand out at the same time. I wouldn’t run into these feelings if I never left Eg ypt. But America is the greatest country in the world for me because it has potential beyond any other. America’s core values are ambitious and future-oriented; the spirit of self-improvement is woven into our f lag. No country is quite like us in our meltingpot culture and our character of accommodation. Yes, such grand visions are easy to fail, and quite often they’ve backfired horribly. It’s easy to contemplate giving up, settling for the kind of homogenous, closedoff country we’re used to reading about in history — the same country some of my neighbors crave, where everyone is from the same shithole country instead of many. Until the moment I’m dragged off this soil, I’ll continue demonstrating my value to this country. It’s a shame that the success of immigrants is political, but it’s on us to see in ourselves and in each other that we belong here.

Andrew Mekhail can be reached at mekhail@umich.edu.

BEN CHARLSON | COLUMN

Racism in practice

y targeting women, of inclusivity and empathy minorities and other overshadowed and mitigated by vulnerable populations the generally tough immigration through his tweets and public policy supported by the Trump comments, President administration. Trump has begun to By granting cement his legacy as undocumented a bully more than a immigrants role model, despite protection from being in office for less immediate than one year. deportation and Last week, Trump the right to work added to his history and study, DACA of crude and overtly highlights the prejudiced comments empathy with which BEN at a White House Obama understood CHARLSON meeting with select the desperate senators regarding various situation of many children from immigration policies, including economically and politically the status of the Deferred decimated countries who have Action for Childhood Arrivals known nothing but America program, put in place by since immigrating here at a former President Barack young age. Obama in 2012. Many factors might explain When asked by Senator Dick the divergence between Obama Durbin, D-Ill., whether certain and Trump’s philosophy countries like Haiti could on DACA, which Trump receive Temporary Protected announced he would begin to Status for their undocumented phase out after the proposed immigrants living in the United bipartisan deal presented States, CNN confirmed Trump a “big step backwards” for said, “Why do we need more immigration policy and the Haitians? Take them out.” country’s spending deficit. In an even more egregious One powerful factor act of racism, Trump went that cannot be ignored in on to describe immigrants explaining this dichotomy is from Africa as coming from race, though it is one that is “shithole countries,” a frequently neglected because statement that was not denied of its controversial nature. by White House spokesperson Trump’s “shithole” comments, Raj Shah when asked about it undoubtedly fueled by an the following evening. underlying prejudice against At first glance these minorities, represent a statements are shocking, but at pervasive problem in a country this point, should be expected that prides itself on inclusion from a president whose power is and democracy. predicated on the subjugation of Recently in one of my classes, outsiders who present a threat to Islam in Africa, we watched a his vision of a white, patriarchal Ted Talk by Nigerian writer society. And until this racism Chimamanda Adichie called is wiped from the country’s “The Danger of a Single Story.” core institutions, these types Adichie’s lecture has become a of comments from the nation’s popular teaching tool for many leader will only perpetuate this historians and sociologists system of inequality. as a way to highlight the Above all, DACA is a measure consequences of racial

stereotypes and generalizations. Adichie recalled that when she moved from Nigeria to the United States to attend college, she was shocked by the reaction of her American roommate. Not only did the roommate ask to listen to Adichie’s African “tribal music,” but also assumed that she did not know how to use a stove. While these demeaning generalizations may be in part due to individual prejudice, it is equally if not more a result of institutional racism embedded in our schools, media and politics. The very course in which I heard this story is not only an objective introduction to the history of Islam in Africa, but an attempt to tear down the misunderstandings and stereotypes attached to each of these topics, the type of sentiment held by President Trump and many others who see Africa and Haiti as “shithole” countries without the means necessary to function in the modern world. Until America as a whole is educated in more than one “story” of Africa, Haiti and all other countries whose refugees are seeking a better life in the United States, the racism demonstrated by Trump will continue to appear in both everyday life and political policy. It then becomes the task of us as students to not only learn, but to educate others in a way that emphasizes diversity and inclusion. Trump’s comments will surely perpetuate racist ideology in the United States, but a strong opposition to this rhetoric through education and wholesome media coverage may reverse the flow of this anti-immigrant philosophy.

Ben Charlson can be reached at bencharl@umich.edu.

Arts

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

DAILY FILM COLUMN

FILM REVIEW

‘Marie Antoinette’ has the perfect soundtrack 20th Century Fox

‘Post’ is a timely thrill WILL STEWART Daily Arts Writer

Steven Spielberg (“Bridge of Lies”) is the de facto storyteller for inspirational American tales, ranging from the life of Abraham Lincoln to the European invasion of World War II. “The Post,” his recent recount of the publishing of The Pentagon Papers, is no different. With a star-studded cast, larger-than-life characters and the typical Spielberg-esque flair, “The Post” recaptures the bravery necessary to confront a corrupt government and expose its shameful secrets. Richard Nixon’s tenure as president is only increasingly relevant today as we trudge through the daily drudgery of a Donald Trump presidency loaded with bigotry, lies and distrust of the media. History repeats itself, and Spielberg’s efforts to retell past dilemmas to teach us about the present are not fruitless. Someone of such influence and talent — Spielberg, that is — is the perfect person to educate those born before the early ’70s about such paranoia and hatred toward a free press. Beyond the movie’s timeliness, it boasts a thrilling yet slow-burning story that, despite a rather dull beginning, displays the virtues of doing what is right rather than

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 — 5A

what is easy. After The New York Times publishes an article exposing government cover-ups and lies regarding the Vietnam War, The Washington Post rushes to match their competitor’s content. Ben

“The Post” 20th Century Fox Michigan Theater, Quality 16, Rave Bradlee (Tom Hanks, “Bridge of Spies”), editor-in-chief for The Post, fights to publish government documents revealing a reluctance to withdraw from Vietnam despite clear signs of imminent failure. Alongside Bradlee is the paper’s new publisher Kay Graham (Meryl Streep, “Florence Foster Jenkins”) — the first woman to hold such a position — who refuses to appease her disobedient board filled with multiple men breathing down her neck. Liz Hannah and Josh Singer’s (“Spotlight”) screenplay is the ideal match for Spielberg’s grand directorial style. It avoids complexity in favor of a more straightforward storytelling approach. The script’s good versus evil trope is different from the more typical “America is good” and others are “bad” approach some of the director’s other films

follow. Here, the government is the antagonist, while the reporters are the protagonists. Regardless, “The Post” is as pro-American as a movie could possibly be, highlighting the fundamental role the press plays in preserving democracy. “The Post” would not be as strong of a movie without standout performances from Streep and Sarah Paulson (“American Crime Story”), who, in limited screen time, takes over in some of the movie’s essential moments. Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”) comes alive as Ben Bagdikian, a reporter who played an integral role in receiving and publishing The Pentagon Papers. As a movie that heavily relies on the performances rather than largescale CGI and special effects, all actors do their part in ensuring success. Even Hanks, who I don’t always find to be that talented, does his job with passion and ease. He portrays Bradlee as the cowboy of the beltway — the journalist with a growling voice eager to go against the establishment. For a movie that everyone already knows the ending to, “The Post” manages to fully engulf us into the world of early ’70s journalism. Despite a somewhat unnecessary final moment, we feel comfort in knowing that corrupt administrations filled with secrets will finally be brought down. To me, that’s reassuring for our future.

“Marie Antoinette” is Sofia Coppola’s masterpiece. “The Virgin Suicides” is the cult classic of the “Donnie Darko” crowd, “Lost in Translation” gets all the critical attention, but it’s “Marie Antoinette” that best showcases the ineffability of her visual wit. It’s a lush, pastel coming-of-age story that sees one of the most infamous figures in Western history as a person — not wholly good or bad, but young and unprepared. It’s about glut and greed, but it’s also about the loneliness of teenage years. All that and the soundtrack slaps. Coppola crafts — by pairing the dying days of the French monarchy with the restless sounds of post-punk and new wave — a tension between sound and image that perfectly mirrors the inner turmoil of adolescence. Marie Antoinette the person stands in the face of everything these music movements are. “Marie Antoinette” the movie puts them in tandem, pairing the material excess of Versailles with the sonic exactitude of The Strokes and New Order. We can draw a distinction between the character and her historical counterpart because Coppola isn’t making a factual biopic, she’s making an emotional one. In “Marie Antoinette,” she builds a Versailles that is at once suffocatingly full and excruciatingly lonely, and then sits in it. For two hours, she tracks her protagonist (a tour de force performance from Kirsten Dunst) as she roams the grounds, pushing the boundaries of what the Queen of France can do and be. This unlikely union is most in sync at the heart of the film in which Marie suggests she and her entourage sneak away from Versailles to attend a masked ball in Paris. As she enters the ball — looking decadently goth in an allblack ensemble — strings pluck

softly. You think, “Wait I know this … is this …?” And it is. A string intro to “Hong Kong Garden” by Siouxsie and the Banshees that explodes into its original form as Marie enters the swirling mass of dancers. For a second, as bodies whirl around each other, it looks like a pit. The restless joy of the night mirrors the song Coppola chooses to score it. “Hong Kong Garden” has been called the most important early post-punk hit. The song was born out Siouxsie Sioux and John

MADELEINE GAUDIN McKay’s love of a restaurant — the Hong Kong Garden — and hatred for the “skinheads” who populated it. Marie finds herself at the crossroads of the same emotional extremes in this scene. She loves being at the ball, but hates being there with her husband and the boring company he keeps. This is, perhaps, why Marie emerges as sympathetic despite her wasteful and careless lifestyle. She is lonely and her yearning is palpable. She wants what everyone wants: to understand and be understood. Late in the film, she drifts through a quiet boring party. Tired of feigning interest, she excuses herself and bursts into the cold, endless halls of Versailles. The opening chords of “What Ever Happened?” burst with her. The opening track on The Strokes’s sophomore (and best) album Room on Fire, the song begins with the declaration: “I want to be forgotten.” Which

she does, at this moment. Marie longs — like all good teens — to be outside her life. For the Queen of France, that means to disappear from the public consciousness, to be freed by anonymity. The tension between wanting to be forgotten and admired, to be free but also seen are exemplified by the song. This party is presented in contrast to Marie’s birthday, a few scenes earlier. This party —scored by New Order’s “Ceremony” — is characteristically youthful and bursting at the seams with energy and joy. The soundtrack is the perfect representation of Marie’s subjectivity. Her emotional core is made manifest in the music Coppola uses to score her. To pick songs that can be loosely tied by this nondescript label of post-punk is genius. Part of what made this thing I’m calling post-punk different from the punk that preceded it is a selfaware recognition of the joy that can come out of anger. It’s the thrill of being young and mad and confused. The frustration of pushing against the boundaries of a world that can feel terribly small, and the rush of excitement that comes from pushing. “Marie Antoinette” is Coppola’s masterpiece because she manages to operate in two eras at once, a feat that is more complex than pairing incongruent music and images. Coppola imagines Marie as a teenage girl in 2006 with an early generation iPod. She feels trapped by the suburban life her parents chose for her. She hates them, but she gravitates towards the music they grew up on (New Order, The Cure) and artists who take after them (The Strokes). She’s a roiling, volatile, confused teenage girl who can’t understand why she was born into the body she’s in. Teenage emotions, Coppola discovers, exist even within the hedge mazes and Baroque ballrooms of Versailles.

TV NOTEBOOK

NETFLIX

TBS

‘Search Party’ & ‘The End’ convey despair via music SAM ROSENBERG Senior Arts Editor

I spent a good half of this past weekend binge-watching the latest season of TBS’s “Search Party” and Netflix’s newest series “The End of the F***ing World.” The former is a witty murder mystery about four Manhattan 20-somethings, led by the anxiety-riddled Dory (Alia Shawkat, “Transparent”), who struggle to cope after having accidentally killed an innocent private investigator in search of their missing friend. The latter is a twisted British comedy that follows two teenagers — one a self-identified psychopath (Alex Lawther, “Black Mirror”) and the other a coarse misanthrope (Jessica Barden, “The Lobster”) — who decide to embark on a road trip to escape their boring hometown. Having engrossed myself in both shows in such a short span of time, I couldn’t help but notice that “Search Party” and “The End of the F***ing World” share more than just a sick sense of humor and young, conflicted protagonists fed up with life’s mediocrity. Like any good TV soundtrack, the music curated on each show plays a hugely influential role in informing

us about the inner turmoil of the characters, articulating the motivations behind their actions and the emotions buried underneath. More specifically, the particular type of music used in “Search Party” and “The End of the F***ing World” illuminates the humanity of the ostensibly irredeemable protagonists, each of whom are, coincidentally, guilty of committing murder. For a program like “The End of the F***ing World,” you’d expect the soundtrack to be filled with venomous punk rock in the style of The White Stripes, The Clash or even Green Day to match the rebellious angst of its central couple, James (Lawther) and Alyssa (Barden). Surprisingly, however, the show takes a much more unconventional approach in regards to music genre. Over the course of the first season, each episode is peppered with a diverse musical palette — sweeping doowop ballads, romantic acoustic rock and dreamy French pop. It’s a bit jarring, especially for a show where the two main characters are criminally insane, dangerous and frequently insufferable — think “Moonrise Kingdom” meets “Natural Born Killers.” But underneath the surface of the show’s cynicism, the light-hearted soundtrack benefits James and Alyssa’s

cause for acting out. “The End of the F***ing World” establishes this right from the start: In the first episode, James explains his psychopathy as Bernadette Carroll’s “Laughing on the Outside” plays in the background, and later, Alyssa explains her misanthropy over the sorrowful tune “Where is the Love” by the Monzas. Both songs sonically and lyrically ache with such forlorn tenderness that it’s impossible not to feel sympathy for these two and how they grew to be so alienated from the world around them. The music offers a more tangible understanding of James and Alyssa’s shared suffering — absent parents, loneliness, childhood trauma — that would otherwise seem dull or trite if the music was edgier and more on-the-nose. Other important scenes are made only more poignant, romantic and clever with the undercurrent of music cues. When James and Alyssa break and enter into a stranger’s mansion in episode three, they dance to Hank Williams’s “Settin’ the Woods on Fire,” having just blown up their car in the previous episode. Later on, James stabs the stranger, who attempts to strangle Alyssa after catching her in his bed, while singer Brenda Lee croons her 1960 single “I’m Sorry.” The two frame the murder in the next

episode to the tune of Timi Yuro’s cover of Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile.” Perhaps these jingles are only meant to soften the blow of the show’s disturbing, grisly violence. I’d argue it serves a greater emotional purpose: The music not only literalizes the shock and despair James and Alyssa experience in these situations, but it also excavates the innocence concealed beneath the darkness of their actions. Their love for one another intensifies, even as they stray further away from sanity. This idea continues onto episode four, where James’s woeful monologue about the loudness of silence feels all the more potent with the sound of Ricky Nelson’s “Lonesome Town.” The scene marks the first time James and Alyssa are separated, and we can actually start to feel heartbreak for both characters as Nelson sings, “There’s a place where lovers go / To cry their troubles away / And they call it lonesome town / Where the broken hearts stay.” Being a confused, frustrated teenager often does feel like the end of the world, but the soundtrack for this off-kilter coming-of-age story offers hope and guidance for lost souls like James and Alyssa. As for “Search Party,” the music choices are a bit more subtle, but still just as effective. Like

“The End of the F***ing World,” one would guess that “Search Party” would incorporate a more indie rock-based soundtrack to reflect the stylings of its hipstermillennial characters. Instead, the show opts for a more ambient electronica sound, using songs by obscure chillwave musicians Boga, Tender, Little Ashes and Roosevelt. Sometimes, the music is used as a tool for comedic irony — Beat Club’s “Something Better” provokes an impromptu dance party in the season two opener, as Dory and her friends mask the guilt and shame of killing the private investigator Keith Powell (Ron Livingston, “Loudermilk”) just hours before. Other times, “Search Party” relies on the glum, melancholy synths of its soundtrack to evoke the fear stirring within the four friends as they suppress the truth. In the last shot of episode two, Dory and her friends contemplate the repercussions of lying about murdering Keith, sitting solemnly in the car as Fear of Men’s “Sane” lingers in the background. The title of the song pretty much says it all. These music choices affect Dory in particular, who, since season one, has experienced a quarter-life crisis of listlessness and anhedonia, heightened even more by the trauma of killing

Keith and subsequently burying him with her friends to cover up their tracks. The dirty regret bubbling inside Dory culminates into an all-time low in the seventh episode when she envisions jumping off a rooftop to Tender’s “Belong” — a song that mirrors her terror of being found out, especially with lyrics like, “No I don’t belong, to anyone / But I wish I did / Then maybe I won’t feel the shame.” Strangely enough, the music in “Search Party” and “The End of the F***ing World” ruminates on very similar ideas about how scared people in this generation are to confront their own existence. Dory, James and Alyssa repress not only the truth about the mistakes they made, but also who they are as people. None of them feel like they can live up to societal expectations, and instead of reckoning with the issue upfront, they do their best to bottle everything up as much as possible, often leading to disastrous consequences. But the soundtracks in both shows do their best to validate the remorse these characters face. Music itself can often be a cushion for characters like these, just as it can be a source of solace for people who feel just as lost, angry, misunderstood and burdened with a need to do everything right.

Arts

6A — Wednesday, January 17, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

MUSIC NOTEBOOK

FILM REVIEW

Young Thug is the king The genre-bending rapper is going to be mumble rap’s savior MIKE WATKINS Daily Arts Writer

National Geographic

‘Jane’ paints a sumptuous portrait of a living legend DANNY HENSEL Daily Arts Writer

“Jane,” the latest documentary from director Brett Morgen (“Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”), is nothing short of a small miracle. First, there’s the fact that the film is the product of a hundred hours of prime footage once thought to be lost before being discovered in 2014. Second, the subject of the footage, the conservation biologist and chimp researcher Jane Goodall, whom everyone knows but no one knows really anything about, is a

“Jane ” National Geographic Michigan Theater

mesmerizing figure with a story long-worthy of telling. But let’s start with the logistics. In her mid-20s, Goodall, fascinated by nature but not tinged by academic orthodoxy, was directed by her employer to travel to Africa to conduct observational research on primates. She went to the Gombe in 1960, which sits at the western edge of Tanzania (it has since become a national park). Accompanied by her mother, Goodall began a study of the chimpanzees in the park, at first keeping her distance but then over time moving closer and closer. The footage, captured mostly by Hugo van Lawick, a Dutch photographer for

National Geographic who himself becomes a character in Goodall’s life, is stunning. There’s a reason van Lawick got his coveted job, and the film is at its best when it lets the footage speak for itself. Extreme close-ups on the insects creeping and crawling among the grass, dusk shots of Goodall sitting against the darkening sky, chimps slipping somewhat lackadaisically through towering trees. Not to mention the color, which is rich as the finest works of Fauvism. When the color fades into gruesomely edited blackand-white sequences, which are thankfully rare in the film’s brisk 90-minute running time, “Jane” loses most of its luster. That’s not to say that the film offers nothing by way of the traditional biographical documentary. The 83-year-old Goodall’s eloquent narration, constructed partly from interviews with Morgen and partly from her own writing, allows us to exist inside her wonder-filled young mind. Morgen’s interview questions verge on unimaginative, but Goodall’s responses are everenlightening peeks into one of the 20th century’s most revered figures. Overlaying Goodall’s writings, read aloud by the woman herself, over actual footage of her young self is magical. A freak accident of discovery and timing, sure, but it’s a treasure nonetheless. The score by famed composer Philip Glass (“Visitors”) is gorgeous, if overpowering at times. Often, it can tie in a sense of tragedy where it does not seem to exist, a complaint I’ve had about numerous Glass scores, but here, it’s a minor

quibble. The score contains at its core a sense of wondrous fascination and discovery, or perhaps nearing it. It’s elegant and though I wonder what the film would be like with zero score, with scored only by the sounds of nature, my hunch is that van Lawick’s cameras were not designed to capture noise. Glass is a nice consolation. Far from conventional, “Jane” transmutes a simple

“Jane” transmutes a simple biographical tale into a fully immersive and sensory experience.

biographical tale into a fully immersive and sensory experience. In fact, the film’s allegiance to completing her biography can come at the expense of experiencing Jane’s life. Those moments of truth — not biography but documentary at its core — are so fundamentally moving that to turn away from the chimps crawling around each other, or Goodall raising her son Grub in Gombe, or Goodall laughing with van Lawick, just feels wrong. Fortunately, Morgen chooses to stick with the footage much of the time. Lucky us.

Yaaah-ahoooo! Inewanewanewanev like. Inewaevery single girl, betcha. Inewasmoke-daddywholeword nada. Yaaah-ahoooo! The gibberish above is my interpretation of a melody in the song “Feel It” by Young Thug. On paper, the hodgepodge of vowels and consonants reads like absolute nonsense, but on the track, Thug is able to string these relatively nonsensical sounds together to develop a melody so interesting that his voice essentially becomes an instrument. Young Thug is the melody master of mumble rap, but also much more; he is the saving grace of the fledgling genre. Today’s mainstream rap is dominated by warbling and mumbling. Stars like 21 Savage and Lil Yachty have made names for themselves by ditching lyricism for a more laid-back sound. The difference between these rappers and Young Thug, however, is that Thug supplements his lack of lyricism with artistic substance, whereas 21 and Yachty leave their listeners with a lackluster and chordless beat void of any creative inspiration. Listen to his track “Kanye West” and you can hear the difference: Thug incorporates a dynamic, syncopated beat into a song with real chord progressions and engaging instrumentation. The track is not your typical trap rap, and Young Thug is not your typical trap rapper. Thug’s defining quality is his voice. No one can mistake the blend of pleasantly strained falsetto and eerily warbled

baritone for any other rapper. Some love it, some hate it, but regardless, it’s unmistakable. The sounds he can produce are certainly unique, but Thug’s real talent lies in what he can do with those sounds. The Atlanta mumbler has the power to make his listeners feel, so much so that his words become irrelevant. Grantland contributor Shea Serrano describes this ability perfectly: “In a lot of instances, Young Thug isn’t making music that you have to unravel in terms of meaning. His whole thing is how do I feel? How am I connected to this verse? He’s just trying to generate this feeling, and the feeling is the meaning. It’s that simple.” Comprehensible lyrics or not, Young Thug elicits emotion in his music, a feat that 21 and Yachty simply can’t pull off with their unrefined deliveries. Not only is Young Thug a cut above other mumble rappers with his high-quality beats and captivating melodies, but he is also transforming mumble rap into a creative and progressive genre. Similar to The Beatles’s introduction of art to rock ‘n’ roll with their inventive and all-encompassing production of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band brought listeners a creative experience that revealed the artistic potential of their genre. Young Thug is

Would Lil Yachty be able to pull off such a foreign yet incredibly engaging sound? I seriously doubt it

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BOOK REVIEW

‘Solve for Desire’ looks for answers, finds questions SOFIA KAUFMAN Daily Arts Writer

“This is the first time I’ve written to you / and I know now why they call me little witch.” In “Solve for Desire,” a slim collection of poems, Caitlin Bailey imagines and explores the lives of Georg Trakl and his younger sister Grete, to whom Bailey dedicates the work. Georg Trakl was a late 19th-century Austrian poet who struggled with addiction, served in the army, attempted suicide and died of a drug overdose that may have been intentional. Grete committed suicide at a party a few years later. The extent of their relationship is unknown. The poems in “Solve for Desire” are consumed with the wells of wanting that lie underneath our more innocent, more easily articulated wishes. She examines both savage desire and raw grief, wondering how memories of ourselves exist in words on both sides. “Pigeons” considers the jarring dissonance between

literal anatomy, emotional pain unpredictability of a phrase and the instability of them verges on a lack of clarity, both. “Poem About Desire,” and the introduction of a slight 22 words, captures enjambment in later poems is the fiercely inconsequential startling. But eventually, they beauty of small things, of coalesce into a communication runaway moments crystallized of the visceral ache of loving in amber. The final few lines someone who wishes for of “The Heart is to a Pleasant deliverance; the misery of Thing,” without directly wanting to tell them about it referencing its when they aren’t subject matter, there to listen; the struggle reproduces the to translate moment that uncertainty wounds into words. hardens into Caitlin Bailey Desire can determination in dwindle and it someone’s eyes. Milkweed Editions “Right Light” can die. That’s Dec. 2017 finds the hint of not Bailey’s concern. Rather, hope found in the she focuses on circumlocution of a prophecy. More than a few how desire can consume like a poems feel eerily reminiscent flame held to a piece of paper of the language of incantations, dipped in oil, leaving nothing echoing cadences that have but a trace of smoke. She’s slipped through our memories. painting the oily gradient of The poems do not wander; darker desires, the eroticism they stay intensely focused on of an inappropriate possession their subjects. A few images are that verges on a question more woven throughout the whole weighted than being ready to collection. Palms, wrists and die for someone: being ready necks are referenced several to live for them. It’s a question times; snake imagery lies coiled that will never — and maybe throughout. Occasionally, the shouldn’t — be solved.

“Solve for Desire”

introducing a new art to the world of wordless rap. The JEFFERY album cover says it all: Posing in a blue and purple pastel colored, Victorianera dress, Thug signals to his listeners that his music is more than a shallow glimpse at urban life in Atlanta. Mumble rap has become an artistic experience that aims to challenge rap entirely. How many Atlanta rappers will you find sporting dresses? Thug’s genre-bending is especially evident in his newest album, Beautiful Thugger Girls. With the LP’s first track, “Family Don’t Matter,” Thug surprises his listeners with acoustic guitar and ethereal vocals that one might find on a Lumineers track. Then, a classic and tight Thug beat drops, accompanied by a melody with country undertones and the rare decipherable line, “Country Bill made a couple milly.” The best part: The song retains the “feel good” quality Thug’s music is known for. This eclectic mix of sounds and genres is exactly why Young Thug is the untouchable king of mumble rap. Would Lil Yachty be able to pull off such a foreign yet incredibly engaging sound? I seriously doubt it — the man doesn’t even know the difference between a clarinet and a cello.

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Sports

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 — 7A

Forwards nominated for Hobey Baker Award Michigan Invitational defined by comebacks WOMEN’S TENNIS

ROBERT HEFTER Daily Sports Editor

In its entire history, the Michigan hockey team has seen just two players claim a Hobey Baker Award: Kevin Porter in 2007-08 and Brendan Morrison in 1996-97. And given the Wolverines’ (5-7-2 Big Ten, 10-10-2 overall) performance this past weekend against then-No. 9 Minnesota (4-91, 13-12-1), it’s no surprise that senior forward Tony Calderone and junior forward Cooper Marody were nominated Monday for the same award that solidified Porter and Morrison as Michigan hockey legends. “It’s a tremendous honor,” Marody said. “I remember when I came in right at my freshman year and I walked into this room that was a lounge at one time, and the Hobey Baker trophies were there and above was a picture with the two Hobey Baker

winners – Brendan Morrison and Porter – and coach (Red) Berenson told me, he said, ‘You see those right there? Go get one.’ ” That memory certainly seems like more of a reality now. Marody and Calderone lead the team in points with 31 and 27, respectively, and steered the Wolverines to an unexpected sweep of the Golden Gophers. “Obviously, you know they’ve had good years,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson. “ … I’m glad they were recognized for it. Obviously, they can’t do it without a lot of help from other people, but good for them, they both deserve to be nominated and recognized for the starts they’ve had so far.” The pair – in conjunction with senior forward Dexter Dancs – are no strangers to the spotlight as almost 40% of Michigan’s total points run through them. But are either of them worthy of the highest honor in collegiate

“Obviously, you know they’ve had good years.”

hockey? Let’s put it in context of the Wolverines’ biggest and most successful series of the season thus far. Mariucci Arena – Minnesota’s home rink – is one of the most hostile environments in all of college hockey, but Marody managed to give Michigan a 3-1 lead both Friday and Saturday. They were much-needed insurance goals to solidify its two victories. Calderone, despite his uncommon goalless weekend, racked up three assists, one of which was to Dancs to get the Wolverines on the board first Friday. To say that Marody and Calderone generated all of the Michigan offense this weekend would be a farce, as the sweep can be attributed to a complete revival – a rev of the Wolverines’ offensive engine. “You see one guy working, shoveling, and then maybe three

“Lately, all the guys are getting their hands dirty.”

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Senior forward Tony Calderone was nominated for the Hobey Baker award, along with junior forward Cooper Marody.

WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING

Without Haughey, ‘M’ still finds a way to win RIAN RATNAVALE Daily Sports Writer

Many things can change in the span of three months. Winter turns into spring. A school’s Greek life can come, go, and return again. A team that seems destined for success at the beginning of a season can spiral into failure. The No. 4 Michigan women’s swim team has spent three months on the road, finding success during its travels. Saturday, the Wolverines brought home that winning spirit to Canham Natatorium, beating No. 10 Indiana. Right from the start of the first race, it was easy to see why many players on the team felt energized to be swimming in Ann Arbor for the first time since September. Canham Natatorium was packed almost to capacity, and every Michigan win was accompanied by a chorus of Hail to the Victors. “It’s great energy, and we feed off of it,” said Michigan coach Mike Bottom. “We had some great swimming today… Having our band and our supporters here made a huge difference.” Although the Wolverines were missing junior Siobhán Haughey, a former Olympian, Michigan was able to win relatively easily, 180120. “I was so impressed with the whole team,” Bottom said. “We had one of our best swimmers, Siobhán, injured and not able to swim. That came up at the last minute. We had to make some changes due to Siobhán not swimming today, but our captains led us and the whole team really responded to that. They filled in where we needed to. Our fight was outstanding.” Without Haughey, Michigan faced the tough task of facing Indiana’s Lilly King, a two-

time Olympic gold medalist in her own right. While King won multiple events, performances from swimmers like senior Clara Smiddy helped offset that. Smiddy won two events, including a three-second win over King in the 200-yard IM. The Wolverines specifically dominated the freestyle events, taking the top three spots in the 50, 100, 500 and the 1000yard freestyle. Junior Rose Bi, who won the 500-yard freestyle, was confident in the team’s chances to win. “We’re definitely a really strong team, but I know that we’re one of the best teams in the nation,” Bi said. “So I was pretty confident that we could beat them, even though they gave us a lot of challenges. I also saw a lot of opportunities to improve myself. They have some people who are better than us, so in the future, I can do better in these rounds.” Just like Bi, Bottom saw the match as a golden opportunity for improvement, looking ahead to the Big Ten Championships and NCAAs. Against good teams, better ones rise to the occasion. “They swam very fast against us,” Bottom said. “That was their fastest dual meet by far, and that was on both sides. We rose, and that was one of our fastest dual meets by far… When you face good competition you rise to it, and we learned.” Many lessons can be learned from spending so much time on the road. The Wolverines found that out for themselves over the last three months, and Saturday’s domination of the Hoosiers was a glimpse of that. Now, only time will tell if those lessons will pay off for Michigan in the postseason.

“I was so impressed with the whole team.”

or four guys just leaning on their shovels watching, and I think we’ve been a little bit like that,” Pearson said. “Lately, all the guys are getting their hands dirty.” Junior forward Brendan Warren certainly can be considered one of those guys, netting two goals Friday that ultimately helped award him the Big Ten First Star of the Week. However, their combined plusminus of three is worth noting to consider the impact of their prowess. At face value, Calderone’s team-leading 15 goals – which ties for seventh in the nation – and Marody’s 31 points are considerable accolades. But, the recent success of the pair wasn’t always a given in the up-anddown season the Wolverines are having. They were scoreless against Ohio State in Columbus, Michigan State in East Lansing and Notre Dame in South Bend. While the Michigan offense – if one were to look at the season in its entirety – has been reliant on Marody and Calderone, their performance has ultimately been inconsistent. “I think this weekend might’ve shown that we can do it against good teams,” Calderone said of the Selection Committee’s process. “But they’ve probably looked at our whole season and I think we’ve done pretty well … but last weekend definitely helped.” If the weekend against the Golden Gophers tells fans one thing, it’s that the Wolverines’ play is much better when the pair is on its game. And the question remains, can they keep it up? The Hobey Baker Award Selection Committee will be watching.

ARIA GERSON

Daily Sports Writer

Kate Fahey was down, but not out. Despite dropping the first set, 4-6, to fifth-ranked Gabriela Talaba of Texas Tech on Monday, the junior — ranked No. 33 — came back to take the second set, 6-3, tie the third, 6-6, and eventually prevail in the tiebreaker, 7-2. Fahey wasn’t the only member of the Michigan women’s tennis team who staged a comeback at the Michigan Invitational — which ran from Saturday through Monday — though. Sophomore Chiara Lommer also dropped her first set to a higher-ranked opponent Monday before taking the next two sets to win the match, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2. “Today, we lost a lot of first sets and they came back,” said Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein. “That’s gonna be the key to our year.” Fahey’s victory capped off a weekend sweep, defeating two ranked opponents in three matches. After a fall season that didn’t live up to her expectations, she took the invitational as an opportunity to prove herself. There, she found success. “I kinda surprised myself,” Fahey said. “I stepped up more and I think it paid off in the end.” Two freshmen, Alyvia Jones and Bella Lorenzini, also went three-for-three in their singles matches. Lorenzini didn’t drop a single set during the tournament. “It’s good to see the young kids being the ones stepping up early,” Bernstein said. “It definitely gives us some depth in the lineup.” Where the Wolverines didn’t fare so well was in the doubles competition. Jones and senior Alex Najarian were the most successful pairing, taking their set against an Arizona State team, 6-0. But against Texas

Tech, Georgia Tech, Ohio State and Arizona State, Michigan won just three of 11 doubles matches. Perhaps that’s the result of junior Brienne Minor — the reigning NCAA singles champion — being unable to play after undergoing knee surgery in the offseason. With that, the Wolverines were forced to try out several different pairings. But Michigan took it as an opportunity to discover whose styles meshed well together. And while doubles will likely never be a strength for the Wolverines, its collection of talent is such that vast improvement could come from simply finding which pairings work best. “It’s just a matter of finding who we work well with,” Fahey said. “There are just some things we need to work on a little bit more.” The tournament served as a good litmus test for where Michigan stands going into the dual meets, which feature a team component not present at the invitationals. “(This event) kinda looks like a dual match even though it isn’t,” Bernstein said. “It’s just gonna get us ready for Kansas coming next weekend.” And more than just the wins, the comebacks are a positive sign for the Wolverines going forward. “Putting ourselves in those situations,” Fahey said, “(I force) myself to go for the shots I wouldn’t usually go for.” Facing higher-ranked opponents after dropping the first set, Michigan easily could have crumbled. But it didn’t, and that’s why Bernstein sees bigger things coming for a relatively young team. “We gotta keep working and I think we can get better,” Bernstein said. “I think the girls leave this weekend confident that we can compete with anybody in the country.”

No. 8 Michigan taken down by No. 4 Indiana The Wolverines found out where improvement is needed in loss to the Hoosiers ZACH GAN

Daily Sports Writer

silver-linings for the Wolverines. Michigan dominated the long-distance events. After Ransford cruised to victory in the 1,000, he added another first place finish in the 500-yard freestyle. Freshman Luiz Gustavo Borges and Aubock followed suit, sealing the 1-2-3 sweep for the Wolverines, respectively. “As a distance group, we knew we had to do really well and score a lot of points in those events,” Ransford said. “We scored a lot of points in both races which is all you can ask for.” Additionally, senior Evan White was involved in a pair of extremely close races. In the opening 200meter medley relay, White’s strong butterf ly leg catapulted the Wolverines to an apparent split-second victory. However the Michigan relay team was later disqualified. In the 100-yard butterf ly, White touched the wall first

by a fingernail, igniting a roar in the crowd at Canham. He capped off the day with a pair of second-place finishes in the 200-yard butterf ly and 200yard individual medley. “I was trying to race as fast as I could and score points for Michigan really,” White said. Added Michigan coach Mike Bottom: “Evan’s a senior and every senior wants to fight for Michigan.” The Wolverines’ seniors proved Bottom right. Several of them recorded their best times on the day, including James Peek, who split a 43.8 in the 400-yard freestyle relay. “We’re getting towards the end of our collegiate career,” Ransford said. “And you just want to fire it up and swim fast for the team.” Though the outcome was disappointing, Bottom continued to emphasize the value of these regular season dual meets as learning

experiences and opportunities for growth, especially against an elite team like the Hoosiers. “When you face great competition you rise to it,” Bottom said. “We rose, they rose.” With just over a month until the Big Ten Championships, the Wolverines have their work cut out for them. “We just have to do what we do,” Bottom said. “We have to get better.” And just like last year, this year’s championship meet will likely come down to Michigan and Indiana once again. But this time, according to White, the Wolverines will be looking to avenge losses from both last year’s championships and Saturday’s dual meet. “It’s always tough to take a loss at home,” said White. “But our guys showed strong mentalities, and this is just going to be fuel for the fire for the championship season.”

As soon as he dove in, the race was over. For 40 laps, senior PJ Ransford glided up and down the pool, toying with the rest of the field before touching the wall first in the 1,000-yard freestyle. “I felt really strong,” Ransford said. “I was hitting my stroke count really well and it worked out really nicely.” However, success did not come as easily for the rest of Ransford’s team. The eighth-ranked Wolverines (3-1 Big Ten, 5-1 overall) would win just three more events on Saturday en route to a disappointing loss to No. 4 Indiana (1-0 Big Ten, 7-0 overall) — the defending conference champions — 170.5 to 129.5. The loss marked the Michigan men’s swimming and diving team’s first defeat at home at the Canham Natatorium since 2008, as they won just four events on the day to Indiana’s twelve. In the sprint freestyle events, the Wolverines had no answer for the Hoosiers’ Blake Pieroni, who helped the U.S. win gold in the 400-meter freestyle relay in Rio. Pieroni touched first in the 50, 100 and 200, downing fellow Rio Olympian and sophomore Felix Aubock along the way. Michigan was no match for Indiana on the boards as well, as the Hoosiers took the top four spots in the three-meter diving event. Sophomores Jacob Herremans and Stevie Anderson finished fifth and sixth respectively. In the onemeter event, Indiana took the top two spots. MATT VAILLIENCOURT/Daily Still, there were several Senior PJ Ransford was one of few Michigan swimers who performed well in its meet against No. 4 Indiana.

“As a distance group, we knew we had to do really well.”

“When you face great competition, you rise to it.”

Sports

8A — Wednesday, January 17, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

A memorable weekend for the senior guards of Michigan basketball ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Editor

It was quite the weekend for Michigan basketball’s seniors. But if you’re Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, you’re blasé about it all. “I wasn’t thinking about much, just making the free throws,” the senior guard said after notching his 1,000th career point — a game-winning free throw to top Maryland on Monday. “... Definitely didn’t think it was gonna happen like that, but I’m glad it did — we got the win.” A minute before with the Wolverines up 61-59, AbdurRahkman pump-faked and sent two Maryland defenders f lying. One dribble to the left, a spot-up and a much-needed 3-pointer ignited a frenzy at Crisler Center. In Saturday’s 82-72 upset over then-No. 4 Michigan State, Abdur-Rahkman contributed 14 points for his first win in East Lansing, including a tough, and-one layup that gave the Wolverines a two-possession lead halfway through the

second half. That same day and nearly 700 miles away, the women’s team was creating magic of its own from the charity stripe. Freshman guard Deja Church hit three free throws to send the Wolverines into overtime, where they would eventually topple Nebraska, 69-64. A stressful situation? Of course. But it was one they wouldn’t have even been in without shooting virtuoso Katelynn Flaherty. It was business as usual for the senior guard — 9-for17 from the field and a game-high 26 points. Saturday’s road contest was special beyond a thrilling victory, though. With 8:03 remaining in the second quarter, Flaherty spotted up from the top of the 3-point line and scored her 2,443rd career point. She had surpassed Glen

Rice’s record to become the stand-alone scoring leader in Michigan basketball history, man or woman. “It’s pretty incredible to think I could hold the record at such a prestigious university,” Flaherty told The Summitt. “... I think it was all set up perfectly for me to be successful.” Added women’s coach Kim Barnes Arico: “Her story is really special. Hers is a story of hard work and of perseverance and of never giving up and overcoming obstacles.” Flaherty is unequivocally the best player in Michigan women’s basketball history. The same cannot be said for Abdur-Rahkman on the men’s side. But the two East Coast natives have plenty in common. Most significantly, perhaps, is that their teams would not be where they are now — a 15-4 record for the

“It’s pretty incredible to think I could hold the record.”

RUCHITA IYER/Daily

Senior guard Katelynn Flaherty surpassed Glen Rice as the leading scorer in the history of Michigan basketball.

women and a 16-4 record for the men — without them. Neither particularly possesses stand-out athleticism, a trait that made them only a step above being a f ly on the wall coming out of high school. Flaherty makes up for her 5-foot-7 frame with a work ethic marveled by her teammates — she takes 1,000 extra shots after practice. Abdur-Rahkman has compensated for his skinny frame with his trademark dribble-drive finesse at the hoop and his general basketball IQ. “1,000 points, too,” said junior forward Moritz Wagner about Abdur-Rahkman’s accomplishments. “I’m very happy for him about that. He is, in my opinion, very underrated in this league. The way he is playing is awesome.” From a leadership standpoint, neither is the most vocal —

that role has been assumed by more animated players like Wagner and senior forward Jillian Dunston. Instead, they lead through composure, and let their play do the talking. Men’s coach John Beilein has even compared AbdurRahkman’s calm to notable players in the past like Trey Burke and Stu Douglass. And the senior’s stone face during his fate-clinching free throws on Monday circulated the internet thanks to awestruck fans and followers. AbdurRahkman and Flaherty’s quieter style, in other words, could be described as humble. When asked about their individual performances, it is inevitable there will be a mention of their respective coaches and teammates. “They have always believed in me and found me in great positions,” Flaherty said. “I

“I don’t know if I could have done this anywhere else.”

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored his 1,000th point on a game-winning free throw against Maryland.

don’t know if I could have done this anywhere else.” Added Abdur-Rahkman about his team’s chemistry: “We always say that all we need is what we have in this room and we don’t listen to the outside sources and things like that. I think us being so close as a group, as a team, helps us go into tough environments like Michigan State and other places on the road.” Regardless of the help from their teammates or the hurdles they have overcome to be focal points of their team, their respective impacts are unquestioned. Both players are having their best seasons in terms of points, rebounds and assists. The women’s team appears poised to make its first NCAA Tournament since 2013. The men’s team looks like it will have a much easier path to get there than last year. It was a whirlwind threeday, three-win stretch that revealed a message: this year is much different for both teams. Flaherty and Abdur-Rahkman make that a good thing.

Wolverines exact revenge against Ohio State ‘M’ opens new facility TRACK AND FIELD

ROHAN KUMAR Daily Sports Writer

It didn’t make any sense — at least, not at first. With under two minutes remaining in the third quarter, junior shooting guard Nicole Munger dribbled the ball up court, running point. Why was she suddenly playing the new position? It would soon be clear. While Munger handled the ball, the team’s usual point guard — senior Katelynn Flaherty — managed to sneak around the Buckeyes’ defense, and a couple passes later she drained a 3-pointer from the left wing. This clever play created the diversion Flaherty needed to snag an open look, and the Wolverines grabbed hold of the lead, 56-54. They never let go. That play was a major tipping point, as the No. 19 Michigan women’s basketball team (5-2 Big Ten, 16-4 conference) upset No. 8 Ohio State (5-1, 16-3) in Columbus on Tuesday night, 84-75. The first half was a foul frenzy.

Junior center Hallie Thome — Michigan’s go-to player in the post — got two fouls within the opening quarter. This restrained the Wolverines’ abilities down low, and the Buckeyes started to dominate the paint, led by forward Stephanie Mavunga. Thome didn’t let her foul troubles stop her, though, and she stepped up big time. With four fouls in the fourth quarter, Thome closely guarded Mavunga in the low post with two minutes remaining in the game. With the score at 78-72, a fifth foul would have been troublesome for Michigan. But Thome’s smart positioning helped her draw a charge while Mavunga attempted a spin move, further building momentum for the Wolverines. She also helped Michigan maintain its separation in the final period with some critical baskets, finishing the night with a team-high 27 points. But Ohio State found foul troubles of their own. Its star guard, Kelsey Mitchell, picked up two fouls early on. That forced her to ease up on the defensive

end, and with Mitchell playing conservatively, Munger took advantage — easily finding the lane and scoring on Mitchell. Munger shined for Michigan from the start and wasn’t far behind Thome with a career-high 20 points. “Nicole played with an extreme amount of confidence,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico told WTKA. “She was definitely a difference maker.” Though they excelled in transition, the Wolverines were initially unable to tame the Buckeyes’ multi-threat offense — made up of Mitchell and Mavunga, who finished with 20 and 21 points, respectively. Michigan trailed, 25-21, at the end of the first stanza. On the first play of the second frame the Wolverines turned the ball over. That became a theme, and Ohio State scored 25 points off turnovers by the end of the game. Five minutes before halftime, though, Mitchell got called for her third foul and headed to the bench. This break helped Michigan stay in the game, as it started to cut into the deficit. But Flaherty struggled

to score. She had just three points at the break, and the Buckeyes led, 41-36. The Wolverines went to work in the third quarter, going on a 7-0 run right off the bat. Flaherty started to look more like herself, draining a corner 3-pointer to ignite the run. A couple minutes later, she tied the game up at 41 with a layup in transition. She finished the night with 21 points, and her success in the second half fueled Michigan. “We were really scoring the basketball,” Barnes Arico said. “I think that just helped our confidence.” It was the second contest between the two teams in a span of 10 days. The Wolverines lost a heartbreaking overtime contest in Ann Arbor and had their revenge planned for Tuesday. Despite a tough first half, they succeeded. “Nine days ago was one of the toughest times,” Barnes Arico said. “We really felt like we let the game slip away, and we really focused on improving a lot of the mistakes we had made at that point.”

CEREN B DAG/Daily

The Michigan women’s basketball team defeated No. 8 Ohio State on Tuesday to avenge its previous, overtime loss to the Buckeyes 10 days ago.

with Wolverine Invite JACOB KOPNICK Daily Sports Writer

On Saturday, international collegiate athletes, Michigan alum and Olympians gathered in Ann Arbor’s new south campus athletic complex to break in the new indoor track. The Wolverines hosted the Wolverine Invitational, a nonscoring meet featuring top talent from across the country. The meet was a chance for Michigan’s track and field programs to test the waters on their pristine new track. The Wolverines learned what it’s like to compete on their new home turf. Despite being a preseason event, there were still numerous highlights. Both the men’s and women’s teams fared impeccably well against stiff competition. For the men’s team, events such as the 60-meter, 400-meter and 4 x 400m relay unfolded favorably as Michigan took the top spot in all of these events. The Wolverines also managed second-place finishes in the 60-meter hurdles, 800-meter, one mile, weight throw and high jump. These performances were driven behind senior Khoury Crenshaw in the 60-meter with a time of 6.80 seconds and freshman Jandon Briscoe in the 400-meter with a time of 47.82 seconds. The women’s team faired equally well, notching top finishes in the 400-meter, 4 x 400 relay and high jump. Scoring top finishes were sophomore Jade Harrison in the 400-meter with a time of 55.48 seconds, senior Claire Kieffer-Wright in the high jump clearing 1.73 meters and the Michigan A team in the 4 x 400 relay, clocking a 3:44.91 finish. Michigan also secured secondplace positions in the 60-meter, one mile and weight throw. Some of the Wolverines’ second-place accolades also garnered praise, such as junior Matt Plowman, who finished

the 800-meter behind two-time Olympic medalist and Michigan alum Nick Willis. “I think I did good for the first meet,” Harris said. “And I think the whole team did super well for the first meet as well. There were a lot of standouts like Jandon (Briscoe), he did really well in the 400, and then (junior) Meghan (Marias) got second place in the 60, then stepped up to be in the 4 x 4.” What makes these performances even more exemplary is that every individual’s winning mark will now serve as the new facility record. While some records may be broken in subsequent meets, others look to last a while. Unattached triple jumper Donald Scott landed a noteworthy 17.06-meter jump, a mark that would have dethroned the old facility record, and professionals Nicole Sifuentes and Shannon Osika ran the fastest mile times ever recorded in the state of Michigan at 4:27.69 and 4:28.30, respectively. All in all, one of the largest crowds to ever watch a home Michigan track meet was impressed with not only the quality of the competition, but of the new facility as well. “At first it was pretty nervewracking,” Briscoe said. “But after my first 60, I felt settled in, and honestly — this is one of the best tracks I’ve ran on. I’ve been all over the country running track, and this is probably the best track for sprints I’ve ever had.” Added Michigan women’s coach James Henry: “You can never have a second chance to make a first impression. And these kids’ first impression, I thought, was very good. There’s a reason we put up a world class facility — because we wanted to bring in world class athletes, and we want to get to the point where these kids can aspire to be such a person.”

statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | JA N UA RY 17, 201 8

Wednesday, January 17, 2018// The Statement

statement T H E M I CH I GA N DAI LY | JA N UA RY 17, 201 8

Managing Statement Editor: Brian Kuang

Photo Editor: Amelia Cacchione

Deputy Editors: Colin Beresford Jennifer Meer Rebecca Tarnopol

Editor in Chief: Alexa St. John

Copy Editors: Elise Laarman Finntan Storer

Managing Editor: Dayton Hare

Brews Through: Songbird Cafe BY YOSHIKO IWAI, COLUMNIST

ast the deer and occasional wild turkey on North Campus, beyond the research complexes and Environmental Protection Agency field office, lies a stretch of strip malls with grocery stores and gyms with vacant parking lots. Along Plymouth Road, among stores with yellowing signs and mounds of snow taking up parking spaces, there’s a place that is always full — the Songbird Cafe. The first time I came here was a little less than a year ago. I came with my roommates to escape the back-to-school campus craze on a Sunday morning. We sat among families on their way back from church, graduate students and other groups of friends like ourselves. Today, I’m here to enjoy the atmosphere and let the coffee meddle with my thoughts. I start with a spicy ginger tea and order a dirty chai latte. The Songbird Cafe is one of the cafes that has realized good coffee needs good food with it. My green tea muffin with candied ginger and walnuts makes my latte taste even better. The American eatery serves brunch, lunch and baked goods with a full coffee bar. The Songbird Cafe is creative, without trying too hard — it feels like home, and less like an Instagram showroom. Chestnut

brown tables and chairs are lined along the window, comfy couches and stools filling the inside. The pale wallpaper balances the darkness of the wood. The lamps are splattered in a rusty silver that lights the artwork and dry flowers on the back wall. Natural light floods the other half. As it gets darker outside, the lamps feel brighter. Artisan sandwiches and lattes are written on a chalkboard up front that makes you want to read the entire menu because the cursive handwriting is fun to follow with your eyes. They have omelets with Gouda, bacon, mushrooms and caramelized onions. The grilled cheese comes with apple butter on Italian bread. The tangerine-lavender hot chocolate always catches my eye. Fresh muffins, cookies and bundt cakes are lined by the cashier. I want to try everything on the menu. The Songbird Cafe turns off Wi-Fi on weekends during brunch and lunch hours. I like that the cafe isn’t all clatter from keyboards and sound leaking from headphones, but conversation. When conversation stops, there’s music instead. They are the only cafe I know of that does this in Ann Arbor, and it works. People fill the space, the way the smell of coffee and

baked goods do — they come to enjoy each other’s company. There are families and couples, people that come alone with a good book. It feels like a cafe, the way it’s always buzzing, but mellow at the same time. The workers are friendly and I always ask what their favorite pastry is before I order. I don’t know if it’s a uniform, but I like that they dress in earth tone sweaters and lots of grays. They seem happy here, unlike the baristas I’ve encountered at some other coffee shops. The cafe makes you warm from the inside, like it’s Christmas year-round. Coming here, sitting in the corner and watching families talk, couples play thumb games with Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World” playing in the back, takes me home with my family. It’s nostalgic. Maybe it’s just me. Maybe it’s because my grandma’s mountain house is different shades of brown with dried lavender stems in white ceramic vases. Maybe it’s because my mom used to wash, cut and fry potatoes from scratch like Songbird does. Maybe it’s because I come from a family that never allowed electronics at the dinner table. Maybe it’s because my brother is in the hospital on the other side of the planet and I can’t do anything but sit here and write and drink my latte. Seeing siblings trade bites of their sandwich, old married couples share coffee, people on the phone laughing at jokes I can’t hear, makes me miss home. But maybe that’s OK too. Songbird Cafe is a people place. It’s special in the way it values its customers and gives them space to breathe — it’s hard to find places like this. For students and faculty on campus, it’s a getaway. It’s further from the noise and competition, but sure worth the hike. It’s a nook in a strip mall I’m happy I found. There are medical students talking about their first rotation, old friends reuniting, people talking about the future, others journaling. It makes me appreciate the company I’m with, the communities I’m a part of. It’s calming, the way cafes are in movies and books, the way I picture Courtesy of Yoshiko Iwai them in my head.

Courtesy of Yoshiko Iwai

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 // The Statement

Soundtracking: The weather’s mood swings BY MATT HARMON, DAILY NEWS EDITOR

f there’s one thing I’m reasonably good at — and the list of things I can do is pretty low these days — it’s small talk about the weather. You wanna talk about a movie you saw last week? Sure. Wanna ask how my day was? Something awkward probably happened but I’ll tell you everything anyway. Wanna talk about the weather? Fuck yes. I love talking about the weather. Nothing gets me more jazzed, more stoked or more psyched than the weather because you can bring it up anytime and someone will always have something to say. You’ll never cut anyone out. It’s a universal issue … Well, it’s not actually universal because microbes on other planets have different weather patterns to talk about, but it’s a saying so hop off your soapbox and chill out. It’s just the weather. Here’s an actual conversation I had the other day. Very pleasant, would rate it seven out of 10 in terms of personal fulfillment. “Hey.” “Hey! Man, this weather is wild! Like, make up your mind, planet!” “Yeah for sure. Catch you later.” Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. No bullshit, just talking about the weather. That’s all you need. Like the other day … “One Fine Day” — The Chiffons I had gotten used to piling on layers of clothes in the morning assuming it was just as freezing as the day before. That’s a pretty fair assumption in Ann Arbor. Once it starts snowing, you’re pretty much a Popsicle until spring. Don’t get me wrong, I love snow. But if it’s cold and it’s not snowing, there’s no point to it being so cold. Just give us some snow to awe at and put on Snapchat as if everyone else can’t just look out the window and see the exact same thing. But one day, I popped on jeans, tall socks, boots, an undershirt, a flannel, a crewneck and then a coat featuring a lovely accent of a beanie and gloves. I was ready for whatever Earth wanted to throw my way … Except heat. Fifty degrees blindsided me like that Sandra Bullock movie about football. The moment I stepped outside, I noticed the sun was actually shining and a lovely warmth was brushing my cheeks. I braced myself for nothing. I ran back upstairs and changed, definitely securing my tardiness to lecture but who cares? It’s summer again! “Pool Boyz” — Diet Cig “I just wanna get cool / Let’s go swimming in a swimming pool” I don’t think there was anyone not talking about the weather that day. It warmed my heart. I walked down State Street, eavesdropping because I’m an

invasive piece of shit, and all I heard was people marveling at the weather. No one was excluded from the conversation. The campus was united over the Earth’s mood swings. We had just come out of what felt like an eternal winter. The gray skies felt ingrained in my vision but now, I looked up and saw nothing but beautiful, striking blue. Later that day, the sunset turned the sky a lovely shade of pink and purple. Pure bliss. “Pineapple Skies” — Miguel “There’s pineapple purple skies / Promise everything gon’ be alright” The weather was perfect. I was perfectly comfortable with a light jacket

Hot take, I know, but it’s the truth. If you know what the weather is going to be like tomorrow, there’s no mystery in a conversation. There’s no end result. You just know immediately. If I ask someone “What do you think the weather’s gonna be like?” and I see them reach into their pocket to check, I know my entire small talk conversation is ruined. Where has the joy gone in just guessing and waiting to see if your gamble on Earth’s weather patterns for the day is correct? We could never have a casino of just predicting what the weather is. Technology has ruined that viable market and I will never forgive it. Back to the weather, I woke up the

ILLUSTRATION BY ROSEANNE CHAO

and Hawaiian shirt with a huge hole on the front. Usually, if I want to suffer for fashion, that one bit where my bare skin hits the cold air freezes into an ice cube. Fashion is pain and I will never change my self-destructive and inconvenient ways. That day, I was content. I got home that night, lay down in bed and was thrilled to see what tomorrow would bring. Pause on the narrative real quick. Weather apps are single-handedly dismantling our society’s small talk and they should be thrown out the window as a crime against our social system.

next day ready to see if our warm streak was about to officially begin. Think again. “Cold Cold Heart” — Norah Jones I was not prepared to jump back to where we were two days ago. The Earth had given me a taste of what could be and I got greedy. Icarus had flown too close to the Sun and was cast into the cold water below. Honestly, it was just a little rude on the Earth’s part. Who do you think you are? I stuck my hand out the window, expecting a pleasant brush of heat but instead was smacked across the face with a cold breeze. I guess I should have

expected it. In the wise words of that one Robert Frost poem that people only know from “The Outsiders”: “nothing gold can stay.” I threw on my Target-brand navyblue peacoat that I’ve had since freshman year of high school. It has failed me many times but I was hopeful that I could conserve body heat on my way to class. Fuck hope. “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad” — Prince You betrayed me, peacoat and I will never forgive you … until I ultimately forget and don you another day. I went about my day, freezing in my coat but it takes a lot to be a fashion icon like myself. I was taking the Commuter South bus route from North Campus, trying to concentrate on the music blaring from my earbuds. If I focused on the warming sounds of Prince’s silky smooth voice, I wouldn’t be as cold. It had worked in the past. Unfortunately, I focused a little too hard and missed my stop by a mile and a half. I immediately pulled the yellow cord and jumped off the bus at the nearest stop. There was no way I was about to walk home from where I ended up. So I waited … and waited … and then I thought about how cold I was … and then I waited some more. “All Day” — Kanye West I looked like Jack Nicholson in the end of “The Shining” by the time the Commuter North bus rolled around to take me back the way I came. The door popped open and I swear I had to break the ice that had formed around my joints before I could walk like a robot into that warm haven. I never thought I would have treated the sopping and muddy insides of a blue bus with the same appreciation and folksiness that I would a beautiful cabin in the woods with a roaring fireplace. I kicked my feet up, kept my earbuds OUT of my sight so I wouldn’t get distracted again and watched with the glaring intensity of a night owl for my stop. I ran to my room, jumped in bed and lied there until I could feel my appendages again. “Warm on a Cold Night” — Homme ft. Aminé Despite this pain, despite the unfortunate scenarios Earth’s seemingly random weather patterns may bring, they keep you on your toes. Also, I wouldn’t have this week’s column without small talk about the weather. So thanks for helping me reach word count, Earth. You’re pretty rad sometimes. Keep on doin’ you. “Thank You” — Francis and the Lights

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 // The Statement

In Search of a Home

get homesick when I look at pictures of the Sonoran desert. The gray-green Saguaro cacti, reaching their limbs past the distant, jagged mountain peaks toward a radiant blue sky, feel like family. Home is a white and gray tent, small enough to look natural among the desert brush and stones. I was born in Tucson, Arizona, but by the time I was old enough to know what a home was, I had already moved to Washington, D.C., where I grew up. So proud was I of the camping I’d done as a toddler that I used to tell my elementary school friends I was born in a tent so close to the Mexican border that my parents never knew for sure which country I was actually born in. When I was five or six, my father taught me, while reading me a book about the desert, that the only place in the world Saguaro cacti grow is Arizona, California and Mexico. I thought, for a long time, that meant the cacti grew in clusters, that they stopped at the border and restarted a few miles away. I figured that Arizona’s border was sealed off, like a hockey arena; that on one side of the plexiglass was Arizona and all its wonders and on the other was the rest of

by Abigail Muro, Daily Staff Reporter the world. Needless to say, I was wrong. The place where Saguaro cacti grow is really just one big area, similar in shape to Florida. The main concentration of cacti is divided up pretty evenly between Arizona and Mexico so that if one were to walk through the Sonoran desert and let their mind wander, they might accidentally walk from the United States to Mexico. The first time my family went back to visit Arizona after the big move was when I was in second grade. We stayed a few days with friends in Tucson and then headed to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument for a few days of hiking and camping under the huge desert sky. The monument is a compelling spot: It’s nestled right up against the Mexican border, in some of the most rugged desert in the United States. It glows orange in the morning and a deep magenta in the evening as the sun rises and sets, ref lecting off the grays and browns and greens of the landscape. We went in the spring, the best time of year to camp in Arizona, and pitched a tent amid a blanket of orangey wildf lowers that dotted the desert f loor. After our first night under the stars, my dad woke up early to take one of his

usual long, desert walks. This particular morning, my older sister Olivia and I decided to tag along too. I padded carelessly across the desert sand, my lime green sneakers crunching against the gravelly desert f loor. It was a perfect Arizona morning, exactly like how I’d “remembered” based on the stories and pictures in my head from family lore and memories. The jagged mountains looked like they had been etched into the sky and the air felt so clean and clear, it was like a sip of water. Much to my delight, my dad let us wander slightly off the path until we discovered a small ravine that had been eroded out of the rock and dust by water some hundreds of years before. Ever the explorers, Olivia and I were intrigued. Attracted to the terrain and intriguing depression we climbed carefully down it, examining the rough boulders and rock faces as we went. Olivia took the lead and I followed, my dad helping me find firm footing amid the grit. “Hey! Someone littered here!” Olivia suddenly called out, once she had reached the bottom. My dad and I looked up to find her squatting close to the ground, prodding at what looked like a candy wrapper. My dad looked

Emma Richter/Daily

surprised. Most of the people that camped in a location this hard to find loved and respected the Earth enough to bring their trash with them when they left. So when Dad and I reached the bottom too, we went over to investigate. It seemed that whoever had been there had used the ravine as their personal trash can. There were several pieces of paper and some empty plastic bottles of orange juice thrown haphazardly onto the ground under a Palo Verde tree. “It’s in another language,” Olivia reported, with a piece of paper with funny looking words on it in her hands. My dad peered at it curiously, before deducing the language was Spanish. “It’s likely that this trash was left here by Mexican immigrants that were probably walking across the border from Mexico,” he said. “Why don’t they take a plane, or drive?” my nine year-old sister asked, not missing a beat. “Well, these people aren’t allowed to come into our country because they haven’t gotten permission,” my dad explained, not mincing his words. “But they probably can’t find a job in Mexico. A lot of the people that come here illegally would rather stay at home with their families, but need some way to make money and they can’t do that in Mexico, so they come here.” “So it’s not allowed?” Olivia probed. “No, it’s not.” “Is it against the law?” “It is.” “So the trash was left by bad g uys?” My dad paused a second. Olivia and I stared at him, and then at the pile of trash at our feet, in wonder. “Well, it’s complicated,” my dad said. Many parents would have left the conversation here, leaving the discussion about illegal immigrants for another day, but my dad went on, “Yes, it is technically illegal for them to come into the U.S. this way, but they are not bad people. They want a better life in America, for themselves and for their families, just like so many people that are already here do. So you can understand why they walk. They are not doing anything bad or hurting anyone.” That was enough of an explanation for Olivia and she seemed to be out of questions, but she, like I, seemed to be having trouble wrapping her mind

Emma Richter/Daily

around how much it must take to leave one’s home and family. This is something that I now, years of experience and education later, realize I will never be able to understand. I had listened to the whole conversation, wide-eyed and now couldn’t stop myself from gawking at what the immigrants had left behind. Whose hands had touched those pieces of paper? Whose mouths had sipped the last bit of orange juice out of the plastic bottles? For the first time, I was able to see the desert around me as a barrier or a challenge, rather than just as a vacation sanctuary. I thought about how hot the desert gets during the day, about the rattlesnakes and scorpions that scared me so much I had to have my mom shake out my shoes for me in the morning. I wondered if the immigrants had a tent, and pictured them sleeping out in the open, at the mercy of the dry lightning strikes and howling coyotes. I wondered what could possibly be so bad about their home to make them want to leave everything and everyone to come to the United States. Where were their families? How far had they walked? Didn’t their feet hurt? We continued puttering around among the cacti and scrubby trees, but these new thoughts stuck in my head. When we got back to the campsite, my sister and I tripped over our sentences, each wanting to be the one to explain to our mom what we had seen and what we had learned. There was excitement in our voices and wonderment in our eyes, but in the back of my throat, there was a tightening of concern for these people and the loved ones they’d left behind. I never forgot that scene in the arroyo and those candy wrappers — evidence of other lives doing the best they could.

A couple mornings later it was time to head home. With the sun getting warm again, we packed up camp and my sister and I climbed back up into the rental car to head back to civilization. I was half asleep against the window when my sister squawked, “LOOK!” My eyes f lew open and I craned my neck out the window to see a big army-green tinted bus along the side of the road. Sitting in the dirt next to it was a group of men, with brown, dark hair and dirty clothes. My parents exchanged a look.

My sister and I sat in silence, twisting ourselves around to stare out the back window until the men and the bus faded into the distance. I still remember some of their faces. They looked tired like they hadn’t slept in days and maybe hadn’t slept well in years. None of them seemed particularly surprised. Rather, they looked blank. It was like what they had been running from had finally, inevitably caught up to them. It was very apparent to me: They were simply waiting.

I had seen the evidence of their journey, had even tried to imagine what it might be like to walk all day under the blistering sun. “What are those people doing there?” Olivia asked. “Remember that trash we saw in the desert?” my dad said gently. My sister and I nodded, wordlessly. “It’s possible that the men who left it there are the same ones sitting right there. If it’s not those same people, it is probably people like them, who have also crossed the border to try to make money to send back to their families. It seems like they are getting picked up by Border Patrol and they will likely be sent back to Mexico.”

For the first time, I saw the faces attached to the statistics. I had seen the evidence of their journey, had even tried to imagine what it might be like to walk all day under the blistering sun. I had caught a glimpse of the end of the first leg of their journey. I imagined them being picked up like pawns on a chessboard and placed back in Mexico, right back at the starting line. I wondered if they’d try again and if they did, if they’d be caught once more and stuck in an endless cycle. And while I’d seen

enough to think of the immigrants as human, I knew that I’d only seen snapshots, that I didn’t know the full extent of their suffering and didn’t know any other pieces of their lives. I wondered if I would do the same thing if I hadn’t been born in this country, if I’d walk the world for myself and the people I love, even if it was breaking the laws, to find a place I could call home. My parents have always taught me that laws are to be followed. Even today as I near my twenties, I am still told to only cross at crosswalks, to stop at all stop signs and red lights and to read every legal document completely and follow it to a T. So it took me a long time to figure out how my parents could excuse these people for breaking the law. The pursuit of comfort, happiness and safety for one’s family is a universal pursuit. Before there were countries and states, there were just territories, and before that, there was just land. And while of course, it’s not as simple anymore as letting people come and go between countries as they please, this idea, of one Earth, home to anyone and anything grown from it, is one that in some cases comes before politics and legislation. For me, this was a beginning to an understanding that not everything is black and white. There is a vast and complicated gray area involved with almost every issue. My dad had told me, back at the ravine in Organ Pipe National Monument that the immigrants were not bad people, but he didn’t have to. I saw it on their faces as we drove by. I didn’t see, the way some people seem to see malice, greed or laziness. All I saw were humans, walking from one side of the Sonoran desert to the other, in the search of a home.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 // The Statement

Copy That: Stylizing my hometown BY ELISE LAARMAN, COPY CHIEF

y f light ticket didn’t show the boarding gate, and “St. Louis” didn’t appear anywhere on the blue departure screens. I was panicking, but I didn’t want anyone to know I was panicking. This was my first solo f light, and I was determined to solve this on my own. So I stood in front of the departure screens until I felt security shooting me weird looks, and then I picked up my bag and started confidently walking in a random direction. I must have walked the entire leng th of the airport three times until it finally occurred to me St. Louis could also be spelled Saint Louis. Instead of looking for f lights starting with “S-T,” I should’ve been looking for f lights starting with “S-A.” Standardization is everything at copy desk. It’s necessary in order to avoid confusion and promote uniformity. But to be consistent, you have to have great attention to detail and to know the correct way to stylize. The “Saint” in St. Louis, for example, should always be abbreviated, and seeing my hometown spelled out Saint Louis makes me weirdly uncomfortable. But I’ve learned not only at the airport, but almost everywhere I’ve traveled, that facts about my hometown aren’t as widely recognized as I’ve assumed. It’s always interesting to hear outside opinions of your city, or perhaps a lack of opinion because many people don’t know where St. Louis is. However, in the copy desk spirit of consistency, I’m here to clean up these misunderstandings. First, St. Louis is pronounced “Lewis,” not “Louie.” Since it was named after King Louis IX of France, it may be more accurate to use the French articulation “Louie” — however, Dr. Seuss is also technically supposed to be pronounced “Soice,” but I don’t think any of us are going to change how we say that anytime soon. Second, St. Louis is in the Midwest. It is not part of the South, to the surprise of many. It’s also not in the West, though it’s called the “Gateway to the West.” It’s Midwest in the extreme. Much of St. Louis is actually in St. Louis County, but the county is more rural than urban. My neighborhood is surrounded by farmland. The bus ride to middle school involved passing

horse pastures and misty cornfields, which my friend and I always speculated would be the best place for a horror movie scene: a murderer appearing from the fog, framed bet ween the fence and dilapidated barn. You drive a little farther and you reach miles and miles of open space, huge f ields of wheat stubble and hay bales. Finally, St. Louis is fighting, but it has not capitulated. Often, when people hear I’m from St. Louis, they

ask me about the Ferg uson protests and Michael Brown, an unarmed Black man who was shot by a white police officer in 2014. The rage is still very palpable in my city as protests continue to turn violent and questions continue to remain unanswered. This is something that weighs heavily on my soul because these national discussions have happened right in my backyard. Yet, it appears these discussions may be having a positive effect. The city has elected

a new mayor. A newly formed citizen advisory committee helped select the city’s current chief of police. This may be a turning point my city needs, and an example my country can look to for a more just future. As copy chief this semester, I’ve done my fair share of correcting small mistakes. Accuracy is important, even for airport staff. The problems within my city are deep and evident, but I’d like to think under closer inspection, one can notice change is occurring.

ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH MYERS

Wednesday, January 17, 2018// The Statement

Call me by my name, or don’t BY LARA MOEHLMAN, 2017 MANAGING STATEMENT EDITOR

y grandfather on my mom’s side of the family has a lexicon of cliches — a signature catchphrase, if you will, for almost any situation. “Put an egg in your shoe and beat it” happens to be my favorite, but there’s also one that I’ve only recently gained an appreciation for: “Call me anything you want. Just don’t call me late for dinner.” Over the past three and a half years, I’ve become immune to the improper pronunciation of my name. You heard that right. Last year, a friend of mine sat waiting for me to finish an editing shift at The Daily. As a (former) editor, it was not uncommon to hear my name from across the newsroom multiple times per hour during production. As we were leaving The Daily that night, my friend said she heard multiple pronunciations of my name in just a few hours, and I responded to all of them. ***** “It’s LAA-ruh, like with the ‘A’ in ‘cat’ or ‘happy’ or the first one in ‘salad.’” “Am I saying it right?” they respond, releasing a sound that matches the “A” in “Claire,” or “hair,” rather than the hard, pungent vowel of my name. “No, but it’s okay.” Then I brace myself for one of three inevitable looks: embarrassment, frustration or confusion. I tell them it’s okay, that I don’t care what they call me, as long as it sounds somewhat close to “Lara” and isn’t “Laura” we can still be friends. This — usually — is to no avail. I’m then thrown into uncomfortable rounds of mispronunciation: slower, louder, higher, then back to slower again. They wait for a nod of approval that probably won’t come. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve listened to: “Lair-uh? Laiir-uh? Laaaiir-uh?” as I contemplate becoming one of those people who just goes by their middle name. Kate Moehlman has a nice ring to it, anyway. But I would never do that. It’s Jewish tradition to name a child after a deceased family member, and mine comes from combining the first two letters of the names of my great uncle Larry and great-grandmother Rachel — people who mean a lot to my parents and who, by extension, mean a lot to me.

For some context, I’m from a northern New Jersey suburb of New York. The classic “New Jersey Accent” isn’t that strong in my hometown (people say “wah-ter,” not “wooder”), but I also grew up around many Brooklyn accents. My mother says “Flah-rida” instead of Florida, my grandfather regularly drops his “Rs,” and when my grandmother was alive, she would say President Obama’s last

name as if the last four letters were pronounced the same as those in Alabama. Aunts, uncles, cousins and close friends in New York and New Jersey all said my name the way I do. That’s not to say teachers or new friends didn’t mess up on the first try. They did, but I usually remember it sticking with time. It wasn’t until my freshman year of college, the first significant amount of time I’d spent away from the East Coast bubble of north Jersey, that I felt as though I was defending my own pronunciation on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Freshman year I was constantly meeting new people and introducing myself, my intended major, my dorm and where I came from. And with that came a lot of phonetic explanation. There were those awkward moments that still happen today — in

which I go in for the handshake or the wave or whatever is appropriate at the time but, simultaneously, try to quell a small tug-of-war that wages in my mind. One side tells me to say my name the right way, even though it will cause confusion and an unwanted explanation. The other tells me to fake a Midwestern accent for the sake of convenience. Just say Lair-uh.

But my dad’s slightly modified pronunciation of my name is a touchy subject. “If your dad helped name you, doesn’t that mean the Midwestern pronunciation is also right?” is a common question I field. And to that I respond: My dad’s Midwestern accent is strange. He says my name the way you would imagine a Midwesterner living in north Jersey for the past 30 years might say it — entirely unique. I know it sounds different than the way my mom or my brother or my grandfather say it, but it will never be “wrong” to me, no matter how much I tease him for it. And while it’s obviously not “incorrect,” it’s also not the pronunciation that I use, so I won’t. I realize I’m not the only person with a name that is difficult to pronounce. I’m not the only person who corrects the professor’s brutal pronunciation on the first day (re: Laura), even if it’s hopeless. But while it feels important to correct someone at first, I don’t make it a habit. I won’t make people feel bad after the first slip-up unless they ask me to. Different people have different, subtle variations, and I’m fine with that. If anything, it’s a subtle yet special reminder of where I am. When I’m home from ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH MYERS school in New Jersey, the pronunciation I use and the one I grew up with sounds But it feels too strange. Sometimes sweet and comforting coming I’ll introduce myself as “Lair-uh,” but from family members and high the sound coming out of my mouth school friends. When I’m away, the sounds 10 times weirder than, say, Midwestern accent and its many speaking in the third person. In fact, it different forms remind me that I’m feels like speaking in the third person, in a different space with people from incorrectly. My self-consciousness unique backgrounds. gets to me. To be quite honest, I love my I would be lying if I said I didn’t know name, it’s subtle uniqueness and this would be an issue before coming to the occasional “Doctor Zhivago” Michigan. My dad is from metropolitan reference it brings my way. Detroit and his parents are native And when people call attention to Detroiters. I remember from a young it, in those uncomfortable moments age thinking my dad’s family says my — when they expect me to become name with a strange pronunciation. frustrated, or instead become They say, “pop” instead of “soda” (my frustrated with themselves for not dad has since self-corrected), and they landing my strong East Coast accent, say “in line” instead of “on line” when I like to keep my grandfather’s iconic they’re waiting to check out at the catchphrase in the back of my mind: grocery store. (I’m embarrassed to say “Call me anything you want. Just I’m not sure what my dad says off the don’t call me late for dinner.” top of my head.) Or Laura.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018 // The Statement

V I S UA L STAT E M E NT: W H E R E W E C O M E F R O M Most people in this country can trace their family history back to another place. Here, photo staff shares artifacts and food that tell the story of their family’s heritage. These are a lineup of spices that my dad, who immigrated here from India in the 1980’s, brought back from India so I can cook traditional Indian food. (Danyel Tharakan/Daily)

My dad’s side of the family is Italian, and cooking is an important tradition that has been passed down. My sister and I made this ricotta cheesecake, a traditional Italian dessert. (Amelia Cacchione/Daily)

My great grandmother Ciampa is turning 100 years old this year. Her wedding ring came from Italy and was given to her by my great grandfather after he came to America to meet her. (Alexis Rankin/Daily)

I got this patch while exploring Ireland and tracing my father’s family history. His mother immigrated to the United States when she was three years old. (Katelyn Mulcahy/Daily)

My dad was born and raised in Germany, and this a German book he read growing up. (Claire Meingast/ Daily)