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Friday, February 2, 2018

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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STUDENT GOVERNMENT

Students try to revise CSG budget guide post fallout ‘Being Not-Rich at UM’ crowdsourced doc seeks to be more inclusive, realistic KATHERINA SOURINE Daily Staff Reporter

ROSEANNE CHAO/Daily

City-county initiative works to re-educate officials on racial equity

Effort highlights current, past policies creating unequal outcomes for residents GRACE KAY

Daily Staff Reporter

While Ann Arbor is consistently named the bestplace to live and known as the most educatedcity in the United States, the surrounding areas of Washtenaw County know a different reality. Washtenaw County is the eighth most economically segregated metropolitan region in the country, according to a city press release. Moreover, 60

percent of African-American residents live in “lowopportunity areas with limited job growth” and there is a 10-year life expectancy gap between African-American and white residents –– 16 years between Latino and white residents. Those statistics come from “One Community: Advancing Racial Equity in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County,” an initiative launched Monday. The numbers reveal segregation and a racial divide in health, job opportunities, income

and education throughout the community. In an effort to address these inequities, One Community integrates government officials from both the city of Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County to discuss education and public policy reformation. The initiative is a joint effort with the Government Alliance on Race and Equity –– a nationwide network of governments that strives to achieve equity for all. GARE led a session Monday on anti-racism training for about

80 elected officials and staff members from the city and county, and focused on educating officials and providing them with tools to begin to address inequity in Ann Arbor and Washtenaw County. City Administrator Howard Lazarus said the city plans to continue educating officials and move the discussion from the philosophy of equity to the implementation of equitable practices in Ann Arbor and countywide. See EQUITY, Page 3

In the midst of criticism regarding its Campus Affordability Guide, Central Student Government has undertaken the challenge to rework the manual to be more inclusive and realistic for low-income students at the University of Michigan. Updates include a town hall to be convened Monday evening and a revised guide. The Affordability Guide, which has since been taken off line after its release last week, received many critiques from the student body. Many claimed it to be unrealistic for those who come from a lower socioeconomic status — the individuals who would most likely use this type of guide. Suggestions within the guide included reducing spending on eating out, laundry services and impulse spending. LSA junior Griffin St. Onge, a first-generation student,

voiced her dissatisfaction with the guide, despite a general feeling CSG has made valid efforts to alleviate the wealth inequality on campus. According to a report from the Equality of Opportunity Project, 66 percent of students at the University are in the top 20 percent of the income distribution. This reality is mirrored in CSG’s representation — in its 2016 self-survey assessing demographic background, 74.4 percent of its members have household incomes over $100,000 a year, and 37.2 percent of these households make over $250,000. “There are a lot of really good parts in the second half that outline the housing crisis in Ann Arbor and the available resources for finding more affordable housing and things like that. But I think that in the first half, they tried to make it a kind of thing that’s useful or applicable to the ‘average Michigan student’,” See GUIDE, Page 3

No Layovers: Sports management prof. Students at Updates to MSU reject flies to Ann Arbor every week to teach ‘U’ conduct

GOVERNMENT

ADMINISTRATION

installation of interim

Adidas exec David Cho says he makes the weekly trek to give back to students

Faculty, students worried former Gov. Engler won’t be tough on sexual assault

Each Wednesday, Lecturer David Cho f lies from his home in Portland, Oregon to Ann Arbor to teach his Thursday sports management course in the Kinesiology Department. A little over 24 hours later, he f lies back to Portland Friday morning. “What inspires me is my connection to this place,” Cho said. “I am a law school and business school grad, I met my wife here and I have such strong ties to the University that the opportunity to teach my first class at Michigan far outweighs the time and travel to get here. For me, I always thought that if I did have the opportunity to teach it would start at a smaller university or a less prestigious university. I never thought I would get my first opportunity at a place like Michigan.” Cho earned a J.D./M.B.A. at the University of Michigan in 2006 after graduating from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. Cho is currently the director of partnership activation and event retail at adidas America. In this role, Cho manages a team that operates adidas retail programs outside of the approximately 200 traditional adidas retail stores. His team manages the NHL New York

REMY FARKAS

Daily Staff Reporter

Michigan State University students interrupted an MSU Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday night, protesting the appointment of former Michigan Gov. John Engler as interim university president. Faculty liaisons to the board as well as the university’s chapter of College Democrats called for a vote of no confidence in the board, the State News reported. The appointment follows the resignation of former University President Lou Anna Simon amid the sentencing of Larry Nassar, renowned physician for MSU and USA Gymnastics, for the sexual assault of more than 250 girls. The MSU Board of Trustees unanimously voted in the former governor Wednesday. At the meeting, one student said the decision does not align with the values of the students at MSU. Another protested by sitting on the conference room table. The vote has received widespread criticism for what See ENGLER, Page 3

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REMY FARKAS

Daily Staff Reporter

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City store and partners with events including ComplexCon, the U.S. Open and the Boston Marathon. Cho felt teaching was a natural progression in his career and something he had always wanted to do. He even thought of a course and created a rough draft of a syllabus before he met with a University representative. The course Sports Marketing, Sponsorship, and Branding: Leveraging

Athletes, Teams and Leagues in Today’s Dynamic Sports Landscape is divided into two halves. The first half is an evaluation of sports marketing assets such as athletes, teams and leagues. The second half focuses on athletic footwear and apparel business and how the product is put into market and consumer communication. The course culminates in a final project in

which students identify a hypothetical issue faced by an athlete, team, brand or league and use their knowledge from the class to devise a way to address the issue. During his time at the University, Cho completed this same project and he said it was this project that propelled him into his sports management career, beginning with a position at Nike. See FLYING, Page 3

ALICE LIU/Daily

Professor David Cho speaks to his sports marketing class at the Undergraduate Science Building on Thursday evening.

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INDEX

policies on sex. assault

Revised misconduct policy changes sanctioning process, some definitions RACHEL LEUNG Daily Staff Reporter

The University of Michigan is updating their policy and procedures on Student Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct and Other Forms of Interpersonal Violence in accordance with the policy’s annual review. E. Royster Harper, vice president for Student Life, announced the policy changes via email to students and faculty Thursday. According to the email, the University is required to hold the annual review to consider existing policies and make revisions as needed. The University and representatives from the Office of Student Conflict Resolution, the Office for Institutional Equity, the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center and the Office of the Vice President and General Counsel conducted the review. The definition of gender-based harassment will be changed to include the resolution of harassment cases that intersect with other federally protected identities such as race, national origin, disability or veteran status. The definition of intimate partner See MISCONDUCT, Page 3

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

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

Arts

2 — Friday, February 2, 2018

MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers

TUESDAY: By Design

WEDNESDAY: This Week in History

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THURSDAY: Twitter Talk

FRIDAY: Behind the Story

BE HIND THE STORY Every Friday, one Daily staffer will give a behind the scenes look at one of this week’s stories. This week, Public policy junior Lydia Murray wrote a column on her disdain for the sport of football and its culture at the University of Michigan. “The inspiration for my column was just writing my worst opinions that I have –– just all the really unpopular opinions that I have. This last week, I wrote one about how I think football is boring and overrated, and I went through and detailed what I thought were some really good points, including the fact that it is really dangerous to its players. And I got a lot of hate for it. I got a lot of angry comments, but I think it was worth it. It was a good time. I personally found it really amusing that people were hating on me. I was laughing a lot. Especially because I wrote a line in my column making fun of people who would be mad at me, and they did it anyway. So, for me it was just really funny, but I hope the angry white men are okay.“ Public policy junior Lydia Murray, “Let’s Bitch About It: Football is boring and overrated” KATELYN MULCAHY/DAILY

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The challenge I face is that none of us, including the Greek community, want the things that are unhealthy in the community to continue ... On the other hand, we don’t want to talk about the community as though there’s nothing good in the community. I am both encouraged by their own self-monitoring in saying that we need to stop the social activities because of all this going on, and that also frightens me because my experience has been when we self-correct, things are sometimes more dangerous than we know.“ E. Royster Harper, Vice President for Student Life

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Business dean headlines new series of “Ross Talks” featuring Shinola CEO DeRue leads discussion in Living Business course to engage student projects SHANNON ORS

Daily Staff Reporter

While Scott DeRue, dean of Ross School of Business, has flown across the globe to host alumni gatherings known as “Ross Talks,” on Thursday night he only had to take the elevator to the sixth floor of the Ross School of Business. Ross Talks, all of which are moderated by DeRue, are designed to offer alumni,

BIBIMBAP

current students and prospective students a forum in which to network and engage with panel discussions. The Ann Arbor event is one stop on a 18-city lineup the Business School has planned for the calendar year. Tom Lewand, the CEO of Detroit-based watch company Shinola, joined DeRue onstage along with Ross senior Kiva McGhee and Mike Barger, executive director for the Office of Strategy and Academic Innovation. DeRue led a

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discussion centered around a new Business course titled Living Business Leadership Experience. The course is available for students enrolled in both the B.B.A. and M.B.A. programs at the University and offers an opportunity to engage with one of the seven partner companies who have agreed to allow students to help lead a project. Students are split up into functional teams emphasizing e-commerce, supply chain management, marketing and finance. DeRue emphasized how the course was inspired by the school’s history of innovation, citing how the Business School pioneered the Multidisciplinary Action Project, a program in which M.B.A. students spend two months working on location at companies across the globe, two decades ago. DeRue worked with Lewand, who serves on the Business School’s Board of Advisers, to brainstorm what a “living business” experience could look like. “We were at an advisory board meeting and we had this idea,” DeRue said. “And I said to Tom, ‘I imagine a world where we actually start building businesses within the business school in partnership with companies where our students actually run the business.’” DeRue and Leward’s initial idea came to fruition with the first Living Business Leadership Experience class during the Fall 2017 semester.

Now, the course is in its second semester, and current projects extend across industries, from affordable housing to education to technology development. McGhee was a member of the inaugural class last year, and she has re-enrolled in the course this semester to continue her assignment as a Shinola team lead, contributing to the rollout of their headphones. “We helped set the price point for the headphones. So I think we are actually listened to, and they take our advice, and I think there is a really great relationship that we established,” McGhee said. “Especially, we have made changes since last semester. A big change is that we go down (to Detroit) much more frequently and I think it is really great to have that cadence and actually feel a part of the team.” As a lead organizer and faculty member for the course, Barger echoed the experience of McGhee, sharing an observation he’s witnessed among students taking the course. “In every single one of the 48 ten-page papers I read over the Christmas holiday, there was a situation where (the students) had asked for some data or asked for some help from someone and (the company) hadn’t delivered the data or the help,” Barger said.

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is still an open question, having structures both internally and externally helps solidify our commitment to the people,” Warpehoski. “I want all our boards considering equity.” Lazarus, Brabec and Warpehoski all agreed on several major issues the initiative must address: Health, education and housing. Brabec said during the session Monday she was asked what success for the initiative would look like. “I came up with these four things right off the top of my head,” Brabec said. “Diminishing or no health disparities, integrated neighborhoods, schools with access to the same resources and developed transportation.” While the initiative is still in its early educational phases, officials say they hope to begin making real changes in city and county policy soon. The initiative, Warpehoski said, is really about the city finally following through on its core principles. “We talk a lot about a lot of things in this community, but for me success means we actually roll things out that address the inequities that are very real,” Warpehoski said. “I would really like this to not be a once and done type of thing. I want this to be an ongoing, consistent part of how the city and the county does business. So that we are always challenging ourselves to do better when it comes to equity and we are consistently year in and year out finding ways to address these inequities.”

as interim president would not be the best way to heal the wounds of our community in this politically polarized climate,” the statement read. “The Board of Trustees seems to have chosen to ignore major stakeholders of the MSU community in their rush to appoint an interim president.” In light of the sentencing of Nassar, Engler assured members of the community he plans to improve MSU communication and transparency. “I will move forward as if my own daughters were on this campus and will treat every student as I would my own daughters,” Engler said. Dan Martel, president of MSU’s College Democrats, wrote a letter to the Board of Trustees on behalf of the chapter calling for a sit-in until they are heard. “The appointment of former Gov. John Engler shows a clear dismissal of the concerns and desires of the student body and alumni,” the letter read. “Instead of instating a clear, transparent process for determining the interim president, the trustees instead chose to appoint Engler through over-the-weekend backroom deals. Instead of appointing a uniting figure ready to repair campus and take on the complex issue of sexual assault, the board instead chose to appoint a partisan figure that would only further divide the MSU community.”

Opinion

4 — Friday, February 2, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

DANIELLE COLBURN| COLUMN

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

FROM THE DAILY

CSG cannot afford another misstep

ast week, University of Michigan’s Central Student Government unveiled the latest in a series of controversial proposals this school year. Their Campus Affordability Guide sparked a fierce backlash from students for providing advice that was deeply irresponsible, negligent and out of touch. The guide, which has since been taken down and is in the process of being remade, reveals the larger problem within CSG: the lack of true representation of the student body. The Affordability Guide had the purpose of supporting students, but, while with good intentions, it greatly missed the mark by including tips that were incompatible with the reality of being a student of low socioeconomic status. One tip included the suggestion that students pay off their credit card debt with another credit card. This is reckless advice that could lead to more financial difficulties and is highly discouraged by banking services such as Discover Bank. Other advice seemed to come from a place of outright privilege, exhibiting just how removed from campus life they were by issuing out “budgeting” tips such as firing one’s gardener or to stop using a laundry service. While the guide offered some very useful information on using campus resources, much of it was overshadowed by the condescension of the problematic sections. The guide could have been an effective resource for students, but soon after its release, the out-of-touch sections and tone robbed it of any legitimacy. Instead of prioritizing the quality of the information they provided, the authors seemed to have aimed to create a daunting, 84-page document. The lost time and effort in creating a visually impressive guide could have been spent on any number of other beneficial CSG programs or, more pertinently, on refining the information in the original product. The tone and information in the CSG Affordability Guide is also indicative of a larger institutional problem: the body’s lack of diversity. CSG’s problem with diversity is well documented in their own 2016-2017 Diversity Report. The information shows the organization is not ref lective of the University’s population demographics, especially in the socioeconomic status category. Over 35 percent

of CSG members come from a household income of over $250,000, whereas the median family income at the University is $154,000. The evidence of the problems that arise when a group is overly homogenous is clear in the out-of-touch advice given in the Affordability Guide. The CSG environment runs the risk of becoming an echo chamber in which ideas, while good intentioned, are not evaluated in a way that ensures all of their projects will be substantially adding to the welfare of the students they represent. An easy way to avoid similar problems from arising in the near future is by actively seeking out the help of students who come from different backgrounds in every step of a project’s process, including analyzing the finished product before publishing it. In a recent Facebook post, CSG Vice President Nadine Jawad, the director of the guide, wrote CSG was “taking student concerns and criticisms to the guide very seriously” in the process of recreating the guide. She also shared the opportunity for students to voice their concerns at a discussion Monday night. This is a step in the right direction to ensure that resources for students are created with all students in mind. However, on a more long-term scale, CSG needs to confront their problems with homogeny and find ways to make membership easier and more appealing to students of low socioeconomic status. In its current state, CSG is perceived as an organization with a revolving door of members who put enormous effort into gaining the position but end up dropping the ball on the projects they start. This results in members serving their tenure and leaving without creating much lasting change. While

there is no doubt that the endeavors they undertake are worthwhile and come from a place of kindness and support, the picture they have painted of themselves recently is that of a student group whose members prioritize their position in the organization as a résumé builder rather than their service to the University community. If efforts aren’t taken to rectify the perception of CSG in the upcoming semester, they could lose credibility with the students, which, as a representative body, will significantly decrease the clout they need in pursuing any future projects. But all is not lost. With CSG elections on the horizon, there is room for change and improvement. We hope the upcoming candidates, when choosing their party, make a notable effort to include students of all backgrounds on their ticket. This will require the new candidates to be cognizant of the barriers to running for CSG that many low socioeconomic students will face, including the time commitment and campaign fees that some parties request from their members. We ask for candidates to accommodate students who may not be able to dedicate as much to the party as others due to these external factors. Oftentimes, these students’ voices are the most ref lective of the experience of the majority on campus. CSG is a powerful organization with the resources to make lasting change on the student experience at the University. It would be of great service to the University community if they would take effort to confront the problems within their institution, which have caused the recent string of unpopular projects, and prioritize rectif ying these issues in the near future. Illustration by Joe Iovino.

Why we keep saying #MeToo

t has been a few months of the #metoo movement in since the initial Twitter France. A man quoted in the storm of #metoo, but article discussed how he felt women aren’t done he wasn’t able to speaking out. Recent look at or speak to allegations have women anymore been brought against for fear of Aziz Ansari, James crossing the line Franco and others. between seduction Art museums are and sexual grappling with how harassment. If to treat artwork by you’re able to look artists accused of at this movement sexual assault, which see only your DANIELLE and was discussed by The own concerns COLBURN about being able New York Times in an article about artist Chuck to f lirt with strangers, you’ve Close. (Regarding separating been lucky enough to live in a the art from the artist, a place of privilege. column in The Michigan Daily I’ve seen from multiple by Sophia Kaufman addresses Twitter accounts, articles, the issue excellently). comments on social media, The movement has been etc., people sharing their likened to a witch hunt more confusion about supposedly than once. Maybe it seems blurry lines. “Are we even like a witch hunt because allowed to talk to women many famous, well-known anymore?” they ask. men are suddenly being held accountable for actions that had previously been protected by a status quo; maybe it feels this way because far more people than we expected have been exposed. Despite years of discomfort and whispered stories about dangerous men with the power to exploit, it still comes as a shock to some just how prevalent this issue is. The number of people finally being called out isn’t an indication that the If you have to ask that movement has gone too far — question, the answer is it means that the movement no. If your manner of was (and continues to be) approaching unfamiliar incredibly necessary. women or speaking to female Beyond this, there’s more to colleag ues is such that you why “witch hunt” is such an think someone might call it inappropriate phrase. Pacific harassment, that’s on you. Standard published an article That’s not a result of people breaking down why the being overly sensitive — it’s movement isn’t a witch hunt. an issue that you should’ve Specifically, the writer talked corrected long ago. about how witch hunts are, I know plenty of people historically, the oppression — men and women — who or exploitation of vulnerable have been able to grapple minority populations by the with the movement, with powerful. That’s not what’s the outpouring of pain, with happening here. The men in the testimonies of survivors, question are not a minority without worrying about the group; they are not being hardships that being held systematically oppressed or to higher standards might prejudiced. entail. I’ve had innumerable NBC News published an conversations that never even article about the struggles got close to asking, “But how

Every act of oppression perpertrated must be held as unequivocally impermissible.

will this make my life harder?” This is a long overdue reckoning. For each man who has fallen from grace (see Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Louis CK—the list goes on) there are numerous victims who suffered. They were taken advantage of by those who had the ability to destroy their careers and publicly humiliate them. And while there might be some kind of spectrum of aggressions, that doesn’t change that each experience is painful and traumatizing. We shouldn’t approach change slowly. It’s not enough to go after only the most heinous of abuses and shrug our shoulders at workplace harassment. Every act of oppression perpetrated must be held as unequivocally impermissible. Of course the conversations around these topics are tense — grappling with our ideas of consent and assault is tricky. Being forced to ref lect on our past behavior can be uncomfortable. While it’s the responsibility of individuals to be accountable for their actions, there’s no questioning that society has conditioned men and women to approach sexuality and relationships in different ways. But discomfort doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t have the conversations. Going through the process of reconsidering and relearning what is acceptable behavior is not too great a price to pay. Powerful individuals having to face consequences is an important step forward. But the movement isn’t over. As long as people are resisting the breakdown of these misog ynistic norms, there is more work to be done. The answer is not to run from the problem for fear of what confronting it will reveal. We owe it to every person who has been exploited, harassed, oppressed or any number of other verbs to work for change together. Danielle Colburn can be reached at decol@umich.edu

BEN CHARLSON | COLUMN

The XFL will not succeed

ver the past few years, taken steps in its progress the NFL has faced because of its growing public increasing scrutiny perception as dangerous, it for its growing has proven to be an concussion epidemic arena for political and domestic protest and freedom violence issues, both of expression. By serving as evidence in taking away the right the narrative that the of players to protest, NFL is a destructive the XFL will detract professional sports from the progress league. made by the NFL in But the NFL did pushing for social not always have equality — and in BEN this reputation. doing so will fail to In 2001, Vince CHARLSON achieve the level of McMahon created the XFL success at which McMahon is as a hard-hitting, working aiming. man’s alternative to the NFL, McMahon’s newly proposed which he saw as “a league for XFL is largely a manifestation pantywaists and sissies.” of conservative American The following year, values. In addition to banning Neuropathologist Bennet player protests, McMahon has Omalu revealed the stated that no former criminals groundbreaking discovery will be allowed to participate of chronic traumatic in the league. encephalopathy in former NFL In response to these player Mike Webster’s brain. new rules, reporters asked Meanwhile, the XFL sought to McMahon whether or not captivate fans with a rhetoric former NFL quarterback of violence, sex and danger Tim Tebow would be a good that the NFL seemingly did fit for the league, to which not possess, at least not to the McMahon replied, “he could extent desired by McMahon. very well play.” Tebow, who Despite positive ratings in became famous for his extreme its first week, support for the expressions of religious faith league fell as sloppy football both on and off the field, and unskilled players detracted epitomizes the type of player from its initial appeal, and it McMahon wants in the XFL — a ultimately lost an estimated clean-cut, white Christian male $70 million. Now, with the NFL with respect for traditional falling 17 percent in TV ratings American values of patriotism over the past two seasons, and law and order. McMahon has announced the However, the NFL has return of the XFL for 2020, departed from the narrowalbeit with drastically different minded values praised rules and principles. by McMahon and Tebow, In addition to the removal exemplified by quarterback of scandalous cheerleaders Colin Kaepernick being and inauthentic gameplay, announced as a runner-up McMahon has proposed a for the 2017 TIME Magazine new rule that I argue will Person of the Year for his undoubtedly provoke the most efforts in protesting the controversy — banning XFL national anthem and the players from protesting or system of racial inequality for kneeling during the national which the f lag stands. anthem. Though the NFL has Since Kaepernick began his

public protests, he has faced his fair share of criticism, especially from President Donald Trump, who declared he wanted to “Get that son of a bitch off the field right now.” Unsurprisingly, the president and the founder of the XFL have a shared WWE history, with Trump making several appearances on the wrestling show and at one point acting in a stunt and at another shaving McMahon’s head. Though McMahon recently stated he has not spoken with Trump at all with regard to the new XFL rules, it would be naive to ignore the connection between the two powerful men and the resulting similarities in their values — an appreciation for all things American and a strong distaste for those perceived as a threat to the existing structure of white male authority, especially in the realm of athlete protests. So, as the political climate of the NFL has gravitated more toward progressive attempts at dismantling racial prejudice and inequality, the XFL is taking a large step back by banning the ability for players to protest the national anthem. Aligning with the ideology of Trump, McMahon is putting himself in a group categorized by racism and closedmindedness, and is certainly in no better of a position than he was circa 2001. Ultimately, in trying to advertise the new XFL as a modern alternative to the dying NFL, McMahon is neglecting the positive strides professional football players have made toward social equality — and it won’t be long before football fans across the country realize what values the XFL truly stands for. Ben Charlson can be reached at bencharl@umich.edu.

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Arts

MUSIC

Friday, February 2, 2018 — 5

one stocked with sickening facts and first-hand accounts of exactly how far some people and corporations will go to turn a profit. The series opens with “Hard NOx,” a look into the inner-

MATADOR RECORDS

Required Listening: Happy 21 to ‘Brighten the Corners’ SELENA AGUILERA Daily Arts Writer

One of the most remembered records by the unparalleled Pavement, Brighten the Corners, is turning the big 2-1 on Feb. 11. Amid the rise of teen idol pop bands like the Backstreet Boys and the Spice Girls, the four college students that made up Pavement were recording music in their friend’s basements in Stockton, Calif. and releasing lo-fi, melodic, raw-bone noise into the world After releasing three records full of unexpected reverb and scratchy guitar strums, Pavement perfected a blend of classic rock and West Coast underground sounds on Brighten the Corners. I’ll name a few things you should listen to this week to celebrate Brighten the Corners’s inf luence on modern music of all types, from art pop and indie rock to lo-fi bedroom shoegaze. The two introductory tracks on Brighten the Corners and two of the most well-known Pavement songs, “Stereo” and “Shady Lane,” epitomize the band’s ability to combine steady drum beats with deep bass hits and shaky guitar riffs. In each song, Stephen Malkmus’s double-edged voice spills wit into a rhythmic atmosphere. The resulting quick but relaxed groovy pace for the rest of the record creates a rooted balance between swift punk clashes and smooth rock ‘n’ roll tunes. The diverse sound of Pavement’s music stems from

their deep pool of sometimes unrelated inf luences that deserve just as much attention when remembering Brighten the Corners. In “Perfect Sound Forever: The Story of Pavement” by Rob Jovanovic, there is a list of albums and

Brighten the Corners was incredibly fresh, delivering individual sounds with honest lyrics, and now, it takes its own place on the list of eternal influential records artists that each band member pinpointed Pavement’s creation on. The list jumps from the art rock sounds of The Velvet Underground to the ambient noises of Faust. The shallow bass strums on Brighten the Corners bring us back to the sounds found in the song “A Can of Lemonade” off the album Remorse Code

by The Desperate Bicycles. In the song “Walking Talking Channel,” Malkmus’s distinct vocals that hop with guitar hits are found in Danny Wigley’s jumpy and crooning voice. Remorse Code’s fuzzy and guttural guitar sounds were ahead of their time with its 1979 release, handing the world endless possibilities of exploration with the do-ityourself attitude. Pavement was also inf luenced by one of my personal favorite records, Pink Flag by Wire. Pink Flag is full of chunky bass-lines, weepy vocals and heavy reverbs. The songs “Strange” and the record’s title track hit all of the right spots in your eardrums and commands your body to move with the drums, creating an experience that Pavement’s “We Are Underused” instills in listeners. Other honorable mentions that made Pavement who they were, and that also made music what it is and what it can be, are (of course) “Rise Above” from Black Flag’s Damaged, “I Dreamed I Dream” from Sonic Youth’s Daydream Nation and “Dreams Never End” from New Order’s Movement. Each of these songs showcases how broad the spectrum can reach in the worlds of lo-fi, punk and rock, and how each band’s distinct sounds can be borrowed and crafted into something like Brighten the Corners. At its release, Brighten the Corners was incredibly fresh, delivering individual sounds with honest lyrics, and now, it takes its own place on the list of eternal inf luential records.

TV REVIEW

‘Dirty Money’ is an in-depth and artistic look into the corporate greed and corruption that gave birth to some of the business world’s biggest scandals

workings and manipulations that perpetuated Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scam. The German car company claimed to be producing a car that would help reduce the release of harmful emissions. Instead, Volkswagen cars actually contributed up to 50 percent more than the average vehicle to emission levels. The company was able to lie to consumers by installing a device in cars that essentially allowed them to cheat on emission tests. Though disgusting and cruel, this topic is admittedly not the most engaging. Yet Gibney

SAMANTHA DELLA FERA Daily Arts Writer

Poisoned air. Drug cartels. A maple syrup heist. All of these equally heinous crimes and

more are explored and exposed in Netflix’s latest docuseries, “Dirty Money.” Produced by Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (“Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief”), “Dirty

Money” is an in-depth and artistic look into the corporate greed and corruption that gave birth to some of the business world’s biggest scandals. It employs six different directors for six hour-long episodes, each

Netflix scandal into something no one can peel their eyes away from. Most effective is his ability to personalize the storyline — Gibney himself bought a Volkswagen and was proud to be taking a step towards helping the environment. That is, of course, until news of the diesel scam broke. Gibney is visibly infuriated and claims that his wife was ready to “take a chainsaw to the dealership” (cue an episode highlight in which Gibney’s wife absolutely roasts a Volkswagen salesman. He will never recover.). Things do get a bit sensationalized, as any documentary must be in order to engage viewers. Gibney recalls Volkswagen’s beginning as a Nazi project, and circles back to this point in order to enhance the malicious image he is attempting to accent. It is an effective strategy, and one that is rooted in fact. Still, the comparison reaches a questionable point when Volkswagen’s fumes were paralleled with “gassing.” Despite the at-times extreme measures taken to stress its message, “Hard NOx” remains an episode that is equal parts educational as it is engaging and infuriating. The remaining five episodes follow a similar formula, with each new director adding a personal touch. Topics vary but the core moral persists: Corporations care more about money than they do their consumers, and the government is helping them despite this fact.

‘Dirty Money’ does not only concern itself with the most high-profile cases responsibility to expect more from the businesses we buy from? In this postCitizens United era, these are important questions that need to be asked, and “Dirty Money” is not holding back.

MAGNOLIA PICTURES

‘Please Stand By’ lacks in its portrayal of autism Daily Arts Writer

‘Dirty Money’ documents the dark corporate world

“Dirty Money”

The costs of a successful business vary — in “Hard NOx,” it comes at the expense of the environment, and in “Drug Short,” that cost is someone’s life. Yet “Dirty Money” does not only concern itself with the most high-profile cases. “The Maple Syrup Heist” follows a storyline that is pretty self-explanatory, and not as silly as it sounds. Each episode highlights an aspect of the corporate world that is evil — be it ties with terrorist organizations or the legal loopholes used to trick consumers. The series is by no means anti-capitalist propaganda. Rather, it effectively highlights the issues that a strictly capitalist society sustains in order to begin the conversation on proper reform. Should the government care more for corporations or consumers? How much regulation is too much? How much is not enough? Do we have a moral

FILM REVIEW

MEGHAN CHOU

NETFLIX

uses his exemplary directing to turn a complicated and twisted

This past year, there have been many attempts to give proper representation to characters on the autism spectrum. “The Good Doctor,” starring Freddie Highmore (“Bates Motel”), found a receptive audience with its portrayal of a young surgeon on the spectrum. Highmore’s dedicated performance as Shaun Murphy earned him a Golden Globe nomination. On the other hand, Netf lix’s “Atypical” received mixed reviews for its treatment of the sensitive subject. Keir Gilchrist (“It Follows”) wrongly transforms the emotional trials of a person with autism into a cold impression, disappointing fans with his characterization of a depressed teen akin to his performance in “It’s Kind of a Funny Story.” Add “Please Stand By” to the list of earnest attempts to destigmatize this mental condition in media. Unfortunately, like “Atypical,” “Please Stand By” lacks the caliber of a nuanced actor or quality script to succeed. Wendy (Dakota Fanning, “Brimstone”), a young woman

on the spectrum, lives in a group home. When she hears about a Star Trek script contest, she eagerly goes to work writing her own installment. She has a rigid schedule to help her through the day, including shifts at a nearby Cinnabon. Soon, the submission deadline arrives, but Wendy fails to

“Please Stand By” Magnolia Pictures Amazon and iTunes deliver her script to the post office on time. In order to get her script to Los Angeles, Wendy must leave her group home and reliable schedule to embark on an adventure. Along the way, with only her 429-page screenplay and pet Chihuahua for company, she meets some helpful and not so helpful people. Through her dedication, she hopes to show her older sister Audrey (Alice Eve, “Before We Go”) that she can be trusted to return home despite her past outbursts. For a story that focuses on a character with an internalized condition, the lead actor must carry the film. Dakota Fanning gives her best effort but falls short. Sometimes, when bad

actors portray characters with neurological disorders, the result is catastrophically offensive. Thankfully, Fanning avoids this fate through her earnest approach to Wendy. However, if it weren’t for her wide-eyed innocent look, Fanning’s performance would be an utter f lop. She lacks the depth to really explore Wendy’s need to share her creative work or her struggles and the lackluster script does not help. Instead, a strong supporting cast bears the brunt of the heavy lifting. The always spectacular Toni Collette (“The Way, Way Back”) adds warmth and thoughtfulness to her role as Wendy’s psychologist Scottie. Collette steals the spotlight in every scene, overshadowing the litany of plot holes and unresolved plotlines. Tony Revolori (“Dope”), playing Nemo, Wendy’s coworker at the Cinnabon, provides humor. His cheeky lines and energy upstage Fanning’s blank, deadpan look. However, the standing ovation goes to Wendy’s Chihuahua Pete and his perfectly timed, judgemental faces. The fact that the dog is the highlight of the film goes to show the mediocrity of “Please Stand By.”

Arts

6 — Friday, February 2, 2018

FILM

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

COMMUNITY CULTURE

Irreconcilable Differences: Bennett, Hirshfield and debating ‘Three Billboards simply stunning writing Helen Zell Visiting Writers Series continues to inspire Outside Ebbing, Missouri’ The and impress with moving prose and motivating discussion moment for me and the many aspiring authors in the audience. Bennett’s lyrical writing is impressive yet effortless, and

NITYA GUPTA Daily Arts Writer

FOX SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is the latest in the recent trend of movies that bathe themselves in nihilism to the point of becoming a joke. “Three Billboards” is one of those movies. It is so depressing, so filled with anger and hate and death and destruction that one wonders what the point of it all is, or perhaps what the point of watching the movie is. It’s well-produced, well-acted and competently directed, but the picture tries too hard to be important and forgets to actually tell a compelling story. To be sure, there is an interesting premise at the heart of “Three Billboards,” but it is one that is stretched thinly over the film’s tediously long running time. The main story runs out of steam somewhere around the 70-minute mark and never recovers. There’s only so much you can do with a premise in which the answers to the film’s central questions are known to not exist almost from the first frame of the film. Much has been made about how the movie deals with issues of class and race. Your opinion may vary but many may find it hard to root for the racist cop we hear has tortured people and whom we watch throw a man through a second story window of a building. The film attempts to turn this character into an antihero or at least someone we should root for later on, but for many audience members, it may be a difficult reach. The movie already asks us to continue rooting for Mildred even after she blows up an entire police station, something that is barely addressed in the rest of the film. “Three Billboards” was advertised as a Cohen brothers-y or Tarintino-like action comedy, yet the movie is nothing like that at all. The film has some of the most unlikeable protagonists that were put on screen this year, and we’re not really given a good enough reason to care about them. The initial violence at the heart of the story is offset by more violent actions across the board to the point where the film is so awash in horrible things happening to various people that the viewer begins to become detached from the actual story, and eventually ceases to care. Some people might like movies that offer no hope throughout their entire runtime. Others will not. The world we are in is dark enough as it is without our movies needing to also be dark and depressing Missourian wastelands in crisis. The film never tries to get into the deeper complexities of why the town itself barely cares about the atrocities committed, or why a new Black sheriff doesn’t seem concerned by the horrible crimes the police force perpetrated before he got there. It’s a shock-andawe film, smaller in scale than the superhero blockbusters that fill multiplexes in the summer, but no more intelligent.

“Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” is a raw, emotional tidal wave of a film that offers one of the most brutally honest depictions of grief to ever reach the big screen. Frances McDormand (“Hail, Caesar!”) gives the performance of a lifetime as Mildred Hayes, a woman tormented by a mixture of guilt and seething rage at the world that has taken her daughter from her. McDormand communicates Mildred’s pain so effectively that it seems to permeate her every word and action, from her sarcastic remarks to her biting vulgarity. In Mildred, we see a woman who has coped with the indescribable pain of loss by becoming tough

— Ian Harris, Managing Video Editor

— Max Michalsky, Daily Arts Writer

One of the most brutally honest depictions of grief to ever reach the big screen and callous, a veneer that falls away only a few times throughout the film to reveal just how much she longs to have her daughter back. One of the film’s hallmarks is its focus on dichotomy. At times devastatingly tragic and at others laugh-out-loud funny, occasionally at the same time, the film’s performances serve as the cornerstone to bring audiences on the same emotional journey as the characters. Each character in the film is granted an extensive emotional range to explore, and it’s that same extensive array that makes the film so impactful; the tone shifts from serious to hilarious to tragic in a matter of minutes, but this juxtaposition never feels unnatural. In fact, it’s that very oscillation between emotional extremes that allows the film to depict the volatility of grief with such keen accuracy. “Three Billboards” knows that emotions are never cleanly tied with a bow; Mildred’s loss shows us that sadness is seldom just sadness, and Willoughby’s idyllic final day with his family shows us that joy is seldom just joy. It’s these conflicts that arise from the characters’ own emotions – coupled with the cast’s adept ability to portray them – that make the film so intensely human. “Three Billboards” seems like a film that would deliver a brutal, pessimistic view of humanity. The film is steeped in tragedy and shows people at their absolute worst, desperately clawing after love or power or control in whatever way they can. In spite of that, however, it never fails to come through to show people at their best, with their incredible capacity for kindness, empathy and ultimately, redemption. It’s a film that shows human nature for all that it is, and is one of the greatest films to come out in this decade.

“Three Billboards” is entertaining because it is ridiculous, which, I’m certain, is not what the filmmakers intended. If the objective is to convince an unassuming audience in less than two hours that people are selfish and evil, then the movie is indeed a smashing success. But if humanity is meant to be portrayed with any sense of subtlety or subtext, “Three Billboards” fails tragically on all accounts. Perhaps “tragic” is the key word here, since the film is so preoccupied with shoving every imaginable tragedy down the throat of its audience. It collects just about all the Oscar-worthy buzzwords: rape, murder, suicide, homophobia, racism, police brutality, domestic violence, arson, depression, alcoholism, disability and misogyny, just to name a few. And if that isn’t enough, the script throws in a half-baked monologue about the Catholic Church for good measure. Surely, you must be feeling something now, right? And then there’s the flashback scene, which is, in one word, infuriating. Just before the film goes into completely insane territory, from where there is no return, a standalone flashback is tucked into the otherwise linear story for the singular purpose of throwing another punch. And even though it’s supposed to hurt, it doesn’t even break the skin. In the only scene where we see her raped and murdered teenage daughter, Mildred (Frances McDormand, “Hail, Caesar!”) passionately yells, “I hope you

‘Billboards’ fails to say anything profound at all get raped!” as she watches her daughter barge out the door in a way all strong-headed teenage girls supposedly do. Frankly, the flashback is insulting. Not only is the writing inorganic and reduces the mother-daughter relationship to a stereotypical caricature of petty drama, it presents a source of guilt for Mildred that is completely unnecessary and unrelated to the rest of the narrative. Isn’t losing a child enough? Clearly, “Three Billboards” follows the “more the merrier” approach to suffocating its audience. On one point, I will concede: Across the board, the acting is superb. Frances McDormand is nothing short of fantastic and her supporting cast delivers exquisite performances that are indeed worthy of Oscar nominations. The meat of the film, however, lacks any sort of nuance, and therefore the film will meet its fate as “that sad Oscar film” in the not too distant future. All show and no follow-through, “Three Billboards” fails to say anything profound at all, even though it tries really, really hard. — Danielle Yacobson, Managing Arts Editor

One of my favorite events to attend on campus has always been the Helen Zell Visiting Writers Series. So when I made my way over to the University of Michigan Museum of Art to hear Brit Bennett and Jane Hirshfield read their work, I had high expectations. The writers did not disappoint. Held under the soothing lights of the Helmut Stern Auditorium, Brit Bennett and Jane Hirshfield delivered readings filled with genuine emotion and gorgeous writing. Bennett received her MFA from the University. The last time she did a reading at that podium was when she read an early draft of “The Mothers.” On Thursday, she read from the final draft of the book, now a New York Times bestselling novel and set to be adapted into a film by Warner Brothers, with Kerry Washington as the producer. Her prose was simple but moving. Reading from the middle of her novel, Bennett took us through the lives of her characters, Luke and Aubrey, after their friend Nadia leaves town to attend college. Nadia’s mother recently committed suicide and Nadia dates Luke, an ex-football player suffering from an injury. Nadia’s Godfearing friend Aubrey meets Luke during his physical therapy, while Nadia is at the University of Michigan. Though I haven’t read her novel, I was completely immersed in the story after two sentences. Bennett’s success with “The Mothers,” her debut novel, served as an inspirational

Brit Bennett and Jane Hirshfield delivered readings filled with genuine emotion and gorgeous writing

each sentence is packed with momentum: “So even though we hadn’t known where she’d come from, we’d understood why Aubrey Evans couldn’t stop crying when the pastor asked what gift she’d come forward to receive and what she’d whispered, salvation.” I’m still wondering what happens to Nadia, Luke and Aubrey. If you’re looking for something new to keep you up at night, then Bennett’s novel may be the answer. Jane Hirshfield, author of eight collections of poetry, also delivered an eloquent and uplifting reading. She stopped and took the time to talk through some of her concerns, ranging from politics to the

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environment to the everyday problems we face. “One of the ways of navigating differences is being permeable to them. Walls don’t work,” she said. Hirshfield’s poetry is a meditation on humanity. Though her poems initially seemed simple to me, looking back at them left me with questions and many interpretations. “Let the envious gods take back what they can,” from her poem “Each Moment a White Bull Steps Shining into the World,” is particularly chilling, and I can’t help but wonder who exactly Hirshfield is thinking about. She talked about the background of her poem “Washing Doorknobs,” which appeared in The New Yorker in Oct. of 2010, explaining how every New Year’s Eve she thoroughly cleans her house, polishing each doorknob before ringing in the new year. “Sometimes I go out and party too,” she said, jokingly. Throughout her reading, it became clear that Hirshfield is an incredibly compassionate and gentle person, and finds herself deeply affected by societal issues such as environmental disasters. Many people in the audience hummed in agreement with her, appreciative of the opportunity to hear a discussion on these problems. It’s always nice to see the growth of writers, and pairing Bennett with Hirshfield showed how far an author can progress with their initial passion for writing. Both Bennett and Hirshfield kicked off the series this semester on a high note, and I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Call: #734-418-4115 Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com

FOR RENT RELEASE DATE– Friday, February 2, 2018

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

ACROSS 1 __ Lake, village near Lake Placid 8 Skedaddles 15 Somewhat off 16 “Choose!” 17 Come through 18 Poker holding 19 A or O 20 Easy pace 22 Clipper trio 23 “Ninja Scroll” genre 25 Domain introduced in 2001 26 Rod Stewart’s “__ May” 29 Shuttle site 31 Affirmative act 34 Outlying community 35 Tesla, e.g. 36 “Not a chance” 37 “Zorba the Greek” Oscar winner Kedrova 38 Bottom of a food chain? 39 Abruzzi bell town 40 Fertile soil 41 Picasso output 42 Mar. honoree 43 “r u kidding?!” 44 Team that pulls for you 45 Like an earworm 46 Peugeot’s 208 or 308, e.g. 47 Tony winner Menzel of “Wicked” 49 Feature of many a Hawaiian restaurant 52 Cast off 53 Olympian queen 57 Lock-picking tool 59 Bar exhortation ... and a hint to how to answer five puzzle clues 61 Highest 62 Consoles 63 Bun seeds 64 Request at a bar

5 Sweet Potato Awareness Mo. 6 Emperor relative 7 Jewel box item 8 Eight bits 9 “Ick!” 10 Champagne and orange juice 11 Utah’s state gem 12 Mmes. across the Pyrenees 13 Down but not out 14 Rocky hills 21 Bourbon, water, sugar and garnish 24 Bird’s bill 25 Bonehead 26 __ Yello 27 Assumed truth 28 Soviet labor camp 30 Oklahoma tribe 31 Sometimes offensive, briefly 32 Dr. Phil was her frequent guest before getting his own show 33 Eros or Eos 35 Real estate parcel 36 Whiskey, sweet vermouth and bitters 38 Dress style

42 __ Salvador 44 White rum, sugar, lime juice, soda water and garnish 45 Pomelo relative 46 Beta follower 48 Playground comeback 49 Amphibious assault transports, for short

50 Botanical balm 51 Bites playfully 52 911 response gp. 54 Kitchen gadget brand 55 One with second thoughts 56 Abbey area 58 British author’s conclusion? 60 Terre dans la mer

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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Sports

Friday, February 2, 2018 — 7

Behind Enemy Lines: Minnesota’s Jordan Murphy and Nate Mason The two Golden Gophers sat down with the Daily at Big Ten Media Day in October to discuss the upcoming season ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Editor

Michigan fans don’t particularly like Minnesota point guard Nate Mason. After a near-doubledouble and 20-point outing in the Golden Gophers’ two games against the Wolverines last season, the resentment makes sense. But when Mason took Big Ten first-team honors over Derrick Walton Jr. for the 2016-17 season, the indignation reached another level. After all was said and done, though, it was Michigan that got the last laugh. The Wolverines were catapulted to the Sweet Sixteen because of Walton’s elite play, while Mason and Minnesota suffered a first round upset to Middle Tennessee State. Forward Jordan Murphy wasn’t discussed as much as Mason, but he still had his way against Michigan last year. In the first contest, especially, Murphy wiped the floor with the Wolverines, notching 16 points and 15 rebounds in an overtime victory. The 2017-18 season has been a flipped script for the Golden Gophers (3-8 Big Ten, 14-10 overall). Dealing with the loss of three key players, Minnesota is positioned at the bottom of the Big Ten standings. Golden Gophers will need more frequent All-American performances by Murphy and Mason to maintain a thread of hope to resurrect an already-disappointing season. The Daily sat down with Murphy and Mason at Big Ten Media Day in October to talk about battling depth issues,

their lack of roster turnover and what their expectations for the season were. The Michigan Daily: The team didn’t face a lot of roster turnover from last year. What improvements are you hoping to see this season? Have any of them been on display after the offseason? Jordan Murphy: Building off the chemistry we had last year is one of the biggest things I was looking forward to. Really one of my goals. We do a

“We do a good job of hanging out off the court.”

good job of hanging out off the court to build that chemistry. Just staying connected with each other, whether that’s a group chat or just talking. It’s one of the most important things that we’ve done. Nate Mason: We’re definitely a little more connected. Our chemistry is there. But we’ve still got two, three new guys that we need to rely on to help us out. Isaiah Washington, Jamir Harris, Davonte Fitzgerald. Those are three new guys that

are gonna play this year. We gotta get them on the same page. It’s gonna take a while, but it’s better now than before it’s too late. TMD: Before the season even began, the team lost Eric Curry for the year because of an ACL tear. How do you plan on making up for that loss? JM: We’re trying guys at different positions. We’re getting Davonte ready for when he’s ready to go full contact. Mixing it up a bit

“We’re definitely a little more connected.”

Daily Sports Editor

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

To say that things aren’t going as planned for Minnesota would be an understatement. Slated as the preseason consensus No. 3 team in the Big Ten, the Golden Gophers (3-8 Big Ten, 14-10 overall) currently sit tied for 11th place in the conference standings with just seven games remaining. Their 10 losses are as many as they had all of last season. Minnesota’s plunge to bottomdweller status is largely a result of the roster hits it has taken — most notably center Reggie Lynch, who is under investigation by the university for multiple sexual assault allegations. Lynch was last season’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, and without him, the Golden Gophers sit second to last in the conference in scoring defense. Minnesota has also suffered from the absences of starting shooting guard Amir Coffey

— who is day-to-day with a recurring shoulder injury — and sixth man Eric Curry with an ACL tear. Coffey played over 33 minutes per game last season as the team’s best finisher, while Curry notched nearly 20 minutes per game as the team’s sixth man. Amid injury and controversy in a disappointing year, the Golden Gophers enter Crisler Center on Saturday on a four-game losing streak and with little to play for except pride. A victory on the road over No. 24 Michigan (7-4, 18-6), though, would be significant for Minnesota. Enduring what looks like a lost season, Minnesota coach Richard Pitino now views each tough game as an opportunity to flatten the learning curve. “I equate it to when Nate (Mason), Dupree (McBrayer) and (Jordan Murphy) two years ago were in the game,” Pitino said on Jan. 18. “And as painful as it was at times, it was helpful to them in their growth.” Despite Minnesota’s struggles,

it’s been Murphy — not the bench or newcomers — who has picked up the most slack. The junior forward is having a banner year, averaging 17.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, a block and a steal per game. Without Lynch, Murphy has spearheaded an impressive rebounding effort — the Golden Gophers are second in the conference in offensive rebounding and third in defensive rebounding. And if Michigan coach John Beilein loves anything about his team, it’s how it keeps opponents off the glass. While the Wolverines don’t grab many offensive boards themselves — they’re last in the conference — they boast the highest defensive rebounding percentage in the Big Ten. “There’s one thing I care about on the glass: Don’t let them get offensive rebounds,” Beilein said on Jan. 12. “That’s all it is. You see numbers, (but) the number is what’s the percentage of offensive rebounds they got. And we’re one

of the better ones in the country at not allowing offensive rebounds. … I don’t care about how many rebounds they get, we’re like No. 1 in defensive transition. You’ve gotta pick your poison there.” Added senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman after Monday’s game: “I like how gritty we were on the boards. Everybody was crashing the boards on (Northwestern), and we held them to seven offensive rebounds. Any time you can limit teams to less than 10, you’re gonna win the game.” For a Michigan offense that has scored 27 points or less in the first half in four of its last five games, controlling the glass and exploiting one of the conference’s weakest defenses could likely foretell the final outcome. With a chance to add one bright spot to its gloomy season, Minnesota will have to exceed expectations and rebound in more ways than one. Against the Wolverines, that opportunity may be hard to come by.

EVAN AARON/Daily

Senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman cited his team’s ability on the boards as a positive in Michigan’s victory over Northwestern on Monday.

be good. It’s just a matter of being healthy and being in sync. Also gotta keep Murphy out of foul trouble. TMD: Winning eight of your last nine games last season propelled Minnesota to the NCAA Tournament. What was going well during that stretch that you think can continue into this season? JM: Guys started to understand their roles more. As to the rest of the season, the guys started to really find their niches inside of their lineups. We started making good lineups that meshed well with each other. Guys started to get in the gym more and work harder and harder as it got towards the end of the season. NM: I mean, it was just a will. We sat down as a team, had a team meeting, a players-only meeting. We just discussed the will. We put it out there and we wanted to fix it. We were focused, locked in and that was it. TMD: Minnesota is projected to finish top three in the Big Ten standings this year. What are your expectations for the season? JM: Our goal is always gonna be a Big Ten title. That’s the first thing on our mind. Always gotta think about the big goals that we have for our team and that’s the main thing: a Big Ten title. NM: We want to win the Big Ten title. That’s our goal: we want a Big Ten title. We’ve got a chance to do it, and the only thing that can stop us is ourselves. This is the most talented team I’ve ever been around, it’s crazy. If we pull all together and play as one, we have a chance.

“Eric (Curry) was a very good player for us ... last year.”

Minnesota forward Jordan Murphy believed his team could win the Big Ten before the season, but injuries have since crippled the Golden Gophers.

Michigan set to face struggling Golden Gophers ETHAN WOLFE

with the big men. Having guys step up in that position, knowing that there are rebounds to get, there are points and minutes to be had. Making sure guys understand that and making sure they step up is the biggest thing. NM: Eric was a very good player for us coming off the bench last year. He primarily backed up Murphy. But we’ve got Davonte Fitzgerald. He’s gonna come in and take that spot. He’s getting healthy and he’s gonna

Sports

8 — Friday, February 2, 2018

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

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Michigan blows lead in overtime loss to Boilermakers SARAH HURST

Daily Sports Writer

With 0.03 seconds left on the clock, the score was tied at 72-72 in the annual “Pink Game” to honor breast cancer survivors. The Michigan women’s basketball team had one last chance to take the victory against Purdue and expand on its six-game winning streak. The clock ticked down, as the Wolverines attempted an unsuccessful lob play to sophomore forward Kayla Robbins. But the referee stood with a fist in the air. A foul was called at the buzzer. Crisler Center held its breath as the referees huddled together on the sideline to determine the outcome of the game. The foul stood and Robbins walked up to the free-throw line. Crisler was silent again. The first shot bounced off the rim. Robbins had one more chance to secure the win. She dribbled twice, bent her knees, and shot. It didn’t go in. The game was going into overtime. “A game doesn’t end up in the last play,” said junior forward Hallie Thome. “A lot leads to that so to put ourselves in that position, we definitely messed up.” It was clear from the start this was going to be a tough game for the Wolverines when senior forward Jillian Dunston was thrown to the ground battling for the opening tip. Soon after, junior guard Nicole Munger was sent f lying into the photographers at the baseline at the eight minute mark. Purdue opened the game at a fast pace and it took Michigan some time to adjust. The Boilermakers scored early and

often and at seven minutes, the Wolverines called a timeout, as Purdue was up, 11-4. Though the Boilermakers controlled the first quarter, the second was dominated by the Wolverines. Led by aggressive play from Thome, Michigan battled it’s way to the lead and forced Purdue to call a timeout at 7:17, with the score at 31-26. The Wolverines kept applying pressure though, finishing the first half with a 42-36 lead. They did not let up in the third quarter either. Freshman forward Hailey Brown led Michigan in points at the end of the quarter with 18 and helped Michigan keep its lead, 66-54. Though Purdue was down, it did not let up the aggression. It continued to fight and put on pressure until the very end. And with 16 unanswered points in the fourth quarter, the Boilermakers tied up

the game and pushed it into overtime. “They continued to score and we weren’t scoring so closing the gap was the only thing that was happening and we couldn’t stop the bleeding,” Dunston said, “It’s harder to stop the other team’s momentum than it is to break a scoring drought.” In overtime, every basket that Michigan scored was immediately answered by the Boilermakers resulting in a very tight game. Purdue eventually pulled ahead and the Wolverines were down by one with a chance to take the win, but fell just short. Despite the loss, Michigan aims to learn from the game and prepare for the difficult schedule ahead of them. “Every time you lose, it gives you an opportunity to improve and an opportunity to look at yourself, individually and collectively,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico.

Untimely scoring drought leads to devastating defeat ETHAN SEARS

Daily Sports Writer

Kim Barnes Arico stared at the ground and spoke into it. “Well, that was a tough one.” A true statement if there ever was one. The No. 13 Michigan women’s basketball team (8-3 Big Ten, 19-5 overall) was up, 72-56, cruising to victory over Purdue (15-8, 6-3), when the bottom fell out. A 16-point lead became 14, then 11. Two minutes went by without either side scoring, and then the lead became eight. The tension started to build. Junior center Hallie Thome and freshman forward Hailey Brown — who scored 20 and 18 points on the night, respectively — were both playing with four fouls. The Wolverines hadn’t scored in three minutes. “We stopped being aggressive on the offensive end,” Barnes Arico said. “And we got really tentative.” Instead of mere stops, Purdue

ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily

Michigan women’s basketball coach Kim Barnes Arico categorized Thursday’s loss to Purdue as “a tough one.”

started forcing turnovers. Lamina Cooper picked off a kickout pass to senior guard Katelynn Flaherty made from the post and was off to the races, cutting the lead to six with just over two minutes to go. Michigan hadn’t scored in four minutes. “I think we were so timid,” Dunston said, stopping to search for the right adjective. “And then it was getting like, three, two, one on the shot clock, which isn’t, like, normal for us. We don’t try to run the shot clock down. And then, by then, we had no, like, there was no way we could have scored with the position we were in. It just continued to happen.” Purdue’s Tamara Farquhar converted a driving layup to cut the lead to four, and the tension ratcheted up a notch. But with just over a minute to go and the Wolverines still holding a twopossession lead, the odds were still in their favor — at 95.9 percent, to be exact, according to ESPN.com’s win probability model. But yet, Michigan hadn’t scored in five minutes. “I think we got comfortable,” Thome said. “And so we thought, with how we were playing on offense, ‘I mean, we got a big lead and so we didn’t need to score.’ So I think we were just too comfortable.” Another possession, another turnover. The Boilermakers’ Dominique Oden stripped the ball from Flaherty, who fouled her immediately. Purdue was in the bonus, and two free throws later, within two points. Next time down, Flaherty cut backdoor and found a lane. She

went for the layup and was met by the Boilermakers’ Ae’Rianna Harris, who spiked the ball out of bounds. On the subsequent inbounds play, Brown’s entry pass to Thome was stolen. Michigan hadn’t scored in six minutes. “(Purdue) did a triangle-andtwo for a little bit on (Katelynn) and Nicole (Munger), and then they switched to a matchup zone,” Barnes Arico said. “And we just kinda got really stagnant. We didn’t really move the ball like we had been, and we got stagnant. And I think they took advantage of that.” After forcing the turnover, Boilermakers’ coach Sharon Versyp called timeout immediately. The ensuing play — a 3-point look for Karissa McLaughlin coming off a screen — didn’t work, as the shot missed. Purdue didn’t win the ensuing scramble for the rebound either, playing it to a draw. The possession arrow rewarded the Boilermakers with the ball. From there, a baseline floater from Oden tied the game and sucked whatever life still existed out of Crisler Center. Even with 0.7 seconds to work with, and even with sophomore forward Kayla Robbins at the free throw line, a loss felt preordained for the Wolverines. Robbins missed the free throws, but nobody can blame the loss on her doing so. When the second drew iron and bounced out, the buzzer sounded to mark overtime, but by then it was too late. It had been six minutes and 48 seconds since Michigan last scored.

“We stopped being aggressive on the offensive end.”

Wolverines set to face eighth-ranked Badgers in home weekend series After a series in Columbus that put Mel Pearson’s team on the ropes, they return to Yost looking for redemption ANNA MARCUS Daily Sports Writer

As the Michigan hockey team skated off the ice in Columbus last weekend with their heads hung low, the disappointment was evident. After a strong start to the calendar year for the Wolverines, a poor showing by special teams and generally lackluster offense aided thenNo. 6 Ohio State in securing a series sweep. However, the sulking seems to have been short-lived. “Actually, the mood’s been pretty good (in the locker room),” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson after Tuesday’s practice. “Especially this time of year because ... you can sort of see the end, see the finish line. And we like where we’re

at.” And for the Wolverines, this shift in mindset is a necessity. Eight games lie between No. 20 Michigan and the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Just six of those are Big Ten matchups, and just half of them are on home ice. Two of the remaining matchups will take place this weekend at Yost Ice Arena, as Michigan (7-9-2-1 Big Ten, 12-12-2 overall) hosts No. 18 Wisconsin (7-8-2-1, 13-12-3) in their second meeting of the season. During their first encounter

in Madison, the Wolverines had to settle for a loss and a tie. In the first game, Michigan allowed seven goals — the most it has surrendered in any outing this season — which was largely representative of its unresolved defensive troubles at the time. But a lot has changed since November. For that reason, Pearson expects this series to play out a lot differently than it did in the fall, particularly when it comes to team defense. “Tighter defensively,” Pearson said. “I don’t think

“I don’t think you’ll see seven goals put up by either team.”

you’ll see seven goals put up by either team on either night. I think you’ll see lower scoring games; I really believe that. I think you’ll see tight, hardfought games. I think the intensity is going to be good, it could get a little chippy.” Though Michigan showed signs of reverting back to its poor defensive practices in the Ohio State series, over the past month things have generally been looking up for the Wolverines’ blueline. Michigan currently averages 14.58 blocked shots per game — good for seventh in the nation — a stat that was largely on display in its recent series with No. 12 Minnesota and No. 17 Penn State. On the other side of the ice, though, the Wolverines and Badgers are top conference performers. Wisconsin comes

in at second in the Big Ten, averaging 3.24 goals per game, while Michigan trails, just behind at third, averaging 3.19. Pearson aptly described the Badgers’ attack unit as “balanced,” as nine players have tallied at least 16 points on the season. Wisconsin has shown that it not only has a powerhouse offense but also has one of depth. “They like to play a puckpossession skilled game,” Pearson said. “The forwards are as good as anybody in the league. I think one through 12 they might have the deepest group, the best group, as far as guys who can put the puck in the net.” Another factor that differentiates the Wolverines’ series with the Badgers this time around will be the weight

“They like to play a puckpossessioned, skilled game.”

it holds. Claiming the series this far along in the season could be decisive for either team. “There’s a lot at stake,” Pearson said. “This is as big a series as they’ve had this year, and it’s as big a series as we’ve had.” Added senior forward Tony Calderone: “I think they are a very similar team to us. It’s going to come down to who wants it more and who plays harder.” And with few home games left, Michigan’s upperclassmen have been considering the legacy they want to leave in their final games at Yost. “Yeah, it definitely hits home now,” Calderone said. As we get closer (to the end of the season), it’s kind of crazy how fast time goes. And Coach reminds us that we only have so much time left, so we have to make the best of it.” With the home advantage, league standings on the line and a sense of urgency, Michigan looks eager to make these last games count.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Senior forward Tony Calderone and the Michigan hockey team is realizing that their opportunities are running out.