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LA CASA DEMANDS FOR THE LATINX COMMUNITY
DJ duo Louis the Child to headline SpringFest
ACCORDING TO 2017 CAMPUS-WIDE CLIMATE SURVEY,
2,567
Hispanic student population at UM
132%
Hispanic students’ likelihood of experiencing discrimination
"...over the last 15 years, Latinx student enrollment in K-12 schools has significantly outpaced that of White and African-American students"
– UnidosUS
1.7%
increase from
2013 to 2017
(largest increase for Underrepresented Minorities)
0
MUSIC Matters annual concert will feature electronic act, special guests
Hispanic senior officials at the University of Michigan, as alleged by La Casa's demands
MADELEINE GAUDIN Managing Arts Editor
CASEY TIN/Daily
La Casa demands increased Latino representation from ‘U’ admin Official action items sent Monday seeks acknowledgement of growing community MOLLY NORRIS Daily Staff Reporter
The Latinx Alliance for Community Action, Support and Advocacy, an umbrella student group representing members of the Latino community at the University of Michigan, released a list of demands to administrators Monday morning outlining steps they feel the University needs to take in support of Latino students, faculty and staff members.
The demands revolve around Latino representation within offices, departments and administrative positions, as well as acknowledging the presence of the Latino community, the largest and fastest growing underrepresented minority, on campus. This school year’s enrollment report found the Hispanic and Latino community to comprise about 6 percent of the student body. In December, La Casa led a boycott of Multi-Ethnic Student
Affairs after the office’s hiring search for a permanent assistant director returned no Latino candidates (Krishna Han was selected for the position earlier in January). The demands claim other departments that feature little or no Latino presence include the Center for Campus Involvement, University Housing, the Comprehensive Studies Program, the Office of Financial Aid and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. The demands originally
began by citing anti-Latino bias incidents such as the defacing of the Rock at the beginning of the school year with slogans such as “F— Latinos” and President Trump’s slogan “MAGA,” short for “Make America Great Again.” Administrative responses included a condemnation from University President Mark Schlissel in his convocation speech and an email from Chief Diversity Officer Rob Sellers. The list of demands critiques these See DEMANDS, Page 3
After bringing Lil Yachty, Migos and Common to campus in recent years, MUSIC Matters’s 2018 SpringFest will be headlined by Louis the Child. The Chicago-based duo will play at Hill Auditorium on April 4 as part of the organization’s annual social impact lifestyle festival. The largest festival of its kind to be held on a college campus, SpringFest was created six years ago with the objective of uniting the University of Michigan and the Ann Arbor communities through art and culture. Billed as a “lifestyle festival,” SpringFest is a daylong festival boasting free musical performances on a day stage, art installations, food trucks, a fashion show and pop-up shops. In a release, MUSIC Matters President Matt Ladis noted: “The goal of SpringFest is to provide a vehicle that unites all corners of Michigan’s campus
and the broader community through lifestyle elements such as arts, music, social impact, technology and food.” Louis the Child will cap off the day with their performance at Hill. Louis the Child rose to fame primarily through viral remixes and singles like “It’s Strange,” as well as opening spots for similar artists like the Chainsmokers and Madeon. Since then, they’ve performed at festivals like Coachella, Lollapalloza and Ultra. Last year, they released the EP Love is Alive. This is the duo’s first SpringFest appearance, and Louis the Child was last in Ann Arbor in 2016 when they headlined a show at the Blind Pig. The group’s electronic sound is a departure from previous years, where the festival was headlined by one or multiple hip-hop artists. Last year, MUSIC Matters brought 2 Chainz, Desiigner and Lil Yachty to the Crisler Center and, in 2016, the group brought See SPRINGFEST, Page 3
City Council passes amended police Town Hall Biden plays discusses task force, review board resolution to crowd in
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT
feedback to CSG guide
Revised measure increases transparency and limits interference from city officials
Students question whether affordability doc caters to single demographic group
In response to opposition from Ann Arbor citizens regarding the formation of a police review board featuring Ann Arbor Police Department members, City Council passed an amended task force resolution Monday evening, allowing for increased autonomy for civilians in the formation of a task force to oversee the development of a police review board. The review board membership will be based on reccomendations by the City Administrator, as well as the Human Rights Commission. In a previous Human Rights Commission meeting in January, members moved to develop a task force to allow citizens to provide input in the formation of a police review board in response to demands from Transforming Justice Washtenaw initiative for transparency. More than 80 residents came out Monday to oppose a police review board with positions for not only AAPD members and councilmembers, but also lacking in the ability to access investigation information outside of public data. Several council members also disputed the initial resolution. Reform movements began gaining steam after the fatal
KATHERINA SOURINE Daily Staff Reporter
University of Michigan students and representatives from Central Student Government gathered Monday night in the Michigan League for a town hall to discuss the suggestions and revisions for an updated version of the Campus Affordability guide. The meeting was opened by CSG Vice President Nadine Jawad, a Public Policy senior, who reiterated the initial goal of the guide: to create a public document that included resources and tips to make living on campus more affordable for students. Jawad also stated the need to be intersectional with other issues like race and ethnicity. The group of about 20 students first addressed the question of whether or not to tailor the guide to all students on campus or to have a specific section for lowerincome students. This question proved especially pertinent considering the creation of a response guide, titled “Being See FEEDBACK, Page 3
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shooting of Black resident Aura Rosser by James Ried, a white AAPD officer. After repeated calls from citizens and the HRC for council to improve oversight over local police, the council approved a $200,000 review of policing practices conducted by Chicago consulting firm Hillard Heintze, LLC. The firm released a report
calling for a a “co-produced policing committee,” and many residents considered the unsatisfying, and even counteractive. Ann Arbor resident Jennifer Haines expressed frustration with the structure of the review board as well as the task force, and shared ideals of transparency and accountability.
“Right now we have a trust situation that is broken,” Haines said. “Hillard Heintze left many feeling without a voice. Nothing can be done if people don’t feel comfortable coming forward. People are more frightened of the AAPD than the issues they’re facing.” See COUNCIL, Page 3
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Former VP avoids talk of run in 2020, signs a meme at the Michigan Theater RILEY LANGEFELD Daily Staff Reporter
An Ann Arbor resident holds up a sign in protest of the deer cull at the City Council meeting at City Hall Monday.
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speech on family life
Former Vice President Joe Biden spoke at the Michigan Theater Monday night as part of his American Promise Tour. The event consisted of a conversation between Biden and ESPN reporter Adam Schefter, a University of Michigan alum. The tour is centered on his new book, “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose” released in November 2017. The book is a memoir that explores Biden’s experiences throughout 2015, when he was serving as vice president and attempting to cope with the death of his son, Beau. Among other things, he reflects on his faith, his family and his career in public service. He did not, despite rumblings from political experts, comment on his candidacy in the 2020 presidential election. Biden spent most of his time at the event discussing those same topics. He spoke at length about his experiences following the death of his first wife and daughter in a car crash in 1972 (which Beau See BIDEN, Page 3
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DANYEL THARAKAN/Daily Ebony Patterson’s exhibition “of 72” seeks to memorialize seventy-three civilians killed in 2010 in Jamaica at the Institute for the Humanities Gallery Monday.
Discussion in Ford School seeks to cross partisan lines on immigration reform
WeListen student group convenes liberal, conversative perspectives for dialogue Policy senior Gabriel Lerner. the death penalty and the right introductory slides. Berry Frustrated by the partisan to protest. and her co-president, LSA divide and “echo chambers” they Public Policy junior Alli sophomore Nick Tomaino, Over 50 students gathered at noticed on campus and across Berry, one of WeListen’s outlined WeListen’s mission the Ford School of Public Policy the nation, Thosar and Lerner co-presidents, said the purpose and offered suggestions on to discuss immigration policy launched the organization with of WeListen discussions is to how to engage in considerate, and controversies surrounding the goal of giving students a expose participants to differing productive conversation. the topic on Monday. The chance to address political viewpoints and to establish Other board members gave an dialogue was hosted and differences in a constructive commonalities. overview of the discussion topic, facilitated by WeListen, an way. “The ‘why’ behind someone’s reviewing immigration policy organization dedicated to WeListen’s administrative disagreement is often more under the past four presidents, encouraging open conversation board, which Thosar describes important than what they’re presenting common liberal and between conservative and as a “50-50 split of liberals disagreeing with you on conservative viewpoints on the liberal students on campus. and conservatives,” has because a lot of the time our issue and highlighting recent WeListen was co-founded since facilitated a number of disagreements actually come news pertaining to immigration. lastSyndication September by Engineering discussions on topics such http://www.sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ as from shared values,” Berry said. The students were then Sudoku senior Sonia Thosar and Public gun control, the refugee crisis, According to Thosar, broken up into politically WeListen makes a diverse groups of six or seven. particular effort to reach out The groupings, based on to conservative students. responses to the entrance “It is a really liberal survey, were determined using campus, so what we’ve been a sorting algorithm developed really trying to do is market by WeListen’s vice president of HARD to conservatives and make technology. sure they know about us, Handouts with immigration and they know that it’s not facts and statistics, as well as a place that they’re going guiding discussion questions, to get attacked for their were distributed throughout the viewpoints,” Thosar said. room. “We’ve actually had about The groups spent about 10 30 percent conservative minutes chatting casually, attendance, which is pretty then the co-presidents asked good considering this them to start discussing school.” immigration. The groups WeListen gauges the delved into topics such as political leanings of merit-based immigration, participants by asking assimilation, Trump’s border them to sign in and fill out wall, humanitarianism, visa a survey at the beginning expiration and the role of the of each event. Attendees United States government in rank themselves on a scale protecting its citizens. Another of one for most liberal to common theme was “brain seven for most conservative. drain,” the phenomenon of Participants also answered highly-trained professionals a question about the subject leaving developing nations for being discussed. countries like the U.S. To kick off Monday’s COLD NVR ENDS. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. session on immigration, Read more at WeListen’s leadership MichiganDaily.com team presented a few ALICE TRACEY For The Daily
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DEMANDS From Page 1 actions as insufficient and lacking in consistent follow-ups after the initial impact at the beginning of the semester. La Casa external director Yezenia Sandoval, an LSA junior, said University officials have not exhibited urgency in responding to the needs of the Latino community. “We’ve had meetings with Schlissel, (E. Royster Harper), and Sellers and we saw that the responses were like, ‘Yeah we understand,’ but there was no urgency attached to it,” Sandoval said. “They said, ‘We don’t know how we can help.’ Now, they’ve had time to understand what we’re going through. Now, it’s time to act, to back up their work. This is an accountability mechanism.” At the time of publication, University spokespersons did not respond to requests for comment.
SPRINGFEST From Page 1 Atlanta trio Migos to Hill. Louis the Child will mark the first time a group of this nature headlines the festival. “Electronic music has never touched the stage in Hill Auditorium at such a large scale,” MUSIC Matters Talent and Concert Chair Sam Reisman said in the release. A portion of ticket sales for the show will go towards funding MUSIC Matters’s new initiative, “CoMMunity Partnership,” a grant the organization will provide to a philanthropic student organization at the University.
BIDEN From Page 1 and Hunter, Biden’s second son, survived). He and his young sons grew closer as they coped with the loss. “As much as I raised them, they raised me,” Biden said As they grew older, Biden’s sons became interested in public service, and Beau was poised to become governor of Delaware when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. At the event, Biden talked about how much he looks up to Beau and his other children for their courage and their commitment to public service. He also focused on his work with the Biden Cancer Initiative, which seeks to raise funds for research and facilitate progress in the fight against cancer. Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, have spent a large portion of their time over the last year working on this project.
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The first three demands concern hiring more Latino staff, senior administrators and faculty members. One point calls for a strategic hiring plan endorsed by Schlissel “to increase the number of faculty with research and teaching expertise in LatinX communities and cultures.” The demands claim no deans, executive officers or senior academic officials at the University identify as Latino. E. Royster Harper, vice president for Student Life, wrote in a December email she aims to make hiring processes as inclusive as possible, with a focus on selecting the most qualified candidates. “When we are at our best, we create a diverse candidate pool and work in partnership to identify strong candidates for any position,” she wrote. Sandoval said a lack of Latino professors across programs negatively affects Latino students and their studies when they don’t
see more representation leading the classroom. “I’m a Political Science major and I take a class with (Vanessa Cruz) Nichols, the one junior faculty member who is Latina in the entire department,” she said. “In a department dominated by white men, just seeing someone reflect my background and share commonalities makes me feel more comfortable. But that doesn’t just have to be Latinx individuals, but those who have experience working alongside Latinx community. It brings a sense of belonging.” The Latina/o Studies Program, the fourth demand, called for support for Latino faculty who are doing the vast majority of mentoring of Latino students. The group requested resources to nurture and establish research relationships between Latino undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty members. La Casa also requested a “LatinX Campus Climate Study” to assess
This year, for its first partnership, MUSIC Matters will be giving its grant to Books for a Benefit. Books for a Benefit seeks to promote literacy by providing access to books and other academic resources to underserved youth in Michigan schools. Co-founded by CSG Vice President Nadine Jawad, the Books for Benefit Chapter at the University has a network of 200 volunteers. The festival will feature a showcase of the organization. The festival’s social focus extends to all aspects of the day, and 2018’s iteration will be a zero-waste event with environmentally-friendly food trucks and social activism
showcases among the arts and culture events. A full line-up for the daytime component of the festival is still to come. “We are thrilled with our artist selection for the night portion as well as the programming we have in store for the day, all of which should make for the most dynamic SpringFest yet,” Ladis said in the release. Tickets to the show at Hill will start at $9.99 for students and $14.99 for the general public. They will go on sale Thursday, Feb. 8 at noon for in-person sales through the Michigan Union Ticket Office, by phone and through MUSIC Matters’s official site.
Biden brushed aside questions of whether he will seek the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, just as he has at a number of public appearances in the last year. Though Schefter attempted to work the election into the conversation, Biden chose to focus on his family and personal experiences and gave no commentary or thoughts on the current American political world for the duration of the conversation. LSA freshman Maeve Skelly has long been inspired by Biden. She attended the event and spoke positively about his personal qualities. “I’ve always looked up to Joe Biden as not only a political figure, but as someone I admire personally,” Skelly said. “I admire his resilience and his courage because it takes a lot to come and talk about the stuff that he did — especially writing about it in his book and all the hardships he’s been through — and using that as hope.
Hope was a key theme of Biden’s book and the event. Before Beau died, he urged his father and the rest of his family to continue working for the things they cared about; he hoped that they wouldn’t “turn inward” after his death. Biden said he was motivated in his work by Beau’s passionate public service, and that he kept working after Beau’s death because he knew Beau would have wanted him to. Biden ended the event on a positive note, speaking about the accomplishments of the Biden Cancer Initiative. He offered some hopeful parting words. “Folks, in the next five to 10 years you’re going see a radical change in life expectancy with cancer. You’re going to see some genuine cures,” Biden said. “That’s the kind of stuff that’s happening. That’s why I’m so optimistic not just about cancer, but quite frankly the country.”
Provost launches undergrad education task force on future
New group will focus on Third Century classrooms, diversity MAYA GOLDMAN Daily News Editor
Provost Martin Philbert launched a new task force this semester to investigate the undergraduate education experience at the University of Michigan. The “Task Force on a Michigan Undergraduate Education in the Third Century,” composed of 11 professors, one lecturer and two student representatives, all from a wide variety of departments and schools, will meet until June. In their meetings, held every other week, the group will look into what a University education looks like now and what it might look like in the future. Philbert started the task force to examine the ways the University can alter its approach to the undergraduate education as it moves into its third century. “For the last 200 years, the University of Michigan has prepared undergraduates to be leaders and public servants in society,” Philbert said. “As the University embarks on its third century amid a rapidly changing landscape in higher education, we must seek to
understand how we deliver this vital service and how we might shape instruction and the undergraduate experience for the future.” Some of the topics the group will focus on include figuring out what makes a University of Michigan education distinctive, examining how shared goals impact teaching and considering the role of the University in preparing the next generation of citizens and professionals. They will eventually create a preliminary report with next steps for the Provost. Anne Curzan, associate dean for the humanities and co-chair of the task force, said in a University press release the group will also grapple with the role the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan plays in an undergraduate education. “I think as part of that mission we’re really interested in thinking about what we know about how people learn and the extent to which we want students to be thinking about how they learn,” Curzan said. “We also would like to think hard about what it means when you take the principles of
diversity, equity and inclusion and put them at the center of undergraduate education at the University of Michigan.” Engineering senior Kevin Jiang, one of the two students on the task force, thinks creating a vision for the future of education at the University
We must seek to understand how we deliver this vital service. will be the group’s most important job. While working with such an accomplished group of professors is a little intimidating to Jiang, he’s excited to get to work. “I’m a really big visioning person,” Jiang said. “I think visioning is super important to guide any organization forward. So I think this task force is really setting the vision for how education is going to look at the University of Michigan.”
the opinions of Latino students, faculty and staff on campus and to further support additional programs. Results from the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Campus Climate survey released last fall found Hispanic students are 132 percent more likely to experience discrimination on campus The next two demands — the creation of an “Institute for Latinx Research” and more Latinoinspired spaces on campus — outlined the need for spaces in the community that commemorated Latino people. The institute would focus on the study of Latino communities in the 21st century. “We want a university in which we can all learn and thrive,” the report reads. “We want a climate free from hostility. We want to see ourselves reflected in the University’s leadership, in its student services staff, in its faculty and in its classrooms. We want classes and curricula where Latinx contributions to literature,
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 — 3 arts, culture and society are not ignored. We want support for our research at all levels. We want a space where our culture is centered and we do not have to feel like outsiders. We want a university that reflects the reality of a country that is now, and always has been, shaped by our presence.” Sandoval said the demands are a product of several generations of Latino activism on campus and brought together students with older faculty and staff. “There’s history here,” she said. We’ve never seen organizing to this extent we’ve never seen anything like this. It’s been really cool for staff, faculty, and our members to see that. Everyone’s been very excited and hopeful, to see our community come together to advocate for ourselves.” In order to remain sustainable, the demands request the University recognize La Casa as a central voice in the representation of the Latino community, and guarantee $65,000 in funding
FEEDBACK From Page 1 Not-Rich at UM.” LSA sophomore Sydney McKinstry argued there needs to be more accessibility in order to find important information quickly in the guide. “I definitely think that there’s value in having sections and including the all-in-one document that’s accessible to everyone, but if there are not sections that are labeled or targeted for certain groups I think that it can be difficult to cipher through all the information,” McKinstry said. “Somebody who’s looking for resources to find an affordable place to live, who are already struggling with funds, aren’t going to need to read an entire section on obtaining money through canceling services and other budgeting-type stuff.” The group generally agreed the guide would need to go through reorganization to address this problem while taking care not to single out specific groups. “I think we can think about a way to format it where it does dissect that information because homogenizing all budgeting into all socioeconomic status was not a good move, and I think that there is a way to disseminate that information in a better, more organized way,” Jawad said. Later, Engineering sophomore Brendan Jackson voiced concern over the section regarding debt
COUNCIL From Page 1 Not only did residents express discomfort with the proposed task force resolution, but many council members added in criticism of the seeming lack of trust between civilians and elected officials, perpetuated by provisions for elected officials to sit on the review board. Before the amendments were implemented, Councilmember Sumi Kailasapathy, D-Ward 1, said she believed the resolution fails to express basic democratic principles. “We cannot believe in democratic principles and have an institution that is not bound by checks and balances,” Kailasapathy said. “Who would want to do this? Do you want to be just a PR person for the police department? There are lots of good parts to this resolution but there are four or five holes in it that need to be changed otherwise it is just going to be a feel-good party that won’t really do anything.” Councilmember Jack Eaton, D-Ward 4, shared Kailasapthy’s view. He said he believed the task force and the review board itself could be better and should not limit civilian participation. “If we are going to have a citizen committee, it has to be led by citizens, not staff,” Eaton said. “I believe that we must form a task force. It should not include any city member as a part of the voting
I think it can be difficult to cipher through all the information.
transfers, explaining it didn’t include enough information explaining how to do it safely. The discussion continued with a focus on how CSG can implement subsequent events focusing on financial literacy at the University, especially for first-year and second-year students. “That section can be extremely dangerous for people who don’t know what debt transfers are and don’t know how to do them safely, and it can actually lead to a lot more financial trouble than you started in. I think definitely if it’s going to be included in future versions, it needs to be included with resources with how to do it safely,” Jackson said. The group discussed strategies for increasing student turnout at CSGfacilitated student workshops
process. Nothing prohibits us from giving (the review board) more power than advised in the charter. We should give it the ability to act independently of the police.” In the review of the resolution, Eaton initiated many changes, touching on every bullet point within the resolution. He called for independence for the task force and the board, investigative privileges and the exclusion of city employees. With Eaton’s encouragement, the council amended the resolution to allow grounds for establishing a task force where council members and AAPD members are not allowed to vote, and a police review board to be staffed by individuals recommended by the City Administrator, as well as the Human Rights Commission. Amid these recommendations, the council will also look to fill the board with a large representation of individuals from heavily policed areas, mental health workers, restorative justice workers and social workers. Finally, the council also passed an amendment to create procedures within the police review board to receive civilian complaints. Many residents, including members of Transforming Justice Washtenaw, discussed their frustration with lack of transparency in the AAPD. Ann Arbor resident Dan Michniewicz said he has attended four council meetings
for program support. La Casa specifically requested financial support of the Assisting Latinas to Maximize Achievement program, as well as allowing the program to start before the University’s movein date. Other demands include “the creation of a University of Michigan outreach initiative that specifically targets underserved communities with a significant presence of Latino students, modifications to the Wolverine Pathways program, sufficient staffing to promote Latino student outreach efforts, and a new presidential advisory board on Latino affairs. Sandoval said the demands are meant to go beyond administrators, “all the way to the Regents.” “We just want recognition that the Latinx community is present,” Sandoval said. “And then representation. It’s so cool to usher this moment—hopefully, one day we end up in the archives.”
and other possible means of making this information available for students. LSA senior Zoe Proegler, who criticized the guide through a Facebook post after its initial publication, voiced her opinion regarding student participation in informational programs. “I think having some sort of financial literacy training could be helpful,” Proegler said. “That is a huge thing that most people on this campus have to deal with, and not just student loan debt. Talking in a more responsible way about safe ways to manage credit card debt and planning around that could be really helpful.” Later, the group discussed the history of tenant unions at the University and the possibility of re-instituting them. In the past, tenant unions have advocated for fair housing costs and fair treatment by landlords. The group examined how a possible tenant union could benefit current housing costs by advocating for reasonable prices and helping students with budgeting. This topic was tabled for further discussion in the future. In the conclusion of the meeting, Jawad expressed CSG’s intention to conduct a survey as a method to more effectively gather student opinion on specific sections of the original guide. Additionally, she included plans to have student representatives from various student organizations and groups to vet drafts of the new CSG affordability guide before its re-publication.
and repeatedly asked for AAPD transparency and reiterated his frustration once more. “I ask you again to listen to the residents and stop the bureaucratic nonsense,” Michniewicz said. While the council agreed to pass the amendments and the resolution itself, there was discussion of allowing the task force, as well as the board, access to confidential data. Originally, only the public data regarding policing practices was to be made available for investigative purposes. Despite the call for transparency, Councilmember Chuck Warpehoski, D-Ward 5, expressed concern regarding confidentiality. “Moving towards a general level of transparency is important, but confidentiality is also important,” Warpehoski said. “We need to make sure we are honoring the confidentiality of people not convicted of crimes, that we are not endangering minors. If this moves forward it brings us back to the issue of confidentiality.” Before the over two-hour long discussion on the task force resolution, City Council, as well as several members of the local school board, discussed school transportation difficulties. The council also passed a resolution authorizing the city to seek permission from the Michigan Supreme Court to file an amicus curiae brief in Michigan Gun Owners, Inc. v. Ann Arbor Public Schools.
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, February 6, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
CARLI COSENZA| COLUMN
Facebook’s “pushy” notifications
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STEPHANIE TRIERWEILER | COLUMN
A
Bell curves breed competition
new kind of grading system is gaining traction at the University of Michigan. About 8,000 students at the University’s Ann Arbor campus have earned grades through GradeCraft, in which they progressively gain points throughout the semester by choosing between a variety of assignments to complete. GradeCraft aims to give students greater academic autonomy, encourages them to take risks and works to boost their selfconfidence. Results have been promising — the January 2018 issue of the journal Games and Culture reported that gameful course design is positively correlated with students “working harder and feeling more in control of their class performance.” Though almost 100 professors from 28 departments across the University have tried GradeCraft so far, in my experience most courses here don’t take such a selfdesigned approach to learning. Grading systems continue to vary widely and, for courses in LSA, they’re often up to the complete discretion of individual professors. And while LSA classes differ in their grading structures, The Ross School of Business takes a completely non-self-determined approach to students’ grades: It assesses each and every class on a bell curve, irrespective of learning material, types of assignments or student performance. A look into The Michigan Daily’s guide of grade distributions in LSA reveals bell curves in some large introductory courses like Mathematics 115 and Economics 101. These kinds of classes tend to serve as a prerequisite for majors, “weed out” many freshmen from pursuing those majors and set intentionally difficult exams to create a wide distribution of grades. Advanced courses in LSA typically use an absolute grading system to assess students — in my own experience taking a number of upper-level courses in 12 different departments, I have only been
graded on a curve in the Economics Department. Students in business courses, however, are perpetually sorted on a bell curve that doesn’t necessarily raise their raw scores. This places them in a state similar to students in “weeder” LSA classes in the sense that one student’s gain is inherently another’s loss. The curve is as follows: Grades for all core classes in the Business School are distributed with less than 40 percent of students receiving an A- or above, less than 90 percent receive a B or above, and over 10 percent receiving a B- or below. The problem with this grading system isn’t in numerical outcomes — the Business School’s curve doesn’t impact students’ overall GPAs significantly. The average sophomore transfer to the program comes in with a 3.7 GPA and the Business School’s classes roughly generate a B+ average. Grade inflation is mixed; in quantitative core classes with low average test scores, grades inflate, while in other classes with generally high raw scores, they deflate. Few students struggle to pass classes since many professors avoid giving grades less than a B-. The real problem lies in the implications of the curve on students’ learning styles, relationships with classmates and self-perceptions. Consistently grading on a bell curve creates a toxic environment where students are judged only relative to each other. They come to view their grades — and consequent success at the University — as a zero-sum game between themselves and their peers. If they’re consistently graded lower than classmates, they may make negative social comparisons and lose general motivation to do well. Bell curves foster a competitive, rather than collaborative atmosphere, and disincentivize students from helping and learning from their peers. Especially in qualitative classes where students’ collectively high raw scores are curved down, and they’re assessed
CARLY BEHRENDT | CONTACT AT CARBEHR@UMICH.EDU
more heavily on performance in class participation, group presentations and essays than exams, the curve truly doesn’t match the material and desired classroom environment. Emily Yerington, a University alum who transferred out of the Business School, said in an interview with The Daily while critiquing the Business school’s pedagogy: “Even though they curve it high, it’s just a bad mentality when you’re not worried about how much you’re learning, you’re worried about how you’re doing compared to everyone else.” The Business School’s one-sizefits-all approach also ultimately runs counter to its purported values. The school frequently references collaboration, inclusion, community and positive business as integral facets of the Ross experience. For example, its Center for Positive Organizations has led extensive research on positive leadership and advocates for organizations and companies to develop cultures of collaboration and empowerment. A New York Times piece further argues against the mentality ingrained in bell curves because it doesn’t reflect the real advantages of students taking on a collaborative approach in their later careers. A meta-analysis of studies of employees across industries finds that in the long run, “leaders reward people who make the team and the organization more successful.” I encourage the school to look inward, implement the findings of its research in its own curriculum and experiment with a grading system like GradeCraft. This would not only fall in line with its research on positive organizations, but also generally foster a desire among its students to learn the material and achieve — rather than simply come out above their peers.
Stephanie Trierweiler can be reached at strier@umich.edu.
T
he other day, I logged into my Facebook account and noticed a notification on my timeline. It was a message from Facebook itself, urging me to update my profile picture. The exact message — or rather, command — was written in bold font across my screen: “It’s been a while since you updated your profile picture. Choose a recent photo of yourself so people can find you easily.” I was taken aback. What was wrong with my current profile picture? And furthermore, I had last updated it in March. That’s only about eight months; I really don’t look any different now. Despite Facebook’s ever-enticing recommendation, I did not change my profile picture. I am perfectly content with my profile picture the way it is. However, I am still troubled by the entire situation. The fact that Facebook can now directly encourage users to make changes to their appearance and claim that it is for the satisfaction of other users is deeply alarming. It reflects the dangerous vanity that has become a core value in not only the social media sphere, but in our society in general. It encourages the validation of oneself through the approval of others in the form of receiving virtual “likes.” Moreover, because we are able to edit the photos that we share, we are able to get rid of whatever we don’t want our audiences to see. In this way, we are creating a culture of deception of others and ourselves. Every day, over 350 million Facebook photos are shared. That’s a lot of posting, and a lot of opportunities for users to get a peek into the lives of others. This is where the damage can occur. Research suggests that appearance comparisons — common in social media — is doing an exceptional job of making us feel bad about ourselves. This makes perfect sense. It’s because social media presents the perfect paradox: It allows you to display to others how great and exciting your life is. However, it allows for you to see how great and exciting everyone else’s life is, so you can’t help but compare yourself to them. This leads to the internalization of cultural ideals about beauty, body image and lifestyle, which can make us feel eternally dissatisfied. For example, approximately 68 percent of women report being dissatisfied with their bodies. In my case, after I received orders to change my profile picture, I wondered: If Facebook isn’t even satisfied with my profile
picture, then should I be? At that moment, even my own satisfaction was subject to the judgment of social media. This leads us to the issue of selfvalidation through the approval of others, which is a field that I believe Facebook particularly excels in. Let’s re-examine the line: “Choose a recent photo of yourself so people can find you more easily.” To me, this is pretty remarkable. If a person does not know what I look like enough to find me based on my current profile picture, then we probably aren’t close friends in real life. Furthermore, it reinforces a constant pressure to maintain an image, whatever it may be. Frequently, how we construct this image is based on validation that we get from our followers in the form of “likes” and comments. In fact, researchers say that millennials, who comprise the largest age group on Facebook, are now more than ever craving external validation because they have become so accustomed to receiving praise online. This is a phenomenon referred to as the “generation validation” effect, which is rooted in social media. As social media has evolved, so has a key component in receiving validation: editing. Through editing applications such as VSCO or FaceTune, users can retouch essentially any component of a photo. Whether you want to edit out a photobomb or whiten your teeth, you have the ability to alter reality. Editing has become a big part of social media; for example, the photo editing app Camera 360 has over 800 million users around the world. FaceTune allows you to make drastic changes to yourself, such as widening smiles, concealing wrinkles and even changing eye color. This is a perfect example of the danger of photo editing: It allows users to choose which aspects of themselves they want to enhance, reduce or alter. We no longer accept ourselves, but instead put out an enhanced image of what we think we should look like. And apparently, the secret lies in the face: Research shows that Instagram photos that feature faces get 38 percent more likes than those without. Suddenly, FaceTune’s teeth-whitening feature sounds appealing, doesn’t it? If we follow Facebook’s advice and post to attract attention from followers, then, of course, we are going to be encouraged to use photo-editing apps to ensure that we look the very best. However, what happens when our virtual selves don’t match reality?
In 2014, the term “catfish” officially made it into the MerriamWebster online dictionary. It is defined as “A person who sets up a false personal profile on a social networking site for fraudulent or deceptive purposes.” The catfishing phenomenon started with the documentary Catfish, which then inspired MTV’s Nev Schulman and Max Joseph, whose TV series documents actual cases of fraudulent online relationships. In almost every episode, the relationship starts on Facebook, and almost always the perpetrator uses a fake profile picture to deceive the other person. While photo editing isn’t as extreme as “catfishing,” one thing is clear: It is very easy to deceive people online. Facebook can’t check the authenticity of a profile, and sometimes the only proof we have is in the pictures. With the accessibility of photo-editing applications, we have the ability to seem like a completely different person online, which can present a problem when things don’t quite match up in reality. Furthermore, there are the consequences that photo editing has on the perpetuation of unrealistic beauty and body image expectations placed particularly on women in our society. Now we really have no excuse to not look perfect in every picture. By using editing software to change the way we naturally look, aren’t we just giving into the unrealistic expectations placed upon us by society that we constantly fight against? We must be wary of how much of ourselves we seek to change. To me, self-satisfaction comes from internal self-acceptance, not from the critical reception of my profile picture. After all, the instant gratification that social media rewards us with is not tangible or enduring; instead, it is short-lived and superficial. It is dangerous when social networking sites such as Facebook attempt to interfere with how we view ourselves. I like my profile picture, and I will change it when I am ready to, not when Facebook tells me to. We should strive to be content with who we are as individuals, rather than worry about the pressures of our virtual image. At the end of the day, I think that face-to-face interactions are more valuable and I believe there are too many other things in the world to worry about than my “outdated” Facebook profile picture. Carli Cosenza can be reached at carlic@umich.edu.
SUZY WEISS, GABY ROTH AND SARAH PARKES | OP-ED
SAFE, don’t fall for Spencer’s trap
R
ichard Spencer is the country’s leading white supremacist. Students Allied for Freedom and Equality is a Michigan student group that “seeks to advance the causes of freedom, justice, human rights and equality for all peoples.” The group has made the prevention of Spencer from ever setting foot on campus a high priority; its Facebook profile picture proudly declares #StopSpencer “Because you don’t negotiate with Nazis.” So you can understand our shock when we discovered that SAFE was hosting a teach-in touting the views of … Richard Spencer. That’s right. The very organization that has vociferously opposed Spencer and his odious views believes he is worth listening to on a single subject: Israel The teach-in, titled “Richard Spencer, Anti-Semite and Zionist: Israel & The Far Right,” promises to “explore the Far Right’s affinity for the State of Israel, investigating how Israel has become a paradigmatic ethnostate for white supremacists like Richard Spencer.” Is there anything to this claim? Do alt-right racists like Spencer indeed have a special affinity for the Jewish state? To hear Spencer tell it, yes. “You could say that I am a white Zionist,” he said to an Israeli interviewer this past August, “in the sense that I care about my people. I want us to have a secure homeland that’s for us and ourselves just like you want a secure homeland in Israel.” In other words: Just as the Jewish people care about protecting themselves in Israel, so too does Spencer and his band of white nationalists care about protecting the interests of his “people.” White people. Do you get what he’s doing here? He is twisting the meaning and history of the Zionist idea — a homeland for a people oppressed,
dispossessed and decimated — in order to further his own vision for a white ethnostate. Not a people with a shared religion and culture, but humans who happen to have the same skin color. And who certainly haven’t been oppressed or murdered for their religion. Don’t listen to us, listen to the Southern Poverty Law Center: “Such historical comparisons show how desperate Spencer is to legitimize his agenda. After all, if white people are dispossessed, why shouldn’t they get a homeland, too? The problem, of course, is that white Americans have not been dispossessed, no matter how often that claim is made by ideologues of the racist right.” In the same interview with Israel’s Channel 2 in which he calls himself a white Zionist, Spencer said: “Jews have been vastly overrepresented in the left right now, vastly overrepresented in what you could call the establishment that is Ivy League-educated people who determine policy. White people are being dispossessed from this country.” Spencer’s words drip with the venom familiar in classic antiSemitic works like the “Protocols of The Elders of Zion.” His ideas should be condemned for the prejudiced nonsense that they are, not more closely examined for nuggets that happen to lend themselves to an antiZionist narrative. And that narrative is built on lies that ignore fundamental truths about Israel and the people who call it home. Some facts SAFE might want to consider: Israel is home to Black and brown Jews from countries including Ethiopia, Eritrea, Libya, Yemen and Syria. About 20 percent of the Israeli population is Arab. Judaism has never had a race requirement: Moses, our religion’s most important prophet, married a Black woman. The idea that we even have to point out such obvious truths
is painful. It is especially so during a moment in which Jews in this country are being attacked by the likes of Spencer. Our American Jewish community has been under attack by the alt-right movement. At the deadly rally in Charlottesville, Spencer and his fellow marchers chanted “Jews will not replace us” and “Blood and soil,” a traditional Nazi cry. So when we heard that Spencer would not be speaking on campus this semester, we were relieved. Now, this event brings Spencer’s vile rhetoric and ideas to the forefront of the conversation. By clothing anti-Semitism in the trendy garb of open dialogue, discussion or a teach-in, SAFE is falling for Spencer’s scheme and elevating an unapologetic antiSemite. His prerogative is to infect as many people as possible with his racist conception of the world. By giving his words weight, SAFE is accomplishing just that. When you are resorting to parroting the words of a neo-Nazi to promote your political agenda, you’ve lost. SAFE’s upcoming event serves as an example of how anti-Semitism has seeped into the language of progressive circles. On Tuesday night, we will be hosting an event called “Equating Zionism with Nazism: A Modern Form of AntiSemitism,” at which we will hear Heidi Budaj, the Michigan regional director of the AntiDefamation League, discuss ways in which anti-Semitism is expressed today. We invite all those who are interested in learning about this tough issue to join us at 9:00 p.m. in 1230 Weill Hall, in the Ford School of Public Policy.
Suzy Weiss, Gaby Roth and Sarah Parkes are LSA seniors .
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 — 5
DAILY HEALTH & WELLNESS COLUMN
Does this angle make me look fat?
ALBUM REVIEW RCA RECORDS
‘Man of the Woods’ shows Timberlake’s eclectic side MIKE WATKINS Daily Arts Writer
The comeback: It’s an art. From the initial scuddlebud that piques the interests of fans and non-fans alike, to the hype-inducing, typically mysterious marketing campaign, to the content itself, an artist’s comeback is best received when all facets of the release are well executed. When done poorly, a comeback can leave fans disappointed, unenthused and in denial (i.e. Britney Spears’s Glory — I didn’t even know she dropped a comeback album in 2016). When done well, a comeback can shatter the music world, reinvigorating the passion of a fanbase by reminding listeners of an artist’s unparalleled and natural talent. An example? Justin Timberlake and his highly anticipated album, Man of the Woods. With a teaser trailer depicting the wind-stricken wilderness and advertising a return to Timberlake’s Tenn. roots, fans had little idea what to expect from Woods. He couldn’t possibly be releasing a country album, right? The project’s first single, “Filthy,” confused listeners
When done well, a comeback can shatter the music world even more, boasting a sexy, abrasive, future-funk sound that produced mixed feelings and didn’t seem to mirror the wholesome, woodsy vibe JT was marketing. However, one listen through will put these concerns at bay; Woods is sonically superb. Throughout the 16-track record, Timberlake manages to successfully incorporate layers of that good
ole country comfort on which he was raised with modern, bass-heavy sounds, all while maintaining the tight groove and impressive vocals that shot him to R&B and pop superstardom in the 2000s. The former NSYNC heartthrob best described the album’s sound in a behindthe-scenes video, labeling it “modern Americana with 808s.” Timberlake built nearly every song around guitar and country melodies to hone a feeling of “heritage,” later enlisting Pharrell, Timbaland and others to masterfully blend those sounds with pop and hip hop. This unique combination is likely most evident in the album’s second single, “Supplies.” The song’s melody could easily be accompanied by a banjo and a two-step stomp for a linedance at the
Man of the Woods Jusin Timberlake RCA Records hottest barn in Ala., but it’s instead met with a booming trap beat that Future could murder, and in true JT fashion, the hook is embedded in the listener’s head after just one listen (Tyler, the Creator will be the first to tell you that the track absolutely bumps). This genre-bending trend can even be seen through the album’s features: R&B sensation Alicia Keys adds soul to “Morning Light,” and country star Chris Stapleton immediately follows with country twang on “Say Something.” Timberlake has never been known for conscious lyricism or enlightening messages (see: “SexyBack” or “Suit and Tie”), so don’t bother looking for that here; his brand is simply good, groovy music, and that doesn’t change with Woods. With that said, listeners can still take away one major theme from this vanguard album: the fluidity of genre. Timberlake, a white man who made waves
in a genre largely dominated by African American artists, has never been one to stick to stereotypes, but this album goes a step further to demonstrate that even country
Timberlake has never been known for conscious lyricism or enlightening messages
and hip hop — seemingly polar opposites in both music and culture — can be united on the grounds of the feel-good emotions they can respectively produce. Timberlake touched on this idea in 2016 in a string of defensive and explanatory tweets after receiving backlash to his comments on Jesse Williams’s Humanitarian Award acceptance speech at the BET Awards. After initially sharing via Twitter that he was inspired by Williams’s words, Timberlake responded to accusations by one tweeter that his success was due to appropriation of Black culture, tweeting, “Oh, you sweet soul. The more you realize that we are the same, the more we can have a conversation. Bye.” Predictably, this comment received major backlash, as many viewed it as blindness to Timberlake’s potential privilege as a white male in the historically Black R &B music world. These criticisms are absolutely valid; however, perhaps what Timberlake was trying to articulate is that there is more in music that unites people than divides people. Man of the Woods, with its bright guitar riffs and heavy bass drops, is a properly delivered version of this message.
FILM REVIEW
COHEN MEDIA
The depictions of body image have transgressed our perspective about health for quite some time. Directly affected by social media, pop culture and societal norms, body image is a concept most of us have grappled with or questioned at some point or another. Everyone’s perspective and experience with their body is individualistic; nonetheless, the aspects of our human bodies are consistently categorized. “Fat,” “skinny,” “curvy,” “lanky,” “muscular,” — the list can go on. Although these categories are restricting and iniquitous, we are seeing these descriptions become redefined, specifically in media. A few friends and a mentor of mine recommended I watch the show “This is Us,” the Emmy award-winning drama on NBC involving a uniquelystructured family through generations. Each character in the Pearson family faces their own independent and familial intricacies, crafting a dynamic and approachable cast of characters. Kate Pearson (Chrissy Metz, “American Horror Story”) plays a 36-yearold, overweight woman who battles each day with her diet and physical health. After watching just the first two episodes I was drawn to Kate’s raw and honest character, where she represents a large population of people struggling with weight loss. Her character, however, doesn’t solely highlight an overweight woman consumed by her eating habits: The show follows her in her everyday life among family, friends and significant others. The
viewers are left with a tricky blend of realistic human challenges and caricaturelike stereotypes, creating a character that feels real in the most fabricated fashion. In the episodes I’ve watched so far, weight loss and a healthier lifestyle are the driving goals for Kate’s character. Even more, she confronts this issue in all types of situations — like
ERIKA SHEVCHECK weighing herself in the bathroom, going out on a date with another overweight man, being conscious of what she eats/drinks and facing her anxieties surrounding sex and romantic relationships. In all of its efforts, the show does a nice job at designing and portraying a realistic character like Kate. Her initial actions in the pilot episode include throwing out all of her junk food, hitting the gym and counting her calories — actions which many viewers can relate to. Kate is seen joining a weight-loss support group and meeting Toby (Chris Sullivan, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2”), another overweight man with a light-
hearted sense of humor and a strong attraction to Kate. Both characters play out the similarities and differences of individualistic weight loss. While Toby wants dessert at dinner, Kate refuses. At the gym, Kate watches the uberskinny girls on the treadmill, while Toby convinces her to leave the gym with him. In what felt like the most hard-hitting moment, Toby asks her to fool around, and she anxiously breaks down, ashamed of the idea of someone seeing her naked body. What the show does best is presenting how difficult it is to lose weight and to live a certain lifestyle, especially at Kate’s size and body type. Sure, we can try and imagine what someone like Kate’s life would be like. But when it’s on the screen — raw and sentimental — Kate’s life, especially for those of us who share immense commonalities with her character, is a wakeup call to our society’s ignorance on weight, health and body image. It doesn’t only directly affect you in the kitchen or at the gym: Challenges like Kate’s are constantly rattling in the mind, minute to minute, and this struggle makes an effect on almost every decision. For so long, the media has rarely highlighted the lives of those who battle with things like eating disorders or obesity. Rarely are larger people leading characters in film and television, especially in female roles. It’s actresses like Chrissy Metz and the creators of “This is Us” who have set a new bar for depicting the realities of extreme lifestyles and redefining the categories of body image.
FILM REVIEW
Agnès Varda & JR exude life in doc ‘Faces Places’ MAX MICHALSKY Daily Arts Writer
It’s no secret: Modern art gets a bad rap. While obviously appreciated within its own academic and professional circles, it’s safe to say that many don’t find modern art as profoundly moving as film, music or literature. Often smeared as pretentious and inaccessible, modern art still
“Faces Places” Cohen Media Michigan Theater has difficulty shaking the image of a turtlenecked, whitehaired Andy Warhol. Enter street muralist JR and New Wave director Agnès Varda, two French artists who joined together with an idea: make a film showcasing a uniquely human facet of modern art that saves memories from antiquity and reaches people from all walks of life. Despite their 56-year age difference, the two are united through art and a shared vision. In the early scenes of the film, Agnès explains the magnetism she felt through JR’s murals and her desire to collaborate with him; to make art “together, but differently.” The result is a gorgeous, moving film that shatters the purported headiness of modern art, instead showing the power with which it touches the soul and brings people together. Over the course of the film, the pair journeys through the French countryside, photographing a wide array of people from all types of
backgrounds. One of the film’s greatest triumphs is its ability to portray even the darkest parts of the world with beauty and joy. The two visit a neighborhood of abandoned houses, once the home of coal miners and their families, where the neighborhood’s sole remaining occupant — Jeannine, a coal miner’s daughter — lives alone out of sheer stubbornness. Agnès and JR create massive, two-story murals of the miners who once lived in the neighborhood. When Jeannine sees the finished product, she breaks down in tears as Agnès comforts her, “It’s not sad, Jeannine. It’s beautiful.” Agnès and JR create stunning, immensely personal homages to bygone people and things that tug at the heartstrings of factory workers and art critics alike. When describing why she has embarked on the project, Agnès states, “I fear that each face I meet may be my last.” There’s an obvious foreboding to that statement, as she nears 90 years of age, but she says it with a levity that implies a different meaning; Agnès is documenting the faces of those she meets not for her own sake, but because someday those faces too will be lost to time. The film focuses greatly on the ephemeral nature of life and beauty, but rather than lamenting this, it celebrates it. At one point, the two travel to Normandy to create a massive mural — an image of a young man sitting on a dock — on the face of an abandoned Nazi bunker. At high tide, the mural is washed away completely and the bunker remains. While it may have seemed like a futile
gesture, it’s a perfect example of what “Faces Places” is all about: Two people looking to find the beauty in a harsh, violent world and highlight it, if only for a little bit. Toward the film’s
Agnès is documenting the faces of those she meets not for her own sake, but because someday those faces too will be lost to time
conclusion, JR creates a mural of Agnès’s eyes on the side of a train. He looks at her, smiling, and says, “This train will go places you’ve never been.” So too will art, once created, reach people one has never met; move them in ways one cannot fully understand. There’s a kind of joyful madness to Agnès and JR’s battle against the weathering forces of time. In the end, there will always be pain and suffering, but “Faces Places” shows that so long as there are two people with a camera, a vision and a love for living, the world can be a beautiful place.
Arts
6 — Tuesday, February 6, 2018
TV REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
NETFLIX
COURTESY OF GABRIAL KAHANE
‘Berlin’ is stylish, complex ‘8980 Book of Travelers’: A journey to unite nation Ritter (Liv Lisa Fries, “Und morgen Mittag bin ich tot”), Daily Arts Writer a poor police typist who also spends her nights working at a Berlin in the late 1920s was gritty club, crosses paths with a dynamic, fast-paced city with Rath and eventually becomes his a remarkably seedy underbelly. assistant as he works through the As the capital of the Weimar capital. Republic (the German state as While the plot mainly it existed between the end of focuses on Rath and Ritter, it World War I and Hitler’s rise), encompasses a sprawling variety its diverse population channeled of topics ranging from a Soviet the trauma from World War I smuggling operation to conflicts into a particularly within the Berlin “Babylon intense brand mafia. However, of hedonism what seems to rise Berlin” and criminality. above all of the “Babylon Berlin,” plotlines is the Series Premiere the hit German city of Berlin itself. Netflix series available Each individual to American story dives into audiences through Netflix, a different aspect of the city’s explores the interplay between collective psyche in the postwar the city’s various factions in a era, depicting the different ways frank, unrestrained and thrilling in which people tried to escape manner. the trauma from the war. Rath Released originally in Oct. 2017, indulges in drugs, while many “Babylon Berlin” took Germany retreat into extremely hedonistic by storm, drawing numbers of establishments such as Moka Efti, viewers only surpassed by “Game the nightclub where Ritter works. of Thrones” and supposedly The sets and costumes that depict costing more than any German scenes of life in 1920s Berlin are TV series ever made. The show painstakingly detailed and imbue follows Gereon Rath (Volker a sense of vibrancy, going beyond Bruch, “Generation War”), a simply being pleasant to look at. police inspector from Cologne. The environment in the city is Traumatized by his experiences reminiscent of 1970s New York, in the war, he is assigned to as shown in the HBO series “The investigate a complicated web of Deuce,” with increased social threats and blackmail involving freedom but a layer of moral and a pornographic film. Charlotte physical degradation. SAYAN GHOSH
Classifieds
Despite the dizzying array of plotlines and characters, the show moves along at a quick pace, but still leaves enough room to take it all in and feel the energy and chaos of Weimar Berlin. Rath and Ritter, the two main subjects of the show, naturally stand out from the pack. Bruch is capable of conveying a wide range of emotion and internal turmoil with little dialogue, and Fries convincingly portrays Ritter as a young woman taking advantage of her society’s increased social freedoms to unshackle herself from the wretched life in the tenements that she is used to. The main concern to be expected with a show such as “Babylon Berlin” is whether it will drown under its own ambition. It immediately dives into several seemingly disconnected plotlines. While they do thoroughly explore different facets of Weimar Berlin, the question remains as to whether the show can tie them together cohesively and not create the sense that it could have benefited from a tighter narrative structure. Overall, the pilot paints an intriguing and stylish portrait of a city and period of time that is rarely explored in popular culture, and it is worth exploring further to see how the seeds were planted for a more infamous period to come.
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RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, February 6, 2018
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FOR RENT
ALLIE TAYLOR Daily Arts Writer
Imagine this: It’s Wednesday, Nov. 9th. Trump has just won the 2016 presidential election, and the results are not what you expected. So, like you’ve been planning for the past few weeks — regardless of the election’s outcome — you buy a ticket and get on a cross-country bound Amtrak to gain perspective. You leave your phone at home. The news you receive during these weeks of travel comes only from the individuals you interact with on trains, occurring mostly during meal times in dining cars. As a single rider, you are, for each meal, randomly placed at the next available spot at the next available table. You don’t know anyone else aboard the train. Conversations ensue and relationships begin, with stories of lifetime hardships and beauty and reasons for traveling at the center of dialogue over vegetable medley and black coffee. You internalize these conversations — you study them, and you try to understand each person’s views and experiences and truths. And then, you write songs about them. For Gabriel Kahane, this experience was reality. For two weeks, Kahane set out to see the U.S. in one of its most raw and historically rich forms and to speak with individuals he met along the way who both agreed and disagreed with his political beliefs — without (most of the time, anyway) explicitly mentioning his stance. He took these strangers’ words and turned them into poetry, turned them into a kind of literature not often seen and not often braved: performance. In his piece, “8980 Book of Travelers,” Kahane recounts
his cross-country journey — all 8,980 miles of it — through song, which he performed at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre last Friday. His singer-songwriter roots show through in this 65 minute performance, but the show is not simply a concert. Kahane assumes the role of a storyteller, describing the stories of those he met from first person perspective. As he sings, three large screens display moving video footage of America. The clips create an effect that makes it seem as though the audience is looking out the window of a moving train. While relatively short, “Book of Travelers” evokes a wide range of emotions. Kahane is funny, with a dry sense of humor that speaks to his quiet brilliance. Following the opening song — almost an overture, if you will — the show began with Kahane breaking the fourth wall, commenting on the current “summer weather” we’re having here in Ann Arbor. The audience was quick to respond with ringing laughter, establishing a presence and energy that significantly added to the overall experience. He then segued into his first song, a piece that narrated the experience he had with a decently elderly widow who was taking a stab at online dating on match.com. His lyrics, quick and witty, painted his conversation with this woman completely, while still leaving much to audience interpretation and imagination. The piece then progresses into heavier, more intense songs that seamlessly and expertly shifted the mood from light to serious, depicting instances that included aspects of life and death, hope and cynicism and even Kahane’s personal experience with religious discrimination (and how it was overcome). About
two thirds of the way through the piece, as a sort of climax, Kahane stands up from his home base at the piano, and as a break from his overarching acoustic atmosphere, begins incorporating electronic music. With a minimalistic drum beat in the background, he loops his voice and records over himself, harmonizing a major triad. The recording repeats as he sings over it, the sound resembling a prayer. He stands in the center of the stage and chants: “I am in love with America. I am betrayed by America. I am dismayed by America.” He uses a filter to distort his voice, making this section of the piece particularly distinct from the rest, as if to make these three sentences the overarching theme of the entire performance. It is cathartic. What the piece never does, however, is blatantly mention anything political. It is not meant to divide, or preach or convince. It is meant to spread empathy and to subtly implore the importance of understanding people. It is meant to show that one must try to separate the person from their ideology. The show is about people. It is about human nature and human experience and human connection. It is easy to forget, in times of stark divide and intense political climate, that what people want most is to be understood and received. But this show helps us remember. Perhaps if we all took a phoneless, two-week, cross-country train journey through America, we would be more inclined to take the time to understand those who, on the surface, may seem different from us. But, if we are unable to take that trip right now, watching this show is a good step in that direction.
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Jazz singer Simone 5 Colorado ski resort 10 Apple computer with a Magic Keyboard 14 Ambulancecalling situation: Abbr. 15 Take off 16 Fizzy drink 17 Cold dish topped with hard-boiled egg 19 Grasp 20 Sent to the canvas 21 Japanese beef city 22 Wisdom tooth, e.g. 23 Having many curves 25 Longtime Susan Lucci soap role 28 Bully’s warning words 30 A cat may climb one 31 Beginning 32 Skater’s surface 33 Tiny amount 37 Place for pillow talk 38 It clicks on the dance floor 41 Crown installer’s org. 42 Picked out of a lineup, briefly 44 Fizzy drink 45 “Here’s the deal ... ” 47 Metal in steel 49 Hire, as a lawyer 50 Appear intermittently 54 Nocturnal calls 56 Wonderland visitor 57 Simplify 59 Tiny insect egg 60 Bread for a gyro 61 It may be a boundary between neighboring countries ... or what each set of circles depicts? 64 Nights before 65 Confess 66 Radar screen spot 67 Take a break
68 Medicinal amounts 69 Flies on a fast plane DOWN 1 Mandolin parts 2 Bit of gratitude from an award recipient 3 Driver’s invitation 4 [I want a treat!] 5 As well 6 Naval builder 7 Not as tanned 8 Juan Perón’s wife 9 Homer Simpson’s friend Flanders 10 “The pressure was too much for me” 11 Greenbacks 12 Hunter Quatermain of “The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” 13 Close-knit group 18 Like greenhouses 22 West of old films 24 Brewery container 26 Rash symptom 27 New Orleans cuisine 29 Attach with a click 31 Back-tied sash
32 Co. for Web users 34 Underlying reason 35 Police artist’s composite pic maker 36 Blackball 39 Duck’s habitat 40 “Your choice” 43 Like many metal toys 46 __ Tomé 48 Singer Carly __ Jepsen
49 Rock band’s helper 50 Zany adventure 51 Martini fruit 52 Tiny parasites 53 Causes of illness 55 Fitbit units 58 Film backdrops 61 No longer edible 62 Prefix with meter 63 Prez whose library is in Austin
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COMMUNITY CULTURE NOTEBOOK
More plantains, please IZZY HASSLUND Daily Arts Writer
I was studying with my friend the other day and all of a sudden got a craving for plantains (for these purposes we will call them platanos, which is Spanish for plantains). I longed for the taste of platanos, prepared in both sweet or savory ways, so much that my mouth began to salivate at the very thought of having any kind of platano dish in front of me. I took out my phone and tried to find places that sold any type of platano in Ann Arbor, and I learned that, despite having many Latin and Spanish food places, the closest place that would appease my craving was in Detroit — an hour away from Ann Arbor. My heart dropped. Now, you are probably just thinking to yourself: “So what? Just eat a banana, they are practically the same.” Even though I could have satiated my craving for something sweet or savory with another food that is similar, it isn’t the same. It is taunting to have so many Latin and Spanish themed food places in Ann Arbor that only sell burritos, tacos, rice or beans.
The food culture of Ann Arbor is just one of the small ways in which the current culture misrepresents the Latin culture. Food in Latin America is an art. Our entire culture surrounds our food. While that food does contain rice, beans and goya seasoned meat, it means so much more than just these ingredients to our community. Growing up, every adult in my family, male or female, was an incredible cook. We are masters of goya, platanos, meat, rice, beans and so much more. We create dishes made for sharing around a large table. Our food brings us together. After long days of work and school, my family always made sure to sit around the dining room table with our arroz y habichuelas to unite once again in the presence of the aromas of cilantro,
culantro, garlic and pepper. Our food is so much more than rice and beans and meat. It is seasoning, it is all of these ingredients and more that go masterfully together in a stew-like dish called sancocho or seafood and rice in a dish called paella. And it is platanos. Educating ourselves about other cultures starts with food. With the amount of people in Ann Arbor from around the globe, we need to make sure that everyone can find a taste of home 20 minutes from their doorstep, rather than an hour away in Detroit. Food is an art that is not only central to the Latin culture, but to most other cultures as well. My hope is that one day when I am studying with a friend, craving platanos, I can order mangoo or maduros to go as easily as I am able to order feta bread.
Our food is so much more than rice and beans and meat. It is seasoning, it is all of these ingredients and more
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Tuesday, February 6, 2018 — 7
For the Wolverines, the final stretch is the key KICKER ‘M’ beats MSU in final home meet of the year ROHAN KUMAR Daily Sports Writer
They say the hardest part of a marathon is the final stretch — the period when you’ve come so far and have overcome obstacles, yet feel too exhausted to finish. The difficulties of this last stage are prevalent in basketball and were apparent in the Michigan women’s basketball team’s performance last season. About a year ago, the Wolverines were thriving and looked well on their way to the NCAA Tournament. But then, things took a turn. Michigan lost three of its last four contests of the 2016-17 regular season, wasting all the momentum it had built up. It didn’t stop there; the Wolverines were then eliminated in their first game of the Big Ten Tournament by Michigan State. Due to their lackluster end-of-season performances, they fell through the rankings and failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament for the fourth
time in a row. As Michigan knows, while the final stretch is typically the hardest, it is often the most important. This is again the case this season for the 21st-ranked Wolverines (8-4 Big Ten, 19-6 overall). Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico’s squad was having one of the best seasons in program history and reached No. 13 in the national rankings. The defense — which allows the second-fewest points per game in the Big Ten, with 61 — excelled, led by senior forward Jillian Dunston who has a team-high 45 steals. On top of that, the offense finally started to find its groove with senior Katelynn Flaherty running the point, and the team looked to have left its turnover problems in the past. Again, things have changed. In the fourth quarter against Purdue last Thursday, Michigan gave up a 16-point lead and fell short in overtime. The loss killed the Wolverines’ six-game win streak
and with it, their confidence. Michigan stumbled again the following Sunday in Piscataway, falling to Rutgers, 63-56. One loss wouldn’t have been too detrimental, but two in a row is problematic. The Wolverines have fallen eight spots in the national rankings and slipped from second to fifth in the Big Ten standings. With just four games remaining in the regular season, Michigan is once again in the midst of a tough closing stretch. What happens in these remaining contests — against Northwestern, Michigan State, Minnesota and No. 10 Maryland — will make or break the season. Win out and the problems go away, but that will be hard to do. Though the Wolverines stomped the Spartans in their first meeting, the next matchup will be in East Lansing, and Michigan State will be hungry for revenge. The contest against the Terrapins will be even more challenging — they are undoubtedly the best team in the
conference with their high-scoring offense and skilled rebounding. Too many avoidable losses, and Tournament dreams will be jeopardized. Last year, the Wolverines notched 22 regular season wins, yet didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament. They currently have 19, and are in a similar position. For Michigan to make the most of what’s left of the season, its offense must shape up. Against the Scarlet Knights, the Wolverines scored 20 points less than their season average and had 26 turnovers. These substandard stats won’t be good enough for the tough road ahead. Michigan is at the 20-mile mark in the race and can sniff the finish line. If the Wolverines give up now, they’ll end up just like last year — having nothing to show for their season’s early success. But if they find that last ounce of strength to sprint the remaining few miles, their tournament dreams just may come true.
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
The Michigan women’s basketball team found out last year that the end of the season can be the most important part. Now it’s in a similar situation.
JODI YIP
For the Daily
Canham Natatorium was filled with waves of talent and excitement on Friday night. The No. 3 Michigan women’s swimming and diving team finished its season with a 10-0 record, beating in-state rival Michigan State with a final score of 187-89. The Wolverines claimed their first undefeated season in 20 years. The women took first place in 13 of the 15 events. The Wolverines dominated the meet early on with 1-2-3 touches in the first two events of the meet – the 200-yard IM and 400-yard medley relay. The juniors helped tally up some points with first-place victories from both Becca Postoll and Taylor Garcia. Postoll touched with a time of 2:03.91 in the 200yard IM and 1:48.92 in the 200yard freestyle. Garcia placed first in the 50-yard backstroke (25.31) and 100-yard butterfly (54.69). The seniors also carried their weight with top finishes in a number of individual events. Emily Kopas placed first in the 50-yard breaststroke (28.35) and Samantha Yeo won the 100-yard IM (55.96). “We’re seeing a pretty good team,” said Michigan coach Mike Bottom. “We saw some best shaved times tonight, which is fun for coaches to see. The fight is not about beating someone. It’s about swimming fast and they did a great job at that.” In addition to a successful competition, the team celebrated its senior night for the seven graduating student athletes.
Friends and family from across the country gathered in Ann Arbor to attend the last home meet of the season. “It’s a special night,” said senior Clara Smiddy. “We’ve been through four years of this group of seniors. It has been an incredible ride, ups and downs the whole way. And to bring it back in Canham is definitely an honor. And with a huge crowd tonight, it’s a lot of fun.” Michigan also welcomed back several Olympian alumni, including Melinda Harrison and goldmedalist Ginny Duenkel. These individuals were recognized for their Olympic achievements during a small ceremony halfway through the meet. “This is the first time I’ve been back in 10 years,” Duenkel said. “It feels like I’m back home again. I love this place.” The Wolverines are preparing for the Big Ten Championships next month. Michigan is currently the reigning Big Ten Champion, hoping to reclaim the title for a third consecutive year. With just two meets before the season closes, some swimmers are thinking about swimming beyond the collegiate level. Many swimmers have aspirations to compete in the upcoming Olympics. However, other seniors are declaring the end to their swimming career after the Big Ten Championships. “After college I hopefully will take the summer off,” Smiddy said. “I’ll be done with college after swimming. I want to catch up with friends and family around the country.”
“It has been an incredible ride, ups and downs the whole way.”
The continuous rise of Dakota Raabe BENJAMIN KATZ Daily Sports Writer
It started with his first career goal just three weeks ago. After going scoreless — and pointless — in the Michigan hockey team’s first 23 games, forward Dakota Raabe finally broke through with a game-winner against then-No. 12 Penn State. With the goal came a sense of relief. And with that, a newfound confidence manifested. The freshman has fired eight shots in his past five games after just 13 in his first 16. In that span, he’s posted three points — two goals and an assist — and increased ice time on both special team units after flying completely under the radar through December. “I’ve been hanging onto the puck a little more,” Raabe said. “I’ve been able to make better plays instead of just throwing (the puck) away like I felt I was doing before.” The same can be said about making a difference on the ice.
Instead of throwing away his chance to get significant minutes, Raabe has stepped up since that first goal, and coaches, teammates and opponents have noticed. No longer is his status in the lineup a question mark, and watching from the press box as a healthy scratch seems to be behind him. It was during Friday night’s 5-3 victory over then-No. 18 Wisconsin when the Capistrano Beach, Ca. native truly solidified his role on a No. 19 Michigan team vying to qualify for postseason play. A high-energy presence on the penalty kill unit, Raabe forced a handful of turnovers in the Badgers’ defensive zone. Two resulted in Wisconsin penalties, which stifled the visitors’ power play opportunities. A roughing call halfway through the first period sent junior forward Brendan Warren to the box and the penalty kill onto the ice for the first time. The Badgers looked ready to strike for the second time in the frame, controlling the puck in their
offensive zone and not allowing the Wolverines quality chances to clear. But with 20 seconds left on the power play, Raabe stole the puck near the neutral zone for a breakaway and potential shorthanded goal. To stop the speedster, Wisconsin committed a hooking penalty, leading to fouron-four play. And on the ensuing Michigan power play, junior defenseman Joseph Cecconi’s wrist shot from the left circle found the back of the net, tying the game at one apiece. During the second period, the Badgers threatened on another man advantage, outworking the Wolverines and trying to fight back from a 3-1 deficit. That’s when Raabe jumped in for his next penalty kill shift. With 37 seconds remaining on the power play, the 5-foot-9 forward sped past Wisconsin defenders to meet goaltender Jack Berry behind the net. Unable to fully clear the puck from the zone, Berry flattened Raabe, pushing
him into the ice with two hands and sitting on top of him in front of the crease. But the referee was right there, calling the netminder for holding, effectively ending the Badgers’ power play in its tracks. A visibly frustrated Berry was serenaded by mocking “Berry” chants from the Michigan faithful. Raabe, on the other hand, was noticeably fired up, skating off the ice with a swagger hidden over the first months of the season. He was greeted at the bench by teammates and coaches slapping his helmet and patting him on the back, commending his hustle when the Wolverines needed it most. It was only fitting that with one minute to go in regulation, the ravenous Raabe poked the puck away from a Badger skater and was rewarded with an empty-net goal to seal the deal. After killing six of seven power plays, the next night, Raabe was promoted to play on the same line as junior Jake Slaker and freshman Josh Norris, the most productive forward tandem the
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Freshman forward Dakota Raabe (left) has gained confidence over the last three weeks, and it’s resulted in more playing time and more production.
past month. And just like Friday, Raabe’s quick clears from the zone and hostile defense on the penalty kill muted Wisconsin’s power play when he was on the ice. “His growth has been huge,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson. “You can see he can skate. He’s starting to skate now and I think that’s what everything starts with. Stalking on loose pucks, just doing the things that we ask him to do.” Pearson notes Raabe’s keen sense for smart and situational hockey, his work ethic on both sides of the puck and his speed — important characteristics to Pearson, who stresses a faster pace of play — as keys to his renaissance. Not only has Raabe’s self-
assurance increased during the back half of the season, but Pearson’s confidence in the youngster has also blossomed. Pearson admits he didn’t feel comfortable having Raabe on the ice in late-game situations early in the season. But after the recent uptick in performance, the coach is now willing to call No. 12 much more often. “He’s not a freshman anymore,” Pearson said. “He’s one of those guys who came back after the break and has really stepped his game up. And good for him and now he’s got some confidence. … He may not be the biggest guy on the ice, but he plays big and he makes a big difference on our team.”
Sports
8 — Tuesday, February 6, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Behind Enemy Lines: Northwestern senior guard Bryant McIntosh After last season’s Cinderella run, McIntosh discussed expectations for this season with The Daily at Big Ten Media Day MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor
It’s been a trying season for the Northwestern men’s basketball team. The Wildcats made the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in school history. They won their first round game against Vanderbilt, and came close to beating Gonzaga, the eventual national championship runner-up. Northwestern might have even won that game if it weren’t for a missed call. The Bulldogs’ Zach Collins blocked a layup from Wildcat Dererk Pardon, but Collins’ hand was inside the basket. The NCAA later admitted the play should have been called for goaltending. Northwestern
was down five with five minutes left in the game, and there’s no telling what would have transpired if the call had been made differently. Still, the play left the Wildcats wondering, what could have been. Since then, things have taken a turn for the worse. The celebration of the Cinderella team from last year is gone, and what’s left is a middling, 14-10 team running out of opportunities to prove itself worthy of another NCAA Tournament bid. The stark decline in
Northwestern’s production is a surprise considering it returned four of its five starters from last season. One of those returners, guard Bryant McIntosh, was pegged to be one of the best players in the conference. McIntosh was one of just three unanimous selections for the preseason All-Big Ten team — along with Michigan State’s Miles Bridges and Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ. McIntosh flourished in the NCAA Tournament last season, scoring 25 and 20 points, respectively, in the Wildcats’ two games.
“I think it’s something we kind of expect to be honest.”
Since then, McIntosh’s production, like his team’s, has declined. He’s averaging over two points fewer per game this season, and he hasn’t shown as many flashes of brilliance as before, scoring over 20 points in just three games all season. The Daily sat down with McIntosh at Big Ten Media Day in October — before things started to go wrong for Northwestern — to discuss how things had changed in Evanston, how expectations had affected the team and how last season’s game against Michigan propelled
the Wildcats into the tournament. The Michigan Daily: As you’ve become more successful, and the team’s become more successful, is there any more added pressure involved? Bryant McIntosh: I don’t think it’s pressure. I don’t think any of us look at it. I think it’s something we kind of expect to be honest. We think we’ve earned it. It’s just kind of something that we look at as, ‘We deserve it.’ We’ve put in enough work. I think our resume from the previous year shows that we’re one of the better teams coming back. We also realize that we do have a lot of guys coming back, but just because it says we should be good on paper doesn’t guarantee it. Like, we still have to continue to work and be hungry and still attack the days to prepare for this season. TMD: As there has been more success with Northwestern basketball, has there been a culture change, not even on the team, but around campus? BM: We’re probably recognized more on campus. Like, fans didn’t follow us when I first got to campus. But the best story I have for you is having a student hang (a picture of ) the goaltending of Zach Collins on the shot last year. That speaks to just how much the culture has changed at Northwestern — having fans that really are invested and care. That’s probably the best fan story I have for you. TMD: Last year against Michigan was obviously a huge game. When that happened, did you know, ‘Alright, we have a better chance of the tournament?’ BM: Yeah, I think we all kind
“Just because it says it on paper doesn’t mean it’s reality.”
EVAN AARON/Daily
Northwestern guard Bryant McIntosh has seen a difference in the way his team is recognized in Evanston after making the NCAA Tournament last season.
of knew that we needed to win one more — one more game — to kind of ensure that we were in. And there was some pressure on us, but we kind of addressed it right before that game, and just said, ‘If we want to make the tournament, then we’ve got to win this game.’ And we won that, and then we just continued to help our resume in the Big Ten Tournament. TMD: Having had that and the NCAA Tournament experience, how has that helped the team this year? BM: It’s good. I mean, it just makes us even more veteran than just having a bunch of seniors. We’ve actually already been there now. And I think a lot of people anticipated this being the year that we would go. Having that already under our belt, having that experience, I think, can only be beneficial for our next run. TMD: With your own personal accolades, how have you stayed focused on the season at hand, knowing that people expect certain things out of you? BM: Like I said, the accolades, the rankings of our team, it’s something we kind of all think we deserved and worked for. But just because it says it on paper doesn’t mean it’s reality. So you still have to continue to work. I also always go back to the fact that I was a three-star recruit from the middle of nowhere that nobody saw or recognized — didn’t think I was that good. And I’ve continued to prove people wrong. So I understand there’s people out there that will see the list, and it will motivate them. I see the guys on the other list, and I allow it to motivate me too. I think it will be a good battle between the Big Ten guards that are on the list and not on the list. There’s a lot of great players in this league. So it means a lot, but it’s preseason still too.
Wolverines prepare for second Northwestern matchup in eight days MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Editor
It may be an overlooked rivalry, but the Michigan and Northwestern men’s basketball teams have matched up in some of the teams’ best games in recent memory. Last year, a miraculous fullcourt pass and layup at the buzzer gave the Wildcats a two-point win, solidifying their resume and eventually earning them the program’s first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. A season earlier, it was Michigan’s late-game heroics that brought a postseason bid into focus. With three seconds left in overtime, former wing Zak Irvin drilled a game-winner to beat Northwestern in the 2016 Big Ten Tournament. A day later, the Wolverines beat top-seeded Indiana to essentially secure their tournament berth. Yet, the usual drama was
absent in last Tuesday’s series continuum. Instead, it was an ugly basketball game that bled to finality. In it, Michigan’s inexperience against zone defenses was glaring. Northwestern’s 2-3 matchup zone made the Wolverines’ offense look directionless, falling too often into the crux of forced improvisation late in the shot clock. But the Wildcats’ scoring attack was even more dormant. Against a defense that proved to be as strong as its own, Northwestern sputtered to 38-percent shooting and 16 turnovers. Each team had fiveminute stretches without a point in the first half. The Wolverines,
eventually, schlepped to a 58-47 victory. “We didn’t make shots, we didn’t make foul shots, but we held them and that was the key,” said Michigan coach John Beilein after the game. Eight days later, the same key applies, as the 20th-ranked Wolverines (8-4 Big Ten, 19-6 overall) embark to Chicago to rematch Northwestern (5-6, 14-10) on Tuesday night. The quick turnaround between games indicates that this final matchup of the regular season might look like the first. Both teams pride themselves on defense and have played only once since the last meeting. Yet, their respective outlooks have
“We just keep working on technique and confidence.”
changed slightly in the past week. Forty-eight hours after the Wildcats couldn’t buy a bucket in Ann Arbor, they scorched Wisconsin with an 18-1 start for an eventual win last Thursday. Center Dererk Pardon, who was relatively quiet against Michigan, was perfect from the floor with 17 points and added three blocks. It was a must-have for Northwestern, which is making a late crawl into the Tournament picture after a slow start. Three wins in four games has Beilein cautious about the Wildcats. “Offensively, they put on a show, up 18-1 on Wisconsin,” Beilein said. “As we all know from last year, they have a very talented team that has turned the corner now. “I see no reason why they can’t go on a run like we did last year.
They certainly have shown in the past that they can beat anybody in this league.” But Beilein can’t be as enthused about his team’s most recent performance. Michigan’s issues with slow starts and free throw shooting nearly cost them Saturday against Minnesota. The Wolverines went 12-for-28 from the line — that’s right: they missed 16 free throws — which allowed the Golden Gophers to send the game into overtime. “We just keep working on technique and confidence that we’ll do it a little different,” Beilein said. “We end every practice with these pressure free throws, and I have an idea tomorrow to make more pressure — to end each practice with a make instead of a miss, which happens too many times.” And just as it did against
“It’s a lack of focus at the beginning of the game.”
Northwestern, Michigan again looked sluggish to begin play. Minnesota controlled and led the entire first half — the Wolverines have gotten outscored in the opening frame in four of their last six games. “There are anxieties at the front end of our game that are getting in our way,” Beilein said. “It’s a lack of focus at the beginning of the game.” So how does Michigan avoid those issues Tuesday? It starts with assertiveness and new plays, according to freshman forward Isaiah Livers. “Just being more aggressive off the catch. Northwestern’s zone — you have to catch it and slice through,” Livers said. “They have a terrific zone defense. (We’re) working on sets that they’ve never seen before — some I’ve never seen before today.” The Wolverines will discover the efficacy of those sets Tuesday night. For them, it’s another chance to improve before March. For Northwestern, it’s a must-win. And if history is any indication, this game could again come down to the wire.
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Michigan men’s basketball coach John Beilein believes Northwestern is capable of making a run like his team did last year.