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CSG statistic report shows more diverse ’18 assembly Internal demographics disply greater representation of gender, racial minorities RACHEL CUNNINGHAM Daily News Reporter
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Washtenaw International High School sophomore Elizabeth Blackwell delivers her spoken-word poem at a student-organized gun control rally in Ypsilanti Wednesday.
Washtenaw County youth walk out of class in support of gun control
Between 400 and 600 attended the student-organized awareness rally in Ypsilanti ELIZABETH LAWRENCE Daily News Reporter
Amid cheers and shouts, Washtenaw International High School sophomore Elizabeth Blackwell delivered her spoken-word poem at a studentorganized gun control rally in Ypsilanti Wednesday. Her piece was written a day after the Parkland, Fla. shooting, titled “An Open Letter to my Congressman.” “So don’t you dare exchange
our learning for your lobbyists, our safety for your semiautomatics, our dreams for donations,” Blackwell said. “Because pissed off teenagers that are so alive, and so in love in with living, will not let you to reduce us to thoughts and prayers –– to another statistic. Because we will be the tsunami that carries you out of office for good.” The rally was organized by Washtenaw Youth Initiative, an organization consisting primarily of high school
students that formed in reaction to the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High which left 17 dead. The Initiative’s platform consists of five main points: banning guns in schools, raising the legal age of purchase to 21, implicit bias training and psychological certification of police officers carrying guns, requiring a gun safety class before purchase and banning the sale of assault weapons. Pioneer High School senior and Student Council President
Emma Roth was one of the main organizers of the event and collaborated with students from other high schools such as Skyline, Lincoln and South Lyon. The students organized through social media to garner more support. Roth estimated the final turnout to be between 400 and 600 people. And they’re not alone. Wednesday, students nationwide walked out of their classrooms to pressure the government to enact stricter See WALKOUT, Page 3
Central Student Government released its 2018 internal demographic report Monday, with 52 of 68 representatives responding to the survey. The report showed increased representation of minority students from last year. CSG representative Efe Edevbie, a Kinesiology junior, said the survey aims to depict students representation within the student government. According to the report, 61.54 percent of CSG is between the ages of 20 and 21. Over 38 percent of CSG members are seniors, while 20.6 percent of total University of Michigan students are seniors. In terms of sex, CSG was 52 percent female and 48 percent male, while the undergraduate student body is about 49 percent female and 51 percent male. No respondents identified as transgender. Last
year’s survey reported CSG was 58.1 percent male, 40.7 percent female and 1.2 percent genderqueer. The report also states 57.69 percent of CSG representatives identify as white, 11.54 percent Black, 19.23 percent Asian, 5.77 percent Middle Eastern and North African, 3.85 percent Latino, and 1.92 percent mixed race. No respondents identified as Native American. In last year’s report, 69.8 percent of CSG representatives identified as white, 7 percent Black, 9.3 percent Asian, 8.1 percent mixed race and 0 percent Latino. MENAstudents were classified as “Other,” which constituted 4.7 percent. The general increase in diversity of elected representatives, Edevbie said, started with running more diverse candidates. “Our candidates for last year were very diverse and really touched on a lot of parts on campus, both on a racial aspect and just overall See CSG, Page 3
Kessler Presidential Scholars Program Women in MI Senate politics talk launches two-year expansion initiative passes bills
GOVERNMENT
GOVERNMENT
leadership, diversity
Program aims to provide support and resources to students leaders with financial need
College Republicans host event, discuss conservative views on representation
At the start of last year, the Kessler Presidential Scholars Program launched its two-year pilot expansion initiative with the hope of serving its recipients in a more holistic manner. The program is targeted toward individuals who have financial need, are among the first in their families to attend college, demonstrate leadership aptitude and have an interest in community service. The pilot is now halfway completed, and aims to continue developing its resources for students. The expansion emphasized five main areas: intentional cohort recruitment, substantial financial support, unique programming and resources, communitybuilding through alumni outreach and systematic evaluation. Program Director Gail Gibson explained the expansion was established to better meet the mission of ensuring students’ ability to thrive socially, academically and emotionally on campus. “We’re really thinking through how we can extend our reach and help students thrive while they’re at Michigan, as well as when they leave here and go on to whatever comes next and
RACHEL CUNNINGHAM Daily News Reporter
The University of Michigan chapter of College Republicans hosted a panel titled “Women in Politics” Wednesday evening in the Michigan League to showcase strong conservative female leaders in the Republican Party. Four panelists spoke at the event: Linda Lee Tarver, president of the Republican Women Federation of Michigan; Andrea Fischer Newman, a University regent and former Delta Airlines lobbyist; Congressional candidate Lena Epstein; and campaign strategy consultant Dawn Dodge. Tarver monitored the event and began by stating only 1 percent of Americans fully participate in politics, which she attributes to the respectable level of the selfconfidence needed. “While we have a lot of political activists in this room, only 1 percent participate in politics,” Tarver said. “It takes quite a bit of (intestinal feeling) and girth in order to get out and put your name out there and your face out there and voice what you truly believe in. It is not to be disrespected. It is not to be put See PANEL, Page 2
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what that looks like with scholarship support but also with wrap-around resources to fill in other kinds of gaps,” Gibson said. Gibson further explained how of the many changes the program hopes to develop; the prioritization of firstgeneration students — through intentional cohort recruitment — is one of the most important factors. “One of the first changes,
was to prioritize firstgeneration students, which we define as students whose parents attended some college but who don’t have a fouryear bachelor’s degree,” Gibson said. “That focus on first-generation student distinguishes the program among scholarship programs at Michigan.” Gibson also said the program was taking actionable steps to meet the
goal by carefully selecting applicants based on their need and leadership inclination. According to the Kessler Presidential Scholars 2017 Annual Report, all scholars in the 2017 cohort were firstgeneration. “We are doing really intentional recruitment of who comes into the scholarship program, which means going back after students are admitted to read See KESSLER, Page 3
Kessler Scholar Program 100%
of 2017 incoming students were first generation
Expansion
35
new students 1. Intentional cohort enter the program recruitment each year 2. Substantial financial support Supports 3. Unique programming and resources 4. Community-building students across through alumni outreach all 4 years 5. Systematic evaluation and research
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Vol. CXXVII, No. 92 ©2018 The Michigan Daily
spurred by Nassar trial
Package of bills passes in state Senate, increases statute of limitations JORDYN BAKER
Daily News Reporter
Wednesday evening, the Michigan State Senate approved bipartisan legislation to provide more resources and support to survivors of sexual assault and harassment with a vote of 28-7. The bills will now go to the Michigan House of Representatives. Led by the victims of Larry Nassar, disgraced former U.S.A. Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor, the legislation came in a package of bills that works to change how universities and state institutions respond to sexual assault reports. Under the legislation, penalties for possessing child pornography are increased to four years. The individuals legally required to report sexual abuse complaints also increased to include coaches, athletic trainers, physical therapists with a penalty of $1,000 for not reporting. In addition, the law clarifies government entities, universities and colleges do not have immunity from cases of sexual assault. See NASSAR, Page 3
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ON THE DAILY: MICHIGAN UNION AUCTIONS POOL TABLES, LIGHTS RACHEL LEUNG
Daily News Reporter
The University of Michigan has announced several plans to renovate the Michigan Union, including the elimination of the Billiards Room. In a recent post on eBay, the University’s Property Disposition department listed several Billiards Room items for auction. The items include three vintage pool tables, with prices ranging from $840 to $3,650, and a stainedglass pool table light for $1,676. Susan Pile, senior director of University Unions and Auxiliary
Services, said the auction for the pool tables will end Wednesday and the auction for the light will end Thursday. However, she expects the University will sell more items from the room in the near future. “We anticipate a few more lights and tables will be made available in the coming months as we determine plans for the items,” Pile wrote in a statement for the Detroit Free Press. Proceeds from the auctions will go toward the Michigan Union student leadership scholarship. The board’s decision to eliminate the Billiards Room has generated some criticism in the
past months from students and alumni. University alum Alan Knaus, a member of Friends of the Michigan Union, expressed his disappointment the Billiards Room would not be preserved in the remodeled Union. According to Knaus, the renovations favor students over alumni by eliminating historic elements such as the Billiards Room. “I was not happy with (the elimination of the Billiards Room) and the alumni that were there were also not very happy about that,” Knaus said last March. In a Statement article for The Daily, contributor Will Feuer, a
Public Policy junior, explained the significance of the Billiards Room in his college life. Feuer, a member of the University’s Billiards Club declared students and communities on campus are devastated by the University’s decision to eliminate the Billiards Room. “Though far and few in between, there is a network of individuals on campus who don’t just love billiards but love the billiards hall,” Feuer wrote. “That’s why I question the Union renovations slated to begin this April, which will not only erase the pool hall entirely but also devastate the community surrounding it.”
Alabama. She said she believes this move helped her mother get an opportunity to become involved in politics. “When my mother came to Michigan, she could vote in 1918. She could vote here since 1918. She could vote in Michigan since 1918 thanks to Republican women,” Tarver said.
Newman addressed sexual children today. The early years assault in the United States, formation are so important.” specifically the #MeToo Tarver made an analogy movement. Newman called for comparing how Republicans stronger adherence to misconduct identify with their platform and policies how religious groups identify with “I for one, am happy about the religious texts. #MeToo movement,” Newman “If you are a subscriber to the said. “I think it is about time and Bible, you identify as a Christian,” http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ was glad to see it happen … We Tarver said. “If you are a believer have policies and I think they in the Quran, you are considered need to be implemented.” a Muslim. If you are a believer in Epstein addressed her the Torah, you are Jewish. These desire to become involved writings are sacred for (people in politics when she began that adopt them), believe in and noticing legislators voting for hold dear are how we identify issues of which they weren’t ourselves...what joins us all in fully knowledgeable. identifying who we are is written “I am ready to serve in our Republican platform.” Michigan’s 11th district at Epstein reflected on the a time where conservative Republican platform and its values are needed more relation to the U.S. Constitution. than ever,” Epstein. “When “The Republican platform we talk about the swamp brings us back to the ideals of in Washington, D.C. – that our founding fathers and what swamp is real. We have the Constitution was intended to legislators who are voting on achieve in this country,” Epstein things in which they know said. nothing. We have legislators College Republicans Vice introducing legislation and President Amanda Delekta, an LSA voting on legislation they have junior, felt the event was important never read.” in displaying how the party regards Berden addressed what female representation in politics. she sees as a societal issue “In the current political moment, regarding child development we’ve seen how women have had and responsibility. a lot of hardships in gaining full “It concerns me to see inclusion in the American political someone of a younger sphere,” Delekta said. “We wanted generation not knowing to explore how those issues are how to dust furniture or do being explored in the Republican anything (on their own),” Party and I think often times it’s Berden said. “It seems to be a explored through the Democratic laxer in the way we are raising Party.”
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PANEL From Page 1 down.” She also detailed how the GOP gave her family a chance at a different life. Tarver spoke about herSyndication family’s move to Michigan Sudoku after a relative was lynched in
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NASSAR From Page 1 Additionally, legislation would change the statute of limitations on reporting sexual assault. Under previous Michigan law, survivors who were abused as children generally can file lawsuits against their abusers until they turn 19 years old. The Associated Press reports the newly passed legislation gives survivors of child abuse a oneyear timeframe to file lawsuit for claims from as early 1997. Those sexually assaulted during adult years cannot sue retroactively. Earlier in the week, the bills were feared to be stuck in limbo as the Michigan Association of State Universities, which includes the University of Michigan, requested the Senate delay voting, claiming the legislation would have a “profound impact” on public Michigan universities. MASU’s CEO Daniel Hurley wrote in a letter to lawmakers and Gov. Rick Snyder it would be crucial to take more time to consider potential effects of the legislation. “We ask that decisions on these bills be delayed to allow for more analysis and discussion to ascertain their full impact,” Hurley wrote. State Sen. Margaret O’Brien, R-Kalamazoo, pushed back on these claims in a statement, saying criticism “is not surprising but very disappointing … I don’t understand what a delay would do except delay justice, or maybe the hope is to stop it entirely.” The legislation also received
CSG From Page 1 demographic standpoint,” Edevbie said. “I think that’s definitely a reflection of some more marginalized groups on campus having more and more seats at the table when it comes to CSG assembly.” The overall University student body is 54.58 percent white, 11.99 percent Asian, 5.65 percent Latino, 4.2 percent Black, 1.89 percent mixed race and 0.18 percent Native American. The University does not currently have statistics on MENA students. Michigan residents make up 63.46 percent of CSG representatives, compared to 50.69 percent University-wide. According to the report, 24 percent of CSG representatives come from a household income of $99,999 or less and 76 percent come from household incomes of $100,000 or more. Over half of CSG representatives,
KESSLER From Page 1 through application material to see who has the inclination and capacity for serving communities because our goal is to create a community of students that supports one another while they’re here but are committed to giving back in their own lives and careers on the outside,” Gibson said. The program offered its first awards in 2008 and since has grown to become one of the largest scholarship program in LSA. Today, the University supports 172 Kessler scholars and welcomes 35 individuals into the program annually. LSA senior Ashley Olney expressed her appreciation for the program as a Kessler scholar and its efforts to help students through its scholarships and resource “I’m overall very appreciative because it is a need-based and a merit-based scholarship, so I wouldn’t be able to attend the University of Michigan without it, and it’s also a great community,” Olney said. “So not only are they helping students financially to get to school, they’re helping to integrate us into such a large university.” Gibson emphasized Olney’s statement and described the program’s continued dedication to providing sufficient financial support along with additional resources. “It’s money that makes
criticism from governments, businesses, the Michigan Catholic Conference and others. Democrats criticized the possibility of delaying voting on legislation. In a statement, State Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr., D-East Lansing, stated drawing the line between support for survivors and support for institutions is critical. “At the end of the day, we have to decide whether we want to stand with the survivors or whether we want to stand with the big institutions on this,” he said. “I think it’s fairly simple where we should be morally and that’s where I’m going to be.” State Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clarklake, voted against many of the bills, calling them “precedent-setting and very dangerous — things that we don’t have any clue what the unintended consequences are.” For those in support of legislation, the vote in the Senate signaled an advancement in providing justice to survivors. State Sen. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights, sponsored the bill that extends the statute of limitations, and stated this particular bill can elevate the voices of those abused in the past and those who report such abuse. “(The bill) allows every single individual who was a victim of Dr. Nassar’s to seek justice,” Knezek said. “We have a really unique opportunity to take Michigan out of the dark ages when it comes to our laws surrounding sexual assault, to give a voice to the victims who have been denied that voice for decades in some cases.”
54.9 percent, report not being financial aid recipients. Last year, 65% percent of represenatives reported not being financial aid recipients. CSG representative Frank Guzman, an LSA sophomore, acknowledged CSG still has more work to do toward inclusion and representation, but he feels it is making progress. “We’re not a perfect institution,” Guzman said. “I think that we’re making progress towards becoming more representative. Part of being representative is representing that median income. I know it’s not ideal, but we’re working on it.” A 2017 report by the Equality of Opportunity Project stated the University’s median household income was $154,000 and 9.3 percent of students coming from the top 1 percent income bracket.
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coming to Michigan possible, but again it’s not money alone,” Gibson said. “It’s paired with wrap-around support, whether it’s one-on-one counseling with
“I’m overall very appreciative because it is a need-based and a merit-based scholarship, so I wouldn’t be able to attend the University of Michigan without it, and it’s also a great community” staff or whether it’s a workshop about getting ready for the professional job search.” Olney also noted the program’s expansion efforts seeking to establish a stronger community among the scholars. “I think they’re really trying to create more of a community within the Kessler Scholars Program,” Olney said. “My entire four years they’ve
Thursday, March 15, 2018 — 3
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WALKOUT From Page 1 gun control legislation. Teenagers gathered at notable locations across the country: the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.; the site of the 1999 school shooting in Columbine, Colo.; Borough Hall in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and more. These protests follow impassioned speeches and rallies hosted by student survivors of the Parkland shooting, who have become nationally recognized. The Ypsilanti rally also featured an array of different speakers, from high school students to representatives from Moms Demand Action. Skyline senior Daniel Heinz said he participated in the walkout because he felt the need for action. “I came today because we need to do something about this,” Heinz said. “I couldn’t just sit around and do nothing. We just demand change. We call B.S. There needs to be a conversation.” Heinz further explained his involvement in the movement through his concern for himself and his peers, saying he’s had enough. “I care about everyone who lives in my country, I care about my people,” Heinz said. “I’m tired of seeing kids’ names on the screen. I’m tired of seeing all these dead children.” Pioneer sophomore Maya
offered a couple of social and academic events each month, but they wanted to foster with a greater and tighter community because we are a pretty small scholarship group here on campus.” Additionally, Olney said she — along with other Kessler scholars — were invited to participate in focus groups over the summer. During the sessions, students were asked what resources they would have liked to have upon entering the University. Olney praised the program for taking the initiative to better understand the needs of students. “I think they were really proactive in creating focus groups and asking students specifically what they would want if they had the chance to come in as a Kessler scholar all over again, or what they would like moving forward if they had a couple more years here,” Olney said. One of the programs that developed as a result of the focus group was a peer mentorship program. Kessler scholars are paired with an older student in the program and are instructed to meet biweekly to offer support to one another. Olney discussed her excitement for the new initiative and how it offered a way to make a campus as large as the University’s seem a lot smaller. “It was something that I wish I had coming in because I went to a really small high school and transitioning into
Boyd attended because she feels she can make a difference. Young people, even without the ability to vote, can still affect change, she said. “I am a student who wants to make a change with my voice and platform,” Boyd said. “I realize that we have a voice, not just our parents. We can educate people and make a difference.” The rally saw a lot of adult attendance as well. Ann Arbor resident Lisa Querijero, a mother of two, said she decided to attend after high schoolers from the area spoke at an Ann Arbor Open Coordinating Council meeting. She described her sadness that her children have to perform active shooter drills in school and learn about gun violence at such young ages. Just like Heinz and Boyd, she wanted to make change. “I want to change the fear that I can hear from these kids,” Querijero said. “That they feel in school. I had no idea that they were so fearful before I came here today.” According to Roth, school administrators share this fear but are not legally allowed to endorse the rally. She said different schools had a variety of reactions. “Unofficially, administration and teachers are scared,” Roth said. “They all feel it’s incredibly important. However, legally they cannot support anything
life at U of M, where there were more people in my dorm than in my entire town, was very difficult, academically it was very difficult and socially it was very difficult,” Olney said. “I wish I had someone who would check in on me who was in the same position that I was. Even now, even though I am not being mentored, I am a mentor, it’s something that makes me really appreciative of the Kessler Scholarship.”\ Kessler scholar Michelle Figueroa, an LSA freshman, shared Olney sentiments and explained how her mentor helps her to better prepare for the University’s academic endeavors. “My mentor is amazing, and she takes similar classes to mine and we have similar majors,” Figueroa said. “So she kind of walks me through how to prepare for my classes because she’s took them already, so that’s been really helpful.” One of the other ways the program is seeking to develop a community while also offering students more resources is through various workshops and seminars that are mandatory for first-year students to attend. Most recently, it hosted one about finances and budgeting and featured Detroit-based financial planner Gail PerryMason. Additionally, they have stress-management services and “Walk-In Wednesday,” a weekly time for students to speak to administrators, among other resources to help students
we rally. Some of them sort of supported the walkout. But I know one school did actually threaten to block off roads so
the kids couldn’t come to this. Another school threatened harsher suspensions. But in general admin are scared, so they get it.”
Roth said she would love to collaborate with other students across Michigan and the country. Washtenaw Youth Initiative is planning to go to Washington, D.C. for a national gun safety march, where Roth hopes they can meet more students. She also mentioned her determination to continue her activist work at Boston University, where she plans to study public health and theater. The New Yorker pointed out how many of the Parkland student activists are also involved in theater. Roth suggested this correlation exists because of theater’s place as a haven for nonconformists and those who want to make change. “Theater for a long time historically has been about sort of discussing things the public doesn’t normally want to discuss,” Roth said. “Theater is generally a place for students who don’t necessarily feel like they just want to conform. Whether that’s based on gender identity, sexual identity, racial and ethnic identities. But I think that sort of atmosphere does cultivate students who are interested in changing society.” To create this change, Heinz urged everyone who has the ability to register to vote. “If you are old enough to vote, register to vote,” he said. “Period. I don’t care which side you’re on, just vote, vote, vote.”
with their mental health. Kessler scholar Donnell Williams, an LSA freshman, expressed his appreciation for the stress-management services in particular, because adjusting to the University setting can be overwhelming. “The stress-management ones are helpful,” Williams said, “College can be pretty stressful, especially when you’re a first year and you’re just adapting to the environment that you’re in, it helps a lot.” Though many of the Kessler scholars have been pleased with the results of the firstyear expansions, Gibson acknowledges the program still has room to grow — especially with regard to connecting students with campus resources. “One thing we know we could do better is how we connect students with existing resources,” Gibson said. “At a big school like Michigan, that’s a constant puzzle, but we’ve built interesting partnerships with the Science Learning Center, we’re working really closely with the opportunity hub, we’re getting students into the places that can give them the best support.” Olney also touched on the issue of accessibility and explained how even though she was impressed with all the events hosted by the program, the timing often conflicted with her class schedule. “I’m a screen arts and culture major and because of that I
have screenings throughout the week in the evening,” Olney said. “Although Kessler scholars have a lot of really great social, academic and networking events, they’re all held Mondays … when I have class, so I’m not able to go to any of them so I can’t access all the great resources that they’re providing for their students.” In the future, the Kessler Presidential Scholars Program seeks to continue growing through its new partnership with the Comprehensive Studies Program. Beginning next fall, the incoming cohort will take a one credit seminar together to explore how to make the most of the University. Gibson said she hoped the commonality of the course among the new members will help to establish a sense of community. “Our goal is creating community, and we think that one way to enhance that from the start to build this extra layer of support is to allow them to have some sort of shared educational experience,” Gibson said. As for Figueroa, she hoped to continue to share more about the program and its mission with the rest of the University community moving forward. “A lot of people don’t know what Kessler scholars are, and (I wish to) show people what we really do.” Figueroa said. “It’s not just a support system financially, it’s also a support system emotionally and academically.”
“I am a student who wants to make a change with my voice and platform,” Boyd said. “I realize that we have a voice, not just our parents. We can educate people and make a difference.”
Opinion
4 — Thursday, March 15, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SUJAY SHETTY AND MATTHEW WILLIAMS | OP-ED
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KRYSTAL HUR | COLUMN
Teaching comprehensive U.S. history
R
ecently, I realized all of the American history classes I’ve been enrolled in thus far have taught primarily white American history. In my history classes, the teacher would briefly touch on the Trail of Tears, talk even more briefly about Japanese internment camps and discuss slavery. Slavery and related topics were always the most extensively taught part of U.S. history primarily concerning people of color. However, a report by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) revealed when a group of 1,000 high school seniors were asked to answer a multiple choice question about why the South seceded from the Union, only eight percent chose the right answer. So while my peers and I, who attended Ann Arbor public schools, might know the answer to that question is “to preserve slavery,” most people don’t know that answer. It seems as though none of us know much about the history of other cultural groups in the U.S., at least from what I’ve observed. This is problematic because people of color make up a huge chunk of the United States’s population and are a huge part of its history; omitting their histories creates a false and incomplete portrayal of United States history as a whole. The problem of not teaching the histories of American people of color is not necessarily rooted in carelessness. The SPLC report also interviewed teachers, some of whom expressed why they feel uncomfortable teaching the histories of minorities. One teacher in Maine admitted, “I find it painful and embarrassing (as a white male) to teach about the history of exploitation, abuse, discrimination and outrageous crimes committed against African Americans and other minorities.” Another teacher in California explained their fear that learning about slavery reduces Black people to slaves in the eyes of other students, commenting, “Sometimes it gives students the idea to call Black students slaves or
tell them to go work in the field because of the lack of representation in textbooks.” It’s understandable that teaching about how white Americans oppressed Americans of color could be embarrassing as a white person; however, this is not a valid excuse not to teach such histories. Leaving out the histories of people of color in the United States only acts as another way of oppression because it silences the voices of those who suffered. As painful or as embarrassing as it may be, their struggles must be remembered so we can learn from them to keep fighting against oppression. As for the statement that textbooks have a lack of representation of certain groups and result in racism: Unfortunately, people will always find a way to be racist, no matter what is taught in schools. A foundation of racism is the idea that certain groups are homogenous and no differences exist between individuals. In addition, the teacher seems to be assuming that the only parts of history regarding minorities that are worth teaching are the injustices committed against them. While learning about such moments is clearly important, there’s more to people of color than their suffering. Therefore, if teachers are willing to perhaps go beyond the textbook and teach more about the history of minorities than just how they were (and still are) oppressed, students would also begin to understand people of color are not all the same. Other than the lack of representation in my history classes, I’ve also noticed most of the books my English teachers have assigned for class, both at the University of Michigan and the schools I’ve previously attended, have been written by white writers. Occasionally, I would be assigned books by Black writers. I read Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man” senior year of high school, and I’ve been assigned to read a few of Christopher Paul Curtis’s books over the years as well. However, books by other
writers of other races have always been notably absent. While some of my teachers have assigned books by Black writers, as an Asian American, I am disappointed I had never been assigned to read a book by an Asian-American writer until this semester in my American culture class. I had also previously never read a book in which the main protagonist was Asian-American until this semester. I’m not sure if I’ve even ever been assigned to read a book with an Asian-American character at all. I think that part of the reason teachers choose not to pick books by Asian Americans or books about the experiences of Asian American might be because they don’t have the confidence to teach it well — and the reason they don’t have the confidence is because they themselves as students barely learned anything about AsianAmerican history in history class. As a result, I think when teachers attempt to diversify their reading assignments, they tend to choose books by Black writers, since they are at least a little more familiar with the topics of slavery and racism against Black people. Of course, not every book by a person of color is about the oppression of people of color. In addition, care should be taken not to read books by people of color and believe them to have no identity other than that of a victim. However, it is still important to teach the histories of America’s people of color to build a more comprehensive view of not just United States’ history but also of the United States today. While I only touch on race in this article, and only three different ones at that, there is so much more that makes the U.S. such a diverse country, and these histories should be taught, too. Instead of only remembering white, cisgender and heterosexual historical figures and what they did for the country, we must remember what many, many others have made an impact too.
FRANNIE MILLER | CONTACT FRANNIE AT FRMILLER@UMICH.EDU.
Krystal Hur can be reached at kryshur@umich.edu.
W
Time to aMplify the Truth
e have serious issues on this campus, issues that cannot be resolved with just hopeful promises. It is not enough to spew meaningless platitudes and vows that cannot be kept. If Central Student Government is to gain the trust of this university, then its candidates must be honest about the problems the University of Michigan faces and how these problems can be addressed. Today, aMplify will endeavor to do just that. Today, aMplify will tell the truth. The truth is CSG must do more to engage its constituents. It cannot act as a bloated politburo that ignores the needs of its students. Our government must be reorganized to allow the voices of individual schools and students of all levels to be heard. Councils must give voice to those groups on campus that direct the course of the University. The CSG funding process must be reformed to encourage initiatives that are capable of effecting positive change. Government must operate in tandem with the clubs, fraternities and schools that form our cultural foundation. There can be no room for unilateral actions without dialogue. We must be accountable to each other. The truth is your student government and university have failed to be transparent about its actions. Legislation was recently passed to reveal how representatives voted on the most important issues facing the student body, and yet those votes remain unpublished. As the election approaches, the voting behavior of candidates on issues like the attempt to compensate student government officials is shrouded in mystery. This vote proceeded despite the finite resources of CSG and the University, resources that could be better allocated toward the student body. On the University level, tuition increases are announced without sufficient advance notice and decisions
are made without adequate explanation. This pattern of obfuscation must end. The student body must take part in the choices that shape its life. The truth is meaningful action to protect our students and the learning environment from incidents of bias and assault must be taken. Evil has no place here, and CSG must push for strong administrative responses that respect both the law and the rights of those affected. That means implementing the proposed amendment to the student code of conduct, increasing the penalties for those who attack this sacred community. That means forming partnerships with faculty, staff and students to create consistent, meaningful, practical and effective responses to attacks on community members. That means community oversight of investigations of sexual misconduct, bigotry and impropriety at the University. That means a University accountable to its members. The truth is people like Richard Spencer and Charles Murray will sometimes walk among us. At times, we must face those who cower behind the First Amendment as they spread their insidious rhetoric. Our response to groups who resort to instruments of fear to hide their own inadequacies and bigotry must be unyielding. We must react with morality, courage and peace to those cold and destructive souls who seek to sow seeds of division. Only then will they find unfruitful soil. To that end, CSG and the administration must provide clarity through open discussion, concrete processes and meaningful dialogues on how it intends to protect its students while promoting a variety of perspectives. Initiatives like Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and programs like Wolverine Pathways, Intergroup Relations and the Go Blue Guarantee are a start, but they cannot be the end of our commitment to diversity. There must be an independent review
board of the University’s actions on diversity and inclusion that does more than rubberstamp initiatives. The voice of the students must be equal to that of the administration. The truth is the University will face issues like divestment and we must face them with reason and mercy. The harsh realities of anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and discrimination in all its forms must be acknowledged. We must recognize, too, that our actions in these cases have an impact far beyond the campus. They affect our alumni, our students, our faculty and staff, our employers, our families and our future. There is an obligation to consider, with an open mind, the reasoning of every expert and hear the perspective of all who are willing to offer their story. The University’s endowment and spending, in general, must be considered against this moral backdrop. The impact our financial choices have on every child and every alum across the globe must be considered as we act. Our economic behavior must be governed by a partnership of students and university that consciously reviews our financial choices and is answerable to students, staff and faculty. The truth is the problems facing this campus are not insignificant and neither are we. Every point in our history has had challenges and Wolverines to face them down. This is not a resting point for the faint of heart, this is the home of victors valiant. Places like the University of Michigan are where the world changes for the better; people like you are why it does. We are here to support those Wolverines who defined our yesterdays, embrace our todays and shape our tomorrows. We are here to aMplify your voice.
Sujay Shetty is an LSA junior and Matthew Williams is a first-year Law School student.
ERIK NESLER | COLUMN
I
Using the private sector for good
n the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Parkland, Fla., a few weeks ago, several major companies have decided to publicly take a stance on the contentious gun control debate. Two major gun sellers, Walmart Inc. and Dick’s Sporting Goods Inc., recently raised the minimum age for gun buyers at their stores to 21. Because of their power as a major distribution channel for gun manufacturers, the two companies were notable additions to the list of companies taking action after the tragedy in Parkland. Another intriguing development in the fight for stricter gun control in the U.S. was the recent New York Times story by Andrew Ross Sorkin in which he called for institutional investors to use their stakes in the gun industry to encourage internal reform. BlackRock, the largest investor in the world and an investor in several gun manufacturers, has recently committed itself to holding companies accountable to “not only deliver financial performance, but also show it makes a positive contribution to society.” As a major shareholder in several gun manufacturers, BlackRock could force the manufacturers to reform themselves voluntarily. BlackRock would have to make a compelling, financial case as to why the companies would need to reform themselves, but it is nonetheless possible. Imagine if the private sector could push social change on its own — without the help (or coercion) of the government. The recent stances companies have taken regarding the gun control debate piqued my
interest in whether or not it was the private sector’s place to take political stances at all. It turns out companies have been taking loud and highly controversial political stances for years. In fact, corporations were supportive of the burgeoning LGBTQ movement before many liberal politicians were. Many companies began offering gay employees health care benefits for their significant others long before politicians began endorsing the practice. With more and more companies taking political stances, companies that remain silent in an effort to appear impartial may be worse off. In a marketing class I took last semester, I learned how companies are now forming relationships with their most valuable customers. Social media has made this marketing objective much easier as we can all interact with our favorite companies through our phones. With this relationship, customers have come to expect their favorite brands to act and behave in a certain way — which may involve taking a controversial political stance. Companies that choose not to take a political stance miss out on forming these relationships with customers, which represents lost revenue potential. There are disadvantages to taking a political stance, however. Companies have extremely diverse customers, so it is likely that they draw from both sides of the political spectrum. Taking a controversial political stance can result in outrage and lost sales from a potentially significant subset of a company’s customer base. When the founder of Chick-fil-A publicly opposed gay marriage, supporters of his decision decided to have a “Support Chick-fil-A Day”
where the firm saw increased store traffic on that day. The enthusiasm from his supporters quickly waned while the boycotts from the adversaries continued for a much longer period of time. In addition, Ian Chipman wrote for Stanford’s Graduate School of Business that companies need to be sure to not make customers feel “queasy” about the brand, as such a feeling remains “permanently etched” in their brain. Companies may need to pick and choose topics on which they want to take a stand. Despite the potential drawbacks, I like the idea of companies standing up for what they believe. The private sector has the salience and scale to push social change much than the government. Though numerous companies have been committing themselves to particular social issues like gun control, climate change and women’s rights, the private sector could be doing more. I urge readers of this publication to purchase products from companies that share your social and political viewpoints. This past year saw the #DeleteUber movement as consumers were outraged by CEO Travis Kalanick’s ties to the Trump administration as well as his muted response to the Muslim travel ban. Because of the movement, over 200,000 people deleted their Uber app. Consumers really do have the power to assist in changing the status quo. Vote with your dollar and put it toward something you care about.
Erik Nesler can be reached at egnesler@umich.edu.
JOIN OUR EDITORIAL BOARD Our Editorial Board meets Mondays and Wednesdays 7:15-8:45 PM at our newsroom at 420 Maynard Street. All are welcome to come discuss national, state and campus affairs.
Arts
5 — Thursday, March 15, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
DAILY COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN FILM REVIEW
Art, reinterpreted
FOCUS FEATURES
‘Thoroughbreds’ could have been a cult classic STEPHEN SATARINO Daily Arts Writer
A film headlined by some central relationship — be it two friends or two lovers — will often contain two very important components: A character who is a giver and one who is a taker. The former of the pair puts more of themselves into the relationship, leaving themselves more at risk to see their efforts unrequited; the latter lives far more aloof to their partner’s dedication, enabled yet unaware of their own assumed apathy. Structuring a relationship this way creates a slew of attractive dynamics between the two onscreen: Will the taker realize their selfishness and give something back? Will the giver ever become so fed up as to opt out? When the credits roll, what will be the status of the relationship between the two? Writer/Director Corey Finley’s debut film “Thoroughbreds” goes a long way to turn these standards on their head, playing off of how his main characters’ relationship is expected to advance and reach some interesting areas. The film follows two New England teens, the preppie protagonist Lily (Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Witch” and “Split”) and her sociopathic sidekick Amanda (Olivia Cooke, “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl”), as they execute a murderous plot against Lily’s hated stepfather. Finley builds up Lily and Amanda’s relationship to one climactic sequence where the two girls must decide what
they mean to each other, and what they mean to themselves. This great sequence features more than one surprising character twist that forces the audience to redefine the lines drawn in the sand, the separation of sanity and a oncetemporary temper tantrum no longer so clear. There are about 10 minutes where “Thoroughbreds” is great. Sadly, that is as much praise as can be given to the film. Apart from the penultimate scene, it isn’t worth the watch. Which is disappointing more because of what is onscreen
“Thoroughbreds” Focus Features State Theater, Rave Theaters than what is not. There are the makings of a new-classic teen drama, but its poor pacing and misplaced dedication to an unnecessary horse motif get in the way. “Thoroughbreds” lacks narrative direction for far too long. The interesting part of the film, when two rich teenagers plan to murder one of their family members, isn’t committed to until the film is halfway into the second act. It dwells too long on Lily and Amanda’s sparse, uninteresting back stories and possible moments of disingenuous behavior for too long, not leaving enough time for what the audience bought tickets to see. Cooke’s character especially has some issues. The Patrick Batemanesque teen explains, minutes into the exposition, her analysts’ difficulty classifying
her, practically giving her a new diagnosis at the end of every session. This is way overdone. The character acts mildly sociopathic throughout the film, yet the movie acts as though she is the most insane character to ever grace the silver screen. Amanda’s character f laws are a microcosm of a larger problem “Thoroughbreds” seems to have — it distrusts its audience to the point of failure, over explaining instead of allowing brevity to pack a punch. The harrowing climax mentioned above hits with dampened impact because it’s succeeded by 10 more minutes of unnecessary f luff, turning what would have been a fantastic finale into a wasted penultimate sequence that screams bloody murder: “WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN?” Adding insult to injury, “Thoroughbreds” is technically superb. It seems to take heavy inf luence from Iñárritu’s “Birdman” in both its cinematography and its simple, percussion based score. Finley’s tendency to gravitate toward long, tracking takes probably comes from his background as a playwright; some of the moments in the film feel almost made for the stage. Apart from maybe a tiny bit of overacting from the leads in their first scene together, the performances were impressive as well. “Thoroughbreds” had the potential to set the world on fire; instead, it will slip past the box office into early cycle irrelevance until it’s either inexplicably chosen by the spoon-throwing public as a cult classic, or until Finley returns to try again.
COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
A funky exploration in movement and thought ISABEL FRYE
Daily Arts Writer
A momentum inside of me pushes on — internalized — continuing the push-and-pull game that the international dance duo Wang Ramirez started with this past weekend at the Power Center. An exploration of physical limitations, social boundaries and human relationships ensued as the group took over the stage. I left not only inspired to fulfill a lost dream of learning to dance, but also to explore the corners of my mind. Through movement, the group created a dialogue on the boundaries and limitations both created by and imposed onto us. Hip hop, aerial rigging, ballet
and martial arts fused together to create a breathtakingly virtuosic and electrifyingly poetic production. Wang Ramirez have pushed the
Wang Ramirez were unfiltered in movement, obeying only the human body boundaries of what dance is through their style and, in doing so, have harnessed a power unattainable in classic form. The dancers started off
by moving in and out of the silhouettes of two big silver cubes, experimenting with their physical relation to the shape. Throughout the performance, they pushed the audience to do the same with the cages built around us — to both consider and challenge social norms and the extent of our own freedoms. Without the need to satisfy the expectations that come with one style, Wang Ramirez were unfiltered in movement, obeying only the human body while also pushing the limits of their own physicality. With a new freedom in style and multiple dimensions in movement, the group begged the audience to explore the magnitudes of body and mind. Solos were generally watched by the rest of their dancers, breaking down the barrier between what it meant to be a
This past week, I attended the Michigan Youth Ensemble’s concert at Hill Auditorium. The Michigan Youth Symphony Orchestra opened their portion of the concert with Michael Abels’s “Global Warming,” a short, eight-minute work for full orchestra. It was a slow, poignant piece full of haunting lyricism — certainly not what I expected of a piece about global warming. Abels’s piece, it turns out, is not about global warming or anything relating to climate change. He composed the piece in 1991, intending the title to denote a warming of relations among separate cultures throughout the globe. On his website, Abels describes the piece as “folklike melodies of disparate cultures ... interwoven into a dazzling musical tapestry.” It is about the global warming of relations, not the gradual rise in temperature throughout the planet. Though confusing to modern audiences, this title can be quite easily explained when one considers the historical context. The phrase “global warming” first came into use in scientific literature during the mid-’80s. It did not become part of the American vernacular until the late ’90s or early 2000s. Many etymologists, in fact, point to Al Gore’s efforts during his vice presidency and his presidential campaign to raise awareness of climate change as the driving force behind the introduction of “global warming” into the everyday American vernacular. Not only did the phrase “global warming” have a different meaning when Abels set about writing his piece, in all likelihood, it did not have any significant meaning to most Americans. Abels’s intention for the title of the piece, it seems, was to bring together two familiar concepts (the interconnectedness of our modern “global” culture and the “warming” of relations between cultures) in an unfamiliar linguistic and musical context. Our present understanding of this phrase, however, leads us to interpret the piece in new and unintended ways — during the performance, I struggled to separate my feelings about the current politics around climate related global warming from my understanding of the piece. While this 20-year semantic shift may seem radical, shifts in meaning (and connotative meaning) of works of art occur all the time. Our propensity towards constant redefinition inevitably challenges the permanent and significant meaning that we attach to titles. Questions of original intent on the part of the creator and interpretative license on the part of the performer occur all the time, and while we may not always be cognizant of these questions, they exist
below the surface of many great works of art. Numerous words and phrases in Shakespeare’s great ouvre, for example, are understood quite differently today in comparison to their initial, intended meaning. My favorite is “the world’s mine oyster” from “The Merry Wives of Windsor.” This phrase appears in the dialogue between Falstaff and Pistol towards the middle of Act II. In modern times,
performer and what it meant to be an audience member. A dialogue between two dancers midway through and bits of humor spread throughout the performance further broke down the barrier, fully engaging the audience members. To end, the dancers each took turns improvising to a funky, upbeat song, with the audience clapping along; everyone left fully energized. With a minimalistic soundtrack, two large silver cubes created by several rails and a rigging system, the six dancers artfully maneuvered the stage. Sometimes using harnesses to become weightless and sometimes using just gravity and one another’s bodyweight, they incorporated suspension and reliance. At other times, the group moved independently, relying on their own momentum and force though breakdance, hip-hop footwork and contemporary dance. The aerial rigging system allowed
the dancers to defy gravity, exploring new dimensions and broadening the scope of their own movement. With incredible strength and flexibility they not only just had the floor of the stage to work with, but also the space above. Walking up the side of another dancer, completely
SAMMY SUSSMAN we interpret this phrase as a statement about one’s potential and the treasures in front of one’s fingertips. In the play, however, Pistol qualifies the meaning of the phrase by vowing he will open this oyster “with sword.” Though modern audiences may interpret this phrase as a harmless or even positive expression of potential, Pistol uses it as a threat as to the violence he is willing to perpetrate to achieve his goals. Another example of semantic shift is Nietzsche’s concept of the “übermensch” in his early works. In this instance, however, it is politics, and not widespread linguistic usage, that has obscured the original meaning of this word. When Nietzsche first used the phrase “übermensch,” he used it to describe a hypothetical higher state of man based not on religion but on atheistic moral principles. During the Nazi regime, however, this phrase was used to describe the supposed racial superiority of the Aryan race. For a long time after the fall of the Nazi regime, this word was ostracized for its racist political connotations. In the modern era, however, we have returned this word to its original, Nietzschean meaning — recent scholarship has provoked debate around what was once a clear consensus regarding Nietzsche’s antiSemitic beliefs. Many semantic shifts around historical figures and pieces of art also inevitably taint their modern interpretation. We can never know the full extent to which we interpret art differently than its creator intended us to. While many historical fallacies exist, a few widespread misconceptions come to mind. Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement,” for example, is usually assumed to be among his best works, if not one of the best religious
Wang Ramirez captured an attitude incredibly relatable to society today
parallel to the floor, and floating above and along the railings of the silver cubes, Wang Ramirez constantly challenged gravity — transforming their palate
works in the Western canon. Historically, however, the work has undergone a radical critical transformation during its lifetime. While it is now immensely popular, it was controversoal and condemned upon its unveiling. Many prominent Catholic officials criticized its many naked forms — students of Michelangelo were eventually asked to add loin cloths to the work. The religious implications of the work have also undergone a radical transformation; though it was criticized at the time of its unveiling for its portrayal of nakedness, “The Last Judgement” is now an iconic part of the Sistine Chapel and the larger Holy See. Another famous example of widespread historical misconception is the life and career of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Much of the modern mysticism around Mozart’s life stems from the movie “Amadeus.” As in the movie, many people assume that Mozart died poor and largely forgotten; while some of his operas may have been popular, he was largely forgotten or neglected at the time of his death. However, during his lifetime, he was a popular and sophisticated composer. He was famous throughout his lifetime both for his skills at the keyboard and as a composer. He was frequently brought to the royal court to play before the leaders of Europe — while he may not have been as rich as our modern-day musical celebrities, he was never destitute or forgotten. These semantic shifts have irrevocably altered our understanding of artists and artwork. If anything, the rate of these semantic shifts seem to be increasing as the internet allows for widespread misconceptions to spread as never before. While we may assume art to be independent of these changing semantics, it is important that we all approach art with our own prejudices. Though these prejudices may be both founded and unfounded, they are almost always detrimental to full appreciation. And though we may assume artwork to exist in the past, our interpretations of art are illusive and everchanging. Eventually, we must accept the imperfection in our understanding of art. While we may strive to be as historically accurate as possible in this understanding, we must acknowledge that we can never be perfect. When we look at a painting we also look into a mirror; both the painting and our understanding of how we should interpret the painting appear in front of us. While this prohibits us from ever making tautological statements about artwork, it also allows us to interact with art over and over again. And while it is the most confusing aspect of art, it is also the most beautiful.
of movement and allowing an exploration of the relationship between body and space. From a social thought experiment on yelling “I love you” and “I hate you” to a bowl of rice, to crazy high heels and tutus, the production intrigued on countless levels. Incorporating both outward humor through gesture and occasional dialogue and an innate conversation that questioned human identity, there were many ways that individuals could have experienced the performance. Regardless, Wang Ramirez captured an attitude incredibly relatable to society today: a thoughtful seriousness that somehow does not take itself too seriously. “Borderline” is a production that challenges our most thought-provoking ideas today and still makes you laugh. It allowed the audience to enjoy, engage and explore what it means to be human — both in movement and in thought.
Arts
6 — Thursday, March 15, 2018
ALBUM REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV REVIEW
POLYVINYL RECORDS
of Montreal’s star music SELENA AGUILERA Daily Arts Writer
The whimsical indie rock outfit, of Montreal, has been consistently releasing music since their 1997 debut LP, Cherry Peel. The band — frontman Kevin Barnes’s musical project for the past 11 years — floats through notes of soft indie-rock to erotic tones of ’80s electronic dance music in their most recent release, White is Relic/Irrealis Mood. The house show sound and organic instrumentals in of Montreal’s past full-lengths is completely abandoned in White is Relic/Irrealis Mood. Throughout its 41-minute journey, the record adopts an electronic style. It’s cleanly produced, devoid of the playful jam-band sounds in records like Satanic Panic in the Attic, and its atmosphere feels more condensed than anything the band has released before. White is Relic/Irrealis Mood takes listeners to a place with pulsing neon lights. The surging electricity hums through the various synth tones that come in waves throughout the record. There exists a level of tranquility that becomes interrupted by echoed bass beats — the type that moves from the speakers, injects itself into your lungs and tickles its
way up your spine. The album seems like a conglomeration of ’80s EDM samples produced tightly into a singular identity. It moves through high pops of electro-dance energy and mellows itself into a soft dream with whispers of unexpected, but appropriate notes of the saxophone. It elicits a momentary experience of being lost, but its exciting nature
White is Relic/ Irrealis Mood of Montreal Polyvinyl Records shocks you back into its nightclub ambiance. You can almost see sweaty bodies moving in pure ecstasy, mesh shirts wrinkling together with drips of bright green eyeliner kissing cheeks. The fluid electricity throughout the record climbs into space with robotic synth tones. The sharp and high-pitched instrumentals draw out, stretching to reach somewhere beyond this earth. In “Plateau Phase/No Careerism No Corruption,” Barnes’s hypnotic voice takes us to the precipice between space and time. He sings, “We can hear the dark matter breeding,” “If we put our ear to the ceiling / We can hear the multiverse
Classifieds
ceding / We can hear the simulation wheezing.” On Barnes’s final note of “wheezing,” the bass beats skip like a scratched track of a CD, and the music collapses into sounds of laser beams. The spacey and robotic sounds that are layered through the album adopt a more rigid identity when they reach its final song, “If You Talk to Symbol/Hostility Voyeur.” Being the album’s longest song, at eight-and-a-half minutes, it encompasses the record’s EDM exploration as it moves from short, structured synth hits to a final release of surreal bliss. The small, but rapid synths pulse from low to high tones as the drum pad beats fill the foreground. The song builds an exciting tension released by a return of the saxophones. Barnes places their croons of soft energy in an unnatural setting, but delivers it effortlessly; their arrival creates a harmonious relationship between the contrasting elements in the record, and then it all seeps into space. The evolution in the sounds of White is Relic/Irrealis Mood transports us from the EDM nightclub into a pink fever dream. It leaves us laying on a cloud with time to take a deep, satisfying breath after a night of dancing amongst the stars and whispering to the planets.
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RELEASE DATE– Thursday, March 15, 2018
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
FOR RENT
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Croquet surfaces 6 Chic 11 Christopher A. Wray’s org. 14 Roundish 15 Course without much challenge 16 Neurotic cartoon dog 17 Dual-purpose machine 19 Trauma ctrs. 20 Airport limo driver’s concern, briefly 21 “Later, dude” 22 Scrawny 24 One in the woods? 26 End of the end of “Gone With the Wind” 28 Water filter brand 30 Socialite adopted by the media 31 In-house trial 36 Cool drink 37 Lower 40 Court org. 42 Shut the door on 43 “How pathetic!” 46 “Tree of Smoke” novelist Johnson 50 Place to order matzo ball soup 55 Facebook entry 56 Yarn coil 57 Words of urgency 59 WWII battle site, for short 60 Rock concert effect 61 Certain investor ... and, based on the word hidden in each, what 17-, 26-, 37- or 50-Across is? 64 Tokyo-born artist 65 Jazz pianist Chick 66 Flash of light 67 Word with cell or cent 68 Vacuum attachments 69 Like R.L. Stine stories
DOWN 1 Serious state of decline 2 Personification 3 Pungent condiment 4 __ degree 5 Flow slowly 6 Four-door ride, usually 7 Call in a pool game 8 Until now 9 Manhattan liquor 10 Walmart rival 11 Like some revealing slips? 12 Name associated with alpine rescues 13 Fashion magazine 18 Actor Stephen 23 Tango land: Abbr. 25 Words to a traitor 27 Vishnu worshiper 29 Fizzy prefix 32 Take the wheel 33 Appreciative text 34 __ hall
35 Bus. card address 37 Baal 38 Like 2017 39 Lose it, in a way 40 Requests 41 Trilogy starter 44 Sushi fish 45 Decent sort 47 “Darned if I know” 48 “Cross my heart!”
49 Tempestuous 51 Some designer gowns 52 Award show VIP 53 Haas of “Witness” 54 Suffix suggesting resemblance 58 Outfits 62 And 63 Business letters
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NETFLIX
‘Love’ triumphs in the end SAM ROSENBERG Senior Arts Editor
In season one of Netflix’s “Love,” Gus (Paul Rust, “I Love You Beth Cooper”) and Mickey (Gillian Jacobs, “Community”) were just two lost souls who met at a convenience store. In season two, their relationship blossomed from a timid friendship into a passionate and turbulent romance. Now, in its third and final chapter, Gus and Mickey have finally reached the point in their six months of dating that asks a glaring question: Will everything work out? While some might take issue with ending a show so soon, “Love” is one of those stories that finds fulfilling closure early on, even with a few imperfections along the way. This season finds creators Rust, Lesley Arfin (“Girls”) and Judd Apatow (“The Disaster Artist”) on their A-game: The writing remains top-notch, the cast is rock solid and the acting is all-around superb. Rust and Jacobs, in particular, continue to deliver searing and heartwarming performances, making the most of their equally flawed and endearing characters. Gus’s deep-seated anger and Mickey’s self-sabotaging behavior have been explored and depicted in the first two seasons — and they’ve led to some pretty disastrous, cringeworthy consequences. But now, as their romance begins to percolate, Gus and Mickey are given room to fix their messy mistakes, and the outcomes of their conflicts are as sobering as they are immensely gratifying. They don’t actually get into a real fight until the fourth episode, “I’m Sick,” in which Gus misses a fun day with his friends to take care of an ill Mickey. Still, it feels oddly refreshing for a show that revolves all around the frustrations and bitterness that comes with a longterm relationship. New challenges test Gus and Mickey’s limits as a couple and as
people: Gus decides to realize his erotic thriller screenplay, though his ego, temper and ambition threaten to derail the production. Meanwhile, Mickey navigates her sobriety and the burgeoning success of her radio career, but finds difficulty in dodging her impulses to drink and smoke. Other issues abound outside their world as well: Mickey’s
“Love” Season 3 Netflix Australian roommate, Bertie (the exemplary Claudia O’Doherty, “Trainwreck”), wrestles with leaving her schlubby, doofus boyfriend Randy (Mike Mitchell, “Comedy Bang! Bang!”) for the attentive and affectionate Chris (Chris Witaske, “Lady Bird”). She even gets her own episode — the season’s highlight “Bertie’s Birthday” — which marks a delightful acting showcase for O’Doherty. Seriously, she deserves her own spinoff. While the final season tracks the highs and lows of its main characters, “Love” still struggles to mitigate the inconsistency of its peripheral characters, specifically with Randy, Gus’s co-workers and his boss Susan (Tracie Thoms, “The Drowning”) and Mickey’s ex-boss Greg (Brett Gelman, “Stranger Things 2”). With the exception of Randy, who comes off as a well-meaning but bumbling oaf, these other characters are so unrelentingly insufferable, so unnecessarily cruel and so menacingly mean-spirited at times — the worst comes in the rough third episode “Arya and Greg” — that their presence almost ruins the season entirely. What makes “Love” so watchable and nuanced is its emphasis on realism and observational humor, so seeing these bit characters portrayed as cartoonish, loathsome assholes with no real redeemable
TRAILER REVIEW: ‘FANTASTIC BEASTS’
03/15/18
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SUMMER EMPLOYMENT
By Bruce Haight ©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
qualities and no real purpose in driving the plot forward is quite frankly disappointing. Even so, “Love”’s third season manages to bounce back pretty quickly in the second half, where Gus and Mickey reach an all-time high in their professional lives, but uneasily confront uncomfortable truths and relationship predicaments in their personal lives. The standout “Sarah from College” finds Gus revisiting some skeletons in his closet when he bumps into an old flame at a friend’s wedding (a remarkable, subdued guest performance from Vanessa Bayer, “Saturday Night Live”). Gus’s past continues to play a role in the uncertainty of his relationship with Mickey when they venture to visit his family in South Dakota, a trip that includes some of the most hilarious and heartbreaking moments in the entire series. In the two episodes preceding the finale, Gus and Mickey offer two phenomenal monologues that feel like a brilliant, almost cathartic culmination of their relationship. The chaotic energy that radiates from their individual inner turmoil during these monologues is like a rocket ship getting ready to launch: The fire is bubbling at the surface, but it doesn’t reach liftoff until enough buttons have been pushed. Despite how ominous that may sound, let’s just say “Love” allows Gus and Mickey space to breathe and collect themselves before they make any major decisions in moving their relationship forward. “Love” has become more than just a commentary about contemporary dating and modern relationships. It has also become more than just a simple TV romance created by one of Hollywood’s most beguiling and notable rom-com visionaries. “Love” is as unpredictable and exciting, as hilarious and messy as love itself, which is exactly what makes its conclusion so imperfectly perfect.
03/15/18
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WARNER BROS.
The first “Fantastic Beasts,” the original boy wizard story, released two years ago to averloudly proclaiming that if you age reviews and a decent box weren’t on board with the seemoffice, is a largely forgotten ingly disconnected first film, addendum to this one might the far more still be for you. ‘Fantastic popular “Harry The one thing you Potter” saga won’t find much Beasts: The that preceded of in this trailer Crimes of it. Now comes is the titular vilGrindelwald the trailer for lain, Grindelwald. “Fantastic Warner Bros. and Nov. 16, 2018 Beasts: The J.K. Rowling have Crimes of Grinbeen mired in delwald,” which promises to controversy for years now over bring the magic back to the saga. the casting of alleged domestic Hogwarts! Dumbledore! The abuser Johnny Depp in the role Deathly Hallows! This trailer and this latest trailer, which feadoubles down on references to tures only a fleeting moment of
Depp, is unlikely to convince anyone that those criticisms aren’t valid. That won’t matter to many though, and it’s doubtless that Warner Bros. simply hopes that those familiar musical notes at the end of the trailer do their job and get more butts in the seats. There’s set to be three more of these “Beasts” films over the next six to eight years, but the jury is still out on whether this new series of “Potter” films will be considered a worthy addition to the canon or a horribly expensive and misguided mistake. - Ian Harris, Managing Video Editor
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, March 15, 2017 — 7
A dream come true for Flaherty and Dunston D espite never having played in the NCAA Tournament, senior forward Jillian Dunston is confident in the Michigan women’s basketball team’s chances in March Madness. She said as much this past Wednesday, with a declaration: “We’re not afraid of any team.” And why would they be? Under Dunston’s leadership, HUNTER the SHARF Wolverines have amassed a 22-9 overall record, including marquee wins over Marquette, Nebraska, Ohio State and Maryland — all of which are also slated to compete in the Big Dance. She’s coming off a strong regular season, where she was one of the top rebounders in the Big Ten with
BY THE NUMBERS Senior guard Katelynn Flaherty
23.2 Average points per game
129 Total assists this season
2.7
Average rebounds per game
36.8 Average minutes played per game
“(The Tournament) was our main goal,” Dunston said. “And now that we’ve gotten there, we don’t want to just show up. We just want to continue to take care of business.” On an individual level, Flaherty will leave Michigan the program’s all-time leading scorer in her four years as a starter. As for Dunston, she has been the outspoken leader for the Wolverines for the past two seasons. She also has the thirdmost rebounds and 11th-most steals in Michigan history. And most of all, the two have now accomplished a lifelong ambition. “We’ve worked so hard to get to this point,” Flaherty said. “I know it’s been both of our dreams since we were young girls to go to college and play in the NCAA Tournament. So to finally make it here our last year is really exciting.” Sharf can be reached at hsharf@umich.edu.
ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily
Seniors Katelynn Flaherty and Jillian Dunston will finally have their shot at the NCAA Tournament after missing out in their previous three years in Ann Arbor.
an average of 9.1 per game. She serves as a much-needed supplement to her fellow classmate — guard Katelynn Flaherty — who is one of the best scorers in the country. But while her buoyancy could be warranted, it could also simply be ignorance. Michigan is surely a very good basketball team. But how they compare to the nation’s elite is still to be determined. They do hold wins over ranked conference foes in thenNo. 8 Buckeyes and then-No. 13 Terrapins. However, the Wolverines were routed in their two games against ranked nonconference opponents — thenNo. 5 Louisville and then-No. 3 Notre Dame. Though those games were early in the season, they weren’t even close, as
Michigan was outscored by a combined 45 points. And, as impressive as its Big Ten wins were, conference games always possess an element of unpredictability that should be accounted for. If the Wolverines do get past 10th-seeded Northern Colorado on Friday, they have a lofty task ahead of them in Baylor. The Lady Bears (31-1) are a two seed as the No. 2 team in the country. They possess the second-best offense in the nation, scoring 86.6 points per game. For comparison, Michigan ranks
35th and averages 75.5. Let’s face it, the Wolverines’ chances are far from ideal. But they have come a long way. They are the first Michigan team to make the tournament since 2013. They have also secured wins over rivals Ohio State and Michigan State. And the seniors — Dunston and Flaherty — have come the furthest in their four years in Ann Arbor. The tournament is a chance for them to show off just how good they really are. “For them to be on the
To finally make it here our last year is really exciting
national scene, they’ve established themselves as two of the best players in the country,” said Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico. “For the rest of the world to have an opportunity to see Katelynn Flaherty I think is really important. She’s been really special for us and it’s going to great for her to be playing in front of national television.” The senior duo has certainly left its mark. Including postseason play, the two have amassed 91 wins at Michigan. And while it’s the lesser of the two tournaments, the pair helped the Wolverines raise their first-ever banner in Crisler Center with a 2017 WNIT Championship. Now, they have qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
BY THE NUMBERS Senior forward Jillian Dunston
3.3 Average points per game
111 Total assists this season
9.1 Average rebounds per game
32.3 Average minutes played per game
Defense derails Wolverines Michigan crushed by yet in 8-3 loss to Lawrence Tech another mid-game surge THEO MACKIE
Daily Sports Writer
With two outs in the top of the seventh inning, Ako Thomas saw a hard hit grounder squirt off his glove as two runners crossed the plate. Lawrence Tech’s Joseph Russo had smashed a ball at the junior shortstop, who attempted to field it on a hop. The play extended the Blue Devils’ lead to 7-3 before another single completed the sixrun inning, and gave Lawrence Tech an 8-3 advantage that it held over the final two frames. The play not only put the Michigan baseball team in a hole from which it was unable to recover, but served as a microcosm of the Wolverines’ disastrous start to the season. After establishing themselves as one of the Big Ten’s premier defensive units a season ago, they have committed 27 errors in just 15 games. “It’s just another game where we played very sloppy on defense and gave the opposition a huge inning,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “The four errors stand out, but it’s just the execution of playing defense and taking care of the baseball.” While the errors have been a huge blemish on Michigan’s 4-11 start, they have been far from the only problem. Their three-run output Wednesday afternoon marked the third consecutive game in which the Wolverines have scored four runs or fewer. “The defensive side of things … is causing the hitters to get behind a hole,” Bakich said, “and then they start pressing. They’re not stringing quality at-bats together because they’re looking at climbing out of a deficit.” The correlation between defensive struggles and offensive stagnation cannot be ignored. Michigan jumped out to an early lead courtesy of a RBI groundout
and single from redshirt junior Miles Lewis and freshman outfielder Jesse Franklin, respectively. Minutes after Franklin’s single put the Wolverines’ in control, though, the lead crumbled in an all-too-familiar turn of events. Freshman shortstop Jack Blomgren short-hopped a throw that skipped past Franklin, allowing Lawrence Tech’s first run to score and igniting Michigan’s collapse. “It was the little things again,” Bakich said, “and it’s the little things that have plagued us all year and that is something that we are absolutely laser-focused on and that we are going to work to correct.” Two innings later, the Wolverines’ defensive woes compounded, as the Blue Devils plated four unearned runs in their six-run seventh. The first run of the inning scored on a double into the corner after sophomore right fielder Christian Bullock missed the cut-off man, allowing Tyler Cleasby to score from first. Three pitches later, with a man on third and the infield in, a hard-hit grounder found junior second baseman Blake Nelson. Even a high throw from Nelson easily beat Cleasby to the plate before redshirt freshman catcher Marcus Chavez mishandled the throw, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Five batters and a pitching change later, Thomas’ error pushed the Michigan deficit to four. “We’re letting one negative play turn into three negative plays,” Bakich said. “If something bad happens, we just got to be able to shut it down and get back to the positive side of things.” In a familiar refrain, one bright spot for the Wolverines came from its starting pitching. Junior
“We’re letting one negative play turn into three negative plays”
southpaw William Tribucher went five innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits while striking out four Lawrence Tech hitters. It was the fifth game in seven in which Michigan’s starter gave up three runs or less — a stretch over which the Wolverines have gone 2-5. “It was encouraging,” Bakich said. “(Tribucher) threw strikes, he was aggressive in the strike zone, he was very consistent and executed his pitches well. … In those five innings, he looked pretty good. He looked like the Will Tribucher that we know he is.” Ultimately, though, the starting pitchers’ performances need to carry over the rest of the team. “We’re just gonna stick with it,” Bakich said. “We’re gonna continue to believe that we’ve got good players and a good team and we’re just gonna keep a relentless focus and attack on the little things and make sure that if we take care of those, then the big things like the outcome of the game will take care of itself.”
JACOB KOPNICK Daily Sports Writer
With the seventh inning looming, the Michigan baseball team was sitting pretty. Junior left-hander William Tribucher had just tossed five inspiring innings against Lawrence Tech, relenting only one unearned run and propelling the Wolverines (4-11) to a 3-1 lead. Michigan was hitting in stride against the Blue Devils (17-9) and ended the fifth with an RBI single from sophomore catcher Harrison Salter. The sixth inning followed, and went off with only a minor hitch. Junior reliever Troy Miller had entered the game and immediately gave up a home run. Michael Rinke demolished the ball, sending it past the left field fence on the opposite side of the park. Miller quickly found redemption by striking out his next two opponents. The Wolverines closed out the inning without
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Junior left-hander William Tribucher provided the lone bright spot Wednesday.
securing a run. Then came disaster. Miller quickly struck out the first batter, then gave up two runs with seemingly as much haste. Miller had racked up two earned runs and didn’t show any signs of slowing down when Michigan coach Erik Bakich made a desperate pitching change. Senior right-hander Jayce Vancena entered the game and allowed four additional runs before stopping the bleeding with a muchneeded strikeout. When the dust settled, the Wolverines had given up six runs off three hits and committed three defensive errors. All in one inning. “Sloppy,” Bakich said. “It was the little things again, and it’s the little things that have plagued us all year and that is something that we are absolutely laser-focused on and that we are going to work to correct.” For this Michigan team, it’s a broken record. The Wolverines consistently put themselves in a great position to contend for each game through four or five innings, then sluggish bats and sloppy defense seal their fate. Michigan has lived by this routine in many of its previous contests, dropping games to Lipscomb, Stanford and San Diego State in similar fashion. In a textbook example of this pattern, the Wolverines had held the Aztecs scoreless through four innings when they faced them on Feb. 26. San Diego State subsequently exploded onto the scoreboard with a four-run fifth inning, giving it a 4-1 lead. From there, Michigan didn’t have enough firepower to claw itself out of
the deficit, ultimately losing, 4-3. It’s troubling for any team to have destructive habits, especially this early in the season. However, the one silver lining in this disappointing start is that the team now knows what to fix — and has time to fix it. “We’re not taking care of the baseball and we’re letting one negative play turn into three negative plays,” Bakich said. “If something bad happens, we just gotta be able to shut it down and get back to the positive side of things. What you’re seeing right now is a team whose confidence is shook.” In addition to regaining confidence, leadership and high-quality play are also needed to aid this battered squad. When one player does well, it seems to carry over to the rest of the team. Behind Tribucher’s bright performance also lied a solid defensive outing that, at the end of it, pushed the Wolverines into the lead. Things took a turn for the worse once the pitching and defense became sloppy. “Right now, the defensive side of things is causing the pitching to be out there a long time,” Bakich said. “It’s causing the hitters to get behind a hole and then they start pressing. They’re not stringing quality at-bats together because they’re looking at climbing out of a deficit. “It’s just all connected, so we just gotta get rid of this feeling and get back to what we know how to do, which is work extremely hard and trust that our training is going to take care of the outcome on the field.”
“If something bad happens, we gotta be able to shut it down”
Sports
8 — Thursday, March 15, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan to begin NCAA Tournament on Thursday
Back to do it all again W ICHITA, Kan. — Moritz Wagner thinks back to the Oregon game, but not in the way you might assume. He objects to the notion that he lost last year’s Sweet 16 game on his own. He objects to the notion that anyone can lose any single game. Heck, he even objects to the notion that MAX he played that MARCOVITCH poorly. “I never feel that way,” the junior center said Wednesday afternoon, “that it’s somebody’s fault, that it’s my fault that we lost.” Wagner went 3-for-10 from the field and 0-for-4 from 3-point range in the 69-68 season-ending loss, scoring just seven points as his team bowed out of the field. This came less than a week after he carried his team to an upset win over No. 2 seed Louisville with 26 points on 11-of-14 shooting from the field. If his performance against Louisville was the crescendo on an ascendant sophomore campaign, the Oregon game was the distasteful piano crash at the end. It would have been easy then to point fingers, connect some dots and assume Wagner’s withdrawal from the NBA draft months after was some sort of impassioned vow to do better — to carry this team on his back to heights it fell just short of last year — all while improving his stock to be a surefire NBA player. That would fit a traditional narrative of college athletes. To be fair, that’s all part of it. He has improved in many facets, including going from 4.2 rebounds per game to 7.1 rebounds per game. He would love to advance past the Sweet 16 for the first time in his career, especially as a team captain and leading scorer. The reality is much more simple, though: Moritz Wagner loves college basketball. He loves all the hoopla. He loves draining a three and then dangling his tongue out at the fans or his opponent. He loves the conference rivalries and the
EVAN AARON/Daily
Junior center Moritz Wagner returned to Michigan to play on this stage.
bright lights of March. He loves the process of it all as much as he yearns for the glory. He loves to be loved almost as much as he loves to be hated. “They hate me everywhere,” Wagner says, grinning ear to ear. “I know that. It’s fun. I’ve kind of embraced that role. And I’ve got to be honest, I’d hate myself, too. “I just tell myself, they hate you because I’m good.” All of this came across in the locker room the afternoon before the first round of an NCAA Tournament that may well be his last, and could easily define his legacy at Michigan. He won’t look at it that way, though, at least not in the moment. Wagner isn’t going to publicly relish the personal accolades that may come from the next month. He certainly didn’t after winning the Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player less than two weeks ago. There’s a distinction between arrogance on the court and selfishness off it, and while one could argue the former, nobody could viably claim the latter. Wagner, despite his boisterous on-court and offcourt persona, is hesitant to ever make guarantees or grand proclamations. He didn’t come back to Michigan to make a Final Four, explicitly at least. He came back to get better with a team he loves at a university
he cherishes. And he’s not going to sacrifice his momentary pleasure — no matter how minute or trivial it may seem — for some external end goal, or to overcome a non-existent burden from the exit last March. “These things are fun, these things are the things you never forget,” Wagner says, peering around the locker room. To his left, the five walk-ons — traveling together for the first time on the road with the team — are joking around in a circle. To his right, freshman guard Jordan Poole plays hangman on the whiteboard with junior forward Brent Hibbits. “Whether the games go well, bad,” Wagner continues, “this is the type of stuff that is so much fun around here that we would never experience in any other way.” Minutes later, Wagner gleefully trots through warmup calisthenics at the team’s open practice with round one of the 2018 NCAA Tournament set to kick off a day later. He and Michigan assistant coach Saddi Washington trade some playful banter, before Washington raises his tone a few octaves in Wagner’s direction. “Your time to shine, baby.”
Scout team proudly prepares ‘M’ MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor
A few weeks ago, Luke Wilson almost punched Zavier Simpson. The freshman scout-teamer thought Simpson was fouling him in practice, and as another rough play resulted in Wilson’s second-straight turnover, he shoved the starting point guard in the chest with both hands. That’s how freshman guard CJ Baird, a walk-on like Wilson, described it in the Michigan men’s basketball team’s locker room in Wichita, Kan., the day before the Wolverines begin the NCAA Tournament against Montana. Simpson and Wilson crowded near Baird, the independent, third-party storyteller, making sure they weren’t portrayed unfairly. From all accounts, the situation didn’t escalate after that. Teammates stepped in and cooler heads prevailed. But the scene is emblematic of a larger theme. The scout team, walk-ons and all, has pride too. Of course, that doesn’t normally manifest itself in physical altercations at practice. It shows itself in the job the scout team has to do: prepare the starters by any means necessary. “(We’re) still trying to learn all the concepts of the entire system and then still trying to show you’re capable to push these guys, and you can fit in, and you can run scout, and you can prepare them,” said freshman walk-on guard Rico Ozuna-Harrison. “It’s definitely a challenge every day. … You don’t want to get punked.” That pride comes from more than just individual basketball skill. Take sophomore guard Ibi Watson, for example.
Ask different Michigan players, and they’ll all tell you Watson can hold his own. But the part of a scout-teamer is that of a method actor. They meticulously study their role, learning the rhythm and movement of an opposing player, before emulating it for themselves. Then they move on to the next role. So Watson isn’t just playing like Watson. He’s playing like a totally different person. “Sometimes I get yelled at, because I might be playing a guy who is strictly a 3-point shooter, and I’m trying to create or do something too much,” Watson said. “But usually I try as hard as I can to play as similarly to that player as possible.” Watson had an important job this week. His was the role of Montana guard Michael Oguine, a hyper-aggressive slasher who averages 15.8 points per game for the Grizzlies. It’s a role that apparently allowed Watson to showcase his own ability, as multiple teammates pointed to him as somebody who shined on the second unit this week. Senior guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman, who often guards Watson in practice, was less eager to admit his impressiveness. “He doesn’t really score on me as much,” Abdur-Rahkman joked. “… It definitely helps, though, when you can have a player that caliber on the scout team. Sometimes they’re better than the people that we’re actually playing, and that definitely helps.” The rest of the scout team had their own assignments.
Somebody was Oregon transfer Ahmaad Rorie, and somebody was 6-foot-8 forward Jamar Akoh. When the buzzer sounds Thursday, barring an unexpected upset, those roles will be forgotten, and Watson, Baird, Wilson and Ozuna-Harrison will prepare to emulate either Houston or San Diego State. It’s a thankless job. In fact, when coaches and players publicly credit the scout team, it’s brushed off as cliché. The NCAA Tournament is the only time all season they all get to just travel with the team. But that’s okay with them. They find their fulfillment in other ways. “I think one of the coolest things is realizing where you’re at, and how lucky you are to be in this position,” Baird said. “I think the scout team, as a whole, takes pride in it, and we go at them 100 percent every day.” The scout team takes pride in their day-to-day effort. They take pride in acting out a role to the best of their ability. “Whether we’re running (opponent’s) plays or emulating how a certain player works on the floor, it definitely gives our defense a better look and helps us prepare better for the game,” Baird said. “And it’s really cool, once you’ve emulated that player, and you see them out on the court next time you play, it’s cool to see, like, ‘Wow, that’s actually what they do. We actually worked on that.’ ” It shows in the team’s preparation when the bright lights are on. And sometimes, it shows in practice, with a shove to the starting point guard.
“Sometimes they’re better than the people we’re actually playing”
Marcovitch can be reached at maxmarco@umich.edu or on Twitter @Max_Marcovitch.
EVAN AARON/Daily
Sophomore guard Ibi Watson and Michigan’s scout team will have the Wolverines ready to take on Montana.