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Monday, October 8, 2018
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Five of a kind Michigan won its fifthstraight game on Saturday by dominating Maryland, 42-21, as two players set season high marks for yards.
» Page 1B CAMPUS LIFE
Groups call on ‘U’ to fix campus food insecurity
It seems like our cries fall on deaf ears – Katie Kelly, Public Policy junior
Student-run initiaves such as ride sharing, food pantries made to address food desert
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Students react to appointment of accused assaulter to Supreme Court Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed Saturday shifting the court’s ideological balance right JORDYN BAKER Daily Staff Reporter
Following weeks of protests, rallies and hearings regarding allegations of past sexual assault Brett Kavanaugh was confirmed Saturday to the U.S. Supreme Court. His confirmation was
by one of the closest margins in American history, and his status as Supreme Court justice solidifies a conservative majority on the court Saturday. Senators voted 50 to 48 nearly along party lines — Sen. Joe Manchin III, D-W.Va., was the only Democrat to vote “yes” and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Ala., was
the only Republican who stated she would vote “no,” but withdrew her vote in response to Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who was not present but would have voted “yes.” During the vote, protests could be heard from the Senate floor, with chants of “shame” and “I do not consent” ringing from the viewing galleries after votes
were called. When four key swing state senators, including Republican Sens. Susan Collins of Maine, Jeff Flake of Arizona, and Murkowski as well as Manchin, officially announced their positions on Kavanaugh prior to the final vote, many agreed confirmation was See KAVANAUGH, Page 2A
CATHERINE NOUHAN Daily Staff Reporter
Music, Theatre & Dance sophomore Samantha Kao and three other girls piled into a gray Volkswagen on a Saturday afternoon in the fall. These strangers were making their way to the grocery store. In order to fill their pantries, University of Michigan students living off campus have created grocery carpool trips and discovered food distribution resources from Facebook pages and student organizations. Besides these student-run methods, if someone does not have transportation, finding affordable and nutritious food on
campus can be difficult. It is Kao’s first year in offcampus housing, and she was not aware of the many obstacles that stand in the way of a student’s access to food. She was concerned about the time, money and distance that play a role in getting food in Ann Arbor. For students living in off campus housing, an unlimited meal plan is $2,265 per term. “I’d like to think that there are resources out there, but I’ve found that there are very few. Living off campus by yourself is a big change, and having the time to prepare food on your own is a concern that my friends and I have,” Kao said.
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MSA hosts “Presenting Islam” panel to Discussion Student highlights help Muslim students articulate faith project to
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RESEARCH
activism, sports ties
Organizers note heightened relevance of the event within the current political climate
Professor Sherman Clark frames talk through the lens of critical race theory
Referencing Muslim wrestler Khabib Nurmagomedov’s performance in an Ultimate Fighting Championship match the night before, Dawud Walid asked Sakinah Rahman, a Muslim college student wearing a long, loose black dress paired with a colorful headscarf, why she dressed so conservatively in comparison. “That Khabib guy, he was out there last night wearing those short-shorts. Why do you look all oppressed, covered up and all?” However, Walid’s question had no malicious intent. In fact, Walid is the executive director of Michigan’s chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, a civil rights and advocacy group. The question was part of an exercise that sought to teach young Muslims how to speak about Islam and in some cases answer contentious questions. The University of Michigan organized the event, titled “Presenting Islam to Fellow Americans,” in hopes it would give young Muslims the tools to articulate answers to questions about their faith. The training featured three sessions: Haaris Ahmad, the CAIR-Michigan board president, led the first one on body language; Asha Noor, the CAIR-Michigan programming and outreach director, led the second one on conflict-resolution; and Walid led
TAL LIPKIN
Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan’s Law School and Ford School of Public Policy hosted a discussion Friday on the ties between sports and politics. The event, titled “Activism and Sports”, analyzed the misinformation regarding protests at sporting events. The event was part of the Critical Race Theory Brown Bag Lunch Series that examines current policy and social issues in the United States. Law professor Sherman J. Clark began the conversation with a question: “Why do so many people so often seem to misunderstand or mischaracterize the purpose or point of protests?” Clark then explained why sports have significant social capital in activism, arguing against the separation of sports and politics. “Sports have social salience and communicative impact whether you want them to or not,” Clark said. “The fact is, sports are entertainment, yeah, but they are not merely entertainment.”
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third on answering frequently asked questions. Ahmad said the workshop is relevant in today’s political climate where many Americans have questions about Muslims and Islam. “Obviously people are being called upon to explain their faith, to explain their experience, to unfortunately have to comment on world events even as young college students, young teens,
when they would not have been asked about these things in the past,” Ahmad said. “That’s why a training of this sort, or this type of session, is needed.” As a Muslim woman who wears a headscarf, Rahman said she is constantly asked questions, ranging from gender equality to daily prayer to terrorism. She believes this workshop equipped her with the skills needed to articulate her beliefs.
“For me, because I choose to cover, people are just always asking questions,” Rahman said. “I’m always put in a position to where I’m not so qualified to answer this question, but I’m their only source right now. Because if it’s not going to be me, they’ll find websites that’ll give them false information or they’ll ask
modernize batteries
LSA junior Nando Felten looks to create a solid state battery through UROP RACHEL LEUNG Daily Staff Reporter
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michigandaily.com Batteries have always fascinated LSA junior Nando Felten. Felten, who is from Detroit but spent most of his life living in Germany, was amazed by the universal use of batteries. But what surprised Felton even more was that the current model for the battery has remained largely unchanged for the last several decades. Now, a research assistant in the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program with plans to transfer to the College of Engineering, Felten is on a mission to build a better battery model. “Batteries can be found all around the world,” Felten said. “Batteries today continue to be one of the most fundamental pieces of almost all electric power or electric equipment or devices today. Batteries today, there hasn’t really been a revolutionary change.” Felten is one of many undergraduate LSA students participating in UROP who are given the opportunity to partner with University of Michigan
MAX KUANG/Daily CAIR-MI Board President Haaris Ahmad, Esq., talks about discussing Islam in conversations at the Presenenting Islam to Fellow Americans event at Rackham Assembly Hall Sunday.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXVIII, No. 6 ©2018 The Michigan Daily
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
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SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................1B
News
2A — Monday, October 8, 2018
MONDAY: Looking at the Numbers
TUESDAY: By Design
WEDNESDAY: This Week in History
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Editorial Staff CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily The exhibit Beyond Borders: Global Africa Exhibition features various art pieces on display at the Univeristy of Michigan Museum of Art.
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ON THE DAILY: SECRETARY OF STATE BRINGS MOBILE VOTER REGISTRATION TO CAMPUS If students shouting about voter registration on the Diag aren’t convincing enough, the Michigan Secretary of State office has devised a new way to assist with student registration. On Monday, the Michigan Secretary of State will host a mobile voter registration unit at the Michigan League circle drive. The mobile
MICHIGAN From Page 1A inevitable. For Public Policy junior Katie Kelly, who serves as the communications director of the University of Michigan’s chapter of College Democrats, the decisions of Collins, Flake and Manchin to vote “yes”
ANU ROY-CHAUDHURY and ASHLEY ZHANG
unit will mainly serve voter registration but is still open to other Secretary of State services. The Secretary of State office asks those registering to vote to bring a driver’s license or Michigan state identification. The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday at 5 p.m. The mobile unit is part of
the University of Michigan’s efforts to win the Big 10 Voting Challenge. The challenge encourages Big 10 schools to get as many students to register and vote after historically low voter turnout among young adults. The Big 10 Voting Challenge will have two awards: one for the institution that yields the highest percentage
of registered voters and one for best overall voter improvement. The University is also partnered with Turbovote, an online tool that helps U-M students, faculty and staff register to vote. Mid-term elections are Nov. 6.
ignited feelings of anger and frustration. “It’s really, really frustrating because no matter how many times you call these Senators or how often you protest or stand up it seems like our cries fall on deaf ears,” Kelly said. “It made me hopeful when I heard Jeff Flake come out during the hearings calling for an FBI investigation because it seemed
as though maybe it wasn’t going to be a completely partisan issue, that maybe there was a chance some people would see common sense on this … and then he just came right back and completely voted along party lines and really disappointed those who became hopeful during the FBI investigation … After Susan Collins came out and said she was voting yes that was really one of the final nails in the coffin for me.” LSA sophomore Dylan Berger, president of the University’s chapter of College Republicans, argued support for swing state senators, particularly Collin and Manchin, who voted in favor of Kavanaugh. “I think both Senators were wise to vote to confirm Kavanaugh,” Berger wrote in an email. “I thought Senator Collins gave a speech on the Senate floor for the ages. She represented the institution of the Senate well by making a decision based on the facts, not mob hysteria. Americans of future generations will thank her for preserving due process in the face of angry mobs of protestors.” Leading up to Kavanaugh’s confirmation, the University community held several protests following the allegations of sexual assault by Christine
Blasey Ford, a professor at Palo Alto University who in September publicly shared details regarding Kavanaugh’s alleged attempt of sexual assault when the two were in high school. Ford is one of three women to publicly accuse Kavanaugh of assault or misconduct. In a confidential letter Ford sent months ago to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., but publicly released in September by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, Ford writes about the high school incident. She states Kavanaugh pushed her into a bedroom while at a gathering in a Maryland home, got on top of her, attempted to remove her clothing and put his hand over her mouth when she tried to yell for help. In response to these developments in the Kavanaugh hearings, the Law School held a panel during the final week of September with Law professors Kate Andrias, Barbara McQuade and Margo Schlanger on the campus implications of the sexual assault allegations against Kavanaugh. Following the panel, the Law School community organized a rally titled “Respect Women, Respect Survivors and Respect the Court.” Last week, another rally to protest Kavanaugh
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Michigan in Color
Monday, October 8, 2018 — 3A
How “interracial” is Hollywood’s interracial relationships? SWATHI KOMARIVELLI MiC Blogger
Interracial relationships haven’t been something accepted in America for a long time at all. It was only legalized about 50 years ago with the landmark Loving v. Virginia Supreme Court case, during which a Black woman and a white man took their wedding vows in Washington, D.C., but then moved to Virginia, a state that banned interracial marriage. Due to this law, the couple was indicted by a grand jury four months into the marriage, and they were forced to move back to the place where they had taken their vows to avoid another year of imprisonment. Luckily, when the couple appealed to the Supreme Court, the case overturned the
conviction and struck down the law in Virginia. Fifty years ago is not that long ago. There are people still alive who very well remember interracial marriage illegalization. However, that being said, there has still been progress with the general public’s perception of interracial couples. Well, most interracial couples. The media has played a big role in this with movies like “The Big Sick”, “The Incredible Jessica James” and even the newest heartwarming romantic comedy “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”. TV shows like “The Flash”, “Scandal” and “How To Get Away with Murder” have also featured interracial couples as main plot points. However, do you notice a pattern with these forms of media?
These are all some of the most popular movies and TV shows, yet all feature a person of color and a white person. It’s never two interracial people of color who come together. In fact, there seems to be more positive representation in mainstream pop culture of a white person with a person of color than even two people of color from the same background together! To give one example of many, Aziz Ansari got our hopes up in the first episode of the second season of “Master of None” when he found a Black woman he was romantically interested in. However, he lost his phone and as a result communication with her forever. Of course, he proceeded to fall in love with a white Italian woman, and not without the periodic flux of interest and disinterest in the South Asian
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woman who appeared within the season. There’s always an edge of fear and controversy of calling this out. Interracial couples and friendships that are a white person and a person of color aren’t negative
by any means, and calling this disparity out doesn’t imply they are bad in any way. They should still be encouraged — it’s just that there needs to be more romantic and even platonic representation of what two different non-white
cultures look like together. Hollywood has been making great strides in diversity lately, but as with any institution mainly founded by people with privileged identities, there is unsurprisingly always room for improvement.
Cultural context and power dynamics: who has the right EFE OSAGIE
Assistant MiC Editor
Who has the right to say the word nigger? Not nigga, with an a, but nigger. Hard r. If you’re Black, at this point into the article you’re probably enraged this word is being published in a news article. If you’re white, you’re probably just plain uncomfortable. You can rest assured though, because the writer of this article is also Black, which makes this okay. Or does it? The word nigger is taboo. Even just typing the word makes me uncomfortable. Why? Partially because it’s a traumatic term that encompasses years of brutal history Black people faced at the hands of their oppressors. Because it’s ugly and holds too much pain. Also because it’s practically forbidden. Arguably it’s one of the most avoided words in our English vocabulary, censored before you have a chance to understand what someone’s trying to say. But does
censoring it protect us from the harsh triggers of the word or just gloss over a history that can never be erased? I typically hold the belief that if you’re not Black, you shouldn’t say it. Ever. But recently I’ve questioned this after discussing the use of the word — and if it’s okay for non-Black people to say it in plays and productions — in one of my classes. I wanted to discuss my personal opinion on it, which was a bit hard to do as I was the only Black person in the class that day. This blurred the line between having a fruitful conversation and taking the role of “educating” the other white students in my class, as all the white students would inevitably look to me as the definite stance of who deserves to say the word. Besides obvious reasons of not having to be a spokesperson for my race, I could not provide an answer. Even among Black people it’s not clear who deserves to say that word. I personally think it’s okay for Black people to say nigger and nigga because I see it as a
form of reclaiming a word that was used against them for so long, taking the power away from it by making it their own. This follows same way women have reclaimed the word “pussy” and “bitch.”
“This follows the same way women have reclaimed the word ‘pussy’ and ‘bitch’” But is it exactly the same thing? Because the words “pussy” and “bitch” don’t have the same cultural significance as the word “nigger.” And I’m not saying this to rank the pain caused by different words as that argument is virtually pointless, but it’s still important to note pain is different.
A lot of Black people believe the word deserves to die because of the amount of pain it’s caused and probably also believe it’s past the point of reclaiming. In 2007, the NAACP held a “funeral for the n-word” to lay it to rest and prevent it from doing any more harm. Something important to note is the coffin carried during the funeral though had the word “nigga” on the side, not the word “nigger.” Nigga is the reclaimed, now colloquial form of the word used casually among Black people and in their music. The word nigger, however, was the actual contemptuous word used by white people in the past. But does laying the word down to rest actually pave the way for a future without hate or racial slurs? Or does it even placate all of those who have been traumatized by that word for ages? One good point made by Jordan Cooper is even if the n-word is laid to rest, “They’ll (white people) just come up with other words — like ‘thug.’” Al Sharpton once said, “If you call yourself the n-word, you
can’t get mad when someone treats you like that.” This brings into question the idea of what Black people are saying to white people on how they should be treated if they call themselves that word. In my opinion, white people shouldn’t be looking to Black people on how to treat Black people anyway. If they’re curious then they should just ask us. Also, because white people aren’t Black, they definitely should not be treating Black people the same way other Black people do. But that’s a whole other conversation on appropriation of culture. The discussion on who has the right to say nigger is something that will undoubtedly carry on for a while. Within Black people it’s more of a personal choice on who can say it. Even I, as a Black person, feel hesitant on whether I have the “right to say it.” Yes, I am Black but I’m also a first-generation Nigerian. My ancestors did not share the same history as Black people here whose ancestors went through slavery. It might not even be my word to reclaim and I’m
profiting off my privilege as an African-Black person that allows me to say this word with which I don’t share the same history. But though I don’t share the same history as my Black brethren across the diaspora, I still feel the same pain living as a Black person in America, in a world that wasn’t built for me and is so eager to bring me down. In a world Where a police officer could take the life of my brother, cousin, father and it wouldn’t matter if they’re Nigerian or “African-American” Black. In a world where I get called that word on school trips for laughing too loudly with my friends. Regardless of this, it’s still a personal choice among all Black people of who can say it, not something on which we might not come to a consensus. At least not anytime soon. Despite the significance of this word though, at the end of the day this unfortunately might just become another battle in linguistics. But one that no one is willing to have.
Bollywood: “Queen” defies tropes Fitting in: leaving home for AA ZAINAB BHINDARWALA Senior MiC Editor
*This review includes spoilers* My favorite romance movie? The one during which the girl dumps the guy at the end and walks off into the sunset fulfilled with the knowledge that she is enough and doesn’t need a man. “Queen” is my favorite not-sotypical Bollywood movie. This movie shattered stereotypes and launched a new era in Hindi cinema. Of course, some of the credit for successful womenoriented Hindi films goes to my fav, Priyanka Chopra, for her iconic role in “Fashion” (a project of which actress Kangana Ranaut was also a part), but “Queen” was the movie that did extremely well at the box office and put Ranaut on the map. Ranaut has gone on to fearlessly call out nepotism and sexism in the industry ever since. “Queen” tells the story of Rani, a woman whose fiancé leaves her days before their wedding. Despite her heartbreak, Rani decides to go on her honeymoon alone and ends up on a whirlwind journey of selfdiscovery and growth. This movie shattered stereotypes about desi women and what the trajectory of our lives should be. “Queen” is also the least problematic Bollywood movie I’ve ever seen. This in itself is quite an accomplishment, considering the industry we’re talking about. Yet, there were still elements of this movie that bothered me — the tiny details that perpetuate
stereotypes despite the fact that the director could have easily made different choices that wouldn’t be harmful. First, there is a moment in the film when Rani is approached by a stranger who is trying to help her. Rani doesn’t know this and all she sees is a Black man standing near her and she screams in terror. It’s a rational reaction for her to be frightened in the context of the movie, but it was absolutely unnecessary for the director to choose the only Black character in
“[T]he director could have easily made different choices that wouldn’t be harmful” the film to be the one who scares her. The image of Black men in India is permeated with the harmful stereotypes we see in U.S. media and accentuated by the fact that most Indians have never even met a Black person. Furthermore, Tim, the only Black character in the movie, has the least lines and isn’t given a backstory. The last scenes of the movie are some of the best, especially the combination of the music and aesthetics. However, these
are the only scenes of the movie where Rani’s hair is straightened. Throughout most of the film, Rani wears her hair naturally curly, and as a curly-hair girl myself, this is one of the many reasons I loved her character so much. However, the final scenes, when Rani is portrayed as her most badass and confident self, her hair is straight. This sends the subtle message that straight hair is more beautiful and somehow more closely associated with feeling empowered. The most typical Bollywood element of this movie is the flashback showing how Rani and her fiancé Vijay fell in love — Vijay essentially stalked her until she finally agreed to have dinner with him. This is how most Bollywood movies go — women are pursued until they finally “wear down” and “agree.” In fact, sexual harassment and assault in Bollywood isn’t just limited to what we see on-screen. The industry itself is also rife with instances of well-known actors taking advantage of actresses. “Queen” was refreshing because Rani doesn’t end up with the stalker at the end. Since I first watched it, “Queen” has become one of my favorite Bollywood films. Though there are details that I find troubling, the beauty in seeing a main character who is strong in her convictions and unwavered by society’s expectations is hard to measure. A movie like this is rare in mainstream Bollywood, but it’s exactly the kind of high-quality cinema I want to see.
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KHADEJA JOMAA MiC Columnist
When I was 11 years old, I decided to wear a headscarf. I knew I would eventually wear one because as a Muslim, I believe it’s required of me. While others don’t, it all depends on people’s personal beliefs. My close friends wore one, and so did my mom, so it seemed like the appropriate time to take the plunge. When I told my mom I wanted to wear a scarf, she took me out to buy headscarves for girls my age. Before I knew it, the day came when I chose to wear one in public for the first time. It was pretty anticlimactic. My mom was going to the grocery store, so I wore a cardigan as I normally would, and put on my headscarf. I remember walking out the door, self-conscious, because it was the first time I went out in a scarf and I thought those who knew me would stare. But nobody did. It was just like any other day. I should clarify, however, that I’m from Dearborn, Michigan. Dearborn is home to the largest population of people of Middle Eastern origin in the United States and has a large Muslim population. So, my wearing a scarf was completely normal, as many other girls and women in Dearborn wear headscarves. I also didn’t feel any different on my first day of sixth grade, which was the first time I wore a scarf to school.
The only time I did feel weird was when I went outside of Dearborn. People from Dearborn refer to this phenomenon of the “Dearborn bubble,” because it’s like we live in our own protective shell and I’m starting to realize the truth of it. When I went to Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi for the first time, which is only 35 minutes away, I remember feeling people stare at me. I don’t know if this was because I was self-conscious because there weren’t many Muslims around, or because it actually happened. As I’ve grown older, however, I’ve learned not to let people’s staring bother me. But my headscarf wasn’t the only thing that made me feel different from others. While I may look different from many Americans, I’m still an American. On a family trip to Lebanon, I realized how different my sisters and I were from my cousins. They always refer to us as Americans, because we don’t entirely fit into their culture. We prefer English music to their Arabic music, and we have distinct fashion tastes. Even the way they style their headscarves is different than how I style mine. Still, when I come back home, some Americans don’t think I’m American. In fact, I was once walking to class when I heard two voices behind me talking about how many Arabs (people of Middle Eastern origin) are boaters (derogatory term for immigrant)
and don’t understand English. I wanted to tell them English is my first language and I was born here. But either out of fear or not wanting to give them the pleasure of provoking me, I just kept on walking. I have never felt like I really fit in anywhere except Dearborn, where I’m still judged by others, but so is everyone else. Yet we’ve somehow created a culture of our own — a part of the old country and part of our own country. I don’t feel like a true Lebanese when I visit Lebanon, and I feel different than some Americans in America. But I’m just like many people from Dearborn, the child of immigrants. I hope I find that same sense of belonging in Ann Arbor, where I’ve come to realize people differ in many ways, not only in their backgrounds. At the University of Michigan, people can be whoever they want to be, without facing judgement as harshly as they might face it somewhere else. I’ve found I can be myself and be welcomed by inclusive communities here on campus, such as PILOT. PILOT is a student-run organization that works to empower and make leaders of students from underrepresented minorities on campus. This organization welcomes each of its members like family, which is truly an amazing thing. Inclusive environments like PILOT here at Michigan, makes me glad to say I’m a Wolverine.
Opinion
4A — Monday, October 8, 2018
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I
Brett Kavanaugh and the year of the woman
f the past few weeks cast down from their towers have taught us anything, of power following excellent except how misogyny is reporting on how each used their societal power still swiftly f lowing and male privilege through the veins of to sexually harass America, it is that and assault women. 2018 is not the year For the cherry on of the woman. top, female physicist A year after Donna Strickland Anita Hill testified just won the Nobel before the all-male Prize in physics. Senate Judiciary At the same time, Committee alleging Brett Kavanaugh Clarence Thomas MARISA was just confirmed sexually assaulted WRIGHT to the highest court her, 1992 was dubbed the “Year of the Woman.” More in the country despite being women than ever before ran for credibly accused of sexual elected office, many of whom assault and demonstrating credited the injustice of the what can almost certainly be Thomas hearings as a primary considered the exact opposite motivating factor. Current of judicial temperance. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Patty Murray, as well as former Sens. Carol Moseley Braun and Barbara Boxer, chose to run for the U.S. Senate specifically because they were appalled at the treatment of Hill by the allmale committee panel. They wondered what could have been different had there been a woman, or two or three, on the committee questioning Hill and Thomas. While the strides women Kavanaugh and Mark Judge, made in 1992 are important for the history of increasingly a friend of Kavanaugh’s, shoved Christine equal representation in the allegedly U.S. government, the year of Blasey Ford into a bedroom, the woman did not ultimately played loud music to drown out succeed as it ended with the her cries for help, repeatedly election of a man whose sexual and violently groped her drunkenly attempted improprieties were more than and to remove her clothing. problematic. Almost 30 years later, many Since Ford so courageously pundits and commentators shared her story of the most have haphazardly designated traumatic night of her life, 2018 another “Year of the several other women have Woman” after a record number also accused Kavanaugh of of women have filed to run for sexual misconduct, including elected office and, in many exposing himself, forcing a cases, won their primaries woman to touch him without and are predicted to win in consent and being present during a gang rape. November. A year of the woman Many bad men, including former CBS CEO Les Moonves, does not include a man like former Texas Rep. Blake Kavanaugh being nominated Farenthold and former news to the Supreme Court. It anchor Charlie Rose, have been does not even include the
A year of the woman does not include a man like Kavanaugh being nominated
nomination of a man who has the ability to strip the reproductive rights of millions of American women, in addition to stripping other individual freedoms such as voting rights or queer women’s right to legal marriage. It also does not include a Republican-sided all-male Senate Judiciary Committee that forces a woman to testif y about the most traumatic moment of her life over several days without allowing other witnesses to testif y. It does not include hiring a female prosecutor to question and attempt to discredit the woman to avoid bad optics — all while throwing tantrums about how this man’s life is ruined because he might not get the job he wanted. In a year of the woman, there is most certainly not a president of the United States who brags about sexually assaulting women, has dozens of sexual assault allegations against him, mocks the brave woman standing up to Kavanaugh or bemoans how terrible the world is to men while saying women are doing great. The next presidential election will take place in the year marking the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, which constitutionally gave women the right to vote; however, it is important to note it only g uaranteed white women suffrage and it took another 45 years before all women could vote. Though 2020 will already be symbolic of this anniversary, it has the chance to finally fulfill the promise of being a year for women through the election of the first female President of the United States. Marisa White can be reached at marisadw@umich.edu
TIM CARTER | WOLVERINES ABROAD
Cultural etiquette, learning from a fowl
W
hat is appropriate etiquette when invited to a local home for dinner in a foreign country? This question was the source of much anxiety during my recent trip to Kenya, as part of the C.K. Prahalad Fellowship at the Ross School of Business. Although I had previously lived in Kenya before returning to business school, this was a question that I never fully grasped the answer to. Growing up in the United States, it was not typically expected that you should bring a gift when visiting a friend. If invited to dinner, you may be asked to bring a dish to pass or provide desert, though it is by no means expected. However, U.S. culture is unique in this regard compared to much of the world. I knew that in Kenyan culture it is inappropriate to visit a friend’s home empty-handed. However, what is an appropriate gift? A piece of art? Dessert? A quilt? During previous visits to the homes of Kenyan friends, I never seemed to find the perfect gift. I had tried cookies, fruit, local handcrafts, you name it. I could always tell from reactions that I had missed the mark. This time, I was determined to get it right. During one weekend of my fellowship experience, I planned to visit the home of my good friend Robinson and his family. I met
Robinson in 2009 during my first trip to Kenya. We were working together in a community-based program to develop clean water solutions for the arid lands of Kenya. We became instant friends and have remained in contact ever since. I remember when his children were born, who are now two and six years old. At my wedding, he flew from Kenya to Oklahoma to stand up as one of my groomsmen. When the opportunity arose to return to Kenya, I was excited for the opportunity to apply what I was learning at the Ross School of Business to a real-world problem. Through the C.K. Prahalad Fellowship, I was going to be visiting hospitals in Kenya and examining the cause of infant mortality. I was also exploring business solutions to this global problem, particularly through the lens of a low-cost ventilator that had been developed by an Ann Arbor startup. Outside of my work, I was looking forward to catching up with my good friend Robinson and family. When the day came to visit Robinson’s home, I wanted to ensure I got it right. Kenyans are incredibly welcoming people and would never look down on a foreigner for not bringing a gift to dinner. However, it was important to me that I would not be seen as a foreigner, especially
to my close friend. I spoke with other Kenyans, trying to decipher what would be an appropriate gift. I was told that food is a good gift to bring, but I had tried that before and failed. After much deliberation, I decided to take a risk. Knowing that many Kenyans raise animals as a source of livelihood, I discovered the perfect gift. But what live animal could I bring? It would be difficult to find a sheep or goat in Nairobi and a chicken was too cheap of a present. I drove outside the town until I came to a small village where I had previously seen animals along the road. There I parked the car and described my predicament to the owner of a small vegetable stand. She immediately began describing a large bird she had seen for the first time earlier that day. After perusing photos on her cell phone, I realized she was referring to a turkey. I followed her directions into the village until I found it. Unfortunately, I only had 4,000 Kenyan Shillings in my pocket and that particular turkey was worth far more.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com Tim Carter is a University of Michigan alumnus.
“
Bless this house
Bless this house, for we are all together. Bless us all, we may not meet again.” If you and I are friends, there is no reason for you to read this column. Actually, if you’ve only met me in passing, you can move on, too. Basically, if you’ve ever spent more than five minutes with me you have heard more about the topic of this column than you had ever cared to hear, and I don’t want to put you through more than you can handle. That’s right folks, this column is all about the thing I never shut up about: camp. For those of you who may be confused, I spent 10 summers at Camp Wise, a Jewish overnight camp in Chardon, Ohio. Yes, that’s 10 summers, or half the summers of my life spent at what can fairly be described as a cult, inspiring a level of rabid fanaticism about camp that can only be understood by those who were right there with me. Camp isn’t for everyone, but if it is for you, it is the most wonderful experience of your life. Camp is singing and dancing for no reason and dressing in dumb costumes for the day just because you can. It’s making up interpretive dances to Disney songs, writing and performing recurring skits about deadly beans, and waking your friends up at midnight to force feed them Animal Crackers and dress them in adult diapers (an actual thing I did at camp, the context is unimportant). I am a worrier by nature. I stress about school, life and relationships. I hate being with loud groups in public and I always follow the rules. But at camp, rules just aren’t the same as they are everywhere else. The weight on my shoulders, where all of those slightly neurotic concerns normally live, is lifted. Each summer since I was seven years old I was liberated from my self-imposed restraints, and I was a better version of myself on camp grounds than I could be anywhere else. I could be silly and adventurous and find the fun in every situation. It was just a month of my year, but every summer the campers, staff and place came together like a transient piece of theatre. One
moment it was there, beautiful and outsized and poignant, and then it was gone, avoiding capture until the next summer solstice. I always felt a sense of mourning when I had to leave camp and return to the real world, because I had to say goodbye to this person I loved being. I began this column with a lyric from the very last song we sing on the last night of camp. We gather in a circle with our cabin, looking at the faces of those we have come to love, and sing about how we may never see one another again. I would tear up in the dark, thinking of leaving and being so far away from my friends and, especially, my better self.
Life moves on, despite our best efforts to delay it.
In this semester’s column, I am looking back to revisit the different people I have been throughout my life. I am separated from them by swaths of time, making them feel like historical figures. They are unreachable and unrecoverable, but there is a great deal to be learned from them. However, the person I am at camp is not frozen in time, 10 years back. She exists just three hours from here. She has a geographical home, not a chronological one, and for that reason it has been all the more difficult to say goodbye to her as I choose to spend my summers elsewhere. With every internship or study abroad application, I feel as though I am cutting ties with the best version of myself. I do get glimpses of her, though, in my everyday life. She appears when I’m at a party and not having fun, and then “Everytime We Touch” comes on, and I break into the floorshaking crazy person dancing who is perfectly normal during
Saturday dance parties at camp. She appears when a joke is so funny I forget how loud my laugh is, or when a friend is upset and instinct pulls me into energetic camp counselor mode to cheer them up, or when a little enthusiasm sneaks into the library and breaks up a boring night of studying. The pang of grief I felt each year singing “Bless This House” on the last night of camp was always mitigated by the thought of coming back the next summer and picking up right where I left off, reclaiming my silly, carefree other self; now, though, I don’t know if I will ever go back. For 10 summers I unwittingly sang along to Joni Mitchell’s “The Circle Game,” a camp favorite, at song sessions, and I so wish I had heeded her advice, “We’re captive on the carousel of time … take your time. It won’t be long now until you drag your feet to slow the circles down.” Life moves on, despite our best efforts to delay it. I find myself asking how I can justify leaving behind this version of myself I love so much. I realized the answer to that question was divulged to me each year in that midnight cabin circle, tucked away in the lyrics of that melancholy tune: “Think of all the happiness we’ve found here, take it home and share it with a friend.” We all have best versions of ourselves, though they may at times feel elusive or distant. But as long as I capture the happiness and freedom I found at camp, storing it carefully for safekeeping, I will always be capable of being my best self. When I smile wide and forget about the rules for a moment or two, I will know that my camp self is stepping out. So, unfortunately for my friends, I won’t stop talking about camp anytime soon, even as I spend more and more time away from Chardon, Ohio. In fact, there’s someone really wonderful I met there, and I’d like to introduce you.
Kendall Hecker can be reached at kfhecker@umich.edu
ERIK NESLER | COLUMN
E
Learning a thing or two from Patagonia
arly last week, nearly given the decisive nature of 150 companies launched this election season. Patagonia a collective campaign in particular has voiced its strong disapproval to increase voter for the current turnout in the administration. upcoming midterm When President elections. The effort, Donald Trump known as Time to abandoned the Vote, is backed by 2015 Paris Climate some of the largest Accord, Patagonia U.S. companies, was one of hundreds including Walmart, of companies Dick’s Sporting to condemn his Goods and Levi’s. ERIK decision. In addition, According to a NESLER the company filed a Pew Research Center study after the 2014 midterm lawsuit last year against Trump, elections, a plurality of eligible Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke voters couldn’t find the time to and other Trump administration vote, citing that work or school officials. The company, along made it difficult. Because less with several other parties, chose than half of of the eligible to fight the president’s decision population voted in the last to reduce the extent of two midterm elections, companies national monuments in Utah – decided to come together to give Bears Ears and Grand Staircasetheir employees (along with the Escalante – to less than half general public) an opportunity to their original size. Since its founding in 1973 by vote Nov. 6. Levi’s, the company known Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia has for its quality jeans, is giving its been unapologetically political. corporate employees five hours The company has devoted itself and its retail employees three to positively impacting society— in regard to hours to vote on Election Day. particularly Lyft chose to participate in the environmental stewardship. The effort by giving its customers company is well known for its discounted rides to polling corporate social responsibility places. The ride-sharing app efforts, which include its pledge is also planning on providing to give 1 percent of its revenue free rides to people in the most to grassroots environmental underprivileged neighborhoods. organizations every year. Beyond simply donating The company taking the boldest action to further improve money, the company has proven voter turnout is Patagonia, which to be radically transparent has committed to completely in regard to its production shutting down its corporate processes. On the company’s headquarters and all of its retail website, you can find “The Footprint Chronicles,” an stores on Election Day. Patagonia CEO Rose interactive map that catalogues Marcario underscored the the complete environmental importance of getting people impact of its products. You to vote, asserting “a vibrant can see the entire production democracy relies on engaged process – from the farm to the citizens voting” and “business mill to the factory. Patagonia can play a vital role by removing continues its devotion to maintaining sustainable barriers.” While the companies claim production processes with its the effort is nonpartisan, their selling of second-hand products rationale is quite obvious on its website. The company
also recycles products for customers when they’re no longer wearable. With its commitment to corporate social responsibility and its astounding level of transparency, Patagonia has surely fulfilled its mission to “use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” While Patagonia may appear to function like a nonprofit, which would prioritize environmental sustainability over profits, the company has achieved impressive financial results over the years. The company rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue per year – making Chouinard a billionaire. It’s clear Patagonia’s commitment to environmental preservation has attracted a substantial (and growing) consumer base that values companies with a conscience. Patagonia isn’t the only company that can achieve such favorable results. Private sector entities have been (and should be) involving themselves in the public sphere. In a piece for The New York Times, David Gelles writes of a survey’s results comprising more than 1,000 Americans’ thoughts regarding CEO involvement in the public sector. He states more than 33 percent of survey respondents view it favorably and almost 50 percent believe CEO activism can influence government policy. The private sector can learn a lot from Patagonia and a slew of other companies that are working to change the world. Society could benefit immensely from the private sector committing itself to furthering socially beneficial goals – goals that go beyond just maximizing shareholder value.
Erik Nesler can be reached at egnesler@umich.edu
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Monday, October 8, 2018 — 5A
MUSIC FESTIVAL COVERAGE
Daily Arts takes on the Audiotree Music Festival RYAN COX
Daily Arts Writer
& SEAN LANG
Daily Arts Writer
“Wait, is that Diet Cig?” Sean said, pointing at a duo as we walked past a mineral water booth. Over the course of one weekend at Audiotree Music Festival, each of us asked a variation on this question about a dozen times. Although it’s common to see musicians hanging out at festivals, something about being in a small crowd in Kalamazoo’s Arcadia Creek Park made these encounters feel even more unique. 2018 marks the sixth year of Chicago-based Audiotree’s annual music festival. Taking place in Kalamazoo, Mich. — which Audiotree’s two founders, Adam Thurston and Michael Johnston, call home — the mid-sized festival brings in a wide range of indie acts, many of them featured at one point or another in one of Audiotree’s various sessions. This year, in addition to the main stage, Audiotree introduced a smaller stage that featured a variety of local bands from Mich. and Chicago. Named the WIDR stage, after Western Michigan University’s (WMU) student radio, the additional performance space ensured that there was never a dull moment in between sets on the main stage. It seemed like an amazing opportunity for a lot of local bands. Every group on the WIDR stage was either from Mich. or one of its neighboring states. Because the festival takes place in an arguable mecca for DIY alternative music, it is uniquely positioned to choose from a slew of talented bands that just haven’t yet had their moment, despite an abundance of talent. The WIDR stage was also a result of WMU’s increasing involvement with the festival. Starting last year, Audiotree also partnered with WMU students studying visual arts, organizing a competition in which students could submit art meant to represent an artist playing at the festival. The winners of the competition got to see their work printed on quality 24” by 36” cardstock and sold over the course of the weekend.
All weekend long the sun shone brightly and spirits were kept high by a seemingly limitless supply of free bottles of Topo Chico. Once the sun set each day, temperatures dipped to a chilly 55 degrees or so, but headliners Local Natives on Saturday and Father John Misty on Sunday kept us just warm enough. Khruangbin and Real Estate were featured as sub-headliners, and many of the smaller acts managed to draw their own crowds. The Chicago-based Post Animal garnered a healthy audience despite their mid-afternoon time slot on Sunday, and English rock group Basement certainly benefited from being the only pop punk-inclined group to play the fest. In addition to seeing every band on the main stage, we also got to speak with Common Holly, Diet Cig and Palm. Each interview proved to be unique in its own right: We engaged in some serious astrological philosophizing with Diet Cig, pondered memory and uncertainty with Common Holly and tried to discover how Palm pulls off sounding like Palm. — Ryan Cox, Daily Arts Writer Melkbelly Chicago’s Melkbelly was the first act I remember being excited to see. The band, led by guitarist/ vocalist Miranda Winter, embodies a unique sound that brings in the perfect ratio of pop to noise. Their debut album, Nothing Valley, plays with strange tonalities, noisy guitars and some catchy yet almost dystopian-sounding vocal lines. The band played one of my
RYAN COX
favorite tracks, “Middle Of,” early on in their set, and I found myself becoming seemingly hypnotized by the animalistic drums and the aggressive-sounding guitars in the descending, chaotic pre-chorus. They were absolutely bringing it. However, after a few songs, the band lost a bit of their initial energy. The metaphorical space between the band and the audience grew larger from the beginning of the set. In their defense, they were playing pretty early on in the day, and I overheard that they did play a different setlist than at Pitchfork, so either one of these things might explain the decline in the performance. Although they had an incredible opening, it seemed
sounded as good as their recorded material, if not better. Hearing Alex’s voice belt out her choruses with Noah Bowman pounding the skins of the drums felt earnestly powerful live. Before the music even started, Alex addressed the audience, ensuring that everyone was comfortable and the environment was kept positive and safe. She also took some time to emphasize how important it was for everyone to register to vote and actually go out to the polls, an issue that she believes, especially in this political climate, is overwhelmingly important. I found myself dancing throughout the entire
SEAN LANG
Release Date: Monday, October 8, 2018
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Stand watch for, say 5 Oompah instrument 9 Think-on-yourfeet tests 14 Greiner of “Shark Tank” 15 Sister of Osiris 16 Fabled wish granter 17 Time-consuming 18 With “of” and 71-Across, Steinbeck classic 19 Swim cap material 20 Soon 23 Hulu service 24 __ about: roughly 25 Eyelid bump 29 Onetime Leno announcer Hall 31 Prefix with mount or charge 33 Head-butting beast 34 Scoop in a cone 39 Katmandu native 41 Soon 43 Make an error 44 Pedals on antique sewing machines 45 Right-angled piece 46 Gp. with Vikings 48 Bearded beast 49 Fraction of a min. 51 Hindu princess 53 Andean pack animal 58 Soon 61 Pentagon, for one 64 Med. readouts 65 Molecule part 66 Usual bus. address for sending in payments 67 Cheer (for) 68 Vaccine fluids 69 Hollywood go-between 70 Actress Gunn of “Breaking Bad” 71 See 18-Across
DOWN 1 Dead tired 2 Trailblazer Daniel 3 Surrealist Max 4 Tied snugly 5 Wedding cake layer 6 Gannett’s flagship newspaper 7 Badlands bovine 8 Texas team that won the 2017 World Series 9 Look like a wolf? 10 Brings up, as kids 11 Industrious insect 12 Tell it like it isn’t 13 “__ sells”: ad biz mantra 21 Exceed, as a budget 22 Like an intoxicated spree 26 Fish with a net 27 New Haven Ivy Leaguer 28 Radiates 30 Cook, as onion rings 32 Le Car maker 34 “Peer Gynt” playwright
35 Honeycomb units 36 Paperless tax return option 37 “Blue Bloods” extra 38 Bon __: witticism 40 Pea container 42 Encouraging 47 Picture taker 50 Roasting bird 52 47-Down brand 54 Tenant’s contract
55 Tossed in a chip 56 Bond portrayer Roger 57 “Seriously, bro!” 59 “I’m __!”: “My turn!” 60 Davis Cup org. 61 Place for a mud bath 62 Biker’s wheels 63 Springfield presidential library nickname
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
By Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke ©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
10/08/18
10/08/18
that Melkbelly couldn’t quite satisfy the appetite for noiserock I had that day. — Ryan Cox, Daily Arts Writer Diet Cig Last semester, I took ENGR 101, my first coding class. And as much as I liked that class (sort of), I resented the final project because it kept me from seeing Palm and Diet Cig play the Union. So when Diet Cig was announced on the Audiotree lineup, I was incredibly excited to right the wrongs of ENGR 101. And what a wrong that was. Diet Cig not only had an incredible amount of energy on-stage, but they had an incredible connection with the audience. Despite wearing a leg brace caused by a torn ACL, Alex Luciano, the band’s guitarist and vocalist, was dancing around on the stage, kicking her leg up to the stars to show off her seemingly robotic leg. The now-three-piece had a huge live sound, despite their limited instrumentation, and, in some cases,
performance, but more importantly, I found myself listening to every single element intently. Although the group may have an uncaring DIY look, their sound is extremely intentional. For a group with only three people, Diet Cig produces an enormously huge sound, aided significantly by Luciano’s powerful vocal performances. — Ryan Cox, Daily Arts Writer Palm This might have been my favorite performance at this festival. I was exposed to Palm last summer with the release of their Shadow Expert EP. I had no idea what to think. Blending elements of so many different genres, sticking one label on this band would be a huge mistake. I was worried about how their sound would translate to a live environment, but to slightly surprisingly, they sounded extraordinarily clean and almost exactly like their records. Whether it was the timbre of the guitars, the rhythmic complexity of the rhythm section, or the mesmerizing, chorus-heavy vocal lines, every nuance was present. There were a few times where I caught myself marveling at how the performance was actually happening. I felt like I was slipping in and out of a trance. The band was extraordinarily tight, despite the chaos present in their performance. I frequently caught myself noticing elements of the performance at a micro level, like how drummer Hugo Stanley seamlessly transitioned from live electronic drum samples to the acoustic kit, or how guitarists Eve Alpert and Kasra Kurt subtly played off of each other’s guitar riffs and vocal harmonies. As the art-rock group finished their six-song set with a track from their new album “Dog Milk,” I finally started to realize that what felt like five minutes to me had turned into a 30-minute set. As the band concluded their extended
jam-like outro to the song, I found myself turning to Sean and simply mouthing the word: “Wow.” — Ryan Cox, Daily Arts Writer Father John Misty I’ve missed seeing Father John Misty more times than I can count, despite being a massive fan of not only Josh Tillman’s music and lyrics, but his personality as well. I had a friend see him shortly after the release of I Love You, Honeybear and show me a video of him picking up her phone from the stage, recording a video of himself making snarky comments to the audience before finally returning her phone. His weird fascination with Taylor Swift, whether it be through a quick name drop or covering her songs in the style of Lou Reed, is a weird quirk that I find absolutely hysterical. I used to really love this man, despite his disappointing third studio album Pure Comedy. And while I’ve heard of all these crazy things Tillman has done at shows, he really didn’t do anything out of the ordinary at Audiotree. Aside from a few sarcastic comments about how annoying the beach balls at festivals are, a sentiment I agree with wholeheartedly, there wasn’t a huge amount of audience interaction. But what was so amazing about the performance was how good it was despite Josh failing to go into some long rant about nothing or cover some crazy Def Leppard song following a slightly more vulgar “Screw you” to the audience. While he did have a rather large ensemble behind him, certain songs featured differing instrumentations: The trumpet solo at the end of “Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)” was replaced with a slightly more aggressive guitar solo. Tillman’s voice sounds fantastic live, and with the release of his fourth studio album God’s Favorite Customer, he had an abundance of songs to pick from, both new and old. For me, the highlight of the festival as a whole was hearing Tillman yell the lines, “Maybe love is just an economy based on resource scarcity, but I fail to see is what that’s gotta do with you and me” right before the weekend ended. I could feel my high school self sneak out and remember, even if for just a few seconds, a time when that album accompanied a very transformative period in my life. It made traveling to Kalamazoo a pilgrimage of sorts; it felt like returning to a childhood home. — Ryan Cox, Daily Arts Writer NE-HI The Chicago-based NE-HI have been on my radar for some time and, despite having been disappointed by them at Pitchfork Music Fest back in 2017, I was impressed by their performance. More or less led by the illustrious guitarist-vocalist Jason Balla, the four-piece plays good ’ol fashioned modern rock ‘n’ roll. By the time Audiotree weekend rolled around, though, I was a biased audience — over the course of the past year, I’ve come to love a good handful of NE-HI’s Chicago contemporaries. Balla actually plays in another group called Dehd, a group whose bassist also plays in Lala Lala (who just came out with an excellent record). He also released a solo album, Blue Tape, under his Accessory moniker at the end of this past summer. Either way, you’d be forgiven for thinking Balla were truly
possessed on stage. When he’s not busy providing vocals, he’s like a miniature version of one of those wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men, with one key distinction: He’s not stuck in one place. I spent almost the entirety of NE-HI’s set captivated by Balla’s antics, but that’s not to dismiss the rest of the NE-HI crew. Bassist James Weir, drummer Alex Otake and guitarist-vocalist Mikey Wells’s more-than-solid musicianship is the only reason Balla can afford to be so free. Leaving the stage after NE-HI’s far-too-short half hour set had me wondering what had put me off just over a year earlier. I never quite figured it out, but I knew I’d never go back. — Sean Lang, Daily Arts Writer Local Natives For better or worse, I’ve long adored the Los Angeles-based Local Natives. Pandora radio led me to Gorilla Manor back in high school, and I eventually became enamored with its boisterous energy and instrumental intricacies. I latched onto the band’s oh-so-sweet harmonies and followed them right into 2013’s Hummingbird, where they were, yeah, sadder, but again so good. When the group’s third album Sunlit Youth came in 2016, I lost no small amount of faith. Their sound became “more full” in the way indie outfits typically do when they reach for wider crowds. It also seemed as though they decided they were going to be a Socially Conscious Alternative Rock Band,™ with clunkers like “How can we quit drugs if you’re gonna watch like that?” or the poorly aged “I have waited so long, Mrs. President,” a line their vocalistguitarist Taylor Rice insisted on singing as written during the band’s Audiotree performance. All this being said, the fivepiece reliably delivered on all of their material. Now that it’s been over two years since Sunlit Youth first saw the light of day, they worked pretty deep into the back catalog. Local Natives played an 18-song set, but only five of them came from Sunlit Youth. With their extra time, they treated the audience to six Gorilla Manor tracks — including longstanding show-closer “Sun Hands” and deep cut “World News” — five Hummingbird cuts — including a longer breakdown of “Colombia,” vocalist-multi-instrumentalist Kelcey Ayer’s ode to his departed grandmother, and the deep deep cut “Mt. Washington” — the oneoff single “I Saw You Close Your Eyes” and a new song, “When Am I Gonna Lose You?” — Sean Lang, Daily Arts Writer Common Holly Although she was the first act up on the second day of Audiotree, the act I was most excited to see all weekend was probably Montrealnative Brigitte Naggar’s Common Holly project. After hearing her first single “If After All” on NPR’s All Songs Considered last year, I was entranced. Her publicist likens her to Angel Olsen or a female Leonard Cohen, but I prefer a less pretentious resemblance — her music reminded me of Daughter’s first album, When You Leave, which has soundtracked my every autumn for the past six years. Either way, Naggar’s songwriting is uniquely fresh and unpredictably eclectic. Five minutes before she and her band took to the stage, there were about 11 of us in the crowd. Thankfully, this number swelled to about 25-30 by noon, when the band walked out. Every note was carefully played, every melody tenderly sung and the songs, whose studio versions are imbued with a sense of restlessness, of life, became even more so played live. At one point during her set, Naggar turned to the VIP section of the audience — off to the left and on the other side of a fence — and asked them if they felt special. Her tone wasn’t incriminating, nor do I think it was meant to make them feel uncomfortable. It was humanizing to see her sort of nervously, accidentally call out the VIP crowd. Before being cut off early by the festival crew — and I will never forgive them for this, as she clearly had three more minutes left to play — she debuted a new song, leaving me more excited than ever for the future of this up-and-coming group. — Sean Lang, Daily Arts Writer
Arts
6A — Monday, October 8, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
COMMUNITY CULTURE
WORLD MUSIC COLUMN
Inside the mind of Alec Cloud rap crosses the Baldwin, star of SMTD’s pond, finds little new ‘Death of a Salesman’ SAYAN GHOSH
Daily World Music Columnist
THE ATLANTIC
ALLIE TAYLOR Daily Arts Writer
“For me, acting used to be like sex,” Alec Baldwin said to a group of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance students on Sunday morning, the day after his performance. “I would just do it with anybody, anywhere. And then, I got a little bit older, and, well, I thought, maybe it’s time I got a bit more selective.” The night before, on Saturday, Sept. 29, Baldwin joined a group of SMTD students and faculty to perform a dramatic reading of Arthur Miller’s “Death of a Salesman” at the Power Center. The play was performed in its entirety, running for almost three hours, to a sold-out audience of over 1,300 people. Baldwin, who had never played the role of Willy Loman before, arrived in Ann Arbor that Friday night. He’d been here once before, “a million years ago,” he said, during the time he was a college student himself, to visit a friend. Baldwin began his own college career at George Washington University in D.C., majoring in political science and intending on going to law school. He attended for a few years before a friend convinced him to take an audition at NYU Tisch for their acting program. He took the audition and was awarded a full scholarship. “My parents f lipped out when I told them,” Baldwin said of breaking the news to his parents that he planned to transfer. But then, he said, he broke down the financials for them, proving that, as a New York State resident (he is originally from Long Island), it would actually be cheaper for him to attend NYU. “And then suddenly,” Baldwin said, “my dad was like, ‘Wait. Let’s hear him out.’” In the early ’80s, not even a year into acting school, Baldwin was working at a restaurant and waited on a casting director. The director was casting a new soap, and told him he was exactly what they were looking for. He took an audition for “The Doctors,” got the part and started working. He went on to work steadily from then on, proving himself as a versatile actor and force to be reckoned with, starring in material across all genres — drama, comedy, romance, animation, etc. — and excelling in each. His personal life closely parallels his professional life. His role in “30 Rock,” one of his most famous and recent roles, was offered to him right after his divorce from actress Kim Basinger. The job was in L.A. where their daughter, Ireland Baldwin, lived, and so he decided to take the job to ensure he would be in L.A. often — close to his daughter. He commuted every other weekend for five years. “It turned into one of the best jobs of my life,” Baldwin said of his time on “30 Rock.” “It ruined me. I was working
with some of the smartest writers I’ll ever know — the funniest people alive. Other people don’t know what funny is (compared to them).” A theatre student in the audience quipped that in Amy Poehler’s (“Making It,” “Parks and Recreation”) book, “Yes Please,” she writes that Baldwin is always the funniest person in the room, wherever he goes. “Amy Poehler smokes a lot of weed,” Baldwin whispered
‘For me, acting used to be like sex,’ Alec Baldwin said to a group of the School of Music, Theatre & Dance students on Sunday morning, the day after his performance. ‘I would just do it with anybody, anywhere. And then, I got a little bit older, and, well, I thought, maybe it’s time I got a bit more selective.’
in response. Throughout his time here, Baldwin was glowing with paternal pride. Every chance he got, Baldwin spoke of his wife and kids — he has four kids with Hilaria Baldwin, all under the age of five — joking that she pops the children out “like popcorn.” A lifetime New Yorker, Baldwin is also heavily involved with the New York Philharmonic, having donated one million dollars to them in 2011, as well as serving on their board and hosting their nationally syndicated radio show, “The New York Philharmonic This Week.” Matthew VanBiesen, the current president of University Musical Society — who presented this production of “Death of a Salesman”— was president of the New York Philharmonic until 2017, a time during which he and Alec
Baldwin met and became close friends. When the prospect of doing the dramatic reading was proposed to Baldwin, he agreed. Baldwin explained his wife’s surprise: “She was like, wow, I didn’t realize you liked Matthew that much!” Ultimately, the production was pulled together in under 24 hours. The rest of the cast — theatre students Jack Alberts, Nico Dangla, Ted Gibson, Juliana Tassos, Jackson Verolini, AJ D’Ambrosio, Lolly Duus, Georgia Spears, Marty McGuire, Sam Schoenfeld and Skylar Siben, and professors Priscilla Lindsay, Eva Rosenwald, Leigh Woods, Alex Leydenfrost, Blake Griffey and Daniel Cantor — had been rehearsing for a few weeks, but only had one full rehearsal with Baldwin on the day of the show. He and the cast rehearsed for around four hours, running through the entire show, took a dinner break from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., and then were back at Power Center to prepare for curtain at 8:00 p.m. With no scenery, costumes, props or music to distract from what Arthur Miller had written, it was quite an intimate experience: All we had were the words — the emotionally heavy prose that has earned itself the reputation of being one of the greatest plays ever written. (Fun Fact: Arthur Miller graduated from the University in 1938 and wrote for The Michigan Daily! There is a theatre named after him on North Campus.) Baldwin’s performance as Willy Loman was searing, emotional and compelling. The story, which follows the Loman family — Willy, Linda, Biff and Happy — centers on the conf lict between Willy’s dreams of being well-liked, financially successful and happy, and his opposing reality of being an aging, defeated salesman. It switches between present day and f lashbacks, which show Willy’s complex and f lawed relationship with his sons and wife. “A great play is both of its time, and beyond its time,” said director Daniel Cantor, during his opening remarks before the beginning of the show. “Death of a Salesman” has proven to be both. It is a story that still holds incredible relevance, and has a fierce impact on audiences. Saturday’s production was one of utmost professionalism and poignancy. The chemistry on stage between the students, professors and Mr. Baldwin was raw, organic and gripping. At the reception that followed the marathon of a performance, Baldwin remarked that the University, with its campus life, sports, academics and arts, is regarded, indubitably, as one of the best schools in the country. “Next time,” he said, exciting guests with the possibility of there being a “next time,” “we will have to do this as a fundraiser.”
I always wondered why cloud rap never really took off. The genre’s heyday of like, five years ago, was a fascinating departure from the mainstream, which itself was at a rather dull point, as it straddled the end of the era of Wayne and the trap boom. Clams Casino and the magical Bay Area rapper Lil B were the genre’s pioneers, with the former having the biggest influence on the genre’s trademark hazy, lo-fi sound. Music writers collectively increased their use of the word “ethereal” one thousandfold and never looked back. The sounds of cloud rap were also plastered all over A$AP Rocky’s debut Live.Love.ASAP and the music of the Swedish rapper Yung Lean. But then after 2014, it was swept away by the Chief Keefs and Young Thugs of the world, never to be heard of since. It turns out it had just had a premature midlife crisis and moved to France. More precisely, a duo of Frenchmen from the troubled “banlieues” of Paris had decided to carry its flame. The duo PNL (Peace and Lovés) has seen a meteoric rise to arguably become the Francophone world’s most popular hip-hop group. Little is known about the members Ademo and N.O.S. themselves, beyond the fact that their real names are Tarik and Nabil and that they are from the banlieues. Their social media profiles are sparse, with little other than announcements about new releases. Their appeal is readily apparent in their two biggest hits, “Le monde ou rien” (“The world or nothing”) and “Oh lala.” The instrumentals for both are classic cloud rap, with washed-out synthesizers and little else save for snippets of guitar licks. The pair, heavily autotuned, rap about the depressing realities of life in the heavily segregated and neglected Parisian suburbs, mostly comprised of immigrants from North and West Africa. The chorus of “Le monde ou rien” sums it up in a way that is simultaneously nihilistic and easy to chant along to at a concert. Ademo sings, “J’suis dans ma bulle, bulle, bulle / Oh shit, le shit, le shit, bulle / Sang sur l’pull, pull,
pull, olala olala / Dégage ton boule, boule, boule” (“I’m in my bubble, bubble, bubble / Oh shit, the hash, the hash is bubbling / Blood on my sweater, sweater, sweater, oh my my, oh my my”). Like much of their music, there is a mixture of
Music writers collectively increased their use of the word “ethereal” one thousand-fold and never looked back
reservation towards the reality of their situation (“I’m in my bubble”), a clever turn of phrase towards something like drug dealing (“Le shit bulle” roughly translating to “The hash bubbles”) and a threatening command to simply get out of
the duo’s lives. Another common reference is towards the sanctity of family unity, represented in one the group’s slogan “QLF” (“Que la famille,” “for the family”). The videos for these two singles are fitting as well, with “Le monde ou rien” taking place in the equally neglected suburbs of Naples, and “Oh lala” allowing the brothers to flex in the otherworldly landscapes of Iceland. In the videos and the songs themselves, the duo portrays a mixture of confidence and bravado, necessary to navigate the world around them, but also a sense of vulnerability and desperation. The moments of self-reflection and awareness are unique and emotional, such as when Ademo sings, “J’rentre, coke dans les poches, quand p’tit frère part à l’école” (“I come back home with coke in my pockets while my little brother leaves for school”). PNL’s wide appeal mostly stems from its sheer catchiness and production. However, digging deeper reveals skillful and poignant observations about life in the neglected immigrant communities of European metropolises such as Paris (and really, around the world), areas which many have strong opinions of, but which receive little assistance with stopping the cycle of poverty and hopelessness.
SPORTSMONDAY The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | October 8, 2018
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Emma Richter / Daily Design by Jack Silberman
MICHIGAN 42
MARYLAND 21
No. 15 Michigan topples Terrapins for fifth win in a row ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer
The way Shea Patterson contorted his body to set up his throw could be considered inadvisable. But it was good enough to find the end zone. From the Maryland 22-yard line, with 16 seconds left in the first half, Patterson passed across his body to hit a crossing Ronnie Bell right on the numbers, and the freshman wide receiver stumbled his way in for the touchdown. “How about my guy Ronnie Bell making the tough catch across the middle,” said coach Jim Harbaugh. “It takes guys years, sometimes decades or decades to have that kind of fearless and ability to catch a ball over the middle, and not only catch it but finish it.” The score set the No. 15 Michigan football team up with a two-possession lead into halftime and the beginning of a runaway against the Terrapins.
Tough start The No. 4 Michigan hockey team lost to Vermont in the season opener, then rebounded with an exhibition win over Waterloo.
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The Wolverines (3-0 Big Ten, 5-1 overall) would outgain Maryland, 465 to 220 yards, on Saturday afternoon en route to a 42-21 victory. The contest against the Terrapins (1-1, 3-2) was originally in doubt with overcast skies delaying the game 70 minutes. A sopping field beget a ground-and-pound strategy from Michigan out of the gate. Senior running back Karan Higdon finished the day with 25 carries — 19 in the first half — for 103 yards. Sophomore fullback Ben Mason had five carries — three to convert shortyardage first downs — and the Wolverines’ first score of the day. But Mason’s day was summarized by his highlight reel play. After receiving a pass in the flat, Mason turned upfield and hurdled a defender for a 15-yard reception. “I saw it on his high school tape and I didn’t think I’d see it again,” said sophomore center Cesar Ruiz. “I saw it out of the
corner of my eye today. I had to look at the video screen and make sure.” Maryland, on the other hand, couldn’t pull any stunts — it hardly had time to develop any semblance of an offensive strategy. Michigan’s defense allowed just 42 yards in the first half, with the Terrapins’ only points coming on a 98-yard kickoff return. For the game, quarterbacks Kasim Hill and Tyrrell Pigrome combined to complete seven of 13 attempts for 73 yards and a pick. “It was really an epic defensive performance,” Harbaugh said. “We got a little thin toward the end of the game, but it was a great job, great performance. This Maryland team has a very potent running game. … We’d seen it on tape, a lot of misdirection, a lot of eye distraction and ability to open up seams, lots of longs runs — we didn’t give those up today.” Despite a depleted defensive line — Rashan Gary and Aubrey Solomon were sidelined
with injuries, and Michael Dwumfour exited in the second quarter with a non-contact injury — the Wolverines’ front seven wreaked havoc all afternoon. Dwumfour recorded a sack before his early departure, and junior VIPER Khaleke Hudson had his first sack of the year. And in garbage time, fifthyear senior cornerback Brandon Watson returned an interception to the house. The absent interior was certainly missed on Maryland’s final drive, though. Pigrome took off for a 41-yard run as well as a five-yard rushing touchdown up the middle. “There has been a couple bang-ups on the d-line,” Hudson said. “But we just trust in the backups to come in and do what they gotta do and work hard and get the job done. The linebackers are doing what we’ve gotta do and the safeties counter off of that.” And despite those few lapses, Patterson quietly kept the offense humming on Saturday,
his theatrics not limited to Bell’s touchdown. With 2:15 left in the third quarter, Patterson spun away from two-man pressure — what Harbaugh called a “whirly bird” — to find Donovan Peoples-Jones open down the right sideline with running room for a 34-yard touchdown. The junior quarterback finished the day 19-for-27 for three touchdowns and 282 yards, surpassing his seasonhigh in passing yards on the throw to Peoples-Jones. Junior tight end Zach Gentry also had a career day as Patterson’s go-to, grabbing highs of seven receptions for 112 yards. “It was players making plays today,” Harbaugh said. “That’s really what I saw, starting with Shea. Guys just making plays. Gentry making plays, finding seams, making the catches. … It was really the theme through this game: players making plays.” Saturday’s game hardly made any declarative statements about Michigan’s potential headed into
the second half of the season. But strides in the offensive line portended confidence with an impending three-game slate against No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 20 Michigan State and No. 11 Penn State. Patterson stayed upright the whole contest, and the ground game managed 171 yards, 4.3 per carry. “Offensive line is playing well,” Harbaugh said. “(Offensive line coach) Ed Warinner is doing a heck of a job with those guys. I think they’re all playing their best football, starting from Jon Runyan, Ben Bredeson, Cesar Ruiz, Mike Onwenu, and Juwann (BushellBeatty). (They) are all playing their best football and playing well together.” The Wolverines could very well hit the reset button in the week against stiffer competition. After all, Ben Mason hurdles and Shea Patterson “whirly birds” are far from a given. But you would be hard-pressed to question a setback based on Saturday’s blowout.
Here’s the season After dominating Maryland on Saturday, the toughest part of Michigan’s schedule lies ahead.
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SportsMonday
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ichigan sophomore fullback Ben Mason says he’s looking forward to next week’s game against Wisconsin. So are we. This is the seasondefining stretch for the Wolverines, ORION a gauntlet SANG of three difficult games. Wisconsin, Michigan State, Penn State. “The beginning of the schedule was prep to get through these,” said junior linebacker Devin Bush Jr., “and I feel like we’re ready.” All the offseason talk of improvement, of being ready for the big games, of contending for a Big Ten title and a bid to the college football playoffs — all that talk comes to a head next week. Because everything Michigan wants is still on the table. All of the Wolverines’ goals were still there for the taking even after their ugly season-opening loss at Notre Dame on Sept. 1. It feels like that game took place ages ago. In the context of a 12-game season, it did. Against the Fighting Irish, Michigan started slow out of the gate. It fell behind, 21-3, and that was too much to overcome, because the Wolverines couldn’t give Shea Patterson enough time in the pocket. They couldn’t establish the run game. They couldn’t make big plays when
Here’s the season for Michigan
ERIN KIRKLAND/Daily
Junior quarterback Shea Patterson and the Michigan football team have the toughest stretch of the season ahead, facing Wisconsin, Michigan State and Penn State.
they needed to; they gave up big plays when they could least afford to. Basically, they looked a lot like they did last year, when they stumbled to an 8-5 season. In a way, this team is still dealing with some of those same issues. No one has forgotten Michigan’s 17-0 deficit at Northwestern last week. The offense still has drives in which it looks stagnant. But there’s plenty that’s different now, too. It starts up front. Give the Wolverines’ offensive line credit. They talked all
“The beginning of the schedule was prep to get through these.”
offseason about simplifying things, about the effect of new offensive line coach Ed Warriner. Against Notre Dame, it looked like that talk was just that: talk. But the offensive line has steadily improved. To borrow the lingo of Jim Harbaugh, it’s an ascending unit. They kept Patterson clean against Western Michigan, SMU and Nebraska. Then the linemen did the same against Northwestern’s Joe Gaziano and Maryland’s Jesse Aniebonam, two of the conference’s premier passrushing ends.
The run game has been consistent, too. Karan Higdon is averaging over 100 rushing yards per game. Mason continues to plow over defenders in short-yardage situations. And, of course, Patterson has been everything Michigan needed him to be. He has been one of the best quarterbacks in the conference so far. He has been a steady presence under center, and when things go wrong, he can still make plays like the 34-yard touchdown pass he completed to sophomore receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, when
Think of the past five games as homework assignments.
Gentry notches career highs against Maryland MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Editor
Ask Jim Harbaugh where redshirt junior tight end Zach Gentry has grown most, then sit back and listen. First, to the physical stature. “The way he’s grown most is probably putting on 40 pounds of muscle.” That’s not all. “He’s grown so much as a blocker.” Then to his receiving ability. “He’s grown as a hands catcher; he’s able to pluck the ball out of the air with the hands. He’s got a great frame and target, a great catch radius. But also makes the tight body catch, the contested catch.” Missing anything? “And he’s got the best attitude you ever want to be around a guy.” In Saturday’s 42-21 win over Maryland, Gentry added seven catches and 112 yards — both career highs — to a rapidly ascending breakout season. The former quarterback has
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evolved into the top target in Michigan’s receiving corps. He now leads all Wolverines pass catchers with 20 catches and 306 yards, nearly matching his career output prior to this year (20 catches for 324 yards). When Harbaugh and his staff envisioned what a 6-foot-8 high school quarterback with a 4.6-second 40-yard dash could do at tight end, this is what they envisioned. A quarterback’s best friend. A matchup nightmare. It should have been a sign of things to come when, in the face of adversity, Patterson turned to Gentry against SMU to open up the offense. In that contest, Patterson found Gentry down the seam on a crucial 3rd and four, after the Wolverines had started the game with three drives and zero points. Against Northwestern, another sign. This time, Patterson looked for Gentry on the game-winning drive. The duo completed two crucial receptions, including a laser
“He’s got a great frame and target, a great catch radius.”
throw and catch to put Michigan in a goal-to-go situation. These aren’t trends anymore, though. They are facts. Gentry is the primary weapon in the passing game and the player most trusted by junior quarterback Shea Patterson. A reporter posed Patterson a question of that ilk after the game. Shea, can you talk about your connection with Zach Gentry today? “Ah, yeah,” Patterson said. “That’s my boy.” When Patterson got to Michigan, Gentry was one of the first to welcome him with open arms. That relationship is now bearing fruit on the field, as well. “He’s a heck of a target,” Patterson said. “You can really put it anywhere — (6-foot8), fast too. Kinda like (Rob Gronkowski) out there. He’s going to play this game for a long time. Just excited I can throw the ball to him.” Against the Terrapins, Gentry showed all the tools that have enticed him to Harbaugh
and Patterson. He caught balls down the seam. He showed an ability to find pockets in the zone. He caught a pass with a defender draped on his back. He even showed that muchimproved run blocking. It hasn’t always been this smooth for the New Mexico native, though. His transition from quarterback tight end — while retrospectively a blessing in disguise — caused some frustration for Gentry. “At the time, it was upsetting,” Gentry told The Daily on Sept. 10. “I had never played another position other than quarterback my entire life. Being recruited to be one, it was a little upsetting.” Just four weeks ago, after a win over SMU in which Gentry registered four catches for 95 yards, he admitted that he had been frustrated early in the season with his lack of involvement. In the first two games of the season, Gentry registered just three catches for 31 yards. He knew he was capable of more. “I hadn’t been maybe as involved as I wanted to be the first couple games,” Gentry said at the time. “I was just kind of patiently waiting.” Wait no longer. For the redshirt junior tight end, it’s all coming together at the right time. If he continues down this path, it’s not hard to imagine an All-Big Ten season, a high selection in the NFL draft. The Gronkowski comparisons come across as premature but hardly unimaginable. Finally, 68 seconds after he began, Harbaugh tied up his answer into a bow. “He’s really worked hard,” Harbaugh said. “Everything you want a tight end to be, he’s really growing into a prototypical type of tight end.”
“You can really put it anywhere — (6-foot-8), fast too.”
EMMA RICHTER/Daily
Redshirt junior tight end Zach Gentry set career highs in both receptions and receiving yards on Saturday.
Patterson spun away from the rush, f lipped it to PeoplesJones and watched as his receiver did the rest. That’s the sign of a good quarterback: he makes the easy plays look routine, and does the same with the hard plays. Patterson is on a roll, and his impact can’t be understated. He has already surpassed the total number of touchdowns Michigan threw all of last season, and he did so in six games. That has opened things up for the offense, too. In stark contrast, Michigan is opening its playbook up. The
Wolverines are adding layers to what they’d shown through the first few weeks. Last year, it was the opposite. On the ground, Michigan scrapped its zone running schemes and went with a steady diet of powers and counters. It asked even less of its quarterbacks. The offense looks like a more consistent unit than last year’s. It looks ahead of where it was against Notre Dame. The defense has been great, too, like it was expected to be. There have been minor blips on the radar; the unit would probably have liked to have several drives against Notre Dame and Northwestern back. Still, this has been one of the best units in the nation. It has beaten up on the teams that it should’ve, and now it’ll have a chance to prove itself against Wisconsin’s powerrun game, the dual-threat capability of Michigan State quarterback Brian Lewerke and the explosiveness of Penn State’s offense. Think of the past five games as homework assignments. The Badgers are a midterm exam. So are the Spartans and the Nittany Lions. All in preparation for the final against No. 3 Ohio State. Michigan lost to all four teams last fall. It wasn’t good enough. The Wolverines believe they’re good enough this year. They think they’re ready for this stretch. We’ll find out if that’s true after these next three weeks.
The Wolverines believe they’re good enough this year.
Sang can be reached by email at otsang@umich.edu or on Twitter @Orion_ Sang
FOOTBALL
Watson pick-six marks growth of senior corner MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor
The Michigan football team’s game against Maryland was not in doubt with just over 4:30 to play. The 15th-ranked Wolverines had just driven down the field and scored to go up, 35-14, and the Terrapins’ ensuing drive felt more like an effort to make the score respectable than an attempt to climb back into things. So on third down, when Maryland quarterback Kasim Hill dropped back and threw a 46-yard pick-six to fifth-year senior cornerback Brandon Watson, the greatest effect was not on the result of the game. Instead, it was on Watson and his teammates, who have seen him develop into a solid cornerback and a leader on the defense. “He’s very deserving of that,” said senior safety Tyree Kinnel. “He’s like one of the old guys around here, so, you know, everyone respects him. Everyone looks up to him around the building. And he’s been working so hard through his five years here, and that’s a well-deserved play for him. I’m just happy for him. I know he’s happy for himself, and everything’s good. I thought we played really well today, and he’s a big part of the reason why.” The play continued what could only be categorized as a successful season for Watson so far. He has been one of the biggest surprises, considering his past within the program. Watson was a three-star recruit in the class of 2014. He redshirted his freshman year, and for the last three seasons, has wavered between being mainly a special teams contributor and a cornerback when the starters need a spell. There wasn’t much reason to believe that would change this season, as juniors Lavert Hill and David Long were one of the best cornerback tandems in the
country last season. But ever since the beginning of Michigan’s season opener against Notre Dame, Watson has consistently rotated in alongside Hill and Long. In fact, he made an instant impact, recording his first career interception against the Fighting Irish. You could even make the case that Watson has been the most consistent cornerback on the Wolverines’ roster. “B-Wat been consistent since last year, in my opinion” said junior linebacker Devin Bush. “He’s been consistent since last year, this offseason, spring ball, camp, you know, he’s always been B-Wat. So, I mean, I expect that out of him.” Perhaps the difference this season is Watson’s experience, which has catapulted him into a leadership position on a defense chock full of talent. “He’s developed a lot as a leader, you know, leading our defense, making sure we’re doing everything we’ve gotta do, taking over the corners room as a leader,” said junior VIPER Khaleke Hudson. “He’s a great leader for us, and I really like him.” “He’s grown, technique-wise. He’s grown into a leader,” added Kinnel. “... With me and him being the leaders back there, we just try to motivate and be the leaders back there. And he’s improved so much individually, so I’m excited for him.” The theme here, of course, is happiness for Watson, getting a definitive big play to point to as a mark of how far he has come in his career. And that was evident after Watson’s interception. As he sprinted into the endzone, Watson didn’t stop, jogging all the way across the field and back to the sideline, where he was mobbed and knocked over by his teammates, eager to celebrate a pick-six that meant more for sideline spirits than it meant for the outcome of the game.
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Monday, October 8, 2018 — 3B
Patterson’s mobility keys season-high passing performance vs. Maryland MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan football team separates its offense into three groups to tailor its strength and conditioning program: linemen, small skill — running backs and receivers — and big skill for quarterbacks and tight ends. But those categories don’t hold for Shea Patterson. Throughout his time with the Wolverines, the junior quarterback has drilled with those shiftier players, working to match their speed and agility. “Except for the long distance, I stay with the big skill (for that),” Patterson said. Saturday, that work showed. Patterson made plays with his feet throughout Michigan’s victory over Maryland, helping him throw for a season-high 282 yards and three touchdowns on 19-of-27 passing. That included some of Patterson’s most impressive plays to date. At the end of the second quarter, he f lashed shades of one of his quarterback idols, 2012 Heisman Trophy Winner Johnny Manziel. Working from just beyond
the redzone, Patterson faked the handoff, sprinted out to his left and saw nothing. Then, like a shortstop turning a double-play with a baserunner incoming, Patterson whipped it into coverage with a Terrapin in his face. And just as another Maryland player looked to be in position to make the interception, Ronnie Bell f lashed across field to take it away. Six yards and a dive later, the freshman receiver and Patterson had their first touchdown connection. The throw required courage — Patterson was drilled after releasing — creativity and risk. “He does some amazing things out there on the field,” said sophomore center Cesar Ruiz. “Having him make those kind of plays — improvise when things get crazy and make a play out of it — it’s just amazing to have someone like that lead our offense.” Patterson also channeled that improvisation ability on his second score. Down thirteen a quarter later, Maryland blitzed and got a free rusher in the backfield almost immediately. But Patterson spun backwards — a “whirlybird” as Michigan
coach Jim Harbaugh called it — to escape the pocket. Most quarterbacks would’ve quit there — rolling to the left 17 yards behind the line of scrimmage is not an advantageous position. But for not Patterson. Quickly refocusing his eyes downfield, he completed to a wide-open Donovan PeoplesJones, who scampered the remaining distance for a 34-yard score. “He’s a dynamic player,” said senior running back Karon Hidgon. “We’ve seen him make plays like that time and time again since he’s been here. … It’s not a shocker to us. “He’s able to pick his feet up, put them down, get out of tight windows — he does a heck of a job.” Though it wasn’t the same kind of high-level play, Patterson utilized his mobility on his third touchdown, too. On play-action with first-andgoal in the fourth quarter, Patterson ran to the right and slipped a touchdown pass to junior fullback Jared Wangler. It was the type of play Harbaugh couldn’t have run with previous quarterbacks. Jake Rudock and Wilton
Injuries mounting for Wolverines ahead of toughest games this year ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer
The No. 15 Wisconsin football team’s offensive line is good. Like, really good. It allows just 1.6 sacks per game. On the ground, running back and Heisman contender Jonathan Taylor ranks third in the country in rushing with 141.5 yards per game, 6.7 per carry. Michigan’s defense has rarely met a challenge too tall. But next Saturday, the 12th-ranked Wolverines might be facing a steep climb against its toughest competition yet. Late in the second quarter Saturday against Maryland, defensive tackle Michael Dwumfour went to the ground after awkwardly planting his right foot attacking a run play. The entire team surrounded the redshirt sophomore on the field offering words of encouragement before he was carted off the field. Junior linebacker Devin Bush Jr. said he believed Dwumfour just rolled his ankle. Michigan Coach Jim Harbaugh said it’s to be determined and that the team is evaluating the injury. While Dwumfour’s health status is currently unknown, he reassuringly tweeted after the game: “I’m good thanks for the support.” With less than five minutes remaining in the game, junior defensive tackle Carlo Kemp also limped off the field with an apparent injury and unknown condition. “Still evaluating,” Harbaugh said. With an already-thinned out defense, an adaptive
mindset has become requisite. “There has been a couple bang-ups on the D-line,” said junior VIPER Khaleke Hudson. “But we just trust the backups to come in and do what they gotta do and work hard and get the job done. The linebackers are doing what we’ve gotta do and the safeties counter off of that.” Added Bush: “It just encourages me to get those guys ready to play at a high level.” Junior defensive end Rashan Gary also sat out Saturday’s contest as a precaution. The junior had been playing through apparent AC joint pain in his right shoulder this season. According to Harbaugh, he made the decision to give Gary time to rehabilitate ahead of the daunting three-game stretch, noting “it’s not a longterm thing.” And sophomore defensive tackle Aubrey Solomon has been out since the start of the season recovering from knee surgery. But Harbaugh offered a positive assessment of his improvement. “Aubrey, we’ll see,” Harbaugh said. “He had a good week last week, we’ll see how close he is this week.” Despite the carousel of injuries, the Wolverines still rank first in the country in total defense, allowing just 230.5 yards and 15.8 points per game. The available playing time has fallen squarely on players like Kwity Paye and
“There (have) been a couple bang-ups on the D-line.”
Josh Uche. The pair combined for four sacks last week against Nebraska. Stellar play, of course, doesn’t perfectly replicate what the defensive production could have been fully healthy. But the amenable defensive front has been nothing to balk at. On the offensive side, junior running back Chris Evans was also benched as a safeguard. Evans is still recovering from an apparent leg injury. “Yeah, Chris practiced two days this week, and ultimately thought it best not to … play him today,” Harbaugh said. “Hopefully we get some guys back next week.” Wide receiver Tarik Black, who has yet to play this season after suffering a broken foot for the second consecutive season, also remains out, but has been out of a walking boot for a few weeks. News on Black’s health should be expected soon. “Yeah, he’s rehabbing well,” Harbaugh said on Oct. 1. “His doctor will be coming into town when the Packers play the Lions on October 7. I think he’s got a scheduled appointment then to look at it. Could have some good news at that point. Things look really good the way it’s progressing.” It’s all speculation at this point, but Harbaugh’s diagnoses and the severity of recent injuries point to a healthier lineup in the coming weeks. And with three consecutive matchups against ranked conference opponents coming up, Michigan will anxiously await that possibility.
“Hopefully we get some guys back next week.”
AARON BAKER/Daily
Junior defensive end Rashan Gary sat out of Saturday’s game against Maryland with a shoulder injury.
AARON COHEN/Daily
Junior quarterback Shea Patterson threw for a season-high 282 yards in Michigan’s win over Maryland.
Speight were both defined by what they could do within the pocket rather than outside of it. But Patterson’s legs give Michigan another element. “He’s really good when he gets outside of the pocket,” Harbaugh said. “Really dangerous throwing on the run, seeing the field or running himself. It’s a real weapon. He’s really growing and playing
better and better every week. He throws really well in the pocket when he has (time), and when he has to, he’s got a real knack — great peripheral vision (or) sensation — of where to be in the pocket.” Patterson was also effective there. He unloaded a 51-yard bomb to sophomore receiver Nico Collins in the second quarter before finding People-
Jones for another deep strike — though the latter was called back after a holding penalty. Patterson won’t always have that kind of time. Saturday, however, Patterson showed he doesn’t always need it to still be dangerous. “It was players making plays today,” Harbaugh said. “That’s really what I saw — starting with Shea.”
Sports
4B — Monday, October 8, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
A stumble and a scrimmage
No. 4 Michigan falls to Vermont in season-opener, 5-2 RIAN RATNAVALE Daily Sports Writer
As senior right wing Will Lockwood glided around the right circle at the 3:30 mark of the second period, there was a moment, albeit a brief one, where there was nothing but clear ice between he and his second goal of the game. Lockwood sized up the puck and hesitated, but by the time he was ready to shoot, the Catamounts had already taken possession. Once again, Vermont had pulled the rug out from under the No. 4 Michigan hockey team. In the Wolverines’ season-opening 5-2 loss against the Catamounts, they found themselves constantly trying to fight back from Vermont’s sucker punches. Right away, Michigan couldn’t establish itself on offense; for the most part the Catamounts closed off all the passing lanes in the middle of the ice for the Wolverines, forcing Michigan to bring up its backline to kickstart an offensive flow. “We wanted to play fast,” said senior defenseman Joseph Cecconi. “Our team is fast, we want to move the puck fast, and in the first period, we were moving a little slow, not physical. Coach [Pearson] came in the locker room and asked us to move the puck quicker and take more shots.” Just like that Vermont, made them pay — twice. Four minutes into the game, the Wolverines faced a 2-0 deficit, off two goals — one of them on a powerplay — from Catamounts forward Alex Esposito. Four minutes into the season, Michigan was in trouble against a team that went 10-20-7
last year. “We weren’t ready to play tonight,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson. “I think we came in here with the mindset that it was going to be easy, and that we’d score ten goals on them.” As one does when punched in the mouth, though, the Wolverines punched back as hard as they could. Five minutes later, Michigan earned a power play of its own. Using their newfound open ice, the Wolverines finally found some room to breathe, whirring the puck around to the top of the right circle to a calm and waiting Lockwood. As Lockwood prepared his slapshot, sophomore left wing Michael Pastujov screened off Vermont goaltender Stefanos Lekkas, rendering Lockwood’s shot-— and goal — effectively invisible to Lekkos. Just 58 seconds later, junior left wing Jake Slaker careened a shot gloveside, and junior defenseman Nick Pastujov flicked it in. “I think we need to be a lot better at getting the puck from our defensive zone into the offensive zone,” Nick Pastujov said. “As you can see, once you spend a lot of time down there that’s when you get five or six shots in a shift.” Vermont, though, pulled the same trick that the Wolverines did at the end of the period, using a screener to clear the way for a goal by forward Max Kaufman. Michigan outshot the
Wolverines rebound for exhibition win over Waterloo
“Our team is fast, we want to move the puck fast.”
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Sophomore forward Jack Becker scored one of Michigan’s three second-period goals in its exhibition win on Sunday.
Catamounts through the first period and the second period, but the Wolverines constantly fumbled passes and fell back into the same disjointed offense that plagued them at the start of the game. This time, Michigan didn’t claw back. With three minutes remaining in the final period, Vermont put the game away for good on a close-range shot by left wing Martin Frechette and rubbed in the wound with another goal with 18 seconds left in regulation. For all of the Wolverines’ skyhigh expectations and hopes coming into the season, the Catamounts hit them with a dose of reality. Time will tell if Michigan can come up with the response that it couldn’t find today.
Time will tell if Michigan can come up with the response.
JORGE CAZARES Daily Sports Writer
Unlike Friday night, the result of Sunday’s game was not in question for very long. The Michigan hockey team (0-1) took the ice at Yost Ice Arena for the second time in as many days. After losing to Vermont, 5-2, in their season opener, the Wolverines looked to rebound in an exhibition match against Waterloo. And rebound is just what they did. Michigan’s offense wasted no time as sophomore forward Josh Norris streaked towards the net on the right side of the ice and tucked the puck under the crossbar and over goaltender Trevor Martin’s left shoulder. After going scoreless in their previous 50 minutes of play, the Wolverines were finally on the board. Just three minutes later, junior forward Nick Pastujov extended the lead to 2-0 after he found space in front of the net on a pass from the left wing off the stick of
junior forward Jake Slaker. The goal came during a four-on-three advantage for Michigan. The Wolverines would pour in two more goals in the first period and entered the first intermission with a 4-1 lead. In addition to the early offensive initiative, freshman goaltender Strauss Mann made his debut for the Wolverines. His collegiate career got off to a lessthan-ideal start after a shot from center ice bounced towards the goal and over his left pad. After allowing Waterloo on the board seven minutes into the contest, the freshman settled in and looked more comfortable in the crease. His aggressive style showed as he often came out of the net to play the puck, allowing his team to quickly transition on the offensive break. Michigan’s 29 shots on target through the first two periods were a result of its aggressiveness starting from the back and the effective puck movement in the offensive zone. The Wolverines added three
more goals in the second period on goals from junior forward Will Lockwood, freshman forward Jack Olmstead and sophomore forward Jack Becker. Olmstead, who made his collegiate debut, impressed Michigan coach Mel Pearson. “[Olmstead] didn’t play last night, but he got in there tonight,” Pearson said. “He played strong, he played hard and he had a nice goal.” Added Pearson: “I like this class, and I’m really looking forward to seeing the growth in them.” Nine of out 10 members of the freshman class have now made their debuts for the Wolverines, with the only exception being goaltender Jack Leavy. Despite sloppy play from the Wolverines towards the end of the game, the early lead created a margin for error. Waterloo scored the only goal in the third frame, but the four-goal deficit coming into the final period of play proved to be insurmountable as Michigan bounced back from its loss on Saturday, notching a 7-4 win. Although the Wolverines came out on top, they allowed nine goals through their first two games. Pearson acknowledged that it is something his team needs to address moving forward. “We’ve got to get better defensively,” Pearson said. “Even tonight, four goals is too many … We’ve got to get better in that area. I’m a little surprised that we’re not better –– that we gave up as many goals as we did this weekend. So that’s going to be an area that we have to take care of.” Michigan will get another chance to make its defensive adjustments in an exhibition match on Friday against USA Hockey’s U-18 National Team Development Program before returning to regular season play against Western Michigan on Oct. 19.
Defensive effort difference in weekend performances for ‘M’ TIEN LE
Daily Sports Writer
It’s funny how different a narrative can be when a team allows four goals in back-toback games. You have a sloppy blue line that didn’t put enough effort — didn’t make those hustle plays. And you have a high-intensity, defensive match with a few bad bounces. The difference? Well, it’s just that. The defensive intensity and effort. It’s hard to justify giving up four goals in any game. Especially not from this veteran group of Michigan hockey defensemen that teammates have dubbed one of the best in the nation. But after the weekend passed, with the fourth-ranked Wolverines dropping four goals and an empty-netter to lose 5-2 to Vermont and bouncing back for a 7-4, exhibition-game win against Waterloo, it became much easier to justify one than the other. And not because one mattered and one didn’t. In Friday’s matchup against the Catamounts, it was evident the hustle wasn’t there for the Michigan defense. Multiple times, the blueliners had possession of the puck in the offensive zone with little pressure put on them but would let the possession go to waste by accidentally pushing it into neutral ice — forcing a reset. “I thought we weren’t ready to play tonight,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson after Friday’s game. “We weren’t really ready to play.” Pearson made sure to emphasize “ready” the second time. Because it was as clear to him as it was clear to everyone else watching that the Wolverines had expected a cakewalk. “I think we came into today with the mindset thinking it was going to be easy,” Pearson said. “I just didn’t like our stuff.” On the defensive end, the Michigan defensemen, like
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Michigan coach Mel Pearson said he didn’t think his team was “ready to play” on Saturday night, but the Wolverines turned up their defensive efforts to win their exhibition game on Sunday.
sophomore Quinn Hughes, gambled on the puck, leaving odd-man rushes if their interception attempt went astray, putting junior goaltender Hayden Lavigne in tricky situations. The Wolverines flipped the script the next day, though. “Happy with today,” Pearson said. “Got a little sloppy at times, coming off a tough loss last night and a quick turnaround, you expected some of that.” Coming out 4-1 after the 1st period, the Wolverines kicked the defensive gears into place. They put good pressure on the puck, preventing any dangerous situations. The one goal that Waterloo scored was from a bad bounce off a neutral-ice slapper,
a puck freshman goaltender Strauss Mann would want back — but only partially. “(Mann) laughing a little bit after the game,” Pearson said. “I think he’d like to have a couple back, he fell over a little bit at the end.” The job for Mann became much easier with the increased defensive intensity. Late in the second period, freshman defenseman Jake Gingell dove for a loose puck in the offensive zone, sacrificing his body — which got sandwiched between a Warrior and the boards. It wasn’t a necessary play by any means. Michigan had a comfortable lead in a meaningless game, but it was the type of play that Gingell needed
to make after the blueline’s poor showing Friday night. Of course, in the latter half of the game, that intensity and effort that was the differencemaker disappeared. As Pearson noted, exhibition games are hard to play. When stats don’t count, when there’s not a lot on the line, intensity falls. “We freelanced too much. We got a little bit sloppy,” Pearson said “ … And it’s a fine line. Just intensity, You lose your intensity, and things sort of just shut down for you.” But that didn’t stop some players from making plays. In the middle of the third period, sophomore center Josh Norris had a careless turnover, accidentally tapping the puck to
neutral ice with no one back. It became a scramble for the puck, and the first one to reach it was a Waterloo player. But not far behind was senior defenseman Nicholas Boka. His hustle prevented a two-on-none situation, instead forcing the Warriors to reset the offensive push — giving time for all the players to return to the defensive zone. “We have guys who can score,” Pearson said. “That’s not going to be an issue this year. We have enough guys who can score. We just have to continue to play on the right side of the puck. “That’s my biggest concern. The goal scoring will come. If you’re forced to have to score
five, it gets difficult. If you give up four goals, it gets tough to score five.” Again, it’s funny the difference in narratives after games have been played. The question everyone posed before the season began was where the scoring production would come from after the “DMC” line — the top line responsible for 124 of the 365 points Wolverines produced last season — had departed. Now it will be who will step up on the defensive end, a problem few anticipated. “I’m a little surprised that we’re not better, that we gave up as many goals that we did this weekend,” Pearson said. “So that’s going to be an area that we’re going to take care of.”