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Student survivor navigates painful reporting process through Office of Institutional Equity MAYA GOLDMAN & NISA KHAN
Daily News Editor & Senior Michigan in Color Editor
A
University of Michigan student reported being sexually assaulted by her Graduate Student Instructor this summer in June. She filed the report, met with a U-M Title IX investigator and submitted evidence to back up her claim months ago. But the University’s investigation of the student’s case has been ongoing for almost four months now — and she’s running out of patience. The School of Music, Theatre & Dance senior — who will be referred to as Taylor in this article — said her relationship with her GSI began in the middle of her junior year. The GSI is a doctoral student studying conducting under Prof. Michael Haithcock. He teaches band classes and is a GSI for the Michigan Marching Band. For a while, the relationship was consensual. But the student said her GSI became increasingly aggressive during their time together. At the end of their relationship, she said, he sexually assaulted her. That GSI did not respond
to an email request for an interview. After reporting the incident to the Office of Institutional Equity this summer, Taylor says she feels like her mental health and professional future is not being considered by the University. Much has been said about biases in the University’s sexual misconduct reporting process against accused students. An investigation of this student’s case by The Michigan Daily reaffirms the tired runaround students and faculty still face when to comes to reporting concerns to their safety and well-being. *** Taylor’s story begins this February when she added her GSI on Facebook. He was her GSI for concert band and immediately started messaging her. Taylor didn’t think anything of the conversation at first, as close relationships between faculty and students in SMTD are common between long hours practicing, traveling together and a smaller, tightknit academic community. The GSI first made physical contact with Taylor on an
SMTD band trip, touching Taylor’s legs and kissing her multiple times — without her consent. Afterward, she messaged him expressing she felt his conduct was inappropriate. The Daily reviewed screenshots of these texts provided by Taylor. They then didn’t talk until after spring break. Though he was still her conductor, Taylor said he seemed to purposely avoid her. But then he approached her again, informing her that he registered a relationship
with her. Faculty members and teaching staff to are required to register relationships with students, but The Daily was not able to confirm the GSI filed such a record due to privacy laws. So they began dating. Despite some of his unsettling practices, Taylor was f lattered. The GSI was, after all, extremely well-liked among students and faculty. “I was like, oh my god, like he’s paying attention to me and he’s like, everyone loves
him,” she said. “So I was like, wow, I must be really special.” He did not acknowledge her in public, she said, and the two did not go on dates. Texts detail few people knew about their contact. The GSI: Nope!! I had many problems like that. I worked in 4 different places so far and in the beginning something like that always happened. But now I know and I can avoid it. Let’s be careful At school we just say “hi” for a while. Taylor: Yes I know we should be careful. I don’t have to talk to you at school at all not even hi. Taylor mentioned she heard from other students the GSI had been accused of harassment at previous schools. The Daily filed a federal information request to the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the institution he worked at immediately prior to coming to Michigan, but there were no Title IX complaints with his name on it. Taylor said after those text messages, he started becoming aggressive. He
began to accuse Taylor of cheating on him, which she denies. In the texts shared with The Daily, he repeatedly accused her of going to bars and having sex with other men, and that it was a wellknown fact in the music community. Throughout the texts, Taylor protested his accusations, which he glossed over every time. He replied: “Learn a lesson...you can regret about things you’ve done but the past is always part of what you are today.” “Sometimes I still question, like, did (the harassment and assault) really happen?” she said. “Because I, for most of the relationship, did anything he wanted. I did whatever, just to make him like me because I thought he was like an important person in the music world — and making connections and networking is so important.’” She went to pick him up from the airport on June 4. When they went back to her place, Taylor said, he sexually assaulted her. She was bleeding heavily afterward, and continued to bleed for days after the encounter. She texted a friend in a panic. She went to an OB-GYN, who later confirmed to The Daily Taylor visited his office and reported the assault. See TITLE IX, Page 3
“I can’t wait to get out of here,” Taylor said. “I don’t wear anything Michigan anymore. I don’t want to go to tailgates or go to football games. I don’t want to support this school. Like, I’m not afraid to say out loud that I hate U-M. I don’t care if U-M is this prestigious university … It feels unfortunate that I came here.”
David North, Chairman of the Socialist Mobile tech Reports of Equality Party, talks future of socialism could help misconduct RESEARCH
ADMINISTRATION
increase by 161 percent OIE handled 232 sexual harrasment cases by faculty, staff in FY18 DANIELLE PASEKOFF
North spoke to a crowd of 50 students, residents on ideology, progressive politics AIDAN WOUTAS For the Daily
The International Youth and Students for Social Equality hosted David North, national chairman of the Socialist Equality Party, Tuesday evening for a lecture on the global history
of socialism, discussing what he perceived to be the corruption of the ideology’s true intent on the left and the need for a worldwide socialist revolution. An audience of approximately 50 University of Michigan students and members of the Ann Arbor community gathered in Angell Hall to listen to North and Niles
Niemuth, the Socialist Equality Party’s candidate for Congress in Michigan’s 12th District. North is currently on a speaking tour celebrating the 80th anniversary of the founding of the socialist organization “Fourth International” by Soviet revolutionary Leon Trotsky. In his lecture, North urged
a better historical awareness among students to contextualize contemporary events taking place in the world and allow for a better understanding of socialism, which he argued has been corrupted by the modern left. “A fundamental problem … See SOCIALISM, Page 3
depression in elderly Social media could lessen impact of depression on elderly in pain, ‘U’ finds CHRISTOPHER SULLIVAN
Daily Staff Reporter
For the Daily
The University of Michigan’s Office for Institutional Equity released a report on Monday regarding University responses to reports of sexual harassment pertaining to staff, faculty and third parties during the past year. The report was the first to include details of sexual misconduct among faculty; annual reports on sexual misconduct among students have been released since 2014. In future years, there will be a single report released by OIE yearly, including all sexual misconduct cases for students, faculty, staff and third parties. “We share this information in order to be transparent, to acknowledge that these behaviors occur within our community, and to show how the
A recent study conducted by University of Michigan Rackham student Shannon Ang has revealed that social media use among older adults can limit the effects of pain on depression. Ang, the study’s lead author and a doctoral candidate in the Department of Sociology and Institute for Social Research, was curious of the longterm consequences of online participation through social networking platforms. He was interested specifically in the elderly population because of the lack of studies related to the age group. “I was interested in whether social media would be able to supplement the effects of people who are in pain or are physically limited,” Ang said.
See REPORT, Page 2
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David North, national chairman of the Socialist Equality Party, discusses the history of class struggle and socialism in the U.S. during a lecture organized by the International Youth and Students for Social Equality at Angell Hall Monday evening.
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Vol. CXXVIII, No. 15 ©2018 The Michigan Daily
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 ARTS......................6
See DEPRESSION, Page 3
SUDOKU.....................2 CLASSIFIEDS...............6 SPORTS....................7
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SACUA releases new statement in support of “academic freedom,” in rec. letter case Latest statement addresses letter by LSA Interim Dean Elizabeth Cole, sanctioning of professor placed emphasis on the notion that “faculty members’ personal political beliefs cannot interfere with their obligations to our students.” However, the new proclamation specifically pertains to the letter by Cole which reveals the sanctions placed on Cheney-Lippold by the administration. These sanctions restrict CheneyLippold from receiving a salary increase for one year and voids him of sabbatical credits for two years. These penalties followed Cheney-Lippold’s refusal to pen a recommendation letter for LSA junior Abigail Ingber after learning her study abroad location was in Israel. Shortly after, Rackham student Lucy Peterson followed suit, refusing to deliver a letter for a student wishing to study in the same area. Peterson wrote in an op-ed published by The Daily that her “action attests to (her) ongoing engagement with the theory and practice of social justice pedagogy as well as (her) concern for the injustices suffered by Palestinians.” Shortly after, Cole addressed Cheney-Lippold directly in
SAM SMALL
Daily Staff Reporter
In a statement released early Monday morning, the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs at the University of Michigan addressed the recent letter issued by LSA Interim Dean Elizabeth Cole regarding the retraction of a recommendation letter by Associate Professor John Cheney-Lippold. SACUA stressed the importance of “academic freedom and the rights and responsibilities of academic tenure.” The statement comes after an earlier statement released Sept. 24 from SACUA, revealing their “disappointment” in a professor that would allow his personal beliefs to limit opportunity for University students. The earlier document echoes the statement produced by University President Schlissel and Provost Martin Philbert advocating for the creation of a panel that would attempt to find a balance between political ideology and professors’ commitment to their students, and ultimately
a letter published Oct. 3 and said future decisions to write a letter of recommendation should put students ahead of a political agenda. “In the future, a student’s merit should be your primary guide for determining how and whether to provide a letter of recommendation,” Cole wrote. “You are not to use student requests for recommendations as a platform to discuss your personal political beliefs.” In the new statement, SACUA said Cole’s response could possibly create “a chilling effect on members of the academic community who may, for legitimate and deeply held personal reasons, feel uncomfortable about providing letters to certain organizations or individuals.” SACUA cited its previous statement, declaring the assembly wished to affirm a “community standard,” and thus objects to the preceding letter being used as “endorsement” for the disciplines placed on CheneyLippold. Similarly, SACUA reasserted their commitment to the American Association of University Professors’ Statement on Professional
Ethics, which, again, places a student’s merit as the dominant factor in assessing a student’s request for a letter of recommendation. However, Hans-Joerg Tiede, associate secretary of the AAUP, has also recently addressed the penalties placed on CheneyLippold. Tiede suggested the University reconsider their decision, claiming the sanctions “violate the association’s standards of due process.” SACUA emphasized recommendation letters are “personal endorsements,” and the declining of this act should not cultivate a fear of retribution. Moreover, SACUA stressed in the case of a member of the University community being so afraid that they might feel coerced to administer a letter or recommendation, or advocate for opinions they do not truly hold, would then lead to “the integrity of the recommendation (being) tarnished and the academic freedom that is central to our University (becoming) impugned.”
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REPORT From Page 1 University responds to sexual misconduct,” interim OIE head Jeffery Frumkin said in the report. Sudoku Syndication “These behaviors have no place at Michigan,
and we encourage every member of our community who has concerns about sexual misconduct to reach out.” Frumkin has taken up the role as Title IX Coordinator after Pamela Heatlie stepped down last week. Frumkin also will serve as the associate
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vice provost for academic (but not severe enough to and faculty affairs and senior be considered hostile) and director for institutional seven were found to be policy equity for OIE. According to violations. the University, efforts to find Of the 10 corrective actions a permanent replacement for made by OIE as a result of these head of OIE will begin soon. investigations, three instances Counting reports made from resulted in termination of http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, employment. In five instances OIE received 235 reports in which OIE found a policy of sexual misconduct violation or inappropriate made by faculty and staff. behavior, the respondent 232 of these reports were resigned. In two of these addressed by OIE, while the instances, the resignation other three were addressed occurred before the end of by Human Resources the investigation or before under applicable collective corrective action was enacted. bargaining agreements. In cases where the employee Approximately 90 reports resigned, the employee is were addressed by OIE often not eligible for future during the previous year, University employment, indicating a 161 percent according to the report. increase in reports During the past reporting received this year. year, OIE received 277 reports The majority of of sexual misconduct made reports — 53 percent — by students, also seeing an were addressed with a increase in reports from the consultation, while only previous year Of these reports, 11 percent of reports made the majority of issues reported resulted in an investigation. were related to sexual assault According to the report, or sexual harassment, consultations are defined representing 49 percent and as “questions or reports 28 percent of issues reported, that can be addressed respectively. Of reports appropriately without a made by students, only seven review or investigation.” percent, or 20 cases, resulted Of the 18 investigations in an investigation. completed at the time of the report’s release, seven Read more at investigations found no MichiganDaily.com policy violation, five found inappropriate behavior
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TITLE IX From Page 1 She attempted to pass it off as a menstrual period to her GSI and her family. However, Taylor does not get her periods regularly and the bleeding became the biggest red f lag of a potentially violent experience to her mother. Taylor’s mother then reported the incident to the University. Now, it’s October. Taylor’s evidence is in, and her statements have been collected. But she still doesn’t have a verdict in her case. And she has no idea when she might receive one. *** According to the University’s student sexual misconduct policy, here’s what should have happened when Taylor’s mother first reported the incident to the Office of Institutional Equity on June 20, 2018: Once a situation is reported to OIE, the Title IX coordinator makes an initial assessment of the report and ensures the claimant receives a written explanation of resources and options available to them. After the initial assessment, a coordinator will decide whether to investigate the case, and move toward a formal resolution, or whether to move directly into finding alternative resolutions and additional remedies. The claimant’s wishes, the evidence and the code of conduct all play a part in the decision. If the coordinator decides the case should be investigated, they’ll assign an investigator, usually a member of the Title IX staff, to the file. The investigator meets with the claimant, the respondent (the alleged abuser) and any relevant witnesses on separate occasions to offer them the opportunity to present information and evidence. During these meetings, the policy dictates both the claimant and the respondent can have an “adviser” of their choice — that’s code for a lawyer. According to the policy, the University tries to complete every investigation within 60 days, though it acknowledges
SOCIALISM From Page 1 facing many students today is they seem to orient themselves in the absence of adequate historical knowledge,” North said. The culprits of this lack of knowledge among youth, in North’s view, are the educational institutions in which they are taught. “There is an utterly reactionary climate that prevails in many of the humanities departments of many universities, such as the University of Michigan,” North said. “The prevailing philosophy is postmodernism, which … is culled from the basement of bourgeois thought. It is the most backward, reactionary and dishonest of all approaches to the study or consideration of the past.” North also criticized the affirmative action policies of many universities, which he portrayed as “quota systems.” He said the systems facilitate competition among students and divide society while competing for access to higher education. The Supreme Court upheld the state of Michigan’s ban on affirmative action policies in 2014, claiming the U.S. Constitution does not give the judicial branch the power to decide whether race can be used as a fact in the admissions process without voter input. “Students are forced to compete for a limited number of positions, with applications asking for race and ethnicity … We know that quota systems are being set up,” North said. “There is no way a quota system can ever be fair.” North posited these campus issues have much to do with the economic standing of professors. He said these wages for professors make the educators unable to understand the problems of students. “If you’re a tenured professor … your wealth is in the top 10 percent
extenuating circumstances might lengthen the timeline. Regardless of the length, the policy stipulates both parties will be updated regularly. After the interviews have been conducted and the evidence collected, the investigator will write what’s called a “preliminary investigation report” that includes all the known information. Both parties can review the draft report, and they have five days to submit comments. But in practice, the process isn’t so regimented. After Taylor’s mother called OIE, the investigation officially commenced on June 20. Taylor said she immediately requested a no-contact order, which meant neither she nor her GSI could initiate any kind of contact with each other — not in person, over text or on social media. As per the U-M policy, OIE senior investigator Daniel Ferency was assigned to be the investigator in the case. Taylor said Ferency reached out to her to ask if she wanted to give a statement. They exchanged emails to find a time to meet, and like the policy mandates, Ferency alerted Taylor to support resources on campus she could access if she wanted. He also said she had the right to bring a lawyer or any other support person to their meeting. When she got to the meeting, though, Taylor was caught off-guard. A note-taker was present at the meeting, taking down her comments while Ferency questioned her on her experience. She said she wasn’t given any warning there would be a stranger in the room. Shortly after the meeting with Ferency, she left for a summer study abroad trip. It was taking a while for her medical records to be submitted to Ferency as evidence, and she emailed him about it on June 27 to remind him she was still working on getting them to him. “You should look out for your statement either tomorrow or Friday,” he replied to her via email that same day. However, Taylor didn’t hear anything else from Ferency until July 16 — over three weeks
and probably closer to the top 5 percent,” North said. As a response, North encouraged students to challenge this status quo both at the University and nationwide by engaging with socialist theory. “I think as young people are drawn into social struggle they will come to recognize the incompatibility of what is presented on campuses from genuine revolutionary scientific theory,” North said. North’s criticisms also targeted organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America and contemporary figures on the American left, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He said his criticisms stemmed from their insufficient opposition to American foreign policy, as well as their focus on identity politics. “A socialist who preaches national defense is a petty bourgeois reactionary at the service of the king capitalism,” North said. “When Bernie Sanders goes around defending America (and) praising Trump for defending America’s borders, he exposes himself as a petty bourgeois charlatan and reactionary.” North decried the inadequacy of today’s leftist parties in promoting a worldwide socialist revolution, claiming the parties veer from campaign promises once elected. LSA freshman Noah Streng said he found the event interesting and said engaging with socialist theory has changed his worldview since arriving at the University. “I wish more people would have come out to come see it,” Streng said. “I started … learning about socialism a lot more since I got to college, and it’s really changed my perspective on the world pretty much upside down.”
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after he said he would pass along her statement for review. “When we met on June 19, 2018, I mentioned that the next step in the OIE process would be for me to send you a summary of your interview statement for your review,” Ferency wrote in his email. “A copy of the summary is attached. As we discussed, you are not required to review this summary. If you choose to review it, it can be helpful to have a support person present … If you decide to review this summary, the deadline to provide any comments or suggestions you may have is July 18, 2018. If I don’t hear from you by July 18, 2018, I will assume you approve of the statement as drafted, and will move forward with the review.” During this process, Taylor was out of the country, in another time zone, without anyone who could be an effective “support person” for her. Taylor said she found 15 mistakes in the report and sent her corrections to the investigator. Eventually, Ferency did grant her extra time to make corrections, and she turned in her revised copy of the statement as soon as she was able. The next time she heard from Ferency was at the end of August, just after the 60-day mark, when she shared him on a Google document containing screenshots of her text messages with her GSI. Shortly after, the school year started. Taylor, who is studying music performance, had to audition for different ensemble classes. One of them is a required two-credit class. To her horror, she was placed in the same GSI’s band class. After a back and forth with OIE and SMTD administrators, it was determined Taylor could get a waiver for the performance class, which meant she wouldn’t need to fulfill that graduation requirement. She said it was a devastating solution. “That’s six hours a week of rehearsal,” she added. “That’s four or five concerts in a semester. That’s opportunity to perform your pieces, work with current composers, to go play other schools. I’m
DEPRESSION From Page 1 Ang’s colleague on the study, Tuo-Yen Chen of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, was also interested in how social media could alter pain’s role in depression. “Social media has not been considered as a potential intervention strategy,” Chen said. “So, Shannon and I were wondering whether utilizing social media could lessen depression among individuals with pain.”
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 — 3
losing all of that while he gets release medical forms on her to keep that and they don’t behalf. But Taylor still had a see anything wrong with it. lot of questions about how her (This is) my only option.” case was being handled, and no According to Taylor, there one was offering her answers. are other orchestras or bands She finally turned to SMTD that need extra players, but she administrators and informed hasn’t been asked to participate. them of the situation. They were “Instead of asking me, they’re upset to find OIE had given asking other students that are administrators essentially zero also not in orchestra but I don’t information on the situation know why they’re not asking going into the school year. me because I have nothing,” Taylor said once she and she said. “Those students her mom got Clague up to are in band or something ... speed, they found him to be The guy who is head of bands very helpful. However, he here is, like, best friends with could only do so much, and him and he has made it very by mid-September, the lack of clear that he does not like me communication and the drawnand does not support me.” out process finally prompted The director of bands is her to request a different Music prof. Michael Haithcock investigator. On September 18, — the GSI’s direct supervisor. Ferency emailed the student The Daily reached out to to let her know her case had Haithcock for a comment. been transferred to another He declined to comment via OIE senior investigator, email, and said he hoped the Suzanne Quinn McFadden. GSI would sue The Daily The student was hopeful “if he is found innocent.” that things would speed up. *** Instead, it was more of the The waiver meant Taylor and same. She didn’t hear anything her GSI would no longer have from McFadden until Oct. 5. to be in the same classroom. “I am writing to let you But she still had other classes know that I am now working in the music school, so she ran on your investigation with into him around the building. OIE as your case was recently She recalled changing her transferred to me,” McFadden shoes in her car one morning wrote in an email on Oct. 5. before class. While she was “I just wanted to check-in sitting in the car, he pulled up with you and offer an update. right next to her and sat there I am currently drafting the staring for long enough that preliminary report which Taylor became uncomfortable. will be sent to you shortly.” “I was pretty freaked out There was no follow-up to so I called [SMTD Diversity, let the student know what, Equity and Inclusion officer exactly, McFadden meant Freyja Harris] … she found by “shortly.” At the time of me in my car and she actually publication of this article, the walked me all the way to a student still has not received practice room,” Taylor said. the preliminary report. She also had a piano “I don’t know. It’s been a class in the basement of while and I just haven’t seen the music school, and said it,” she said. “I haven’t even the GSI would sit outside seen his statement, which her class for two weeks. like, it started in June — we “I told (SMTD) Dean should at least have each (Mark) Clague and I know other’s statements by now.” that Dean Clague had to On Oct. 12, Elizabeth Seney, say something to him more deputy Title IX Coordinator than once,” Taylor said. for Investigations, emailed “But eventually he stopped.” the student to tell her the Throughout these U.S. Court of Appeals for the experiences at the beginning Sixth Circuit’s recent decision, of this school year, she was which determined that public not in regular communication universities have to give accused with Ferency or anyone students the opportunity to from OIE. She and Ferency cross-examine the accuser exchanged emails on Sept. 5, and witnesses at an in-person and he gave her directions on hearing, will apply to her case. how to enable her lawyer to According to an email
With the onset of such discomfort among elderly individuals, social interactions outside of the household naturally become limited. Ang and Chen sought to study how those affected could potentially be influenced by virtual interaction through social media. Before the study, Ang and Chen hypothesized that social media usage would be helpful in relieving depression amid pain and that people might already be using social media to supplement their own social networking. The basis of Ang and Chen’s research emerged from
the National Health and Aging Trends Study, a publicly available data set that gathers information from more than 8,000 senior citizen Medicare beneficiaries. “The purpose of NHATS is to foster research to guide efforts to reduce disability, maximize health and independent functioning and enhance quality of life at older ages,” Vicki Freedman, a research professor at the University’s Institute for Social Research’s Survey Research Center and a co-principal investigator of NHATS, said. The survey asks its participants general questions on if they
interview with Jeffery Frumkin, the newinterim Title IX coordinator and senior director of OIE, the University is still developing the process for these hearings. But this likely means this particular investigation will continue to be drawn out. Taylor is wary of what this process will look like. “I don’t trust any process coming from this school,” she said. “I don’t want to do ‘the cross-examination.’ But I also don’t want him to get away free.” SMTD is also becoming a hostile environment for Taylor. She said one of her professors dismissed her sexual assault claims during class when she was absent during the first few weeks of the fall semester. She also said Haithcock blocked her on Facebook. But she did have some positive interactions with faculty. She confided in her private music teacher about her situation and also felt like she had strong contact with Clague. Clague referred The Daily to Public Affairs when reached for comment. She is sometimes escorted from her car and to classes by Harris, SMTD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer, who Taylor said was also a comforting figure in the administration. Harris is unable to comment on specific investigations due to FERPA rules. She explained to The Daily, however, that while her role rapidly is becoming a support system for SMTD students and faculty, she needs to remind them that she is not always the point person to go to because she does not investigate claims. “In order to be able to support someone in my ongoing role, I need to let them know who is the right person to share to,” she said. “I don’t want to muddy the water — I want to support them. So, it’s what I tell them up front — you can tell me anything but I am not going to be the one to take you to the rest of the process. It depends on the situation. I am trying not to create issues (for the students) in their process.”
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
are experiencing feelings of depression, pain or have trouble falling asleep. In addition to queries on depressive symptoms, NHATS also inquires about senior citizens’ online activities. For the purpose of their study, Ang and Chen focused mainly on the responses to the single question of if respondents had used a social media site in the past month. According to the survey, 17 percent of respondents had used a social networking platform in the past month.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
THE DRAFT
SARAH KUNKEL/Daily
The Draft, an exhibition by Esmaa Mohamoud, investigates the intangibility of Blackness through issues surrounding black represenation at the South Thayer Building.
News
2 — Tuesday, October 23, 2018
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SACUA releases new statement in support of “academic freedom,” in rec. letter case Latest statement addresses letter by LSA Interim Dean Elizabeth Cole, sanctioning of professor placed emphasis on the notion that “faculty members’ personal political beliefs cannot interfere with their obligations to our students.” However, the new proclamation specifically pertains to the letter by Cole which reveals the sanctions placed on Cheney-Lippold by the administration. These sanctions restrict CheneyLippold from receiving a salary increase for one year and voids him of sabbatical credits for two years. These penalties followed Cheney-Lippold’s refusal to pen a recommendation letter for LSA junior Abigail Ingber after learning her study abroad location was in Israel. Shortly after, Rackham student Lucy Peterson followed suit, refusing to deliver a letter for a student wishing to study in the same area. Peterson wrote in an op-ed published by The Daily that her “action attests to (her) ongoing engagement with the theory and practice of social justice pedagogy as well as (her) concern for the injustices suffered by Palestinians.” Shortly after, Cole addressed Cheney-Lippold directly in
SAM SMALL
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In a statement released early Monday morning, the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs at the University of Michigan addressed the recent letter issued by LSA Interim Dean Elizabeth Cole regarding the retraction of a recommendation letter by Associate Professor John Cheney-Lippold. SACUA stressed the importance of “academic freedom and the rights and responsibilities of academic tenure.” The statement comes after an earlier statement released Sept. 24 from SACUA, revealing their “disappointment” in a professor that would allow his personal beliefs to limit opportunity for University students. The earlier document echoes the statement produced by University President Schlissel and Provost Martin Philbert advocating for the creation of a panel that would attempt to find a balance between political ideology and professors’ commitment to their students, and ultimately
a letter published Oct. 3 and said future decisions to write a letter of recommendation should put students ahead of a political agenda. “In the future, a student’s merit should be your primary guide for determining how and whether to provide a letter of recommendation,” Cole wrote. “You are not to use student requests for recommendations as a platform to discuss your personal political beliefs.” In the new statement, SACUA said Cole’s response could possibly create “a chilling effect on members of the academic community who may, for legitimate and deeply held personal reasons, feel uncomfortable about providing letters to certain organizations or individuals.” SACUA cited its previous statement, declaring the assembly wished to affirm a “community standard,” and thus objects to the preceding letter being used as “endorsement” for the disciplines placed on CheneyLippold. Similarly, SACUA reasserted their commitment to the American Association of University Professors’ Statement on Professional
Ethics, which, again, places a student’s merit as the dominant factor in assessing a student’s request for a letter of recommendation. However, Hans-Joerg Tiede, associate secretary of the AAUP, has also recently addressed the penalties placed on CheneyLippold. Tiede suggested the University reconsider their decision, claiming the sanctions “violate the association’s standards of due process.” SACUA emphasized recommendation letters are “personal endorsements,” and the declining of this act should not cultivate a fear of retribution. Moreover, SACUA stressed in the case of a member of the University community being so afraid that they might feel coerced to administer a letter or recommendation, or advocate for opinions they do not truly hold, would then lead to “the integrity of the recommendation (being) tarnished and the academic freedom that is central to our University (becoming) impugned.”
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REPORT From Page 1 University responds to sexual misconduct,” interim OIE head Jeffery Frumkin said in the report. Sudoku Syndication “These behaviors have no place at Michigan,
and we encourage every member of our community who has concerns about sexual misconduct to reach out.” Frumkin has taken up the role as Title IX Coordinator after Pamela Heatlie stepped down last week. Frumkin also will serve as the associate
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vice provost for academic (but not severe enough to and faculty affairs and senior be considered hostile) and director for institutional seven were found to be policy equity for OIE. According to violations. the University, efforts to find Of the 10 corrective actions a permanent replacement for made by OIE as a result of these head of OIE will begin soon. investigations, three instances Counting reports made from resulted in termination of http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, employment. In five instances OIE received 235 reports in which OIE found a policy of sexual misconduct violation or inappropriate made by faculty and staff. behavior, the respondent 232 of these reports were resigned. In two of these addressed by OIE, while the instances, the resignation other three were addressed occurred before the end of by Human Resources the investigation or before under applicable collective corrective action was enacted. bargaining agreements. In cases where the employee Approximately 90 reports resigned, the employee is were addressed by OIE often not eligible for future during the previous year, University employment, indicating a 161 percent according to the report. increase in reports During the past reporting received this year. year, OIE received 277 reports The majority of of sexual misconduct made reports — 53 percent — by students, also seeing an were addressed with a increase in reports from the consultation, while only previous year Of these reports, 11 percent of reports made the majority of issues reported resulted in an investigation. were related to sexual assault According to the report, or sexual harassment, consultations are defined representing 49 percent and as “questions or reports 28 percent of issues reported, that can be addressed respectively. Of reports appropriately without a made by students, only seven review or investigation.” percent, or 20 cases, resulted Of the 18 investigations in an investigation. completed at the time of the report’s release, seven Read more at investigations found no MichiganDaily.com policy violation, five found inappropriate behavior
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TITLE IX From Page 1 She attempted to pass it off as a menstrual period to her GSI and her family. However, Taylor does not get her periods regularly and the bleeding became the biggest red f lag of a potentially violent experience to her mother. Taylor’s mother then reported the incident to the University. Now, it’s October. Taylor’s evidence is in, and her statements have been collected. But she still doesn’t have a verdict in her case. And she has no idea when she might receive one. *** According to the University’s student sexual misconduct policy, here’s what should have happened when Taylor’s mother first reported the incident to the Office of Institutional Equity on June 20, 2018: Once a situation is reported to OIE, the Title IX coordinator makes an initial assessment of the report and ensures the claimant receives a written explanation of resources and options available to them. After the initial assessment, a coordinator will decide whether to investigate the case, and move toward a formal resolution, or whether to move directly into finding alternative resolutions and additional remedies. The claimant’s wishes, the evidence and the code of conduct all play a part in the decision. If the coordinator decides the case should be investigated, they’ll assign an investigator, usually a member of the Title IX staff, to the file. The investigator meets with the claimant, the respondent (the alleged abuser) and any relevant witnesses on separate occasions to offer them the opportunity to present information and evidence. During these meetings, the policy dictates both the claimant and the respondent can have an “adviser” of their choice — that’s code for a lawyer. According to the policy, the University tries to complete every investigation within 60 days, though it acknowledges
SOCIALISM From Page 1 facing many students today is they seem to orient themselves in the absence of adequate historical knowledge,” North said. The culprits of this lack of knowledge among youth, in North’s view, are the educational institutions in which they are taught. “There is an utterly reactionary climate that prevails in many of the humanities departments of many universities, such as the University of Michigan,” North said. “The prevailing philosophy is postmodernism, which … is culled from the basement of bourgeois thought. It is the most backward, reactionary and dishonest of all approaches to the study or consideration of the past.” North also criticized the affirmative action policies of many universities, which he portrayed as “quota systems.” He said the systems facilitate competition among students and divide society while competing for access to higher education. The Supreme Court upheld the state of Michigan’s ban on affirmative action policies in 2014, claiming the U.S. Constitution does not give the judicial branch the power to decide whether race can be used as a fact in the admissions process without voter input. “Students are forced to compete for a limited number of positions, with applications asking for race and ethnicity … We know that quota systems are being set up,” North said. “There is no way a quota system can ever be fair.” North posited these campus issues have much to do with the economic standing of professors. He said these wages for professors make the educators unable to understand the problems of students. “If you’re a tenured professor … your wealth is in the top 10 percent
extenuating circumstances might lengthen the timeline. Regardless of the length, the policy stipulates both parties will be updated regularly. After the interviews have been conducted and the evidence collected, the investigator will write what’s called a “preliminary investigation report” that includes all the known information. Both parties can review the draft report, and they have five days to submit comments. But in practice, the process isn’t so regimented. After Taylor’s mother called OIE, the investigation officially commenced on June 20. Taylor said she immediately requested a no-contact order, which meant neither she nor her GSI could initiate any kind of contact with each other — not in person, over text or on social media. As per the U-M policy, OIE senior investigator Daniel Ferency was assigned to be the investigator in the case. Taylor said Ferency reached out to her to ask if she wanted to give a statement. They exchanged emails to find a time to meet, and like the policy mandates, Ferency alerted Taylor to support resources on campus she could access if she wanted. He also said she had the right to bring a lawyer or any other support person to their meeting. When she got to the meeting, though, Taylor was caught off-guard. A note-taker was present at the meeting, taking down her comments while Ferency questioned her on her experience. She said she wasn’t given any warning there would be a stranger in the room. Shortly after the meeting with Ferency, she left for a summer study abroad trip. It was taking a while for her medical records to be submitted to Ferency as evidence, and she emailed him about it on June 27 to remind him she was still working on getting them to him. “You should look out for your statement either tomorrow or Friday,” he replied to her via email that same day. However, Taylor didn’t hear anything else from Ferency until July 16 — over three weeks
and probably closer to the top 5 percent,” North said. As a response, North encouraged students to challenge this status quo both at the University and nationwide by engaging with socialist theory. “I think as young people are drawn into social struggle they will come to recognize the incompatibility of what is presented on campuses from genuine revolutionary scientific theory,” North said. North’s criticisms also targeted organizations such as the Democratic Socialists of America and contemporary figures on the American left, including Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and congressional candidate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. He said his criticisms stemmed from their insufficient opposition to American foreign policy, as well as their focus on identity politics. “A socialist who preaches national defense is a petty bourgeois reactionary at the service of the king capitalism,” North said. “When Bernie Sanders goes around defending America (and) praising Trump for defending America’s borders, he exposes himself as a petty bourgeois charlatan and reactionary.” North decried the inadequacy of today’s leftist parties in promoting a worldwide socialist revolution, claiming the parties veer from campaign promises once elected. LSA freshman Noah Streng said he found the event interesting and said engaging with socialist theory has changed his worldview since arriving at the University. “I wish more people would have come out to come see it,” Streng said. “I started … learning about socialism a lot more since I got to college, and it’s really changed my perspective on the world pretty much upside down.”
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
after he said he would pass along her statement for review. “When we met on June 19, 2018, I mentioned that the next step in the OIE process would be for me to send you a summary of your interview statement for your review,” Ferency wrote in his email. “A copy of the summary is attached. As we discussed, you are not required to review this summary. If you choose to review it, it can be helpful to have a support person present … If you decide to review this summary, the deadline to provide any comments or suggestions you may have is July 18, 2018. If I don’t hear from you by July 18, 2018, I will assume you approve of the statement as drafted, and will move forward with the review.” During this process, Taylor was out of the country, in another time zone, without anyone who could be an effective “support person” for her. Taylor said she found 15 mistakes in the report and sent her corrections to the investigator. Eventually, Ferency did grant her extra time to make corrections, and she turned in her revised copy of the statement as soon as she was able. The next time she heard from Ferency was at the end of August, just after the 60-day mark, when she shared him on a Google document containing screenshots of her text messages with her GSI. Shortly after, the school year started. Taylor, who is studying music performance, had to audition for different ensemble classes. One of them is a required two-credit class. To her horror, she was placed in the same GSI’s band class. After a back and forth with OIE and SMTD administrators, it was determined Taylor could get a waiver for the performance class, which meant she wouldn’t need to fulfill that graduation requirement. She said it was a devastating solution. “That’s six hours a week of rehearsal,” she added. “That’s four or five concerts in a semester. That’s opportunity to perform your pieces, work with current composers, to go play other schools. I’m
DEPRESSION From Page 1 Ang’s colleague on the study, Tuo-Yen Chen of Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, was also interested in how social media could alter pain’s role in depression. “Social media has not been considered as a potential intervention strategy,” Chen said. “So, Shannon and I were wondering whether utilizing social media could lessen depression among individuals with pain.”
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 — 3
losing all of that while he gets release medical forms on her to keep that and they don’t behalf. But Taylor still had a see anything wrong with it. lot of questions about how her (This is) my only option.” case was being handled, and no According to Taylor, there one was offering her answers. are other orchestras or bands She finally turned to SMTD that need extra players, but she administrators and informed hasn’t been asked to participate. them of the situation. They were “Instead of asking me, they’re upset to find OIE had given asking other students that are administrators essentially zero also not in orchestra but I don’t information on the situation know why they’re not asking going into the school year. me because I have nothing,” Taylor said once she and she said. “Those students her mom got Clague up to are in band or something ... speed, they found him to be The guy who is head of bands very helpful. However, he here is, like, best friends with could only do so much, and him and he has made it very by mid-September, the lack of clear that he does not like me communication and the drawnand does not support me.” out process finally prompted The director of bands is her to request a different Music prof. Michael Haithcock investigator. On September 18, — the GSI’s direct supervisor. Ferency emailed the student The Daily reached out to to let her know her case had Haithcock for a comment. been transferred to another He declined to comment via OIE senior investigator, email, and said he hoped the Suzanne Quinn McFadden. GSI would sue The Daily The student was hopeful “if he is found innocent.” that things would speed up. *** Instead, it was more of the The waiver meant Taylor and same. She didn’t hear anything her GSI would no longer have from McFadden until Oct. 5. to be in the same classroom. “I am writing to let you But she still had other classes know that I am now working in the music school, so she ran on your investigation with into him around the building. OIE as your case was recently She recalled changing her transferred to me,” McFadden shoes in her car one morning wrote in an email on Oct. 5. before class. While she was “I just wanted to check-in sitting in the car, he pulled up with you and offer an update. right next to her and sat there I am currently drafting the staring for long enough that preliminary report which Taylor became uncomfortable. will be sent to you shortly.” “I was pretty freaked out There was no follow-up to so I called [SMTD Diversity, let the student know what, Equity and Inclusion officer exactly, McFadden meant Freyja Harris] … she found by “shortly.” At the time of me in my car and she actually publication of this article, the walked me all the way to a student still has not received practice room,” Taylor said. the preliminary report. She also had a piano “I don’t know. It’s been a class in the basement of while and I just haven’t seen the music school, and said it,” she said. “I haven’t even the GSI would sit outside seen his statement, which her class for two weeks. like, it started in June — we “I told (SMTD) Dean should at least have each (Mark) Clague and I know other’s statements by now.” that Dean Clague had to On Oct. 12, Elizabeth Seney, say something to him more deputy Title IX Coordinator than once,” Taylor said. for Investigations, emailed “But eventually he stopped.” the student to tell her the Throughout these U.S. Court of Appeals for the experiences at the beginning Sixth Circuit’s recent decision, of this school year, she was which determined that public not in regular communication universities have to give accused with Ferency or anyone students the opportunity to from OIE. She and Ferency cross-examine the accuser exchanged emails on Sept. 5, and witnesses at an in-person and he gave her directions on hearing, will apply to her case. how to enable her lawyer to According to an email
With the onset of such discomfort among elderly individuals, social interactions outside of the household naturally become limited. Ang and Chen sought to study how those affected could potentially be influenced by virtual interaction through social media. Before the study, Ang and Chen hypothesized that social media usage would be helpful in relieving depression amid pain and that people might already be using social media to supplement their own social networking. The basis of Ang and Chen’s research emerged from
the National Health and Aging Trends Study, a publicly available data set that gathers information from more than 8,000 senior citizen Medicare beneficiaries. “The purpose of NHATS is to foster research to guide efforts to reduce disability, maximize health and independent functioning and enhance quality of life at older ages,” Vicki Freedman, a research professor at the University’s Institute for Social Research’s Survey Research Center and a co-principal investigator of NHATS, said. The survey asks its participants general questions on if they
interview with Jeffery Frumkin, the newinterim Title IX coordinator and senior director of OIE, the University is still developing the process for these hearings. But this likely means this particular investigation will continue to be drawn out. Taylor is wary of what this process will look like. “I don’t trust any process coming from this school,” she said. “I don’t want to do ‘the cross-examination.’ But I also don’t want him to get away free.” SMTD is also becoming a hostile environment for Taylor. She said one of her professors dismissed her sexual assault claims during class when she was absent during the first few weeks of the fall semester. She also said Haithcock blocked her on Facebook. But she did have some positive interactions with faculty. She confided in her private music teacher about her situation and also felt like she had strong contact with Clague. Clague referred The Daily to Public Affairs when reached for comment. She is sometimes escorted from her car and to classes by Harris, SMTD Diversity, Equity and Inclusion officer, who Taylor said was also a comforting figure in the administration. Harris is unable to comment on specific investigations due to FERPA rules. She explained to The Daily, however, that while her role rapidly is becoming a support system for SMTD students and faculty, she needs to remind them that she is not always the point person to go to because she does not investigate claims. “In order to be able to support someone in my ongoing role, I need to let them know who is the right person to share to,” she said. “I don’t want to muddy the water — I want to support them. So, it’s what I tell them up front — you can tell me anything but I am not going to be the one to take you to the rest of the process. It depends on the situation. I am trying not to create issues (for the students) in their process.”
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
are experiencing feelings of depression, pain or have trouble falling asleep. In addition to queries on depressive symptoms, NHATS also inquires about senior citizens’ online activities. For the purpose of their study, Ang and Chen focused mainly on the responses to the single question of if respondents had used a social media site in the past month. According to the survey, 17 percent of respondents had used a social networking platform in the past month.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
THE DRAFT
SARAH KUNKEL/Daily
The Draft, an exhibition by Esmaa Mohamoud, investigates the intangibility of Blackness through issues surrounding black represenation at the South Thayer Building.
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, October 23, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ADITHYA SANJAY | COLUMN
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MARGOT LIBERTINI | COLUMN
W
Can Dems ever beat the system?
ith the 2018 midterm elections fewer than three weeks away, experts find the Democrats have a higher chance of winning back the House of Representatives than the Senate. Senate and House candidates are running in the same country with the same problems and political climate — why is there a six in seven chance Democrats can win back the House but only two in nine for the Senate? One reason is that there aren’t nearly as many Republican Senate seats up for election as there are Democratic seats. This certainly accounts for some of the disparity in chances, but there is also a much more fundamental component working against the Democrats — one that should be even more of an impetus for soul-searching than the 2016 election. The Senate systematically favors the voices of Americans in less-populated states over those in densely-populated urban centers. This is because of the Great Compromise. If you cannot seem to recall the details of that agreement from AP U.S. History, I’ll give a quick overview: In drafting the Constitution, delegates from different states had varied ideas about how best to form the most “perfect union.” A large controversy — one that nearly prevented the Constitution from ever being ratified — was deciding whether to choose the New Jersey Plan or the Virginia plan. The New Jersey Plan proposed that each state would be granted equal representation in the federal legislative body, despite differences in population. The Virginia Plan proposed that representation be based on population, so more populated states would be given more votes than less populated ones. Rather than choose one plan, the framers decided to have a bicameral legislature — one house (House of Representatives) would be given representation proportional to population and the other (the Senate) would have two representatives from
each state, regardless of population size. But the two legislative bodies aren’t necessarily equal in power or purview — for example, the Senate has the power to ratify treaties and confirm presidential appointees. So, the house with equal representation amongst states is more powerful than the one that would favor more populated states. This sounds fair, but if we focus on the voices of individuals rather than states, the house that disproportionately represents individuals from less populated states holds much more power than that which represents individual voices more evenly. The population distribution of the country has drastically changed since the 18th century — only one in five Americans lives in a rural area today. This has huge implications for the representativeness of the Senate. States containing only 17 percent of the U.S. population could have a majority in the Senate on their own. In a modern context, the Senate was responsible for confirming the most recent Supreme Court nominee, Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The majority that confirmed him, 51 senators, represented only 44 percent of the United States population. Because the Senate is such a powerful political institution and it is constructed in a manner that favors the population within less populated states, it is imperative that both major parties have a strong presence in these states. Democrats tend to excel in more urban, densely-populated areas though, while Republicans are favored in rural areas, and this divide is only becoming more salient. Many experts theorize that this divide is born out of the contemporary “culture wars” — an ongoing battle between “traditional” American values and the multiculturalism and progressivism of the left. I am not equipped with the research to affirm or disavow that idea. It certainly holds some amount of explanatory power,
though a single story rarely provides a holistic picture. And as hard as red-state Democrats have tried to stay away from centering culturallyrelevant issues, they inevitably arise and find their way into the conversation. For example, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-North Dakota, is fighting an uphill battle in her re-election campaign, and her support of Brett Kavanaugh proved to be harmful to her poll numbers. There is a strong chance she would have lost enthusiasm among her base had she voted the other way, though. This instance feels like a microcosm of Democrats’ larger identity crisis: Their base is simply too densely packed to win in our system, but straying from the base’s priorities might cause that base to become disillusioned with the party and the democratic process in general. Thus, the Democrats are in a bind, and they will be until they find a message powerful enough to break through the urban-rural divide. The electoral system is replete with un-democratic institutions like the Senate, the electoral college, gerrymandering and systemic voter suppression. The latter two have made their way into the mainstream Democratic fight, (and they’re on the ballot in the form of Proposal 2 and 3 for Michigan voters this November! Remember to vote, because we can work toward change in our system!) but the electoral college tends to be viewed in a similar vein as the Senate: It is an institution so deeply ingrained into our system that any attempt at changing it feels like a futile battle. As long as that is the attitude, Democrats must focus on overcoming the divide if they have any hope of gaining federal power. Margot Libertini can be reached at mlibertini@umich.edu.
ERIN WHITE | COLUMN
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Put the act in activism
hen social media rose in popularity in the early 2000s, it was difficult to imagine it would have the influence in our lives that it currently does. The connectivity, creation of personal platforms and ability of the everyday person to share information and ideas almost instantaneously has created a new level of public discourse that is historically unimaginable. With a simple Wi-Fi connection, anyone is able to publicly present their opinions, call for change or engage with national leaders and public figures. And with this new power of the people, it would be difficult to deny the effect of social media campaigns in our current social and political climate, especially those with such widespread support for #NeverAgain and #MeToo. These movements have led to pervasive demonstrations across the country, especially among young people. Incited and motivated by students following the Parkland shooting on Feb. 14, #NeverAgain led to national protests in American schools on March 14. #MeToo has been exposing stories of sexual harassment and assault primarily on social media since actress Alyssa Milano’s use of the hashtag in fall 2017. This brought it to the forefront of American social movements, despite its 2006 creation by activist Tarana Burke. Social media has the power to both create and revive topics of social and political importance.
The hashtag itself has become a popular symbol of support, standing before some of the most pressing issues of our time. By searching through hashtags, social media users are able to see a full thread of people discussing what they are interested in. They are able to join in by posting opinions or stories, sharing those of others or engaging in conversation with those who both agree and dissent. There is a connectivity never before available that spreads the ideas of our nation across state lines almost immediately. And with the most recent political trouble of Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s Supreme Court confirmation, social media again has been an important way for citizens to debate, present opinions, or clarify details and facts. These movements are guided even further into the limelight through the support of celebrities and users with large followings, as evident from the plethora of celebrity commentary regarding Kavanaugh. Entertainers Ellen DeGeneres, Chelsea Handler, Ava DuVernay, Amy Schumer and countless others have posted their support for Christine Blasey Ford and America’s women following this appointment, but one strong emphasis has been made among many of these statements of sympathy and the need for action: Vote. While social media is undoubtedly a great platform to spread information and gain support for political and social
issues, this does not directly equate to consistent action. Retweeting an infographic or powerfullywritten thread on Twitter can make someone feel as if they are engaged in our nation’s politics, but in reality, social media is frequently used as a passive form of activism. Despite social media’s usefulness in movements, this activism — referred to as slacktivism — can oftentimes end with a simple share. Agreeing with something and posting a brief opinion about it does not always materialize into something actionable. Social media users, especially those who were raised in the age of social media and are accustomed to being bombarded with a constant stream of information, can treat movements like trends. While everyone else is posting about a topic, they feel as though they should too. Social media encompasses vast amounts of social pressure, and many users follow these trends to keep in tune with the landscape of their favorite social networking sites. It’s the basis of their newsfeed for the week surrounding the event, but when the timeline starts returning to its original mix of news and personal updates, so does their real-life concern about the issue. Slacktivism.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com Erin White can be reached at ekwhite@umich.edu
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Socialism is not the answer
ecently, with the marked radicalization of U.S. politics, the discussion of socialism has resurfaced as an actual governmental solution for the problems facing the United States. In fact, just the other day, I was walking across the Diag at the University of Michigan and a large banner read that “capitalism has failed” and “socialism has the answer.” Initially, I had just scoffed at it, thinking of it as just another one of those socialist “seize the means of production” memes. But when I looked into it, I realized this was an actual problem. According to a Harvard Institute of Politics poll in spring 2016, 33 percent of the 18 to 29-year-old respondents supported socialism and a startling 51-percent majority did not support capitalism. The Chicago Tribune cited a study in which 44 percent of the young respondents would prefer living in a socialist country. Obviously, there was something that was changing the political dynamics of the millennial generation, so I set out to look at some of the major points made by those in support of socialism and dissect why some of my peers had begun to lean so far left. Desire for economic equality was the most frequently cited reason for support. As stated by Anthony Giddens in The Class Structures of the Advanced Studies, socialist societies cause the “disappearance of classes.” Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., used this argument frequently in his attacks on the top 1 percent. But I question, is income inequality really that big of an issue? When an economy is restructured such that it is socialist — as defined by Merriam Webster dictionary — “a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state.” (It’s worth noting that there are many other definitions out there, yet this seems to be the most widely accepted). As such, there is no freedom of choice in your labor. It is by default owed to the state. Because of this, there is no free market in which supply is meeting demand. Rather, people don’t have many options in purchasing a good and are forced to pay others for work they may — and perhaps even society as a whole — find unnecessary. In this sense, socialism actually suppresses an individual’s freedom to choose how they want to live. For example, consider I have
a lemonade stand in the Upper Peninsula. When it gets cold outside, I will not get very many customers. Because of this, I will be forced to close my shop and find another endeavor that will cater to the market so I can make money. I make a choice to provide for the whims of society for my own survival. If I go against the market, there is decreased demand for my product and I will not earn as much. However, in a socialist economy, the government owns the means of production for my lemonade shop. The government defines what the market needs, and as such, defines when and which type of lemonade an individual can consume. By doing this, the government forces a redistribution of wealth in the population — something that has gained a lot of support recently. But this is largely immoral, and here’s why. Using the same metaphor, imagine I have invented a new type of lemonade that not only tastes great but is also very healthy. Suddenly, as a result of my hard work, there is a lot of demand for my product and I become part of the 1 percent. Then, the government comes by and says I shouldn’t be allowed to be making that much money because there are people who are making much less than I am. As a result, they redistribute my added wealth to the poor, deciding for me how much money I need. The money that I got from selling the lemonade, however, is money I earned. Blatantly taking it from me on the pretense of equity is theft. Now, I’m not saying there shouldn’t be taxes. There are things — public goods — that the government provides and for which it should charge me, such as the military, police, etc. But I don’t, in any way, owe my money to those under the poverty line. I did not steal from them to get rich — I made the money entirely on my own. Perhaps a more dangerous side effect of this idea of equity in wealth is a lack of competition. If I knew I, as a lemonade maker, would make the same amount of money no matter what I did, would I have decided to innovate and create that better tasting, healthy lemonade? Probably not. I would have done the bare minimum, as there was no incentive for me to do any better. I would get paid the same. This is perhaps the greatest aspect of capitalism. A free market
means that there will always be competition, and therefore innovation. Without a free market, Jeff Bezos would not have had the incentive to create Amazon. Nor would Larry Page and Sergey Brin have created Google. Obviously, the example of the lemonade stand was an oversimplification of a very complex economy. However, the basic principles that drive its existence in a capitalist and socialist society still hold true. There’s a reason why the standard of living in the United States has increased so dramatically over the last few decades. There’s a reason why the Heritage Foundation reports that “62 percent of ‘poor’ households own a car,” with “poor” operationalized as “anyone with ‘cash income’ less than the official poverty threshold.” There’s a reason why the United States leads the rest of the world in scientific and technological innovation. So, to answer my previous question, no. I don’t think income inequality is something we need to be very concerned about. A study by the Brookings Institution said of Americans who have at least finished high school, got a full-time job and waited until age 21 to get married and have children, only 2 percent are in poverty and nearly 75 percent are in the middle class. Just those three things. As long as every individual has equal opportunity in being able to do those things, the resulting inequality is of little matter. All people should feel capable of being able to move between classes if they work toward it. In this sense, inequality is actually a positive force, creating competition and thereby providing incentives for individuals to work toward benefiting human society. The market will simply reward individuals based on their contributions to it. This is not to say that we have reached that point yet. There are obviously many flaws in the United States that prevent equal access to some basic institutions. To solve these issues, there are two approaches: one that uses the government more and one that doesn’t. Both are very valid approaches, about which debate is warranted.
Adithya Sanjay can be reached at asanjay@umich.edu.
DANA PIERANGELI | COLUMN
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The issue that was #NeverAgain talked about
emember back in February when we had the school shooting in Parkland and we started having protests because people were mad that, you know, kids were dying? Yeah, remember that? Do you also remember how nothing actually changed? Well, now is the time to fix that. With midterm elections just around the corner, it’s time to recall these issues that seem to fade into the background a month after they happen and actually do something about it. The first question is: What do we do? We know why some form of gun control is necessary. Kids are dying from a lack of regulation on dangerous weapons. I’m not going to waste too much time trying to convince anyone who doesn’t think the Second Amendment is outdated, seeing as it was written over 200 years ago when guns shot one bullet at a time, and that laws can and should be changed because that’s just common sense. Considering things like slavery were legal and women and AfricanAmericans didn’t have the right to vote in the original Constitution, I’m sure we can all agree that some change truly is good. There are plenty of ways to deal with the current issue of gun control. One common idea is stricter background checks. According to The Trace, current background checks are riddled with loopholes and typically take only minutes, and just 2 percent end in rejection. With the NRA controlling gun sales with little effective government regulation, guns can easily fall into dangerous hands. According to CNN, universal background checks have been associated with a 39-percent reduction in death, and federal laws expanding background checks have been predicted to reduce the death
rate by 57 percent. Implementing these changes would take very little away from gun enthusiasts and would simply make the process safer. Also on the table are mandatory trainings, practice times, waiting periods and first and second-level licensing, making acquiring a gun similar to a driver’s license. This, paired with making assault weapons and bump stocks, which are attachments that allow semi-automatic weapons to act as fully automatic weapons, illegal gives us much more comprehensive gun laws that could lead to fewer incidents such as Parkland. Now that the midterm elections are upon us, these ideas finally have a chance to see the light of day, or should I say, the eyes of Congress. This is our first chance since Parkland to really voice our opinions on this crisis in a direct, consequential way. Many of us participated in marches and protests in the wake of the Parkland shooting, calling for these changes, among others, which is fantastic. Protesting is a great way to generate support for an issue. But no matter how many protests you go to, if you don’t actually vote for the change you’re marching for, no change will come. In the coming weeks, look for candidates that support stricter gun control laws. In the race for Senate, Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., supports banning high-capacity magazines with more than 10 bullets, and prohibiting foreign and U.N. aid that restricts U.S. gun ownership. She opposes allowing firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains, prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers, banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence and decreasing gun waiting period from three days to one. Likewise, Green Party candidate Marcia Squier supports graduated licensing, training for guns and
universal background checks. In contrast, Republican candidate John James considers the Second Amendment the be-all and end-all of gun control. For governor, Democrat Gretchen Whitmer supports strengthening gun laws by adding safety locks and background checks. However, Republican Bill Schuette is endorsed by the NRA for his unwavering support of the Second Amendment. The University of Michigan is doing its part to protect those involved in the shootings and in the protests against gun violence. In February, the University issued a statement saying that they would honor students’ rights to free speech if disciplinary actions were taken against them during protests against the Parkland shootings. The University is now awarding the 2018 Wallenberg Medal to the B.R.A.V.E. (Bold Resistance Against Violence Everywhere) Youth Leaders of the Faith Community of Saint Sabina and March For Our Lives from Parkland, Fla., on Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rackham Auditorium. Representatives from both groups will be present to receive this award. Now it’s the students’ turn. The support rallied in the wake of the Parkland shooting by students and universities alike was inspiring. Millions of kids and adults banded together to make positive change. But within three months, the demonstrations faded into the shadows. We cannot let this movement die out. Now is the time to act. Vote responsibly and knowledgeably. Vote for people who will protect your rights and your schools. Now is your chance to enact change.
Dana Pierangeli can be reached at dmpier@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 — 5
STYLE NOTEBOOK
EVENT REVIEW
The journey of finding my own personal style PRIYARDARSHINI GOUTHI For the Daily
MICHIGAN DAILY
MUSIC Matters draws attention to local talent DIANA YASSIN For the Daily
The fall cold and rain was more than obvious, both from the natural lighting set up of the Forum at the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA) and also from the chill that rushed in every time doors flew open as people poured in for MUSIC Matters’s “A Night at the Museum” concert. But perhaps the point was coziness; the audience was laid-back but grooving as they danced and sipped on their fizzy drinks under dim, yellow lighting to the sound of the performances. “A Night at the Museum” followed the more extravagant SpringFest, an annual MUSIC festival hosted every April at the University by MUSIC Matters. The proceeds from the event were used to fund MUSIC Matters’s first social venture with Books for a Benefit, a nonprofit organization founded on campus. “A Night at the Museum” delivered the same level of ambition as SpringFest to unify the campus with music, sparking social change on a microcosmic level. It operated on a smaller scale, at a more compact venue with special attention to some of the local performances from SpringFest: The Kelseys, Andrea Doria and OSSI MUSIC. The effect was an event unlike anything else I’ve encountered at past concerts as three completely unrelated, yet
equally as impacting, acts took to the stage. Each act had a sound and style that was distinctly their own. The Kelseys, a band consisting of a lead singer, guitar player, bassist and drummer, had an alternative rock sound that was undeniably peppy even when lyrics veered into a more somber realm. It gave me the same effect as listening to Young the Giant or Vampire Weekend. I was especially drawn to the stage presence and personality of the members as they each grooved to the music in their own distinct way: The bassist was intensely focused on his playing, the drummer’s smile was contagious as he broke into silent fits of laughter, the guitarist’s dance moves were wide and smooth and the lead singer was deliberate in his close-eyed singing. Andrea Doria can also be described as an alternative rock band that consists three members: a drummer and two guitar players who alternate as lead singers. Each of their songs came as a pleasant surprise, one psychedelic and sticky, the next truer to the alt-rock sound we all know and love. The bandmates frequently implemented different instruments throughout the performance, swapping them in and out and between one another, allowing each member to play to their strengths. My favorite performance of the night was that of OSSI MUSIC. Composed of eight members, I found myself losing
track of who played what as some of the members managed to play more than one instrument; I was especially amazed by the member who’d switch from keyboard to trumpet, sometimes in the same song. Despite a wide variety of elements to their music, it never felt crowded; their sound was meditative and subtle, luminous in its sway over the audience as each instrument and sound was strummed on in an as-needed basis. Each lead singer also brought forth a style and story that was all their own when they grabbed the mic, their voices bright and emotions palpable. I was mesmerized. Despite having to shift from one act to another, the transition was seamless. MUSIC Matters skillfully facilitated a social environment for its audience members. From an informal introduction to the purpose and goals of MUSIC Matters to DJing psychedelic music between performances, a laidback element was prominent and well-orchestrated. The obvious ease and mingling between the members of MUSIC Matters and band members in the audience only added to the casual atmosphere of the event. Overall, “A Night at the Museum” was a memorable display of the talent of local music acts. Though not as grand as SpringFest, the event achieves MUSIC Matters’s goal of unification through music by making its expression on campus the focal point of the event.
FILM REVIEW
NETFLIX
‘Night Comes’ is a violent romp through Indonesia STEPHEN SATARINO Daily Arts Writer
“The Night Comes for Us” turns the gore setting up to 10 in a martial-arts showcase, with more corn-syrup blood than a Midwest corn-maze on Oct. 26 (not everyone can go out on a Wednesday). And along that line of thinking, “Night Comes” might be the best Spooktacular option this skeleton season, dropping ghosts and ghouls in lieu of Indonesian gangsters drop-kicking each other. Writer/director Timo
Tjahjanto’s (“May the Devil Take You”) film follows an ex-Triad enforcer Ito (Joe Taslim, “The Raid: Redemption”) who, after an abrupt moral epiphany, turns against the organization to save a young girl, Reina (Asha Kenyeri Bermudez, “The Doll”). The ensuing power-struggle as the Triad tries to tie up their loose end brings the brawl to a nightclub, a high-rise, a warehouse and a human meat locker, evening out to be one of the best installments of splatter-cinema in a long time. “Night Comes” is low-in-the-
After scouring through the perfectly aesthetic and thought-out Instagram feeds of fashion icons and style bloggers from across the world, I often think to myself: What is my personal aesthetic? How do I stand out and speak about who I am through the way I appear? This is a question that puzzles many of us, especially as young adults who are still learning to navigate the complex maze that is the world of fashion. Before delving deeper into the semantics of style, it is essential to understand what it means to have a personal style. Does it equate to having a quasi-uniform that defines you by being the only theme in your closet, or is there something to more to it? It has often been seen that having a personal style is associated with a patterned use of a particular fabric, type of dressing or silhouettes, to name a few. As a result, some would say that their style is more athletic, while some would call theirs denim-oriented. But it really boils down to having that one thing which clicks for you. Taking the example of Victoria Beckham, her style is not limited by colors, fabrics or even the type of garment but does indeed have one overarching theme: minimalism. More importantly, one’s personal style is regularly thought to be clothes-centric when the truth of the matter is that it could encompass any part of the overall physical image. Thus accessories, makeup and even shoes are all fair game when it comes to labelling something as a “style.” To put things simply: Having a personal style means having a theme that is constant, and it can take multiple shapes and sizes. While it’s not very hard to grasp the concept of having a personal style, defining it for oneself is an entirely different ballgame. Most of us youth today tend to explore a variety of trends and are constantly striving to be in the know, hence seldom do we consciously recognize the pattern in our choices. Understanding what it means to have a personal style and then defining it greatly complement one another due to the fact that they are influenced by the same set of factors. Both involve an understanding our own self and identity in terms of not only what suits our body the best but also what truly reflects our personality. This is then followed by finding the signature pieces that rule the dynamic of our closet to eventually building around the mood projected by those. It sounds like an awful lot of things need to be done when most of it is actually subconscious. However, it does require time. In many ways, the theme of our image needs to be isolated from factors such as seasons and trends, though this does not mean that it is to be frozen in a set frame. As ideal as it sounds to be able to ignore other factors, it isn’t always reality. This is something that we are more than well aware of. In a world that is so fast-paced, the
from a building, never to be seen again. It’s a movie light on plot, and it only could have improved by going lighter. Is the aim of everyone with a gun in the movie comically throat, involuntary-yelp gory — bad? For sure. Should all martialthe type of movie that is perfect to arts movies have a Batman ban watch with a group of friends, but on firearms? Absolutely. Does the one that might raise questions if Triad seem to have an unending you enjoy it a little too much alone. supply of goons willing to throw The focus themselves at on the story the good guys? “When the Night and characters Think “World Comes for Us” is light — a War Z” with new fighter machetes. No Netflix will appear one should go and throw through the themselves into the foray with no trouble of HDMI-ing their laptop need for introduction or purpose to their living room TV to watch or explanation before they are this film if they want a Netflix impaled on a meat hook or thrown distributed picture with plot. Don’t
fashion industry is not one to be left behind with trends changing as early as a fortnight. Inadvertently, stability and consistency are not always available. In the past decade, the fashion industry has seen a dramatic rise in the number and the diversity in trends, be it the
As ideal as it sounds to be able to ignore other factors, it isn’t always reality. This is something that we are more than well aware of. In a world that is so fastpaced, the fashion industry is not one to be left behind with trends changing as early as a fortnight.
pairing of graphic t-shirts that have a ’90s vibe with something more chic or the return of pastel colors and fanny packs. We want to belong to each niche coterie but still remain true to the image of ourselves that we have constructed. The next question that arises is how one finds the balance between exploring this constantly expanding galaxy but still retaining an individual sense of style. I believe a big part of answering this question comes from the ability to visualize what our ideal closet looks like. Is it one that is dominated by a single theme and does not deviate, or is it one that is constantly evolving but can yet identify with a consistent trope? With factors such as fast fashion and social media having such a huge presence in our life, the scope of a trend cannot be predicted. Some brands churn out collections as per micro seasons that usually last anywhere between two to four weeks while social media propagates the next big thing. Speaking from personal experience, the width of the choices available regarding all facets of style, ranging from clothes to accessories, baffle me. For a person who prefers dressing in basics with a touch of professionalism but also enjoys exploring new ideas, I am often at a loss of how to
even turn on subtitles, actually. Just sit back and watch heads roll. And there’s an important distinction to be made here between a film that is just so candidly gory that it can be made out to be fun and a film like “Night Comes,” which seems to have been specifically crafted by a technical hand. The choreography and the camera work of the fight scenes is second to none, Tjahjanto finding ways to incorporate the battleground of each scene into the action itself. The individual characters aren’t as stylized as characters in a film by someone like Tarantino, but the feel of the action — leaving logic at the door — is strikingly reminiscent. Tjahjanto, a director with
find the best of both worlds. However, what I am coming to learn is that it isn’t as hard as it seems. Instead I see my approach to my wardrobe as a threefold process. The first might sound overused, but it is indeed simply learning to be confident in my choices. It is unsettling to see everyone around you look a certain way and even if that does not call to you, there is an underlying pressure to conform. However, Carolina Herrera — classic fashion designer — put it very aptly: “If everyone follows trends, then we will all look the same, and what fun is that?” Recognizing what works for you is integral and if you don’t feel it, that piece of fashion is never truly yours. The second step in defining one’s style is understanding what the core trend is — whether it is the fabric, style, cut or even the embellishment. Taking the example of bomber jackets, they have been a hit with the masses for a while now and each store has a different take on them. However, at the core, the trend isn’t really the jacket itself. Rather, it is the touch of masculinity that it provides which could be achieved through a biker jacket, or the way you accessorize or even the shoes one wears. This allows me to find the same thread in my theme and join the dots. Finally, the last step in finding this balance is being OK with the fact that personal style can change with time. It is not permanent — instead, it should evolve and grow since the version that you are this moment is not permanent. As we explore new avenues, attempt to understand our image — but moreover ourselves, especially as we enter adulthood — we question the importance of having a personal style. Having one can definitely have its advantages — it lends a certain sense of uniformity to one’s image but still leaves space for creativity and varied expression. Ideally, it makes you feel better, since it tends to be the embodiment of pieces and ideas that give you happiness. Furthermore, one’s personal style often reflects what inspires them, which can be motivating because when you feel good, you end up doing better. However, not having been able to identify one or choosing not to have a particular style is not something bad either. At this point in our lives, we are still figuring out what we want to do and who we want to be — answers often reflected through our image. Not having those is perfectly OK. One’s personal style is not limited to the clothes or the way he or she looks, but it is an encompassing theme in our lives. And not having one gives us the freedom to be more adventurous and grow with time instead of trying to restrain ourselves by boundaries we create. Everyone works differently, and having a personal style is just another choice that can either be a good fit or not, but it shouldn’t have the power to define our reflection instead of the other way around.
more than a couple of thrillers in his filmography, has a terrific understanding of what to show in a fight scene. He begins a scene by gliding his camera around his brawlers, giving the audience a sense of where the fighters are and what tools in the environment might later be at their disposal. No stone is left unturned, each of these props eventually put to murderous use as Tjahjanto bounces through the progressing engagement. He cuts away very sparingly during the fights, giving the action a sense of spectacle that disappears when each kick or punch gets its own shot. The last movie with action as impressive as “Night Comes” would be “Ip Man,” a lofty comparison in terms of martial arts films.
Arts
6 — Tuesday, October 23, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
HEALTH AND WELLNESS COLUMN
TV REVIEW
I like to listen to my mom’s music JOEY SCHUMAN
Daily Health & Wellness Columnist
THE CW
‘Charmed’ revamp brings little to the witchy series SAMANTHA DELLA FERRA Daily Arts Writer
Nearly every day when I came home from middle school, I would turn on the TV to find that TNT was once again airing “Charmed.” Though the show originally aired long before I had progressed from the likes of Disney and Nickelodeon, I found myself drawn to its reruns. What more could a 13-year-old girl ask for? Witches, demons, love stories and three powerful sisters — it was a helplessly cheesy series I couldn’t get enough of, and I’m not the only one. The mention of the original “Charmed” conjures a memory in many people — mostly women — of watching it with their moms, at sleepovers or just by themselves when they were home sick from school. Perhaps this nostalgia is what inspired The CW to bring it back — its feminist-centric reboot of “Charmed” has just premiered. There are some differences: The women of the original “Charmed” were updated to the muchyounger Mel, Macy and Maggie. Notwithstanding the name changes, the series plot remains pretty much the same: Two of the girls find a sister they never knew they had, their mother is dead and there are demons constantly
hunting them. The pilot quickly establishes the personalities of each of the girls: Maggie, the youngest (Sarah Jeffery, “Shades of Blue”), is an incoming college freshman looking to rush a sorority; Mel, the middle sister (Melonie Diaz, “The First Purge”), is a stern graduate student heavily involved in feminist activism. Mel and Maggie lived together with their mom their whole life, so they are shocked when after their mom’s death, Macy (Madeleine Mantock, “Age Before Beauty”), a brainy new
“Charmed” Series Premiere Sundays @ 9 p.m. The CW
hire at the college nearby, shows up at their door telling them she’s their sister. From here, the show follows the traditional “Charmed” route. The sisters meet the cheeky whitelighter Harry (Rupert Evans, “The Man in the High Castle”) who explains to the charmed ones that they are powerful witches, just like their mother, and that he has powers of his own. This sets the main conflict of the pilot, with
the sisters deciding whether they want to accept their magical fate. With all of the similarities to the original “Charmed,” the reboot had to make some changes to establish itself as something new. This comes through the often heavy-handed “wokeness” that permeates the pilot. Some of the representation comes naturally — all three sisters are women of color and the fact that Mel is openly gay is less of a plotline than a simple detail. The show does not want you to forget how woke they are, delivering such lines as, “Being a witch is a full pro-choice enterprise,” and slipping in a dig at Donald Trump. Some may point this out as a glaring flaw in the show, but as someone that used to watch the original “Charmed” religiously, I have to disagree. You don’t go to the network that airs such mindless, guilty-pleasure television like “Riverdale” looking for a topquality show. Nobody is going to turn on “Charmed” expecting a high-caliber script and Emmyaward winning acting. The viewers are going to be people just like I was — mostly young, mostly female, mostly looking for something to entertain them. And if that thing just happens to be a show that promotes true sisterhood, progressive feminism and modern pro-women movements, I see no problem with that.
Release Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Colorist’s concern 4 Light brown pear 8 Hillary Clinton, née __ 14 Horace’s “__ Poetica” 15 “The Mammoth Hunters” author Jean 16 Low-scoring tie 17 Big wheel, briefly 18 Controversial coal-extraction method 20 Wine lover’s prefix 22 Sport shown on TV Japan 23 Beer extraction gadget 24 Dues-paying participant 27 Spanish lady 30 Acquire 31 Isle of Arthurian legend 33 Woodland deity 36 Developmental insect stage 39 Luau accessory 40 Broadside accidents 43 A, in Augsburg 44 Small stores 45 Rather nasty 46 “__ Fideles”: carol 48 Corrode, with “away” 49 Macy’s section, e.g.: Abbr. 50 Format for some tournaments 57 “__ y Plata”: Montana motto 59 Bit of talk show self-promotion 60 Opal of the comics, to Earl Pickles 61 Meal suggested by the starts of four long answers 65 Deli salmon 66 Philadelphia campus 67 Building lot unit 68 __-ray Disc 69 Volkswagen family car 70 Rough file 71 Some ER cases DOWN 1 Wreaked condition 2 One of the archangels
3 College sports channel 4 Music majors’ degs. 5 First stage 6 Blood bank supply 7 Upward trek 8 Film genre prefix with com 9 Words after work or sleep 10 “Gracias” response 11 Common people 12 Raggedy doll 13 Eldest of the “Little Women” 19 Author of eerie stories 21 Delivery MD 25 Least 26 Shankar on the sitar 28 Interminably 29 Ouzo flavoring 32 Poughkeepsie campus 33 Place 34 Put up with 35 Symphonic stories 36 British john 37 European peak 38 Dr. Jekyll creator’s monogram
41 “Burlesque” co-star 42 Being hauled to the garage 47 Sundress features 48 Lawn maintenance tools 51 Maker of Cajun Shrimp nail polish 52 Like the “funny bone” nerve
53 Never, in Nogales 54 “The Hobbit” hero 55 Bluffed-out words, perhaps 56 Connection 58 Sooner St. 61 Car care brand 62 Pot contents 63 Police rank: Abbr. 64 Weight-training unit
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
By Mark McClain ©2018 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
10/23/18
10/23/18
There’s a music venue about 15 minutes away from my home called Ravinia Festival. It’s a beautiful outdoor space tailormade for an ideal summer evening sitting on an expansive lawn listening to the BoDeans or assorted almost-corpses from The Beach Boys. Naturally my family buys a cheese plate or two, packs about 40 blankets and candles and heads to Ravinia for a night every July. When I think of these nights, I think of cargo shorts. I don’t know why. It could be that most of my memories from Ravinia seem to be lodged firmly between 2004 and 2007. It might be that most of the old people I was with at Ravinia were, in fact, rocking cargo shorts. More likely, in recounting some of my earliest cultural immersions of any form, I’ve confounded a North suburban Chicago music venue, a timeless look and those above me who introduced me to music. That’s how we end up here: at parents, and music. Because both, together, mean a lot to many. Formative listening is one of my favorite things. I realize it might be tender or sensitive for some folks, but I also think it’s very healthy for the soul — even to just think about. It’s something I do often, and it’s something I think you should do too: Listen to your mom’s music every once in a while.
I’m not really sure what that means either, but for the purposes of this exploration, allow me to walk you through my mother’s music. Ever heard of Joan Armatrading? I hadn’t either, until she soundtracked my mom’s weekly Mah Jongg games in our kitchen during my elementary years. I don’t particularly enjoy Joan Armatrading’s music, but I enjoy hearing about my mom’s Joan Armatrading tradition: Each year, when Armatrading plays Chicago, she heads to the City Winery (apparently a real place where things happen) with the same friend (who may or may not exist) who has been accompanying her to Armatrading concerts for years. I really like the sentiment and story. Joan Armatrading is, consequently, a good dose of medicine. More digestible? Mary J. Blige. There’s a song she sings — it’s called “Just Fine” — that’s impossible, physically, to resist tapping your foot to, and before you know it, you’re dancing at 5:00 p.m. on a Friday again, because Shabbat is imminent and the table needs to be set up before the grandparents arrive. That vignette might have been me exclusive. But that’s what my mom listens to, so I listen too. There comes a point in the road — not a metaphorical road, a real road — where you need to break it down. If you’re my mom, this is most of the time. If you’re me,
this is rare. If you’re human, you listen to Valee’s “Womp Womp,” a new favorite for my mother. When drives to the grocery store become parties and drivers become dance circle commandeers, this is where we turn. It’s where my mom turns, at least, and for that I am thankful. It’s fun to womp womp. If you’re buying the womp, don’t stress over its source. Your dad’s music? Sure. Siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents too. If your best friend has stuff you like, go for it. Much of this column has been thematically centered around different types of proverbial “resets.” I haven’t done this on purpose, but the trend also kind of makes sense. As I’m nearing the end of my writing process for this piece, my mind is consumed by worry about my lack of ideas for future columns. I’m also thinking about which frozen Trader Joe’s meal I will heat up for dinner, why I will choose taquitos for the second night in a row and how I’d like to stay away from a column with a “how much other work I need to do” cliché. But now there’s way too much meta going on, which is probably even worse. Ultimately this column will need to end with jumbled thoughts before opening Spotify to propel me through my next chunk of work. I have the Sunday Scaries, I’d like a semblance of familiarity amidst other general chaos and I need an excuse to listen to Van Morrison.
FILM REVIEW
20TH CENTURY FOX
‘Bad Times’ conjures ’60s nightmares and dreams MAX MICHALSKY Daily Arts Writer
Nestled in the pine woods not far from Lake Tahoe stands the El Royale Hotel, a palace of kitsch bisected by the Calif.-Nev. border where guests can choose which state they would like to stay in. In the ’50s it was quite the happening place, but today it stands silent and empty, taking only the occasional guest — a monument to a bygone era of bright-eyed American optimism. This is where writerdirector Drew Goddard (“The Cabin in the Woods”) lays his scene in his new film “Bad Times at the El Royale.” Set over the course of one night, the film follows six strangers, the only guests at the eponymous hotel. Among them is an aging priest (Jeff Bridges, “Only the Brave”), a travelling vacuum-cleaner salesman (Jon Hamm, “Tag”) and a struggling jazz singer (Cynthia Erivo, “Widows”). Each of these people has a secret, and as the night drags on, the guests will learn that not all is as it seems at the El Royale. I won’t mince words: “Bad Times” was the most fun I’ve had watching a movie all year. From start to finish, the film crackles with energy and an ever-building momentum that doesn’t let up until the credits roll. This is largely thanks to the film’s ubertalented cast which features incendiary performances from both its established A-listers and its up-and-comers. Particularly impressive are the performances given by Bridges and Erivo. Bridges brings surprising depth to his often gritty exterior as Father Daniel Flynn, a priest struggling with the onset of dementia. Erivo, meanwhile, gives the powerhouse performance of the film as Darlene Sweet, a jazz singer who never found her big break. Erivo
all but disappears into the kind hearted but jaded singer who’s seen far too much injustice in her lifetime; she plays Darlene with energy, empathy and an unmistakable hint of rage at a world that has never seemed to give her a moment’s rest. Throughout its nearly two and a half hour runtime (which, mind you, never once feels drawn out or tedious), the film draws on a number of stylistic inspirations ranging from the pulp serials and B-movies of the ’50s and ’60s to the character-driven action stylings of Quentin Tarantino. That said, to simply call the film a tribute piece and leave it at that would be wildly underselling the directing and storytelling chops of Drew Goddard. Unexpectedly one of the most visually enthralling films of the year, Goddard’s
“Bad Times at the El Royale” 20th Century Fox Goodrich Quality 16 camerawork takes the audience creeping and swerving through the cavernous El Royale, no doubt a nod to Stanley Kubrick’s iconic tracking shots in “The Shining.” What’s more, Goddard masterfully weaves a story that reaches a thematic depth which elevates the film beyond being just another style-over-substance venture. Goddard isn’t looking to merely replicate his favorite pulp films; he has got something to say. Running through the film like the bright red line that runs through the middle of the El Royale is an exploration of binary choice. American society is all about binary choices: Coke or Pepsi, Apple or Android, liberal or conservative. But, Goddard
asks, do any of these choices really matter? Does the outcome truly differ, or is the appearance of choice merely a tool with which to placate the everyman in a world that is moving increasingly out of his control? The El Royale’s entire business model is based on selling guests the (meaningless) choice between a room in Nev. and a room in Calif. This is where “Bad Times” truly separates itself from the pack in terms of “homage” films; Goddard writes with purpose and intent. The film is all about illusory facades — choice where there is no choice, kindness where there is hatred. It’s for this reason that the gaudy retrofuturist stylings of the ’50s should serve as the perfect aesthetic backdrop for the film; beneath the mask of post-war American prosperity and optimism lay a nation plagued with xenophobia, nationalism and racial unrest. Behind Dwight Eisenhower’s clean-cut military polish lay a government committing humanrights atrocities around the globe. The world of “Bad Times” exists to serve its story and its message, not the other way around. Genre films are often dismissed by critics and cinephiles to the point where the label has become almost condescending. With “Bad Times at the El Royale,” Drew Goddard proves that production value, creative ingenuity and attention to detail need not be reserved for the latest Oscarwinning drama from Tom Hanks and company. The film deserves to be discussed as more than just a genre-homage, and if this film doesn’t generate any buzz come awards season, it will have been a criminal injustice. A complete thrill-ride from start to finish with a thought-provoking message to boot, “Bad Times at the El Royale” is undoubtedly one of 2018’s best releases.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, October 23, 2018 — 7
Michigan wraps up road-trip with weekend split ‘M’ beat MSU, 2-0, in DANIEL DASH For the Daily
The No. 13 Michigan women’s volleyball team hit the road to take on two Big Ten foes this past weekend. The Wolverines (18-3 overall, 7-3 Big Ten) looked to pull off an upset in Champaign on Friday night while battling No. 7 Illinois (18-3, 7-3) in a thrilling match that went down to the wire. When the dust settled, Michigan fell to the Fighting Illini, 22-25, 26-24, 24-26, 25-23, 13-15 despite arg uably the Wolverines’ finest defensive showing of the season. Senior libero Jenna Lerg, senior outside hitter Carly Skjodt and sophomore defensive specialist Natalie Smith all recorded doubledigit digs — finishing with 26, 17 and 16, respectively. Ultimately, attack errors dashed Michigan’s hopes of taking down Illinois. In addition to her seasonhigh 17 digs in the back row, Skjodt led all players with 25 kills on offense while only committing five errors. The match marked Skjodt’s fifth double-double of her magical senior campaign to this point. On a night when Michigan struggled to gain any momentum on offense — yielding just a .185 attack percentage for the match as a team — it turned to Skjodt when she was needed most, resulting in a season-high 76 attempts for the Wolverines’ most powerful pin attacker. Knotted at one set apiece, Michigan and Illinois found themselves deadlocked at the back end of an intense third set with the scoreboard in Huff Hall reading 24-24.
In front of a crowd of 2,542, the Fighting Illini used their height and experience to stave off the Wolverines when it mattered most. In the final two points of the set, Illinois looked to their two tallest seniors — 6-foot-2 setter Jordyn Poulter and 6-foot-3 middle blocker Ali Bastianelli — to secure a pair of crucial kills and close out the set. After that, the Fighting Illini worked around a handful of hiccups in the fourth set to capture a 15-13 win in the match’s decisive fifth set. “Illinois is a really good team — it would’ve been a great win for us,” said Michigan coach Mark Rosen. “Our kids played well, and we had a really good chance in set three, but we couldn’t quite pull it out.” Following the narrow loss, Michigan made the trip to Evanston to take on Northwestern (11-11, 1-9) less than 24 hours later. With little time to digest the previous night’s outcome, the Wolverines put their resiliency on full display from the start. Michigan jumped out to a 9-3 lead — an opening run that set the tone for the Wolverines’ eventual 25-17, 25-23, 25-14 sweep. After splitting their two matches over the weekend, the Wolverines are currently tied for third place in the Big Ten standings. Freshman outside hitter Paige Jones led all players with 12 kills against the Wildcats while registering
an impressive .450 attack percentage — the highest clip against a Big Ten opponent of her young career. Jones’ stat line marked a major improvement from the previous night, when she committed nine errors on 32 swings against Illinois. “Paige is a young player who’s continuing to learn and fig ure out what it takes to be successful day in and day out at this level,” Rosen said. “She struggled (against Illinois) last night, but I thought her rebound tonight was really good. You really have to like that in a player — everyone’s going to have an off night where they struggle a bit, so it becomes a matter of how they respond. I thought Paige responded really well in practice this morning and then in the game this evening for sure.” Meanwhile, the Wildcats held Skjodt, Michigan’s most dangerous offensive weapon, in check throughout most of the match — limiting her to just eight kills and forcing her into five errors. “We kind of expected that (from Skjodt) a bit because she took so many swings last night,” Rosen said. “She was feeling that soreness a little bit today so she was trying to be a smart, shotty player tonight. For her, she can get away with that because she knows when she needs to dial it up. She had a couple huge kills at the end of the second set when it was pretty tight; she knew she had to take a
“She was feeling that soreness a little bit today...”
couple big swings.” On the defensive end, the Wolverines’ weekend at the net was marked by two huge performances by a pair of young middle blockers — sophomore Kiara Shannon recorded seven blocks against the Fighting Illini on Friday and freshman Kayla Bair notched six of her own against the Wildcats on Saturday. “They’re really getting to a high level,” Rosen said of Shannon and Bair. “One’s a freshman and one’s a sophomore so we know we’re going to have to work through that youth and watch them continue to develop, but I thought they took a really big step this past week. Between last night and tonight, but have done a really good job making an impact on the match — they did a great job.” After setting Skjodt a staggering 76 times on Friday night, one of the most noticeable adjustments in Michigan’s approach was its balanced attack during Saturday’s match. Senior setter MacKenzie Welsh paced the offense with 31 assists, and three Wolverines saw at least 15 attack attempts in the team’s bounce-back effort. Welsh’s decision to spread the ball around made her very effective at the helm of Michigan’s offense while keeping Northwestern’s defense uncertain throughout the match. “Mack was really good last night and then really good again tonight,” said Rosen. “She did a great job with her selection, her decisionmaking, and her adjustments when she got a feel for the defense. She’s running a very efficient offense right now.”
EVAN AARON/Daily
Sophomore setter Mackenzi Welsh paced Michigan’s offense with 31 assists in the Wolverines’ straight-set sweep of Northwestern on Saturday.
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STUDY BREAK WEEK 12—4PM OCTOBER 23—24, 2018
Find us near the ENGINEERING ARCH to grab some food and take a break from exams! SPONSORED BY COMET COFFEE, AUM YOGA, ESPRESSO ROYALE, AND BARRY BAGELS!
regular season finale A goal just 40 seconds into the game sparked the Wolverines for their win
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Sophomore midfielder Nicki Hernandez scored a goal in Michigan’s win.
LILY FRIEDMAN For the Daily
Just forty seconds into Sunday’s game at U-M Soccer Stadium, the ball already found the back of the net. After starting strong with an early goal, the Michigan women’s soccer team (5-5-1 Big Ten, 9-8-1 overall) beat Michigan State (0-8-2, 5-9-3), 2-0, ending the team’s regular season with a win on Senior Night. The Wolverines took their early lead off a pass from sophomore midfielder Sarah Stratigakis to sophomore midfielder Nicki Hernandez in the penalty box. Hernandez hit a low shot to the bottom right corner of the net, relieving pressure on Michigan from the start as fans were still adjusting blankets, just settling in to pay attention to the game. “Getting one early was our mission today,” Stratigakis said. “Our energ y was up and I think overall we were playing really well together and as a team.” The Wolverines kept up the momentum throughout the first half, winning balls out of the air and controlling possession with multiple chances in the Spartans’ box. Toward the end of the half, though, Michigan State increased pressure on Michigan’s back line, with one shot hitting the crossbar and almost tying the game. But the Wolverines held the shutout with key saves by sophomore goalkeeper Hillary Beall. “We realized they had some momentum, but we just got together and talked
about what we needed to do as a team, and we continued to high press them and just be more greedy out there,” Stratigakis said. “Once our talent came out, we just outmatched them.” With a 1-0 lead going into the second half, Michigan started converting its possession into chances more readily, with shots on goal from Stratigakis, senior forward Reilly Martin, freshman midfielder Meredith Haakenson and redshirt junior midfielder Katie Foug. In the 73rd minute, sophomore forward Emma Cooper finally made it 2-0 when a corner kick by Foug was tapped by Stratigakis to Cooper who shot from the right side of the box. After the goal, the Wolverines kept up their speed of play and continued to generate chances in the final minutes, including a through ball to Foug resulting in an open net. But the score remained 2-0 by the end of the game despite Michigan’s opportunities in the penalty box. The win, with a finish as strong as its start, earned the Wolverines a place in the Big Ten tournament beginning Oct. 28. Michigan will secure either a seven or eight seed depending on the outcome of Michigan State’s game at Nebraska on Wednesday. “At this point, it’s just about showing up and doing what we’ve been working on every day in training and what we’ve learned in every game,” said Michigan coach Jennifer Klein. “It was a great performance by the team, and I’m very happy with them.”
“... we were playing really well together and as a team.”
Sports
8 — Tuesday, October 23, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Offensive lineman set to Harbaugh doubles down about pre-game antics transfer from Michigan MAX MARCOVITCH Daily Sports Editor
MARK CALCAGNO Daily Sports Editor
James Hudson is leaving the Michigan football team, U-M spokesperson Dave Ablauf confirmed to multiple sources on Monday night. The redshirt freshman offensive tackle saw action in three games this season. After switching from defensive line, Hudson seemed like a potential replacement for fifth-year senior Juwann Bushell-Beatty as a starter along the Wolverines’ offensive line in 2019. But when BushellBeatty left Saturday’s game against Michigan State with a left leg injury, sophomore Andrew Stueber — not Hudson — substituted in. Harbaugh, during his weekly press conference, explained his decision Monday. “(Stueber) has done a good job,” Harbaugh said. “He’s progressing well. He went a little bit ahead (on the depth chart). James had dislocated a finger in a previous ball game, Andrew had more reps and went ahead on the depth chart this week.” Hudson is the Wolverines’ second departure of the
past week. Last Wednesday, redshirt freshman linebacker Drew Singleton announced his intentions to transfer, joining defensive lineman Deron Irving-Bey, tight end Tyrone Wheatley Jr. and receiver Eddie McDoom as previous exits in 2018. The Toledo, Ohio, native was a heavily-hyped prospect “in the ballpark” of a starting role according to Harbaugh. Offensive line coach Ed Warriner echoed Hudson’s improvement on Sept. 12. “His growth over the summer and then this fall has been tremendous,” Warriner said. “He’s fully invested now as an offensive lineman. In the spring he was putting a toe in the water to see what he thought. He gave us a good effort and showed some talent, but there were times it was frustrating for him because it was just so new. To go against our defensive ends every day, it’s challenging. He’s way beyond that. He’s gained confidence in himself and his ability to do the job, knowing what to do when he’s out there.” Hudson will have three years of eligibility remaining once he chooses a new school.
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Redshirt freshman offensive lineman James Hudson is transferring.
The controversy around Saturday’s pre-game rituals didn’t end before the game Saturday. Nor did it end after. Apparently, it’s still not over. Monday afternoon, during his weekly media availability, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh doubled down on his claim that Michigan State and its head coach Mark Dantonio orchestrated the events that transpired. “That that was bush league,” Harbaugh said, repeating a phrase he used after the game. “That it has all the evidence of being orchestrated.” What were those events, exactly? Depends who you ask. It centers around the Spartans’ pre-game walk, a tradition in the program of walking the length of the field with arms linked. Harbaugh says Michigan requested information ahead of time about the timing of that walk, in order to stay off the field until it was over. According to him, the response was vague. “We contacted them because they send us a book, pregame operations, that was the most detailed, finest I’ve ever seen,” Harbaugh said. “Has everything in it, in writing. But (the walk) is not (in it) — so we called them and asked, ‘What time are you guys doing your walk? Because we don’t want to put our players out to warmup until after you guys do your traditional walk.” First, Harbaugh said, they were told it would be at 9:45. Then they were told 9:55. Then, according to Harbaugh, Michigan State responded that it might not even happen. “That walk happened another 10 minutes after that,” Harbaugh said, “and at no point was there any kind of heads up or, ‘Hey, could you guys please leave the field?” Wolverines players remained on the field warming up as the Michigan State players lined up to do the walk shortly after
EVAN AARON/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh believes Michigan State’s pre-game walk was an “orchestrated, storm-trooper march.”
10am. That’s when the altercation transpired, with fifth-year senior defensive lineman Lawrence Marshall getting “clotheslined” and junior cornerback Lavert Hill getting his headphones ripped off his head, according to Michigan. This led to junior linebacker Devin Bush scraping up the Spartans’ midfield logo with his cleats before the game, and the Wolverines proceeding to celebrate on the logo after the 21-7 win. Michigan State players claimed the timing of the walk was ordinary practice, that no team had ever remained on the field while the Spartans were walking. Dantonio addressed the ordeal at a press conference Sunday. His comments hinted at a desire to move forward. “The whole thing to me was sort of juvenile,” Dantonio told reporters. “Things are going to happen in rivalry games. So, I stand by what I said yesterday.” Harbaugh clearly didn’t take kindly to that. “Using the word ‘juvenile,’ I think that’s kind of brushing it under the carpet. Their strength coaches were out there leading it. Their assistant coaches were out there. Coach Dantonio was right
behind,” Harbaugh said. “That had all the ear-markings and evidence of an orchestrated, storm-trooper march.” After the game on Saturday, shortly after Harbaugh said the move was “bush league,” Dantonio denied the claim. “That’s B.S.” Repeat? “You heard me. That’s B.S.” Monday, Harbaugh clapped back. “As I said, it’s the opposite of B.S. Coach (Dantonio) said it was B.S., that’s not B.S., that’s fact,” Harbaugh said. … “I’ll go one step further and use Coach Dantonio’s words from a few years back: ‘It’s not a product of a team, but their program.’ ” Harbaugh called on the athletic directors to discuss the incident, saying, “I think that’s something (Michigan Athletic Director) Warde (Manuel) will address.” Late Monday evening, Michigan State issued a statement once again disputing Harbaugh’s accusation. It reads as follows: “Regarding last Saturday’s pregame timeline, both teams were distributed pregame timing sheets and were in communication earlier
in the week about Michigan State’s pregame tradition of walking the field upon arrival to Spartan Stadium. There has never been an on-field issue with this tradition in the 12 years under head coach Mark Dantonio. The timing of Saturday’s pregame tradition did not change from previous games, nor did the communication change between both schools. MSU was scheduled to leave the Kellogg Center for its walk to the stadium at 9:45 a.m. and left at 9:47 a.m. The team was scheduled to arrive at Spartan Stadium at approximately 10 a.m. and walked the field at approximately 10:02 a.m. As a courtesy, Michigan was granted field access before MSU’s arrival with the understanding from both sides that the U of M student-athletes would leave the field during this tradition. Michigan was on the field prior to 10 a.m. as previously agreed upon, but when multiple MSU staff members asked both U of M student-athletes and staff members to please move off the field for the pregame field walk, this did not occur.” On a related note, Michigan and Michigan State square off again in 390 days. Might want to mark that one on your calendar.
Poole adapting to fill Abdur-Rahkman’s role Boka filling leadership ICE HOCKEY
THEO MACKIE
Daily Sports Writer
Spend any time with sophomore guard Jordan Poole and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman and the difference between the two personalities is instantly apparent. Abdur-Rahkman, now graduated and playing in the NBA’s G League, was perpetually calm and collected. On the other end of the spectrum, Poole is among the most colorful players in college basketball. Even before his now-iconic buzzer beater against Houston in the NCAA tournament, he had become a cult figure among Michigan men’s basketball fans despite averaging just 12.5 minutes per game in his freshman season. While they are polar opposites off the court, Poole now has to step into Abdur-Rahkman’s role as the Wolverines’ starting shooting guard. “Jordan has to have a bigger role now,” said assistant coach DeAndre Haynes on Monday. “And I think he’s accepted that role. And we told him last year, losing Muhammad, we’re gonna have to dial you up a little bit
more.” After a year of working with Poole, Michigan’s coaching staff knows that he will never replicate AbdurRahkman’s composure. But on the court, they need him to replace Abdur-Rahkman’s trademark reliability. Poole’s primary role in the Wolverines’ offense will be as its go-to three-point shooter after they lost their top three deep-ball threats from last season. Three-point shooting, though, has never been a challenge for Poole. Coach John Beilein estimates that he has done 30 to 40 shooting tests in preseason without failing a single one. “For the most part, he’s really had this good feel for, ‘what’s a good shot for me and what’s a good play for me?’ ” Beilein said. “ ‘I’m not gonna turn the ball over, I’m gonna take a quality shot.’ ” Where Poole will have to adapt to his new role is by limiting turnovers. That — along with defense — was the main issue that kept him off the floor for large swaths of his freshman season. He posted 25 turnovers to
just 20 assists, a stark contrast to Abdur-Rahkman’s 132-to-30 assistto-turnover ratio. Since Michigan’s August trip to Spain, though, Poole has developed a newfound ability to protect the ball. In the Wolverines’ 17 practices thus far, he and junior point guard Zavier Simpson have combined for the same assist-to-turnover ratio as Simpson and Abdur-Rahkman did last season. “I think he learned a lot from Muhammad,” Beilein said. “You don’t need to be all out there like that to be really good, you just need to have substance to your game. The assist-to-turnover ratio is really the biggest thing.” Poole’s defensive progress has also bolstered the coaching staff’s confidence in him. Simpson and redshirt junior Charles Matthews took the accolades on that end of the floor, but Abdur-Rahkman was the same reliable presence defensively as he was on offense. While Beilein cites Poole’s lack of turnovers as most significant improvement, Haynes calls his defense “the biggest thing” he’s changed over the offseason.
“These last couple practices, he’s been terrific on the floor defensively,” Haynes said. “Cause we told him last year, ‘Man, you gotta play both ends of the floor.’ And now, he’s starting to do it, and he’s starting to realize that ‘Hey, if I do these things, I can stay on the floor but I can also help my team win.’ “And I think Muhammad is another guy that he shows you what it took, and I think (Poole is) doing it as well, he’s starting to step up and say, ‘I gotta be a better defender this week.’ ” Unlike Abdur-Rahkman, Poole will never be muted in his on-court emotion, nor will he slip under the radar as a hidden star. But after a year of learning from Abdur-Rahkman, he is prepared to fill his void on the court. That, coupled with his signature confidence, is exactly what the Wolverines need. “I always feel like I was built for this stage,” Poole said. “… Me and (Abdur-Rahkman) are two completely different players, but coach (Beilein) wouldn’t have recruited me if he didn’t have faith in me to step into that role.”
EVAN AARON/Daily
Sophomore guard Jordan Poole has improved his defense and assist-to-turnover ratio to help fill the void left by Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman’s graduation.
role for the Wolverines BAILEY JOHNSON Daily Sports Writer
When a team has just three seniors and ten freshmen, such as the No. 12 Michigan hockey team, each senior has to step up and take on a solid leadership role. But that isn’t an issue for senior defenseman Nick Boka, who has been acting as a leader since he was a junior. “I had comments last year, even as a junior, about him reaching out,” said Michigan coach Mel Pearson. “I think he’s got a nice way about him with the players away from the rink, too, especially with the young guys. I think that’s important, to make them feel included.” Boka downplays his role with the Wolverines’ freshmen, but it’s clear that helping out the younger players is something that’s important to him. His freshman year, the 2015-16 season, Michigan also had just three seniors on the team — forwards Justin Selman and Cristoval Nieves and goaltender Steve Racine. The three made an impression on a young Boka, and he tries to follow their example today. “I remember coming in as a freshman, we only had three seniors that year, and just how amazing those guys were to us and all the freshmen,” Boka said. “The way they played, they left it all out there and I think that, for me, is definitely something I try to do.” Perhaps correlated with Boka’s leadership role is a newfound maturity on the ice. Controlling his emotions has always been an issue, but it’s something he’s started to take more seriously in the latter half of his career as a Wolverine. After an incident in January, when he yelled a curse word so loudly that it reverberated inside Notre Dame’s Compton Family Ice Arena, Boka has appeared to have much better control over his mental game. He’s still an aggressive, emotional player,
but it doesn’t go to extremes anymore. “We need Nick on the ice,” Pearson said. “He’s more valuable to us on the ice than in the penalty box. … We told him, ‘Sometimes, it’s tougher to take a bad hit and not retaliate,’ and I think that’s what he’s done this year. He’s shown he can do that.” Working on your mental toughness and emotional control isn’t easy, especially for a player like Boka. But with the help of famed motivational speaker and life coach Greg Harden — who has worked with players like Tom Brady — Boka is figuring out how to keep his emotions from affecting his play. “I can’t thank (Harden) enough for what he’s done for me,” Boka said. “I continue to go see him probably every other week and just talk. Talk about life. He’s helped me a ton.” And it seems that the work on his mental game is paying off. Boka has played some of his best hockey at Michigan since that game against the Fighting Irish in January. The improvement that Pearson saw in the second half of last season has carried through the offseason and into the beginning of this season, with Boka out to one of the best starts of his career after notching two assists in three games. Boka still prides himself on being a shutdown blueliner first and sees any offensive success he has as a bonus. His on-ice role has expanded this year, with his skating ability allowing him to earn playing time on the power play. Pearson says he can play in any situation, but it seems that his biggest role expansion has come off the ice — not on it. “I think (being one of three seniors) is a huge responsibility,” Boka said. “I think little things, giving guys rides or hanging out away from the rink, I think all that goes a long way. That’s something I took away from those three seniors my freshman year.”