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Yo-Yo Ma talks future of art, music and culture Design by Lizzy Rueppel
Sustainable Cultural Indicators Program releases year five report Study findings indicate increased concern for environmental issues in campus community SAYALI AMIN
Daily News Editor
The Sustainability Cultural Indicators Program recently released its five-year report, which tracks the culture surrounding sustainability at the University of Michigan and how it has changed over the course of the program. The findings from SCIP serve to guide operations on campus and address environmental issues within the community. SCIP began in 2012 and has been conducting surveys every year and a half, with the most recent data gathered from winter 2018. The surveys focus on three target populations, which encompass students, faculty and staff. Some of the key findings of the five-year report
include participants are more likely to believe in climate change, waste prevention practices of undergraduates have improved and automobiles as a mode of transportation to work has increased for staff. Robert Marans, research professor at the Institute for Social Research and a professor emeritus of architecture and urban planning, and John Callewaert, integrated assessment center director of the Graham Institute, are the two coprincipal investigators for the program. Marans brought survey expertise to SCIP, while Callewaert was knowledgeable of sustainability goals. “Bob (Marans) and I got involved together,” Callewaert said. “I was bringing the specific knowledge of sustainability goals’ areas along with
Bob’s knowledge of survey research, so it was a good partnership.” Marans said the goal of SCIP is to measure how the University’s culture aligns in certain areas related to the environment and sustainability. “SCIP is really an attempt to evaluate and see how we’re doing in all these areas,” Marans said. “They’re all related to the big goals set up by the University in terms of climate action and waste reduction and healthy environments and community awareness.” Callewaert added that SCIP has also led pilot programs, such as a composting initiative in Bursley, to test whether a certain project could be applied to the larger campus community as a whole.
“The value of what SCIP can do is we are asking people what they know about composting and if they are doing it, just kind of baseline data,” Callewaert said. “Then you can go into a place like Bursley — there’s enough students in Bursley that we can pull out their responses and see if it makes any difference and to kind of evaluate the pilot test before saying we want to do this in every residence hall.” The biggest finding from the recent report, according to Marans, is the increased likelihood that a participant believes in climate change and the increased concern for the environment. See SCIP, Page 3
Renowned cellist visits campus as part of global “Bach Project” SAMANTHA SMALL Daily Staff Reporter
In the packed Hill Auditorium of about 3,500 students, staff and local Ann Arbor residents, Yo-Yo Ma walked out dressed in a black suit matched with a light pink tie. He looked to the crowd, glasses perched on the tip of his nose, standing adjacent to a $2.5 million dollar cello named “Petunia.” At least he didn’t leave it in a taxi this time, he joked. The world renowned cellist was not in Ann Arbor to play a Bach concert suit or to perform with the Silk Road Ensemble — he came to talk about culture, understanding and survival. Starting in August 2018, Ma began his two-year tour of the Bach Project. Ma will travel across the globe to iconic venues like The Red Rock Amphitheatre in Colorado, Washington
National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. and to Ann Arbor’s very own Hill Auditorium. Ma’s project stresses in a world which is constantly changing and threatened by division, it is the role of culture and the arts to shape a better future. The Bach Project does not just celebrate art in its musical form. It also attempts to analyze and rejoice in the diverse ways that art makes each community, each society and the unified planet stronger. Born in Paris, Ma began playing cello at age four. By age seven, he had played for both presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy. After graduating high school at age fifteen, he studied with Leonard Rose at Julliard, and then obtained an anthropolog y degree at Harvard University. See MA, Page 3
Students reflect on campus climate Whitmer ‘U’ denies criticizes after Shapiro tickets sell out in minutes improperly GOVERNMENT
new Title X changes Federal family planning program no longer offers abortion counseling, referrals RACHEL LEUNG Daily Staff Reporter
On Friday, t he Tr ump administ ration a nnounced f ina l cha nges to Title X fa mily pla nning prog ra m, t he federa l g ra nt prog ra m desig ned to prov ide comprehensive fa mily pla nning ser v ices to low-income A merica ns. The new r ule w ill prohibit hea lt h ca re prov iders who receive Title X f unding f rom of fering patients abor tion counseling or referra ls. The Tr ump administ ration f irst proposed cha nges to Title X la st yea r, a nd t he rev isions were met w it h st rong suppor t f rom conservatives. The cha nges w ill go into ef fect 60 days af ter being forma lly published to t he Federa l Reg ister. Gov. Gretchen Whit mer issued a statement shor tly af ter t he proposed cha nges to Title X were a nnounced. Whit mer criticized t he Tr ump administ ration for limiting access to a va riet y of a fa mily pla nning ser v ices. See WHITMER , Page 3
ADMINISTRATION
Young Americans for Freedom to host conservative speaker March 12 CALLIE TEITELBAUM Daily Staff Reporter
Tickets to hear conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro sold out in under two minutes, according to Kate Westa, vice president of the University of Michigan’s chapter of Young Americans for Freedom. Shapiro is the Editor in Chief of the conservative news and opinion website The Daily Wire and hosts his own conservative podcast, The Ben Shapiro Show. YAF, a student organization advocating conservative principles, will be hosting Shapiro on March 12 in Rackham Auditorium. Previous speakers hosted by YAF this year were conservative commentators Steven Crowder
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and Michael Knowles. According to Westa, 617 of 1060 tickets sold were registered under University student emails. Tickets reserved for University students sold out in less than two minutes and tickets for the public sold out in less than 60 seconds with more than 4,200 people on the waitlist, Westa said in an email statement. Westa attributed the high demand for student tickets to what she believes is a desire among the student body for more conservative speakers. “Clearly, these conservative voices are in high demand on campus,” Westa said in the email. “I think because so few conservatives are brought to speak on campus, students are
taking full advantage of these opportunities and are really craving intellectual diversity.” University spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen wrote in an email statement 13 percent of first-year students self-reported as conservative and far right in a voluntary survey over summer orientation. In the 2018 orientation, 4,833 student took the survey, 32 percent reported they identified as “middle of the road,” 43 percent were “liberal” and 13 percent did not select an option. LSA sophomore Taylor Smith said she got tickets to hear Shapiro in order to expose herself to more alternative political views. “I think he’s a very interesting speaker,” Smith said. “I definite-
ly don’t agree with everything he says, but I still think it’s a great opportunity to go and hear different viewpoints than my own.” Smith said she identifies as a moderate and wants to take advantage of an opportunity to hear from a conservative speaker. “I definitely identify as a moderate,” Smith said. “It can go either way depending on the issue. I grew up being surrounded by tons of different opinions across the political spectrum. So it’s definitely given me appreciation for all views. And that’s why I want to go to this. I’ve never really heard a conservative speaker come and talk.” See SHAPIRO , Page 3
investigating SMTD Prof.
University alleges student failed to participate in sexual assault investigation LEAH GRAHAM & ELIZABETH LAWRENCE
Daily News Editor & Managing News Editor
The University of Michigan denied allegations it mishandled sexual assault claims against School of Music, Theatre & Dance professor David Daniels in court documents filed Friday. An attorney for the University said Andrew Lipian, a Music, Theatre & Dance graduate student who alleges Daniels sexually assaulted him, declined to participate in investigations conducted by the Office for Institutional Equity and the Division of Public Safety and Security. Lipian filed a lawsuit in October accusing Daniels of drugging and sexually assaulting him on March 24, 2017. He also alleged the University failed to investigate Daniels after being made aware of complaints against the professor, claiming “OIE did nothing” and “No file was opened.”
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Barger Leadership Institute discusses food security Local community leaders teach on purposes of business and serving society’s greatest needs Barger Institute’s new speaker series. “The speaker series is an opportunity for us to bring in leaders from all different contexts and all different arenas and sectors to kind of share their leadership practices and habits with our students,” Schlitt said. The event targeted undergraduate students in hopes to show that not everyone’s career paths and journeys to leadership are straightforward. “(The main goal is) to expose undergraduate students to individuals whose leadership jour-
neys are not linear, but they’re full and they also encompass a lot For The Daily of different experiences and life Wednesday evening, LSA’s experiences,” Schlitt said. “And Barger Leadership Institute hosthow especially with these two ed the first of their speaker series leaders, how they work through at Weiser Hall. This event feaconnections and connecting to tured Paul Saginaw, the co-foundclients, and community memer of Zingerman’s Community bers and the government and all of Businesses, as well as Eileen these different stakeholders to Spring, the president and CEO of make decisions and to advance Food Gatherers, Michigan’s first the agendas and visions of their food rescue program. organizations.” Mary Schlitt, assistant director Ramaswami Mahalingam, difor the Barger Leadership Instirector of the Barger Leadership tute, described the purpose and Sudoku Syndication Institute and a professor of psymain goals of the first event in the chology at the University, highlighted the uniqueness of the organization. “The unique aspect of BLI is we want leadership development that’s based on liberal arts education, and so the emphasis EASY is on community based learning,” Mahalingam said. Mahalingham explained the institute’s emphasis on valueguided leadership. “I think one of the challenges for any leader is how to connect their leadership style to the values they have,” Mahalingam said. “I mean these two people are examples of how their values are guiding the kind of leadership model they evolve.” The event started off with a conversation facilitated by Mahalingam between both speakers. The conversation commenced with a question about how the individuals’ values had shaped their leadership journey. Spring discussed the most important values that guide her life, highlighting the important role trust plays in the way she interacts with her employees and volunteers, and how it affects the use overall structure of her © sudokusolver.com. For personal only. SPRING BREAK! puzzle by sudokusyndication.com organization. “Trust is the biggest asset that a community organization has, ANNABEL KELLY
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SCIP From Page 1 “One of the early findings was there was a big jump in the number of students and faculty and staff between 2015 and 2018 and those that believed in climate change believed it was impacted by human activity and thought that it was impacting them personally,” Marans said. “There’s a much greater concern and awareness about issues related to climate change, that’s one big takeaway.” In addition, the SCIP data has been used by other students and faculty in their own research. Callewaert said he’s pleased with the number of ways in which the community has interacted with the data. “I’m excited that overtime we’re seeing more and more people use the results,” Callewaert said. “Students that are using it for their research, for their honors theses, for their dissertations — really excited about that. We really have it set it up from the beginning so it’s something people can use.” LSA senior Greg Cog ut has been working with SCIP data since his sophomore year as an Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program stu-
dent. Cog ut’s focus is on the areas of waste prevention and travel transportation, adding that he’s interested in the human behavior aspect of sustainability. “My (UROP) topic was studying human behavior in environmental sustainability,” Cog ut said. “It was really in conjunction with the notion of what SCIP is looking for, identif ying trends at the University realm. We sort of view the University as a living laboratory.” Cog ut recently submitted some of his findings for publication, explaining the tracking of change over time is a unique aspect of SCIP data. “The other academic journals … there weren’t many studies that were very longterm or that large,” Cog ut said. “When you’re dealing with changing human behavior, you really want to have a long study and a large sample population. I tested my own theories about human behavior in environmental sustainability informed by my research and I was able to use the SCIP data.” Marans mentioned this notion of tracking culture and human behavior in the field of environmental sustainability has gained international as well as national interest.
“There’s growing interest not only in other universities in the United States, but around the world in doing what the University of Michigan is doing with respect to measuring and tracking culture of sustainability,” Marans said. “I’ve got a call scheduled next week with a woman in Taiwan. They want to do something similar, they requested some of our data, there are other universities around the world that are interested in doing something
The SCIP data has been used by other students and faculty in their own research like our SCIP program.” Callewaert added that not all findings of the fiveyear report indicate positive changes. He cited increased commute times for staff as a
growing trend over the course of the program. “Some of the more challenging pieces (are) that staff are reporting longer commutes each time,” Callewaert said. “Fewer staff are living in Ann Arbor because of the housing prices, pushing a lot of staff to live further and further out. Their commute times have gone up almost every time, more time on the road, more time in the car. Specifically in terms of climate action that’s a challenge. You have to let people live where they want to live, but it’s so consistent each year staff commute gets further — not so much for faculty because, you know, higher salaries.” As for the future directions of SCIP, a proposal has been put in to receive additional funding to continue tracking trends on campus. Marans said they are hopeful for more time. “The Graham Institute has put in a big proposal to the Provost’s Office to support and continue to support not just the SCIP program but all these other things related to culture,” Marans said. “We’re waiting to see and the proposal was to extend the funding for this work for almost three more years, and we’re fairly optimistic.”
C L I M AT E C H A N G E O U T R E A C H
KARTIKEYA SUNDARAM/Daily BLUElab President Natalie Brown discusses the scientific community’s take on climate change at the Climate Change Outreach Panel at the Shapiro Undergraduate Library Wednesday evening.
MA From Page 1 He has toured as a soloist with a multitude of distinguished orchestras, holds eighteen Grammys, won a Medal of Freedom, made a small appearances on “The Simpsons,” “The West Wing,” and performed on an NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert. Ma is now touring the world in hopes of promoting a seemingly ancient message from Johann Sebastian Bach. After playing a snippet from Bwach on the piano, Ma told the crowd that the selection was just one of 25 different variations of the same piece. “All music is based on variation,” Ma said. “In fact, I would go as far as to say that all life is based on variation. There is infinite variation that exists in nature, and in human nature. Today, we are acutely aware that there is nothing more constant than change. Constant, continual, unrelenting change. But, every change has a starting point and ending point. Just like a spiral, we keep surrounding the same evolving things.” These variations resonated with LSA sophomore Colleen Jones. She told The Daily after the event that she thought it was interesting that someone like Ma could be so consciousness of these ideas. “It is interesting he thinks about and understand the mutability and the ever-changing nature of life in general,” Jones said. “Mutability is like the one constant in our lives — we all have these variations. For Yo-Yo it wasn’t just being an artist it was also his social impact.” There are three specific variations and changes Ma said
impacted his life and have defined his world view and thinking. He noted although these variations might not appear in a standard biography, they are essential to how he practices being a cultural citizen and musician. For the first variation, he took the audience back to the beginnings of his life and career and mentioned the constant stress from his two musician “tiger parents,” and the importance of practicing, or what he calls “the first principal of music.” “Scales, arpeggios: that was my daily diet,” Ma said. “But, I want to talk about a different kind of practice — the practice of experimentation and experience. This is the practice that helped me move from being a cellist to a musician, to thinking about being a cultural citizen. It is through the practice of experience and experiment that we invented culture, and it is through the continual practice of experience and experiments that culture evolves. Life, I’ve found is full of infinite variety.” He said he found this variety in college. One day, he went to the doctor after being questioned about his limp by his future wife and was diagnosed with scoliosis. He had two options: either get a difficult surgery right then or wait until age 23. Once he was engaged, ready to start a family at 23, he thought surgery would be the right choice. “Inevitably, I play like it’s the last time I will ever play a piece,” Ma said. “The fact, that I confronted that as a possibility in the beginning of my performing life. That I could access that feeling at any given moment; that is success. I even grew two inches. Through the surgery, I was given a gift, of liberation. Every day after that I was given a gift.” Ma then transitioned to his
second variation. While studying at Harvard, Ma was exposed to French culture, Russian studies and the German language. However, Ma loved anthropology and archeology the most. He became fascinated with the Kalahari Bushmen tribe and their distinct music, which is found in one of the oldest human rituals today. While traveling to Botswana, he had the honor to meet the !Kung tribe of the Kalahari Bushmen, participating in these ceremonies. “I interviewed this one woman and asked, ‘why do you do this?’” Ma said. “She looked at me and replied; ‘because it gives us meaning.’ That is exactly what culture is for: it gives us meaning. How powerful, how simple, how true: it gives us all meaning.” Ma sais his last variation happened only eight days ago. He and his wife had just returned from the Galapagos Islands. He talks about the bird, lizards and sea lions all living peacefully, evolving over time. He recalled the case of finches, who underwent changes in a short period of time. “We do not see evolution as theory, but as a direct result, as experiences and experiments, not unlike culture,” Ma said. “In this case, natures’ experiences and experiments. Therefore, human activity becomes a dominant force on our planet.The result of our experiences, and our experiments, will be measurable hundreds of years from now.” LSA sophomore Elizabeth Haley told The Daily she found the idea of current choices having a visible effect to be exceptionally striking.
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WHITMER From Page 1 “Title X ensures that ever y person has access to birth control, STI testing, cancer screenings, and other essential health care ser vices — no matter where they live and how much money they have,” Whitmer wrote. “The Trump administration’s actions undermine this bipartisan supported federal-state partnership that has improved the health of women and families for decades.” Whitmer asserted the new changes would reduce the amount of federally f unded clinics, forcing individuals to travel f urther for these health ser vices or go without. She asserted her commitment to protecting health care ser vices and said she will work to prevent the proposed changes. “It interferes in the doctor-patient relationship,” Whitmer wrote. “ When people can’t see their provider of choice, they delay or simply go without care. Along with other newly elected governors, I will explore all options to block these changes. I remain committed to the women and men of Michigan who rely on Title X for access to basic health care ser vices.” Dylan Berger, president of the Universit y’s chapter of College Republicans and LSA sophomore, said in an email inter view that while the members of their organization have a “wealth of
Thursday, February 28, 2019 — 3
SHAPIRO From Page 1 Smith explained the demand to hear Shapiro could be connected to his strong media presence and effective marketing of the event by YAF. “I think because he’s a well known speaker, he captures the media attention from both sides of the political aisle, a lot,” Smith said. “It’s also not someone you see a lot at Michigan. I know YAF is bringing him and they did a lot a lot of marketing prior to this through Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. That’s how I originally heard about it. So I think that definitely had a large impact (on ticket sales) and YAF chapter in general was also marketing.” LSA freshman Chiren Moore, who identifies politically as moderate leaning towards conservative, said students could be eager to hear Shapiro because of an entertainment value he brings to his talks. Moore mentioned Shapiro is known for quick remarks in question and answer portions of speeches, which have thousands of views on his YouTube channel with almost 600,000 subscribers. “I think he’s a pretty controversial figure in that people post videos of him online and just the way he speaks, he has very quick comebacks and stuff like that,” Moore said. “So I think a lot of people want to go see that because he’s entertaining … I think there are a lot of people that agree with him more than people expect … But I think a lot of people are going just to see what happens.” Moore thinks tickets sold out quickly for Shapiro because they were free. “They (the tickets) were free,” Moore said. “So I think that’s a big reason why a lot of people got them — cause you don’t have to pay for them. And I wanted to go because I’ve been listening to him for a while.” Moore said Shapiro’s appearance on campus offers curious college students an opportunity to hear a conservative speaker in attempts to shape their own political views. “I think the reason a lot of people wanted to go, especially college students, is because in college you’re exposed to so many new ideas and it’s a really formative time,” Moore said. “Because of a lot of these students are just now getting to vote … and they’re forming their own political ideas.” Not everyone is as excited about Shapiro’s visit, though. On Feb. 22, Ann Arbor residents and University students gathered to discuss measures against Shapiro’s impending
opinions” about abortion, they hope that Republicans and Democrats in Washington can f ind middle g round in regard to changes proposed for Title X. “ We hope Washing ton is able to come together and reject extremism on both sides of this issue,” Berger wrote. “It’s key to both protect the sacred value of life and g uarantee the personal libert y of all our citizens.” Katie Kelly, communications director for the Universit y’s chapter of College Democrats, said in an email inter view it was disheartening to see the changes the Trump administration has made to Title X. In most cases, abortion ser vices are already excluded from federal f unding prior to the proposed changes. Kelly sees the new rule as limiting access to healthcare for millions of individuals who rely on more affordable clinics for a variet y of reasons. “This is a blatant attack against women and all individuals who take advantage of the ser vices offered by clinics such as Planned Parenthood,” Kelly wrote. “It has been ver y clear for a long time that money from Title X cannot be used for abortion ser vices, so this proposal will hurt the health of those who use these clinics for procedures such as cancer screening, general checkups, or family planning.” Opponents of the changes to Title X are calling the revisions a “gag rule,” which
visit and prepare the logistics for a protest against the event. LSA freshman Sophie Kehrig also expressed concern regarding the visit. They said they worry bringing Ben Shapiro to campus will spread harmful sentiments among college students. They referred to Shapiro’s past statements that minority groups are not “victims in American society” and said people who identify as transgender have “a mental condition in which one believes he or she is of the opposite sex.” “I think he would be harmful because he does this thing where he tries to play like he’s respectable or logical and then will undermine any and all other identities different from his,” Kehrig said. “And his whole trying to take down this idea of identity politics and his idea that there’s a hierarchy of victimhood and that being a really negative thing… taking down other people’s experiences and identities, for what reason I’m never exactly sure, I think is really devise and unproductive. And if you’re saying you want everybody to be heard, this is a man that speaks to the fact that he doesn’t believe everyone’s voice and or narrative deserves to be taken seriously.” Kehrig said they recognize the need to engage in a multitude of conversations with people who hold varying opinions, but believes Shapiro’s talk on campus would more of a negative than positive impact. “I understand the necessity of needing a multitude of opinions and identities and why that’s important even if you don’t agree with it,” Kehrig said. “Not much can get done in an echochamber and I’m cognizant of that. But at the same time there comes a certain point where there is more harm done than good. And I feel like when the harm outweighs the good in a situation like this I think it’s time to reevaluate.” The University’s chapter of College Democrats declined to comment on the event. The University’s chapter of College Republicans did not respond in time for publication. Westa said in an email statement YAF strives to educate University students on conservative values, and hosting Shapiro will offer students a new political perspective. “Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) believes in individual freedom, limited government, free markets, and traditional values,” Westa said in the email. “Our goal on campus is to educate students on conservative values they otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to at school. I can’t think of a better way of doing this than to bring the top conservative speaker of our day to the University of Michigan.”
will prevent providers from discussing abortion options with women or risk losing their federal f unding. Kelly said the changes to Title X demonstrate a continued attack against women by the Trump administration. “By making family planning ser vices like Planned Parenthood choose bet ween Title X f unding and providing comprehensive family planning ser vices, President Trump has essentially implemented a domestic gag rule,” Kelly wrote. “It is unconscionable that our President is attacking, yet again, the health and bodily autonomy of women. These changes will hinder the abilit y of many low income individuals from receiving qualit y medical care.” Public Health junior Trisha Gupte criticized the changes to Title X and said the new rules severely limit women’s choices for their health. According to Gupte, by preventing providers from even discussing the f ull range of healthcare options, the Trump administration is effectively denying individuals the right to make choices for themselves. “ You should have the option to have access to these kinds of ser vices,” Gupte said. “It’s important to have choices. It’s important that ever yone has the opportunit y to make choices that they want to, especially when it comes to reproductive justice.”
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Opinion
4 — Thursday, February 28, 2019
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RAMISA ROB | COLUMN
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FROM THE DAILY
Keep Demanding Diversity and Inclusivity
O
n Jan. 24, the U.S. Department of Education opened an investigation into more than 50 complaints filed by Mark Perry, University of Michigan-Flint economics and finance professor, against the University for discrimination against men. This has subsequently ignited a national discourse over the effectiveness of college diversity initiatives and the University’s own Diversity, Equity and Inclusion plan. His arguments that women-only spaces are discriminatory and that the DEI plan unnecessarily raises University costs are inflammatory and, more importantly, flawed. Spending on an initiative to bring about an inclusive environment cannot be dismissed as mere “administrative bloat,” as he purports it to be. These statements ignore the cultural history of gender-based discrimination and the multitude of other factors that contribute to rises in University tuition. However, the current attention on Perry brings to light the need for a closer look at the DEI initiative and if it has truly delivered on its promise of creating a more diverse and welcoming campus climate. Three years ago, at the beginning of the fall 2016 semester, student members of Black Lives Matter and the Black Student Union protested through walkouts, Diag chalk and marches in response to racist posters found on campus. That October, the University officially launched the fiveyear DEI plan. Since then, the University administration says it has implemented 92 percent of the initiative’s action items. From March to May of this year, the University plans to conduct a midterm assessment of the plan’s efficacy, culminating in a report of findings that will presumably be published this May. It is a fitting time to ref lect on the functionality of this initiative and its effects, or lack thereof, on increasing diversity and helping marginalized groups feel safe on campus. As an educational institution, the University has a responsibility to uphold values of inclusion and respect. The DEI plan has attempted to achieve this by holding campus-wide climate surveys, forming task forces such as REACT, creating spaces like the Trotter Multicultural Center and connecting with networks like Diversity Scholars, to name a few. That being said, the October 2018 DEI Progress Report revealed that so far, the quantitative effects of improving student and faculty diversity have been somewhat minimal. Action items and numbers vary from school to school, and it may be too early to see long-term results, but the lack
of change means the program has not yet completed its goals. Therefore, it is crucial that the University continues to work with students on improving and implementing the DEI plan. We acknowledge the work that has been done by the
The University has a responsibility to uphold values of inclusion and respect initiative so far and implore that it continue with full force and a consistent commitment to seeking student input. While it is crucial that the University makes a rigorous effort to create an inclusive, diverse and equitable campus environment, this responsibility should not fall solely on the administration. The student body plays a critical role in bringing these attitudes into the U-M community. After all, the DEI itself was born in large part out of the activism of students, particularly the Black Student Union’s 2013 #BBUM campaign. It has been six years since that effort, and we cannot expect the DEI plan to be successful without our involvement in its programs. It is essential that students give their full participation in fostering a positive discourse with their peers. It is equally necessary that students maintain a dialogue
with the administration and voice their concerns about diversity, equity and inclusion on campus to ensure the impact of the DEI plan is meaningful. Much of the DEI plan’s success is dependent upon the quality of its programs and initiatives. However, without student input, the plan is destined to become a mostly top-down venture. The University has set aside a significant amount of money to make changes students have argued for, and the student body should take full advantage of this opportunity. The forthcoming three-year report presents a chance to organize and engage. Hopefully, students will react to the findings with new ideas and a reinvigorated drive to make an impact as opposed to responding with a lack of interest. As students, we have made it clear that having a campus that fosters diversity, equity and inclusion is one of our fundamental values. Contrary to what people such as Perry might believe regarding “administrative bloat,” these initiatives perform a vital role by bettering the campus climate. The focus of our community should now be to hold administrators accountable to the promises they made in the DEI strategic plan, to elevate the concerns, ideas and demands of students and to encourage more participation amongst the student body in bringing about this positive environment. We look forward to the release of the three-year report and the renewed sense of engagement we hope it brings.
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T
A game of silencing Sansa Stark
oday’s most popular and anticipated drama show, “Game of Thrones,” televises a brutal, misogynistic medieval world. Though the violent fantasy series has been criticized for its problematic use of rape as a plot device, it has also been praised for subverting the gender norms of the complex, fictional society and creating nuanced female leaders. From a compassionate, ambitious heroine in Daenerys Targaryen to an enigmatic, bloodthirsty villain in Cersei Lannister, the show tells us there are many ways to be a strong woman in Westeros — but is it the same in our real world? In the discussion of femme power in the Seven Kingdoms, Sansa Stark, the stereotypically feminine character — who initially knits for leisure and wears pretty gowns — often misses the cut. Young Sansa, the underdog of tragedies in the show, amassed viewer distaste that was similar to the reactions to characters like Viserys Targaryen and Joffrey Baratheon and made it to a list of the six most despicable characters on “Game of Thrones,” with a paragraph that lambasted her as “utterly useless and whiny.” Memes about Sansa Stark have been milling around the internet, one of which features her realistic, painful expression when her father Ned Stark gets decapitated. The caption reads: “Bitch calm down, you cry like 99.9% of the time.” This hatred for Sansa Stark reflects internalized sexism towards traditionally feminine characters. Many Reddit threads presently deem Sansa Stark deserving of what they call her “garbage life,” and criticize her for fancying the nefarious Joffrey (though we are shown she was conditioned to worship him as her future husband). In season one, episode six, when Sansa slowly begins to question Joffrey, he apologizes to her and says: “I will never disrespect you again,” and she takes his word for it. Yet she is the one blamed for perceiving the good in a vicious man. But this hatred for “gullible” women is familiar. Many young girls — myself included — chose manipulative, cocky men in our teen years and later bear the repercussions with the shamefaced label: stupidly
falling for the bad boy. Baffled by this abhorrence for such a relatable character, I asked my followers on Instagram through the story option: “Why is Sansa Stark not a strong character?” One of the responses stated: “She could pick up a sword once in a while like Arya.” Other answers included: “She is a dumb girl but learning.” All of the responses depict our inability to recognize a woman’s strength and intelligence when they are stereotypically feminine and lack masculine traits. The comparison between Sansa and Arya has historically favored the latter, indicating a common Hollywood fallacy that a “feminist” story must focus on iconoclastic women who can physically fight like men. Arya Stark (who resembles a delinquent tomboy) has a much larger fanbase than her sister, Sansa, who encompasses the prototypical girly, privileged girl we’ve become accustomed to seeing in the real world. And similar to reality, her passivity throughout the show is misinterpreted as weakness by fans. Unlike other inherently badass female characters, Sansa is non-violent and does not give loud, rousing speeches. It is this conformist femininity that the audience misconceives as her transgression because she isn’t the usual fantasy heroine. The preference for Arya arises from the inherent social pedestal of masculine characteristics and the hatred for Sansa parallels our animus towards “ordinary” girly women. The audience’s selective idolization of the Stark sisters mirrors some of the double standards present in our society today. If we are truly feminist, we should be able to credit all kinds of women as equally strong — tomboys, girly and androgynous. Our tendency to revere characters who aren’t like other girls and scorn Sansa Stark demonstrates normalized sexism. The audience’s disdain for Sansa’s strength exhibits the skewed, sexist vision of female power in our world — one that precludes traditional femininity and symbolizes an implicit rebuke for passive, unassertive women. On the other hand, the writers of the show have attempted to balance
the discourse on strong females, not privileging one narrative over another. In this groundbreaking show, where women own dragons, possess unworldly martial skills and sit on iron thrones, unarmored Sansa Stark fearlessly perseveres. In “Game of Thrones,” where characters have dropped like flies, Sansa Stark, the so-called lone wolf, has survived. But our inability to appreciate her perseverance shows how little we are able to accept traditionally feminine characters. Arguably, Sansa Stark is the most reasonable and resilient character — one who snubs the idea that strength only stems from swords. Her internal fortitude remains consistent through five seasons of endless torture from her Lannister nemeses. Sansa has never needed a weapon or superpowers, because her proclivity to withstand pain with her bullet-proof vest brings her back to power in Winterfell. After winning the Battle of Bastards in season six, she kills her husband, Ramsay Bolton, and softly fires the most hard-hitting dialogue that distinguishes her unique competence from the supernatural charisma fans expect from leaders of both genders. But no matter what she does, Sansa Stark remains unacceptable to some fans. After judging Sansa for her initial submissiveness, many remain vexed at her development in season seven. In 2017, a mid-series TV Guide open letter to Sansa Stark berated her as overly aggressive towards Jon Snow and underestimated her ascension as “playing right into Littlefinger’s hands” — which, ultimately, proves false, because Lord Baelish is now dead. If we were all waiting for Sansa to unravel her “real” strength but cannot accept her leadership now, then we are erecting a spectrum of what constitutes acceptable “strong” female gender expression with a narrowing crevasse between weakness and hostility.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com Ramisa Rob can be reached at rfrob@umich.edu.
ABBIE BERRINGER | COLUMN
I
The engagement epidemic
f it hasn’t happened to you yet, it soon will. You open up your social media for the first time during the day and there it is: the engagement photo. Maybe it starts with that girl you knew back in middle school, then a few acquaintances from high school. You are surprised at the high school sweethearts who made it this far (and skeptical of how long they will last). I mean, that guy did cheat on all of his previous girlfriends. Then, one day, it will be a friend. You get that little shiver up your spine before pushing it out of your mind completely. It still isn’t completely real until — bam! It happens to your ex. Yep. You open up your phone and see his mom, your mom and the whole community congratulating him on his engagement. Yikes. Now it’s real. Meanwhile, you can’t even keep a cactus alive. You don’t know where you will be living in six months, let alone have anyone you’d remotely consider starting a life with. You still eat Kraft mac and cheese for dinner multiple nights a week and talk to your mom on the phone everyday. How on earth are people your age getting married? Moments like these happen periodically throughout one’s life, but they just keep increasing in intensity until you reach what I have dubbed “the engagement epidemic.” There is the first time one of your friends has a boyfriend, the first time one of them has sex, the first teen pregnancy and on and on it goes. However, thus far, nothing has hit me quite like the engagement epidemic. It seemed like one day it was one person and the next I blinked and my whole Instagram feed
was filled with shiny diamond rings and happy tears. I was left wondering whether I was falling behind, or if everyone else had gotten ahead of themselves. I always hear people make similar judgments, too. “Oh, they got married way too young,” and “they took things way too fast.” Or, conversely, “If they don’t get engaged soon, they are bound to break up,” or, “If they don’t find someone soon, it will never happen.” It seems like everyone has an opinion on love and what the right course of action is when choosing your path. Some say you should be single and live life while you are young and wait until your late 20s — or even early 30s — to get married. Meanwhile, others say it is better to find someone you want to spend the rest of your life with while you are young so you can go on adventures with them. Then, most famously, there are those who always say, “When you stop looking, that is when it will happen.” Yet, when I look back now at all the moments where I have received contradictory advice or where I felt like everyone was f lying by me while I was stuck in quicksand, I don’t feel like I missed out. Everything that has happened in my life has happened right on time for me. Everybody has their own priorities and own experiences that all shape who they will become and how fast they are going to get there. By the time my mother was 23, she knew she was done with players. She said she pretty much hated men altogether and had nearly resigned in her quest to find the perfect one. She met my dad that same year and said within just a few weeks she knew he was the one. She told him she was giving him one year and no longer to make up
his mind and propose. I’ve told that story to other people who say, “One year? My parents dated for six years — one is way too soon.” Maybe the truth is we should all reserve our judgments about those doing life at different speeds than us. This sounds like the “yeah, duh” answer, but aren’t we all at least a little guilty of thinking we are doing it the better way or, conversely, worrying we are doing it all wrong? We expect to follow a linear path put forth for us by Hollywood clichés or we feel guilted by family members who have exceedingly high expectations. We feel lonely, sad or confused by all that is changing around us and everyone we know that is moving onto the next stage of their lives. We should feel confident, however, that we will get there. So many older adults have said it must be true: life f lies by in the blink of an eye. We shouldn’t wish a single moment of it to move faster and we can’t slow it down. When we spend our whole lives looking forward at what we want or backwards at what could have been we risk missing the wonderful stage of life we are in at the present moment. Never again will we be so young or so free. At risk of sounding like a cheesy pop song, I say we can’t afford to always be living life with regrets. We all make mistakes, take detours and trip over our own two feet. And though it is not the path for all of us, most of us will wake up one day feeling like we have met “the one.” I am sure it won’t happen a moment too soon or a second too late for a single one of us. Abbie Berringer can be reached at abbierbe@umich.edu.
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Arts
Thursday, February 28, 2019 — 5
The good, the bad and the ugly: Fantasy Oscars 2019 An old Daily Arts Writer used to call the Academy Awards “our Superbowl” in the sense that this was to be the Sunday night in February where we get winedrunk and yell at our illegal streams HDMI-ed to the T.V. I’m not perfectly down with this idea: A) because I don’t know if we should be making identity-politic statements that suggest you can only like one and not the other, and B) because I don’t know of anyone who watches movies that would want any ownership over the slate of nominations (and winners!) we got this year. But a football fan could say the same thing about their Superbowl this year, so maybe the analogy holds. That being said, we went on and made this year’s Oscars as close to the Superbowl as we could. The film beat played a game of “Fantasy Oscars,” the whole setup the brain-child of our great writer Anish. Split into four teams of two, each pair of Daily film Writers drafted a team of four general nominees and one best picture nominee. If the same movie showed up in multiple different categories — an example being Spike Lee’s (“Do the Right Thing”) “BlacKkKlansman,” nominated for adapted screenplay, director, best picture and supporting actor — then each individual nomination was available to be drafted and scored separately. For their final Best Picture pick, the teams were allowed to choose the same nominee and drafted blind to avoid one team’s pick swaying another’s. Teams were told to pick based on what they thought should win, not on their own hopes and dreams. We randomized the order, then snake-drafted from left to right to left in the order below. Each of our teams wrote little blurbs before and after the ceremony about their confidence/fears going into the night, as well as their reactions to how their teams fared. — Stephen Satarino, Daily Film Editor
BEFORE: We believed “Roma” was owed many things. Art doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves, though, especially not in ethnocentric contexts, so we thought our safest bet would be “Roma” for Best Foreign Language Film. That was our first draft; our fifth was “Roma” for Best Picture. The latter was a wish. My Nana sends me a screenshot of Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”) holding an award every time she sees that he’s won something else for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Given the number of these texts I’ve received, Malek’s Golden Globe win, this Oscar season’s generosity toward popular films, and the way Malek says “darling” with a British accent, he was our man for Best Actor. Spike Lee has never been recognized as Best Director. We repeat: Spike Lee has never been recognized as Best Director. See our third draft pick. Fourth, we drafted Regina King (“Watchmen”) for her performance in “If Beale Street Could Talk.” The best part of one of movie outings earlier this year was when I first saw the “Beale Street” trailer. The best part of the trailer, aside from its hint at the majestic score, is King’s majestic animation of his majesty James Baldwin’s words. She was the highlight of the film. — Julianna Morano, Daily Arts Writer
As we approach the end of this awards season, my cynicism about the Oscars has only grown. The Academy has proven, time and time again, that it is the outof-touch, mercurial trainwreck we believe it to be. To exacerbate what will be the shakiest Oscars telecast of the last few years, the nominees themselves are … less than stellar. For these reasons, picking our draft team was a coldly unemotional process. There
was little conflict between my own wishes and my expectations for what films would win in each category: I rarely felt moved enough by even one nominee to hope for its success. With that dose of pessimism out of the way, I do feel confident about my picks. First, we chose “Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse,” a film that emerged seemingly out of thin air at the end of last year to overtake “Incredibles 2” as the front runner for animated awards. Next we chose Glenn Close (“Crooked House”), the star of a film I’ll probably never see called “The Wife.” As much as I hate to admit it, she’s confidently diminished Olivia Coleman’s (“Them that Follow”) and Lady Gaga’s (“American Horror Story: Hotel”) chances at the Best Actress award. Sorry Ally! Our third choice is Mahershala Ali (“True Detectuve”) as Best Supporting Actor in the year’s most controversial movie, “Green Book.” As much as Sam Elliot (“The Ranch”) tearing up while backing out of the driveway broke my heart in “A Star is Born,” Ali is a strong favorite due to his typically measured performance and considerable detachment from the criticisms of “Green Book.” Fourth, we chose “The Favourite” for Best Original Screenplay for little reason other than that it was a category frontrunner according to experts. (It’s also one of the two Best Picture nominees I loved.) And finally, for our fifth pick, we overlapped with the other teams on the likely Best Picture Winner: Alfonso Cuarón’s (“Gravity”) “Roma.” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Green Book” lurk in the background as the dark horses
CHRISTINE JEGARL / DAILY
that could shatter this outcome, but I guess we film writers are an optimistic bunch. It’s time to stop predicting and start praying. — Anish Tamhaney, Daily Arts Writer
Assembling our team the week before Oscar Sunday, Team MichalskerHelm felt reasonably confident, but our confidence has waned as the night approaches. Our first three picks are solid, but the odds in the Lead Actor race have begun to favor Rami Malek as he has picked up other industry awards including the BAFTA and SAG equivalents of the Best
Actor Oscar. The SAG is especially telling, as it’s usually a reliable indicator for the acting awards. The Best Picture pick that makes up the fifth round is mostly meaningless as we’ve all picked “Roma,” but the race is a bit more complicated than that. “Green Book” is a strong if controversial contender, and there’s a chance that the acting branch of the Academy votes for “A Star Is Born” en masse to make up for the perceived snub for Bradley Cooper’s (“Avengers: Infinity War”) directing. The same thing happened in 2013 when Ben Affleck (“Justice League”) wasn’t nominated for “Argo,” which would go on to
win Best Picture over the favored “Lincoln.” The preferential ballot – when voting for Best Picture, the Academy doesn’t vote for a single film, they rank the nominees which are assigned points accordingly – also means that more broadly appealing films like “Black Panther” have a shot, as well. Still, with Alfonso Cuarón’s masterful work behind the camera a lock for the Best Director trophy, “Roma” remains the favorite – no pun intended. — Jeremiah VanderHelm, Daily Arts Writer
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CHRISTINE JEGARL / DAILY
AFTER: Oscar Sunday was a whirlwind – no host, lots of sexual tension and some not-so-surprising wins. Though the ceremony opened with the trifecta to end all trifectas (Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph and Tina Fey), the Oscars eventually returned to its tried and true formula, proving that, for how progressive Hollywood likes to think it is, the system still rewards mediocre films for increasingly unclear reasons. But it’s all fine if the good movies and people get awarded somewhere, right? Spike Lee’s talents were finally recognized with “BlackKklansman” for Best Adapted Screenplay (we were hoping for Best Director), but this and other wins were tainted
when “Green Book” snagged Best Picture. Naively, our team, the whole section really, held out for “Roma” in this category – we put our faith in the Academy, hoping they would overcome their infatuation with “Green Book.” Unsurprisingly, though, they were hooked, and audiences will talk about this moment for years to come. Overall, our draft team did relatively well: “Roma” won Best Foreign Language Film, Regina King picked up Best Supporting Actress and Best Actor went to Rami Malek for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” It was a predictable ceremony that really just left me wishing I could also give Samuel L. Jackson (“Glass”) a koala bear hug. — Emma Chang, Senior Arts Editor
While I’m not surprised at all about it, I’m beyond happy that Cuarón received recognition for his direction. It’s the least the Academy could do to make up for their decision to give “Green Book” the Best Picture award. I’m excited to see what this win means for the artistic futures of both Cuarón and Netflix. Deep down, I’m pretty surprised Colman won the Oscar, even though she was my draft pick. Glenn Close would probably have been the safer pick, considering she’s a seven-time Oscar nominee and this is Colman’s first nomination. While the cynical part of myself speculates that the Academy gave Colman the Oscar to give “The Favourite” some sort of recognition, I like to think they did because Colman simply gave
the best performance of all the actresses nominated. The Academy’s choice of “Green Book” for Best Picture makes it abundantly clear that the Oscars have long stopped being relevant in any way that matters. For “Green Book” to even be nominated, let alone win, shows just how out of touch Academy voters are. To choose “Green Book” over “Roma,” a nearly universally adored masterpiece, is a conscious vote for tradition over progress. — Elise Godfryd, Daily Arts Writer You never dream of a three-way tie when setting these things up, but alas, we will have to wait until next year to crown a champion
of the Film section. Congrats to all three of the teams who scored three points. Ian and Anish will be both banished to the realm of reviewing terrible Netflix originals like “The Kissing Booth” or something. I thought the ceremony ran very well without a host, and I hope, for the sake of all of our future Sunday nights, we won’t see a return to the old format any time soon. Other than adapted screenplay and best picture, I was pretty okay with the awards given out. It’s difficult to get excited for 2018’s award season since 2017 was such an unbelievable year (2016 too). Anything receiving the vaunted best picture award in a year like this, while movies like “Lady Bird,” “La La Land,” and “Whiplash” go on best-picture-
less, was never going to feel quite right. The best case would be, in a year like 2018, having the option to retroactively use our 2019 best picture award up on something that the Academy whiffed on in years past. In a perfect world, we went back on Sunday night to 1990, to “Do the Right Thing,” to Spike Lee. Oh well. On to the next year. Here’s hoping for bigger and better things with sounder, less offensive choices at the Dolby Theatre when we visit the Oscars again. — Stephen Satarino, Daily Film Editor
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Arts
6 — Thursday, February 28, 2019
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
DAILY COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN
TV REVIEW
Art for the artist’s sake
HBO
‘Last Week Tonight’ rises while the U.K. crumbles MAXWELL SCHWARZ Daily Arts Writer
Rest assured, the world is on fire. From hunger, to war, to exploitations of the democratic system in America, everything is awful. It’s not a secret, but the world has collectively agreed to treat it as such. John Oliver wants to let us all in on the secret as gently as possible. In the sixth season premiere of his Emmy-winning news satire, Oliver takes on what many British parliamentary members are unwilling to: Brexit. Like with most of the abstruse news he covers, Oliver builds the horror show that is Brexit in incremental, satirical bits. That is, until he lets it all come crashing down. Oliver wastes no time in recounting how the U.K. managed to get itself in this mess, first by comparing the term “Brexit” to calling an animal strangling “otter erotic asphyxiation.” Oliver explains that the U.K. was supposed to move in orderly stages in its transition. Instead, Prime Minister Theresa May’s colossal, 585-paged diplomatic trainwreck of a deal with the European Union has been rejected by Parliament. The U.K. is hurtling towards a March 29th deadline without a deal, and the consequences are dire. Some of the key ones Oliver delineates are the hard border in Ireland — Google “IRA Bombings” if you’re unsure of why this would be a problem — the lack of medicine, and how to transport one’s horse to and from
other countries. (Oliver suggests removing its shoes and putting in through the X-ray belt at the airport.) No good story is complete without a villain, and the antagonist Oliver settles on is Boris Johnson. Johnson is a member of Parliament for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, famous for poem he wrote about Turkish President Erdogan having sex with a goat, and was a prominent figure for the “Leave” vote in the 2016 referendum. Good thing his last name is a euphemism for “dick,” then. Oliver highlights
U.K. economy is poised to fall by 3.9 percent in 15 years when they leave the EU. However, if they leave the EU without a vote — which looms closer as a possibility, given that the EU is done negotiating — then the U.K. economy could fall by 9.3 percent. It is, in Oliver’s words, “like “Pompeii if Pompeii had voted for the volcano.” If that wasn’t bad enough, the U.K. is in position to experience medicine and food shortages, resulting in “Brexit Boxes,” which are boxes containing paint cans of wet meat for things like fajitas. Any light at the end of the tunnel is quickly snuffed out. The “Breuinon Boys,” a Dutch boy-band whose sole purpose is to reunite the U.K. with the EU, is just as bad as it sounds. They are, Oliver says, a “pretty compelling argument to leave the EU under any terms necessary.” At the end of it, we get a rousing Churchillian speech about how valiantly “We will fuck ourselves” until we reach a victory that tastes like “mummified chicken fajitas.” “Last Week Tonight” is bold and daring. John Oliver isn’t afraid of anyone and seeks to let us down as easily as possible, throwing in jokes to soften the blows. For everything that’s going wrong in the world, “Last Week Tonight” is a brief light in the otherwise suffocating darkness of endless news cycles and tragedies. The world may be falling apart, but John Oliver is going to help us understand it — and even enjoy it a little.
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Season 6 Premiere HBO Sundays 11 p.m.
a ridiculous incident in which reporters attempted to question Johnson about the hard border in Ireland, and Johnson ignored them. By riding away. Slowly. On his bicycle. This is probably because the only question Boris Johnson can answer, Oliver says, is “what would it look like if Gordon Ramsay was tumble-dried on high?” Amid all the jokes, though, Oliver makes sure to remind us of how grim this situation is. By the government’s own findings, the
SINGLE REVIEW: ‘THE BONES’
I am currently playing bass in the pit orchestra of Runyonland Production’s “Merrily We Roll Along.” Last Sunday, we had our “sitzprobe” rehearsal. For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s German for “seated rehearsal.” It’s the first rehearsal with the pit and the cast in the same room, and it’s a chance for the everyone to focus only on the music without worrying about staging, choreography or dialogue. Before the sitzprobe, a friend from the pit told me about how much he looks forward to sitzprobes. “It’s my favorite part of the rehearsal process,” he said. “It’s by far the most musical part of the show.” My friend and I have both played in a couple of pit orchestras at the University of Michigan, and we’ve been through this rehearsal process many times. We know the drill with these shows: A week of two to three hour rehearsals after the sitzprobe, running through the show each night until the music becomes second nature. This is when the show comes together, individual scenes being repeated until the entire play flows seamlessly. Personally, I’ve always found the opening night to be the most exciting part of the process. After so many rehearsals in front of a critical production crew, I love the energy that comes from a live audience — the laughs, cheers and applause at the end of every song. It’s this attention, energy, pride and adrenaline that makes the whole rehearsal process enjoyable for me. But to my friend, the audience matters little in the rehearsal process. He does these shows to make music with strangers in a fun, collaborative environment. We are incredibly lucky to have one of the strongest musical theater programs in the world here at the University. There are few other places in the world where musicians have the opportunity to work with such incredibly talented actors and singers over the course of a week to pull together a coherent show. It is this process, and not the final product, that draws my friend to pit orchestra jobs. This got me thinking about creator-centric art — art made for the artist’s sake. Terms such as this are frequently used to discredit certain artists and artistic movements, particularly more abstract styles from the 20th century. I’ve heard
these works described as insular and inaccessible, their creators described as self-indulgent and selfobsessed. Why should a layperson care about art not written for the layperson, as many have asked. As a young musician and composer, I heard these criticisms launched at the dissonant, abstract music of the post-war European classical music composers. The late music of Schoenberg, for
SAMMY SUSSMAN example, is built almost entirely on serialism. It is inexpressive in the Romantic sense almost by design — notes, rhythms and dynamics intentionally randomized past the point of comprehension. The composer indulges in logic puzzles and restrictive compositional processes with little to no regard for how the music may sound. In becoming more familiar with this music, however, I have learned to get past this criticism. This music demands a different understanding than that of pre-atonal music. While one can choose to view this music as self-indulgent, one can also accept these indulgences and move past them. And though we may view this music as uniquely inaccessible and self-indulgent, this criticism has been levelled at art throughout history. In musicology, for example, we recently studied the Beethoven piano sonatas. To modern audiences, they are the epitome of solo piano music. Nearly every pianist has played through at least one sonata. Many can call up multiple sonata openings from memory. These pieces had a very different cultural connotation when they were composed: They were written not for aristocratic social functions or public concerts but for private study by the performer. These pieces, so quintessential to the public piano concert as we currently conceive of it, were
Classifieds
once difficult etudes that rarely saw public performance. They are harmonically and melodically complex, both difficult to perform and difficult to consume. As such, they were not regularly appreciated by audiences of the day. These pieces were criticized for the exact same reason that we currently criticize post-war classical music composers. They were written for the composer’s own interests, not for the mutually accepted standards of “beautiful” music in fashion at the time. Another example of this is Beethoven’s “Große Fuge (Op. 133).” This piece was derided upon its premiere for being rhythmically dissonant and harmonically incoherent. Even today, nearly 200 years after the work was composed, audiences and string quartets still struggle to fully understand the piece. It’s a violent conglomeration of pseudo-atonal gestures, a work perhaps more at home among the Ligeti string quartets than the works of Beethoven’s immediate contemporaries. If any piece of Beethoven’s is self-indulgent and inaccessible, it would be this piece. “And why didn’t they encore the Fugue? That alone should have been repeated!” Beethoven reportedly responded to the piece’s negative premiere. He cared little for what the audience thought of the work as he knew it was successful. And though it has taken the music-consuming public nearly 200 years to fully understand this work, it is beginning to move from the realm of self-indulgent to the realm of expressive and beautiful. Some artists create for the sake of the audience member. Others create for the sake of creating. Both styles of creation have their benefits and their weaknesses. But neither can be valued over the other, nor can works created under one be criticized for this. My friend in the pit orchestra, for example, participates in these pit orchestras for the music making opportunities. I participate in pit orchestras for the performances and the opportunity to present my work to others. What matters in the long run, I’ve begun to realize, is the quality of the art being created, not the means by which it is created. If an artist needs to make art for their own sake, so be it. So long as it has artistic value, the terms of its creation matter little.
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If you’re into country music but don’t actually like country music, good news: Maren Morris is releasing her new album GIRL on March 8th. In case you weren’t paying attention, Maren Morris is an artist most famously known for her collaboration with Zedd on 2018’s most persistent EDM earworm, “The Middle.” Interestingly enough, the song places itself within a series of Morris’s pop music collaborations that spanned late 2017 to mid-2018 — it was meant to be characteristically uncharacteristic of her. However, GIRL stays true to the classic pop-country sound she introduced in her 2017 debut with Hero. And the exposure’s done well for promotion — her release of single “Girl” last month achieved the highest debut on the Country Streaming chart and overall highest weekly streams for a female country artist. Now, in the week leading
up GIRL’s release Morris has released her track titles and another single, “The Bones.” “The Bones” follows all the pop country conventions you’d expect: A gentle acoustic guitar intro, lyrics about love and its tribulations, claps, a dynamic lead up to the dramatic chorus
‘The Bones’ Maren Morris Columbia Nashville — the list goes on. Just think about the way you felt listening to Taylor Swift’s Fearless for the first time 10 years ago and you’ll know what I mean. This isn’t to say the song is dated or that it lacks ingenuity; it’s gorgeous and deserves all that hype from the country comunity. The instrumentals are sparse and bare, providing special
attention to each instrument that builds up to the chorus and the succeeding metamorphosis throughout the following verses. Morris’s vocal range is also astounding, shifting to falsettos effortlessly and adding some necessary texture to the song. And these aren’t just any old lyrics — try getting “the house don’t fall when the bones are good” out of your head. “The Bones” is nothing new, but it deserves a space after that throwback Taylor Swift bop in your next “country” playlist. As a pop country hybrid, it serves its genre well in its amiable nature and capacity to capture feelings we don’t necessarily have to feel to understand. So get into the daydreams only your nine-yearold self could conjure as you sing “Call it dumb luck, but baby you and I / Can’t even mess it up” into your hairbrush. — Diana Yassin, Daily Arts Writer
ACROSS 1 Hornet and Matador 5 Tech-savvy school gp. 11 Higher ed. test 14 Fail to save one’s skin? 15 Bring back to the firm 16 35-state Western org. 17 Spot to spread out a ship’s map, maybe? 19 “The Racer’s Edge” 20 “American Gods” actor McShane 21 Shell material 22 Milk by-product 23 Yale’s Mr. Yale 25 Sailors dealing with a ship’s cargo? 28 Most warm 30 Barbershop staple 31 Industry mogul 32 Seedy abode 36 Sushi choice 37 Awesome things near the front of a ship? 38 Sweetie, in slang 41 Snore 42 Numerous 43 Gave one’s word 45 Often recyclable tech products 47 Backwards glance on a ship? 51 Adams who shot El Capitan 52 Tiny parasites 53 Secluded valleys 55 __ Lanka 56 Imaginepeace. com artist 57 Strength measure of the ship cook’s spirits? 60 Ref’s call 61 “Her cheeks are rosy, she looks a little nosey” girl in a 1962 #1 hit 62 Like crazy 63 Sun, in Ibiza 64 Use a combine 65 Soccer followers? DOWN 1 Restaurant review factor 2 Get all preachy
3 Kind of psychology 4 Criterion: Abbr. 5 Neighborhood 6 Climbing plant 7 One-named “Hollywood Squares” panelist 8 Defamation in print 9 Web address 10 Spelling event 11 “Jeepers, I wouldn’t think of it!” 12 Not for kids 13 2018 awards event hosted by Danica Patrick 18 African herd 22 GPS navigation app 24 QE2 designation 26 Drift off 27 Dutch artist Frans 29 Gardening tool 33 Punching tool 34 With 42-Down, like some bobsleds 35 Harley Davidson’s NYSE symbol
37 Stable environment? 38 Jazz improv highlight 39 Waiting area 40 Some cosmetic procedures 41 Hot under the collar 42 See 34-Down 43 Hammered 44 “No hard feelings, dude” 46 Winged stinger
47 Vegas attraction 48 Rubberneck 49 Stan’s slapstick pal 50 Naval bases? 54 Gloating word usually repeated 57 Setting at 0 degrees long. 58 “This is so relaxing!” 59 West Coast athlete
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, February 28, 2019 — 7
Amid struggles, ‘M’ looks for solution For seniors, a long, worthwhile path
I
n the moments after Sunday’s loss to Michigan State, a frustrated Isaiah Livers made his rounds through the Michigan locker room, approaching each teammate with a trio of quesTHEO tions. MACKIE What’s your goal? What’s your motive? What’s going on up there? That type of overt leadership may seem out of place to anybody who knows the sophomore forward. His most prominent postgame role is typically that of Jordan Poole’s sidekick — the radiant personality who fills any room with smiles. He rarely serves as an outward leader, a role mostly filled by Zavier Simpson and Charles Matthews. But Sunday evening, Livers found himself in an all-toofamiliar situation. Just last year, the Wolverines endured similar February struggles, needing overtime to escape Minnesota at home and losing at Northwestern. That was when the switch flipped for Michigan. After the loss to Northwestern, it didn’t lose again until the National Championship Game two months later. “Everybody put their side agendas aside and played Michigan basketball,” Livers said Wednesday. “I think that was the biggest step we made going in from late February into March when we got hot. Everybody put their — everybody stopped thinking about after the season, everybody was thinking about, we’re here now. We’re not gonna think about the future.” This time around, though, the February surge that coach John Beilein’s teams typically exhibit has been reluctant to arrive. The Wolverines, who paraded
RIAN RATNAVALE Daily Sports Writer
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Redshirt junior wing Charles Matthews has been a leader for Michigan.
through their early-season slate with a world-beating sashay, know they’re not maximizing the potential that they displayed months ago. When asked where they have improved since early in the season, Matthews paused, futilely searching for answers before falling back on the cliché that they, “just continue to get better each and every day.” The evidence disagrees. Michigan’s offense averaged 73.2 points per game before the new year. In January, that figure dropped to 68.5. With one game to play in February, it sits at 67.1. On the other side of the ball, the Wolverines have gone from allowing just 57.9 points per game in January — the first month of Big Ten play — to 65.0 this month. “We didn’t have that fat L that a November loss is, cause we were 19-0,” Livers said. “So we kinda had to learn the harder way, in our conference, which kinda sucks.” So Livers, remembering the Wolverines’ mid-season downfalls a year ago, wanted to snuff out the type of distractions that hampered them then. But in the days since Sunday’s loss, he has found nothing but focus on Nebraska, Michigan’s next opponent. And therein lies the problem. The struggles — at least relative to early in the season — are unanimously agreed upon. Solutions aren’t, leading everybody
to float their own theory. “Just focus on the next day at task,” Matthews said. “We went on a run like that in March because we were just trying to win the day, each and every day. And we wasn’t getting too far ahead of ourselves. So if we can just stay in the moment, we’ll be good.” But according to Livers’ postgame accounts, that isn’t a problem. Instead, he pins the struggles on Michigan losing the same voracious attitude that it had against Villanova and North Carolina. Against Michigan State, though, the Wolverines were clearly locked in from the tip in an electrifying opening half, but still fell, 77-70. “It would be great to have everybody (on at the same time),” Beilein said. “But that’s been the biggest mystery so far.” As Beilein finishes a 22-minute presser rife with questions about the Wolverines’ recent struggles, he makes sure to finish with one final point. “If you’re still competing for a Big Ten championship and it’s almost damn March, you’re having a heck of a year.” To make a Big Ten title — or any of its other goals — reality, Michigan has to rediscover the early season form that put it here in the first place. Mackie can be reached on Twitter @theo_mackie or via email at tmackie@umich.edu.
this season. “Last year I tried to be a leader even without a letter on my jersey, and a lot of players did, which is why we had such a special team last year and why we did what we did,” Boka said. “ … There’s always going to be the voice in the locker room when someone thinks something isn’t going right or needs to step up. We have the ability to step up and talk to whoever needs to be pulling their weight.” Cecconi helped build that air of accountability, too — albeit from a different place. Production wasn’t an issue for Cecconi. He was named to the USA World Juniors team during his sophomore year. When Red Berenson retired as Michigan’s hockey coach at the end of the year, though, so did the defenseman’s main reason for committing to the Wolverines. As soon as he met Pearson, Cecconi went to work. Having been named an alternate captain, he worked with Pearson, captain Tony Calderone and the rest of the alternate captains to ensure that the Wolverines had their priorities set on hockey over anything else every day. In turn, Cecconi became the team captain his senior year, but there was still a steep learning curve. When Michigan struggled to pick up wins this year, it forced the senior defenseman to become even more of a vocal
presence in the locker room than before. “It was not like I stepped in and was the best captain possible at the time,” Cecconi said. “I’ve learned a lot on how to be better. There wasn’t just one instance, but it was gradually building up. I feel much more comfortable speaking to the locker room or on the ice.” Boka and Cecconi had every opportunity to give up and quit — the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars, respectively, drafted them in the fifth round of the 2015 NHL draft. Cecconi had the option to sign with Dallas last summer yet eschewed it for a chance to further define the culture he helped start. Likewise, Boka chose to come back to Michigan to see if he could keep that night-to-night consistency. While it seems unlikely that Michigan makes that same Frozen Four run, Senior Night let the two leaders reap the rewards of their hard work for a brief moment before one final push. “I didn’t think that I was going to get too emotional,” Cecconi said. “But it really hit me after the game when they were playing the tributes of Brendan (Warren) and Nick (Boka), then myself, I teared up a little bit. How did this happen? “How did four years go by this fast?”
Nick Boka and Joseph Cecconi found themselves at crossroads to start their junior years. After dishing out 10 assists and finishing plus-17 as a freshman defenseman, Boka saw his production fall off a cliff the next year, scoring two total points. Beyond that, his confidence was shot. Those around him acknowledged his pedigree but Boka still knew himself that something wasn’t right. With so much uncertainty, he faced a tall task as a junior. Fast forward to Senior Night last Saturday, and Boka skated around Yost Ice Arena, waving the Michigan flag proudly, completely sure of his ability and the culture he made. Ask Boka how he improved, and he’ll point to one person in particular — Greg Harden. Once Michigan coach Mel Pearson and company took over, volunteer assistant coach Steve Shields sat down with Boka, and noticing his lack of confidence, directed him to the sports psychologist. Though he was hesitant at first, Boka diligently met with Harden every week, honing in on different aspects of his mental game and bringing a more intense mindset to each practice. “I didn’t know what I was getting myself into,” Boka said. “And it’s honestly been life changing, I can’t thank Shields enough for setting me up with him. I can’t thank Greg enough. He’s been there with me through the ups and the downs every single week.” At this point, those meetings don’t entail working on much. More often than not, Boka goes in and talks about whatever he wants to with Harden, hockeyrelated or not. Having that peace of mind, in the end, is how Boka found the confidence to step in ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily as a leader, even before Michigan named him an alternate captain Senior defenseman Nick Boka improved with the help of Greg Harden.
Kayla and Kevin Robbins, and the power of Michigan women’s basketball TEDDY GUTKIN Daily Sports Writer
Sunday’s game against Michigan State was big for a lot of reasons for the Michigan women’s basketball team. Chief among them was a desire for revenge after the Wolverines’ 77-73 defeat in January. But for Kayla Robbins, it was even bigger. “I’m trying to get a win for the team,” the junior forward said before the game. “But if I could have some bragging rights back home that would be amazing.” Robbins — who has been one of Michigan’s key contributors during the season’s stretch run — is the daughter of Kevin Robbins, a star offensive lineman for the Spartans’ football team from 1987-88. The Los Angeles Rams drafted him in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft, after which he played three seasons with the them and the Cleveland Browns. As a third rounder, Robbins had to work hard to earn his spot on an NFL roster, just as he did when he arrived in East Lansing as a transfer student from Wichita State. His hard work helped him carve out a three-year stint in the league, and his determination is something that he passed onto his daughter when she began playing sports at a competitive level. “Work extra hard — more than anyone else out there — to accomplish your goals,” he told her. As Robbins continued to develop, she excelled in basketball, where Kevin quickly realized that she had immense potential. Despite her father’s athletic background, Robbins didn’t see Kevin as a football player and admitted that she didn’t realize her father’s connection to Michigan State at a young age. “My family were MSU fans but I didn’t understand the closeness they had with college and stuff,” she said. “I guess
KEEMYA ESMAEL/Daily
Junior forward Kayla Robbins committed to the Wolverines despite her father, Kevin, playing football at Michigan State. Kevin now dons maize and blue despite his prior loyalties, due to his pride for Kayla.
you could say I was a Spartans fan.” Even if she was a Michigan State fan, it became clear during Robbins’ recruitment process that there was one school in particular that was right for her: Michigan. Despite being his alma mater’s in-state rival, Kevin was thrilled. “It’s real simple: Michigan was there for Kayla through thick and thin throughout the recruiting process,” he said. “It’s a major school in the Big Ten, and any time you get that opportunity it’s always a great thing.” Kevin was thrilled to tell his friends about his daughter’s accomplishment. But it took some time to register with one friend in particular.
“One of Dad’s friends called me after my commitment and basically said, ‘You’re a Spartan!’ ” Robbins recalls. “He assumed because he heard Michigan that I was going to MSU. Until he realized I was playing in the maize and blue, then he finally called my dad and was so confused. But he was happy for me.” While Kevin’s friend took some time to adjust to Kayla representing the Wolverines on the court, Kevin quickly jumped on the bandwagon. “He wasn’t used to being in the maize and blue,” Robbins said. “But now he loves it.” While Kevin’s allegiance may have changed, he still sees one familiar sight when he watches his daughter play: his
own competitive spirit. In Robbins’ third season, she has played some of the best basketball of her career, averaging a career-best 6.2 points per game and 3.5 rebounds. With extended minutes during the Big Ten season, she has emerged as one of the team’s key contributors. Of course, Kevin has done his part and even managed to convert his Spartan friends into Wolverines. Kevin recalled that earlier this year, he went with some Michigan State friends to watch Robbins and the Wolverines play a road game against Maryland. While they were still Spartans at heart, his friends turned up ready to support Robbins along with
their longtime friend. That being said, they couldn’t bring themselves to wear maize and blue. On Sunday, when the Wolverines finally traveled to East Lansing for their rematch against the Spartans, there was no question where Kevin’s allegiance would lie. When the dust finally settled, Michigan State emerged victorious, 74-64, on Sunday afternoon, sweeping the season series and handing Michigan its first loss since Jan. 27. But Kevin won’t be using his bragging rights. The rivalry isn’t as serious as some might think in their home. “For her, it’s not really a rivalry,” he said. “She doesn’t look at me as a Spartan.”
Now back home in Washington, D.C., Kevin says that he continues to rock the maize and blue even when he isn’t attending Robbins’ games. That stems from his pride in his daughter’s success and impact. He sees his heart and hustle in her, even if she may be wearing unfamiliar colors. Even though it may be a school that many members of his alma mater love to hate, Kevin has nothing but love for Michigan. “You know what, I feel like it’s a very fortunate and blessed situation for Kayla to be playing D-1 basketball at the highest level at the number one public school in the world,” Kevin said. “It’s definitely a good thing and I’m very blessed.”
8 — Thursday, February 28, 2019
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com