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Sam Epstein remembered: ‘His door was always open’
Colleagues, students reflect on legacy of Cognitive Science Institute founder KATHERINA SOURINE Daily Staff Reporter
School of Business senior Maha Zeidan and graduate student Noor Ghali attend the Paani Culture night in UMMA Thurday evening.
KELSEY PEASE/Daily
2nd Paani Culture Night celebrates history, diversity with food and dance
Student organizations represent countries facing shared sanitation issues KRISTINA ZHENG Daily Staff Reporter
Just a few minutes before 7 p.m. on Thursday, the front steps of the University of Michigan Museum of Art were dotted with students dressed in a collection of cultural attire and winter jackets. Despite the cold, more than a hundred students were all there for the same reason: Paani Culture Night. Paani is a non-profit organization comprised of student volunteers dedicated to creating sustainable, evidencebased solutions to supply clean
water and improve health disparities. The organization has built more than 200 wells and donated around $100,000 towards alleviating the sanitation crisis in Pakistan. To host the event, Paani partnered with 10 cultural student organizations across campus, including the Bangladeshi, Egyptian, Iraqi, Jordanian, Lebanese, Palestinian, Pakistani, Persian, Syrian and Yemeni student organizations. Last year, Paani launched their first culture night at Rackham Graduate School which drew more than 100 attendees not just from the
University but also from across metro Detroit, including from schools such as the University of Michigan-Dearborn, Michigan State University and Wayne State University. LSA sophomore Sukaina Himmati said the organization hoped to make this year’s event even bigger. “It was very important for those who initially started it and for us now to uplift the community that we started from,” Himmati said. “We noticed that a lot of our friends were a part of cultural orgs, and all the countries that we represented, all of them suffered from serious
sanitation issues that affected the lives of the people back home.” Comedian Abdallah Jasim emceed the event, entertaining the crowd and helping to bring awareness to Paani’s sanitation efforts. Decked in colored lights and music, the UMMA was filled with people of all backgrounds and interests. From card games to papyrus making, each organization set up a booth where attendees could learn about traditions and activities most meaningful to their organization’s culture. See PAANI, Page 3
When remembering Sam Epstein, linguistics and cognitive science professor, who passed away on Nov. 29, colleagues and students reflected on his brilliance. During his 22-year career at the University of Michigan, Epstein was the founding director of the Weinberg Institute for Cognitive Science in 2014 and worked closely alongside Noam Chomsky, famed intellectual and linguist. Colleagues say his work in linguistics and cognitive science propelled forward these departments at the University, and his teaching was recognized by a 2009 John D’Arms Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring and an Arthur F. Thurnau Professorship in 2013. Marlyse Baptista, Department of Linguistics and the Weinberg Institute faculty member, met Epstein during her time as a student at Harvard University nearly 30 years ago, where he was an assistant professor. They kept
in touch when Epstein came to the University, and when Baptista received a position, they were able to continue their close working relationship, which became a life-long friendship. His knack for complex thinking, she said, was one of a kind. “If you think of Sam Epstein, one of the first things that come to mind is his brilliance,” Baptista said. “The brilliance of his intellect. And whenever you had a conversation with him, both as a colleague and as a friend, you knew that you were going onto some type of academic journey, whose endpoint would always be so deeply satisfying, because he had that kind of mind. It was always very elegant in the way that he reasoned and argued for a specific point. I don’t know anybody who can match what he had to offer.” While Epstein’s excellence as an academic is undisputed, Baptista and other colleagues unanimously emphasized the personality, charm and empathy he brought to campus. See EPSTEIN, Page 3
Following claims against Philbert, Cannabis Many Big 10 student a look at The Daily’s reporting on OIE company STUDENT GOVERNMENT
councils to convene
BUSINESS
Office has received criticisms for length, effectiveness of investigations
sees high sale levels Largest A 2 retailer obtains a license to sell recreationally after legalization in 2018
Indiana meeting brings together leaders to share ideas, collaborate on upcoming legislation JULIA RUBIN
ANGELINA LITTLE
Daily Staff Reporter
The University of Michigan’s Central Student Government will send five representatives to the Association of Big Ten Students winter conference at Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., on Friday. The Association of Big Ten Students brings together representatives from each of the Big Ten schools’ student governments to share information about student governance and represent students to administrations and governments. LSA junior Aidan Sova is the executive director of ABTS and said he is excited to bring 20 pieces of legislation to the conference, up from CSG’s typical 10 items. The legislation includes tackling student affordability and developing ABTS partnerships with student advocacy groups. The flagship piece of legislation urges all Big Ten universities to invest with a climate conscious lens. “Ben Gerstein wrote on behalf of Michigan a piece of legislation that would increase our commitment to sustainability in asking our respective administrations across the Big Ten to no longer invest in fossil fuels,” Sova said. See CSG, Page 3
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The Michigan Daily has a tip line just for these kinds of stories – tipline@ michigandaily.com. This is a private tip line viewable by a small team of reporters committed to this work. The Michigan Daily is listening. University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel’s announcement on Wednesday of numerous sexual misconduct allegations against Provost Martin Philbert follows long-running criticism of how the University’s Office of Institutional Equity has handled such claims in the past, as reported on by The Daily.
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Philbert, who was Schlissel’s second-incommand, was placed on paid administrative leave Tuesday after the University received multiple allegations of his misconduct on Jan. 16 and 17. The Office of Institutional Equity investigates sexual misconduct claims, among other allegations. OIE reported directly to Philbert as of Sept. 2019. University spokesman Fitzgerald said, despite supervising OIE, Philbert had no direct involvement with the investigations. “On a day-to-day basis, he has no hands-on role with the office or investigations at all,” Fitzgerald said. He noted that any allegations made against
Philbert “absolutely do not” taint OIE investigations conducted while they reported to the provost. Fitzgerald emphasized the provost did not play a role in OIE’s investigations, adding that the office conducts its investigations independently. “It would be a mistake to think the provost, or anyone, had power or inf luence over investigations,” Fitzgerald said. “The investigations are done by trained investigators in the Office for Institutional Equity and they’re signed off by the Title IX coordinator if it’s a sexual misconduct investigation.” Philbert had been on leave for part of last semester for medical reasons, Fitzgerald
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confirmed. Amy Dittmar, acting provost at the time, is not resuming the role as that particular administrative leave has ended. Before May 2019, OIE reported to both the Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion and University Human Resources. Fitzgerald said the University administration changed who OIE reported to in order to make the process more efficient. “It (the move to have OIE report to the provost) was partially to indicate the importance of this office, but it reported to two different offices,” Fitzgerald said. “And sometimes a joint reporting relationship
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Ann Arbor’s recreational marijuana businesses reported higher levels of sales since local retailers took advantage of the statewide legalization of marijuana. Skymint joined five other cannabis retailers in Ann Arbor licensed to sell recreational marijuana on Jan. 9. Skymint, which is owned by Green Peak Innovations, is the largest marijuana company in Michigan. The dispensary has been open since November, and is one of six locations throughout the state, including one in Flint, which opened on Thursday. Summer Ransom, Skymint’s president of retail, said gaining a license for recreational sale has transformed business at the Ann Arbor location. “It’s been night and day for how busy we are,” Ransom said. “It has increased business by five times — certain days even more than that — so it’s been pretty crazy.”
See OIE, Page 3
NEWS.........................2 OPINION.....................4 CLASSIFIEDS................6
See MARIJUANA, Page 3
SUDOKU.....................6 ARTS...................5 SPORTS.................7
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B EHIND THE STORY Every Friday, one Daily staffer will give a behind the scenes look at one of this week’s stories. This week, LSA senior Molly Shea on her story “‘I think she was with me tonight’: Granowicz nets two goals on late mother’s birthday”: “I thought his story of his journey thus far with Michigan Hockey has been really interesting. When I asked him about his summer and about what that night meant to him, he just said that he knows that his mom is with him and that he’s really glad that things have been working out with him with hockey.” “I think something I really liked about this story is that it had a really human aspect to it. I think sometimes that’s rare in sports. Sometimes you just look at the game and you think, ‘Oh the team won or lost’ and you forget that the athletes are people too and have things going on in their lives that are often a lot greater than losing a game.”
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Renowned activist Angela Davis at the Martin Luther King Jr. Symposium Keynote Memorial Lecture ERIN WHITE Managing Editor
Faculty working group discusses changes to tenure faculty bylaws Professors consider denying payment to those on leave for ‘manifestly egregious conduct’ JENNA SITEMAN Daily Staff Reporter
A group of about 30 faculty members, including the nine members of the tenure bylaw working group, gathered in the Pendleton Room of the Michigan Union Thursday to discuss proposed changes to the University of Michigan’s tenure policy. Due to recent sexual misconduct allegations against Provost Martin A. Philbert, many professors expressed a feeling of urgency about amending these bylaws. The working group, which is comprised of faculty members from various departments across the three University campuses, was created in October 2019. The group was formed after the School of Music, Theatre & Dance professor David Daniels was accused of sexual assault in August 2018 and placed on paid leave. The University is still in the process of firing Daniels. Sharon Glotzer, Chemical Engineering department chair, chairs the working group. Glotzer led the discussion, which focused on suggesting a new tenure removal policy in regards to items 5.09 and 5.10 in the regents’ bylaws, which deal with standard procedure in cases of faculty dismissal as well as severance pay. David Potter, Arthur F. Thurnau professor of Greek and Latin, delivered the opening remarks. Potter said the University created these tenure policies during the McCarthy era to protect professors’ academic and personal freedom. In addition to calling for the changes to these outdated bylaws, professors and attendees said they hoped the recommendations would be
made quickly. Ella A. Kazerooni, professor of radiology and internal medicine at Michigan Medicine, said she wants to know more about the final outcome of the working group’s recommendations. Kazerooni said she thinks by determining the group’s goals the bylaws can be more efficiently restructured. “So I think, for me, it’s trying to understand what the
problematic things is the fact that they want to try to run two consecutive hearings that are right in parallel with each other for the faculty member who’s been charged,” Oey said. The group proposed allowing the University to terminate the pay of tenured faculty members charged with “manifestly egregious misconduct” who are placed on administrative leave. They also discussed how a committee
It’s trying to understand what the goal is. If the goal is to streamline the process for everybody and make the process clearer for everybody, I think that’s a laudable goal and we’d really like to see that happen. goal is,” Kazerooni said. “If the goal is to streamline the process and make the process clearer for everybody, faculty departments, administration, I think that’s a laudable goal and we’d really like to see that happen.” The working group suggested that, in the case of tenured faculty removal, two separate trials could run in conjunction with one another. They proposed having two separate groups of professors who have no contact with one another in order to guarantee a more fair trial for the professor being tried. Astronomy professor Sally Oey said she felt two trials would not only diminish the quality of the examination but would lead to confusion for all parties. “I think one of the most
would be able to justify taking a professor off tenure and withholding pay. “The pay suspension is created by acts that are ‘manifestly egregious misconduct’ beyond the standard process,” Potter said. Glotzer said pay removal would be a very rare situation reserved for only the highest levels of misconduct. Bruce Maxim, Engineering professor at U-M Dearborn and member of the faculty working group, said the two-trial process is supposed to place power in the hands of faculty. “From my perspective, we do not want this to be an administrative driven process (where) the administrators call the shots,” Maxim said. “If four of the five faculty members on there do not agree with (the claim), guess what? It’s
not egregious and the report will say, ‘Sorry, President Schlissel, we don’t think this is ‘manifestly egregious.’ Schlissel may decide that he doesn’t care and may decide to continue to withdraw pay, but at least the faculty had a chance to object and say, ‘No, we don’t want to see this happen.’” Psychology professor Twila Tardif, a member of the faculty tenure working group, addressed issues with the language in bylaws 5.09 and 5.10. Twila said though the language is ambiguous, other universities have tried to use language that ref lects how the misconduct impacts the community. “I completely agree that ‘manifestly egregious conduct’ is very difficult to define,” Twila said. “... However, it can be misinterpreted. The 30 or so other institutions we’ve looked at, one of the things we’re doing is trying to look at and see: How have people identified this?” Glotzer said though the faculty is being given the opportunity to provide their own suggestions, the Board of Regents can change this bylaw without their input. She said more discussions will be held regarding the possible pay suspension policy and hopes people will be devoted to determining the outcome of this issue. “These are the Regents’ bylaws and they can change those bylaws whether we want them to or not,” Glotzer said. “So we’re being given an opportunity, and in this room too, to provide feedback on what that process ought to look like.” Reporter Jenna Siteman can be reached at jsiteman@umich. edu
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OIE From Page 1 can be a little awkward or confusing, you know, who’s your boss … And while those offices worked very closely together, the analysis was they were going to streamline the reporting relationship to the office.” OIE has undergone a number of additional operational changes in the past year. Tamiko Strickman became the director of OIE on Jan. 6 and Elizabeth Seney was appointed Title IX coordinator over the summer. This is not the first time a University employee has faced sexual misconduct allegations, nor is it the first time OIE has faced criticism. In October 2018, The Daily released an investigation into OIE’s process when a student filed a complaint alleging that her graduate student instructor sexually assaulted her. The student told The Daily she found the process to be protracted and difficult for survivors to navigate, requiring months for any substantial action to be taken. In the middle of this student’s OIE investigation, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a ruling mandating that the University allow students accused of sexual assault to directly question their accusers through crossexamination. This ruling has been widely criticized by the campus and outside community, with claims that cross-examination
EPSTEIN From Page 1 He had a unique sense of humor, adored by students and colleagues alike, and a deeply caring nature. Baptista said Epstein’s office door was always open, welcoming in students and colleagues. “He would go down to the mezzanine level and pester graduate students, of course in a positive way, asking them ‘what are you up to?’” Baptista said. “And this is their refuge, and every other faculty would respect that space, that it’s theirs, but Sam would just barge in. And he was always very welcome, because he really cared.” Richard Lewis, current Weinberg Institute director, remembers his first job interview at the University in 2000, where Epstein was one of the first professors Lewis met. Lewis immediately knew Epstein would be someone he’d want to work alongside,
MARIJUANA From Page 1
To adjust to the inf lux of customers, the location has hired six additional staff. The store is staying open for an extra three hours to reduce lines and wait times once the new staff are trained. Currently, approximately 93 percent of customers at Skymint’s Ann Arbor location are recreational users, according to Ransom. However, Skymint has taken measures to ensure medical users are minimally affected by the inf lated wait times caused by crowds of recreational users. Ransom said medical customers are permitted to skip lines to enter the store. Additionally, she said one of four registers at checkout is an “express lane” intended to accelerate their experience. “Recreational customers need a lot more assistance; they have a lot more questions, so one-on-one time with them is probably triple what we would spend on a med patient,” Ransom said. “We want to make sure med patients aren’t kind of feeling that pain, so we do what we can to expedite
retraumatizes survivors when they have to face their assaulters. In November 2018, The Daily published an investigation into David Daniels, a well-known Music, Theatre & Dance professor and opera singer. The Daily found that OIE knew of several allegations of misconduct against Daniels as early as March 2018 — and the University still awarded him with tenure in May 2018. One of his accusers, Andrew Lipian, claimed the University knew Daniels had been assaulting him for years and ignored the information. Similar to Philbert, Daniels was placed on paid leave for months during the investigation. Daniels remained on paid leave while he underwent the subsequent trial. The University is still in the process of firing Daniels. In Fall 2019, following the Daniels case, the University created a faculty working group to suggest changes to the tenure bylaws procedure for faculty dismissal and severance pay. In an interview with The Daily, Information professor Kentaro Toyama, one of the faculty members in the working group, described how their goals include looking at how tenure affects the process. “Our involvement is basically thinking through what the key principles are and the values we want to uphold in that process are, especially with regard to tenure,” Toyama said. “But (we’re) also thinking about the responsible use of public resources for
people who do end up going through that process.” About a month after the publication of The Daily’s article on Daniels, Music, Theatre & Dance professor Stephen Shipps retired following reporting in The Daily documenting sexual assault allegations against Shipps spanning 40 years. The Daily confirmed in its investigation that at least one Music, Theatre & Dance faculty member was aware of these allegations prior to Shipps’ time at the University. In April 2019, shortly before OIE began reporting to Philbert, The Daily spoke to six students about their experiences with OIE’s reporting process. These students spoke about how they felt unsupported. One student told The Daily that OIE’s process negatively affected her well-being and her academic work as a student. “Honestly the school is supposed to support the student, (and) that is the biggest problem that is the most heartbreaking,” she said. “I came here for an education and they’re not going to give it to me, they’re just going to make it worse and I have to walk out of school with a GPA that’s not mine because of this and the school’s the one that’s giving me the problems.” In this article, The Daily found that less than 10 percent of OIE reports are investigated. In 2019, OIE received 272 reports and conducted 16 investigations. Daily News Editor Emma Stein can be reached at enstein@umich.edu
and notes Epstein’s integral role in setting a positive climate in the department. “He was like a beacon on campus, both for linguistics and the campus as a whole,” Lewis said. “A beacon for humanity. I’ve never met anybody who was such a dedicated scholar, and such a warm, gentle human being.” Acrisio Pires, former mentee of Epstein and current linguistics professor, expressed how Epstein’s work, primarily in theoretical syntax, was a catalyst for establishing new groundwork in cognitive science and linguistics. “He worked in a framework called minimalist syntax,” Pires said. “One of the goals of this framework is to actually look at what has been done, and what’s still being done in linguistics and say, ‘Look, we can do better theories, we can do theories that are much more unifying and that are really built upon the most foundational aspects of
their process.” Currently, there are more products available to medical users than to recreational users within the store due to state limits on the amount of product available to transfer from medical to recreational inventory. Ransom said Skymint is working toward increasing its recreational inventory because their growing facility received licensure to grow marijuana for recreational use.That product can be shipped directly to the store. However, Ransom said the company aims to continue to serve both medical and recreational users in the long run. “I think most people, once rec comes on, pretty much go only rec, but we’re trying to continue to serve med, so eventually I see our inventory being split fifty-fifty, and hopefully we’ll be able to serve the same exact skews and products to both med and rec,” Ransom said. The layout of the Skymint store, with product displayed in cases on the f loor and on the walls, is meant to encourage new recreational users to browse and learn about products at their leisure, Ransom said. Customers can find informational
what could represent human knowledge of language. “ However, Pires said Epstein proved science and personality were not
Friday, January 24, 2020 — 3
PAANI From Page 1 LSA senior Yara El-Tawil, Egyptian Students Association representative, shared the process of making bookmarks decorated with hieroglyphics. She said this is a part of her culture’s history. “Culture night is a night of a unity of a bunch of cultures to come together and showcase something about themselves that they’re really proud of,” El-Tawil said. “It’s a night of appreciation of everyone else.” Murad Ali, a graduate student at the University of Texas at Dallas, said he traveled to Ann Arbor to attend
the event. “Paani is the reason we’re here,” Ali said. “It’s pretty cool to see the different cultures, different perspectives, and the different dresses. … So it’s cool that they’re putting their name out there by combining all the cultures and introducing themselves to all these cultures and ethnicities.” Himmati said she believes the event helps attendees contest negative media representation of their countries and cultures. “The reason culture night came to be was because modern media usually portrays a lot of the countries that are going to be showcased at this event solely as victims of political warfare,” Himmati said. “We
wanted to have a celebration where we could showcase more than that.” According to Himmati, Paani ultimately hopes to bring together different cultural communities toward positive change. “These are all so rich and beautiful, and culture night is supposed to be a celebration of that cultural empowerment, so that all the different orgs on campus can be at a unified front,” Himmati said. “We can not only learn to honor the generations of love and pride from where we come from, but also to take away that victimized narrative and highlight the diversity of all of us.”
Wellness 360 hosts event, promote student wellbeing MDining, CAPS and Rec Sports provide hourly workshops, activities MEGHANA LODHAVIA For the Daily
Student organizations, campus resources and local businesses set up more than 30 booths in the Central Campus Recreational Building on Thursday afternoon to represent different aspects of mental, physical and emotional health. Arranged in a circular pattern for students to walk through, the event aimed to address all “360 degrees” of wellness. Sarah Button, the assistant director for marketing, sponsorship and academic partnerships with Recreational Sports, organized the event. Button said she and other Student Life partners
them and contributing to their intellectual development — to their scientific development — as people who are doing research and contributing to
He was someone who created space for every person in the room, and kept his door open to all students, and who found tremendous joy in others learning what he loved, and being able to see their excitement grow. mutually exclusive in the learning process. Epstein was a humorous professor who engaged curious students in introductory classes and always remembered their names despite large class sizes. “People got this sense of him being a very caring person, and very committed to helping
science,” Pires said. “But he didn’t leave the personal side out. He was able to clearly convey to people that he cared about them as people, that was a very important thing which made a huge difference.” One of these students was 2018 University alum Claire Butz, a close family friend to the Epsteins, who met his
signage next to each product explaining how they work and what to expect. She said that this sets the store apart from most other dispensaries, where product is typically kept behind the register. LSA sophomore Gabriel Ferguson, a medical marijuana user, said his experience was positively impacted by interactions with staff and recommends Skymint to recreational users. “(The staff is) very friendly, they talked with me for like an hour about picking out the best stuff,” Ferguson said. “It’s the kind of place that you would want to chill in. It’s very homey. I came out of there and talked for like an hour about the experience I had, because it was the coolest dispensary I’ve been in.” Ransom said the company has submitted applications for recreational licensure at all its locations within municipalities that have opted in to recreational sales. However, the applications have yet to be approved at any location outside Ann Arbor. Supporters of marijuana legalization point to recreational availability as a step forward in terms of safety and destigmatization of marijuana use. Jeff Radway,
Green Peak Innovations CEO, echoed this sentiment in a news release. “This is a historic moment for our company, but more importantly, it’s another step towards destigmatizing and legitimizing our industry,” Radway said. “We are thrilled to offer patients and recreational consumers a full range of premium marijuana products through a safe and secure supply chain.” Eighty percent of Skymint’s inventory is grown by Green Peak Innovations, with the remaining amount sourced from other businesses. Ferguson viewed this as an attractive feature of the dispensary. “It’s all homegrown, so you don’t have to worry about what’s in it,” Ferguson said. “It’s not a GMO weed with who-knows-what inside … it’s ‘healthy weed.’” Ransom believes knowing the source of the marijuana is a crucial factor that sets recreational marijuana sold in dispensaries apart from the black market. “This offers clean, clean product,” Ransom said. “They know where it’s grown, they know how it’s been processed, it’s all been tested, it’s safe. It’s nothing but beneficial really.”
have wanted to host an event encouraging a more holistic approach to well-being. “This is a great time in January, being that it’s the new year,” Button said. “You can refocus on your health, your well-being … so it’s kind of an ideal scenario.” Visitors were encouraged to play with therapy dogs, pot small plants, eat healthy food and enter giveaways. Throughout the event, MDining, University Credit Union and Counseling & Psychological Services hosted hourly free educational workshops. Engineering junior Devin Gohel, a student manager at the Computer Showcase, described how the Showcase is currently
exploring fitness technology in hopes of encouraging people to improve their physical health. “We’re here showcasing some of the fitness technology we offer … like demonstrating different features, especially the workout app on the Apple Watch,” Gohel said. LSA senior Caroline Baloga worked a booth representing the student-led campus farm. She said the organization wants to increase access to produce for students who live off-campus by selling their produce in retail locations such as Maizie’s Kitchen and Market and Munger Graduate Residences. “Our motto is that we grow food for students, by students,” Baloga said.
daughter in kindergarten. She decided to take the introductory Linguistics 209 course when she was a sophomore, and ultimately declared cognitive science as her major. She recalled his skill in connecting with people and his “utterly hilarious and goofy” personality while teaching. “He did have this incredible academic legacy and this legacy in the field of linguistics, but he was able to meet people where they were at intellectually,” Butz said. “The concepts were challenging but approachable, because of who he is. He had the emotional and social intelligence to communicate really complex things to people who didn’t have his experience and his unbelievable mind.” Butz said his welcoming nature and natural ability to create a meaningful learning experience is one of his greatest legacies at the University.
“Anyone who knew him as a professor will remember him as someone who connected deeply with his students,” Butz said. “He was someone who created space for every person in the room, and kept his door open to all students, and who found tremendous joy in others learning what he loved, and being able to see their excitement grow.” Butz expressed her gratitude to have known such a special person, and to have a close relationship with his family and loved ones. “Nothing made him happier than seeing the people who he loved be happy in such a real way, and I think that was definitely special.” Butz said. “Anyone who knew him laughed more, loved more, and knows more because of him, and has endured a great loss.” Epstein’s memorial is Sunday at 1 p.m. on the 10th f loor of Weiser Hall.
CSG From Page 1
The delegation is bringing two newly created positions, government relations chair and deputy government relations chair, to learn the best practices for lobbying local, state and federal representatives on behalf of the University of Michigan’s student body. LSA senior Tyler Ziel became government relations chair in November 2019 and said he wants to learn how other students have successfully lobbied their state and federal governments. “Since we started this year, I’ll get a better understanding of how specifically student advocacy works, and the roadblocks that come with it,” Ziel said. Since becoming the liaison to ABTS in June 2019, Voigt has helped the Association make an impact on U-M students. The Association launched a week of action in November across the Big Ten to advocate for the reauthorization of the Aim Higher Act, a federal program working to make higher education more affordable. Voigt, along with CSG, organized a Diag Day last semester to raise awareness for the AHA and handed out postcards students could send to their federal representatives encouraging them to reauthorize AHA.
“We realize that it is deeply complicated to ask to divest completely from fossil fuels cold turkey, so we’re just asking for no more from here.” Student groups and CSG have lobbied the University to divest from fossil fuel companies. While the University Board of Regents voted in December against investing $50 million in a company with ties to oil and gas production, members of the Climate Action Movement released a statement on Jan. 13 urging Michigan to divest its existing $1 billion invested in fossil fuel companies. Engineering sophomore Carla Voigt, liaison to the ABTS, said the legislation will send a loud and clear message to administrators that students are concerned about climate change and want to see schools take action to reduce their environmental footprint. “There was a divestment passage in the University of Michigan’s CSG a few years ago, and that went worldwide, these can also have the possibility of doing that,” Voigt said. “If we take a stance on something and the entire Big Ten is agreeing on this, there’s a potential to have an impact. Especially if the legislation that they take back is able to be built upon in each of the schools.”
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Opinion
4 — Friday, January 24, 2020
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SHAD JEFFREY II | COLUMN
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Ann Arbor’s changing skyline
he city of Ann Arbor, much like the student body of the University of Michigan, is eclectic in composition. The University’s Central Campus preserves an architectural style from the better part of the last two centuries, and the areas surrounding campus are extremely diverse in style. The parts of Ann Arbor directly surrounding the U-M Central Campus, commonly referred to as “downtown Ann Arbor,” have continued to attract businesses to their historic storefronts around areas like North Main Street, East Liberty Street and South University Avenue. The preservation of architecture and the upkeep of historic buildings are inherent to the identity of Ann Arbor. The ability to physically interact with the history of a city and to observe the periodspecific style with which a city’s buildings were built are culturally vital to the city itself. The historic downtown storefronts and homes are a key part of Ann Arbor’s image, but the construction of over a dozen high rise apartment buildings in downtown Ann Arbor over the last sixteen years has clashed with the goal of preserving the look of small and historic downtown Ann Arbor. However, these old buildings are home to modern people, and the economic development in Ann Arbor has inherently driven the city skyward. This can be seen as a threat to the cultural history of Ann Arbor, as this economic development may change the city forever. But to reject development is to reject modernity. Many small cities in the Midwest aren’t in a position to be critical of it, since they aren’t experiencing much economic growth. Ann Arbor is certainly privileged as it can afford to be concerned with rapid urbanization as opposed to mere
survival. Ann Arbor is changing as the needs and demands of people change, and it seems unwise to interfere with positive progress toward a more modern city. Appreciating history is natural, but the eclectic style of Ann Arbor came to be eclectic because of change, and the changes demanded by our current society are for modern, urban life in downtown Ann Arbor. To truly believe in the importance of having an eclectic downtown Ann Arbor you must understand the constant change and development that has occurred and will occur in attribution to its aesthetic.
But to reject development is to reject modernity.
Ann Arbor has consistently been ranked as one of the best college towns in America, and its continuity in keeping up with the demands of its residents and students will continue to fuel economic and real estate related development within the city. Adding more beds downtown inherently increases foot traffic and the amount of money being put into the downtown economy. More people and more money downtown are positive growth factors. The scale and power of the increased demand for housing downtown shouldn’t be underestimated, as nearly 4,800 new beds from apartment and condo developments have been added downtown since 2004. U-M has added 1,080 beds of on-campus housing in the last decade near downtown, and
there are some 1,800 more beds currently under construction or being planned city-wide. This demand for housing is the transformation of Ann Arbor from town to city, as the mass urbanization (and subsequent centralization) will continue to fuel economic growth and development. The city of Ann Arbor has depended on the tax dollars brought on by new construction in recent years as a significant component in the city’s budget, which adds an interesting element to the story. The question that has derived from this situation is whether or not this growth is sustainable for the city financially, as the city is exposed to risk if property values decrease or if demand for housing downtown declines. Additionally, those feeling upset about the fading sense of historic Ann Arbor may feel betrayed by the city’s decision to allow unrestricted growth and development in exchange for property tax revenue. Ann Arbor has been able to provide outstanding public goods like its public education system, city parks and vibrant downtown area at a very high price tag. It seems the cost of running a growing city is the willingness to accept modernity and embrace change. Old walls may have to fall, but the market continues to demand development downtown, and the city of Ann Arbor is dependent on the property tax revenue from these new developments. Sacrificing part of the charm of Ann Arbor has been necessary in maintaining the quality of life within the city. It is a scenario at the intersection of ethics and finance, but to be truly modern and urban is to promote development and change in all endeavors. Shad Jeffrey II can be reached at shadj@umich.edu.
MADELYN VERVAECKE | CONTACT CARTOONIST AT MIVERVAE@UMICH.EDU
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Finding a sense of belonging on campus
ith a child on the way, of belonging serves as a source my mother and father of motivation. The students made their way to the who reported higher feelings of belonging also United States from reported improved a hole-in-the-wall mental health. The town in South India study concludes that to begin a new life underrepresented in a melting pot of racial-ethnic minorities endless opportunities and first-generation — but without college students report family or friends. the lowest sense This is a familiar of belonging. The story to children of primary author of immigrants. Roger VARNA this research report, Cohen phrases this KODOTH Maithreyi Gopalan unique experience best in his New York Times — an assistant professor of Opinion piece “The Quest to education at the Pennsylvania Belong.” “New opportunity is State University — suggests that, only one side of the immigrant “We know from other studies story, its bright star,” says Cohen. that student advising, institutions, “The other side, its black sun, is faculty, advisers — all of them have to make an effort to reach out to displacement and loss.” This isn’t just the reality of an students who feel like they don’t immigrant, it’s the reality for all belong and provide attention as of us. Finding a sense of belonging well as services to ensure that all is a fundamental component of students can integrate on campus.” human nature. Our identities Gopalan explains that faculty are often divided into what an representation and mentorship outsider can see and how we view can significantly mitigate feelings ourselves. A sense of identity and of alienation. With that in mind, it’s important belonging is not a characteristic or trait we can visibly see, but we take it upon ourselves to is rather innate and specific to identify methods by which the individual. This sense of University staff and faculty can belonging is often an indicator better support underrepresented of the student’s ability to engage racial-ethnic minorities and firstwithin a community, and generation students with their college experiences. Likewise, ultimately, of their success. How often do you ask it’s crucial for students whose yourself, “do I feel like I belong identities aren’t underrepresented at the University of Michigan?” to act as allies. It is essential to seek out The following research study, “College Students’ Sense mentors within the ranks of of Belonging: A National upperclassmen, GSIs or faculty Perspective,” recognizes the lack who share similar identities to of existing data and information your own, and to actively engage surrounding our understanding in social science courses that of the concept of “belonging.” The relate to your core identity. report says, “In college, feeling This is essential to ensure a sense of belonging may lead that all students, whether students to engage more deeply they are a first-generation with their studies, leading to college student, identify with a persistence and success.” A sense marginalized community, are
a child of immigrants or have another campus identity, find a community they belong to within the University. The University offers a wide variety of courses and programs for the purpose of fostering a sense of belonging among first-year students. For example, The Center for the Education of Women (CEW+) offers professional, academic and financial support to all students, in particular women and underserved students. CEW+ offers counseling services, funding for initiatives on campus and hosts many Diversity, Equity and Inclusion events as well as professional development workshops. Another great example of a communitybuilding resource is the Spectrum Center, which provides support to LGBTQ+ students, staff and faculty through workshops and programs. In partnership with the Spectrum Center, there are social and support groups such as Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (OSTEM). This student and national organization operates at both the undergraduate and graduate level to provide peer support networks and resources for students to navigate their identities in professional STEM settings. The University is home to a diverse array of students holding a multitude of social identities. It’s often easy to feel lost amid the thousands of student organizations, programs, majors and opportunities available. This means there is a larger community at your disposal. Take advantage of it. At the end of the day, we are all just students trying to find a place we belong at the University. Varna Kodoth can be reached at vkodoth@umich.edu.
ARJUN LAMA | COLUMN
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Learning to be open to new experiences
he college experience is something to be cherished forever, or so we’re told. Our parents talk about college as the peaks of their lives, filled with opportunities they’ll never have access to again. In some ways they make it seem like life goes downhill after college, almost like adults become zombies inundated on repetitive lifestyles. With that in mind, I embarked on a four-year quest to make memories. After three years I find myself looking back on what was, admittedly, a wild ride. I made new friends, tried new things and lived what could only be described as a hectic, chaotic but ultimately fun lifestyle. So why is it that upon reflection I have this underlying worry that I missed out, or didn’t live it to the fullest? I feel regret that I didn’t reach out to more people and completely break out of my mold, or step out of my comfort zone in the pursuit of trying new things — maybe joining clubs I normally wouldn’t have in the event I might gain a new hobby or interest. I think these types of feelings are normal, and some of their roots may lie in how our lives are constructed by the older generation and societal norms. By graduation I will be 21 years old. According to a 2019 study, the average life expectancy for someone with a college is at least 79, meaning I am presumably not even halfway through my life. Yet I am being told by society, including pop culture and media, that what happens now seals my fate for the rest of my life. The cultural perception that this decade is the most important of our lives may be
true, but is definitely overstated. The fear I have expressed regarding college may be framed differently than the average student. I find that I am less worried about the present as a means to properly prepare for the future and more about not enjoying it for what it is worth. If I had to guess, I would think the thoughts that mainly preoccupy the everyday student are schoolwork and advancing their academic future, enabling them to have a career to support their future lifestyle. But these two perspectives aren’t as dissimilar as they would appear and both stem from a basic mindset. Our time is short and
It isn’t so much about what you do or what you learn.
we have to make it count. To a lot of college students, if we don’t do so our future is in jeopardy. After all, isn’t the point of college to provide a stepping stone between avenues of our lives and ensure a smooth transition? One of my best friends came to college not knowing what he wanted for his future. He enjoyed biology — specifically anatomy and physiology — and thus assumed a pre-med track was best for him, only to find after two years of taking the prerequisites, that he was not interested in them. Now he had to battle the idea that he had wasted two years
of college. After pondering for nearly a full semester about what he would do, he remembered a hidden passion for ceramics he had in high school. Channeling a love for creating and designing, he is now in the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, and will spend an extra semester to graduate. His concern was one often voiced by students, the dreaded future mid-life crisis. Instead of focusing our future on what we love now, we try and guess at what we’ll still love then. College is definitely preparatory in nature, but it isn’t so much about what you do or what you learn. Rather it is about developing an appreciation for learning and seeing new things. I realize now that the memories themselves aren’t what’s important when I look back on my college experience, but what those memories taught me about life. In my friend’s case, it doesn’t matter that the University of Michigan unveiled his love for architecture. What matters is that it showed him his interests were subject to change, and there is always an avenue to pursue them. The world is big, and there’s so much there to explore and discover. College does an excellent job of conveying this. If one can incorporate this lesson into the rest of their life, it provides far more value than a diploma, because no matter what happens one can sleep easily knowing there is more to explore and a sea of opportunity ahead. Arjun Lama can be reached at arjunl@umich.edu.
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Arts
Friday, January 24, 2020 — 5
FILM REVIEW
Two takes on the second-rate ‘Weathering With You’ CASSANDRA MANSUETTI Digital Culture Editor
STEPHEN SATARINO Daily Arts Writer
The Michigan Theater debuted Makoto Shinkai’s “Weathering With You” last Thursday. The director’s name alone made the screening an event. The Theater’s main auditorium seats over a thousand, and by 8 p.m., when the showing was set to begin, there were hardly any seats left. It was the most packed I’ve seen the theater for anything that wasn’t “The Room.” My co-reviewer and I shoved ourselves up against the balcony railing. There was nervous chatter throughout the theater as anticipation grew, one that was well-warranted. “Weathering” is Shinkai’s follow-up feature to his 2016 recordbreaking “Your Name,” which beat “Spirited Away” to become the highest grossing anime film and Japanese film of all time. I’d venture to guess that everyone in the auditorium had seen it. Since before I started going to school here three years ago, the Michigan Theater’s featured themed months based around famous directors, movements or time periods. They’ve also had quite a few anime nights. Their recent series, titled “Icons in Anime,” will show international anime staples like “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Ghost in the Shell,” “Akira” and the aforementioned “Your Name” spread out through the entire semester. The theater’s host made a point of mentioning all of this before the start of “Weathering” on Thursday, which, while an understandable move, struck me as being a bit funny. “Your Name” is the highest grossing anime film of all time, and it felt as though, by screening its follow-up “Weathering” to a crowd of 1,400+ anime fans eager for its first Ann Arbor area screening, they were pushing their anime slate in the hopes that the crowd will adopt a new tradition of Michigan-Theater-Anime-Showings on Thursday nights. But it’s not like they were advertising their slate of anime debuts in the upcoming semester. It seems like anyone in the audience who wants to has probably already seen “Spirited Away.” A hush fell over the crowd when the opening credits began. A short burst of applause broke out at the title. One hundred and eleven minutes later, a hush fell over the crowd when the title came back on to end the movie. A pause. Waiting for something more. Then something of a patronizing rumble of cheers from around the auditorium. With “Weathering,” Shinkai isn’t going to break the record for highest-grossing anime film again. Unfortunately, “Weathering With You” fails, in almost every measurable (and immeasurable) way, to live up to the astronomically high expectations set by the success of “Your Name.” Its plot structure is less
elegant, with a tepid love story, irrational characters and forgettable ending. Its supernatural elements are strangely institutionalized and unimaginative. Its politics on climate change and rising sea levels are subdued but problematic. Its animation is lacking. Its one saving grace is its humor, but even that might not be enough. It’s hard not to see the film as riding the coattails of the massive success of “Your Name.” Both of the main characters from “Your Name” show up in little cameos at different points in the movie. Moments before I even knew who had just appeared on the screen, sections of the auditorium were bordering on hysterics. We won’t see that type of love for “Weathering”s protagonists if they ever make their way back up onto the silver screen. — Stephen Satarino, Daily Arts Writer Regardless of one’s opinion on the quality of “Your Name,” its meteoric rise to the top of the box office and the unstoppable phenomenon it has become, both in Japan and abroad, is undeniable. Teenagers flocked to the multiplexes to see it once and then see it two, three or even four more times. Comparisons to Studio Ghibli maestro Hayao Miyazaki were inescapably abound for director Makoto Shinkai. My friend saw it with his parents, who had no idea what an anime was, and they all loved it. Though I missed the boat to see it in theaters, after watching it on a sleepy winter night with my girlfriend, sharing laughter and tears, I immediately understood the hype. So, scrolling through my social media feeds one day sometime last year and seeing a trailer for the new movie “from ‘Your Name’ director Makoto Shinkai,” I was sold. I didn’t even need to know what it was about; the trailer’s lovely visuals were the only pitch I needed. On Facebook I responded “Going” to the Michigan Theater’s special one-night only screening of “Weathering.” The months passed and the seasons changed. Suddenly I found myself hurrying down the stairs from the balcony seating to grab some napkins (the Dr. Pepper Stephen bought me exploded upon opening) as to not miss the start of the movie. Whereas “Your Name” told a fantastical bodyswapping tale in the guise of a love story, “Weathering with You” is a love story hiding under its fantasy drapery. It’s more direct in intertwining the lives of its two leads: Hodaka is a high school-aged runaway who’s come to Tokyo to make a new life for himself, and Hina is a teenage girl struggling to provide for herself and her kid brother after their mom’s passing. Tokyo is swamped with unseasonable summer rains when Hodaka arrives, so strange and lasting that its citizens find comfort in myths and legends to explain this freak weather. The film quickly brings those legends to the forefront as we learn Hina is a sort of “weather maiden,” a girl who is able to briefly control the weather through her prayers to the heavens. Just as Hodaka begins to find stable footing thanks to the
TOHO
kindness of a man who runs a small pulp publishing company with his niece, his life becomes intertwined with Hina’s by chance. After learning of her secret miracles Hodaka convinces Hina to start a business clearing the rainy weather for people on special events with him and her brother Nagi. From there the film wanders into a story as tragically downcast as rain itself, but like Hina’s power, it still allows for pockets of sunshine and rainbows, humor and levity. In these moments “Weathering with You” shines. The film knows exactly how long to sustain a joke without it becoming stale, and recurring bits like Nagi’s exploits as an elementary school Casanova or Hodaka’s reliance on Yahoo Answers for help with his most pressing questions never failed to make the theater laugh. But the theater was laughing too much, as the greatest flaw of “Weathering with You” is its failure to let the audience sit with its most solemn moments. The romance is engaging and had me rooting for Hodaka all the way through, but it peters out in the most contrived (and, with the questionable stance it meekly takes on climate change, confusing) fashion possible, so much so I had to look up the specifics of the ending again while writing this because I thought I had forgotten something beyond “guy finally ends up with girl.” I didn’t. The film just ends. It introduces these heart-rending backstories and arcs for its characters, but never seems concerned with delivering on them. We don’t learn the circumstances of Hodaka’s home life that drove him to run away in the first place, and the death of Hina’s mother seems more like a scripted afterthought than a defining moment of grief. Though “Weathering” could have suffered by directly fleshing
out these points of the narrative if executed poorly, the best movies are like mystifying pools of water, with stories that expertly glide over the surface. They give the audience glimpses of what emotional intensity lies below but never outright plunge underneath. The rains of “Weathering with You” leave behind tons of these tiny, shimmering (and delightfully animated) pools. They’re alluring at first, with an intriguing depth unknown to the audience, but at the end of the day, they’re just puddles. The movie walks straight through them without even making a splash. Perhaps the saddest thing about “Weathering” is how strangely relatable it ended up being, not only in how the main character (uncannily like me) sort of finds a career in writing after leaving his (assumedly shitty) family behind, but with how the film plays out. It puts such lofty expectations on itself, under the weight of which it can’t help but struggle. “Weathering with You” tries to soar over “Your Name” yet fears even the slightest tiptoe outside of its shadow. I’ve been there, wanting to one-up the popular kid at school by becoming the class clown, but attracting attention that is ultimately shallow and at the cost of shoving down my emotions. “Weathering with You” could be and at times almost is a gorgeous film in its own right, but its beauty is diminished because it can’t stop trying (and failing) to one-up its predecessor. The worst part is that we see all this unfold in real time, and we can’t stop the movie from imploding on itself in pursuit of this conceited dream. “Your Name” was a brilliant spark that lit a towering flame. “Weathering with You” doesn’t understand why you can’t build a fire in the pouring rain. — Cassandra Mansuetti, Daily Digital Culture Editor
MUSIC INTERVIEW
In The Marías, careful composition meets new age STEPHEN SATARINO Daily Arts Writer
There are no Kinks in The Kinks, no Smiths in The Smiths, not a stroke in the The Strokes to be found. Perhaps then, to some surprise, front woman María of The Marías seems anything but out of place. María (who leaves off her surname in press) is the focal point of the band’s aesthetic, supplying the velvety vocals to the songs she co-writes, wearing the bob of black hair recognizable on the album art of all of their EPs, releasing singles and song-snippets with clips from Goddard’s “Vivre sa Vie” and Almodovar’s “Los Amantes Pasajeros.” A Puerto Rican LA transplant who grew up in Atlanta, María sings in both English and Spanish in her songs, the band somewhere along the border
The Marías are comfortably, necessarily, multifaceted of indie-dream pop and Latinx, though I don’t see any reason to force a distinction on them — The Marías are comfortably, necessarily, multifaceted. In the band, María is joined by drummer, boyfriend and co-writer Josh Conway, as well as Jesse Perlman on guitar, Edward James on Keys and Gabe Steiner on Trumpet. Conway recruited Perlman and James to join on after he had already approached María about working together. Steiner also functions as the band’s touring manager. The band’s platform has grown steadily since they released their second EP, Superclean Vol. II, in the fall of 2018. Their debut single “I Don’t Know You” recently topped thirty million hits on Spotify, they played festival shows and venues across the country for the better part of last year; they’re the type of band that you’re indie-attuned friend has already added to a playlist, the type of band they’ll claim findersfee-dibs over if their next album breaks big. All to say, there’s many sets of eyes and ears waiting eagerly for what comes next. Last year, I met up to talk with the band at their show in Detroit. *** The Marías’ day-to-day has steadied between projects. They were on and off the road from March until August, embarking on a set of three tours throughout spring and summer. These were their third, fourth and fifth tours, their travels taking them through some two-dozen cities, onto a Coachella stage, altogether playing
in five countries across three continents. The great irony of an artist’s sophomore project has nipped at The Marías’ heels too: So busy with the promotion and maintenance of the work that’s made their name, any time or inspiration needed to build toward the next project pinched. “All our growing pains we felt touring have already happened,” María said, “it’s been a lot easier on this tour than previous tours.” Their final summer tour, a docket of fifteen domestic shows, was their first with a band bus. The four Marías were in agreement that having a known space to come back to every day had helped them settle into those weeks on the road. “Since we used to drive, just the stress of getting to shows in the past was very draining – leaving on time, sometimes driving eight hours the day of the show,” James said. They told me their free time before and after shows was split equally between streaming shows and movies and playing badminton outside on Hotel lawns. *** When asked “who’s the best badminton player,” the band (with a shifty-eyed James) answered unanimously: Conway: “Derone (the band’s touring bass player), he’s by far the best, he brought the set. María: “Then Jesse, probably.” James: “No way, me! I think I’m definitely number two.” Perlman: “I think I’m number two.” James: “I’m not gonna let this slide, like I — definitely Derone and I are neck and neck.” The four of them all talk at once. María: “I just heard you like to…” She mimes whipping the badminton birdy back and forth. James: “No no — yesterday we were hitting it straight at each other for like thirty-five minutes.” María: “Oh, well I missed that.” James: (to me) “I’m not gonna — that’s the only thing I’m not gonna let up on.” They all laugh. *** From what I saw, they’re a pretty tight-knit group. It was interesting to see María, Conway, Perlman and James organize themselves for the interview. Immediately Perlman and James separated themselves from the leading couple, though, on all questions apart from those considering writing, Perlman and James weren’t at all hesitant to jump in. Sometimes the questions would sort of default back to María, probably coming from the fact that most interviews they have are very focused on the singer. At some point, when I was asking the band about their current music tastes, we got into a conversation about avoiding repeating something that’s already been done – essentially the awareness (and, hopefully, the avoidance)
AUDIAM
of writing a song that sounds too similar to something else. To my ear, The Marías have one of the most unique sounds right now. Hearing them voice their fears about being unoriginal made me think this need for novelty might be exactly the reason for this style. I wonder if this also plays a part in their patient approach to recording and releasing new music. Early last year, fighting a bout of writer’s block, María and Conway left the city to get some fresh air. They spent a few weeks in Joshua Tree National Park, thinking the change in scenery
To me, the Marías have one of the most unique sounds right now. Hearing them vocalize their reticence to sound overdone made me think this need for novelty might be exactly the reason for this style
would help spur them on. “We’ve been there many times. Up until that point we’d recorded everything in our living room,” María said, “we wanted to just get away to somewhere peaceful and open – and get ourselves into a different mindset because we’d been touring so much last year. We needed to get away from people and clear our heads. It definitely did that. It was just fun; it was a good
time.” *** Both María and Conway were upfront about the difficulties they found writing while on the road. María: “The mindset of … before we went on tour, the mindset was all about the songwriting, it was all about the songs. Once we started touring it became, just, a different journey of those songs. When we weren’t touring, there was so much more to draw inspiration from. Like our heads were in a better, more creative space –” Conway: “Sort of in the clouds.” María: “Yeah, and then when touring, it’s definitely more difficult to find inspiration. We’re in a bus. We drive to a city. And even though they’re different cities, we don’t get to explore as much as people think. It’s pretty monotonous.” *** The band has turned down offers from record labels, deciding to remain independent. Last month, they released a single under their own Superclean records. At first listen, I was disappointed. “Out for the Night” doesn’t separate itself from the rest of the band’s discography. The single could be slipped into either of the Superclean EPs, without much effect, which makes sense when you learn that it’s not a new song at all. “Out for the Night” was the first song María and Conway ever wrote together. They didn’t think they were ever going to release a studio version, so they decided to share the rough cut they’d already had done. Regardless of the confusion “Out for the Night” supplied, I can’t help but feel weary about the The Marías’ next steps. The band hasn’t released any of post-Vol. II music since, well, Superclean Vol. II, in September of 2018. I hope the time off toward the end of 2019 has given them a chance to return to their lives, to their inspirations, and has given them a chance to bring it to our ears into a satisfying new light.
Arts
6 — Friday, January 24, 2020
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COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
ENTERTAINMENT COLUMN
Stamps’ ‘Take a Stand’ The ridiculous TV of the impact is limited at best late 2000s: ‘Kid Nation’ BEN VASSAR
Daily Arts Writer
The image is this: a gender-ambiguous figure stands in the desert facing the camera. They hold binoculars to their face, looking to some horizon over our shoulder. There’s a placelessness to the setting, which is made up of no more than sand, clouds and sky. No details or ornament in the figure’s dress bind it to any particular time period. It’s universal. Diminishing conceptions of cultural and interpersonal difference seemed to be the larger aspiration of Taking a Stand, a group exhibition at the Stamps Gallery organized around the theme of solidarity-building. The show opened last Friday night with a crowd of about 50 navigating the gallery’s spaces as a DJ spun eclectic beats. This desert figure, seen on the event poster, was one of several photographs by Meryl McMaster, one of the evening’s more successful acts. Artist Syrus Marcus Ware drew in gallery-goers with works like Activist Love Letters: personal letters to activists that highlight a certain individuality and humanity that’s overlooked in their arduous work. Ware gives them the pedestal they deserve in this gallery space. Leaving the “letters to” format, McMaster’s photos painted more vivid landscapes than just about any other media on display. Think Gotye’s “Somebody
Conceptions of cultural and interpersonal difference seemed to be the larger inspiration of Taking a Stand That I Used to Know” aesthetic. The introspective side of her characters was foregrounded by concealing physical appearance with body paint and sculptural attire. Another exhibition feature: a TV showing surveillance from some other space in the gallery. Simulated atop the footage were several digitized female avatars, each speaking in poem about feeling frozen. It definitely generated sympathy, made us consider the differences between ourselves and the avatars. The footage was actually generated from the other side of the wall. The exhibition had an iPad that was supposed to factor into a fully simulated AR sequence, but instead it stayed frozen on these women
and their existential dread. Artist Oliver Husain dominated the back portion of the gallery with his fantastical combinations of historical objects and events. It started with various drawings of a pirate ship docked inside of a contemporary mall space, and led to a short film, Isla Santa Maria 3D, that played on loop in front of 12 sets of 3D glasses. The glasses didn’t actually work, though, and this didn’t seem intentional given the subject matter — a complex commentary on the legacy of colonialism via Victorian-era beach dwellers, visitors from another planet and a holographic oracle. Such an uncanny combination of characters and
The whole point of the event was to position the gallery as a space of potentially vital conversations about political injustice, but the gallery was hardly vital
visual effects made several hundred years of history seem like a miniscule drop in the bucket of time. It displaced us from the arbitrary rules of everyday life, making us look inward in much the same way as McMaster’s photographs do. Yet again, though, the technical delivery fell short. The whole point of the event was to position the gallery as a space of potentially vital conversations about political injustice, but the gallery was hardly vital. Friday night’s gallery-goers were hardly inclined to talk to one another any more than they would have on the street. The art on display did some work to dissolve our notions of national boundaries, but lacked new takes on what the gallery space can be. The idea of an interactive video game sequence is good, but the reality is that only one person could use the iPad at once. Each work engaged the audience in a different way, but why not force people out of their comfort zones? If the aim was to persuade through solidarity, why not actually position people as the minority for once? Or have a gallery of team-building exercises? Each artist was acting from their inner self, and by no means followed a prompt. Their work happened to be featured with others’ under a unifying theme, but it just didn’t collectively convince. The Stamps Gallery is an important space, and has more potential than this.
IAN HARRIS
Daily Entertainment Columnist
My house recently stumbled upon a gold mine. While casually browsing through YouTube one of my housemates came across a video entitled “Was Kid Nation the worst reality show ever?” After watching only two minutes of this video, my friend turned it off and immediately texted the group chat with two simple words: New show. Over the course of syllabus week my friends and I binged all twelve episodes of “Kid Nation,” a short lived CBS reality show that aired in the fall of 2007. The premise is as insane as it is simple. 40 kids, with no parents, no supervision and no adults of any kind, will take over an abandoned town in the middle of the desert and attempt to form the first ever Kid Nation. The kids are split into four “districts” and they compete in challenges to determine what role in society they will hold. Each week one kid is awarded a solid gold star by the elected town council, worth 20,000 real world dollars. The show is bananas. The fact that it ever existed it all is mindboggling. A Wikipedia search reveals that the shows producers actually classified and registered the set as a summer camp in order to avoid child labor laws. This is just one small factoid in the sea of madness that is “Kid Nation.” The show can only be found in grainy YouTube videos, because CBS all but denies it’s existence. While the entire thing is easily found, the subpar audio and video quality honestly kind of adds to the reality of the experience these kids are going through. The entire aesthetic of the presentation adds to the strange feeling you have while watching, that what you’re seeing shouldn’t actually exist. The people in charge of this show put a group of tweens in a desert with minimal commodities or utilities and more or less sat back to see what would happen. From that standpoint, the show is cleanly divided in half. During the first half of the season, the town council featured four kids appointed by the producers at the start of the show. This led to a number of kids questioning the authority of leaders that were not chosen for them, some kids refused to do the jobs assigned to them, while others got into fights with each other. Obstacles as simple as cooking mac and cheese became gigantic issues with eight year olds dumping in more pasta than the pan can fill. The first half of the season is filled with ridiculous nonsense like this, from kids eating so much candy they have sugar hangovers the next day to kids arguing which religion is best based only on the religions name. The chaos of
kids trying to live by themselves is a setup rife with drama and conflict, but one that continually makes you wonder if it’s all right for you to be enjoying what you’re seeing. This show is kinda messed up. The entire premise is predicated on using kids’ pain to bring entertainment to the audience. How you square that is up to you, but the show was cancelled after one short season, so it’s doubtful watching it now is really causing anyone harm. However, in the back half of the series things take an interesting turn. After (spoiler alert) holding an election, throwing out the original town council, and electing their own leaders, Kid Nation really stabilizes. A Reddit AMA from a few years back that was done by one of the kids who appeared on the show reveals that the kids eventually got bored of the “game” of the show, playing the challenges and changing districts and what not. They had developed a system of labor that more or less worked without much issue, and they didn’t even fight that much anymore. It’s less bombastic and entertaining than the early episodes, but there’s something kinda fascinating
The premise is as insane as it is simple. 40 kids with no parents, no supervision about the end of “Kid Nation” all the same. At one point the kids are given a choice between a hot air balloon ride and a monument to the town they’ve built together that will stand there forever. As rightly pointed out by some of the kids, the real monument to the journey they went on is the show itself. But what started as a simple reality show designed to shock the audience eventually transitions into a strange meditation on the fragility of childhood and the inevitability of growing up. As their final days together come to a close, many of the kids we’ve grown to know become emotional about the fact that they’re about to leave people they’ve formed a connection with unlike any other they had before. As the kids run into their parents waiting arms, we watch as they experience joy, and sadness too. It’s been said that kids do live in their own world after all, one where the rules aren’t always defined by adults or the strict impositions of the adult world. Alas, you can’t stay in “Kid Nation” forever; eventually you have to return to the real world. “Kid Nation” was brief, bright and no more. Long live “Kid Nation.”
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Release Date: Friday, January 24, 2020
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ACROSS 1 Draft category 5 Crisply played, in mus. 9 Qatar’s capital 13 Inflammation treatment 15 Apple product 16 Blamed for personal advantage 19 More mean 20 Sci-fi helmsman 21 Burdened 24 Portable chair 26 “Uno __”: cantina request 27 Fundraising targets 29 Boar’s mate 31 Punch with force, maybe 35 Greatly beloved ones 38 He reunited with his fictional ex on Valentine’s Day in 2011 39 Ibuprofen brand 41 Backboard attachment 42 Place Sundance liked to see 44 Chanoyu ceremony essential 47 Kazakhstan, once: Abbr. 49 Waste time 50 __ store 53 Many an Indian 57 Green 58 Game with two secret passages 60 Advice 62 Hotel amenity, and a hint to three puzzle answers 67 They can make you better, briefly 68 Basically 69 Annoyance 70 Do, for example 71 Cutty __ DOWN 1 Fall mo. 2 Kabuki kin 3 Give the wrong change, say
4 Acts of reparation 5 IRS IDs 6 Talks up 7 Musical in which FDR is a character 8 Gave up 9 Board mem. 10 Expresses a preference (for) 11 Blah 12 “A Passage to India” heroine 14 “Lemme!” 17 Age relatives 18 Clear 21 Delay 22 Not quite identical 23 Comforter 25 It’s often served with nutmeg 28 “... __ woodchuck could chuck wood?” 30 Subjects of European trials during the Renaissance 32 Wd. ending in -less
33 FDR power plan 34 Backtalk 36 Botch 37 Common sense? 40 Bloke 43 It may be tapped into a tray 45 Parents, usually 46 High __ 48 P.R. part 50 Appear 51 Fluff, as pillows 52 Blender button
54 Hopeless 55 “Beats me!” 56 Up in the air 59 Aims 61 Zaire’s Mobutu __ Seko 63 It ends shortly after 1-Down 64 __ moment 65 “Bad Moon Rising” band, briefly 66 “A rat!”
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, January 24, 2020 — 7
The wrong time for soul searching
T
he problems plaguing the Michigan men’s basketball team are supposed to be early-season kinks, not late-January shortcomings. But this roller coaster of a season didn’t have any initial kinks. It DANIEL began with DASH seven straight wins and a smooth ascension to the No. 4 spot in the national poll. That was seven weeks ago. Now, the Wolverines are mired in the program’s longest losing streak since 2015. Their loss to Penn State on Wednesday pushed this year’s team into uncharted territory. Over the last three seasons, Michigan’s cumulative 89-27 record is among the country’s best. This year’s seniors have been to a national title game and a pair of Sweet Sixteens. Yet on Wednesday, the Nittany Lions marched into Crisler Center and, in a season when winning a road game in the Big Ten is a rarity, sat in the driver’s seat for much of the game en route to a 72-63 win. In the process, the loss seemed to bring the Wolverines’ flaws to center stage. Energy lulls, failing to talk on defense and stretches of subpar focus — all elements within their control — were on full display. Senior point guard Zavier Simpson tried to will his team to victory by hunting for his own shot and showing the passion that’s become synonymous with his name, but by the final buzzer, Michigan was left with its third consecutive loss. More importantly, though, Wednesday provided a long look in the mirror for the reeling Wolverines.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
‘M’ hopes to stop threes BRENDAN ROOSE Daily Sports Writer
ASHA LEWIS/Daily
Junior forward Eli Brooks said that Michigan needs people to step up after Wednesday’s loss to Penn State.
They didn’t like what they saw staring back. “In order to be able to grow, we really rely on (Simpson) to get us going and bring the energy,” junior guard Eli Brooks said. “I think that’s where, moving forward, we could do a better job as a team if we have more guys bringing the fire. Being uncomfortable with that position, being vulnerable like (Simpson) is, it’s tough. “Some people just don’t lead that way and I think we need more people to step up.” To Brooks, it’s an identity issue beneath the surface. Figuring out who can assume that type of leadership role is something most teams go through in November — not after falling to 2-5 in conference play in late January. For Michigan, a blunt realization set in on Wednesday: Simpson’s voice can’t be the only one making a difference. “It’s just about people buying in,” Brooks said. “You can’t forfeit the games coming up, so something has to give at the end of the day. You have to fight
through it and take pride in it.” Granted, the Wolverines have been without junior forward Isaiah Livers — who was their leading scorer when he sustained a groin injury on Dec. 21 — for over a month. Surviving in a cannibalistic conference without an integral piece is difficult, but that should have no correlation with energy, focus and defensive communication. “It’s too late in the season for, you know, I have to beg our guys to communicate on defense,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said. “Not just on the defensive end, on the offensive end, too. It just so happens it’s a lost art in the game and we have to bring it back. “Yes, I’m old school, but in order for us to forge ahead and move forward and improve, communication has to be a part of the process. That is surprising that some of our guys don’t like talking on defense. … There’s a lot of guessing going on, and I just don’t understand it.” Howard often lauds his group for being solution-based, but it’s going to take more than
just ideas for the Wolverines to reverse course after losing four of their last five conference games. Coming up with the right ideas is one thing. Successfully putting them into motion is another. With March just five weeks away, Brooks knows Michigan must prioritize the latter. “I feel like I can be a more vocal person,” Brooks said. “Just by being in the right spot and trying to get other people in the right spot and bringing that energy. I know that’s not who I am but I could be that.” Now that the problem has been diagnosed, it becomes a matter of how quickly the Wolverines can solve it. At this point, the direction of their season hinges on it. “It’s January 22,” an exasperated Howard said at the postgame podium, toeing the line between frustration and plea. And that’s the point. Dash can be reached on Twitter @DanielDash_ or by email at dashdan@umich.edu.
Ohio State is not a very good 3-point shooting team. It’s made just 31.6 percent of its 3-pointers this season, the fourth-worst mark in the Big Ten. Most coaches wouldn’t have to worry about getting beat from beyond the arc against the Buckeyes. But against the Michigan women’s basketball team on Jan. 9, they shot 11-for-22 from three en route to a 78-69 win. Maryland’s a little better. It’s shot a respectable 36.8 percent on 3-pointers, good for third in the Big Ten. Just like Ohio State, the Terrapins exceeded their season average against the Wolverines, shooting 10-of-21 from three — and 6-for-8 in the second half — in their blowout win on Jan. 12. A week later, the same thing happened again, when Nebraska shattered its 33.8 percent average and went 12-of-24 from beyond the arc in their win over Michigan. The Wolverines’ inability to defend the three has been central to their struggles recently. They’ve lost three of their last four games, and with three of the Big Ten’s top teams — Rutgers, Northwestern and Iowa — up next on the schedule, they desperately need to resolve this problem to bounce back. “I think we have to just change our gameplan,” senior guard Akienreh Johnson said. “Most of the time going into the game (our opponent) had had a poor shooting night before, or multiple poor shooting nights. I’m not saying we don’t defend the three, but we don’t (emphasize) it as much as we should, and in the game when they start hitting them, we don’t adjust, so we’re not able to … take away the shot.” Except for the Maryland game, Michigan has held its
own well into the second half of all its recent contests. The Wolverines were tied with Ohio State entering the fourth quarter and led by one at the same point against Nebraska. But the Buckeyes hit both of their fourth-quarter 3-point attempts, and the Huskers hit 4-of-5 — winning by just three points. Michigan is putting itself in positions to win games, but its defense keeps faltering in big moments. Part of this stems from the Wolverines’ commitment to shutting down teams down low. They use their length to clog the paint and prevent opponents from getting easy buckets or offensive rebounds, and they’ve been successful in that regard. They reel in 72.2 percent of their defensive rebound opportunities, the best in the Big Ten. But against modern five-out schemes — where the offense starts with five players on the perimeter — clogging the inside leaves Michigan vulnerable to open threes on the drive-andkick. Essentially, the Wolverines gamble that their opponents won’t make their 3-pointers in favor of stopping the layup. They’ve been losing that bet. “I feel like a lot of teams in the Big Ten have balanced teams,” junior forward Hailey Brown said. “Everyone can kind of shoot the three, everyone can play inside, so when it comes to that it is harder to defend. Just because if everyone’s a 3-point threat then you gotta take away something, so do you want to give up threes or twos?” If it was only one game, you could say that Michigan was just unlucky, but poor 3-point defense has become a theme over its last several losses. And with senior forward Kayla Robbins — one of the Wolverines’ best defenders — out for the season with a torn ACL, life will only get harder if Michigan can’t adjust.
Michigan looking to keep momentum Wolverines rally to upset Gophers going against Development Program CHRIS SULLIVAN Daily Sports Writer
BAILEY JOHNSON Daily Sports Editor
In October 2018, Johnny Beecher took the ice at Yost Ice Arena for the first time. But the now-freshman forward wasn’t wearing the block ‘M’ and representing Michigan. He was wearing red, white and blue for the visiting team, the U18 team from the U.S. National Team Development Program (NTDP). The Wolverines hosted the NTDP in an exhibition matchup, and Beecher got his first taste of playing at what would become his home rink in a year — and his first taste of a win at Yost, as the NTDP beat Michigan, 6-3. “It was awesome,” Beecher said Thursday. “I was fortunate enough to get in the starting lineup, and when they called my name, the student section was cheering and everything. It was everything I could’ve ever dreamed of. It was a great crowd, and we actually came away with a win, so the guys were really pumped up about that.” This Saturday, two more Michigan commits will have that same experience. Forward Thomas Bordeleau and defenseman Jacob Truscott will both join the Wolverines in the fall, and they’ll get their first experience playing at Yost in this year’s exhibition. “Both good players, both good kids,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said. “I know they’re gonna want to do well and show the Michigan faithful why they’re coming here and why they have the opportunity to come here. They’re good players, so I’m anxious to see them both play.” Added Beecher: “They’re
ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily
Freshman forward Johnny Beecher played for the USNTDP last year.
a great team. I came from the program the last two years, so I know that they’re gonna be really excited about it, and it’ll be a great atmosphere.” For Michigan, Saturday’s exhibition has the makings of a classic trap game, albeit a slightly nontraditional one. It’s a meaningless matchup, sandwiched in the heart of the Wolverines’ conference schedule. Michigan has started to build momentum in recent weeks, and now, they’re faced with a game that could be a serious stumbling block to that momentum. “There’s no implications as far as either your Big Ten points or NCAA, so it’s why are you playing?” Pearson said. “What’s the purpose? I think that’s the thing that we’ve tried to convey to our guys. We have to get better. It’s a week we can take advantage of. We put it on the schedule at this time so we would have a game and not just have an open weekend.” The Wolverines’ recent run
There’s no implications as far as ... Big Ten points or NCAA.
came after a disappointing first half, in which the Michigan went 7-11-2 overall and just 2-7-1 in the Big Ten. And despite the success the last two weeks, Pearson knows his team still has a lot to improve upon. In Saturday’s exhibition, he’s looking for the Wolverines to continue to build and grow into a team that can be competitive across the Big Ten. “We’ve only played six games since we’ve been back from the long break we had,” Pearson said. “We have some new line combinations we want to work out, the power play needs work.” With No. 6 Ohio State — a team that swept Michigan in the first half of the year — coming to town next weekend, the Wolverines are looking to build on their momentum on Saturday against the NTDP and keep things rolling into the series against the Buckeyes. “I think with all the momentum we have going right now, we don’t want to lose it,” Beecher said. “Unfortunately, we can’t continue in Big Ten play this weekend, but it is what it is. It’ll be a good test for us, and we’ll be able to work on the stuff that we need to get better at.”
In front of an enthusiastic and inspired Crisler Center crowd Sunday afternoon, the Michigan wrestling team (4-2) went on an impressive run. It won four of the meet’s final five matches to clinch a 22-15 comeback victory over No. 11 Minnesota (7-4). Despite underdog status in the meet, Michigan coach Sean Bormet and his team were confident and motivated to clash with stiff Big Ten competition. “We thought it was a great opportunity individually for our guys to go in and win some matches against guys that were ranked higher than them,” Bormet said. “As a team to go in and beat a team ranked higher than us. Our guys were just looking at it as a great opportunity to compete.” Sunday’s first half of bouts left the Wolverines in a precarious position moving forward. In a series of highlydefensive and tightly-contested spars early on, Michigan took a 6-3 advantage with help from redshirt junior Kanen Storr and redshirt freshman Will Lewan. Momentum began to shift Minnesota’s way, as Golden
Gopher redshirt sophomore Bailee O’Reilly and No.7-ranked fifth-year senior Devin Skatzka dominated their Wolverine opponents. Both were awarded bonus points en route to a 12-6 lead at intermission. At the break, Bormet stressed to his team the importance of rebounding in the final five matches by being both aggressive and composed. In the locker room, Bormet specifically looked to redshirt sophomore Jelani Embree, who was scheduled to wrestle first after intermission. “Jelani needed to come out and get that momentum going back our way, using his speed and power,” Bormet said. “I was just making sure he had his composure and he was ready to go.” Embree responded to his coach’s wisdom well, defeating Owen Webster in suddendeath overtime and sending the Crisler faithful into a frenzy. The afternoon’s most thrilling match also came with some controversy, as a last-second takedown ruling by Webster was overturned at the end of the third period, setting up Embree’s overtime win. “In that moment, I was trying to stay calm,” Embree said. “Thankfully, it worked out in my favor and I was able to
take advantage of that second life that I was given.” In the 197-pound matchup, fifth-year senior Jackson Striggow was in full control of his opponent – Minnesota’s fifth-year senior Hunter Ritter – finishing with a pair of takedowns in a hard-fought 6-4 win. Following the final buzzer, Striggow seemed to feed off the excitement of the crowd, raising his arms in elation after the Wolverines had knotted the overall score at 12 apiece. Striggow competed with a little more on his mind than his teammates when peering across the mat at the Golden Gophers bench. “I grew up 15 miles from the University of Minnesota,” Striggow said. “So I always wrestle with a little bit of a chip on my shoulder because Michigan gave me a chance and Minnesota didn’t. So it’s always fun to beat them and it’s really cool to know that the state of Michigan has kind of adopted me as one of their guys.” Following Striggow’s match, Michigan continued its run of dominance on the mat with victories from sophomore Mason Parris in the heavyweight division and redshirt freshman Joey Silva in the 133-pound class to secure a 22-15 team win.
FILE PHOTO/Daily
Fifth-year senior Jackson Striggow scored two takedowns in Michigan’s 22-15 win over the Golden Gophers.
8 — Friday, January 24, 2020
MOLLY SHEA Daily Sports Writer The first time Nick Pastujov ever saw snow, he was five years old. As a kid from Bradenton, Fla., snow was a foreign concept to him. Sure, it existed on TV where kids would build snowmen and have snowball fights, but to him, it was more of an illusion. Movies were the closest he ever got to it. Then he got his chance. For the Silver Sticks International Tournament over Christmas, Nick traveled to Michigan, and there he saw it: the powdery white flakes. Naturally, when he got back to Florida, he told everyone about his encounter, especially his younger brother, Mike. So when Mike was eligible for the same tournament the next year, he had certain expectations. It would be his turn to see snow now. But when his flight touched down at Detroit Metropolitan Airport and the pilot announced the weather conditions, reality hit hard — it was warmer in Detroit than Florida. Snow would be hard to find. Unfortunately for Mike, the Pastujovs didn’t hunt for snow like one of his teammates’ family had. When the tournament was over, and the Pastujovs were headed back to the airport, Mike let his feelings show. He started to bawl. He cried out to his mom, Janis. His only opportunity to see snow was gone. Wasted. It was so unfair Nick had seen snow before him. At five years old, Mike could never have dreamed all the chances he’d have in the years to come. He and Nick had no idea hockey would eventually lead them to Michigan. Hockey hadn’t yet cemented its place in their lives. In fact, it was just a few years before the great snow encounter that the Pastujovs had learned to skate. Hockey was still new to Florida when Nick was born — there wasn’t even a rink nearby his home. All that changed when he was three, though, and a rink was built at the next highway exit. When Nick and Mike’s dad, Gueorgui (George), heard the news, he was overjoyed. Born and raised in Russia, hockey was everything to him. George knew he’d never be able to teach his sons football. Or baseball. Or even basketball. But he could share hockey with them. And so, as soon as the rink was finished, the family toured it, and George signed Nick up for lessons. At just three years old, Nick didn’t have much say in the matter. Even if he had been old enough, it’s unlikely his opinion would’ve mattered. George wanted his sons to play hockey. “Looking back, I have to take responsibility,” George said, laughing. “I pushed them as a parent more towards hockey than anything else. Now I’m laughing but I was, they didn’t have much choice. Basically, ‘That’s what you’re doing guys, you’re playing hockey.’ … At the beginning, I didn’t really give them many choices.” The next year, when Mike turned three, he joined his brother at skating lessons. Unlike their father, Nick and Mike didn’t fall in love with hockey instantly. In fact, it was the total opposite reaction — they hated skating. Outside of lessons, they’d attend open skates with their dad. Sometimes their grandpa, or their cousin when he was in town, would join. On the ice, the brothers weren’t shy about showing how they felt about skating. They’d scream. They’d cry. They didn’t want anything to do with it — to the point where grandpa had to intervene. “My grandpa would be up in the stands yelling at him to take me off the ice and stop, and my dad wouldn’t stop,” Nick said. “He kept us out there. At this point, I’m obviously glad he did.” Eventually, the brothers warmed up to skating, and the next step was getting hockey sticks in
Photos courtesy of the Pastujov Family | Design by Jack Silberman
Sports
their hands. Once that happened, Nick and Mike were sold. If they weren’t at the rink practicing, they were in the street. They’d throw pucks against the house until it was so dark outside they couldn’t see anything. If street hockey wasn’t a viable option, they moved things indoors. In the designated play area — a space between two of the bedrooms in the family’s home — Nick and Mike played mini sticks. They played with their friends. They played with their youngest brother, Sasha, when he was born. And every once in a while, Janis came home from work and saw her mother in the net, blocking her grandsons’ shots. While hockey was the priority, it was far from the only thing the brothers did together. Janis and George would take them to the YMCA and they’d play basketball or soccer or go swimming. But there was one other activity Nick and Mike tried, their mother’s passion — dance. It was a bargaining tool. Her sons could spend all the time they wanted at the rink playing hockey with their dad, if she could have them at the dance studio where she taught lessons. Plus, it was convenient after-school care. So Nick and Mike took ballet. They didn’t enjoy it, but it kept them flexible. Once they ventured beyond ballet, they discovered an affinity for hip-hop. “I don’t remember ever being any good at it, but I remember my buddy picked the song,” Nick said. “It was the basketball song from the first High School Musical. That’s what we did our recital to. Thankfully, we outgrew that. I kind of wish I was better at it now.” Added Mike: “I mean, I don’t regret it. It’s different. People made fun of me for it, but I thought it was cool.” Eventually they hung up their dancing shoes and laced up their hockey skates. Holidays were spent at the rink or traveling to tournaments. Like the year the Pastujovs spent Thanksgiving in Niagara Falls, Ontario at a tiny little buffet place. These trips provided the perfect opportunity for bonding over long car rides and seeing the world outside of Florida. The only holiday hockey didn’t affect was Halloween, and in the Pastujov household it became a rite of passage. The family had a huge bin brimming with costumes. Every year when October rolled around, Mike would search through it. The bin had exactly what you’d expect for a family with three sons. There’s Batman, Spiderman, Frankenstein, Dracula, Power Rangers. The list goes on. The decision of what costume to pick was never difficult for Mike. He was just whatever his brother was the year before. Usually, Mike didn’t want to copy Nick. Like all brothers, they competed against each other. Not just in hockey, in everything. When Nick got Velcro shoes, Mike seized his opportunity to be the first one to learn how to tie shoes. And rather than copying his older brother’s style, Mike was the one giving Nick tips on how to dress and pick clothes that complimented each other. “I never had too good of style,” Nick said. “There’d be times where I’d get dressed for church or Christmas dinner, something like that, and he’d make me go change and he’d pick out a different outfit for me.” Growing up, Nick and Mike were inseparable. That changed in seventh grade when a coach from a program in Michigan approached George and Janis about the possibility of Nick joining the team and moving. Ultimately, they weren’t quite ready to let Nick go. But the next year, Mike and Nick’s team started to fall apart. It was the only triple-A program in Florida. If they wanted to continue playing hockey, it was going to involve relocating. This time, when Honeybaked Hockey — a
different club team than the previous year — approached the family, Janis was willing to entertain the idea. They took a visit to Michigan to get a better feel for what life for Nick would be like if he moved. Leaving Florida would mean he’d have to get a billet family. “He really wanted to do it,” Janis said. “I used to say I put on my big-girl pants and let him go do what he wanted to do. As long as he was happy it was fine. We would come up for all the tournaments and everything.” So, he went. While Nick was in Michigan adjusting to living with a new family, Mike was adjusting to life without his older brother. The distance was good for Nick and Mike’s relationship, too — it helped them build a more mature, deeper bond. Being close despite separation proved that the brotherly connection wasn’t just because of hockey or proximity, but because they chose to be. Ultimately, the separation didn’t last longer than a year. Mike occasionally traveled up to play with Honeybaked during Nick’s first year. In many ways, Nick was the family guinea pig. When Janis and George saw Nick’s billeting experience, letting Mike do the same was an easier decision. So, the following year, Mike moved to Michigan. For Mike, the jump from one state to another was less jarring because he had Nick to turn to. He’d ask for advice on feeling comfortable asking his billet parents for something. Or getting along with his billet siblings. Or learning to take no for an answer. Plus, there was the added benefit of seeing snow whenever he wanted. While they lived with different billet families, Nick and Mike were reunited in every other sense. They played on the same team, most of the time on the same line. Every practice, they saw each other. Sometimes on the weekends, Nick would go visit Mike at his billet family, or Mike would go to Nick’s. “I saw him every day pretty much,” Mike said. “It wasn’t bad, but it was always weird saying bye to him at the rink and then going home to different houses. That was kind of strange.” Two years after moving to Michigan, the brothers had a defining moment. After a long season, their Honeybaked team found itself playing for the 2013 USA Hockey Tier 1 U14 National Championship game. With under one minute remaining, Honeybaked was trailing by a goal to Shattuck St. Mary’s. After Honeybaked pulled its goaltender, an extra attacker skated on — Mike. He joined the attack alongside Nick, who was already on the ice. Moving back and forth across the blueline, Nick acted as a bumper to keep the puck in the zone. He swung the puck back into traffic. Positioned at the front of the goal, near the edge of the crease with his stick readied was Mike. When the puck came his way, he tapped it in. Raising his arms in celebration and a combination of running and jumping on skates, Mike made his way towards Nick. When the distance got close enough, Nick launched himself onto his brother. *** It was Mike who was by Nick’s side when he got drafted. That day started the exact opposite of how a normal day for Nick would go. Anxious about his chances, he didn’t want to be anywhere near a TV. He didn’t even want to have cell reception. And so he and Mike ended up on a deep sea fishing boat off the coast of Miami. Back on land, George and Janis watched and waited, hoping for their son’s name to be called. Just as the seventh round was starting, the boat was docking and Nick’s phone was regaining reception. By this point, he’d given up hope of being drafted, resigning to the optimism that there’s always next year. Then out of nowhere,
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he got a text welcoming him to the New York Islanders. He’d been drafted, 193rd overall. Right by his side when everything was unfolding was Mike, and he couldn’t have been prouder of his older brother. Through the years, they’ve shared countless other moments, good and bad. Like the time they both sustained shoulder injuries that required surgery. Mike had his during his U17 year with the USNTDP, and Nick during the summer before his freshman year. When they needed someone who understood the process of being injured — the pains of being sidelined from hockey and rehabilitation — they didn’t have to look far. When they arrived at Michigan, Nick and Mike faced a similar setback. In their respective first games at the University, neither of them even laced up their skates. Instead, they remained in their suits and watched from a section of the press box designated for the non-dressing Wolverines. Having experienced the disappointment of being scratched the year before, Nick gave Mike tips and suggestions on how to handle the situation. It made Mike’s transition to college hockey a lot less like the fish-out-of-water experience it is for some players. He had Nick to guide him. Five years after their big goal for Honeybaked, the Pastujovs combined in another monumental moment — the Frozen Four. Nick assisted Mike’s late tying goal that breathed life into the Wolverines against Notre Dame. “That was probably the coolest hockey moment we’ve had,” Nick said. “ … We knew we had to score. … It’s tough to describe just how elated and happy (Mike’s goal) made me. Being able to see him (celebrate) and just be right behind him was awesome.” Nick is set to graduate this semester, which means his days on campus and his games dressed in a maize and blue sweater are fleeting. But that means the clock’s running out on something else, too — the brothers’ time together. This is likely the last year the Pastujovs will be on the ice, on the same line, together. Next season, when Mike enters the offensive zone along the boards, Nick won’t be trailing behind, knowing his brother will eventually cut back and feed him the puck if he gets there in time. There won’t be a Pastujov celebratory hug when Nick nets a goal off a pass from Mike, or vice versa, the way there was last weekend when the brothers combined for two goals against No. 6 Penn State. The most noticeable difference will be the back of Mike’s jersey. He’ll no longer be “M. Pastujov.” For the first time in three years, he’ll get to just be “Pastujov.” It’s undeniable that hockey has contributed a lot to the bond Nick and Mike have, but it’s not solely because of the sport. Their years together at Michigan have proved that. They’ve lived together — by choice — the last two years. Sometimes they cook together. Mike prefers grilling while Nick sticks to the basics like pasta and pesto. They’ll watch TV together. On Sundays, it’s football. Occasionally, they’ll play it, and sometimes throw a ball in the stands of Yost Ice Arena during warm-up time. When the weather allows it, they’ll play golf. Beyond their hockey dreams, they’ve got a dream as brothers to own a lake house. In the northern part of Michigan, where they could bring their families when they’re older. And through all the hockey, dance recitals and fashion advice there’s something glaringly obvious about the brothers’ bond. Mike and Nick are much more than brothers. They’re best friends.