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Friday, February 28, 2020
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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Spring break plans altered by worries of coronavirus
University expands travel restrictions beyond China to include South Korea FRANCESCA DUONG Daily Staff Reporter
ALEC COHEN/Daily Tad Deluca, former UM wrestler who alleged sexual assault by Dr. Robert Anderson, speaks publicaly for the first time at a press conference in Southfield, MI, Thursday morning.
‘I will not be ignored again’: Former wrestler speaks on alleged assault
Tad Deluca alerted ‘U’ in 1975 about Anderson sexual misconduct EMMA STEIN
Daily News Editor
“I spoke up by letter in July of 1975 and it was ignored and denigrated by the University of Michigan,” said Tad Deluca, former University of Michigan wrestler. “I spoke up again by letter in 2018 after hearing an NPR story about the MSU gymnasts, women who I am in awe of. Once again, the University of Michigan ignored me. I’m here today to speak up again to let the University of Michigan know that I will not be ignored again.”
Deluca, who alleged the late Dr. Robert Anderson of sexual misconduct, along with other alleged survivors Thomas Evashevski, former University wrestler, and Andy Hrovat, Olympic wrestler and U-M alum, spoke publicly for the first time at a press conference in Southfield Thursday morning. Deluca submitted a letter in 1975 accusing Anderson of sexual abuse when he was a University student from 19721976. The late Don Canham was the athletic director at the time.
In 2018, Deluca submitted another letter with the same allegations to current University athletic director Warde Manuel. Parker Stinar, a lawyer with Wahlberg, Woodruff, Nimmo and Stone, facilitated the conference. He described Deluca’s experience with Anderson and the University. “Tad was also a victim of sexual abuse,” Stinar said. “From his freshman year to junior year, Dr. Anderson performed unnecessary examinations on Tad, including testicle and rectal
examinations. Tad knew what Dr. Anderson was doing was wrong. And as a 19-year-old, he wrote a letter to the individuals who are responsible for protecting him when he was away from his parents — his coach, Bill Johannesen … included in his letter, Tad has statements such as ‘Doctor drop your drawers Anderson’ and ‘something is wrong with Doctor Anderson. Regardless of what you go in there for, he always makes you drop your drawers.”’ See ALLEGATIONS, Page 3
Amid concerns about health with the rise of COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus, University of Michigan students have altered travel plans for spring break. Preeti Malani, University chief health officer; Lindsey Mortenson, medical director of University Health Service; and Robert D. Ernst, executive director of University Health Service, sent an email to University students and faculty Thursday morning noting the University has expanded its travel restrictions to South Korea, moving beyond previous warnings regarding China. The additional restrictions align the University with guidance from the Center for Disease Control. “Consistent with travel warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the University of Michigan has expanded its travel restrictions beyond China to include South Korea,” the email stated. “All U-M related travel to these countries, including
for faculty and staff, is discouraged. Personal travel to these countries also is discouraged.” According to the email, all University-related travel to China and South Korea are discouraged, and international travelers are encouraged to build flexibility into their plans. However, while current travel within the United States is not restricted, the email does suggest precautionary measures. As of Thursday, there are no confirmed cases of the virus in Michigan. However, according to the CDC, there are more than a dozen in the United States. The University will continue to monitor the situation along with health officials at the local, state and national levels to monitor the spread of the virus, the email said. There are currently 400 cases of COVID-19 in Italy as of Feb. 26. So far, 11 towns have been quarantined and numerous schools, universities and public events have been canceled due to fears related to the virus. See CORONAVIRUS, Page 3
Student campaign organizations Coalitions Dance duo mobilize prepare for Democratic primary talks love GOVERNMENT
voters for elections
CAMPUS LIFE
Supporters of Sanders, Biden, Buttigieg, Warren table, phone bank
Bipartisan and partisan groups aim to increase votes before presidential primary on March 10th
at event by SAPAC
Nia & Ness share poetry to encourage healthy relationships, discuss stories of self-acceptance
KATHERINA SOURINE
KARA WARNKE
Daily Staff Reporter
For The Daily
With the Michigan primary coming up March 10, University of Michigan administrative initiatives and student groups are spearheading efforts to mobilize student voters and increase turnout. One of the larger-scale initiatives is the Big Ten Voting Challenge, a nonpartisan coalition among the Big Ten Conference schools. The challenge was launched at the University in 2017 through the Edward Ginsberg Center and recorded an average 24 percent increase in the turnout rate among Big Ten schools from the 2014 to 2018 midterms. The University showed a 27 percent increase, nearly tripling voter turnout. According to Erin Byrnes, Lead of Democratic Engagement at the Ginsberg Center, this growth can be attributed to a combination of a strong digital and physical presence on campus. The challenge also works with nonpartisan student group Turn up Turnout to execute voter registration events, use social media for outreach and be physically present at the polls on voting day.
said. “But I do think that given that, we’ve had a very good response among students. When they leave, we’ve had people that have been like ‘You know what, I don’t agree with you, but at least now I understand your point.’” Though both supporters of Biden, LSA freshmen Adam Grimes and Kenny Larson joined Students for Biden for different reasons. Grimes said he felt personally connected to the senator because of his own involvement in Philadelphia politics, which he said Biden influenced when he was a senator of nearby Delaware.
Seventy University of Michigan students and Ann Arbor residents gathered in the Regency Ballroom at the Graduate Ann Arbor hotel on Thursday evening for an event titled “Home Is Where the Heart Is.” Hosted by SAPAC’s Consent, Outreach & Relationship Education program and sponsored by MultiEthnic Student Affairs and Central Student Government, the event was intended to encourage love and healthy relationships. The event featured performance duo Nia & Ness, a couple based in Rosendale, N.Y., performing their piece “home.” Through their work in poetry and dance, they address themes such as trauma, self-harm, self-love, healing and happiness. The pair has toured nationwide and received multiple honors for their work. The opening piece of the program delved into the problems within the world of Black lesbians, from within the Black community and from the outside. Ness’s poetry, paired with Nia’s sharp and striking dance told a story of all the people who have either sexualized, threatened or became aggressively jealous toward the couple.
See CAMPAIGN, Page 3
See SAPAC, Page 3
See REGISTRATION, Page 3
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As the Michigan Democratic primary approaches, student campaign organizations are working to spread the word about their candidate before the election on March 10. These efforts rely on members of those organizations tabling and phone banking to reach voters both on campus and in the greater Washtenaw County area. The University of Michigan’s chapter of College Democrats has hosted some debate watch parties, which were attended by members of multiple politically
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affiliated student organizations. While College Democrats does not endorse primary candidates, four other political groups — Students for Bernie, Students for Biden, Students for Pete and Students for Warren — are working to elect their preferred candidates. According to LSA freshman Andrew Schaeffler, who is co-founder and campus organizer for Students for Biden, the group is focused on reaching out to Michigan voters as the primary approaches, especially those with absentee ballots. Schaeff ler said he started the group in October 2019 when he saw there was no
student organization for Biden at the University. “In general, I think a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, (Biden) is a member of the establishment. What has he actually done?’” Schaeffler said. “That’s been pretty much the main conversation that we’ve had with students.” Schaeffler said Students for Biden has been working with both the national and state campaigns to expand its voter reach. He felt the group’s outreach efforts had a generally positive response from students. “It’s no secret that Joe Biden isn’t the most liked candidate among students,” Schaeffler
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FRIDAY: Behind the Story
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 freshman Julia Forrest on her story “VP Mike Pence holds rally in Troy ahead of Michigan Primary”: “I chose to cover this event because I’ve always been fascinated by campaign rallies and how politicians or those who are running for office speak to and interact with their supporters. It was interesting to see how the Vice President spoke to his and the President’s fan base as they hit the campaign trail for their re-election campaign. I also thought it was interesting to hear in-person the speaking tactics the Vice President uses to get his supporters excited and active in the rally. I also think it’s important to hear from our political leaders, no matter what party they’re from, and to hear supporters of those parties and understand why everyone supports the types of politics that they do.”
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”In a world where we value free speech and we value diversity, I think I can disagree with the owner of a business but still do business with the business. So, I don’t think those things should enter into investment decisions at all... So, the student voice is important, but it doesn’t have a big input into the endowment.”
U-M President Mark Schlissel on letting political beliefs determine the University’s investment decisions during The Daily’s monthly interview this week.
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Who is WilmerHale, the firm hired to investigate Philbert allegations? The organization famously represented Duke University in allegations of rape against lacrosse players and has worked for Harvard and U-M in cases on affirmative action ARJUN THAKKAR Daily Staff Reporter
When University Provost Martin A. Philbert was placed on administrative leave on Jan. 21 following allegations of sexual misconduct, the University hired WilmerHale, a law firm based in Washington, D.C., to investigate the claims against him. According to a letter of engagement contracting WilmerHale, obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request, no attorneys at the firm who have previously represented the University will be working on this investigation. In addition, the contract explicitly states the firm is not contracted to defend Philbert or the University should any individual pursue a lawsuit against the University. “Our acceptance of this engagement does not involve an undertaking to represent the University or its interests in any other matter,” the letter reads. “Our Firm will not undertake any new matters for the University during this engagement, nor will our Firm undertake any matters involving the defense of any potential claims that are related to the allegations about Dr. Philbert.” The letter notes the firm will support the University in regard to legal advice. WilmerHale is the resulting firm of a merger between Bostonbased law firm Hale and Dorr and the Washington, D.C.,-based firm Wilmer Cutler Pickering. Several individuals at the firm have prior experience in government, including former FBI Director Robert Mueller. While WilmerHale has represented corporations across the globe, the firm has often provided legal support to institutions of higher education, representing colleges and universities in lawsuits, providing legal advice and counseling and, as
in the current case with the provost, serving as an external investigator for internal concerns at colleges or universities. Partners at WilmerHale involved in the investigation did not respond to the Daily’s request for comment in time for publication. David Moran, clinical professor of law at Michigan Law School, said WilmerHale is considered one of the most prestigious, well-respected law firms in the country and graduates at Michigan Law School often hope to work there. Moran explained why the University would choose to hire an external firm to investigate the allegations against Philbert. “The last thing you want to do if you have (an) investigation of a very high ranking member of the administration is to conduct an internal investigation that runs the risk of being called a whitewash,” Moran said. “Anytime you have a large organization investigating itself, you are likely at the end of the day to have detractors of the investigation who will say, ‘Well, the powerful people being investigated prevented a real full investigation,’ so if you want to convince people that you’re doing a real independent investigation, you need to get an outside counsel.” WilmerHale’s predecessor Wilmer Cutler Pickering has worked with the University of Michigan in the past. In the landmark U.S. Supreme Court cases Gratz v. Bollinger (2003) and Grutter v. Bollinger (2003), Wilmer Cutler Pickering defended the University against two students who filed suit after they were denied admission to LSA and the Law School. The students alleged they weren’t accepted because the University’s admissions policies favored applicants from certain minority groups. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the consideration of race as a factor in the college admissions process.
WilmerHale has also defended Harvard University in an affirmative action case, in which students denied admission to the school argued the consideration of race in Harvard’s admissions policies hurt Asian American applicants. The firm also has experience representing institutions of higher education in situations involving controversial allegations of sexual assault levied against students. WilmerHale touts its work on the matter on its website, writing that following the “improper indictment” of members of Duke University’s lacrosse team in 2006, the firm was responsible for “conducting an internal review for the board and helping the University address follow-on civil litigation.” Shortly after a student at North Carolina Central University accused three Duke University men’s lacrosse players of raping her at a party in 2006, prosecutor and former Durham County District Attorney Michael Nifong, who was pursuing the case against the lacrosse players, resigned and was disbarred for violating rules of professional conduct and deliberately withholding information. Partners at WilmerHale then joined Duke’s defense team and helped the school reach a settlement with the students. The partners left the case in 2011 to allow local legal firms to take charge of the defense. Beyond representing institutions of higher education in lawsuits, the University previously worked with WilmerHale on a patent matter in 2014 and 2015, according to University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald. “Attorneys in WilmerHale’s office in Boston helped U-M on a patent matter, from May 2014 to October 2015,” Fitzgerald wrote in a statement to the Daily. An October 2018 panel titled “How to navigate a Me Too investigation” at the fifth annual
Global Investigations Review provides a look at the approach WilmerHale may follow in investigating Philbert. WilmerHale partner Brenda Lee discussed the ideal time for an institution to begin an external investigation as well as the importance of remaining neutral during the process. “When we are hired to conduct a factual investigation, our work is impartial,” Lee said. “That’s true across all types of investigations but is especially important when dealing with such a sensitive topic like sexual misconduct — you have to see where the facts take you.” University President Mark Schlissel released a statement on Tuesday to update students and faculty on the work the University is doing in response to the allegations against Philbert and allegations of sexual misconduct against the late Robert Anderson, former team physician of the University of Michigan. Schlissel emphasized the University is working to support those who have been affected by offering free counseling services and encouraging anyone with additional information or perspectives to come forward and report them on a hotline. According to the statement, the University will also be working with an external firm to investigate the allegations against Anderson. “First, through an independent, external investigation team, the university will conduct an unflinching review of the facts – wherever they may lead – and will then provide to the public a full accounting of the harms caused to former patients by Anderson as well as any institutional failings that allowed him to keep practicing,” Schlissel wrote. “We promise to fully respect the privacy and confidentiality of witnesses as we do this.” Reporter Arjun Thakkar can be reached at arjunt@umich.edu.
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ALLEGATIONS From Page 1 Stinar explained Deluca trusted and looked up to Coach Bill Johannesen like a father and was disappointed in his response. “How did the University of Michigan coach, father figure Johannesen respond?” Stinar questioned. “Tad was removed from the wrestling team, Tad’s scholarship and financial aid was revoked. Tad’s personal letter that he wrote in 1975 was read to the rest of his wrestling team.” In a statement from University spokesman Rick Fitzgerald, the University has hired outside investigators Steptoe & Johnson to uncover the facts of the case. “The university engaged a firm with deep expertise to conduct an independent, thorough, and unf linching review of the facts – wherever they may lead,” the statement reads. “Through the work
CAMPAIGN From Page 1 Meanwhile, Larson started this election cycle as a Pete Buttigieg supporter, then switched his support to Biden. “I still like Pete Buttigieg as a candidate,” Larson said. “But the reason that Joe Biden specifically appealed to me (was through) having conversations with Andrew … and other members of the Biden organization, getting to know them and really digging into the policies.” While all the groups hope to get voters for their respective candidate, their target audience varies. According to Schaeffler, Students for Biden focuses on students, helping them navigate absentee voting and encouraging civil engagement. On the other hand, according to LSA freshman Sonya Love, a field captain for Students for Warren last semester, her organization works closely with Washtenaw for Warren, which
REGISTRATION From Page 1 “In 2018, we hosted parties at the polls on Central and North Campus, and that was an opportunity for students to really engage with us, get some food, get some swag, have conversation and get some information around what they would be voting on if they weren’t yet fully informed to that end,” Byrnes said. “This year, for the presidential primary on March 10, with changes in our state voting laws with Proposal 3, we’ll be able to not only give student information on who and what will be on the ballot — of course in a way that’s non-partisan — but we’ll also be able to direct them to the city clerk’s office if they haven’t yet registered because they will be able to register in person up to and on the day that they’ll be voting.” Byrnes highlighted the the support from President Mark Schlissel’s office, which streamlines her team’s work through the Office of New Student Programs. “It’s opened a lot of doors for us, which has been wonderful, so I think that’s an important
CORONAVIRUS From Page 1 In light of the coronavirus outbreak, some students at the University have rescheduled or altered their trips. LSA sophomore Charlotte Falk was planning to travel to Milan for part of her spring break. One person on the trip with Falk was traveling with her grandmother and originally changed her plans because of the heightened risk for older people. However, Falk said their entire friend group ultimately decided to cut Milan from their itinerary. “Initially she made that decision because she was traveling with her grandma, and since coronavirus affects older people more, it was definitely more of a health risk, but the
News
Hrovat described his experience as a male athlete who was sexually abused. He said the culture within athletics for males to push through any obstacles they face contributed to the environment of silence. “As athletes in combat sport, an individual sport, we’re taught our whole lives that, you know, this is on us, you know, be tough, push through it,” Hrovat said. “And make no excuses because everything’s in your hands...It’s really hard to look at yourself as a victim, right? Because you’re not a victim on the mat. It’s in your hands, right? But it’s hard to separate.” Deluca said he often blamed himself for his losses on the
mat, and that blame carried over to his interactions with Anderson. “If I won, it was my fault, if I lost, it was my fault,” Deluca said. “So, in 1975 I lost everything, and it was my fault.” Stinar concluded by explaining the next steps the alleged survivors were taking legally. He noted a lawsuit has not yet been filed but they have a meeting scheduled with the general counsel of the University in the near future. “At this point, our three goals are to uncover the truth, and that will be through the documents that we’ve obtained, as well as speaking to other victims and other individuals willing to come forward and speak up,” Stinar said. “Number two is to allow a safe platform for victims to call into, to communicate, to share their story… and then number three is holding the University of Michigan accountable. And number
three, there’s different pathways to go down. And at this time, the first step is to meet with the University.” The University statement recognized the courage of the men who told their stories and requested others who have been negatively impacted by Anderson to come forward. “The three brave men who came forward today to share their stories delivered a powerful message,” the statement reads. “We want to encourage everyone harmed by Robert E. Anderson or who has evidence of his misconduct to come forward. At the University of Michigan we want to hear your voices.” The allegations against Anderson come after the University placed Provost Martin Philbert on leave due to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct and allegations against University EECS Professor Jason Mars. Daily News Editor Emma Stein can be reached at enstein@umich.edu
campaign to prepare to lead Students for Bernie. “Over the summer, they taught us a lot about how to organize on campus, things of that nature,” Hughes said. “And then we also brought in other groups or other people from our group to help join the leadership team and just like our general membership.” Hughes emphasized his support for Sanders, saying his policies will allow everyone to have equal opportunities for success. “We really believe in Senator Sanders’s mission: to transform our country, transform our politics to something that makes it possible for everybody to have the same opportunities,” Hughes said. “This is the kind of world that we need to live in and Sanders fulfills that vision and we are very happy to assist him.” Students for Pete was founded by LSA senior Jessica Kosticak to bring together U-M students who support Buttigieg for president. Business freshman Jay Rubin said he found out about Students for Pete at the beginning of the
year. Rubin said he is supporting Buttigieg because he believes Buttigieg is the most electable and the candidate best suited to beat President Donald Trump. “When you look at the other candidates, I believe Pete is the best candidate because Sanders and Warren are way too far left and aren’t electable candidates,” Rubin said. “Klobuchar does not have enough support, Biden is too old and Bloomberg just entered the race too late. Combined with Pete’s well-spoken tendency and the fact that he’ll bring stability to the White House that we lack during the Trump presidency, I also believe he is the best candidate and he has a proven track record of success with being the mayor of South Bend, Indiana.” Rubin also said he thinks supporting Buttigieg on Super Tuesday is the next step to making sure he wins the Michigan Democratic primary. “With Super Tuesday coming up, it’s definitely encouraged us to do our best to ensure that Pete does get a lot of votes and ultimately,
hopefully, the nomination,” Rubin said. “We all believe in Students for Pete that Pete is the best candidate. While we respect every other candidate, we do believe that Pete has the best chance to win the White House back and the primaries are just one way to achieve that.” Beyond political affiliations and hopes for their candidate, however, student organizers aim to get more people to the polls. Larson said one of his priorities is increasing political participation. “Even more than just promoting Joe Biden, we want to make sure that students most importantly, are civically engaged, whether they be Biden supporters or Trump supporters or nonvoters,” Larson said. “I think it’s really important that we have people, whether they be on any side of the political aisle, supporting any candidate or no candidate, to be willing to have open conversations.” Reporters Iulia Dobrin and Jasmin Lee can be reached at idobrin@umich.edu and itsshlee@umich.edu.
Wright said while law students usually have already had experience with voting, MVP helps students who might want to switch their registration to Michigan or help them get access to absentee ballots. “We want to make sure that people know that they can switch their registration to Michigan if they want to, so that’s been a big priority for us especially since Michigan is a swing state and its very important in national elections,” Wright said. “There are a lot of very important local ballot initiatives that affect students and graduate students, so we want to make sure that people know that they can register to vote in Michigan while they’re here at school.” Wright said MVP has been facilitating voter registration at the Law School and making sure people know when the election will take place in preparation for the primary. Looking ahead to the general election, Wright said they are working with the Office of Student Life to help students avoid having to choose between classes and voting. “Missing class for law students can be especially
challenging,” Wright said. “We’re working with our Office of Student Life to see what sorts of options we have in terms of getting our classes recorded and just making sure that even if people have a really packed class schedule on Tuesdays, that they will not have to sacrifice their ability to get to the poll before it closes.” LSA freshman Nick Schuler, College Republicans freshman chair, said registration efforts have begun within the organization. He noted an event the group held last week, during which a representative from the Trump Victory Organization came to help members get registered. The critical work, however, will begin next year in preparation for the general election, he said. “Next year we’re certainly going to be ramping up our voter registration and get out the voter efforts,” Schuler said. “We’re doing that through the statewide Republican National Committee — they help us out a lot — and as well the statewide campus Republicans. We’re just looking to get Republicans registered, especially in a state like Michigan.” Schuler said he believes
student Republican turnout will be even greater than in 2016 because of the political environment surrounding impeachment. “I think that among Republicans the turn out is going to be higher due to impeachment and Republicans know that it was an unfair, purely partisan process,” he said. “Republicans are going to be fired up, and they’re going to want to send a message to Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats that what they did was wrong.” LSA student Rose Sickrey has just registered to vote in Ann Arbor and plans to cast her ballot for Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. “I’m voting for him because of his feminist stances, universal health care and taxing the ultra-wealthy as proportionately as us normal people are taxed. The fact that I paid more in federal taxes last year than Amazon is gross,” Sickery said. “I will be voting for Bernie Sanders because the U.S., even if kicking and screaming, needs to be dragged into the 21st century.” Reporter Katherina Sourine can be reached at ksourine@ umich.edu.
of this independent firm, there will be a full, public accounting of the harms caused by Anderson as well as the institutional failings that allowed him to keep practicing.” Stinar then described the letter Deluca sent in 2018 to Athletic Director Warde Manuel. Stinar alleged Manuel ignored the letter. “Tad’s 2018 letter to the athletic director at the University of Michigan includes very, very serious statements,” Stinar said. “After receiving this letter athletic director Warde Manuel and Pamela Heatlie, who is affiliated with the academic and faculty Affairs, sat on this letter for numerous months, because it got lost in a stack of paperwork. This letter was received in the heat of the Nassar investigation. The University of Michigan sat on this letter for months, and just like Tad’s 1975 letter, it was ignored.” After Manuel received
the letter in 2018, the University police conducted an investigation into the allegations. However, the Washtenaw County Prosecutor’s office did not pursue criminal charges because Anderson had died in 2008 . Hrovat described how his teammates warned him about Anderson before he had to go in for his physical as a freshman and the impact of knowing what was about to happen had on his mental state. “When your team is telling you when you go in there, that you’re going to be touched inappropriately, and things are gonna get weird,” Hrovat explained. “Just going into it, that mental psyche was something I couldn’t deal with at the time. You know, that’s what has stuck with me for the last 20-plus years, to have to go into a room knowing that you’re going to encounter this … and that’s why it’s always been in the back of my mind
that this wasn’t right.” Evashevski commented on the prevalence of the abuse perpetrated by Anderson. “It happened to me, it happened to them, it happened to just about everyone I knew,” Evashevksi said.
focuses on residents across the county. Students for Warren is also directly affiliated with the national Warren campaign. Love said she worked to create plans for various field events. She said she has been a supporter of Warren since the beginning of summer 2019. “I’m just really drawn to her message,” Love said. “I really am inspired by the positive change that I think she would bring to this country as president. It’s also just cool to meet like-minded people.” Love said she has been attending Students for Warren meetings since the group first formed and has also participated in phone banking sessions. “It’s palpable how excited people are about Warren as a candidate,” Love said. “They’re excited to make change in every way they can.” Students for Bernie is a student organization affiliated with the national Bernie Sanders campaign, which recently opened a campaign office in Ann Arbor. The national campaign has
provided resources, including two paid staffers and weekly call-in checks to help guide the group. LSA sophomore Anna Nedoss, Students for Bernie organization chair, told The Daily the national Sanders campaign putting resources into student organizations demonstrates an investment in college voters. “The support that we get from the campaign is super valuable,” Nedoss said. “They help us do a lot of ‘get out the vote’ initiatives, so we actually are working directly with people who are paid by the campaign to come help us. That’s how much the campaign is really emphasizing student voter turnout and just the student demographic.” LSA freshman Porter Hughes, co-founding member and communications director of Students for Bernie, said he works to spread the word about the senator through social media in addition to the tabling and phone banking events. Hughes said he went through training over the summer with the national Sanders
piece of our reach,” Byrnes said. “It’s really empowered and enabled us to work directly with the Office of New Student Programs, talking with new and transfer students in the summer months as they’re first coming in the campus, really focusing on kind of weaving voting and broader democratic engagement to the student experience from day one.” Organizations such as WeListen, a student-run group that brings together voices from various political backgrounds on campus, have promoted discussion on a wide variety of topics and political engagement to encourage informed voting. According to LSA junior Caroline Martin, WeListen’s vice president of outreach, the organization tries to facilitate real conversations in a politically divided environment. Martin said a part of this process is educating students on political issues and emphasizing the importance of voting as a civic duty. “No matter where you fall on the political spectrum, voting is a privilege, a right, civic duty, fundamental pillar of democracy,” Martin said.
rest of us were still planning on going,” Falk said. “Literally, dayto-day, as the stories increased, we decided it was in our best interest not to go, not only for safety concerns but at a certain point, it came down to a city that was only half-functioning.” Falk said they only decided to cancel their Milan trip on Tuesday, and have been scrambling to plan a new trip to Lisbon, Portugal, over the last two days. She said she was frustrated by the cost burden of having to plan a new trip. She didn’t have flight insurance to cover the expense, and flight prices increased as it got closer to their planned vacation date. “Everything’s been a really quick turnover,” Falk said. “It’s super frustrating, especially wanting to visit friends that were already studying abroad
“WeListen is adamant to provide neutral resources that allow you to make actionable, informed decisions.” At the Law School, Michigan Voting Project, a studentled organization previously known as the Michigan Election Law Project, brings together law students studying voting law and professors to engage the student body. Casey Wright, Law School student and Voter Registration Chair, said the group used to be focused solely on bringing law students opportunities to learn about voting law, but has evolved to include more groundwork and encourage volunteer opportunities and organizing at the polls. “Some people come into this with a lot of personal knowledge and background about election law, and what current voting rights efforts look like across the country,” Wright said. “Some people, like me, are just interested in voting rights and are passionate about it and want to learn about it. I don’t come from any formal voting-related background, but it’s really cool to see what other people are doing, and the professors from the Law School are really experts in this field.”
Friday, February 28, 2020 — 3
there, but their entire plans are rocked anyway too. I feel like we’re all scampering at the last minute.” LSA junior Aashika Shetty, who is currently studying abroad in London, said she originally had plans to travel to Milan. However, Shetty and her friends have all decided to cancel their trip because of the health risks. Shetty also said people she knows currently studying in Milan have had school canceled indefinitely due to the outbreak. “We all made the decision that it’s probably just safer not to go,” Shetty said. “For me, it’s not a big cost to have a flight from London to Milan, so I’m not losing that much money. It’s better to not go than go, and I think it was also for peace of mind, too.” Reporter Francesca Duong can be reached at fduong@umich.edu.
SAPAC From Page 1 Nia and Ness performed their stories of coming out, and how people reacted to their love. They expressed the anxiety of needing to come out to people time after time and the anger with which people responded. “Everyone’s eyes seem to ask, ‘How dare you two Black women be happy?’” Ness said. “‘How dare you two Black women be happy on your own? How dare you two Black women be happy together? How dare you two Black women be happy without us?’” The pair addressed the stereotypes pushed upon them due to their race. Ness spoke of how their bodies came with a
price, and they were paying the price every day. She expressed how every moment alive is spent fighting, not only against stereotypes but also against traumas, whether personal, ancestral or cultural. “We see our ancestors,” Ness said. “We close our eyes and we hear them speak. They tell us not much has changed since they were in chains. We feel the tension, the pain in our bodies weighing us down the way they were weighed down.” Ness spoke about the oversexualization of young Black girls. She explained to the group that Black girls are viewed by society as sexually available, regardless of age. Younger girls are being made to act as though they are twice their age because this is the way the world sees
them, Ness said. “She’s still here in her body, a body becoming increasingly desired, but only if covered in white skin,” Ness said. “She’s worn the same outfit as a white woman with the same build and been told to take it off because it’s too sexy on her. But the white woman? She was praised.” Mid-performance, Ness held the floor to herself and expressed how much she wanted to be happy and how difficult this can be. She spoke of how much of a challenge this was for her after she had come out. She said she had learned to keep joy in and not to express it, which caused her great pain.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Opinion
4 — Friday, February 28, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
EVAN STERN | COLUMN
Why young Sanders supporters should stop “feeling the Bern”
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RAY AJEMIAN | COLUMN
D
Campus social life through queer eyes
rinking, Greek life and one-night stands — when you think of college social life, these are probably the first things to come to mind. What you might not think about is how these quintessential undergraduate experiences work to exclude minority students. The fact is that college campuses create an environment that is inherently unhealthy for LGBTQ+ students. It’s no secret college students drink — a lot. Four out of five students consume alcohol, and about half binge drink. With such a presence, it is difficult for at-risk students to avoid developing a dependency on alcohol. Many groups of people are at increased risk, of course, but perhaps the most predisposed group is the LGBTQ+ community. An estimated 25 percent of LGBTQ+ people suffer from alcoholism, compared to 5 to 10 percent of the general population. While it’s no secret minorities are at higher risk for substance abuse, queer people have a unique social position that makes it harder for us to both avoid alcohol in the first place and to get treated for alcoholism after the fact. Before the mainstream gay rights movement, gay bars were the only place LGBTQ+ people could meet and be themselves, and to this day they are practically the only social establishments catering specifically to queer folks. Alcohol is central to the community’s social life. After dependency forms, it is harder for LGBTQ+ people to get help for their addictions as many lack supportive families. Furthermore, faith-based rehab programs are hardly a welcoming environment, whether they scare people away by their religious nature inherently or prevent LGBTQ+ attendance outright. It is also nothing new that colleges have a problem with sexual misconduct. Anyone can be the victim of sexual
assault and harassment, though we often see women as being most affected. However, this is another issue that profoundly impacts LGBTQ+ people, not just heterosexual women. Three in four LGBTQ+ college students reported experiencing sexual harassment, and trans and genderqueer students had the highest rates of rape (it is worth noting that one of the campuses surveyed for this data was Michigan State University, just an hour away from us). While this victimization is a result of bigotry not exclusive to campus life, colleges have
Greek life is perhaps the epitome of gender conformity on campus. become a vessel for this sexual mistreatment. Even consensual sexual behavior on campus is often harmful to LGBTQ+ students; college hookup culture is incredibly heteronormative and reliant on gender roles, making it difficult for people to participate without replicating these roles in what is essentially a form of censorship of queerness mandated by college society. Greek life is perhaps the epitome of gender conformity on campus. Fraternities enforce hypermasculinity upon their members, creating an environment of, among other unsavory elements, misog yny, sexual assault, alcohol abuse and homophobia. Each of these facts either directly victimizes queer people, through aspects like misog yny and homophobia, or indirectly targets them because of disproportionate risks they face, such as through sexual assault or
alcohol abuse. Sororities, while less notorious, are fundamentally linked to their male counterparts in upholding this standard by promoting hyper-femininity and placing it opposite masculinity. Both sides of the Greek life coin are predisposed to discriminate against gender nonconforming people, whether gay, trans or simply presenting in a non-conforming manner. Once again, LGBTQ+ people are both implicitly and explicitly kept out of these institutions: implicitly by knowing that Greek life has no space for non-conforming individuals, and explicitly by nondiscrimination policies that ignore or ban gay and trans people. All of this adds up to a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ people, and it has tangible effects on our education. One-fifth of all anti-LGBTQ+ harassment and violence occurs on college campuses, and the fear of physical safety this violence creates often leads to absenteeism, falling grades and increased chances of dropping out. In one survey, 33 percent of LGB and 38 percent of trans students seriously considered leaving their college because of how poor the campus climate was. LGBTQ+ high school students are less likely to intend to go to college the more harassment they face. As of 2015, the odds of a queer woman completing her bachelor’s degree were only one in four (the odds were double that for queer men, however). LGBTQ+ centers and inclusion orientations can only do so much for us when campus society is built in a way that inherently others LGBTQ+ students. Though it will be hard to dismantle such baked-in biases, I believe it is worth it, as success in college will pose us for success in making LGBTQ+ lives safer in the rest of the world. Ray Ajemian can be reached at rajemian@umich.edu.
CASEY RHEAULT | CONTACT CARTOONIST AT CRHEAULT@UMICH.EDU
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I
n 1848, Karl Marx — influential German political theorist — published the Communist Manifesto with co-author Friedrich Engels in the face of groundbreaking class struggle. The Manifesto, which outlined the system of communism in order to save the growing and increasingly impoverished working class, sought to close the dramatic gap between everyday proletarians and the exploitative bourgeoisie and make society work for all. Almost two centuries later, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., a self-proclaimed “democratic socialist,” is quickly building a revolution resting on those same principles. In a oncecrowded field of candidates that has considerably narrowed, Sanders has emerged as the front-runner for the nomination, drawing considerable support from young people across the country who want a “tax on extreme wealth,” a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, student loan debt forgiveness and more. Places like Ann Arbor with large student populations are ground zero for Sanders supporters. Young Democrats adore this political movement and might just propel the senator to become the Democratic standard-bearer. But there’s something really concerning happening with those who are “feeling the Bern.” Sanders supporters across this country might be strong in numbers and proud to cast their vote for the democratic socialist, but a politician with such radical ideas shouldn’t be polling at even half of where he stands right now. After spending months on one of the most politically active college campuses in the country, it’s become clear that Sanders’s rise to prominence is being fueled by young people’s growing disconnect to the true reality of American life. Millennials and Gen Zers desperately need to stop feeling the Bern and take the time to understand what has made America — a place where anybody can work their way up to success — the most respected country in the world. Although Sanders and his
supporters are determined to unite “around an agenda that works for all of us, and not just the billionaire class,” as the senator said at the recent Nevada Democratic debate, the problem is that the Sanders revolution is completely missing the point. America is already prospering, and not just for the billionaire class. People of all walks of life are thriving, whether Sanders’s most passionate supporters want to recognize that fact or not. While Marx’s Manifesto resonated in a time when the proletariat faced unprecedented struggles, the Sanders movement really has no struggles to talk about, other than ones that are ultimately baseless. A recent Gallup poll released in the midst of Sanders’s surprising ascent found that 89 percent of Republicans feel they’re better off than they were three years ago. When aggregated with 29 percent of Democrats, that’s 60 percent of all Americans that feel they’re better off now. And this isn’t all. Gallup mentioned in another poll that 63 percent of Americans consider our economy to be “excellent” or “good,” while the pollster also indicated that 61 percent say the American economy is improving. Do these figures seem to indicate a system where everybody but the billionaire class is suffering, as Sanders tells us? I don’t think so. In fact, ordinary people are going to work in near-record numbers and our economy is expanding at full speed. And this expansion has nothing to do with a stock market that has repeatedly hit record highs. It’s all about the major strides that everyday Americans are making all of the time. Last September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the unemployment rate of 3.5 percent was at its lowest point since 1969 — 50 years ago at the time of the report. The Bureau recorded the rate to be close by, at 3.6 percent, as of early February. Beyond this, figures reveal that the working class in particular (especially
historically disadvantaged groups) has prospered beyond belief over the past decade. Since 2009, according to the Bureau, the bottom 10 percent of Americans have seen their earnings grow by almost 5 percent, compared to only 3 percent for the top tenth. By this measure, our country is actually seeing a decrease in inequality, simply as a result of market forces. Earnings growth for workers has also outpaced that of managers over the same period, while the same trend holds for people who don’t hold bachelor’s degrees compared to those who hold bachelor’s degrees or higher. The truth, as harsh as it may be for those who are feeling the Bern, is that our nation is indisputably working not just for billionaires — it’s working for every American that has the will and ambition to carve out a successful life. Young people need to take the time to realize as soon as possible that a Sanders presidency would wreak havoc on everything that has made our country great already. While Sanders has won some of the early battles, the war is far from over, with the critical Super Tuesday contests still looming ahead. Many Americans have convinced themselves that Sanders has a clear path toward the nomination and is essentially unstoppable, but at a time when America is doing better than ever, I have hope that a candidate who truly supports the core values of this nation will prevail. The Democratic primary comes to Michigan on Tuesday, March 10. On that day, when millions across the country will be casting their ballots, I urge every voter to reject an agenda of democratic socialism that would completely reverse the progress millions of ordinary Americans are enjoying. In the end, Democrats have an uncompromising obligation to nominate a candidate that will build on, not dismantle, the profound success that has defined the United States. Evan Stern can be reached at erstern@umich.edu.
VARNA KODOTH | COLUMN
A
How to make a large lecture hall accessible
s students at a huge public immediately before the next exam. university, it’s easy to go “Students don’t come to office through all four years hours because they don’t think they are worthy of at the University of the professor’s time, Michigan unnoticed or they have attended by professors. It’s an office hour and the possible to just attend faculty member was the lecture, submit your not very welcoming,” assignments on Canvas, says Katherine show up to exams Merseth, a senior and slide by without lecturer at Harvard. forming connections It’s understandable with University staff that amid all the and faculty. VARNA extracurricular For me, one of KODOTH activities, a full the most difficult transitions from high school to semester course load, job hours college was adapting to giant and other time commitments, lecture halls. Introductory level it seems near impossible to add courses in 1800 CHEM (the largest attending office hours to the “tolecture hall in the Chemistry do list.” However, to be able to Building) filled with over 300 find a mentor who you identify students are a major change as with, whether it be in terms of my largest class in high school social identities, passions, life contained a maximum of 25 experiences or career interests, students. In terms of learning, it truly adds to the undergraduate didn’t impact me negatively; I’ve experience. While professors and enjoyed the lecture slides format. faculty members are just as busy But I faced the most trouble when as they appear to be with research it came to asking questions. In and side projects, they chose to particular, women in large work at an academic institution STEM courses and majors often like the University of Michigan discuss how difficult it is to feel because they look forward to comfortable asking questions. This interacting with the University’s includes questions related to either high-achieving student population. course content or general inquiry Therefore, it’s essential to the about professional development. University student experience to It’s particularly intimidating to attend weekly office hours and approach your distinguished engage with professors beyond the professor and ask them questions classroom to foster connections about their career path, your that support your professional and trajectory and advice on entering a personal development. From the professor’s end, field in front of 300 students. This is why office hours exist, to professors should work to be answer all questions ranging from more approachable and to create course content to getting to know an atmosphere that encourages your professor on a professional students to attend office hours or level. However, most students make one-on-one appointments tend to attend office hours the with their professors to talk about week before the exam, which is their research interests or side typically an opportunity to ask project ideas. Currently, office hours questions related to the upcoming take the form of a Q&A session. To exam. Then, assuming the office add a more conversational tone hours experience is useful for to the office hours experience, exam material, the typical student connect course material to realdoesn’t visit the professor until world applications in the field. In the next office hours opportunity doing so, the office hour session
transforms from a formal Q&A session into an open discussion on ways in which the material is useful to students pursuing careers related to the course or major. Additionally, today, office hours often take place in the confinements of the four white walls of the professor’s office. What scares students away from attending office hours are the tall bookcases and sitting before an accomplished professor with their large desk looming over the room. This is precisely what makes an online interface like Piazza seem like a more approachable forum for “dumb” or “basic” questions. In previous courses in which office hours appeared more accessible to me, professors booked conference rooms or neutral spaces like a table in the open common area to make students feel more comfortable with approaching the professor with any question. While professors often mention that students are welcome to stop by and say hello on the syllabus day of the lecture, it may be helpful to consistently mention that it is more than OK to attend office hours just to say hello and introduce yourself. As students at the University, we’re privileged with so many resources accessible to us, and professors are one of them. The breadth of specialized knowledge each U-M faculty member holds is accompanied by life experiences and on-the-job learned skills. This is the benefit of human-to-human interactions: There’s a level of personal touch that an encyclopedia, YouTube video and Google search cannot provide. Professors are bursting with so much “insider” material to share, so find time in your four years to prioritize finding mentors and networking with experts in your field of interest. At the end of the day, these very same professors and faculty were also students trying to navigate the undergraduate experience. Varna Kodoth can be reached at vkodoth@umich.edu.
Arts
5 — Friday, February 28, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MUSIC NOTEBOOK
Two concerts, two weeks: Luke Combs and Garth Brooks KATIE BEEKMAN Daily Arts Writer
Walking out of Ford Field Saturday night, I felt like I had made a mistake. My ears buzzed with the sound of a record-breaking 70,000 strong audience sing-along. My mind raced to try and capture the memory of what I had just seen — a 58 year old Garth Brooks sprinting back-and-forth across a circular stage, and then lots of subsequent panting. My throat hurt, of course, from all the cheering. In the back of my mind however, I couldn’t help but feel foolish. Or even worse, mean. When I saw that Luke Combs was coming to Grand Rapids and Garth Brooks was playing in Detroit on back-to-back weekends, I immediately decided that I had to attend and compare the experiences. Combs and Brooks
Combs and Brooks outline the ideal trajectory of a career in country music — Combs’s stardom is rising and Brooks is a bomafide legend outline the ideal trajectory of a career in country music — Combs’s stardom is rising and Brooks is a bonafide legend. The opportunity to see both ends felt unmissable. However, I should have known that trying to compare anyone to a seven-time CMA Entertainer of the Year meant setting up the other artist for failure. Still, as my starstruck daze starts to fade, I can see where my head was at: Combs has been heralded as the second-coming of neotraditional
country — the ’90s sound that Garth is the King of. Combs’s latest album beat Brooks’s Hot Country Chart record for the most entries in a single week. The most explicit link between the two artists was drawn by Combs himself: During his concert, he covered one of Brooks’s
Both artists’ enthusiasm, and more importantly, skill for connecting with their fans, is obvious signature songs “The Dance.” The potential for Combs to become the next-generation Garth Brooks is clear — once one is able to reconcile their age differences. Take, for example, the shows’ energetic highpoints. In the middle of “1, 2 Many,” one of Combs’s uptempo drinking songs, a crew member rushed a can of beer to the middle of the stage. There was a pause in the music as the crowd unraveled what was happening. When it clicked that, yes, he really was about to shotgun a beer on stage, the audience erupted. During “Ain’t Goin’ Down (til’ the Sun Comes Up),” Brooks didn’t reach for a beer, but two uncapped water bottles. Instead of downing them (which seemed warranted given all of his running around), he splashed them around the stage, into the audience, and finally poured out two more onto a drum set. Whereas Brooks’s crowd interaction involved trading cowboy hats with a young fan for a few verses, Combs later refilled the contents of one audience member’s raised red solo cup with his own as he was singing. While these approaches to audience engagement feel comical in comparison, both artists’ enthusiasm, and more importantly, skill for connecting with their fans, is obvious.
COUNTRY LIVE/ELLEN
Brooks showcased his ability to read the room when, after a sequence of fast songs, he decided to scrap the upcoming slow song on the setlist and keep the high energ y going. Combs also demonstrated his ability to manage an audience. Even though he has two incredibly popular albums out, Combs held the crowd in the palm of his hand while playing an unreleased song called “Without You” acoustically. I chalk this power up to Brooks and Combs having what I hesitantly call “dad energ y.” Not because they have kids (Combs doesn’t), but because they care in a way that feels uniquely genuine. Brooks was all waves, hand-hearts and “Happy Birthdays!” during his show. He repeatedly expressed his gratitude, staring starry-eyed into the stands and opening his arms wide, as if he was embracing everyone. Combs is less direct at showing his love, but just as emotional in his songs. “Refrigerator Door” and “Even Though I’m Leaving” were
COMMUNITY CULTURE PREVIEW
both sweet moments at his show that highlight Combs’s knack for appreciating life’s little things. “Dad energ y” is about warmth. Lots of country artists are good at conveying joy or heartbreak, but it’s much harder to make a crowd feel safe in the way Garth and Luke can. Most of Garth’s encore consisted of just him and his guitar. He took song requests from the signs his more-seasoned fans knew to bring, and he made a request of his own by deciding to cover “Piano Man.” This, I think, is the mark of a legend. The ability to rely exclusively on your discography and yourself to pull off entertaining a stadium of people. Combs hasn’t had the time to get there yet, but even Brooks himself thinks that he will get there eventually. After winning his latest Entertainer of the Year Award in 2019, Garth predicted that Luke would grow to become Entertainer of the Year eight times — breaking another one of Garth’s records.
FILM REVIEW
‘Lord of the Flies’ rendition ‘Olympic Dreams’ is a is disturbingly brilliant warm hug on a winter night DANA PIERANGELI
Community Culture Editor
As most public school kids in America will remember from their ninth grade English class, “The Lord of the Flies” by William Goldingis is the quintessential dystopian novel of our childhood. While I was never fully convinced by the 1940’s classic that humans in general, let alone 12 year old boys could collapse into madness so easily, the University department of Theatre and Drama performance may have convinced me otherwise. Music, Theatre & Dance fifth year senior James Harbaugh, the director of “The Lord of the Flies”, brings the story to life in an innovative and breathtaking way. Harbaugh depicts the young boys’ quick descent into chaos as all forms of civilization break down in a way that sheds light on a side of humanity you never wanted to see but can’t look away from. Harbaugh is a genius when it comes to the stage. His vision for this show was shocking and terrifying and all around horrible in the best possible way. He made smart choices that utilized the space, props and actors in unexpected ways, while staying true to the story. Instead of an overdone jungle theme, Harbaugh put his actors in worker jumpsuits and used classroom and construction props as the minimal set. Though it wasn’t canon with the original story, it made perfect sense for this production and didn’t detract from the realism of the show. Their fire was a rope of orange extension cords, their shelter a metal construction lift. He even made use of the light box in the studio; the final scene depicted Jack stabbing his spear through the switch box, killing the lights on his hunt for Ralph. This use of technolog y and modern appliances gives the play an almost “Black Mirror” feeling, bringing a dated book into the modern age with new significance on how technolog y interacts with the very core of humanity. His use of sound effects was minimal and effective: Throughout most of the show, a hollow wind sound engulfed the stage, sucking the air out of the actors and audience alike. I don’t think I took a full breath the entire show, and suddenly Pigg y’s asthma predicament didn’t seem so comical. The most genius part was Harbaugh’s casting. Instead of the traditional all male cast, he had a mix of male and female actors, with females portraying most of the leads. Music, Theatre & Dance freshman Claire DeJean played Ralph, the textbook honorable, but occasionally naive leader; Music, Theatre & Dance senior Jillian Lee Garner played Jack, the schoolroom bully turned savage hunter; and Music, Theatre & Dance junior Shea Fairbanks Galaudet played Pigg y, the beloved superego of the group. These three women portrayed their characters with fascinating
depth and a childlike vigor that didn’t seem manufactured. Watching every character onstage have an emotional breakdown for two hours was exhausting but utterly convincing. Allowing women to portray these roles solved what is most lacking in the original book. This story takes the ‘boys being boys’ argument to the extreme, but by having the majority of the characters played by women, the characters became more universally human. Not only can these characters as women still behave just as savagely and cruelly as the original characters, but it also proves that women are fully capable of playing these types of roles. Rarely are women cast in roles that allow them to explore such emotions, because it’s even more rare that such roles are written for women. By placing women in roles that are not only usually portrayed by men but are also so viscerally human, Harbaugh broke down the expectations that women are fundamentally different from men and created a story anyone, regardless of gender, can see themselves in. Whether they want to or not. The book is disturbing enough; reading about 12 year old boys succumbing to their wild side, ripping each other to shreds with no ounce of morality is gruesome at best and emotionally scarring at worst. But seeing that story play out onstage was something else entirely. Of course, we all look at those kids and think ‘I would never do something like that, they’re monsters.’ But skimming through “The Lord of the Flies” the night before a high school English test in the comfort of your bed is one thing. Watching real people, people you know, people you go to school with and are even friends with, unlock that side of themselves for a performance makes you realize just how easy it could be to succumb to those temptations, if put in the right circumstances. The final performance of “The Lord of the Flies” will take place on Friday, Feb. 28 @ 8pm in the Newman Studio.
KARI ANDERSON
buildings that were actually being used for the Olympics during shooting. The reason this was possible is one of the other unique things about this film: Kroll, Pappas and director (and Pappas’s husband) Jeremy Teicher For many people, the Olympics is a major highlight. (“Tracktown”) were the only members of the cast and Watching incredible feats of athleticism in unfamiliar crew during shooting, though you would never guess locales is always a treat, and the 2018 Winter Olympics that from watching. in PyeongChang was no exception. No matter the Another unique aspect is the sheer number of athletes season, no matter the sport and no matter the country, in the film. Pappas, Olympian-turned-Hollywood the Games are a delight for people around the globe. actress, ran track for Greece in the 2016 Olympics in Rio That said, we can only ever view the Games through a and released a film that same year (“Tracktown,” which television screen, thousands of miles away from the real starred Pappas and was co-written by Pappas and action. This is part of what makes the film “Olympic Teicher). In addition to Pappas, several of Ezra’s patients Dreams” so enticing — it’s a were real Olympians in the 2018 chance to see the Olympics from games. It also features Morgan a new point of view, a behindSchild, a freestyle mogul skier the-scenes look at the way the for USA, as Penelope’s hallmate Olympics is run and the people Maggie, and Gus Kenworthy, a who come to the Games with big freestyle skier, playing a version of dreams. himself that strikes up a delightful “Olympic Dreams” The film follows two main friendship with Penelope. characters: Penelope (Alexi But the main star of the film dir. Jeremy Teicher Pappas, “Tracktown”), a firstis the relationship between IFC Films time Olympic athlete competing Penelope and Ezra, an emotional in cross-country skiing, and connection that formed so quickly Ezra (Nick Kroll, “Big Mouth”), and so intensely that they couldn’t a sociable dentist who takes the explain what it was, but knew that opportunity to volunteer at the they would never forget it. Pappas Olympics. The two characters and Kroll are both effortlessly have very different experiences charming, conveying a warmth at the event: Penelope is plagued and bliss in each other’s company by the pressure to perform well in her competition, in every scene. Watching Penelope and Ezra run while Ezra enters the village joyful for the chance to through the Olympic village, eat Korean barbeque and even attend. dance like no one’s watching, you get a sense that these While Penelope’s perspective as an athlete is a new are two people who are perfectly happy when they’re and interesting story for the average audience, Ezra’s together. is one that we understand. The way his eyes light up as “Olympic Dreams” is a love letter to the Olympics, to he takes in the sights of the Olympics is charming and the good and the bad of finally achieving your dreams relatable, the awe of seeing a new side of something and finding people in the chaos. For an hour and a half, that he finds great joy in. But despite their differences, you are transported to a snowy village in South Korea, they are drawn together by their titular dreams and a where you get to watch two people find each other struggle to understand what they want in life moving within the brief bubble of the games. Despite the cheesy forward, causing them to form a strong connection. title and premise, the film manages to weave a story that Despite the somewhat cliché premise, “Olympic is a perfect middle between stiff and cheesy, a sweetness Dreams” is a very unique film for a number of reasons. that is injected in every line and interaction in such a For one, it was filmed in the PyeongChang Olympic way that you walk out with a smile on your face and a Village during the 2018 games, depicting rooms and warm feeling in your heart. Daily Arts Writer
“Lord of the Flies” Friday, Feb. 28 Newmann Studio 8PM
IFC FILMS
Arts
6 — Friday, February 28, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV REVIEW
COMMUNITY CULTURE REVIEW
‘Hot Ones’ is fun but inauthentic ‘Remain in Light’ show rocks the Michigan Theater JOSHUA THOMAS For The Daily
The concept behind the YouTube series “Hot Ones” is simple: Take the typical celebrity interview and spice it up with some hot wings. The show is extremely well researched, insightful and genuine. TruTV has decided to adapt “Hot Ones” into a game show on its channel: “Hot Ones: The Game Show.” The game show centers around two teams of “bros” as they devour some hot wings and answer some trivia for a cash prize. Despite all the game show’s theatricality and f lair, where the YouTube series is wholesome, fun and entertaining, the game show is just plain bland. “Hot Ones: The Game Show” doesn’t add anything new or interesting to the game show formula and lacks the heart that made the YouTube series so successful. So what’s so bad about the game show adaptation? Let’s start with the host. Part of what makes the Hot Ones series on YouTube so engaging is the interviewer himself. Sean Evans is an absolutely fantastic interviewer: He is thoughtful and funny, bringing the right amount of energy to his interviews. Unfortunately for Sean, interviewing celebrities across a table and hosting a game show aren’t the same thing. His voice hardly carries across the stage, and his interactions with contestants are dry and lifeless. In the new fantastic world of lights and spectacle of the game show set, he looks meek and out of his element. The game is divided into three rounds: In the first two rounds, the teams “clean the wing,” answering a series of trivia from Sean for increasingly large cash prizes. If a team answers a question incorrectly, the other team automatically wins that money. The categories of questions revolve around pop culture. In the final round, the team with the most money has the chance to win $25,000 by playing a condensed version of charades. The game’s structure doesn’t provide
NINA MOLINA Daily Arts Writer
TRUTV
that much entertainment, either. Since a team that answers incorrectly has more to lose, it is a riskier move to answer a trivia question than to stay silent. During the premiere, one team walked away almost uncontested despite not attempting to answer the majority of the trivia. Besides these strange rules, the show doesn’t present its audience with anything else that any other game show hasn’t done a thousand times before, and better. If not for the hot wings, the show would look like “Jeopardy!” for dude-bros. Despite all of this, there are some aspects of the show that aren’t all that bad: The set itself is incredible. It maintains the dark, ambient design of the original YouTube series with an updated version of the iconic logo. The show also has “behind the scenes” footage of contestants struggling to finish their intensely spicy wings (the puke bucket is also a nice touch). They say all good things must come to an end. In that case, all good YouTube channels must become game shows.
Sudoku Syndication
SUDOKU
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Series Premiere TruTV
Release Date: Friday, February 28, 2020
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
32 Longtime breath 48 “Grr!” DOWN ACROSS freshener 49 Comic Denis 1 Comic Margaret 1 Big divides 34 Back to a mate 50 Biblical mount 2 Egg producer 7 Vat sediment 35 Dorm, briefly 51 “The bad news 3 The lot 11 Swindler 36 Gasteyer of is ... ” 4 Calvin’s 14 Aid, as a fallen 52 It might have a “SNL” (1996spaceman alter teammate 2002) champion ego, in comics 15 Munch Museum 37 Network for film 53 Sound __ 5 Literature city 54 Score after deuce buffs Nobelist Alice 16 Crazy Eights 39 Chocolatey Post 55 Monopoly card 6 Weapon for relative cereal 58 Mexican pair Goliath 17 Connected 40 Apple models 60 __ roles 7 Teammate of 18 Power of a 45 Declining due 61 Inventor Whitney Babe Hummer? 62 Summer hrs. to age 8 Legally prevents 20 Greek group 9 Justice Kagan 22 Discreetly, in ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 10 Cymbal sound? slang 11 “Friday I’m in 23 Enormous card Love” band, with revealed at end “The” of magician’s 12 Saved, in a way routine? 13 Holiday song 27 Form fig. 19 “Ah, I see what 28 Fictional anchor you meant” Nessman 21 Household 29 Goes apace cleaning brand 33 “Your point 23 Give a hand being?” 24 Dolphins Hall of 34 __ 51 Famer Larry 36 The slightest bit 25 Japanese 38 Tattoo depicting mushrooms the last woolly 26 More mammoth? substantial 41 Avoids 30 “Will this work for 42 Muslim leader you?” © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. 43 Carol 31 French star 02/28/20 contraction 44 Immobilize with a charge puzzle by sudokusnydictation.com 45 “Moby-Dick” Generate and solve Sudoku, Super Sudoku and Godoku puzzles at sudokusyndication.com! setting 46 Bullring bravo 47 Avian mascot on a refueling vessel? 53 Three on a match, they say 56 Ikea purchase 57 Hotel employee who only works one day a month? 59 Acted greenly? 63 It usually needs breaking 64 1968 self-named folk album 65 Stands in a studio 66 Wrap up 67 Changes to green, say 68 Subject of a 2016 U.K. referendum, and a hint to five By Mark MacLachlan 02/28/20 1/23/09 1:56 Agency, PM LLC puzzle answers ©2020 Tribune Content
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It looked as if her body struggled to contain her energy as she stomped and swayed with her eyes closed
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The drummer walked in first. The stage was bathed in a strobing blue light and he sat behind numerous percussion instruments. He started with his fingertips tapping the bongos. Then an additional drummer found a place behind the traditional drum kit and added his coloring of snare and high hat. Through just this percussion, the Michigan Theater auditorium filled up with the lushness of a chorus. A guitarist and bassist were the last to enter before the singer. The foursome introduced themselves to the audience, already improving and riffing off one another’s energy. Angelique Kidjo emerged from the shadows of the curtains with held her head high, strutting into the light with boots, a traditional headwrap, dress, gold hanging earrings and glittery tights. Kidjo’s voice rang clear and percussive. It looked as if her body struggled to contain her energy as she stomped and swayed with her eyes closed. Each time I scribbled in my notebook to write something down, I was afraid I’d missed something during that short glance away. According to the UMS website, Kidjo’s inspiration for covering Talking Heads’ seminal 1980 album Remain in Light was their heavy blues and rock inf luences that trace back to Africa. She wanted to pay homage to those roots, particularly West African music. For the performance on Feb. 16, Kidjo stood alongside her band of Dominic James on guitar, Magatte Sow playing percussion, Michael Olatuja
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on bass and Yayo Serka on drums. After just the first song, some audience members jumped to their feet and stood along the edges of the aisles. The bass thudded with vibrations that I felt in my feet, chest and throat. I had to keep reminding myself that these weren’t her songs. Kidjo approached each song with such bravado that it
felt like her own. A few rows ahead of me, a man began playing air drums in his seat. Her enthusiasm and vigor ran through each song like a bolt of electricity, bringing her own funk to the group’s classic quirky hits. In one of the concert’s turning points, she threw her headscarf off and motioned
‘Angelique Kidjo is what the world needs now. And, her show is fantastic.’
for the audience to get on their feet and dance. UMS volunteer and Ann Arbor resident Lili Henderson called Kidjo “a force of nature” with “such a big voice for a tiny woman, and a unifying one.” Kidjo dedicated a cover to Tina Weymouth, the bass player of Talking Heads and Mother Earth. She spoke of the importance of the feminine and taking care of her and the women of her earth. Later, the guitar, bass player and Kidjo formed a line to shuff le left to right according to her direction. Her swagger and confidence kept the crowd alight with excitement. Kidjo introduced us to a new millenium. Before launching into one of the album’s most famous songs, “Once in a Lifetime,” she asked the audience to change who they are by accepting others. She emphasized the need for more compassion and empathy in the world, a way to give back to those around us. She then ran through the aisles of the audience, directing us like a conductor above a sea of people. Back on stage, she invited those who wanted to dance to come forward, calling men, women and children. A little boy began breakdancing while the percussionist with a drum thrown over his shoulder clapped him on. Men and women got on stage dancing and daring each other to battle against the drummer and Kidjo, who kept pulling new people into the dance circle. After the show, Amy Moore, an audience member, approached me to ask about the notebook I was holding. She wanted to tell me what she witnessed. “Angelique Kidjo is what the world needs now,” Moore said. “And, her show is fantastic.”
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Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, February 28, 2020 — 7
Second half run propels Michigan past Penn State A familiar spot for ‘M’
MILES MACKLIN/Daily
Sophomore forward Naz Hillmon scored 26 points with eight rebounds to help Michigan past Penn State.
JACK KINGSLEY Daily Sports Writer
Amy Dilk stood at the top of the 3-point arc one minute into the second half and surveyed her options. The sophomore guard tried to swing a pass to junior forward Hailey Brown, but Penn State guard Shay Hagans read it from the start. She quickly jumped the pass and took it the other way for a layup to put the Nittany Lions up by two. It was the first time they led since the first minute of the game. Michigan quickly rebounded. Two minutes later, the game now tied, senior guard Akienreh Johnson took a charge, and on the subsequent offensive possession, found a cutting Dilk on an easy give-and-go to take a two-point lead. The Wolverines (19-9 overall, 10-7 Big Ten) proceeded to go on a 33-7 run over the next 10 minutes to defeat the Nittany Lions (7-21,
1-16), 80-66, on Thursday. “I thought we took care of the ball a lot better in the second half,” Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico said. “I thought we found each other and made some extra passes. We had 24 assists on the night, so I think once we relaxed and settled in, and were able to figure out what they were trying to do on the defensive end, we were able to be a lot more successful.” Heading into the contest, the Wolverines’ NCAA Tournament chances looked strong, and the win wouldn’t do much to improve them. But a loss to a Penn State team at the bottom of the Big Ten could have been detrimental, and halfway through the game, it looked like Michigan could cough up what should have been an easy win. In the first quarter, the Wolverines took a 10-point lead on the back of three 3-pointers. Guard Niyeh Frazier was the only
player who could get into a rhythm for the Nittany Lions — she scored seven without missing a shot, while the rest of the team shot just 25 percent. Through one quarter, the game was as advertised — an easy night for Michigan and a chance for a tune-up before the postseason. The second quarter told a different story. Michigan’s halfcourt offense struggled greatly, providing Penn State with ample opportunity to get back in the game. The Wolverines committed 11 turnovers in the second quarter alone. While the Nittany Lions shot just 35 percent in the quarter, the extra opportunities they got from Michigan’s turnovers allowed them to cut the deficit to three by halftime, led by 10 from Frazier. The Wolverines struggled to score when they couldn’t get out in transition, and finished with just 10 points in the quarter — six
from sophomore forward Naz Hillmon. What started out looking like a comfortable win became one Michigan had to grind out to prevent a bad loss. Halftime gave the Wolverines a chance to regroup, and they responded. Despite the slow start that allowed Penn State to take a lead, Michigan’s ball security and passing in the second half was much better than it had been in the first. The Wolverines came out motivated, clearly aware of how devastating a loss would be. “We had to figure out how to handle the double post of Naz, and Amy’s being pressured 94 feet, where’s she getting her pressure releases from,” Barnes Arico said. “So those were some adjustments that we tried to talk about at halftime to help Naz and Amy out of those situations.” In the second half, the Wolverines turned the ball over just five times, while quick passing allowed them to get easy baskets in the half-court offense. Hillmon led the way, scoring 14 of her 26 points, while freshman guard Maddie Nolan added 10, including backto-back 3-pointers in the third quarter that extended the lead from eight to 14. “I really tried to run the floor today,” Hillmon said. “That’s one of my strong suits, getting the ball up and down the floor and getting easy paint touches.” Because of a sloppy first half, Michigan couldn’t relax in a game that shouldn’t have been much of a challenge. Instead, it had to buckle down and correct its mistakes to avoid what could have been a crushing blow to its postseason chances. It wasn’t always easy. But the Wolverines survived.
Wolverines look to bounce back in California JACOB COHEN
Daily Sports Writer
Last June, the Wolverines filed out of the first-base dugout down into the annals of TD Ameritrade Stadium as the entire Vanderbilt baseball program jumped and hugged around the pitcher’s mound. The Commodores had just won the decisive third game to become national champions. Michigan left Omaha one game short of glory. In recovering from a disappointing end to what was otherwise a positive season, the 2020 Wolverines decided to use the narrow gap between their 2019 campaign and a College World Series as motivation. “We were one win away from being alone on the top of the mountain,” Michigan coach Erik Bakich said. “So we reduced that ‘one more’ to one more day of training, one more inning better, one more pitch better. And then obviously the things we do in here is just one more repetition, one more weight lifting session, one more meeting, one more rep. “We just needed to be one percent better to be the final team.” Over the course of the offseason, Bakich sought to do everything in his power to prepare his team to return to Omaha and be one game better when they arrive. If the Wolverines’ No. 9 preseason ranking and the relative weakness of the Big Ten left any questions as to whether Michigan would face any adversity, the tough out-of-conference schedule that
Bakich set for his team has already started to answer it. On opening weekend, the Wolverines took on two top-five teams in then-No. 1 Vanderbilt and then-No. 3 Arizona State and two impressive programs in Cal Poly and UConn. Michigan came out of that week looking like a team that was ready to be on top of the mountain. The Wolverines went 3-1 on the weekend, leaving the two best hitters in college baseball, Arizona State junior first basemen Spencer Torkelson and Vanderbilt junior third baseman Austin Martin, hitless in wins against each of their respective teams. The only loss on the weekend was against UConn in a game in which the Wolverines
reached so deep into their bullpen the loss appeared meaningless. Apparently, though, it was a sign of things to come. Michigan played the Huskies three more times last weekend, losing the series and seeing its first piece of adversity. “I think the difference was just our level of compete,” Michigan junior shortstop Jack Blomgren said after Sunday’s 9-2 loss. “They attacked us early and came on hot, and we didn’t really answer until later on in the game. So overall, they competed harder than us today.” Michigan can’t expect to be one game better this June if it continues to allow talented teams to outcompete it. The efforts in the UConn series
left a sour taste in many players’ mouths, but thanks to Bakich’s scheduling, the Wolverines have the opportunity to reverse this trend almost immediately. This weekend, Michigan plays three more games against Cal Poly, heads up and down California to take on Stanford and California in single games and then goes to Pepperdine for a three-game series. While none of these programs are currently ranked, they are all highly-esteemed and highlytalented — fully capable of beating the fifth-ranked Wolverines. To leave the next 10 days still looking like they can be one game better than last year, Michigan will need to respond to last weekend’s adversity.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
The Michigan baseball team saw its first adversity last weekend, dropping three of four games against UConn.
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Senior forward Will Lockwood knows the importance of home ice.
ROHAN KUMAR Daily Sports Writer
Thursday afternoon, the Michigan hockey team departed for Minneapolis to embark on a challenging yet crucial weekend series. The Wolverines are searching for critical conference points to help them surge up the standings and potentially get home ice for the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. Before the recent home series against Notre Dame, it seemed likely that Michigan would host the first round. The Wolverines were riding the momentum of a hot second half of the season, in which they’d won 26 of 30 points. But getting swept by the Fighting Irish slowed down their strides. Now, they need a successful weekend against a surging Minnesota team that’s playing for the regular season title to right the ship. “It’s a challenge,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said. “We didn’t do ourselves any favors this past weekend, and we put ourselves in a tougher spot than we could’ve been. Absolutely. But that’s on us and that’s sports.” Through the looming challenge, though, lies a similar situation. In both of the last two seasons, the Wolverines entered the final weekend of regular season conference play looking for key points to secure home ice for the tournament. In Pearson’s first year Michigan thrived with its back against the wall, sweeping the nation’s top-ranked Notre Dame team in a home-andhome series to make its way back to Yost Ice Arena for the tournament. But in the same spot last season, the Wolverines lost two overtime road games to Wisconsin and fell short of what they needed to host. “It’s just like a mindset going in,” senior forward Will Lockwood said. “We know Minnesota is going to be coming out hot because they’re playing for a chance to win the Big Ten regular season. We gotta match that intensity and bring a little bit more. That’s been the word around the room, understand what they’re playing for and what we’re playing for is more important to us.” Since the conference tournament was created in 2014, home teams have lost in the opening round just twice.
From prior experience, the Wolverines are aware of what a difference home ice can make in the first round. Playing at home two seasons ago, Michigan made it out of the opening round against the Badgers. Last year in the first round, the team’s season came to an end in Minneapolis. With little chance of an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament, a first-round loss would end this season as well. “It’s a night and day different experience, playing at home and playing on the road,” senior forward Nick Pastujov said, comparing the past two tournaments. “We just got to make sure we do everything we can to come back here.” Pearson is a little less certain of the advantage of playing at home. He mentioned it should generally be a sizable advantage but that hasn’t really panned out this season for the Wolverines — their home and road records are balanced, 7-7-2 and 6-6-1, respectively. Regardless, his preference is clear. “If you asked me right now, would you rather have home ice playing somebody or have to go on the road and play somebody, I’d say, ‘Hey, I’d rather be at home,’ ” Pearson said. “Even though we’re undefeated on the road in the second half of the year.” There’s a bit of circularity to Michigan’s position. The Wolverines want home ice for the tournament and to get it they must thrive this weekend — on the road. The recent road success Pearson alluded to is something Michigan plans to rely on this weekend in its fight to win home ice. But it’s also what the team hopes to fall back on if they don’t return to Ann Arbor. In other words, if the Wolverines can continue with the road success they’ve had, everything they want to accomplish this season — a run in the Big Ten Tournament and a spot in the NCAA Tournament — is still on the table. And it all starts with the trip this weekend, in a similar situation as before. “It’s going to be tough going into Minnesota,” Pearson said. “They’re playing for a league championship. They’ve got a lot on the line. So we just have to get back to our game, understand that we’ve played extremely well this second half, we’ve played extremely well on the road in the second half of the season, and we’ve won in Minnesota before.”
SOFTBALL
After poor weekend, Carol Hutchins looks for an offensive turnaround LANE KIZZIAH Daily Sports Writer
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what plagued the Michigan softball team’s offense at last weekend’s Gamecock Invitational. Despite coming in undefeated, the Wolverines limped home with a 1-3 record on the tournament, scoring more than one run just once in four games. It’s hard to know exactly why, but Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has some ideas. Their swings lacked connection. They lost focus on the one-pitch mindset. They got anxious when they were behind the count. The technical flaws Hutchins saw last weekend go on,
but she pointed to one overarching answer: They got cocky. “Without being able to articulate it, I often say that winning can make you soft,” Hutchins said. “And they had won a bunch in a row, and I don’t think they expected it to be difficult. Which is the only expectation I think you should ever have.” The Wolverines’ offense didn’t produce and they left South Carolina with a total of seven runs over four games. Michigan will have to make mental and physical adjustments going into this weekend’s Judi Garman Classic in Los Angeles. The Wolverines will face their highest-ranked competitors of the non-conference slate: No. 2
Washington, No. 3 Texas and No. 25 Texas Tech. Michigan has pulled out wins against ranked teams before. On Mar. 1 last year, the Wolverines took down UCLA — No. 2 in the country at the time — in the Bruins’ first and only loss until Apr. 12. Two days later, they edged out No. 5 Washington, 4-2. Earlier this month, they blew out No. 7 Florida in a sixth-inning run rule. But, with the notable exception of this year’s game against the Gators, most of those ranked match-ups were won on the backs of pitchers. The combination of sophomore right-hander Alex Storako and junior left-hander Meghan Beaubien have frequently
kept the Wolverines in the game while the offense struggled. As Hutchins has said time and again, it’s the pitcher’s job to pick up the slack when the batters aren’t producing. But the reverse is also true. When Michigan’s pitching staff struggled last weekend, the offense wasn’t there to lift them up. This weekend, it seems unlikely Beaubien and Storako will be able to keep powerhouse teams like Washington scoreless, no matter how on-point their games are. Out of 16 games thus far, the Huskies have been held below five runs just three times. While the Longhorns lack that level of consistency, they’ve won 11 out
of their 18 games with runs in the double digits. So far this season, the Wolverines haven’t been able to reach that level offensively, averaging just above four runs a game. A huge portion of the disparity comes from power hitting. Texas has 13 home runs so far. Texas Tech, 12. The Huskies, 18. Michigan has just 6. In Hutchins’ eye, it’s not that the team lacks power. It’s a problem of pitch selection. “When you swing at crap you usually hit it crappy,” Hutchins said. “(Last weekend) they swung and we didn’t swing at very many good pitches. And we took a lot of pitches, we took a lot of strikes.” Over the past month, there
have been small glimpses of the power the Wolverines are capable of. Facing Florida on Feb. 8, Michigan fired off two homers and four doubles, totaling six RBI, en route to a 11-2 win. While Michigan is ranked No. 13 and boasts a 10-3 record, to compete at the next level, the Wolverines are gong to need more. Specifically, they’re going to need to channel the power they found against the Gators and the confidence at the plate they found in a 10-game win streak. It’s not a question of whether Michigan has the offense to compete against these ranked opponents. It’s a question of whether it can turn it on.
Sports
8 — Friday, February 28, 2020
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TRICE COLD WITH BROOKS OUT, D’MITRIK TRICE TORCHES MICHIGAN’S DEFENSE AS BADGERS TOP WOLVERINES, 81-74
KEEMYA ESMAEL / Daily
Comeback falls short as Wisconsin Without Brooks, defense struggles beats Wolverines, 81-74, at Crisler DANIEL DASH
Daily Sports Writer
ABBY SNYDER
Daily Sports Writer
There are a lot of adjectives that describe Thursday night’s matchup between Michigan and Wisconsin. Gritty. Streaky. Roller coaster. And at the end of it all, the Wolverines (18-10 overall, 9-8 Big Ten) fell to Wisconsin (18-10, 11-6), 81-74, after an inconsistent offensive performance and an onslaught of drained 3-pointers by the Badgers. Despite the spotty offense, the Wolverines embarked on plenty of electric scoring runs. But it was on defense where they struggled most. Wisconsin shoots more 3-pointers than anyone else in the Big Ten, and the Wolverines fell behind when those shots started hitting. At times, Wisconsin’s lead seemed an uncrossable chasm, and Michigan seemed ill-equipped to stop it from growing. “We did a very bad job of defending on the perimeter,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said. “Overall, our defense did not get enough stops. … Huge let down. On the entire team, as far as how we’re defending. And a poor job from me on preparing our guys, so I’ll take the blame on it. I didn’t prepare them very well.” The Wolverines got off to a slow start on both ends of the court without junior guard Eli Brooks, who was sidelined after sustaining a nose injury against Purdue last Saturday.
After settling into the game, the offense seemed to find its rhythm after making some quick shots, but it was a rhythm they fell in and out of throughout the course of the game. Michigan paid for that inconsistency late in the game.
I think we just didn’t play (the way) we have to in the first half, they got into a rhythm ... made us pay.
“We made a couple runs in the second half, and then they made some tough shots,” freshman wing Franz Wagner said. “I don’t think we lost the game in the second half. I think we just didn’t play like we have to in the first half. They got into a rhythm, and they made us pay at the end.” But, as Wisconsin slowed down, Michigan gradually made its way back into the game, fighting back from a
14-point deficit to draw even with 15 minutes remaining in regulation. But again, the game slipped out of its hands. With 10 minutes left, the game was again within reach for the Wolverines. But even when the game was close, or felt close, Michigan just could not do enough to control the game the way it needed. The Wolverines couldn’t get shots to fall when they needed them most. And they couldn’t stop Wisconsin from sinking dagger after dagger. “We always talk about getting stops and getting out for wide open dunks, layups, threes and getting to the free throw line,” sophomore guard David DeJulius said. “We didn’t get an opportunity to play pace-andspace.” The pieces are there. The offensive power Michigan put on against Michigan State and Indiana. The gritty defense the Wolverines played against Rutgers and Northwestern. When Michigan is able to put those things together, it has a chance at beating any team in college basketball. The Wolverines proved that in the Bahamas, and over the fivegame winning streak that just ended. But against Wisconsin on Thursday night, Michigan just couldn’t piece together enough to win. It was, more than anything else, a matter of consistency. And the Wolverines couldn’t seem to find it.
When Juwan Howard was asked about Eli Brooks’s nose on Wednesday, he leaned back in his podium chair and laughed. During the Michigan men’s basketball team’s win over Purdue last Saturday, the junior guard found himself at the wrong place at the wrong time during a Boilermaker baseline inbounds pass. As he trailed his defensive assignment, the shoulder of a Purdue screener caught him square in the face. The collison fractured his nose. For a while, Howard’s laughter didn’t stop. If there’s anyone familiar enough with the injury to chuckle, it’s the Wolverines’ first-year coach, who broke his nose three times during his 19-year NBA career. But when Howard took a seat at the same podium a mere 30 hours later, there was no laughter. As Brooks watched from the bench in street clothes, his nose swallowed by a bandage, Michigan’s perimeter defense — his personal calling card — proved to be its pitfall in an 81-74 loss to Wisconsin. “(Brooks) is our anchor,” Howard said. “Yes, (senior point guard) Zavier (Simpson) is a John Wooden finalist for one of the (top-10) best defensive players this year, but I’m surprised Eli is not mentioned as one of the best defensive players this season because he has been the anchor of our defense. Just his presence — we saw how we missed his activity, we missed his energy, being able to guard guys and attention
to detail when it comes to the scouting report.” The defeat snapped the Wolverines’ five-game winning streak — a season-altering stretch defined by a defensive turnaround. Over the three weeks leading up to Thursday, Michigan’s defense allowed opponents to score an average of just 60.4 points on 37 percent shooting. For nearly a month, Brooks had been at the forefront of that revival. Without Brooks, the Wolverines repeatedly surrendered uncontested looks, opening the door for the Badgers to cruise to 81 points on a 54-percent shooting clip. It was the highest field goal percentage Michigan has allowed at home this season. “Eli is the best defender on our team,” freshman wing Franz Wagner said. “He brings it every night. So we missed him, definitely. … We didn’t communicate well enough and our energy, especially in the first half, it was horrible.” The impact of Brooks’s absence was apparent from the start. Wisconsin canned its first three attempts from beyond the arc, opening up a double-digit lead just five minutes into the game. The Badgers, who entered the night with the conference’s second-best 3-point clip,
eventually used their success from beyond the arc to create pump-fake opportunities and driving lanes. The approach kept Michigan on its heels for much of the first half, and by the final buzzer, Wisconsin guard D’Mitrik Trice’s 28 points were enough to leave Crisler Center with a win. Without Brooks, the Wolverines allowed Trice to enjoy a 10-for-16 shooting mark. Simpson, Wagner and sophomore guard David DeJulius all tried their hands at stopping him on the perimeter, only to see him post a 5-of-6 performance from deep that impacted more than just Michigan’s defense. “We didn’t get an opportunity to play paceand-space,” DeJulius said. “The gameplan (was) to run them off the 3-point line. We understand the great assets they have from beyond the line.” When the Wolverines did find ways to put a hand in Trice’s face, they were plagued by miscommunications that left other Wisconsin shooters open behind the 3-point line. They ultimately surrendered a season-worst 11 3-pointers. To DeJulius, the root of the problem cut deeper than the surface. “It’s not really about X’s and O’s,” he said. “It’s about effort and what’s inside your heart.”
(Eli Brooks) has been the anchor of our defense.