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Pioneer High School investigated for racial hostility
NEWS
R.I.P. Reggie Bee Campus community remembers remarkable life of beloved campus corgi >> SEE PAGE 2
JULIANNA MORANO
OPINION
Daily Staff Reporter
Afghanistan Exit Democracy cannot be built on the back of foreign intervention >> SEE PAGE 5
ARTS
Academy Awards The Daily’s Arts writers went behind the scenes of the Oscars for the first time — on Zoom >> SEE PAGE 6
SPORTS
NFL Wolverines
Michigan’s recent NFL Draft success continues with eight players selected
>> SEE PAGE 8
SPORTS
LAX History
Men’s lacrosse team upsets Ohio State en route to first ever Big Ten Tournament seminfinal >> SEE PAGE 9
INDEX Vol. CXXIX, No. 112 © 2020 The Michigan Daily
NEWS .................................... OPINION ............................... ARTS....................................... SPORTS..................................
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EMMA MATI/Daily Graduates from the class of 2021 gather in-pperson to view the virtual commnecmement ceremonies at the Big House Saturday afternoon.
2021 grads celebrate commencement in the Big House RONI KANE AND SHANNON STOCKING Summer News Editor & Managing News Editor
For most of the Spring 2021 graduating class, it has been over a year since entering the Big House for a football game or anything else — other than maybe to receive a vaccine. On Saturday, May 1, however, the University of Michigan gave graduates the opportunity to spend the last moments of their college career watching the virtual commencement ceremony with their peers inside Michigan Stadium at noon. The University said it required students who opted-in to the in-person commencement viewing to be adequately masked and socially distant, restrictions that were essentially not enforced once students entered the stands Saturday. Graduates also had to have a verified ResponsiBLUE screening and testing result, which, for students who have not tested positive for COVID19 in the last 90 days, includes receiving a COVID-19 test at a University testing location. Students who did not feel comfortable attending the in-person event or who wanted to watch the commencement ceremony with family and friends had the option of attending
virtually. The recorded ceremony remains available for viewing. Despite another pandemic graduation celebrated with new, socially distanced traditions — including a massive mural on E. Washington St. — several graduates and parents were upset by the lack of a more conventional commencement experience. Following the University’s initial announcement in February indicating Spring Commencement would be virtual, a group of students and parents stood in front of the Michigan Union in early March to protest for what they envisioned could be a safe, in-person event. Along with the protest, a student-curated petition with over 5,000 signatures urged the University to offer an optional in-person graduation ceremony. The petition claimed that the Big House’s seating capacity of 107,601 people would allow for all interested graduates to participate, even with social distancing protocols. When U-M first indicated that commencement would be virtual, the state’s limitation was 250 people for outdoor events. By contrast, when the plans for a hybrid graduation were announced over a month later, the state of Michigan’s restrictions held capacity at outdoor events to
1,000 people if all attendees were six feet apart and wearing masks. In light of the controversy surrounding the virtual graduation format, University President Mark Schlissel announced the May 1 opt-in commencement celebration at the Big House at the Board of Regents’ meeting on March 25. LSA graduate Justin Pollack, who attended the celebration, expressed frustration with the hybrid format but also said he understood the University’s decision to hold graduation virtually. “It’s the closest thing that I could get to in-person graduation,” Pollack said. “The situation in Michigan three weeks ago wouldn’t have looked good for an in-person graduation, and if you did change (the graduation format) then I guess there would have been a lot of logistical difficulties. So, I get it. It’s disappointing, but like, I’m glad that we have something.” As student body president Amanda Kaplan introduced Schlissel to the crowd, he was met with a litany of boos. Despite the jeers, Schlissel congratulated the class of 2021, citing their resilience and optimism throughout an unprecedented year. Read more at michigandaily.com
BECCA MAHON/Daily
Ann Arbor Public Schools opened an investigation into alleged racial discimination at Pioneer High School,
On Feb. 22, six Ann Arbor City Council members and Mayor Christopher Taylor sent a letter to Ann Arbor Public Schools, advocating for a return to in-person classes. Though the letter could be perceived as unconventional, as school decisions beyond the allocation of funding are usually considered outside the council’s jurisdiction, the council members and mayor wrote that they were simply responding to their constituents’ needs. Specifically, the letter cited “BIPOC communities” suffering an “unjust disparity in loss” during the pandemic. When local Black Lives Matter activist and founder of Survivors Speak Trische’ Duckworth read the letter, she questioned that claim. Where were councilmembers, she wondered, when dozens of community members came out to demonstrate against alleged racism at Ann Arbor Pioneer High School (AAPS) — when Black parents told them they needed their support? “At a time where they were needed most in the district, when … there was so much racial unrest within the district against students, they would not step in,” Duckworth told The Michigan Daily in February. Read more at michigandaily.com
2 NEWS
Thursday, May 6, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Campus community remembers beloved campus corgi Reggie Bee after owner announces his passing RONI KANE
Summer News Editor
Reggie Bee, the University of Michigan’s unofficial campus corgi, has lived a life as rich and fulfilling as any canine companion could aspire to, said Ann Arbor resident and owner Michael Sola. He laughed upon recalling Reggie chasing deer through Zion National Park, swimming in the ocean off the coast of Naples, Florida and being Sola’s ‘personal lucky charm’ in Las Vegas. Still, more than anywhere else, Sola said the 10-year-old red and white Pembroke Welsh Corgi left his pawprint on the University and in the hearts of its students. Besides his frequent frolics on the Diag, Reggie was infamously entered in the 2018 race for CSG president, portrayed Paulette’s pampered pooch Rufus in Musket’s ‘Legally Blonde’ and made the cover of The Daily’s own The Statement. “It was just one of those perfect matches, like the marriage you always want,” Sola said. “Reggie and the University students, it’s a perfect marriage.” With roughly 8,000 friends and followers combined on his Facebook and Instagram pages, Reggie is considered “the biggest celebrity to regularly walk the streets of Ann Arbor,” and taking a picture with him is number eight on the University’s pre-graduation bucket list. The last time Reggie was on campus, however, was Dec. 17, 2020, and he passed away soon after on Dec. 20. According to Sola, Reggie was clearly not feeling well the night of Dec. 19. The next day, Sola dropped him off at the veterinarian’s office, unable to go into the building with Reggie due to COVID-related restrictions. Ten minutes after he had driven away, Sola received a call from Reggie’s doctor with the news Reggie had just passed away. The cause of death is still unknown. Sola said he was so shocked and hurt by Reggie’s sudden death that he was unable to publicly break the news until his recent Facebook post on Reggie’s page April 23. “It was just too hurtful to even announce it because I knew that would lead to talking to people,” Sola said. “I just needed time to myself to realize that it really
happened, especially because of the way it happened.” When asked for a comment about Reggie’s passing, the University submitted a statement from Mary Jo Desprez, Director of Wolverine Wellness. Desprez wrote that Reggie has become a valuable part of the University community and recommends those who knew him take time to reflect on their good memories together in light of the recent loss. “Reggie was one of a few pets that became part of our campus community,” Desprez wrote. “We are grateful for all the times that Reggie ‘showed up’ and made our community smile — especially during this past year. Reggie was a source of comfort and connection, of unconditional acceptance, of fun and joy.” Reggie’s charismatic personality and uncanny ability to make people smile dates back to when Sola adopted the then-two-year-old corgi from a woman in Gaylord, MI. When Sola walked in the door, he said Reggie immediately beelined towards him, his tongue hanging out in greeting. “He saw me and went racing all the way to the door and he had a big, happy look on his face,” Sola said. “All dogs are happy of course, but Reggie just seemed to be always happy.” As an Air Force veteran who served during the Vietnam War, Sola originally adopted Reggie as a service dog, which allowed him to walk Reggie unleashed. As Reggie increasingly interacted with University students, Sola said he decided to have him trained as a therapy dog as well. “Because of the type of service dog he was for me, he could legally be off a leash,” Sola said. “That was kind of magic because Reggie would just wander around and people could find him.” LSA junior Abner Santiago vividly remembers meeting Reggie for the first time during a summer program prior to his freshman year. Santiago said he feels like it was yesterday that he was in the 7-Eleven on South University Avenue and began sprinting to the Diag after receiving a text message from a friend saying Reggie was there. Read more at michigandaily.com
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Reggie Bee, the University’s unofficial campus corgi passed away last December.
‘Doing nothing is not an option’: President Biden delivers first address to joint session of Congress SCARLETT BICKERTON Daily Staff Reporter
After his first 100 days in office, President Biden gave his first address to a joint session of congress on Wednesday night. Biden talked about his administration’s COVID-19 response and two major investment plans for American jobs and families. For the first time in American history, there were two women behind the President — Vice President Kamala Harris and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Biden began his speech by reflecting on the worst pandemic the U.S. has seen in a century and the progress of the American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law on March 11. “After I promised we’d get 100 million COVID-19 vaccine shots into people’s arms in 100 days, we will have provided over 220 million COVID shots in those 100 days,” Biden said. More than half of American adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and 90% of Americans live within five miles of a vaccination location, Biden said. LSA sophomore Andrew Schaeffler, campus organizer for Students for Biden, said he was happy with Biden’s COVID-19 efforts. “There are always going to be some of those classic campaign promises, but in terms of COVID, he’s come through,” Schaeffler said. “The promises with the most tangible impact have been fulfilled and exceeded.” Biden also discussed his American
Jobs Plan to create millions of livablewage jobs, 75% of which he said would not require a college degree. The stated purpose of this legislation is to rebuild America’s infrastructure, including an upgrade to roads and bridges and replacing all lead pipes to ensure access to clean water. The legislation aims to support caregivers with better wages and benefits, positioning the U.S. to compete with foreign powers using a modern power grid and high-speed internet for every American, Biden said. “This is the largest jobs plan since World War II,” Biden said. “American tax dollars are going to be used to buy American products, made in America, to create American jobs.” LSA sophomore Evan Hall, Co-Chair of College Democrats, emphasized the impact of President Biden’s American Jobs Plan. “I believe the broader legislation on human infrastructure—which includes anti-racism policies and immigration—and climate change are eager measures we are excited to see impact Michigan politics,” Hall said. Later in his speech, Biden highlighted the four goals of his administration’s American Families Plan, which will aim to cut child poverty rates in half, Biden said. The plan intends to increase access to education by providing two years of universal preschool and two years of free community college; access to quality, affordable childcare; up to twelve weeks of paid parental and medical leave; and an extension of the childcare tax credit. Read more at michigandaily.com
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Thursday, May 6, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
U-M community shares concern for COVID-19 crisis in India VARSHA VEDAPUDI Daily Staff Reporter
On Saturday alone, more than 400,000 new COVID-19 cases were recorded in one day in India. India’s healthcare system is experiencing severe shortages of hospital beds, oxygen and medication, leaving Indians to turn to social media to request simple supplies. Professor of biostatistics Bhramar Mukherjee has been actively involved with modeling COVID-19 metrics since March 2020. Mukherjee predicted on February 27, 2021 that a second wave was coming in India and called for the public and policy makers to continue to adhere to COVID-19 guidelines. Critics say that India was unprepared for this second-wave referencing the lack of supplies and public compliance. Mukherjee is one of many in the University of Michigan community expressing support and concern for the deadly situation in India. Rackham student Maxwell Salvatore was part of the team that built the COV-IND shiny app. The app uses publicly available data and other metrics to make prediction models. Salvatore predicts the peak of the second wave will come in mid-May, at which point there will be 500,000 new cases each day. “We think that the actual number of cases might be 10 to 14 times the reported numbers,” Salvatore said. “These numbers are people, and the pictures and videos that are coming out are devastating and calls for the coming together of the global community.” On April 27, University President Mark Schlissel released a statement expressing empathy and solidarity for those affected by the crisis. The statement encouraged community members to donate to the American India Foundation’s COVID response fund and listed other resources. “India has long been one of our most cherished international partners in education and research. About 1,000 of our current students and 6,000 alumni hail from India,” Schlissel said. “The U.S. government has
pledged to help, and we urge immediate and meaningful action. We are sharing our expertise with elected leaders to advise on how to best provide assistance.” The U-M India Advisory Board, along with the U-M India Alumni Association, has led various initiatives to share medical and public health expertise with India. Student groups across campus, including the South Asian American Health Initiative (SAAHI), South Asian Awareness Network (SAAN), Indian Student Association (ISA) and Project RISHI have collaborated to raise money for the Breathe India Fundraiser, which aims to provide oxygen concentrators to hospitals in Delhi, a COVID-19 hotspot. SAAHI has said they have raised $1,103 as of Sunday. Public Health junior Nithya Arun, SAAHI executive director and Central Student Government President, started the initiative to alleviate the severe oxygen shortage in the country. Arun’s grandmother lives in New Delhi and has hypertension, which occasionally requires an oxygen tank. “(My grandmother) is doing fine, but there are so many people who do not have oxygen right now because of how badly this crisis was managed,” Arun said. “These incidents of COVID were preventable, (and) the Indian government could have taken action before it got this bad. Unfortunately, they put their own interests ahead of the wellbeing of the people.” LSA junior Mishaal Yazdani, incoming co-director for SAAN, said the virus has taken its toll on developing countries like India. Yazdani encouraged the United States to share its resources with other countries who need it. “I’m from Pakistan, but we are all one community at the end of the day, one human population,” Yazdani said. “It’s really important that we are trying our best, donating and spreading awareness about this crisis.” There has been growing concern over President Joe Biden’s plans to help vaccinate the rest of the world. Biden has pledged to send protective equipment and oxygen to India, in addition to providing the country with doses
of the AstraZeneca vaccine once it is safe to do so. Chair of Radiology Vikas Gulani is part of Health4theWorld, an organization founded by Dr. Bhavya Rehani that aims to provide basic healthcare services worldwide. Gulani and a team of physicians across the U.S. and India collaborated on multiple projects to ease the burden on the healthcare system in India. One of their main efforts is to send oxygen concentrators to hospitals in India. Other projects aim to provide services such as palliative care, grief counseling and telemedicine. The team also sent healthcare kits with masks, vitamins, pharmaceuticals and pulse oximeters to Indians at home. “The goal was to provide people with some way of taking care of themselves at home if they’re sick, so as to not overburden the hospitals,” Gulani said. “Every single bit of our work has been a labor of love and people donating their time.” Gulani said they decided to partner with organizations in India that prioritize transparency and accountability to ensure every dollar donated directly impacts patients and physicians in India. The team’s fundraiser has raised $52,968 of its $100,000 goal at the time of publishing. Chief of Hospital Medicine Vineet Chopra and Krishnan Raghavendran, Director of the U-M Center for Global Surgery, are part of India COVID SOS, a group of physicians, scientists and policy makers from across the U.S. providing home care resources, medication and equipment to people in India. Chopra called on the U-M community to come together and check in on friends and family in India. He stressed how people and countries are all interconnected, pointing to the fact that the Indian variant, B.1.617, has been reported in Clinton County, Michigan. “There is no such thing as a pandemic in one part of the world,” Chopra said. “What happens in India could affect us (in the United States), it’s really important.” Read more at michigandaily.com
NEWS 3
Whitmer announces “MI Vacc to Normal Challenge,” plans to lift restrictions as state approaches 70% vaccination LILY GOODING AND NADIR AL-SAIDI Summer News Editor & Daily Staff Reporter
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced her “MI Vacc to Normal Challenge” in a Thursday morning press conference, outlining a fourstep plan to gradually lift COVID-19 restrictions as state’ climbs from 48.8% vaccination of residents 16 and older to the goal of 70%. Currently, all Michigan residents above the age of 16 are eligible to receive a vaccine. Two weeks after 55% of the eligible population has received at least one shot, Whitmer intends to lift the remote work rule, an executive order from Whitmer that any work that can be done remotely, must be done remotely. The next step comes two weeks after 60% of the eligible population, or 4.9 million Michigan residents, receives the vaccine. At this phase, Whitmer will increase capacity at indoor sports stadiums, conference halls, banquet centers and funeral homes to 25% and raise the allowed capacity for indoor exercise facilities and gyms from 30% to 50%. At this phase, Whitmer said she will also lift the curfew currently in place at restaurants and bars. Once 65% of the eligible population has received at least one shot, Whitmer intends to lift all restrictions limiting indoor capacity at restaurants and bars to 100 people and all other indoor facilities to 300 people, while still enforcing social distancing guidelines between parties. The plan also states that guidelines relating to residential gatherings will be relaxed at this stage. Once 70% of those 16 or older — about 5.9 million Michiganders — have received a shot, Whitmer will lift all restrictions relating to gatherings and the Face Mask Order, with a possible exception if COVID-19 numbers are increasing and threatening the medical system, or if a vaccine-
resistant variant emerges. This is the fourth and final step of Whitmer’s plan. Whitmer said these steps are designed to keep Michigan residents safe as the state continues its economic recovery. “The MI Vacc to Normal Challenge outlines steps we can take to emerge from this pandemic as we hit our vaccination targets together,” Whitmer said. “If you haven’t already, I encourage you to rise to the challenge and be a part of the solution so we can continue our economic recovery and have the summer we all crave.” In her briefing, Whitmer also expressed her trust in vaccines. She said she believes it is in the
“If we work together, we can get this done”
state’s best interest for everyone to be vaccinated in order to return to normal. “Vaccines are our best chance of putting this pandemic behind us and returning to normal,” Whitmer said. “They represent hope and healing. If you want to learn more, I encourage you to talk to your family doctor, learn about the safe, effective vaccines and how they can save your life and the lives of those you love.” Whitmer said that goals at each step will make for the best transition, emphasizing the state’s need for teamwork. “If we work together, we can get this done,” Whitmer said. “We have to have a set of clear goals to accompany every step of this process. As we drive toward our eventual goal of returning to normal, we will pass checkpoints along the way that will allow us to gradually lift more limits and eventually, we’ll get over that finish line.”
4 OPINION
Thursday, May 6, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
KEITH JOHNSTONE | OPINION COLUMNIST
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JESS D’AGOSTINO | OPINION COLUMNIST
“Treating yourself ” shouldn’t be a special occasion
I
t’s after midnight and the textbooks haphazardly thrown around your desk are illuminated only by the computer screen you’ve been staring at all day. Empty Monster Energy drinks line the table beside you and you sigh: “Tomorrow, I’m getting ice cream. I deserve to treat myself.” This year, arguably more so than years past, the so-called “treat yourself culture” has expanded far beyond what was once a rewardbased mentality, where we used self-assurance to continue grinding through some sort of undesirable task. Now, the vernacular of “treating yourself” has become less about rewards and more about stress-induced indulgence. However, this growth mindset is a reflection of something deeper; it represents the more deep-seated issues with the stress we — students, adults and even children — regularly put ourselves under. Instead of feeling the need to constantly “treat ourselves,” perhaps we need to instead incorporate more into our daily lives that serves us. This “treat yourself” culture is not something that has to be viewed as the antithesis of “hustle culture.” In fact, I think that is the root of the problem entirely. We have been bred to believe that if something is not amounting in trials and tribulations, then it isn’t hard enough work or we should be doing more. Especially at a top university
like the University of Michigan, I constantly find myself wanting to do more. I want more credits, a higher grade point average and more responsibilities I’ll later use as conversation topics in interviews. This innate drive is by no means a bad thing. We all are trying to eventually land in a place where we can relax and live a more enjoyable life. However, there are a lot of problems with this logic. Without sounding completely hopeless and pessimistic, it is possible that the future we envision in our twenties will not come to fruition. Instead, it is important to incorporate things that make us happy within the ebb and flow of work, school or lifeinduced stress. Psychology certainly supports this notion. Lauren Geall, a journalist for Stylist, discussed a new, related study in a recent article. Something that really resonated with me from the piece was this line: “The results (of the study) were clear – while having good selfcontrol was positively associated with happiness, being able to indulge in life’s little pleasures without berating ourselves for doing so is just as important.” This reminded me of the Marie Kondo ideology or the KonMari method, but applying it to far more than decluttering. Maybe in order to truly treat ourselves, we should be actively engaging in more things that spark joy. For example, even if you have a hectic schedule of work
and school, make time to stop by your favorite coffee shop or allot ten minutes to go on a walk outdoors. This past year has proven an old saying to be scarily true. The saying goes: “live every day as your last, for you never know what tomorrow will bring.” Waking up to a world in lockdown is not something that any of us could have imagined. In a flash, the world was closed for business, everything kept at a sixfoot distance and away from arm’s reach. We all leaned on each other through technological and virtual means to keep afloat amid a time where isolation and fear reigned supreme. I was recently able to get fully vaccinated and the feeling I had was incomparable. It was almost as if every stress or bout of anxiety suffered throughout the past year had all combined and been washed away with the second shot in my arm. The world is far from
To infinity and beyond: the false promise of space
I
’ll be honest, I’ve never understood the hype around space. While everyone in kindergarten ran around saying that they wanted to be the president or an astronaut, I sat quietly, ashamed that I aspired to be a teacher. Our dreams have inevitably changed since then, and as a third-year Business student, I — like many of my peers — don’t really know what I want to be. What I do know is that I still don’t want to be an astronaut; my sensitive stomach can barely handle a midnight Taco Bell run. However, for those interested in space travel, the job market has never been better. We are amid a space travel renaissance, fueled by the rise of commercial players like SpaceX, Blue Origin and many small competitors with big ideas that receive NASA seed funding. And, with the Perseverance rover recently landing on Mars and NASA’s modern moon mission, Project Artemis, in the works, there are billions of dollars in government contracts available. This points to promising futures for aerospace engineers looking to make their marks at companies like Lockheed Martin or Boeing. The
back to normal, but the future is far brighter than it was not so long ago. This reflection has even further deepened my newly adopted philosophy of finding a middle ground between “hustle culture” and “treat yourself culture.” I cannot urge you, without being a hypocrite, to give up your late nights of studying, Monster Energy drinks and all (although, I actually prefer Bang Energy these days). I cannot, in good conscience, tell you to always choose to do something that makes you happy over something you have or should do. Frankly, this is just not the way life works. We have to endure the hard work and put in the time. If
excitement has even spread to the military ranks, as repeated calls for “the next class of astronauts” have amplified. And you know that where there is excitement, there is money; and where there is money, there are Wall Street investors ready to lose it. Enter: Virgin Galactic. In 2004, Virgin Galactic was founded as an extension of the Virgin Group, funded by British billionaire Richard Branson, with the mission of fulfilling the long-awaited fantasy of consumer space travel. They initially predicted that they would make history by 2009, taking customers on space flights. However, the company took until 2019 to actually make history, but it wasn’t by being successful in their mission. In fact, they were quite far from it, coming off of several failed space flights despite Branson’s repeated bullish predictions. Instead, they made their mark by becoming the first publicly traded space company through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company, usually referred to as a SPAC.
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nothing else, it is a reminder that we are human. Like Lois Lowry’s “The Giver,” without pain, we’d also lose ecstasy and joy. It’s all about balance. And as the semester comes to a close and the Zoom meetings end, I encourage you to look back on what was arguably the weirdest year of our lives so far. Think about what made you stress. Think about what and who you leaned upon to alleviate some of that stress. As we enter normalcy step-by-step, I plan to try and find the gray area between hustle and indulgence for the year ahead. I will work hard and certainly have days that are nothing but stressful. However, instead of looking at everything I choose as a way to Design by Ahmad Kady combat the stress as something to “treat myself,” I want to do things and choose things that provide me some form of happiness more regularly. Imagine how much happier we could be if the breakfast we ate with our morning coffee could be viewed as treating ourselves. In a very real way, this is genuinely true. Let’s find our middle ground and collaboratively try to make treating ourselves a far more common practice in the chaotic lives we lead.
Thursday, May 6, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
OPINION
5
BRANDON COWIT | OPINION COLUMNIST
Biden may not be pulling out of Afghanistan — but he should
P
resident Joe Biden recently reached the end of his first 100 days in office, the arbitrary measure American political media has decided is the opening period of a president’s term. Discussion of these first 100 days has largely been related to Biden’s efforts in ending the COVID-19 pandemic and re-energizing the country’s economy after over a year of lockdowns. This is partially because, on most of the foreign policy issues the American media tends to care about, Biden has taken little action. He has shown little interest in finding a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. His policy on Iran up until now has mostly been fruitless negotiations to revive the former nuclear weapons deal. And while his ostensible end of support for the Saudi-led invasion of Yemen
was initially met with some fanfare, it has largely been swept under the rug, especially after it was shown to be untrue. Seemingly the only exception to this has been Biden’s recent announcement that he plans to remove U.S. soldiers from Afghanistan after 20 years of war later this year. While I have frequently been critical of Biden in the past, I believe withdrawal from Afghanistan would be an unequivocally positive move from the president, and one he should absolutely proceed with. However, it is important to consider that this alleged pullout of forces may not actually happen. Former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump both announced troop withdrawals of their own, neither of which materialized. Additionally, as shown by his reversal on the end of U.S sup-
LILY CESARIO | OPINION COLUMNIST
Whose questions are we answering?
port for the Saudi invasion of Yemen, Biden is willing to announce the end of a U.S military operation and then take it back. Most concerningly, the Biden administration has been uncomfortably vague about the more than 18,000 private military contractors currently stationed in Afghanistan, currently outnumbering official U.S military personnel by about seven to one. A pull-out that does not include PMCs would be effectively meaningless. Nevertheless, even the prospect of ending the war in Afghanistan has terrified many in the media and a number of Biden’s fellow politicians. These objections have primarily fallen under two categories: that withdrawal will be a boon for terrorist activity, and that it will cause an erosion of human rights — women’s rights in par-
ticular. The first category is al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, this best exemplified by Sen. Lind- would not make it more likely sey Graham, R-S.C., who stated for them to launch a 9/11-style shortly after Biden’s announce- attack on America again. Alment that withdrawal means Qaeda still maintains a presence canceling “an insurance policy in countries such as Syria and against another 9/11.” Among Yemen that they could use to voices for the second position is plan terrorist activity. Even if we Fawzia Koofi, an Afghan politi- were able to wipe out all of their cian and peace negotiator, who bases of operation, attacks like claims “withdrawal of U.S. forc- 9/11 require mostly manpower es from Afghanistan will under- and small arms, neither of which mine the Afghan government’s require having a large presence ongoing negotiations with the in any country. Keeping troops Taliban” and “risks sidelining in Afghanistan does nothing to Afghan women and all of the stop another large-scale terrorgains we have made over the ist attack — especially consideryears.” ing the Taliban, who would be However, neither of these the most likely to aid al-Qaeda in arguments holds water when examined closer. As for the idea that U.S troop presence is preRead more at michigandaily.com venting another terrorist attack on American soil: While withBrandon Cowit is an Opinion Columnist drawal might strengthen the presence of terrorist groups like and can be reached at cowitb@umich.edu.
ANYA SINGH | OPINION CARTOONIST
Vaccinated? Great, keep your mask on.
A
cademia can teach us a lot. are worth two thousand times more But does it always teach than another’s. the most important things? CEOs who pay themselves disThrough complex systems like math proportionately more than their and languages, we are taught, albeit employees do not provide exponenin a structured and linear way, how tially more value to their companies. to solve problems and communicate Rather, the power they’ve garnered is in the world. And yet, with all of the assumed to be insurmountably more. questions we answer in academia, And while, without a doubt, economthere is one that is rarely, if ever, ic inequality goes much deeper than posed: Whose problems are we solv- the salaries of entry-level employees ing? and CEOs in a given industry, the When we are young, we are often pattern of exploitation is always the reminded of how powerful it is to same: the rich and powerful exploit have dreams for the future. But little others to fill their pockets, capitalizby little, from K-12 to university, that ing on the fact that the lower classes sense of imagination often becomes rely on them to survive. lost. If we aren’t careful we eventuTo end exploitation in large indusally become little more than pawns in tries, CEOs need to own up to the fact someone else’s game. that their pay system needs major Not that leadership roles aren’t restructuring. But at its core, creating valuable, but at what point does being that change within our society comes a founder of a company justify mak- down to reframing the way we value ing two thousandfold more than your each other as human beings. employees? If we crunched the numbers, I think it’s doubtful that the 50k salary of an entry-level tech employRead more at michigandaily.com ee would scale against a CEO’s $108.9 million-dollar per year income. No matter how much risk is involved in Lily Cesario is an Opinion Columnist and being a founder, in a single lifetime, can be reached at lcesario@umich.edu. no human being’s time and energy
Anya Singh is an Opinion Cartoonist and can be reached at anyas@umich.edu.
6 ARTS
Thursday, May 6, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The Daily goes to the Academy Awards
into the in-person backstage area, KARI ANDERSON, SABRIYA IMAMI & but instead brought into a Zoom ROSS LONDON meeting — Michigan Daily writers Daily Arts Writers newly amongst them. Despite Zoom snafus and Few events are as exciting or awkward silences, being at this significant to a film writer as the year’s Academy Awards was an Oscars. Normally, the event offers the incredible chance to view the inner chance to meet with talented actors workings of the Academy and the and filmmakers during a celebration press — an experience that we of some of the year’s biggest films. truly appreciated and enjoyed. For Yet in a year filled with delays and one thing, watching a live feed of accommodations, it’s no surprise the event without being subjected that things didn’t quite look the to ads was nice; for another, it was same at this year’s Academy Awards. an honor to be present for some of The typical January date, along the inspiring words from winners with the usual timeline for eligible that only the press got to hear films, was postponed by three and cherish. So even as we were months. The setting was, for lack frantically switching between the of a better word, intimate: Rather ceremony and the “backstage” than inviting all of Hollywood’s interviews — truly, catching the elite, the ceremony was made up of tail end of Glenn Close shaking her nominees, presenters and plus-ones booty while switching back from an only, held in Los Angeles’s Union interview about production design Station with nominees clustered was unexpected — it was certainly around small tables, as well as an experience to remember. Here satellite locations around the world. are some of our favorite moments The event was regulated by COVID- from the night. For a full list of 19 protocols determined by a team winners, click here. of epidemiologists (most of whom Recognizing those who are giving Oscars producer Steven Soderbergh back in Hollywood had met during the creation of his The Academy awarded two Jean film “Contagion”). And, unlike in Hersholt Humanitarian Awards this normal years, press were not allowed year, with one going to the Motion
Picture and Television Fund and another to Hollywood superstar Tyler Perry. MPTF and Perry join the likes of Frank Sinatra, Audrey Hepburn and Oprah Winfrey as the 40th and 41st winners of the award, which is named for a Danish-born actor, philanthropist and one-time MPTF president. MPTF, a mutual aid organization for the entertainment industry, is celebrating its 100th year in 2021. MPTF also operates a number of health and senior centers in Los Angeles exclusively for those in the industry. The award was accepted by Bob Beitcher, current president and CEO of MPTF, who said in his remarks, “We really and truly take care of our own.” Tyler Perry, the producer, director and star of the “Madea” films, was awarded for his philanthropic work, which includes picking up seniors’ grocery bills, paying Rayshard Brooks’ funeral expenses and opening Camp Quarantine to keep Tyler Perry Studios employees working during the pandemic. Perry gave a moving acceptance speech, encouraging his audience to “refuse hate.” He said that he is dedicating the award to those who “stand in the middle,” adding, “that’s where healing happens. That’s where
conversation happens. That’s where change happens.” Everything’s Coming Up Nomadland Nomadland was the most awarded film at this year’s Oscars, winning in three of its six nominated
At the end of the group Best Picture acceptance speech, McDormand paid tribute by howling at the moon to Nomadland production sound mixer Michael Wolf Snyder, who recently died at age 35. Chloé Zhao won the Oscar for Best Directing as
Krislam Chin (The Academy)
categories, including Best Picture. Critics and bettors were fairly certain that Nomadland would win, and The Daily predicted it too. There’s something about that sweeping yet subtle narrative and grand imagery of the American landscape that was sure to win the hearts of the Academy’s voters. Frances McDormand produced and starred in Nomadland, so she took the stage twice, also winning for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
the second woman and first woman of color recognized with this award. In her remarks, she dedicated the win to “anyone who had the faith and the courage to hold on to the goodness in themselves, and to hold on to the goodness in each other, no matter how difficult it is to do that.” Speaking to the press backstage, Zhao’s message was clear: “It’s pretty fabulous to be a woman in 2021.” Read more at michigandaily.com
SpringFest: Attending a virtual music festival KAI BARTOL
Daily Arts Writer
I sit in my pajamas across from my laptop. On the screen sits another man alone in his bedroom, strumming a guitar. At the whim of my residence hall’s intermittent Wi-Fi connection, my stream looks more like a PowerPoint presentation than a video, and my laptop’s dingy speakers make the audio sound more like a phone call than a concert. When I ordered tickets to SpringFest, I didn’t receive a sheet of paper with a barcode, but rather a digital link. My fellow concertgoers aren’t cheering and dancing around me. My only knowledge of their presence is through tiny avatars in a comment section. This is what it’s like to attend a music festival during a pandemic. It is our best attempt to make a typically in-person experience virtual. Every year, hundreds of students flock to the Diag to participate in SpringFest, a charity music festival run by MUSIC Matters, a U-M non-profit focused on creating local change
through music. The day is filled with performances by local artists, various activities put on by clubs and massive fundraising projects. The headlining act — which has previously been artists like J. Cole, Migos and A$AP Ferg — takes the stage last to end the night. All the proceeds from the festival go to benefit many of MUSIC Matter’s charitable programs like the Michigan Overnight Experience program and the Big Thinkers Scholarship. This year especially, the cliché rings true: The show must go on, and SpringFest is no exception. This year’s SpringFest was presented virtually over HeySummit + Remo. Although virtual, the day was still filled with the usual giveaways, performances and presentations. At night, the festival was sent off by the band Hippo Campus, a Minnesota-based indie rock band. I was initially concerned about attending a digital music festival. Being unfamiliar with the platform, I encountered many technical difficulties in my initial attempts. However, once I was watching my first musical performance, all my anxieties were quickly washed away
with a charismatic performance by Oren Levin. It was at that moment I discovered the greatest advantage of hosting a digital concert — the intimacy. In between songs, Levin, who performed from his bedroom, talked about his hopes for future musical
completely separate from the artist physically, I received an incredibly candid performance that would not have been possible on stage. This experience continued with Steve Banks, the schoolteacher and Detroit-based rapper also known as
Design by Sarah Chung
ventures. He mused at length about his switch to online performances to replace live concerts. He even interacted with fellow concertgoers who exuded overwhelming positivity in the comments section. By being
This Life. We Lead. Fresh home from work, Banks’s performance felt like a friend eagerly showing you his new beats. He skipped around folders on his computer, his eyes lighting up whenever he saw a beat he wanted to
rap over. It was refreshing to watch a performer who seemed to genuinely have fun in a less formal setting. The festival closed off the night with Hippo Campus. I fell in love with the band after discovering “Bambi” while deep in a YouTube rabbit hole earlier this year. Knowing the band was famous for their stage presence, I was excited to see them live. Hippo Campus’s performance was simply a pleasure to watch, and their sound brought immeasurable joy to my lifeless dorm room. Although completely alone, I couldn’t help from bobbing my head to “Buttercup” or humming along to “Way It Goes.” I was especially impressed with the band members’ sense of humor during the live performance. In between songs, members held a groove while bandmates quipped on facts from the University of Michigan’s Wikipedia page. While a lesser artist may have made the virtual format dull or impersonal, Hippo Campus’s performance was just plain fun. Read more at michigandaily.com
Thursday, May 6, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Cast members on new series ‘Jupiter Legacy’ MOLLY HIRSCH Daily Arts Writer
Super strength. Lightning speed. Telepathy. These are just a few of the superpowers the heroes of Netflix’s new series “Jupiter’s Legacy” unleash on their enemies. But after a century of putting criminals behind bars, these superheroes’ efforts to restore justice have become increasingly controversial. The series is based on Mark Millar’s comic of the same name. The Millarworld production focuses on the lives of those working for the Union, a group of superheroes who achieved their powers during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Ever since, they have been led by The Utopian (Josh Duhamel, “Safe Haven”), husband to Lady Liberty (Leslie Bibb, “The Lost Husband”) and father of two young heroes. Unfortunately, the standards he sets for his children are practically impossible to reach, creating a complicated and toxic family dynamic. Times have changed, though, and the corruption of the 21st century far
stated that, unlike Marvel and DC productions, “Jupiter’s Legacy” is more of a “human story … it’s almost more of a drama than a superhero, actionpacked show.” This is because the plot doesn’t just consist of repetitive fight scenes between good guys and bad guys. Rather, it focuses on the underlying character relationships: a mother and daughter; a father and son; a sister and brother. In fact, it’s with the exploration of these dynamics that Millar’s comic series combats this idea of good versus evil altogether. Matt Lanter (“90210”), who plays villain George Hutch, discussed this aspect of the show. Specifically, he spoke about the misconception that the world is either black or white, moral or immoral, which occurs throughout the show and creates many rifts amongst the characters. Yet, as Lanter stated and the show aims to prove, “there’re shades of grey everywhere,” and that underneath the masks and without the capes, these superheroes are humans living in an imperfect world. “Jupiter’s Legacy” is not like the average Superman or Batman movie. This doesn’t mean it lacks the action and entertainment these other productions
Netflix
surpasses that of previous decades. As society changes, the original code set by The Utopian — to never kill — is being called into question by both civilians and Union members alike. With a new generation of heroes and a different set of problems, the values once upheld are becoming outdated. And so, even when the superhero suits come off and the crime-fighting ceases for the day, the drama continues. At a recent roundtable with members of the cast, Andrew Horton, who plays The Utopian’s son, Brandon Sampson, noted that the show differs from other superhero stories. He
provide audiences with; there is just a greater reflection on real-life issues. Horton spoke about how this factor of the show made it that much easier for him to relate to a character that he is, in actuality, very different from. He stated that he “couldn’t necessarily connect with super speed, super strength, and the ability to fly, but coming back to the human characteristics is what makes the show so interesting … so much more than your run-of-the-mill superhero show.” This sentiment was echoed by other members of the cast. Read more at michigandaily.com
ARTS 7
‘A Master of Djinn’ Combines Cairo, Magic and CSI ELIZABETH YOON
Daily Books Beat Editor
One paragraph into P. Djèlí Clark’s “A Master of Djinn,” the chronically truant selfpreservation muscle in my brain jerked to life and hit pause. The novel is too well crafted, too interesting, too readable. It’s a magical detective story set in pre-World War I Cairo narrated by no-nonsense special agent Fatma el-Sha’arawi and her plucky, paperwork-loving, hijab-wearing junior, Hadia Abdel Hafez. It is set in the same world as other books from the same author but is a stand-alone story. From its base components alone, mathematically speaking, “A Master of Djinn” almost overwhelmed me (and my exam study schedule). Once started, “A Master of Djinn” is a fast read. Clark creates a compelling fantasy setting full of representation. Despite being marketed as steampunk, the novel is a detective, police procedural at its core. When twenty members of a secret society are brutally murdered, special agent Fatma and her new partner Hadia are tasked with locating the killer. Together, they unravel a larger magical plot within their Egyptian home city. Set before WWI, the novel imagines a world before American hegemony and nuclear power. In Fatma’s metropolitan Cairo, the local zeitgeist is one of possibility, with energy wild and unpredictable. The world is less surveilled, less formed at the turn of the century. But Clark does not settle for easy first impressions of a halcyon past. Considering the many social identities of the characters, the novel would be incomplete without a consideration of power structures and imperialism. Clark mindfully engages with the past, forcing his characters to move through a world recognizable in its colonialism, colorism and religion. Fatma’s friend Benny, a Jim Crow-era American ex-pat, helps contextualize and ground Clark’s expansive
world. Perhaps, instead of the Djinns and Priestesses, the most fantastical aspect of Clark’s novel is its ability to recall a tantalizingly vast, flawed and cautiously hopeful world. “A Master of Djinn” is an amazingly consistent read.
rather than defined by their social identities. They feel authentic. Clark is cheeky with his characters. Fatma’s junior agent endearingly sports a fun, modern bright blue headscarf as a display of her progressive values. Because the novel follows
Courtesy of Julian Wray
Clark is a competent storyteller and a master of unobtrusive style. While the ultimate mystery is not hard to puzzle out three-quarters in, the characters are vibrant and the plot is sound. Some writers have stylistic ticks that require more deliberate reading; fantasy writers, in particular, have an unfortunate tendency to “infodump,” front-loading their worldbuilding and characters. Most fantasy classics require some measure of indelicate, brute mental force to break into the center of the novel. Clark breaks that mold, presenting a digestible and compelling fantasy landscape. His writing exemplifies how such a novel should be paced, most notably in how he distributes and buffers the customary infodump hurdles. Clark introduces the main character, Fatma, over the course of one chapter. It’s with a deft, careful hand that Clark contours and colors this LGBTQ+, suit-wearing, canesword-wielding, overworked government agent. Clark approaches each character with care, depicting them as dynamic, multifaceted characters that are informed,
the detective-novel, CSIesque structure, one might misread it as an entertaining but run-of-the-mill iteration — not quite radical but also not derivative. However, Clark’s characterizations and attention to detail positions “A Master of Djinn” solidly above its contemporaries. The only downfall of his attention to character and storytelling is how unsustainable producing ten more similar novels would be. Ideally, there would be as many “A Master of Djinn” entries as there are “Dresden Files” novels. Alas, the rich world and characters leave room only for a sequel or so. Clark’s novel is a prime fantasy book complete with a unique comprehension of identity and personhood. While reading “A Master of Djinn,” time flows eagerly past, weaving through bustling, magical Cairo streets. The novel’s concept is uncomplicated and naturally integrates Arabic mythology with historical, fantasy settings. Clark’s dynamic characters and consideration of historical power imbalances, class and racism are a balm to the tired fantasy reader.
8 SPORTS
Thursday, May 6, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Eight Wolverines selected in 2021 NFL Draft
DANIEL DASH
Senior Sports Editor
The Michigan football team’s recent NFL Draft success continued this week, as eight Wolverines heard their name called in Cleveland between Thursday and Saturday. Only four schools — Alabama, Ohio State, Georgia and Notre Dame — saw more players drafted than Michigan. The Wolverines’ 11 draft-eligible players didn’t have to wait long to hear one of their names called. The Indianapolis Colts selected defensive end Kwity Paye with the No. 21 overall pick, making him Michigan’s sixth first-round pick since 2017. He’s also the Wolverines’ third first-round EDGE in that span, joining Taco Charlton and Rashan Gary. A trio of Michigan players came off the board in the third round, with offensive lineman Jalen Mayfield heading to the Atlanta Falcons at pick No. 68, wide receiver Nico Collins going to the Houston Texans at pick No. 89 and cornerback Ambry Thomas heading to the San Francisco 49ers at pick No. 102. Collins and Thomas opted out of the 2020 season amid COVID-19 concerns, while Mayfield only played sparingly due to injury.
Linebacker Cam McGrone and fullback Ben Mason were each selected in the same eight-pick span during the fifth round — the former by the New England Patriots and the latter by the Baltimore Ravens. McGrone, the No. 177 pick, becomes the fourth Wolverine drafted by the Patriots since 2019. The previous three — Josh Uche, Chase Winovich and Michael Onwenu — have all made an impact early in their careers in Foxborough. Mason, meanwhile, will get a chance to impress Ravens coach John Harbaugh in the ways he dazzled Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh. The former team captain saw reps at full back and defensive line and emerged as a senior captain in Ann Arbor. He was announced as a tight end, though he projects to be at his best in short-yardage situations. Drafted No. 202 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals, running back Chris Evans is set to join a dynamic young offense. He became the program’s first running back drafted since Michigan’s all-time leading rusher, Mike Hart, in 2008. After a productive beginning to his career, Evans served a one-year suspension during the 2019 season prior to rejoining the team in 2020. He worked primarily as a passcatching option out of the backfield — a role that should carry over well
Eight Wolverines were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft.
to Cincinnati. The Wolverines’ final draft pick came in the sixth round, when the Washington Football Team selected long snapper Camaron Cheeseman at pick No. 225. It’s uncommon to see a specialist drafted, but Cheeseman entered the weekend as the consensus No. 1 long snapper in the 2021 class. Following the draft, defensive
tackle Carlo Kemp and tight end Nick Eubanks each inked free agent deals. Kemp became a Green Bay Packer, while Eubanks joined former Michigan teammate Sean McKeon in the Dallas Cowboys tight ends room. Kicker Quinn Nordin remains unsigned as of Sunday evening, but it would be unsurprising if that changed in the near future. Despite last year’s 2-4 record, the
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Wolverines’ eight draft selections is a strong indication of the talent Harbaugh’s program continues to produce. Collins, Thomas and Cheeseman opted out of the 2020 season, while Paye, McGrone and Mayfield were hampered by injuries. With 18 players selected in the last two NFL Drafts, Michigan will look to reload before taking the field again this fall.
Wolverines sweep Penn State in weekend series NICHOLAS STOLL Daily Sports Writer
The No. 19 Michigan softball team did its job. The Wolverines won all four games in the weekend slate against Penn State (5-26 Big Ten), improving to 28-5 on the season. In total, they outscored the Nittany Lions 34-6, including two run-rule victories on Saturday that ended 10-0 and 12-2, respectively. The closest game came on Sunday with a 5-3 win that Michigan was in control of from beginning to end. Penn State, the bottomfeeders of the Big Ten, opened its season with 15 straight losses and has only won a total of five games, three of which came against second-to-last place Rutgers. So the Wolverines, who sit atop the conference, did exactly what they were expected to do: thrash them. It began in the first game. Michigan broke the seal in the
third inning, scoring three runs in the frame: two off a double from senior first baseman Lou Allan and another off a double from senior third Baseman Taylor Bump. The Wolverines struck again in
run in, followed by sophomore utility player Audrey LeClair, who knocked a single into centerfield to bring Bump home and stretch the lead to 7-0. In the bottom of the seventh,
Michigan’s Lexie Blair scored a 3-run homer against Penn State.
the seventh, the first run coming on an error by Penn State left fielder Lilia Crouthamel. Allan and Bump each knocked another
TESS CROWLEY/Daily
the Nittany Lions managed one run but came nowhere close to engineering a comeback, and the game would end at 7-1.
“We wanted to come out swinging, come out scoring runs first, and that’s exactly what we did,” junior outfielder Lexie Blair said. “I think we did a great job.” The next day, Michigan pressed its foot down on the gas even harder. In the first game of the doubleheader, the Wolverines put up 10 runs in a collective effort that included a homerun by Bump, a single by junior catcher Hannah Carson that scored two, a two-RBI double from Allan and a single from sophomore Jessica Garmen on a pinch hit in her first collegiate at-bat. In the second bout of the day, Michigan wasted no time, putting up four runs in the first inning off of a two-RBI Allan double and a two-run homerun from Bump. In the sixth, sophomore infielder Julia Jimenez banged a triple down the line, scoring two. After another run scored, Blair stepped up to the plate with two out and
two on. Blair proceeded to send the ball over the fence on a three-run homer, putting the Wolverines up 12-2 and tallying Michigan’s sixth run of the inning. It was the fourth RBI of the game for Blair, one of the Wolverines’ strong performers alongside Allan, Bump, Jimenez and senior infielder Natalia Rodriguez, who went 3-of-4 with two runs. After both of Saturday’s games ended in run-rule victories, Sunday’s matchup was a change of pace. Michigan came out on top, but by a much smaller 5-3 margin. The Wolverines’ runs came early, all five in the first three innings. The Nittany Lions came on later, in a comeback effort that amounted to three runs. It was shut down in the bottom of the seventh on three straight strikeouts, sending Michigan back to Ann Arbor with the sweep. Michigan’s pitching stayed Read more at michigandaily.com
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SPORTS 9
Michigan pulls off historic win over archrival Ohio State MARK PATRICK
Daily Sports Writer
For the first time in Michigan men’s lacrosse program history, the Wolverines advanced to the Big Ten tournament semifinals with a win against Ohio State. It was also their first win over their rivals in three tries this season. Michigan (3-8 Big Ten) pulled off a historic victory for the program against their biggest rival, Ohio State (4-7), with a 15-11 win in Columbus. Heading into Saturday’s matchup, the team had nothing to lose against the Buckeyes. The Wolverines have struggled mightily this season with maintaining leads. Both of Michigan’s previous two losses, to Penn State and No. 8 Rutgers, were a result of the team failing to hold onto a lead. Both games culminated in one-goal losses for the Wolverines. In order to beat Ohio State, Michigan needed all hands on
deck and had to make minimal mistakes. The first quarter saw the Wolverines start off fast with a 3-0 lead. Strong defensive clears and successful rides allowed the defense to be involved in the offensive attack — the first three goals all came from defensemen. “They ran their routes,” Michigan coach Kevin Conry said. “I think over the last couple of games we left a couple of things on the table by not completing our routes and finishing our runs, so it is good to see our guys be aggressive in transition, finish their routes and then get rewarded with those opportunities.” Ohio State would respond with three goals of their own in the span of a little under three minutes to tie the game. It seemed as though Michigan would continue its trend of dropping leads and turning games into close losses, but that image quickly disappeared. A combination of strong zone
defensive plays and offensive opportunities in the second quarter allowed the Wolverines to take a 7-4 lead at halftime —
defense forcing seven turnovers in the second quarter. The Wolverines had nine shots on goal compared to the Buckeyes’
Michael Boehm’s big day fueled Michigan’s historic win.
led by a three goal effort in the second quarter from freshman attackman Michael Boehm. Michigan was able to keep the ball out of the hands of the Ohio State offense, with aggressive
KATE HUA/Daily
three. Michigan’s ride allowed their offense to capitalize on turnovers, which in turn led to easy goals. “I thought our ride was our biggest boost.” Conry said.
“(Junior attackman) Bryce Clay made some big plays in the ride, which allowed us to get extra possessions and score a couple cheapies.” The second half of the game was much more contested, as Ohio State managed to capitalize on faceoffs in the third quarter. The Buckeyes mustered four goals in the third quarter, cutting the lead to 10-8 heading into the fourth. Momentum appeared to be swinging towards Ohio State, until a timeout by Michigan late in the third quarter. Reinvigorated, the Wolverines started the fourth quarter with a 3-0 scoring run led by sophomore attackman Josh Zawada. The Buckeyes would manage to score three of their own, but it wasn’t enough — a strong performance in net by junior goaltender John Kiracoffe in the fourth sealed the deal. Read more at michigandaily.com
Strauss Mann to leave Michigan to pursue professional career BRENDAN ROOSE
Senior Sports Editor
When college hockey resumes in the fall, Michigan will have a new starting goaltender. Strauss Mann — who spent his sophomore and junior years as the starter in goal for the Wolverines — will not return for his senior season, instead opting to pursue a professional career, according to an announcement on Twitter. “I’m looking forward to my next chapter as I pursue a professional hockey career,” Mann’s statement read. “As I solidify my plans, I feel both excited for the future and immensely appreciative for everything the University of Michigan has given me.” In his three seasons with Michigan, Mann was a solid and consistent presence in net, posting a career save percentage of .926 and tallying 11 shutouts in 77 games. His sophomore year, Mann earned Big Ten Goaltender of the Year honors, while also finishing as a finalist for the Mike Richter Award in both his seasons as the Wolverines’ starter. Last season, he was also Michigan’s first goalie to be named captain in 78 years. At 22 years old, Mann is ineligible
for the 2021 NHL Draft. Still, he should have plenty of suitors as an undrafted free agent. In March, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman ranked Mann as the No. 3 free agent from the NCAA or Europe and the top goalie on the list. Having an NHL career after going undrafted isn’t uncommon — Luke Glendening, for example, played briefly in the minors after graduating from Michigan, and has since played eight NHL seasons with the Detroit Red Wings. The biggest obstacle for Mann moving forward will be his height. Standing at just six feet, Mann would be undersized as a modern NHL goaltender. In 2020, for example, only one NHL goalie, Pittsburgh’s Casey DeSmith, stood at the same height as Mann. Of course, size isn’t a dealbreaker — Henrik Ludqvist and Jonathan Quick are both only an inch taller than Mann — but if it sows doubt in the minds of NHL scouts, it will make Mann’s transition to the pros that much more difficult. Still, Mann’s height clearly was never a problem for the Wolverines, and that’s part of the reason why they’ll miss him so much. Erik Portillo, who started five games for Michigan as a freshman and recorded
a solid .935 save percentage, will likely take on the permanent starting role, but it’s unclear who will fill in as the Wolverines’ backup next
season. Michigan coach Mel Pearson will need to pick up either a late commitment or a transfer in the next few months.
At the end of the day, though, it will be hard for anyone to replicate what Mann did as Michigan’s goalie.
Michigan goaltender Strauss Mann will be leaving Michigan and pursuing a professional career.
RYAN LITTLE/Daily
10 SPORTS
Thursday, May 6, 2021 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan dominates Illinois, 19-4
JACK WHITTEN
Daily Sports Writer
EVANSTON – By the bottom of the sixth inning, everyone in the lineup had a hit besides senior left fielder Danny Zimmerman. Zimmerman finally joined the party, smashing a two-run home run that extended the Michigan baseball team’s lead to double digits and put the game even further out of Illinois’ reach. In the second game of Sunday’s doubleheader, the Wolverines (21-11) not only beat the Illini (15-16) to secure a 2-2 series tie — they posted one of their most complete performances of the year and dominated Illinois, 19-4, in a seven-inning, run-ruled game. Michigan coach Erik Bakich made drastic changes to the starting lineup from the first game. With fifth-year catcher Griffin Mazur serving the
second game of his suspension, fifthyear Christian Molfetta, who usually plays third base, took his place. Junior right-hander Willie Weiss, usually the closer, made the first start of his Michigan career. “Willie’s been so good,” Bakich said. “We wanted to try to keep them off the scoreboard for a couple of innings so we could try to score, but it didn’t work out that way.” Instead, the Illini got off to a hot start in the top of the first against Weiss, who struggled to throw strikes. Weiss walked two of the first three hitters he faced, both of whom scored on a pair of singles later in the inning. Illinois’ momentum would soon disappear. Michigan began to take advantage of poor pitching by the Illini in the bottom of the first, loading the bases on two walks and a single. Sophomore first baseman Tito Flores’
BECCA MAHON/Daily Michigan player Ted Burton scored a grand slam in the team’s throttling of Illinois.
infield single scored one run and reloaded the bases for sophomore third baseman Ted Burton, who cleared the table with a grand slam. Fifth-year center fielder Christian
Bullock’s opposite-field home run gave the Wolverines a commanding 7-2 lead after just one inning. Weiss settled in at the top of the second, striking out two, although he
consistently got behind in the count. Redshirt sophomore left-hander Ben Dragani relieved him in the third and threw four innings of two-run ball. “He does what he does: comes in, gets the job done,” Bullock said. “Good control of his change-up on both sides of the plate, and he was really huge for us.” Dragani got hitters to chase his offspeed pitches in the dirt, and the defense handled everything put in play, most of which was weakly hit. In the third, fifth-year shortstop Benjamin Sems fielded a ground ball in the shallow outfield and threw to first, just in time to make the out. In the fourth, sophomore third baseman Ted Burton, redshirt sophomore second baseman Jordon Rogers and Flores turned an inning-ending double play. Read more at michigandaily.com
Michigan’s upward trend culminates in an offensive explosion in weekend sweep of Penn State SPENCER RAINES
Daily Sports Writer
Thirty-four. That’s how many runs the Michigan softball team scored in its four-game sweep of Penn State this weekend. Twenty-three. The Wolverines’ previous best total for runs in a series, recorded a little less
than a month ago against Ohio State. The offensive explosion for Michigan was the catalyst to the four wins it enjoyed this weekend and is indicative of the team’s trend over the past month. In the first game in Saturday’s double-header, Michigan came one run short of their best single-game run total of 11 in a 10-0 victory. They
Michigan’s Lou Allan was a key driving force in the team’s series sweep over Penn State.
followed that game up with their best output of the season in a 12-2 victory. Both games ended in a six-inning mercy rule. It wasn’t just one or two players providing the offense for the Wolverines — they got production out of almost everybody on the weekend. 12 different Michigan players got hits throughout the four-game set,
TESS CROWLEY/Daily
and 11 drove home at least one run. Sophomore utility player Audrey Leclair recorded her first collegiate hit and RBI, showcasing the offensive depth that was on display all weekend. Despite the team’s overall offensive success, some players stood above the rest. Senior first baseman Lou Allan was the driving force behind the Wolverine offense and was a constant presence in the box score. Allan tallied two hits in all four games, drove home nine runs and hit her eighth home run of the year, tying for the team lead with senior third baseman Taylor Bump. Bump also continued her upwardtrending offensive production over the weekend. She tallied seven hits, six runs, six RBI and two home runs in the four-game set. “I think that’s what your hope is as a staff and as a program, that your seniors play their best ball in their final year. And, that’s exactly what we’re seeing right now,” Michigan assistant coach Bonnie Tholl said last week. “ I think that … Taylor Bump and Lou Allan have never been more productive in a Michigan uniform than they have been over the past month, and I’m super excited for them. Because this is what everyone hopes their senior year is like.” It wasn’t just the seniors showing out either. Sophomore second baseman Julia Jimenez and junior outfielder Lexie Blair had strong individual showings of their own.
Jimenez secured a hit in all four games — multiple hits in three of the four — drove in three runs and scored two runs herself. After only managing one hit last weekend, Jimenez bounced back with her strongest weekend of the year. Blair simply continued producing as she has done all year. The Wolverines’ leader in batting average got four hits and RBI, while also scoring six runs for her team. “We all just have one common goal,” Blair said. “Just to be on time, play with one heartbeat, and just focus on having quality at bats, you can, if you’re fouling off 8, 10, 12 pitches and you end up striking out we still consider that quality at bat because you made the pitcher work, you’re seeing the ball.” The ease at which Michigan produced runs all weekend hasn’t been there all season. At the beginning of the year when the Wolverines played their games in Florida, they frequently struggled to find consistent offense. To win games, Michigan had to rely on its stellar pitching, with final scores being relatively low. But the Wolverines have slowly righted the ship since then, finding offense not only more frequently but with a greater consistency. That trend culminated in their performance against the Nittany Lions. Read more at michigandaily.com