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Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Ann Arbor, Michigan

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Daily investigation finds University Housing lacked concern and protocols for ResStaff safety 21 current, former resident staff members allege mishandling of employee concerns

TATE LAFRENIER & LOLA YANG Focal Point Reporters

Content Warning: mentions of sexual assault, sexual harassment On Sept. 8, 2020, over 100 residential advisors –– University housing staff members consisting of student employees –– at the University of Michigan voted to strike, frustrated by hazardous pandemic-induced working conditions. The University reached a deal with residential staff members two

weeks later. As part of this agreement, the University agreed to provide ResStaff with updated data on COVID-19 cases in residence halls and daily communication regarding case numbers as well. They also promised the formation of the Residential Experience Council (REC), a biweekly forum for residential staff members to voice their concerns to University Housing administrators. A Michigan Daily investigation into University Housing policies found that University Housing has reneged on its commitment to ensure residential staff members’ safety after the

Fall 2020 strike. In August and September 2021, University Housing did not hold any REC meetings according to an email obtained by The Daily sent on Oct. 19, in which Director of Residence Education Jasmine Clay scheduled the first REC meeting two months into the semester. Clay wrote that meeting frequency will be reduced from biweekly to monthly. In addition, the email also included a guideline that regulated residential staff members’ behavior during REC meetings. According to the email, REC meetings will not be used to discuss “personnel matters

Design by Erin Shi

regarding specific supervisors of (residential staff members). Building representatives should follow the designated Department communication route to share personnel feedback,” Clay wrote. For residential staff members, the “designated Department communication route” is their hall director, an in-dorm supervisor who directly oversees everyday work. Circumventing hall directors and reporting directly to their supervisors is heavily discouraged by University Housing, according to interviews with 21 current and former residential staff members. These staff members allege this prevents some safety concerns from reaching University Housing administrators. In an email statement to The Daily, Amir Baghdadchi, Senior Associate Director of University Housing, commented on University Housing’s reporting processes. “ResStaff can always find a first resource in their direct supervisor, who typically lives in the same building alongside their ResStaff, present and available to talk,” Baghdadchi said. “In addition, one of the strengths of our student staff program is that each member is part of a larger cohort of fellow ResStaff, including more experienced RAs, and some of the most valuable support comes from that community.” A Daily investigation found University Housing failed to properly respond to numerous undisclosed safety concerns brought by residential staff members between 2018 and 2021. Before the strike in Fall 2020, residential staff members were prohibited from speaking to the media, according to Letter of Appointment (LOA) documents obtained by The Daily. “ResStaff may not communicate publicly (including to the news media, in social media, or other public communication venues) about professional matters internal to University Housing without authorization from a supervisor,” the policy stated. Current LOA documents, also obtained by The Daily, do not outline forbidden actions such as engagement with the media. The LOA from 2019-2020 was 12 pages long; the updated LOA for 2021-2022 is only one page

long. Despite the policy change, numerous residential staff members allege that hall directors continue to discourage interviews with the media. They fear that the vagueness of their current contracts would allow the University to easily terminate their employment. Baghdadchi wrote in an email to The Daily that residential staff members are free to engage with the media. “Student staff have always been free to express their personal points of view as students to the media,” Baghdadchi wrote. “To ensure accuracy, factual questions about Michigan Housing are handled by professional staff.” Baghdadchi also wrote that he acknowledges the difficulty of residential staff work and shared the support provided to these staff members by the University. “Resident advisors and diversity peer educators, known as ResStaff, have some of the toughest and most critical student jobs on campus, and we know that for them to support residents, they need strong support from Housing,” Baghdadchi wrote. Former residential staff member Isra Elshafei also spoke of the difficulty of residential staff work. “It was a constant feeling of being a pawn in their system. We were being stripped of being a student,” Elshafei said. “We were no longer a student, we were just an RA.” The Daily spoke with a former residential staff member, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of professional repercussions. In this

‘I didn’t trust being in the dorms’ article, she will be referred to as Alice. Bagdadchi declined to comment on Alice’s experiences. “The University does not comment on personnel matters,” Bagdadchi wrote.

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Students, faculty reflect on Schlissel’s termination, hopeful for future healing

In the days after the U-M President’s firing, campus community reacts to impact on ‘U’ ANNA FIFELSKI Daily Staff Reporter

In the days following former University of Michigan President Mark Schlissel’s termination, students, faculty and staff have voiced their opinions on the impact that Schlissel’s departure, and the introduction of interim President Mary Sue Coleman, will have on the University. While some have taken to social media to join the conversation — making memes about the contents of his emails as well as critiquing his vernacular and his Pizza House order — others have released statements condemning Schlissel’s actions and warning the community to be mindful of the “memes, jokes, and comments” surrounding the situation. Business sophomore Faith Richardson said the emails gave insights about Schlissel’s character in addition to his relationship with a subordinate. “(The emails) gave you a strange insight into former President Schlissel and just little things about (his life),” Richardson said. “Like ‘You only tip 10% to Pizza House’, or, we’re all worried about COVID and he’s out here being like, ‘Oh, when can we go to Paris’ or whatever.” LSA sophomore Keara Broome said she was happy to hear about Schlissel’s termination because she didn’t support his handling of the GEO strike, his COVID-19 policies, and other University issues. However, Broome said she was uncomfortable with the nature of how Schlissel was dismissed. “As funny as it is to see the memes about it and to see everybody posting on Yik Yak about it, it’s awful. Like, I can’t forget that this is super gross and exploitative,” Broome said. “Obviously, power imbalances and sexual misconduct from those in authority is not some kind of crazy surprise. But then this just kind of piles on to the University’s stack of issues.” Richardson said she was surprised by the announcement of Schlissel’s firing but is looking forward to the healing impact that it may have for the survivors of sexual assault from the University.

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“I almost see this as a win for Jon Vaughn,” Richardson said. “He has been protesting outside of Schlissel’s house. I mean, it’s obviously not the outcome anyone was expecting. I don’t think this is the end of the fight. In a way, it was like a small win for (the people) who have been so frustrated with the administration and even the Board of Regents to just kind of be like, ‘Okay, something right happened for once.’” In an email to The Michigan Daily, Art and Design professor Rebekah Modrak wrote she is looking forward to a permanent replacement for Schlissel. Modrak also wrote she is specifically hoping for a president who is humble, kind and ethical in addition to someone who takes action when they hear about violations and who appoints critical co-leaders. “There’s an army of administrators who ensure that reports of violations are suppressed or obstructed,” Modrak wrote. “The culture of this university, from the Regents through the upper administrative levels, is one that is autocratic and discourages dissent. It’s completely against academic principles involving criticality and the search for truth. I’ve asked critical questions in meetings and had my hand slapped as a public warning to me and to other members of the committee not to get out of line. Schlissel’s departure will have no impact on them.” Looking ahead, Modrak wrote she expects little to change in terms of the University’s handling of sexual misconduct, despite the terms of Schlissel’s dismissal. University spokesperson Rick Fitzgerald told The Daily in an email that the University’s updated sexual misconduct policies prohibit teacher-learner and supervisor-supervisee relationships. “The university is going to extraordinary measures to put critical protections in place on top of earlier protections,” Fitzgerald wrote. “We continue to work with the nationally recognized consulting firm of Guidepost Solutions on additional measures.”

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Over 1,000 Anderson survivors reach $490 million settlement with the University of Michigan 98% of claimants approve agreement following the 15 months of mediation

RONI KANE & GEORGE WEYKAMP Daily News Editors

Survivors of the late doctor Robert Anderson will be receiving a $490 million settlement from the University of Michigan, according to attorney Jamie White on Wednesday morning. The settlement agreement, which White said was reached Tuesday night, comes after over 15 months of mediation between Anderson survivors and the University.

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The mediation – which initially began in Oct. 2020 – represents 1,050 survivors who have come forward with sexual misconduct allegations against Anderson. It is not related to the class-action suit that was filed on behalf of all Anderson survivors in May 2021. Since then, over 950 survivors – possibly the largest number in history – have come forward with allegations of sexual misconduct against Anderson. White, who represents

INDEX

78 of the survivors, told The Michigan Daily the settlement still needs to be approved by a judge and the survivors themselves. He said while no amount of money can compensate the victims for what they endured, the University taking some accountability in this case is a promising sign. “It’s always difficult to put a value on what is fair and what is not fair when it comes to having your childhood taken away,” White said. “Based on my conversations with my clients, even prior to

yesterday, (I think) that this is going to be acceptable to them.” According to a U-M press release obtained by The Daily, the settlement – pending approval from the Board of Regents – will provide $460 million to the 1,050 victims and the remaining $30 million will be reserved for any future claimants who participate before July 31, 2023. The settlement has approval from 98% of the claimants.

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GOVERNMENT

Ford School hosts event analyzing, reflecting on new Michigan district maps Public policy experts talk redistricting process, gerrymandering

IRENA LI Daily Staff Reporter The Ford School of Public Policy held a virtual discussion Wednesday evening reflecting on Michigan’s citizen-led redistricting process and discussed how lessons from that process could be applied to the rest of the United States. This event was hosted by the Ford School’s Center for Local, State and Urban Policy, the civic engagement organization Voters Not Politicians

and Michigan State University’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. Wednesday’s discussion was the final webinar in a series of events on redistricting hosted by Ford and was moderated by Matt Grossmann, director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research at Michigan State University. The lengthy process of creating new district maps for Michigan ended on Dec. 28 of last year when the Michigan Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission (MICRC) voted to adopt new congressional

NEWS

Who is Mary Sue Coleman? Reintroducing the U-M Interim President

and state legislative districts. The commission, made up of 13 randomly selected applicants, was established after Michigan voters approved a 2018 constitutional amendment. Proponents of the amendment argued it would combat political gerrymandering by preventing elected officials and other influential partisan figures from participating in the redistricting process. David Daley is the author of bestseller “Ratf**ked: The True Story Behind the Secret Plan to

Steal America’s Democracy,” a book credited in helping spark the recent movement to push back against gerrymandering in the U.S. Daley said the state’s redistricting process was a highlight among the nation’s ongoing efforts to combat gerrymandering. He compared the successful citizenled redistricting commissions of Michigan, Iowa and California to those in less-successful states such as Utah, Ohio and Virginia.

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GEORGE WEYKAMP Daily News Editor After the University of Michigan Board of Regents fired now-former University President Mark Schlissel for an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate Saturday, the board announced President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman would serve as interim president while the board searches for a permanent replacement. Coleman wrote in an email to the campus community

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Get to know the incoming leader following Schlissel’s sudden firing

Sunday that while she was saddened by the unfortunate circumstances bringing her back into the president position, she hopes to use her experience to make a positive impact on campus. “I have spent my entire academic career at or advancing public research institutions and their teaching function,” Coleman wrote. “My deep and profound belief in the students, faculty, staff and alumni of this institution’s three campuses gives me great confidence that we will come together during this period to

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Pizza vending machine pops-up near Diag, customers surpsied about quality $11 pies ‘decent,’ provide all-hours convenience on late nights

IRENA LI Daily Staff Reporter Tucked between South University Avenue’s Starbucks and Pancheros Mexican Grill now stands a 60-square-foot pizza vending machine, available for order at all hours of the day. The PizzaForno “24/7 automated pizzeria” offers eight menu items available in both hot and cold varieties, costing

anywhere from $10 to $13. Once loaded, the machine requires no human staffers and prepares hot pizzas for its customers in under three minutes. It also offers frozen pizzas for customers to cook at home. Since its development by Italian businessman Claudio Torghele in the mid-2000s, different iterations of the “minipizzeria” have since spread to Japan, the United Kingdom, Croatia and now Ann Arbor.

Headquartered in Toronto, PizzaForno made its American debut in Jackson, Mich. early last year as the nation’s firstever pizza vending machine. Business partners Tim Ekpo and Adam Page own the Jackson unit, as well as four other units across the state of Michigan. The South University location is their newest installation.

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News

Wednesday, January 26, 2022 — 3

No matter how you slice it, UMich students perceive a lack of representation in local government A deep-dive into why undergrad voters have historically demonstrated low turnout in municipal elections

DOMINICK SOKOTOFF Daily Staff Reporter

University of Michigan students turned out in record numbers for the November 2020 election, with 78.1% casting a ballot, according to a report by the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University. This outpaces the 66% turnout across all of the campuses included in the report and mirrors the 79% turnout in Washtenaw County. Nevertheless, student voters at the University have historically demonstrated low turnout in local elections, leaving some to consider that the turnout problem doesn’t solely lie in students not wanting to engage but in other factors such as voting accessibility. This could boil down to a longdebated structural issue — the 1956 adoption of Ann Arbor’s pie-shaped ward map. The 1956 City Charter established five pieshaped wards, and in an April 1967 election, Charter Amendment Three passed, codifying the requirement that there be five wards that are compact, of similar population and wedge-shaped, tapering from the city’s edge into Downtown Ann Arbor. This pie-shaped requirement effectively splits up student neighborhoods surrounding the University, making it difficult for students to hold a majority in a single ward. In an interview with The Michigan Daily, Councilmember Kathy Griswold, D-Ward 2, said some community members have claimed that the pie-shaped requirement was “Republican gerrymandering” implemented to intentionally crack students into multiple wards, although it is unclear whether that is the case. In an email to The Daily, Kenichi Lobbezoo, Ann Arbor Student Advisory Council chair and Skyline High School senior, wrote that the pie-shaped wards dilute college student voices in government. “Whether intentionally or not, the current ward structure has the effect of basically gerrymandering student votes,” Lobbezoo wrote. “If students are split up into different wards where they’re in the minority, it’s that much harder to elect one of their own.” In March 1967, a month prior to the election which codified the pie-shaped ward require-

ment, City Council Democrats proposed a six-ward plan, which they believed would provide students stronger representation and increase the ties between councilmembers to their constituents. The plan was struck down by the Council’s 7-4 Republican majority, preserving the five-ward system. At the time, council Republicans claimed the Democrats’ plan would decrease council efficiency and was designed as a power grab, but then-City Attorney Jacob Fahrner Jr. penned an opinion claiming that the change would not, in fact, establish minority rule. Ballot text of the Ann Arbor City Charter amendments considered in the April 3, 1967 election, obtained by FOIA. Charter Amendment Three passed with 56% of the vote and Charter Amendment Four failed with 47% of the vote. City of Ann Arbor. In April 1967, the community had the opportunity to vote on Charter Amendment Four, which proposed a six-ward requirement, but the amendment failed amid a Republican sweep of the election. Now, more than 50 years later, the five-ward, pie-shaped map persists, with City Council recently approving a pie-shaped reapportionment of wards despite claims the new map sustains the status quo and disenfranchises students. Ann Arbor’s new ward boundaries continue to split student housing into multiple wards. The University of Michigan lies at the center of the map where the wards intersect. City of Ann Arbor. The primary problem Ann Arbor holds its primaries in August, before students come back to campus. A Republican has not held a City Council seat since 2005, meaning primary elections tend to be the deciding election for City Council seats because Democratic primary winners typically either beat a Republican challenger or run unopposed in the general election. Since most students are out of town, they miss the determining election for their Councilmember. Rackham student Amir Fleischmann, contract committee cochair for the Graduate Employees’ Organization, said in an interview with The Daily the August primaries prevent students from both voting and running for office. “The way City Council is elected with the de facto election being the Democratic primary that takes

DOMINICK SOKOTOFF/Daily

place in August disempowers students,” Fleischmann said. “It’s not really possible for (students) to run for these positions, so we can’t have representation on council in the way that others are able to.” Student voters have historically encountered obstacles in registering to vote, and students who move residences between wards from year to year face the challenges of having to update their voter registration and becoming acquainted with their new councilmembers. University students cast early votes for the November 2020 election at the temporary Ann Arbor City Clerk’s satellite office established at the University of Michigan Museum of Art. More than 48,000 students are enrolled at the University of Michigan, but it is unclear what proportion of Ann Arbor’s 113,000 residents are students. Students have historically been undercounted by the census, with the lowest census response rate being in student dominated neighborhoods. Despite students making up a significant, yet ill-defined chunk, of Ann Arbor’s population, they are rarely elected to council. The

most recent student Councilmember, Zachary Ackerman, D-Ward 3, served from 2015 to 2020 and was the first student elected in more than two decades. Nithya Arun, president of Central Student Government and Public Health senior, said since students make up such a large percentage of the population, their interests should be represented on City Council. “When we look at the composition of City Council, none of them are students currently, which kind of doesn’t make sense, because a lot of Ann Arbor is (composed) of students,” Arun said. “(Students) are a significant population, and any type of population, for that matter, deserves representation.” In 2005, University student Eugene Kang ran for City Council in Ward 2, and lost the August primary by a narrow 95-vote margin, despite significantly out-fundraising his opponent. Notably, in Kang’s race, zero votes were cast from Ward 2’s Second Precinct which encompasses Mary Markley Residence Hall. Had the election been held when Markley’s more than 1,100 student

residents were moved in, it is possible Kang could have mustered enough student votes to carry him to victory. Students seek a piece of the pie Arun, Fleischmann, Griswold and Lobbezoo all pointed to a student being elected to City Council as a possible immediate way to increase student representation on local issues. “The most direct solution is to elect more students to local government,” Lobbezoo wrote. “The more young people you have in local government, the more local government is going to be receptive to the priorities of young people.” Nevertheless, the time commitment required for a council member can serve as a barrier to entry for college students. Councilmembers and the mayor are considered part-time workers, and many hold full-time jobs, although balancing day jobs and council duties can be difficult. “I’ve never met a student who wanted to be on council at the same time they were a U of M student,” Griswold said. Student interest in holding pub-

lic office may be limited, but it isn’t nonexistent. Last year, students formed the Coalition to Elect Students to the Board of Regents, as they felt representation was lacking on the board. In an interview with The Daily, Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor said if a student were to be elected to City Council, they would have to be able to understand the interest of all of their constituents — including non-students. “The student who wishes to be elected has to understand their potential constituents and to communicate to them why (the student) will be the best representative for them,” Taylor said. “Unless you intentionally gerrymander the student district, then any student running for office would need to ensure that their campaign included and spoke to the hopes and dreams of non-students.” Fleischmann said the lack of a student councilmember results in City Council overlooking student issues.

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Around 100 community members rally against violence at Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti Protestors oppose prison’s operation, advocate for justice for incarcerated individuals

CHEN LYU

Daily Staff Reporter

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of violence against women. Around 100 community members gathered outside the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility in Ypsilanti Sun-

day morning to protest against the prison’s operation and advocate for justice for the currently incarcerated individuals. Gwen Thomas, one of the organizers of the protest, provided The Michigan Daily with two whistleblower clips. The clip was recorded by a former prison employee detailing the abuses inside the facility.

ley Correctional Facility has also received criticisms over its crowding level and sanitary condition following 24 scabies breakthrough cases among their inmates in 2019. Ashley Goldon, who was formerly incarcerated and is now the director for the statewide program Nation Outside, a Michigan-based organization dedicated to supporting justiceimpacted individuals, spoke at the protest. Nation Outside is Goldon recounted her experiences in the facility during her speech. “Before I was an advocate, before I was a director of Nation Outside or had a pot to piss in, I was (identified in the prison as) 681349,” Goldon said. “We can’t heal our nation by treating the most vulnerable population like animals. Even the prongs give their beasts access to heat and water.” In an interview with The Daily, Goldon explained how gender inequality, combined with rising COVID-19 cases and overcrowding, made this facility’s situation unusual, even among Michigan prisons where the incarcerated serve on average the longest sentences in the U.S. “There weren’t nearly as many women in the prison at Huron Valley (Correctional Facility) when I was there,” Goldon said. “They have 400 Image courtesy of Chen Lyu beds, but the facility was never

The anonymous voice on the recording said a male correctional officer, believed to come from a contracted service, strip searched the female inmates outside of camera view, which is against the facility’s policy, according to the recording. The recording said the officer was not reprimanded. The Women’s Huron Val-

intended to hold 2400 people, so they were making rooms that were once common areas into sleeping quarters. We’ve been hearing complaints from the women on the inside that they are sleeping on the floor. The difference with a men’s prison is that they have several facilities to shuffle people around if needed to make sure everyone is safe for COVID. There is only one for women in Michigan.” The protestors marched around the correctional facility. Facing the building from behind the fencing and barbed wire, the crowd stood in a line and shouted: “We see you, we love you, we will be fighting with you!” Goldon told The Daily in an interview after the rally that later contact with individuals inside the facility, many felt and were inspired by the support from outside, but the prison shut down the yard to prevent gathering. Gordon also pointed out that Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility was disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. According to data published by the Michigan Department of Corrections, as of Jan. 19, there were 276 positive active cases. Shawanna Vaughn, a justice-impacted activist and the founder of Silent Cry, Inc., said she travelled to Michigan from New York after hearing about the protest and violence against

women in the prison system. During her speech to the crowd, she underscored the trauma linked to incarceration and encouraged Michiganders to press for legislative change like she did in NY for W76337, the post-traumatic prison disorder act that made its way to the New York State Senate. “W76337 was my prison number,” Vaughn said. “I wrote it myself because it’s the only mass incarceration mental health bill in the country, and I’m clear that everybody who comes home from prison is not well. Guess what? Since the state made us not well, they don’t want to heal us, but 2022 is gonna be a different type of season because we comin (sic)to get everything they steal from us.” Trische’ Duckworth, the founder of Survivors Speak, told The Daily about their goals for enacting legislative change, including advocating for SB487, a Michigan Senate bill to provide oversight over women’s prison. “When it comes to criminal justice reform, our politicians are the ones that legislatively delay on that, ” Duckworth said, “So if they’re not going to do what’s right in their seat, we will ensure that we individuals will do what is right for people at all times.” Daily Staff Reporter Chen Lyu can be reached at lyuch@umich. edu.

Arts

4 — Wednesday, January 26, 2022

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Campus Culture’s Ins and Outs of 2021 MATTHEW EGGERS & KAYA GINSKY Campus Culture Beat Editor & Daily Arts Writer

Campus Culture is committed to serving the students of the University of Michigan and providing them with everything they need to know about student culture. Needless to say, we have opinions that need to be aired out like Necto at two a.m. (so damp…). An Ins and Outs list is a necessity for the culture — Campus Culture, that is. Yik Yak barely begins to flesh out the essential details of what’s hot and what’s not. We are trying to do the historical work of documenting why Doc Martens are essential for the preservation of student social life (or at least mine). Before we begin, we’d thought we’d give you a little knish (we all know the tea) and provide an aggregate In and Out list, because the best hot takes come in quick succession. — Matthew Eggers, Campus Culture Beat Editor IN: Micro Niche Meme Accounts Library Bathrooms Froyo Lecture Recordings Seasonal Drinks Sleeping on the Bus OUT MCards

Yik Yak Campus Connector Canada Goose Jackets Seasonal Affective Disorder Mark Schlissel So here we are — Kaya Ginsky and Matthew Eggers. We have taken it upon ourselves to make the official Campus Culture Ins and Outs list for 2021. We will try to keep it brief, but to be real, the best Ins and Outs lists come by listening to the one-hour loop version of “Haunted” by Laura Les (why can’t I be like Maude Apatow?). IN: Micro Niche Meme Accounts — As much as I consider myself a Campus Culture writer, at this point, I am basically on the Digital Culture beat. All I ever think about is memes. And what’s really devastating is that I know there are people who spend even more time thinking about the state of meme culture than I do. These micro-niche accounts present a curated selection of memes that best fit their small shared interest on campus. If you like belittling people who drink milk, so do I — and there’s an Instagram page for us! @umich_milkdrinkers has your daily dose of candid photos of people caught in the act. If you like British people, I don’t. But if you do, @incellectuals_ umich provides a post-modern look into on-campus meme culture. And of course

who could forget the OG @umichaffirmations? They paved the way for internet culture to become more important than flyers in the Diag. It was a big moment in 2021 and will remain iconic in 2022.

the froyo craze is over. But the underrated sweet deserves a comeback. As a froyo fangirl before and after it was cool, I recommend campus favorites Moon Cafe and Amer’s Deli.

Library Bathrooms — Confession… I have IBS. Not really, but every time I take an exam, my sphincter feels like it’s about to implode. Clearly, I need solace, and you can’t find that when you’re sharing a bathroom with two of your BFFs. Library bathrooms have entered the chat. If you get it, you get it, and if you don’t, you are missing out. There is such a sense of euphoria I get from going to the library now. I’m excited to walk in, even when I don’t have to go. The library loves me. Who else would let me find comfort in a bathroom with harsh fluorescent lighting? Who else would ask if I wanted to check out a book? Of course, we love the library! Not to mention that their collection of digital resources has saved my behind in the academic sense as well. Totally recommend it, and would go again.

Lecture Recordings — I physically can’t bring myself to walk into a lecture hall at nine in the morning. I don’t know whether it’s my lack of vitamin C, my Britney Spears alarm clock noise or listening to hyperpop right before going to bed (probably that, TBH). Nine a.m. lectures aren’t an option. Having a recording ready at 10:40 makes my life so much easier. It’s not that I don’t want to go to class, but class doesn’t have a 1.5x speed option… just kidding! I am here for education after all, and who am I to pass up a class to learn about the ins and outs of logic design. For real though, thank you to the professors who provide more accommodations than a simple Piazza post.

Frozen Yogurt — When did froyo stop being trendy? It’s sweet, light and feels oddly healthy considering the mountains of cookie and brownie dough piled on top. While selfserve froyo places took over the suburbs by the dozens in the 2010s, it feels like

Seasonal Drinks — Students deserve the joy that comes from a designer drink for all of 2022. While it’s often mocked, ordering apple cider, pumpkin spice lattes or peppermint hot chocolates at a coffee shop is not embarrassing. Seasonalizing these drinks only adds to the stigma. We deserve to enjoy the comforting tastes of artificial flavoring year-round and without shame.

Sleeping on the Bus — It’s two a.m.. You just finished your partying in Kerrytown/Necto/Frat Row/wherever and you just got on the bus back to North. This is an experience few really understand, but it is a necessity to me. Slouching against the edge of the chair, you can get five minutes of the best sleep ever on Bursley-Baits. Just for a moment, exams, homework and friend group drama all fade into the monotonous drone of the engine. If anything, finding peace among the hectic need to do is some of the most restorative work you could do — so make sleeping on the bus in for 2021. OUT: MCards — I am so tired of losing my MCard. It’s the same thing every time: I go to a dining hall to get food one time because my fridge is empty. I sit down, I eat and I leave. Two days go by, I open my wallet and BOOM. Missing MCard. I have to shuffle on down to Pierpont Commons or the Student Activities Building to get a new one, only to lose it again two months later. For all of those who ask, I will never wear a lanyard. ALSO, I looked ugly in my last photo so … it’s an out for me.

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The Best Books of 2021 DAILY BOOKS WRITERS Daily Arts Writer

After an almost iterative year of unpredictability, the Books Beat continues to read to ground ourselves. Our favorites are divided into four categories: Literary Fiction, Historical Fiction and Fantasy, Romance and Nonfiction (although our picks tend to fall into more than one category). Mostly released in 2021 (with a few from the tailend of 2020), these titles defined

our year — we laughed, cried and reflected more than we thought humanly possible while reading these books. The list includes titles from veritable literary giants like Sally Rooney, Kazuo Ishiguro and Hervé Le Tellier, TikTok-famous romance novels and critical nonfiction that brings light to American contributions to the War on Terror — we’ve read through it all this year. Without further ado, here is a list of books that got us through 2021. – Meera Kumar, Books Beat

Editor and Emilia Ferrante, Senior Arts Editor Literary Fiction “Beautiful World, Where Are You” by Sally Rooney In our Best of 2020 article, I wondered when the “year-long wave” of the pandemic would finally crest and break. It turns out that the wave simply keeps going, that we learn to live on the wave. But life on the wave is still life, complex and stunning as ever.

“In the midst of everything, the state of the world being what it is, humanity on the cusp of extinction, here I am writing another email about sex and friendship. What else is there to live for?” says Alice in “Beautiful World, Where Are You,” the third novel by Irish author Sally Rooney. The characters of “Beautiful World” expect to meet their high-water mark, but instead find that the water keeps rising. Nearing 30, their lives should be happening by now, settled in Design by Erin Shi

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some way, meaningful in some way. They’re not. Is the meaning still to come, or has the moment passed? The story is not as thrilling as “Normal People,” the tone a little more relaxed and patient. This is the pandemic novel, less eventful but more personal for it, less exciting but just as emotional. Rooney reminds us that all the while, through every end of the world, we never fail to seek out connection. — Julian Wray, Daily Arts Writer “The Anomaly” by Hervé Le Tellier How much can a person change in a few months? Also, how would the world react to learning that life itself is a simulation? Hervé Le Tellier’s “The Anomaly” asks both of these questions and more, weaving complex personal narratives and vast philosophical musings with ease. Its large cast of characters can get confusing, especially when the concept of a “time-travel doppelganger” is introduced. However, these different perspectives serve to create a nuanced view of the central event of the novel: Referred to as “the anomaly,” a plane lands — with the same exact crew and passengers — in both March and June. Dystopian and science fiction narratives can often leave readers yearning for more — we can’t help but crave the reactions of the government, the people involved, families, children, people from all walks of life to the portrayed life-changing events. This novel gives the reader the level of immersion that we desire. It follows the people in the plane(s), including the doppelgangers; it tracks the movements of various governments, even giving us access to calls between the Chinese and American presidents; it offers a seat at the table with the great scientific and religious minds as they debate what exactly happened. It is an immensely satisfying book, as Le Tellier is able to interrogate every aspect, large and small, of this “anomaly.” A book about something so psychologically and philosophically slippery could not, of course, be fully satisfying — paradoxically, that would feel cheap. Luckily, Le Tellier ensures that

the reader will leave with more questions than answers; this is a novel I will be thinking about for a long time. Although “The Anomaly” technically came out in 2020, the English translation was only available in 2021, which feels apt — I could only recommend an extraordinarily colorful and memorable book for a year like this. Plus, it offers some comfort: At least Le Tellier’s created a world that is stranger than our own (for now). — Emilia Ferrante, Senior Arts Editor “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro My pick for the best book of 2021 is Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Klara and the Sun.” Following in the footsteps of the celebrated “Never Let Me Go” and “The Remains of the Day,” Ishiguro’s most recent novel embodies everything that is beautiful and unique about the Nobel Prizewinning author’s writing. Set in an urban dystopian world, humanoid Klara just wants to find a home and a family. She is for sale as an “Artificial Friend,” placed in the display window of a shop overlooking a busy street. From her position, the hyper-observant Klara watches pedestrians passing by and seeks to understand human behavior. One day, Klara is chosen to be the companion and caretaker of young Josie, and soon, human and robot form an unusual friendship. Later, when Josie falls unexplainably ill, Klara tries desperately to help her. “Klara and the Sun” is a beautifully written story that explores a world where artificial intelligence plays an integral role in everyday human life. Like in his previous novels, Ishiguro creates a story that is haunting and masterfully steeped in emotion. The novel makes you think about what it means to love and be human, following Klara as she navigates the extent of her ability to feel and form relationships as a human creation. Unique, strange, unforgettable and moving, “Klara and the Sun” is one of the best literary works that 2021 has to offer. — Emma Doettling, Daily Arts Writer Read more at MichiganDaily.com

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The 10 Best Albums of 2021 DAILY MUSIC WRITERS Daily Arts Writer

2021 was the year artists pulled out the big guns. Some of the industry’s heaviest hitters released albums that will undoubtedly become classics in the years to come. In addition, many new and lesser-known artists exploded onto the scene last year with groundbreaking releases. While in no particular order, here is a short list of what The Michigan Daily’s very own music writers believe to be the ten best albums released in 2021. — Kai Bartol, Music Beat Editor, and Rosa Sofia Kaminski, Senior Arts Editor CALL ME IF YOU GET LOST, Tyler, the Creator After the career milestone of IGOR, hype surrounding Tyler, the Creator’s newest album was skyrocketing, and he certainly did not disappoint. Guiding us through another weird and wonderful world was his newest alter-ego, Sir Baudelaire. While not as fiery and passionate as IGOR, Tyler takes on a more relaxed tone: In a sense, he’s made it, and now he’s just flexing. The features on the album show again how Tyler is still one of the best collaborators in rap right now: The standout track “HOT WIND BLOWS” featured a shining verse from Lil Wayne, one of his best in a while. All of Tyler’s best qualities are present in this album, with Tyler himself having grown more mature and self-reflective. Tyler already has a hell of a career to look back on, and I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the future. — Jason Zhang, Daily Arts Writer An Evening With Silk Sonic, Silk Sonic In an era of pop music where artists often seem content to rehash the best (and worst) elements of the 1980s, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s decision to look even further backward and fully embrace the 1970s immediately distinguishes An Evening with Silk Sonic — their debut record together as Silk Sonic. Of course, Silk Sonic is also distinguished by Mars and .Paak’s unparalleled vocal abilities, which were showcased on the album’s electrifying lead-up singles. But what makes An Evening with Silk Sonic so special is the

quality of the project beyond those singles. The whole album is masterfully produced and features powerful backing instrumentals that perfectly capture different emotions, from the playful wah-wah guitar on “Fly As Me” to the somber strings on “Put On A Smile.” Unlike Mars’s previous music — which, let’s face it, tends to lose its impact once FM radio stations and grocery stores start playing it on loop — the little details of An Evening with Silk Sonic keep it fresh and make it even better with each listen, just like the legendary soul and funk music that inspired it. — Jack Moeser, Daily Arts Writer Red (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift Red (Taylor’s Version) was one of the most anticipated albums of 2021, and it lived up to its expectations. Composed of re-recordings from Swift’s 2012 Red plus ten bonus tracks “from the vault,” Red (Taylor’s Version) smashed streaming records, becoming the most-streamed album in one day by a female artist, with over 90.8 million streams on Spotify. “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault),” a fan favorite off the album, also set the record for the longest number one song on the Billboard Hot 100, overtaking Don McLean’s “American Pie.” The celebration of Swift’s release was felt everywhere, with watch parties for the “All Too Well (10 Minute Version)” short film across the U.S. and even a shoutout from the Empire State Building, which lit up red to celebrate the album. Red (Taylor’s Version), Swift’s second re-recorded album in her mission to regain ownership of her music, marks an important shift in discussions of intellectual property and record deals, giving hope to other artists who have also suffered losses at the hands of record companies. — Kaitlyn Fox, Daily Arts Writer Promises, Floating Points When it was first announced that the supergroup of Floating Points’s Sam Shepherd, Pharoah Sanders and the London Symphony Orchestra would be colliding forces to produce a record, there weren’t many people without high expectations. For one, it would be Pharaoh Sanders’s first album in decades. Add to that Floating Points’s excellent recent releases and the ingredients seem all laid out

for a high-quality project. Even so, I’m not convinced there were many people that predicted the heights that the final product would reach. It doesn’t feel right to call Promises a classical piece, despite the prominent and climactic presence of the London Symphony Orchestra. If anything, it acts more like an ambient record, with each movement building off of the same motif throughout. Even though Sam Shepherd’s compositional acumen was already at a high level, the fact that he was also able to unlock the fullest potential of his collaborators truly speaks to his progression as a musical arranger. The real star here, however, is Pharaoh Sanders’s saxophone work, some of his most challenging and legendary to date. He effectively acts as the textural centerpiece to the project, perfectly utilizing his signature discordant sound and even his voice to puncture through the mystic serenity of Shepherd’s production. This truly feels like the final jewel in the crown for Sanders. In any case, Promises certainly delivers on its namesake. — Drew Gadbois, Daily Arts Writer I Know I’m Funny haha, Faye Webster Atlanta musician Faye Webster harnesses her sadness on I Know I’m Funny haha with the smoothness of a summertime breeze, charged with a golden mixture of warmth and melancholy. Underneath coaxing vocals and steel guitar twangs, Webster’s lyrics are imbued with subtle humor and a kind of unhurried honesty you might find in a diary entry. She jumps from tales of mind-numbing boredom at the absence of a love interest on “Better Distractions” to the sting of unrequited romance with professional athletes on “A Dream With a Baseball Player” with unbridled vulnerability. Webster doesn’t just write sad songs on I Know I’m Funny haha; she fleshes out these moments of romantic conflict with full understanding of love’s inherent awkwardness and unexpected joys. Webster’s evergreen transparency is refreshing and what makes this record a mainstay in my rotation. She finds her fair share of roadblocks and tears throughout the project’s 11 tracks but never loses sight of her own journey of self-growth. I Know I’m Funny haha is a soulful navigation of love and growing up, whose sincerity undoubt-

edly solidifies the album as timeless. — Nora Lewis, Daily Arts Writer Planet Her, Doja Cat Doja Cat’s second album, Planet Her, was the perfect record to solidify Doja’s spot as a top artist in the music industry. While viral songs like “MOOO!” and “Say So” made Doja a household name, Planet Her defined her as a talented singer, rapper and performer, even without the memes and TikTok dances. Songs like “Need To Know,” “Kiss Me More” and “Get Into It (Yuh)” trended on TikTok, but where most TikTok trends tend to get old quickly, these tracks remained just as good after they went viral. Watching Doja Cat perform Planet Her at various music festivals in the fall of 2021 was mesmerizing; Doja knows how to control an audience through being a raw, real person and having a stage presence that can hypnotize anyone. Planet Her is a perfect mixture of pop perfection and rap, and Doja’s eight Grammy nominations for the record are more than well deserved. — Gigi Ciulla, Daily Arts Writer The Melodic Blue, Baby Keem Following two well-received mixtapes in the past three years, Las Vegas-raised Baby Keem’s debut studio album provides an opportunity for the 21-year-old to assert himself as one of rap’s future power players. Keem definitely has the benefit of a little bit of nepotism, as his cousin (and, in this writer’s opinion, best rapper alive) Kendrick Lamar features on three of the album’s tracks. The sheer talent of both artists is apparent on these high-quality tracks, with “family ties,” serving as a two-faced exercise in brilliance with its dueling beats. Keem makes great use of collaborators all across the album, another highlight being Brent Faiyaz’s saccharine verse on “lost souls.” Keem doesn’t just lean back on his features, though. His output on these songs either matches or exceeds the quality of the other artists, but his solo moments in the spotlight shine as well, such as “16.” If rap fans weren’t convinced before, The Melodic Blue should be a sufficient signal that Baby Keem is coming, and not much can stop him. — Ryan Brace, Daily Arts Writer Sometimes I Might Be Introvert, Little Simz

Little Simz has been in the music game for quite some time, but Sometimes I Might Be Introvert has solidified her place in the industry. Simz lets her listeners into her world, and there are many intimate moments that allow this album to shine. It listens like a memoir, as Simz finds the balance between universality and specificity to her life experience. Simz creates space for introspection on tracks like “I Love You, I Hate You” while balancing it through moments of gratitude and celebration on “Woman” and “Point and Kill.” Sometimes I Might Be Introvert proves that success and a standing ovation from the world do not mean being in some grand performance or character. Simz remains true to her introverted self and creates an anthem for all of us who would rather stay home all day. — Katy Trame, Daily Arts Writer Vulture Prince, Arooj Aftab Arooj Aftab’s Vulture Prince deserves a spot on any “Best of 2021” lists. The album from the Brooklyn-based Pakistani composer spans an impressive number of styles and influences while managing to stay cemented in Aftab’s breathtaking vocals and impossibly lush instrumentation. She reaches out suddenly, as the first track “Baghon Main” tunes our ears to a chamber of plucking harps and the slow burn of Aftab’s silky vocals, and holds you until the very second the music stops. Without losing our attention for a second, Aftab lulls us with each track, bringing us to shattering peaks and crystal clear lows. Her vocal range is as impressive as the range of instruments and musical traditions that make their way onto the album. The influences vary from Hindustani classical, to minimalism, to vocal jazz, invoking the likes of Billie Holiday and dub-reggae on “Last Night.” The comfort, warmth, chill, emotion and unrelenting charm of Aftab as a vocalist only heighten the profound moments of lyricism and composition. Devoted to the memory of her younger brother, Vulture Prince is a confession of stories, of lost moments and of love. You would be pressed to find music released this year as captivating and as immediately beautiful as this.

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The Top 10 Films of 2021 DAILY FILM WRITERS Daily Arts Writer

Last year, the slow return to movie theaters coincided with the Streaming Renaissance, making movies more accessible than ever. From long-awaited returns from two of Hollywood’s foremost Andersons (Paul Thomas and Wes), to boundary-pushing international features you may have missed, to stage-to-screen adaptations (good and bad), 2021 was a great year for movies. In no particular order, here are the Film Beat’s ten favorite movies of 2021. — Jacob Lusk, Film Beat Editor and Katrina Stebbins, Senior Arts Editor “Licorice Pizza” In the past few years of tumult, I have wondered about change. I am changing, you are changing, we are all new versions of the people we’ve since discarded. All too rarely do I think about the forces behind that change — my own agency or just the world slowly roiling to shit — nor do I sit down and reflect, ponder how change happens or where it has left me. “Licorice Pizza” performed something of a miracle in that it allowed me to experience the course of my own enjoyment changing, welling up even moments after I saw it. Maybe it’s just me, but this isn’t a very pleasant film. It’s bright and loud and curious and maybe even a little hopeful at times, but it’s tough and queasy and sour too. Only after the credits rolled could I breathe a sigh of relief and accept a kind of nostalgia that can whisk away the darkness. This is all to say: Maybe we have no control over the people we will become tomorrow or how content they’ll be. No more control than Gary (Cooper Hoffman, debut) as he watches his waterbed business crumble as the oil crisis sends the cost of rubber mattresses through the roof. That isn’t to say there aren’t little joys all around us worth celebrating. A hug from a crush, or a friend, or someone complicatedly both. The kinetic rush of a six-wheeler, out of gas and trundling down the hilly Hollywood streets. A kid actor, smashing a fluffy pillow into the face of his obnoxious boss, live on TV. “Licorice Pizza” promises something I’ve never considered: These flecks are invisible to me right now. There is some happiness that can only be uncovered when you look back after the storm has beaten you down. I hope you will look for them with me, someday. — Anish Tamhaney, Daily Arts Writer “West Side Story” Adapting a classic is a tall order, but occasionally you end up with the kind of film that outdoes its source material. Following the success of the 1957 stage production, the original “West Side Story” screen adap-

tation has been beloved since its release in 1961, but the film is also a relic of a time when Hollywood’s greater vices, specifically brownface and whitewashing, ran unchecked. In the 1961 film, the members of the Sharks, the Puerto Rican gang in a turf war with the white Jets, were primarily played by white men in brown makeup; Rita Moreno (“One Day at a Time”), who played Anita and won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her performance, recounted that she was also given dark makeup despite being Puerto Rican. This new adaptation, helmed by Steven Spielberg (“Jaws”), offers a chance to right those wrongs. It has all of the flashy dance numbers and catchy tunes from the original, but with new, thoughtful dimensions to some of its previously overlooked characters. Screenwriter Tony Kushner (“Lincoln”) rearranges some songs to great effect and gives stronger backstories and purpose to members of both the Sharks and Jets. Tensions between the gangs are not framed as fundamental racial and cultural differences; instead, the ever-looming threat of the construction of Lincoln Center and subsequent gentrification represent a wider sociopolitical context. The Romeo and Juliet love story between Maria (Rachel Zegler, debut) and Tony (Ansel Elgort, “Baby Driver”), despite being a catalyst for violence between the two gangs, is less central to the film because the supporting characters are so engrossing. Ariana DeBose (“The Prom”) in particular gives a stunning performance as Anita: Don’t be surprised if DeBose wins a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for Anita, 60 years after Moreno won hers. This awards season has already seen wins and numerous nods for Zegler, DeBose and Moreno, as well as Spielberg and Kushner. Moreno is given a new opportunity in the remake as Valentina, a replacement for a peripheral character in the 1961 film. As part of the change, Moreno’s character sings the song “Somewhere” at one of the emotional turning points of the film. While the 1961 version of “Somewhere” is a lament between Tony and Maria about their forbidden love, Moreno’s version is softer, more universal — contemplating what divides people, with the hope that someday the world will change. It’s this energy and reflection that makes “West Side Story” feel like a more poignant, less problematic version of the 1961 film, and that in and of itself elevates it to one of the best films of the year. — Kari Anderson, Daily Arts Writer “Flee” “Nary a more guttural noise has escaped my lips.” I’m obnoxiously quoting myself. That’s what I wrote about my reaction to the film “Flee” when it premiered at Sundance Film Festival last year, in regards to the laughs and cries and laugh-cries the

film encouraged and carefully drew from my lungs. That was at the beginning of the year. Many moons and many movies later and “Flee” has not been ousted as the king of kings of kings of movies this past year. “Flee” reigns supreme and remains unflaggingly unique. You’re more than likely unfamiliar with “Flee,” for the simple fact that it has barely graced the silver screen. Picked up by Neon (they’re the guys that distributed “Parasite”) after its smash premiere at Sundance, it’s not yet available for streaming and is only just making its way to theaters. It’s got a number of things going for it. For one, it’s a smashing story about real events (the premise of trueness always ups the ante a bit, eh?) in the life of Afghan refugee Amin Nawabi — a documentary retelling of just one example of what millions of displaced and diasporic people have gone through. And it’s this aspect of the film that justifies its existence as not just a documentary but an animated film. Amin Nawabi is a pseudonym. Owing to his harried flight from Afghanistan, his identity remains concealed by the stylized touch of the animated medium, simultaneously serving as a tool to both obfuscate and augment the story as it alternates between the rotoscoped-precision of a present-day Amin and the more elemental renderings of his whiplashing emotional state as his country-hopping past is brought to life. “Flee” is hitting the Michigan Theater Jan. 28. Go see it. — Jacob Lusk, Film Beat Editor “Encanto” As a proud Disney adult and admirer of all things animation, “Encanto” became a must-watch for me as soon as it was released on Disney+. Like most Disney animated films, “Encanto” features an incredibly beautiful soundtrack with hits like “Surface Pressure” and “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” composed by Lin Manuel Miranda (“In the Heights”). This, combined with the colorful scenery of an animated Colombia, makes for an experience that pleasantly awakens all of the senses, and I didn’t want it to end. Watching the film on Christmas day with my family reminded me of why movies for all ages are so important (and difficult to come by). “Encanto” pleases children with its irresistible colors, music and a plot that’s easy to follow. But it satisfies adults in a different way, with its ability to bring a family together in one room and put a smile on everyone’s faces. These shared experiences are what, at least in my eyes, make films special. “Encanto” is relatable to everyone in some shape or form, reminding us that there is something unique that makes each person who they are. While it’s a strong message for an impressionable audience of

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younger children, it’s also a message adults can benefit from after a year of more frequent self-reflection than usual. We’ve all questioned ourselves over the course of the pandemic in some capacity as we look for something hopeful to grasp onto. “Encanto” reminds us to keep searching. There are always spontaneous moments of what feels like magic embedded in our lives. We just have to find and appreciate them. — Laura Millar, Daily Arts Writer

“Titane” is not for everyone. It can be a difficult watch, but it’s also a genius thing — a forceful, raw confrontation of masculinity and femininity, of family, of losing and finding. It’s not for everyone but, then again, I didn’t think it’d be for me. If I haven’t scared you off completely, see “Titane” with an open mind and know that whatever you’re expecting won’t be even close to what you get. — Katrina Stebbins, Senior Arts Editor

“Titane” I think of myself as something of a safe consumer, a creature of habit. I know what kinds of movies I like and I tend to stick to them: coming-of-age tearjerkers, overblown period pieces, slow-going meditations on everyday life, movie musicals. Most of my favorite movies are ones I can sink into slowly, that envelope me like a weighted blanket. But “Titane,” my favorite movie of 2021, is absolutely none of those things. Directed by French filmmaker Julia Ducournau (“Raw”) and last year’s winner of the Palme d’Or, “Titane” is bold and audacious and really fucking gross. Even if it’s also strangely sweet at times, its goal is never to comfort; it’s all sharp edges and emotional whiplash, making it nearly impossible to sink into (on the off chance you feel possessed to do that at all). Its main character — a queer, binary-breaking anti-hero(ine) — has sex with a car, becomes pregnant with the car’s child, goes on a killing spree and then assumes a new identity, all in under two hours. It’s all gore and body horror and unassailable weirdness, the kind of movie you might watch, half shied-away, through the spaces between your fingers, but find impossible to fully turn away from. My jaw dropped no more than fifteen minutes in, and I couldn’t pick it up until well after the credits rolled. Take it from a self-proclaimed wuss with a very low tolerance for gross things:

“Annette” “Annette” is the kind of film an artist makes when they think they aren’t going to make another. Leos Carax’s (“Holy Motors”) latest masterpiece feels like a fever dream. It is bizarre, depressing and intoxicating in all the right ways. Where else can you see a character singing while performing oral sex, a cheesy parody of crass tabloid news shows and a creepy wooden baby puppet all in the same film? Adam Driver (“House of Gucci”) gives one of the best performances of his career, using his physicality and presence to create a terrifying portrait of a monster losing his mind. It’s the most perfect post-“Star Wars” project he could have picked — it destroys any notion that he’s just Kylo Ren. Driver is one of the best actors currently working, not just because of his acting talent, but because he’s willing to pick weird, challenging roles like this and give them everything he has. Every choice made in this film is a calculated swing for the fences, and while some aspects don’t totally work — like its uneven, nonsensical plot — it is so refreshing to see a film go for it all with such aplomb. People either seem to adore or despise this film, and that’s really the best compliment you can give it. It generates a strong reaction from its audience, and it doesn’t care whether that’s good or bad. — Mitchel Green, Daily Arts Writer

Read more at MichiganDaily.com

6 — Wednesday, January 26, 2022

STATEMENT

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

The Orange Bowl game was playing on a television behind me, visible through a reflection on a picture frame. Though I couldn’t make out the details of the players, or their movements, I turned and looked back at the screen hanging over the bar periodically, watching with disappointment as Georgia’s score increased at an exponentially greater rate than the Wolverines’. My friends, seated beside me in a restaurant outside Minneapolis, listened to my frustrated commentary with a mixture of patience and annoyance. None of them were particularly interested in the sport. And they were probably alarmed that I, someone who had outwardly expressed my dislike of football in the past, was suddenly so invested in a game occurring two thousand miles away. I was the only University of Michigan

student among them. I felt an urgent obligation to convey my pride in our football team, to make them comprehend the enormous significance of making it to the Orange Bowl despite predictions of major losses. My proud remarks were a means of reaffirming my own connection with the school and its underdog success. As I passed the evening eating food and awaiting the arrival of the new year with my friends, anticipation over the results of the game remained at the back of my mind. Just prior to midnight EST, the final score put an end to our 2021 football success story. As I texted my roommate about the outcome, my heart sank. It seemed as if the illusion of prosperity and school spirit I fostered throughout the 2021 fall semester had shifted. I celebrated our entrance into 2022 with my friends soon after the end of the game, not knowing that the loss to Georgia would perhaps be an omen for the start of my next semester at the University. *** We all know the cheer: “It’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine!” It’s easy for most of us to pick up if someone begins chanting it at the Brown Jug, on State Street or in the Big House student section. But for me, the affirmation was slow to ring true. Truthfully, most of my college experience hasn’t been “great.” For the past three semesters I’ve attended school here, my feelings associated with being a student at the University generally ranged from neutral to disappointed. There was no common tie linking students together last year, the virtual barrier too big of an obstacle, blocking any possibility for building a Wolverine network. At any time during my freshman year, starting in the fall of 2020, I felt like I was lying when I told

someone that I was a student at the University of Michigan. It was a year characterized by a lack of in-person classes, minimal official community or sports events and a stressful residential situation as I was forced to find alternative housing outside of the dorms a mere two months after moving to Ann Arbor. I was pushed out of every component of the quintessential college experience, denied everything former alumni had told me to look forward to: South Quad-West Quad rivalries, attending hockey games at Yost Arena and other honored Michigan traditions. The result was a disconnect from any and all things Michigan: when I thought of my status as a ‘college student,’ my emotions were a cocktail of anger, resignation and sadness. I continuously grappled with the abysmal state of the world and the turbulent decisions made by school administration. I began my sophomore year with tentative enthusiasm — I didn’t want to disappoint myself by becoming too eager at the prospect of meeting classmates and organization members face-to-face, when I knew all too well that that opportunity could be taken away at any moment. August 2021: Fully vaccinated and utterly unaware of where my classrooms were located, I took on my real first day of college. I entered my first in-person class — a Statistics 250 lecture — terrified at the prospect of talking to strangers around me, or finding someone to sit with among the mass of people. This recognition of my panicked emotions, though daunting, also made me smile internally. This is what first-time college students are supposed to feel like, I thought. I was able to meet with members of my student organizations in real life, including my Michigan Daily meetings. I was amazed that people

OSU in a manner our team hadn’t perfected for ten years. As time ran out and the score — 42 points to 27 — confirmed our place at the top of the Big East division, an overwhelming happiness overtook Ann Arbor. Smiling, shouting students surrounded me in the stadium, joyfully singing along to “Seven Nation Army.” Raucous cheers would erupt randomly on crowded Packard Street after the game — the heavy snow continued to fall. Though I didn’t make it onto the field for the celebration, I savored the victory for the rest of the night. The pride I had developed for the team motivated me to request a ticket for the Big Ten Championship in Indianapolis, and I was able to watch from the stands as the Wolverines demolished the Hawkeyes and entered the College Football Playoffs as the number 2 seed. The football team’s success enhanced my connection to a school that previously felt foreign when its name sat on my tongue. I had never expected to like football in college, let alone actually enjoy it, making fall 2021 even more of a fleeting, unforeseen moment of bliss as I took part in activities that were nonexistent this time last year. Students like Pribble and Stiles share similar views on football, seeing it as a bridge between them and the spirit of the school. “The experience where I felt most connected [to the student body] was when I went with friends to Cantina during the Iowa versus Michigan Big Ten Championship game,” Pribble said. “It wasn’t even just the football because we were all talking, and laughing, and things like that. But it was just such a crazy experience, and then everyone went out onto South University after. Just going on Snapchat the next morning just seeing everyone posting it out on a story made me feel it was like home. And I feel like the win definitely solidified that feeling.” “One moment of connection I had with the University this semester was the Michigan and Ohio State game,” Stiles said. “I have never prided myself on being a Michigan football fan, but I am extremely invested in the sport. Walking around the stadium before kickoff, with the snow coming down, and excitement in the air, the feeling of school spirit was contagious in a way I had never experienced with my own favorite teams.” It’s this positive association with the team, and the connection it fostered, that made the Wolverines’ defeat in the Orange Bowl all the

more crushing. The success of the team in arguably the most popular college sport reaffirmed a unity and our status as, in James Earl Jones’s words: the greatest university in the world. For me, it was less about football itself and more with my newfound, startling satisfaction with my school, made all the more enjoyable by the people who accompanied me on each game day. *** And yet, our fall 2021 in-person semester became a beacon in the darkness as of recently: the undeniably controversial decisions made recently by the University administration tempered even the brightest of college experiences. Among these actions is the lack of recognition granted to the survivors of Dr. Robert Anderson, a blatant disregard for the victims of harrowing abuse within the University. The discovery of emails detailing a hidden, “inappropriate relationship” between former President Mark Schlissel and a University employee is yet another source of shame and disappointment for students. With the start of the new year and our winter semester, I’ve come faceto-face with a bitter new reality: the harmful actions displayed by those who claim to represent the values of the school have complicated my views of the institution, dimming any glimmer of spirit I once felt in the fall. Stiles, who works with the campus’s “Justice for the 950” social activist group, believes that recent events have “colored a negative image of the University,” nullifying any positive occurrences on campus we might’ve experienced during the fall. “The victims of Doctor Anderson deserve their stories heard, and need to be a part of the process of ensuring nothing like this can happen again,” Stiles said. “This is the least the University could do. The fact that Mark Schlissel could raise tuition prices, cover sexual assault violations and sit on billions in endowments, but gets fired for inappropriately using his University email speaks for itself. The University needs to start prioritizing its students over its donors and money, and that starts with giving the survivors a voice at the table.” With the alarming rise of the omicron variant and the recent dismissal of Schlissel, the winter 2022 semester quickly proved itself to be a continuation of chaos on campus. Immediately upon returning to Ann Arbor after winter break, the lack of University guidelines outlining

online courses resulted in a jumble of online and in-person classes amid the rising COVID-19 cases on campus. Each instructor individually decided whether to remain in person or ‘e-pivot’, despite demands from the Graduate Employees’ Organization to implement a school-wide shift to online learning. Those who do test positive for COVID-19 continue to grapple with isolation housing challenges. The environment on campus is stressful and sporadic — I once again feel uncertain, my fragile Wolverine identity from last semester threatened by the tumultuous atmosphere, ready to crack on any given school day. Those I interviewed expressed a range of feelings about the current semester. For one, Meade said she’s “super optimistic about this semester.” She continued, “I feel much more settled here now and I’ve been able to realize what I need to do for myself to feel more connected and fulfilled here.” Similarly, Pribble said “going into any semester with a pessimistic attitude doesn’t allow for the possibility of success,” and emphasized the importance of staying positive despite outside circumstances. Kunju is “neither optimistic nor pessimistic,” and “[tries] to take it day by day.” Martz said that “it is a little scarier” due to the prevalence of omicron and the feeling that, “we’ve even regressed a little bit from the progress we seemed to be having throughout the course of last year.” Finally, Stiles is “excited” for his final semester, “[hoping to] return to in-person classes and social events” before entering “post-school life.” Fall 2021 was replete with myriad emotions and special moments, shoving all of the quintessential, first-time college experiences into one eventful semester. It gave us a chance to cultivate our identities as valuable contributors to the U-M community and to take part in the spirit that has driven the school for over a century. It was a complete shift from the previous school year, but the experiences were far from perfect — the current COVID-19 situation just punctuates how ephemeral our circumstances can be. As students, all we can do is hope that the maize-and-blue, glimmering memories we made in 2021 aren’t fleeting, and that the turmoil 2022 brought with it doesn’t overshadow the milestones to come. If last semester taught me anything, it was to relish these joyful moments of school pride before they slip away.

SARAH STOLAR

Statement Correspondent

oin

g blue before it’s gone

Design by Priya Ganji, Page Design by Sarah Chung

actually learned and used my name, without reading it below my face on a Zoom call. I felt like an integral part of the publication team, a sentiment I had never experienced with virtually-run student organizations. I was rejuvenated, ready to contribute to the legacy of the renowned student paper and carve out my own niche on campus with my writing. This feeling of newfound engagement was a shared experience for many U-M students. For LSA freshman Jack Pribble, the fall 2021 semester provided a genuine firstyear college experience, one that lived up to even his pre-COVID expectations for freshman year. For him, “being in person was integral” to establishing connections with students and engaging with student organizations on campus. “I had a great time meeting a bunch of friends, chatting with professors,” Pribble said. “Whatever year you are, freshman through senior, you experienced COVID. And now this is kind of a return to normalcy. So I feel like everyone was just raring to go, everyone was so excited to be a collective unit and live their best lives with the most entertaining, fulfilling year.” Though SMTD sophomore Ben Martz did have in-person classes in the winter 2021 semester to fulfill his viola performance major, he hoped that the fall semester would allow him to be more connected to other musicians. In-person rehearsals last year were mainly separated by instrumental section, allowing for smaller class sizes. “Now that I’m physically in class and I can sit and be a part of the class environment, I’m getting to meet these people, different instrumentalists and vocalists, and there’s more of a network of people who know each other,” Martz said. “That kind of opens up doors for collaborative opportunities. And it’s so much better now that we’re all in person, because I think it was a lot harder to do those kinds of collaborative activities when everything was on Zoom, and some people were in their respective homes around the country, some people in their dorms.” Martz recalled the moments from this past semester that made him feel most connected to the music school, including October’s “first (full-orchestra) performance in Hill Auditorium,” as opposed to recording separately by section and combining the parts for a full virtual concert. The orchestra’s Halloween performance was also a memorable event that allowed musicians to

connect with the audience in a way that was impossible to recreate during the strictest moments of the pandemic. “This Halloween concert, it’s an Ann Arbor community thing, where both students and members of the city of Ann Arbor can show up and they all wear costumes,” Martz said. “And that concert in particular, a lot of the stuff that was happening on stage was interactive with the audience… and Hill Auditorium was completely packed. It was really cool to kind of feel like what we were doing had a big impact on the community, that what we were giving to these people was a great form of entertainment. And it was really obvious that they enjoyed it and had a great time there. As a performer, that really makes you feel like what you’re doing matters.” Ross junior Megha Kunju said that the fall 2021 semester “felt most like college pre-pandemic,” and as an upperclassman, she feels she is even more immersed in the campus community than during her freshman year. “A lot has changed, but there is a lot of opportunity for growth,” Kunju said. “In fact, in an organization I’m in on campus right now, we are talking about how being virtual really helped with accessibility for a lot of folks. So, we are trying to implement some aspects of our virtual life into our organization moving forward. I don’t think these conversations would have happened during my first semester on campus.” For transfer students like LSA senior Sean Stiles, being online has prevented extensive engagement with school spirit, but in-person interactions have been crucial to his feeling connected to other students. “It was hard to feel connected to my work the way I did before I transferred and I have struggled adjusting to online learning,” Stiles said. “I did make some of the best friends I have ever had through a professional fraternity on campus — rush AXE — and these personal connections are what I hold onto in terms of my school spirit.” SMTD freshman CC Meade noted that in-person rehearsals at times made it more difficult to engage with other forms of student life outside of commitments to the Acting Performance major. However, she agrees that her in-person classes have been “vital” to developing the skills she came to the University to study. “If our performances weren’t in person, I would not have the same experience at all,” Meade said. “It is so hard to cultivate an ensemble

when you can’t physically be there with the other people in your group.” Testimonies like these, found across all corners and colleges on campus, highlight the shared experience we had, arriving at a tentative peace despite the uncertainty of the previous year and a half. Campus life was altered by the prevalence of hybrid classes, masks hiding the facial expressions of new classmates and a constant awareness of health risks. But we were still able to return to regular college activities and achieve customary milestones. This included one of the most prominent of Big Ten college traditions: football. The first sporting event I attended as a college student was the football game against Western Michigan at the beginning of this fall semester. My parents encouraged me to purchase season tickets, though I didn’t have high hopes for the team’s success based on last year’s record. I made it clear to my friends that I would likely leave early from most games if I got bored. Nevertheless, I went to the first two games, grateful to finally take part in a proud Big Ten tradition. I thought I could force myself to enjoy the sport, if only to be able to participate in campus conversations surrounding the team’s progress throughout the season. As the season went on, the Wolverines’ record became better and better. Suddenly, we were high in the rankings. I kept attending home games even as the weather got colder, braving the snow and frigid temperatures, eager to continue sporting maize and blue alongside thousands of my peers. My family was shocked when I started to name individual players, comprehend the specifics of the game and comment on particularly good — or bad — plays. I began to deeply want the team to win, despite my previous indifference. I was officially a Michigan football fan. I was so invested in the team that I changed my flight back to Ann Arbor during Thanksgiving Break from Sunday to Friday night, just so I’d make it back in time for our longawaited game against Ohio State University. The atmosphere of the student section during that game was electric. Snow falling and our toes freezing, my friends and I sang the student cheers in unison with the rest of the fans. “It’s great to be a Michigan Wolverine!” resounded throughout the Big House countless times, an assertion of our true pride that developed slowly over the season. We stood amazed as Michigan outplayed

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

STATEMENT

Covid Kitties Anonymous DRAKE GEORGE

Statement Correspondent

When it was announced that the University was going online for the rest of the Winter 2020 semester, I remember exactly where I was. I was laying on my stomach playing Apex Legends when my housemate, Maggie, practically busted down my door. Her eyes were wide as she pushed her phone out to show me the email. The only thing I could say back was: “Duuuuuuude.” I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The concept of the world temporarily shutting down was surreal to me. For the rest of the day, I aimlessly wandered around my room, dragging my feet along the blue carpet below me just to feel a little something. The next couple of days seemed to blur together, from my classes moving online to most of my friends leaving Ann Arbor to go back home. My friends that would relax in my room were now nowhere to be seen, and there was a notable emptiness.

There had been a buzz in my theatre department class group chat about our entire situation. People expressed their shared loneliness, fears of the world and a prospect that stuck out to me most: cat adoptions. My entire class was slowly but surely making plans to adopt cats. I told myself I would never get a pet in college because it was irresponsible, but the timing just seemed right. To have a furry little friend that naps most of the time and plays with yarn seemed to be the perfect solution to pandemic-induced depression. I called my friend Sophia to confirm that we were on the same page. “Should we… get a kitty for our house?” “UH, FUCK YEAH. LET’S GET A LITTLE COVID KITTY!” We didn’t get a Covid Kitty(™)

Wednesday, January 26, 2022 — 7

Design by Sam Turner Page Design by Sarah Chung

immediately, but it stayed on my mind throughout the sweaty months of June and July. As the beginning of August rolled around, we made our way to the Humane Society of Huron Valley to pick out a furry little friend for us to raise. The one we found was a tiny grey and white kitten with the biggest green eyes I had ever seen. “That one — like, of course that one,” my housemate and I exclaimed unanimously. We proceeded to go through the paperwork while the lady at the front desk explained to us that the kitten was feral, meaning he was incredibly shy and unsocialized. I acknowledged this with a brief head nod and verbal grunt, but she was unsatisfied with my response. “Are you sure you feel comfortable being able to take care of this cat?” she pressed. “How many students live in this house with you?”

The answer was seven: seven queer theatre students trying to keep both toilets from clogging in a WorldWar-II-era house. I understood why she was questioning me. I was a tired college student wearing elephantprint sweatpants and a ripped up ‘My Hero Academia’ t-shirt. It was a big task to take care of an animal, but I knew that I was capable and responsible enough. I explained how I had worked with a couple animal shelters in the past and knew how to coexist with underdeveloped and ‘difficult’ animals. Our cat would be taken care of, we assured her. After the extensive and slightlytense dialogue between us and the inquisitive front desk lady, we were finally able to adopt our new little mister — we named him

“Espurr” after the Pokemon. But the lady’s questioning did leave me feeling worried about the adoption experience. I was fearful that I was being selfish about adopting an animal, that Espurr would be better off back at the Humane Society. I arrived home and was hit with this feeling of fear even harder. As soon as I let my new friend out of his carrier, Espurr bit my hand and hid, obviously not acclimated to human interaction. That first night I cried on the same blue carpet, petrified of the thought of a cat who didn’t like me at all. For the next month, he would hide under a huge blanket, hissing at any person who walked by. Sophia and I had to forcibly wrap him in a towel before petting him for twenty minute intervals in order to acclimate him to human touch. Through all of this he would yowl and cry, leaving me to wonder whether or not I was even helping him. Espurr eventually came around to love me, but I became curious of the other experiences the lady at the front desk had had with college-aged adopters, and why exactly there were so many college students adopting a pet, specifically a cat, during this time of crisis. A speedy Google search affirmed my suspicion that my roommate and I were not the only burnt-out but wellintentioned college students seeking a furry feline to keep them company mid-quarantine. InastudypublishedbytheFrontiers in Veterinary Science, researchers determined that since 2019, the web searches for pet adoptions have highly increased: “the RSV (relative search value) ratio (2020/2019) for both dog and cat adoption increased by up to 250%.” I also found an NPR interview where Cornell University’s Elizabeth Berliner claims: “There’s some statistics that represent that 1 in 5 pet owning homes adopted a

new pet during the pandemic. And so we do have concerns about what this adoption season will look like in 2021.” Moreover, the effect of everyone being confined to quarantine has created a new ‘generation’ of pets: a group of pets who have spent most of their time inside with their humans. While this wave of new quarantine companions has provided muchneeded comfort, some worry about how these recent adoptees will adapt to post-pandemic pet life. Researchers state that: “There is a concern for separation anxiety and possible abandonment of these newly adopted pets when the owners leave their homes for work in the future.” This sudden change in routine results in either a miserable pet, a miserable owner, or both. If this were the case, I wondered, were there an abundance of pets being returned after owners realized they were in over their heads? While exact rates of adoption returns vary from region to region, there did appear to be an overall increase in returns at the start of the pandemic. The Animal Care Centers of NYC “saw 1,393 animals brought to them last month (June 2021), more than twice the number of dogs and cats surrendered in February.” In the Dallas area, cats and their kittens were being left in bags on doorsteps in this same timeframe. With this horrifying information in mind, I decided to ask people my own age, those of the infamous ‘College Student Who Bought Cat In Pandemic’ demographic, to see what their experiences were like, fiscally and emotionally, throughout the adoption and post-adoption processes.

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My dining hall-phobia diagnosis Design by Francie Ahrens Page Design by Sarah Chung

RILEY HODDER

Statement Correspondent

The day I moved into my dorm and my family left me, I felt completely and utterly alone. My roommate didn’t move in until the next day, and I had just been abandoned by the people I had grown up with. It was me against the world, and the feeling followed me around everywhere I went. This feeling only built up with the revelation that I would have to eat, in public, all alone, for the first time in my life. Of all the college experiences I had mentally prepared for, this wasn’t one of them. As I walked down the steps into the Markley dining hall, I could already feel that familiar gnawing feeling at the bottom of my stomach. The room was swarming with people. With every step, I became more aware of my existence: My hair was frizzy, my outfit weird, I was sweaty. Every tripped step or awkward movement around the crammed tables sent a surge of anxiety through me that was enough to tighten my chest and make me shut my eyes. There were so many people, so many eyes, so many things to focus on. I grabbed food, sat at a table — my table for one — and hoped I would fade into the background. What I ate, I couldn’t tell you. I was no longer hungry. I ate blindly and ran.

In that moment, I felt so guilty. This is supposed to be one of the most pivotal moments of my life, and I was too afraid to eat around other people? To my disappointment, my dining hall-phobia didn’t improve as the semester progressed. When I could eat with someone else, I would. But whenever I had to eat alone I was hyper aware of my existence and terrified to move, let alone eat. I suffered in silence for weeks. Going to dining halls became a pointless venture. I was barely able to eat anyway, so I opted for anything I could make in the microwave — ramen, soup or leftovers. In short, I spent a lot of money. Every day I thanked myself for saving up over the summer, because otherwise, I’d be going hungry. Yet I never stopped feeling guilty; my parents were putting their own money toward my dining hall meal plan, and my seemingly-irrational fear was preventing me from using it. Here at the University of Michigan, dorm residents are required to select one of these dining plans and can’t opt out for a monthly allowance. If I’d been given the choice, I would’ve told my parents to just give me that allowance instead. While I was privileged enough to accommodate my phobia, I couldn’t help but think about my other peers who might not have that option. I was lucky to have some spending money to buy myself snacks and food between my weekly dining hall visits, but what if I didn’t? What if

I was here on scholarship, or needbased financial aid, and my only viable option was to eat in the dining halls when I felt that I couldn’t? These thoughts about inaccessibility had me concerned, but as I assumed I was alone in this feeling, I didn’t think much further on it. The first time I realized my dining hall-phobia was not entirely rare was a dreary winter morning in English 140, when we were discussing inaccessibility on campus. I volunteered how I found it hard to eat in dining halls, as they had the tendency to make me anxious. I was surprised when nearly the entire class agreed; almost every person had an experience in a dining hall that had made them feel uncomfortable, or kept them from eating. So how big of an issue is this? When I decided to write this piece and look for people to talk to, I was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of responses I received. While not all students were ready to be interviewed, countless fellow dining hall-phobes expressed their discontent with eating in the erratic environment. LSA sophomore Alex Ngyuen talked to me about his time spent in the dining halls, but most importantly, about what he had been doing to avoid eating in them entirely.

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I r

Michigan in Color

8 — Wednesday, January 26, 2022

On The Anniversary of the Biden Abomination/ Administration KARIS CLARK MiC Columnist

The normalization of President Biden’s necropolitics is as new as the sky is blue. Already, I can hear the neoliberal back–to–brunchers briskly brandishing their rationalizing remarks — their ostentatious retorts of “reform.” Yet what these prideful preachers fail to grasp is the sheer fact that the Biden abomination — sorry, administration, is not a real repudiation of Trump’s but instead a perpetuation of his legacy…which, of course, was a mere continuation of the Obama administration and his antecedents’ undying devotion to capital exploitation and the white power structure. Indeed, during Biden’s first 365 days, we’ve witnessed a grotesque perpetuation of racialized immigration policies. There’s been a continuation of kids in cages, yet the outrage is over. The total number of immigrants in detention centers has increased by over 50%. Mass incarceration remains, as political scholar Siddhant Issar posits, “a significant mechanism through which the state manages surplus populations and the social and economic crises pre-

the inherent antagonisms within the capitalist system. Ultimately, none of these policies do anything to alter the material conditions of the working class or address the harrowing crises of housing and health care, education and the environment, all of which continue to be exacerbated during the pandemic. You know, the pandemic… during which the Biden presidency has seen unprecedented levels of death and dismay as we surpass 1.35 million (recorded) cases (in a day). Despite vaccinations, 2021 saw more COVID19 deaths than 2020. Now, the safety precautions many people took against coronavirus at the beginning of the pandemic have been thrown out the window. The pandemic wages on, yet those of us with privilege simply do not care as we stumble back into packed parties, stadiums and bars. It seems to me, especially as the new Omicron variant is prolonged, that for some all along, “prioritizing safety” through mask mandates, quarantining and other acts of collective care was a mere performative political maneuver manufactured by the (neo)liberal media apparatus in opposition to reactionary right-wing sentiments. Evidently, some saw the Biden victory and vaccinations as a

Design by Maya Sheth

cipitated by neoliberal restructuring.” This was undeniably evident in 2021, as Biden’s administration delivered over a million deportations (including the inhumane expulsions of Haitian asylum-seekers). The only figure matching that is the millions of dollars this administration has put towards police funding, in addition to the continued fostering of the Department of Defense’s 1033 program which maliciously militarizes the police, continuing to endanger the lives of Black and Brown peoples across the nation. Last year, Kyle Rittenhouse’s verdict for the racialized murder of two men was met with well-warranted wrath. But I must ask, where is this energy for the executive-in-chief? Our modern American culture is remarkably prone to idolizing our political figures. Not only do we rationalize these ruling-class worldrenowned killers, we regularly glorify them, putting them on a pedestal as if they aren’t indirectly facilitating the same violence which we claim to abhor (on a larger systematic scale at that). Rejecting abolition and decarceral alternatives, we perpetuate our insistent urge to individualize systemic issues. In the face of interpersonal justice, we ardently advocate for incarceration rather than assessing material conditions and social contradictions on a broader structural level. Peering out abroad, we’ve seen a perpetuation of imperialism as an imperative, with sanctions on Afghanistan and Venezuela and Cuba, and political destabilization attempts on Nicaragua. A perpetuation of AFRICOM, and the militarization of Afrika and the Middle East persists, continuing under the guise of “counterterrorism.” These sadistic sanctions and subversion machinations beget disastrous starvation, economic deprivation and senseless death. And let us not forget the perpetuation of our planetary peril, as this administration’s lackluster cluster of climate change policies has only intensified the climate crisis as Biden issues large-scale permits for oil and gas drilling rivaling that of Trump’s first three years. Not to mention the avid increase in military spending (which remains one of the most significant contributors to the climate emergency) has resulted in $778 billion towards “defense” in the name of “Build Bombs Better” — sorry, “Build Back Better.” Meanwhile, Biden’s supporters continue to perpetuate and plaster his placative reform policies as if they aren’t another rudimentary rulingclass strategy to temporarily resolve

route to “return to normalcy” in more ways than one. Yet since Inauguration Day, the pandemic and all of the social problems persisting prior to his presidency remain interminably perpetuated, augmented and amplified. Of course, underlying all of this is the feeble collective forgetting that our president, much like his predecessors, is a former collaborator and current unapologetic sympathizer of segregationists, an architect of modern-day mass-incarceration, not to mention an alleged abuser — all of which was widely accessible information prior to Election Day. And while nationwide disjunctive syllogism and the pervading false liberal-conservative dichotomy might be to blame for the dissonance then, we must now renounce our f lawed allegiance to party politics and U.S. electoralism as a whole. As Malcolm X once proclaimed, “Any time you throw your weight behind a political party that controls two-thirds of the government and that party can’t keep the promise that it made to you during election time and you’re dumb enough to walk around continuing to identify yourself with that party, you’re not only a chump but you’re a traitor to your race.” If this is the case, then what can we do? We can start by asking ourselves how we might be actively contributing to harm in our every-day lives. What actions might we take that are oriented to the dictates of capital? We can think more critically and consciously about the media we consume, the brands we endorse or the causes we rally behind. We may consider re-directing our career paths away from profit, away from exploitation, thus, re-affirming our commitments to justice by prioritizing the empowerment of all peoples in our professional pursuits. We might routinely ask ourselves how we can better situate our values and beliefs towards liberation in every aspect of our existence. We can invest in community and collective care, mutual aid networks and revolutionary organizations (such as Black Alliance for Peace). We can devote ourselves to habitually engaging with revolutionary readings and radical written works that have been so vigorously suppressed from mainstream discourse. We can align our artistic passions and political perspectives in ways that push back against capitalist ideology and the white power structure. We can begin all of this today. We don’t have to wait for a midterm. We don’t have to wait for 2024. We can reject the Biden abomination now

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Kendrick Lamar and my “family ties” JUANPABLOANGELMARCOS MiC Columnist

I’m an avid supporter of Kendrick Lamar’s music. My friends and family all know this. I play his music when I’m at home or in the car, and I am always quick to proclaim him as one of the best rappers of all time since his music inspires me to find my own artistic voice and become a better storyteller of my own life. Kendrick is part of the Los Angeles-based label Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), which houses other music industry stars like SZA, ScHoolboy Q and Isaiah Rashad. I was such a huge fan of Kendrick that for my 16th birthday, I made sure to order a TDE hoodie in support of the 2017 album DAMN., his much anticipated follow-up to To Pimp a Butterf ly. DAMN. was released on April 14, 2017. My siblings and I were able to witness Kendrick perform the album live on tour in Detroit. Even though we were sitting in the nosebleeds, I will never forget that night. I was able to rap along to some of my favorite Kendrick songs like “Money Trees,” and halfway through performing “HUMBLE.,” Kendrick stopped and let the entire stadium rap the rest of the song. He even brought out J. Cole as a surprise g uest to perform. The energ y in The Palace was electric. Kendrick and J. Cole on the same stage? Up to this point in their careers, they had been teasing more music and another collaboration, but all us fans had gotten was the song “Black Friday.” Seeing two of the greats share the same stage was unforgettable. It’s been four long years since the release of DAMN., and while fans like me patiently await new material from Kendrick, I’ve gone back and relistened to some of my favorite records of his. When revisiting Kendrick’s sophomore album, good kid m.A.A.d city, he name drops two very important cities in the opening track, “Sherane a.k.a Master Splinter’s Daughter.” Kendrick discusses his youth and trying to see a girl he was interested in as he raps, “‘Where you stay?’ she said, ‘Down the street from Doming uez High’ / Okay, I know that’s borderline Compton or Paramount / ‘Well, is it Compton?’ ‘No,’ she replied.” Three things stand out to me in these lyrics: Compton, Paramount and Doming uez High. Kendrick Lamar was born in Compton, California and I was born in Paramount, California. These two cities located in Los Angeles County are adjacent to one another and divided by the Los Angeles River. Looking through family photos of my early childhood in Paramount helps me understand pieces of my story, and discovering old family photos is like finding a missing puzzle piece. I get closer to understanding the full picture of my life story one photo at a time. There’s this picture of my siblings and me posted up right next to the Los Angeles River that always reminds me of my lifelong bond I have with my older siblings. Here we are, at the borderline between Compton and Paramount, enjoying a nice evening walk along the river. Kendrick also references Doming uez High School, which was also only a 12-minute walk from our house on San Marcus St. When you can visualize and understand the meaning behind the lyrics to songs, it makes the listening experience so much more enjoyable and relatable. good kid m.A.A.d city tells the story of a young Kendrick Lamar growing

up in Compton, California surrounded by the harsh realities of gang violence and substance abuse in a city that he still dearly loves. In the final verse of the closing victory lap of a track, “Compton,” Kendrick raps, “Now we can all celebrate / We can all harvest the rap artist of N.W.A / America target our rap market, as controversy and hate / Harsh realities we in made our music translate.” The genre of rap gave individuals like Kendrick, Dr. Dre and Ice Cube an avenue to tell their life experiences, and in the process of doing so, they received critical acclaim and success. As a testament to this success, Kendrick became the first rapper and non-classical or -jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for music in 2018. Since my family moved to Michigan just before I turned five, I only can vag uely recall my life in California. Memories that remain ingrained in my mind, however, are the times my family went to the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet at night to enjoy food and carnival games. Under the bright California moonlight, families enjoyed Ferris wheel rides and live music while eating elote and sharing tacos on styrofoam plates. Using merchandise, vendors created an entire maze within the Swap Meet for families to buy toys, clothes, art and decorations. The Swap Meets had it all. Here’s a picture of my mom and me at our own shop in the Paramount Swap Meet. We sold toy model cars ranging from yellow school

Central American communities in Los Angeles faced the federal government and their aggressive immigration raids that took place in homes, bus stops, night clubs, agricultural fields and warehouses. Sadly, the fear of potential ICE raids still haunts communities today. In our time in Los Angeles, we were part of the Mexican community. We ran our own Swap Meet stand, sold Lowrider toy model cars and hats and shirts with the word “Lowrider” that I still wear to this day — it can’t get more L.A. than that. Thinking back to where I was born and where my family lived for so many years gives me a stronger appreciation for Paramount and Kendrick Lamar, since my family was part of this greater Black and Brown community that has shaped Los Angeles culture. You can’t talk about Los Angeles without mentioning the impact of Mexican and Central American communities. I’m inspirewd to learn more about my Mexican identity when I spend time ref lecting on the fact that my family was part of an environment so important and inf luential to an artist like Kendrick. I’m even more inspired to continue learning about my identity because Kendrick has continually shown support and love for the Latinx community. On Aug. 20, 2012, Kendrick tweeted, “This is LA. I love all my extended Latino families. Their morals their culture. This is California.” Kendrick’s love for his extended Latinx family goes far beyond just a

that. People in Central America needed to create the sombrero to combat the harsh sun they dealt with on a daily basis. It’s such a strong symbol associated with Mexican culture and I’m happy that it’s being worn by Kendrick in a music video that has been seen by 38 million people. In the “family ties” video, Kendrick is referencing the sombrero in a more tasteful manner as he pairs it with the classic zoot suit that has its own history and connection to Black and Latinx communities of Los Angeles due to the Zoot Suit Riots. The zoot suit has historic ties to the Mexican American neighborhood of East Los Angeles and the Black neighborhoods of Watts because, during the 1930s and ‘40s, this style of dress was popular among Black and Latinx communities. These individuals would go on to call themselves “Pachucos;” however, conservative citizens were quick to label Mexican Americans wearing the suits as criminals and gangsters, weaponizing the word and using it in a derogatory manner. Zoot suits would be further criminalized during World War II when they were banned in 1942 due to the rationing of wool, and those who continued to wear the suits were seen as unpatriotic. Four days after a physical altercation between U.S. sailors and zoot-suiters on June 3, 1943, about 50 U.S. sailors targeted zoot-suiters in Mexican American communities with makeshift weapons. This sparked the Zoot Suit Riots, which last-

Courtesy of Juan Pablo Angel Marcos

buses, Dodge Vipers, Mustangs and Lowriders. So many classic Lowriders. I remember I used to love playing with those cars at home on my little carpet race track. When I listen to Kendrick’s music, it bleeds west coast hip-hop: from the funky George Clinton G-funk inspired bass lines on “Wesley’s Theory” to the off-kilter f lows on “family ties”, I begin to feel nostalgic for California. Memories and feelings of what life was like for my family in Paramount echo through my mind. Thankfully, I learn new things about my life in Los Angeles through the stories my family has shared. My brother tells me that one time when he was 8 years old, his school had to initiate a lockdown because someone running from the cops had decided to run through the school courtyard. My sister recalls buying helado from the local street vendor who would stroll in front of our house. My dad tells stories of his experiences being racially profiled by cops. My mom also recounts the event that compelled her to learn how to drive. One day, Mom was at the bus stop having a conversation with her friend. Her friend told her that on the previous day, ICE had raided that exact same bus stop. Throughout the 1980s, Mexican and

tweet. When Baby Keem and Kendrick dropped their music video for the song “family ties,” I was blown away by the fourminute song ’s editing and the scenes. Throughout the entire music video, different clips of Keem and Kendrick rapping are layered on top of each other. I would describe the music video as having multiple windows open on your computer desktop except, instead of a browser, you have clips of Keem and Kendrick. At the 3:30 minute mark, Kendrick raps in front of EZ Cuts Barber Shop wearing a sombrero and what looks like a denim zoot suit. Here’s a behind the scenes shot courtesy of Compton native and artist, Lil L. When I first saw this scene in the music video, I had the biggest smile on my face. It may look goofy or seem out of place, but to me, it’s so cool that Kendrick is proudly wearing the traditional Mexican hat. The sombrero is heavily tied to and associated with Mexican culture, as it can be seen being worn by the legendary Mexican singer Vicente Fernández Gómez. The wide-brimmed hat is unmistakable, and I’m sure you’ve seen it somewhere being associated with a mustachioed Mexican g uy eating tacos and wearing a poncho — but just know that it’s much more than

ed until June 8, and during this time, Latinos and Black Americans were the victims of attacks led by racist rioters. Once the riots calmed down, Governor Earl Warren created a committee to investigate the cause of the riots. It was determined that racism, biased media coverage and poor response by the Los Angeles Police Department were mainly to blame. Clearly, Kendrick Lamar cares enough about the significance of the zoot suit to wear one in the “family ties” music video, and I personally love it. The consistent appreciation that he shows in his work towards the Latinx communities of L.A makes me an even bigger fan of him. From eating elote in a palm tree to start off the music video for the Grammy Award-winning song “King ’s Dead” to rapping the start of his verse of “Collard Greens” in Spanish, Kendrick is showing support. Knowing the history and inf luence Mexican Americans have had and continue to have in the city of Los Angeles makes me proud to be Mexican American and born in Paramount, California. Wherever life takes me, I know that I have that love for L.A. and the L.A. history is in my blood and DNA — just like it’s in Kendrick Lamar.

Opinion

The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Wednesday, January 26, 2022 — 9

Hey, women in STEM, let’s form an alliance Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. Stanford Lipsey Student Publications Building 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com

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From The Daily: Schlissel is gone, now what? THE MICHIGAN DAILY EDITORIAL BOARD

hen the Regents of the University of Michigan decided to terminate former University President Mark Schlissel, they released 118 pages of Schlissel’s communications along with their announcement. These documents, containing emails, text messages and images, while important in the name of transparency, were promptly snapped up by a ravenous student body. One reddit comment remarked that “Never had this many undergraduates been so keen to do primary source research on a Saturday night.” The emails were memefied immediately, with merchandise coming to the market within the week, making fun of our lonely president m. This transparency is refreshing and Schlissel’s indiscretions were serious, but one naturally wonders, especially considering the predictable student reaction, whether this dump of salacious documents is anything other than an attempt to shield the Board of Regents — not necessarily the University as an institution — from blame and embarrassment. It was no secret that Schlissel was not particularly popular on campus; discussions regarding Schlissel were frequently filled with frustration or disappointment. These grievances have led students to often question his decisions. However, many of the trademark bad decisions made by Schlissel were directed, or at least directly influenced, by the board. Take the unpopular decision to prematurely bring students back to campus for the fall 2020 semester — prior to the development of COVID-19 vaccines. This was not a unilateral decision by Schlissel and his administration but was a subject of major frustration for students who felt they had no voice in this decision. One board member, University Regent Ron Weiser (R), who has a financial stake in off-campus housing, even donated $30 million to the University days before its announcement to reopen. No one can quantify the impact of the regents, especially those with vested interests, on these decisions conclusively, but we must reflect on their influence. While Schlissel’s actions were both damaging to the University’s reputation and an abuse of the power he held over U-M employees, numerous faculty accused of sexual assault and harassment were allowed a far more graceful exit. When former American Culture lecturer Bruce Conforth was

reported to University officials for attempting to engage in sexual relationships with three students in 2008, he was allowed to retire otherwise unpunished in 2017 — inarguably a much more private departure than that of Schlissel. Former Music, Theatre & Dance professor David Daniels was fired by the board for allegations of sexual misconduct in March of 2020. Not only did the board not include a similarly large disclosure report, they began the process of formally firing Daniels over a year earlier, in July of 2019, based on allegations made public in August of 2018. Schlissel was reported, investigated and terminated in under two months. In the well-known case of former Provost Martin Philbert, the board released an 88-page report based on an investigation into his sexual misconduct. However, releasing 118 pages of memeable emails does not have the same effect that releasing a dense WilmerHale report does. Hundreds of jokes were not inspired by this in-depth report, only a fraction of which consists of Philbert’s actual communications. Secondary sources like this report tend to obscure the actual nature of the relevant content, as actual words inherently convey more than descriptions. The Regents’ decision to release a mass of personal messages deviates from its customary form of transparency about its activities, which typically consists of formal reports like the one regarding Philbert. In their official release, the board said they were releasing Schlissel’s communications “In the interest of full public disclosure.” Was this kind of visibility not necessary in those previous cases? Was the speed with which the board investigated and removed Schlissel not necessary before? This is not to criticize the Board’s decision to be transparent. If the board is going to adequately combat the ongoing and historic issues of sexual assault and harassment in the University, as they should, a consistent approach is necessary. This is to say that releasing important documents related to similar allegations should be the norm — not exclusive to figures with a negative public image like Schlissel. But apart from Schlissel’s strained relationship with students and faculty, it is worth noting that he fell out with the Board of Regents in the past year too. In light of the severity with which Schlissel’s case was treated in comparison to other aforementioned cases, it is clear that the board chose to use Schlissel’s actions as a means to (rightfully) remove an adversary

of theirs. While these emails were insightful and undeniably humorous, this is a politicization of the process of dealing with sexual misconduct that will serve to taint future investigations with the stench of bias. Only a consistent protocol will ensure that this does not occur. The board and administration must release a comprehensive plan of action for any future sexual assault or misconduct reports against professors, administration officials or any employed University official. Such a comprehensive plan will ensure that every case is treated seriously and with consistency to ensure that transgressions are treated with the seriousness and transparency they deserve. A system where allegations of misconduct are treated on a case-by-case basis allows for certain individuals, like Conforth, Daniels and Philbert to get away with their behavior for years. Sexual misconduct can occur at any level of the University. Only taking strong, public action against the most recognizable figures fails to address the broader issue. While firing Schlissel is a step in the right direction, the Board of Regent’s choice of an interim replacement, President Emerita Mary Sue Coleman, is not untainted herself. Coleman was reportedly aware of allegations against Martin Philbert during her tenure as president. Despite the allegations and Coleman’s knowledge, Philbert was allowed to continue serving as Dean of the School of Public Health for the rest of Coleman’s term and nearly six years afterward. If Coleman’s appointment was meant by the board as a return to normalcy, to the “scandal free” era before Schlissel, it just shows how deeply tolerance of sexual misconduct is ingrained in the University’s administration. The flood of sexual assault and harassment allegations against faculty and administrators during Schlissel’s term was by no means unique. The issues of sexual misconduct within this university have been tied to Mark Schlissel; losing him means losing a figurehead to rally against and replacing him with a less controversial former president who people remember fondly. Once the jokes about these emails die down, we will still be left with an administration that turns a blind eye to sexual misconduct, but this time one that commands less scrutiny from the public. This cannot become the case. We have to remain vigilant about this issue. To avoid further negligence and complaisance, we must hold the board accountable for consistent and fair actions when faced with such situations.

ELIZABETH WOLFE Opinion Columnist

isogyny in academia is a special breed, even in “progressive” universities. What makes misogyny in academia unique is the unnecessary competition between different fields, particularly STEM and liberal arts: which is more necessary, which is more lucrative, which is more ethical and all sorts of other superlatives. As a woman with a liberal arts major, I not only often feel this competition, but also experience and witness internalized misogyny between women in STEM and women in liberal arts. The debate between STEM vs. liberal arts inaccurately reflects the true value of academics, and worsens misogyny by keeping us occupied with in-fighting instead of fighting patriarchal structures. The debate is not only irrelevant, but fundamentally flawed. Although containing different courses, degrees and careers, the two are functionally connected; one cannot exist without the other. How else would we have well-written lab reports reflecting scientific research, technologically-advanced museums demonstrating history, digital art and online books? While independently important, the interdisciplinary nature of STEM and liberal arts keeps the world advancing, tangibly and intangibly, factually and emotionally. We aren’t only competing over our academic beliefs, but the existence of misogyny itself towards the other party. Misogyny in academia is not one-size-fitsall, but is uniquely based on our specific interests. When women have already been exposed to

internalized misogyny our entire lives (who’s prettier, smarter, wealthier, etc.), academics add yet another layer. We’re not only driven further apart, but it becomes more difficult to communicate and respect one another in our experiences. For STEM majors working in a “man’s world,” women are often discriminated against and not given the same voice or opportunities. Despite increasing numbers of women as researchers, authors and reviewers, they are still underrepresented in research projects, publications and grant rewards. Marginalized women, such as women of color and transgender women, have even more difficulties with gaining recognition. The mere presence of women in STEM fields has caused backlash with scientists trying to justify the gap with different theories, including that women are biologically less fit for STEM or biologically less interested than men — both of which have been proven false. On the other hand, misconceptions about the importance of liberal arts programs and their economic value have led some universities to cut funding for the programs altogether. I believe a key part of this trend is that liberal arts is often seen as “women’s work.” Throughout history, when once male-dominated fields, such as teaching and social work, became women-dominated, those fields are then seen as less important. As a result, liberal arts coursework is seen as less difficult and necessary in the grand scheme. Women are encouraged to change career paths or even drop out. Just recently, U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn, R–N.C., encouraged students to drop out

of college unless they “become a doctor or lawyer or engineer.” In STEM or liberal arts, when the work and achievements of women are undervalued on a personal and industry level, there is no point debating which form of misogyny is worse. When we fail to recognize different experiences with misogyny and its harm, we allow it to continue. Though passive, we all take responsibility when other women suffer. Seeing women in STEM make new strides and push for equality, I have admittedly felt embarrassed over my major and even resentful. I fear that I’m not doing enough for feminism by working in a womendominated field. For this, I’ve also felt ignored in my experiences with misogyny, because it’s not seen as being “as bad” as what other women in college face. Conversely, I’ve been praised for choosing a creative field and not one that’s “boring” or “typical” as some have inaccurately described STEM. This is why I’m extending not an olive branch but rather a metaphorical treaty. We cannot accept praise for our achievements at the expense of other women and their goals. My work in liberal arts is both influential and lucrative, and STEM is becoming more common because of our developing world. When so many differences and ignorances distract us from fighting for equality, we shouldn’t let this false narrative deter us even further from our goals. Is “girls support girls” an oversimplified motto? Yes, but I don’t think “STEM girls support liberal arts girls and vice versa” has to be so complicated. Changing our mentality on academic purpose is one step towards eliminating academic misogyny.

It’s time to update our COVID-19 game plan EVAN STERN

Opinion Columnist

ast summer, when President Joe Biden proclaimed to Americans that we were “closer than ever to declaring our independence” from COVID-19, it seemed unfathomable the nation would find itself in the throes of yet another pandemic surge just six months later. Yet, here we are again. Even with over 500 million vaccines administered across the country — and over 70% of Americans age 12 and older fully vaccinated — COVID-19 has once again upended daily life. By some measures, 2022 feels eerily like 2020 all over again. The current surge is fueled by the highly-contagious omicron variant of COVID-19, which has spread through the nation at unprecedented speeds and sent case counts to dizzying heights. On Jan. 10, health officials reported 1.48 million new cases, more in a single day than at any other point in the pandemic, shattering the previous record set just days before. With the explosion in cases has come a spike in hospitalizations, pushing many healthcare facilities, doctors and nurses to the brink. In Michigan, hospitals across the state are near or at capacity as pandemic hospitalizations break records. In the midst of all this, some governments are responding with the harsh tactics we’ve all become familiar with over the past two

years. In Canada and Europe, which face similar surges, governments have instituted a slew of measures including lockdowns and closures of schools and businesses to combat the spread. Though it may seem at first glance that current conditions warrant a similar move by President Biden and governors across the country, it’s critical we update our COVID19 game plan and avoid the same traps we’ve fallen into before. As alarming as the latest pandemic metrics are, they have to be put into perspective. First and foremost, experts believe the omicron variant — which now accounts for over 98% of new COVID-19 cases in the country — is less severe than previous strains like delta. A new study found patients who contracted omicron were 53% less likely to require hospitalization and over 90% less likely to die than those who suffered from the delta variant. As in earlier waves, Americans who are fully vaccinated continue to have a good prognosis. While omicron has evaded some of the vaccine’s protection against symptomatic infection, the vaccines are still extremely protective against severe disease. A booster shot, which more Americans are receiving every day, bolsters protection further. Following Canada and Europe’s lead and shutting down schools, colleges and businesses as cases surge simply isn’t supported by the data. Returning to harsher containment measures wouldn’t only

be unwise because omicron is a milder variant relative to earlier strains of COVID-19. Omicron is also wildly transmissible, even more so than the highly-infectious delta variant. In the early days of the pandemic, closing down large sectors of the country proved to be an effective tool in slowing the spread. But today, with omicron skyrocketing in almost every county across the nation, preventing every individual case is no longer possible or practical. “Omicron, with its extraordinary, unprecedented degree of efficiency of transmissibility, will ultimately find just about everybody,” Dr. Anthony Fauci said, noting the vaccinated and boosted who do get infected will “do reasonably well in the sense of not having hospitalization and death.” Though lockdowns may reduce cases in the short term, they won’t stop the virus from spreading over the long run. It’s imperative that American leaders, from the local to the federal level, prioritize preventing severe disease over cases, which are almost always mild for the vaccinated and even sometimes asymptomatic. Already, President Biden has turned his focus toward preventing hospitalization and death, reassuring most Americans that it’s “very unlikely that you become seriously ill.” The Biden administration recently took action to

the huge increase in demand for therapy onset by the pandemic, she was overbooked and couldn’t see me, and advised me to contact the University of Michigan’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). So I did. For context, the CAPS process starts with a mental health history questionnaire, and then you schedule an initial consultation. It took me two weeks to get an initial consultation, which is kind of a repeat of the questionnaire. It really was just an appointment where someone asks you questions about your history with mental health and therapy to get a read on how urgently you need to be seen. They ask you if you have a history of violence, selfharm, substance abuse, etc. During this consultation, they inform you that CAPS is not really therapy, as students attend an average of only 3.5 sessions and usually do not go to more than five.

It’s also not in person because of the pandemic; it’s conducted over the phone — you can’t do Zoom or FaceTime either. With this virtual form of counseling, the multitude of benefits from face-to-face communication are lost. If you’re still interested at this point, they’ll inform you that they can schedule an appointment for you but the wait time could be between three and six weeks, depending on availability. I was still interested, thinking that the unexplained sadness I had been feeling might resurface at that time and that a session would be helpful. About a month later, I had my appointment, coincidentally being in that sad place again. The therapist I was assigned to spent the first 15 minutes of the call talking to me about what they could offer me.

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What CAPS gets wrong JARED DOUGALL Opinion Columnist

y whole life I’ve struggled with mental health. As a child, sometimes I would start feeling really sad and I wouldn’t know why. When I was about 8 years old, my parents got me a royal blue iPod Nano. It had my Dad’s music library — mostly dad rock and some stuff from the 90s. Among the selection was U2’s 1988 hybrid live/studio album Rattle and Hum. The album’s final song, a ballad called “All I Want Is You,” is about love, heartbreak and broken promises, things you don’t typically have much real experience with when you’re 8. All I really understood about this ballad was that it was tragic. When I used to dip into this

unexplainable sad place, I would listen to it on repeat. I can vividly remember sitting on a bus to summer camp, alone, isolated from my friends, feeling off and disconnected from myself and those around me — not knowing why but just wanting to be alone. “All I Want Is You” provided me with catharsis and a way to explore, feel and embrace this darker side of myself that as a child I didn’t understand, but looking back, I needed it greatly. When I wanted to be alone, the song gave me a place to hide and feel what I needed to feel; it gave me “a river in a time of dryness, a harbor in the tempest.” As I got older, I started to have anxiety. Sometimes it was crippling; obsessive. In high school, there was one girl in particular who, after she rejected me for my best friend at the time, made walking the halls of school a terrifying experience. I was always panicked, constantly trying

to make it to my next class as fast as I could so that I wouldn’t pass her by chance. Eventually, it got to the point where it constantly felt like there was a massive pit in my stomach. It was the kind you get before a big performance or test, but I felt it almost every day. At the end of my sophomore year of high school, I got into a big fight with my mom over something probably very stupid, and in the heat of the argument, she suggested I go see a therapist. And to spite her, I did. At my first session, I was cautious. I wasn’t sure if I was ever going to go to another appointment, but I actually ended up liking it. It was just a conversation with someone who made you feel understood and offered their advice. It was like having a friend, the only difference being that you paid them. So I kept going for almost two

years. And it was a godsend. High school was a tough time for me, as I’m sure it was for many others, but in the good times and the bad, my therapist was there for me and helped me manage my mental health. She also helped me through some of the lowest moments of my life. There were times I was so depressed that those once-a-week sessions were really all I looked forward to. Eventually though, it came time for me to leave the nest. I went to college and stopped seeing my therapist, believing that it was time for me to venture forth on my own — a conviction that my therapist agreed with. I had improved my mental health, bettered myself. But from time to time, I still struggle. I still go to that sad place. Earlier this year I reached back out to my therapist. I wanted to meet with her again, but on a more irregular basis. She told me that because of

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Opinion

10 — Wednesday, January 26, 2022

lonely -m

College students are proof: it’s time to learn to live with COVID-19 JACK ROSHCO

Opinion Columnist

he day will eventually come. It’s not a matter of if — but when — the COVID19 pandemic will be formally declared over. Unfortunately, those of us who have continued to take the appropriate steps to mitigate the virus’ spread are still subject to some of the same restrictions in place since early 2020. A sevenday, nationwide average of nearly 500,000 COVID-19 cases almost two years after the start of the pandemic is clearly a testament to the failures of two administrations. However, it is well beyond dispute that the Republican Party and its supporters do not believe in science. It would be generous to say that only some of the GOP’s voting base wears its abject ignorance as a sort of perverse badge of honor. It is not arguable in good faith that all Americans share equal blame for our present predicament. Young and old, north and south, east and west, conservative Republicans are the reason the pandemic is still raging in the U.S. They are, to quote former President Donald Trump, why “the world is laughing at us.” Indeed, the pandemic is equally a matter of politics as it is a matter of science. There are numerous documented stories of patients, thoroughly gaslit and laying on their deathbeds, regurgitating the same baseless COVID-19 conspiracy theories being spread by Republican leaders. To put it simply, Republican politicians are killing their own voters. Much of this is settled in (the attached-to-reality portion of ) the public square. To rehash how we’ve arrived at such a patently preposterous moment in world history would be fruitless. The only worthwhile course of action this late into the pandemic is to discuss how best to move forward with this virus as an inevitable part of life, as has been the case with the flu for the last century. It might be jarring to hear that sentiment coming from a bleedingheart liberal, especially one who has repeatedly lambasted the American Conservative movement over COVID-19. However, Republicans have won their war on medicine at least to the extent that this virus becoming endemic appears a logical, if not foregone, conclusion. As such, waiting for the virus to be eradicated before proceeding with a return to prepandemic life is akin to asking Santa for a pet unicorn this year. My proposal for Americans to be able to live with COVID-19 while still living our lives might seem a bit draconian at first glance. However, I would argue that it is exactly as nihilistic and petty as the nonsense to which we sane, sentient human beings have been subjected to by the COVID-19 denial class for almost two years. This proposal, though, makes scientific — and cathartic — sense, especially in a city such as Ann Arbor, of which young people are its lifeblood. We, as University of Michigan students, are the engine which drives our city and our institution. We are also required by our school to be fully vaccinated and to receive a booster dose, which is known to substantially reduce the risk of severe illness. Why, then, should we bear responsibility for the public health risks being taken by the 37% of Washtenaw County residents who remain unvaccinated? It is with that in mind that the city of Ann Arbor should take steps that will both encourage those holdouts to get vaccinated while removing the burden of their stupidity from those who have followed the advice of public health professionals. As it stands now, University students are expected to wear masks, limit the size of social gatherings, limit travel and quarantine for an extended time with a positive COVID-19 test. That all sounded great in 2020, but now, the student body is vaccinated, and likely to show only minor symptoms for only a short number of days, if we were to show any symptoms at all. All of that is to say that U-M students face a low risk if they contract COVID-19, but we are still behaving as if it is the monumental, universal public health threat it was nearly two years ago.

U-M students, who have suffered the loss of much of our college experience for it, must no longer be responsible for the choices of the unvaccinated. Provided that it can be done so legally – and given the emergency powers of the executive at the state and federal levels, that shouldn’t be a problem – hospitals nationwide must begin a triage process for access to COVID care. Hospitals nationwide are facing capacity and equipment shortages nearly two full years into the pandemic, and almost a year after vaccines became available. At this point, some burden of responsibility must be on the individual who has refused to be vaccinated. Given that there are finite resources to be dedicated to COVID patients, there must be some form of hierarchy in place to ensure that those who continue to place the whole of society at risk are accounted for only after lifesaving treatment has been directed to all vaccinated patients in need of care. As hospitals are plagued by the unrelenting stupidity of the Republican–led anti-vax crusade, it is only fair to exercise discretion in the distribution of care. None of this is to say the unvaccinated should be altogether denied medical care. However, by permitting doctors and hospitals to exercise discretion as to who receives prioritized COVID-19-related care, federal, state and local authorities (depending on the level at which such a policy is instituted) would be rewarding two of the demographics most adversely affected by COVID19: youth and medical professionals. Doing so is both a logical and moral imperative. Such a policy would also not fall outside the scope of standard medical practices, even before the pandemic. It is a longstanding, and eminently sensible, procedure in the medical community to triage patients based on chances of survival when faced with limited space, resources, equipment or personnel; those with a higher chance of survival are prioritized, so as to most efficiently and effectively allocate finite materials. Suffice to say, the COVID situation has placed all of those limitations on hospitals across the country. It doesn’t take an epidemiologist to know that the patients most likely to survive hospitalization are the ones who are vaccinated. Therefore, in addition to the moral imperative of prioritizing those who have taken steps to protect those around them, a triage system would also make for the best solution to the constraints faced by hospitals nationwide. While it is true that this will likely never come to pass, it is well past time for young Americans — all vaccinated Americans, really — to ask that the burden of the pandemic be placed on those too self-righteous to help end it. The sane 63% must not suffer for the ignorance of the insufferable 37%. We, as college students, have lost so much since March 2020. It’s not just the tangible losses of COVID19 deaths that have cost people our age recently. Adolescents and young adults have been deprived of opportunities and life experiences, which, uniquely to us, we will never be able to get back. Whether it was the inability to study abroad, to celebrate or congregate in large groups or simply to interact with our professors and peers in person or unmasked, none of these things are replaceable in later life. College students continue to be deprived of their once-in-a-lifetime college experience because of older people who believe their “personal freedoms” trump — pun intended — the public good. Adults who lost their jobs are now faced with the best job market in a generation. Those who had to work remotely were able to experience a traditional work environment before — and will be able to again at some point. Experiences associated with youth and adolescence are nearly impossible to replicate, while more “adult” milestones can still be achieved later on. It is time for young people to take some agency in our lives, and stop allowing the older, and dumber, among us to dictate which formative experiences we deserve to enjoy. We won’t get these years back.

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Undecided major = failure? PALAK SRIVASTAVA Opinion Columnist

hen I returned from break, after three weeks of not seeing the people I had spent every second with for five months, you can imagine there was a lot to catch up on. Besides updates about life back home and the exchange of new schedules, there was one change that stood out amongst the other news: many of them had decided to change their major. I found it very strange to see so many of my friends returning to campus with a newfound change in the direction that they wanted to take their lives in. It made me start to think about all the people I knew and wonder: how many of them had changed their career paths in the last few months? Let’s just say, those who had stuck with their intended major were in the minority. It has always troubled me how today’s society expects us to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives by such a young age. For instance, there is no doubt that when applying to colleges, someone who can show a constant passion that they followed through for four years becomes a very

strong candidate. Speaking from personal experience, my desire to find a consistent interest led me to choose environmental science as my life’s passion. Under pressure from my parents, my rationale at the time was that I liked nature and so by the transitive property, I should like environmental science. And that was that. For the next four years, that one choice shaped every decision I would later make. In my sophomore year of high school, instead of applying to the Manhattan District Attorney internship like I wanted to, I forced myself to spend 10 weeks at the Salt Marsh Nature Center building bat houses and creating urban gardens. Instead of taking the senior year elective, “Western Political Theory,” that I had my eye on since freshman year, I signed up for “Urban Ecology.” In fear of not being able to show one constant interest, I gave up the chance to pursue the varying interests I had and wound up sticking with environmentalism for my entire high school career. The one thing that provided me some comfort was college and, specifically, the opportunity it would provide me to truly explore and delve into all my interests. And that’s exactly

what I have been doing. With high school still fresh in my mind, I have been intentionally selfish at the University. Instead of making decisions based on what I think I should be doing for graduate school or my parents, I have been making decisions based on what I want and it has been incredible. However, I have quickly realized that not everyone has the same mindset. Entering college, I was very transparent about my lack of direction. Though I had some idea of the path I wanted to take, things were still very up in the air, and honestly, they still are. When I was meeting dozens of new people throughout the first few weeks, I was so impressed with how confident each of them were in their primary interests. It made me feel like I was doing something wrong. But then, after those initial weeks passed and I really got to know my friends, I realized the truth: there are very few freshmen who actually know what they are doing or what they want, but not many who can admit it. I have had countless conversations with people who all have had crises over a lack of direction and every time all I have wanted to do was to scream in their face: it’s

okay to not know! One of my pre-medicine friends switched to business and another future doctor is considering app design layouts; I wish everyone could realize that there is time to figure out what you truly want to do. I will concede that the looming presence of declaring a major and finishing its prerequisite courses is definitely a legitimate concern. However, hearing yet another of my friends complaining about her solely pre-med guided schedule and the fact that she is unable to take other classes that interest her makes it clear how important it is to experiment a bit. I know that being undecided can feel scary and like you are losing some sort of lifetime race, but I can assure you that is not the case. If in the beginning of semester icebreakers people revealed how they actually felt about their future, it would be clear that the community of undecided or uncertain undergraduates is much larger than it appears. At the end of the day, the stigma around being undecided is completely unfounded. College is such a unique and special opportunity to finally delve into all the interests you have. Don’t waste it.

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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Sports

Wednesday, January 26, 2022 — 11

Penn State dominates Michigan, 29-6, as Michigan drops many tight bouts CHARLIE PAPPALARDO

Daily Sports Writer

As redshirt-sophomore Cole Mattin walked onto the mat, it still seemed like the No. 3 Michigan wrestling team had a chance to keep its dual meet against No.1 Penn State within striking distance. After three bouts, the Nittany Lions were leading by five, and Mattin was preparing to wrestle a winnable match — certainly one that he needed to win. Instead, he wrestled for just 15 seconds. As Mattin collapsed, clutching his ankle, everyone wearing maize and blue at Crisler Center let out a sigh of despair. Not just because Penn State was now ahead by eleven points, but because everything that possibly could go wrong for Michigan was going wrong. After six matches, just one of which the Wolverines won, the fans’ worries were confirmed, and Michigan (5-1 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) left the Crisler Center dominated by the Nittany Lions (13-0, 5-0), 29-6, in their biggest dual meet

of the season. Throughout the entire night, Michigan looked overwhelmed as inability to score takedowns, injuries and crushingly tight loss after loss doomed the Wolverines. The night started with No. 1 graduate student Nick Suriano winning his toughest match of the season over Penn State’s No. 7 Drew Hildebrandt. But present even in Suriano’s victory was a tendency that would plague the team for the rest of the night, as Suriano won the match, 2-1, without scoring a takedown. “The area that was real glaring tonight was just basic handfighting,” Michigan coach Sean Bormet said. “We didn’t fight hard enough to get to the ties we needed to be in and we weren’t constantly clearing their ties. It’s an area we got exposed tonight and it slowed down our offense.” After Suriano, the wheels began to come off. Redshirt freshman Dylan Ragusin was the first to fall, 8-1, narrowly avoiding surrendering a major-decision victory to Penn State’s No. 1 ranked Roman Bravo-Young as the clock ran

GRACE BEAL/Daily The Michigan wrestling team faced its first loss of the season against a top-ranked Penn State squad. out. Following Ragusin at 141 lbs, graduate student Drew Mattin filled in for recently-scratched graduate student Stevan Micic to face the Nittany Lions’ No. 1 ranked Nick Lee. Mattin was outpaced and surrendered a technical fall late in the third period, losing 21-6. As Cole Mattin hobbled off of the mat 15 seconds into his match, the Wolverines were behind, 14-3,

SportsWednesday: In Bloomington road win, Wolverines look like the team they could have been This isn’t the season the Michi- is playing up to its potential or if frequent Michigan runs. They disgan men’s basketball team was there’s room left to grow, Michi- played the type of energy expected gan coach Juwan Howard cited of the conference leader the Wolsupposed to have. Before the start of the year, The effort as the most important fac- verines were supposed to be. “Defense is really getting the Daily’s beat predicted the Wolver- tor. “I’m just proud of how hard job done for us,” Howard said. ines would finish second in the Big Ten and end the year with a the team competed today,” How- “Defense sometimes creates the Big Ten Tournament win and exit ard said. “… We’ll continue to go offense. It’s great when you see back in the gym each the ball go through the net, it defithe NCAA Tournament and every practice and nitely builds confidence in playby the Elite Eight at the see how we can grow. It ers.” earliest, seeing MichiAdded Dickinson: “I think guys was beautiful to see all gan reach as far as the the contribution com- are just playing to their abilities. National Championship ing from everyone that The hard work in the gym is finally game. paying off. I’m really proud of my touched that ball.” And they weren’t The Wolverines final- team out there.” alone. After clinching More than just playing to their ly exhibited the skilled last year’s regular season roster that’s been touted abilities, they’re filling the holes Big Ten title and bringing LANE all year with Dickinson, — both offensive and defensive in the nation’s second- KIZZIAH Diabate and Houstan all — that emerged from the Wolverranked recruiting class, ines’ blind spots early in the seascoring in double digits. there was no reason to “This team has a chance to get son. think Michigan’s momentum So what do you get when you wouldn’t carry over. Between the better and better each and every return of sophomore center Hunt- game,” Howard said. “And with add strong defense to long-range er Dickinson and the additions of how the roster is designed with a shooting and contributions from two five-star freshmen in wing mixture of juniors and seniors and up and down the roster? A wellCaleb Houstan and big man Mous- sophomores. … They’re getting rounded team that could have a shot at a post-season run, the team sa Diabate, it was widely accepted better and better every game.” Michigan started the game that the Wolverines were supthat Michigan was among the best 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. The posed to be. in the Big Ten. The question then becomes, is But the team that took the Wolverines have hardly been floor for the first game — and known for their 3-point shoot- this a fluke or is it the new normal? almost every one since — hasn’t ing this season, looked like one that could make going a total of it to March, let alone April. The 12-for-45 across roster that, on paper, should their three most be one of best in the nation has recent games. failed to come alive. Houstan, But, on Sunday, got thrust into the starting lineup Michigan from the first game, struggled to hot, shooting a live up to the hype. The defense total of 11-for-17. The Wolfaltered. Overall, the Wolverines fell failed to live up to their lofty verines into a rhythm expectations. But, facing Indiana on the road, on all parts of EMMA MATI/Daily Michigan came away with an the court, the 80-62 win, by far it’s most impres- defense boxing out the Hoosiers Against Indiana, the Michigan basketball team showed sive of the season. When asked whether the team and allowing for flashes of what it was predicted to be.

and had yet to score a takedown. Redshirt junior Will Lewan changed that at 157 lbs in a victory over Penn State’s Terrell Barraclough in which he was able to outmuscle his opponent to score two single leg takedowns and win the bout 5-2, making the match 14-6. Up until that matchup, even though the Wolverines suffered tough losses, it felt as if each

match had a clear aggressor. Each result could have been expected coming into the night. But at 165 lbs, the tide turned. From 165 all the way to heavyweight, each match was nearly identical. The wrestlers took the mat, wrestled three periods of incredibly tight, mostly scoreless action, surrendered a late takedown, and lost by one or two points. In every match, it felt like the Wolverines were just about to break through, but never did. At 174 lbs, graduate student Logan Massa had the Nittany Lions’ Brady Berge lifted in the air but couldn’t finish. At 184 lbs graduate student Myles Amine lost a scramble in overtime. And at heavyweight Mason Parris led into the third period, but gave up a late takedown and got ridden out. But the match most indicative of the team’s woes was at 197 lbs, where Pat Brucki lost to Penn State’s No. 2 ranked Max Dean in overtime. Brucki scored two takedowns and surrendered none in regulation, but still couldn’t close out the match. He entered the third period ahead, and only had to escape to earn a victory, but

instead got ridden out. “We gotta clean up the bottom wrestling,” Bormet said. “Especially when we’re getting to our feet and are in position to hit cutouts, we discussed and worked that area several times, but it has gotta work here.” Each bout filled the arena with hope — even after the team result was decided — that the individual wrestlers could earn themselves a major victory over top ranked opponents. But Penn State never faltered. Overall the Nittany Lions outwrestled Michigan. Their hand fighting was stronger, their shot defense was better and their finishes were cleaner. Their wrestlers consistently found ways to get their hands raised in matches that felt like fifty-fifty tossups. Of the five matches the Wolverines lost to end the night, none was decided by more than three points. “There’s just some basic basic skill level, fundamental wrestling, that we’ve got to clean up,” Bormet said. “I think tonight put the magnifying glass on a few of those areas, the handfights, cleaning up the bottom, and hand control.

At Indiana, Caleb Houstan’s role is finally realized SPENCER RAINES

Daily Sports Writer

BLOOMINGTON — It’s how it was supposed to happen, right? A raucous sea of red erupting after a made bucket, a crowd waiting for someone — anyone — to make a mistake, or to at least miss a shot, and let its beloved Hoosiers back into the game. The crowd never got that moment. Instead, it got crowdsilencing threes from Caleb Houstan. In a game that Michigan needed to win, the talented freshman stepped up time and time again, just as he did in Tuesday’s win over Maryland, to help lead his team to its best victory of the season. When Houstan was asked postgame to break down his recent shooting form, he didn’t need to say much: “I mean, it always feels good to make shots,” Houstan said. “I think I’m in a really good place right now.” He hasn’t always had that feeling, though. Yet, he still remained in the g ym, putting shots up, holding firmly onto his confidence. “He hasn’t changed,” associate head coach Phil Martelli said on Jan. 17, a day before Houstan first snapped his major shooting slump. “He’s still a young guy that… gets a lot of shots up. He works on his game.” But it was always going to take more than just working on his game during a cold streak. More than practice shots. Eventually Houstan was

has grown into it. Lately, the 19-year-old sharpshooter is no longer passing up driving lanes or bricking wide-open threes, and while there is still the occasional missed shot, those are now diluted by confident swishes. There’s no way of knowing if EMMA MATI/Daily this run will sustain itself. But, if it does, there is also no tellFreshman wing Caleb Houstan’s offensive ing what the Wolverines’ ceildominance at Indiana showed his imporing will look like. A team that tance in Michigan’s lineup. has a dominant paint presence going to have to play like he paired with outside shooters did Sunday, when the home that will drain shots? Tough to crowd had to hold its breath match up with. That’s what Houstan was every time he had the ball in his hands. When that happens, always supposed to be for the Wolverines are a different Michigan. A wing that provides a consistent outside team. threat, someone who the A more dangerous team. The Hoosiers felt that first- opposing team always has to hand today to the tune of 19 chase around because if they points on 5-of-7 shooting from give him an open look, forget beyond the arc for Houstan. He about it. So, when the game was was a killer. He played like the five-star prospect he came in already well past decided and as, like Michigan’s best recruit Houstan caught another pass on the wing, what happened of the millennia. Houstan is one of the rea- next should come as no sursons that the Wolverines came prise. His fifth and final three, a in with sky-high expectations and why they cratered. When cherry on top of his best game he struggled, so too did Michi- of the season in the Wolvergan. But, now that he’s playing ines’ best win of the season. like this, momentum is start- The statement made was a loud one, and while that was lost on ing to gather. “I just admire being around most of the fans who had either a guy like Caleb,” Michigan left or were making their way coach Juwan Howard said. “I toward the exits, it wasn’t lost see so much growth in him, on Howard: “He’s always been rock game after game.” While Houstan wasn’t quite solid, every time, all the time,” ready for the burden that was Howard said. “To come in and laid upon him at first — a start- practice, getting his work in, ing role on an expected nation- watching film, learning the al championship contender, game and staying dialed in coming in fresh with tremen- mentally. “It’s beautiful.” dous expectations of filling a gaping perimeter void — he

Holman, Women’s track team lead the day at Michigan Invitational DAVID WOELKERS

Daily Sports Writer

Coming off a victory in its first scored meet of the season, the Michigan track and field team returned to their home track for a third-straight weekend, hosting a field of 16 colleges and dozens of unattached individual athletes for the Michigan Invitational. Though the event was not scored team-wise, the individual competition was fierce, with everything from meet records to international benchmarks being set at Saturday’s meet. Ultimately it was the women’s track team that had its members shine brightest for the Wolverines, winning five of its

nine events. “Our women’s program in general is pretty darn strong right now,” Michigan coach Kevin Sullivan said. “We can compete with anyone in the conference. Potential can be a dangerous word, but they have lots of it.” Michigan got off to an explosive start in the meet, as sophomore Aasia Laurencin and freshman BreeAna Bates posted convincing victories in the women’s 60-meter dash and women’s 60-meter hurdles respectively. It was sophomore Ziyah Holman’s performance in the women’s 600-meters that generated the most buzz among the crowd, however, as Holman and freshman Savannah Sutherland dueled it out entering the final turn. With a final push, Holman both won

the event, and posted a facility record in the event with a 1:29.26 time — just one one-hundredth of a second faster than the previous record. “I’m glad I could do the least and win my race, getting the record is an extra thing,” Holman said. “I always feel more comfortable on this track, and it helps me get in the right mindset for travel meets.” On the men’s side, the Wolverines’ two victories of the day came in the 600 and 800-meter dashes. In the 800-meter, senior Derrick Simmons finished half a second faster than the next best runner, while in the 600-meter sophomore Dubem Amene posted a meet record time on the route to victory. Dubem wasn’t the only Amene

to win on the day however — his sister, senior Chika Amene, posted a victory in the women’s 400meter dash. “My sister brought me into track,” Dubem said. “She doesn’t understand how much she motivates me. She started it for both of us, and I want to get to her level before I’m done.” With the end of the Michigan Invitational, the team now enters a significant road stretch, with just one of their remaining six regular season meets being hosted in Ann Arbor. Sullivan, however, is focused on a different perspective. TESS CROWLEY/Daily “We have quite a few athletes, particularly on the men’s side, that will be returning after this The Michigan track and field team competed in its third meet of the season, weekend, so we’re excited to get with the women taking home multiple titles. some depth.”

S P O R T S W E D N E S D AY

inB in Bloom Michigan shines in statement win over Indiana JOSH TAUBMAN Daily Sports Editor

LOOMINGTON — Capitalizing on momentum has been a difficult task for the Michigan men’s basketball team all season. On the heels of a blowout win against Maryland, the Wolverines looked to finally build some by going on the road and defeating an upstart Hwoosiers team to grab their first quadrant one win. Michigan (9-7 overall, 3-3 Big Ten) did just that, defeating Indiana (14-5, 5-4), 80-62, on Sunday afternoon. Showing a g usto on both ends of the f loor that it had lacked most of the year, the Wolverines got off to a hot start in both halves to fuel the victory. “We were trying to build momentum because we needed it, especially coming into this stretch,” sophomore center Hunter Dickinson said. “We knew that the stretch coming up was very important for us. We were playing for our season.” Michigan came out playing like its life was on the line and blitzed Indiana in the early going thanks to a barrage of 3-pointers. A shot that has been a point of weakness for the Wolverines most of the season suddenly became its biggest weapon. Indiana collapsed towards the paint to try and stop interior looks, leaving shooters wide open on the perimeter. Michigan started the game 5-of-6 from deep, including two from freshman forward Caleb Houstan, who had made three from deep against the Terrapins after just two in his previous five games. The offense was getting every look it wanted and raced out to a 29-13 lead. “I think g uys are just finally hitting shots that weren’t going in the beginning of the season,” Dickinson said. “I think (those were) shots that we were hitting last year that led to our success and it’s carrying over now to wins for us this year.” Indiana, on the other hand, had been especially lackluster from the 3-point line, shooting just 34.3% on the year — and the Wolverines looked to take advantage. They often f lashed a zone, but the Hoosiers could not take advantage of the open looks. Indiana went just 1-of-8 on 3-pointers in the half.

Late in the half, though, the Hooisers began to show some signs of life. They were persistent with their drives to the basket and back-to-back and-one makes from forward Trayce Jackson-Davis fueled a 9-0 run to cut into Michigan’s lead. When the halftime buzzer sounded, the Wolverines led just 38-30. While the hot start had seemingly faded for most of the team, the saving grace for Michigan — surprisingly — was sophomore forward Terrance Williams II. Williams had shot just 3-of-12 over his last five games but went a perfect 4-for-4 from the field for 10 points and prevented Indiana from doing further damage. “I just wanted to provide something off the bench along with my energy and effort,” Williams said. “Today that just so happened to be scoring.” In the second half, the rest of the Wolverines’ lineup rediscovered its early mojo. Just under 90 seconds in, fifth year guard DeVante’ Jones laid in a bucket for the and-one off the fast break. Houstan splashed a three the next possession and the lead ballooned back up to 14. “It’s great when you see the ball go through the net,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said. “It definitely builds confidence for the players and it also helps on the road and the ball goes to the net because it takes some of the energy out of the crowd.” After a sporadic stretch over the next several minutes that saw both teams go cold from the field, Houstan was once again there to bail the Wolverines out. He drained a three from the left corner to make it a 58-45 ballgame with just under 11 minutes to play. Houstan shot the ball with the confidence that had made him a highly touted shooter coming into the year, finishing with 19 points and going 5-for-7 from beyond the arc. The team as a whole fed off this energy, shooting 11-for-17 from deep. Every time Indiana made a basket to give the crowd life, Michigan responded to sit them back down. As time trickled down, the Wolverines nursed a double digit lead that had grown to 16 with six minutes to go. Dickinson led the way, making threes and drawing and-ones that garnered celebrations with continually growing enthusiasm. “I think we had a few runs in the game,” Jackson-Davis said. “But every time we got close, they would pull away.” With 1:15 to go, Houstan drained an elbow three, putting an emphatic exclamation point on a resounding road victory for Michigan that it dominated from the start. “They’re getting better and better each and every game,” Howard said. “I just see that from what we have from the disposition at practice, I’m not surprised that our team played well today.”

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