ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Thursday, February 25, 2016
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After change in law, stem cell research sees growth
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Kate Fawcett, licensed clinical social worker at the Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program at Mott Children’s Hospital, speaks at Let’s Talk About Eating Disorders Panel in the Michigan Union on Wednesday.
Panel on eating disorders emphasizes taking action Stratagies and long-term solutions discussed at Active Minds event
on eating disorders, hosted by campus mental health organization Active Mind. The panel is one of six events the organization is holding in conjunction with Project Heal, a nonprofit established to provide treatment scholarships for those with eating disorders, for National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. During the event, Kate Fawcett, a program social worker and therapist at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Eating Disorders Program, stressed the
By NISA KHAN For the Daily
About 20 people gathered in the Michigan Union Wednesday evening to participate in a dialogue
importance of interventions. Most people who suffer from eating disorders will not readily recognize or admit the problem, so friends who are aware should be ready to help, she said. “The eating disorder comes in and eclipses your life,” she said, noting that she had battled an eating disorder herself for years. “Food, eating, exercise, weight, body management — the eating disorder speaks on your behalf.” She asked students to
acknowledge and respond to warning signs, such as someone becoming more withdrawn, less social at events that involve food, skipping meals, or engaging in unhealthy habits. “If someone is really in danger, you owe it to them to help them get some help,” she said. Student organizers also presented findings from a recent U-SHAPE survey, which garnered statistics specific to eating disorders See PANEL, Page 3A
Over past eight years, University researchers make progress in field By ALEXA ST. JOHN Daily Staff Reporter
With the aim of treating conditions such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s and some types of cancers, the University of Michigan’s stem cell research program has advanced exponentially over the past eight years, making it a state leader in the area. The growth follows the passage of a controversial 2008 state proposal, Proposal 2, which allowed the use of human embryos for stem cell research under certain conditions. The proposal has prompted a huge spike at the University in research projects and funding for stem cells — an area of study that today, researchers say, remains with opportunities to grow, but also still faces some
DETROIT
CITY
Sickouts, debt and underfunding prevalent at DPS Teachers, ‘U’ students discuss continuing issues in district By ISOBEL FUTTER Daily Staff Reporter
LSA junior Maura Drabik was walking through Festifall during her sophomore year when she came across a table advertising the Detroit Partnership Program. Drabik stopped — she had taught a religious education class in high school and knew she wanted to work with children in some way. The Detroit Partnership is a student-run organization that aims to foster partnerships between the University of Michigan and Detroit. Many of the program’s volunteers are placed in Detroit Public Schools’ elementary schools to help teachers by grading papers, working with students and supervising the class. Drabik quickly joined the
organization and was placed in Bennett Elementary school, located in southwest Detroit. Since then, she has been working in a third grade classroom. “A lot of the time I’m just there to take the load off (the teacher),” she said. “I’ll grade papers, I’ll work with them on art projects, sometimes I’ll help them with their individual work.” Drabik has been paired with the same teacher for two years and has watched the classroom change as the city, and the public school system, have struggled to cope with debt. Detroit Public Schools is nearing $3.5 billion in debt, according to a report released by the Citizens Research Council of Michigan early January, and many building and teaching conditions are falling far below the state average. Of the $7,400 allocated per student per year in Detroit, over $1,100 per student is being spent to service debt in the city school system rather than heading See DPS, Page 2A
controversy on campus and beyond. What a stem cell does: To understand what stem cell research means for the University, it’s first important to understand what it is. Stem cells are cells that have the capacity to produce different kinds of cells in a given tissue as well as make copies of themselves — making them uniquely useful in research. Ivan Maillard, associate professor of cell and developmental biology, is one of several at the University who utilizes stem cells in research. Maillard’s research focuses on blood-forming stem cells — cells that create other cells in the blood system and allow for normal production of blood cells. Blood-forming stem cells are adult stem cells typically retrieved out of individual tissues. “(Stem cells) have the potential to be used themselves as a treatment for patients,” Maillard said. “The only ones that are actually routinely used as a treatment for patients are the blood-forming stem cells. The other types of stem See RESEARCH, Page 3A
New plans for light rail transit in A2 announced Government partners, University give first updates on project since 2013 By CAMY METWALLY Daily Staff Reporter AVA RANDA/Daily
Kristin Bhaumik, assistant director for Special Programs at the University of Michigan Office of Financial Aid, discusses how students can better manage their money in the Michigan Union on Wednesday.
Financial literacy forum advises students on debt management CSG aims to launch series of events on topic for students By DESIREE CHEW Daily Staff Reporter
Student financial literacy was the focus of a talk sponsored by the University of Michigan Central Student Government and the Office of Financial Aid
Wednesday. LSA sophomore Grant Strobl, chair for CSG government relations, said the body hoped the event would help UM students be more financially independent. “It is our first attempt to have a large-scale event,” Strobl said. “(It) is part of the CSG initiative to bring in the focus on what college students hold near and dear, and that is the price of college. (Financial literacy) is something that we might be carrying with us
some time after we graduate.” He also noted that the financial aid office found many students struggled with debt, which suggested that financial literacy might be something that would aid the student body. “One of the reasons why students might have a hard time paying back their loans is that they don’t know how to manage their personal finances,” he said. Kristen Bhaumik, president See FINANCES, Page 3A
Multiple Ann Arbor institutions are banding together to bring a monorail to the city. Officials from the city of Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority and the Downtown Development Authority gathered at the Michigan Union Wednesday for a press conference on the Ann Arbor Connector, a project that has not announced any new developments since 2013. The project is envisioned as a light rail transit system that will connect students and residents to busy city centers. Phase one of the Connector is slated to run through downtown, Central Campus, North Campus and the Medical Center, while phase two would focus on connecting the southern areas of See TRANSIT, Page 3A
Youtube Fame From h3h3 to Alex Day, the B-side looks at the highs and lows of Youtube
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2A — Thursday, February 25, 2016
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ON THE DAILY The cold temperatures weren’t the only thing freezing the diag today. The sixth annual Diag Freeze took place today, from 11:32 a.m. to 11:37 a.m. Participants were asked to come to the diag and set two alarms on their phones, one for 11:32 and one for 11:37. When the first alarm buzzes, they must freeze like statues in a position of their choosing. Then, when the second alarm buzzes, they are to unfreeze and carry on as if nothing happened. This event is put on every year by DoRAK at the University of
Michigan. The students organizing this event hoped that it would be bigger and better than in years past. “This year we’re looking for more people, more creative poses, and a great time all around. It takes YOU to make this the best FREEZE this campus, or any campus, has ever seen!” reads a post on the event’s Facebook page. Colleen Doran, a sophomore studying dental hygiene, attended the Diag Freeze with four of her friends. She said she admired the creativity of the event and appreciated how different people
expressed their individuality. “It was cool!” she said. “A lot of people had good ideas such as the light sabers, building a snowman, etc. We were wishing we got more creative. It would’ve been nice for a bigger turnout but I think the snow may have deterred people. But students were taking videos and smiling which is nice especially around midterms.” According to the Facebook page, 73 people were planning to attend the Diag Freeze, with an additional 278 interested in the event. -MARLEE BREAKSTONE
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Gendered Robots WHAT: A lecture about the socio-cultural implications of gender. The speaker will address te question: Why are robots gendered? WHO: Jennifer Robertson WHEN: 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Lurie Robert H. Engin. Ctr. - Third Floor
mances from students from the School of Music, Theatre & Dance. They will perform pieces by Bruch, Bach, Paganini and Mozart. WHO: U-M String Students, Presented by Gifts of Art WHEN: 12:10 p.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: University Hospitals Main Lobby
DPS From Page 1A into the classroom. “It’s a really, really tough environment,” Drabik said. “Three or four of the students in the classroom I work in should’ve been held back, but they didn’t have the money to support that. You come into this classroom and there are kids at such different levels.” That disparity in ability, she added, is often extreme. “Some kids can’t even read,” she said. “I had one kid that just moved from Mexico, should not have been in the third grade classroom, does not speak a word of English.” Drabik said her school, however, has fared well compared to others in the area. Some schools have reported rodents running around the classrooms, cockroaches, ceilings falling down and water leakages. Conditions like those, that Drabik and many other involved with the school system have
narratives of Detroit, taking into account the history of the city. Free bus transportation will be provided for this class via the MDetroit Connector Bus. WHO: Semester in Detroit WHEN: 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. WHERE: Cass Corridor Commons, 4605 Cass Avenue, Detroit
noted, didn’t form overnight. For many, the deterioration is largely tied to the district’s now-crippling accumulation of debt, which has resulted in a number of efforts to reduce costs and boost the struggling district over the years. In October 2015, Gov. Rick Snyder announced his overhaul of DPS. The initiative aimed to create a new school system, transition the board and students to the new school district and require the existing district to pay off its debt. The overhaul is estimated to cost the state $715 million dollars by its completion, or about $70 million dollars a year for the next 10 years. Synder’s plan garnered negative reactions from multiple units within DPS. Beginning in November, seven instructional days were cancelled in select schools shortly after Snyder’s announcement. The reason: too many teachers called in sick and refused to come to work. These types of protests, called a “sickout,” were in direct response to the building
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class by Nevermind, a young ensemble specializing in ancient music, comprised of four musicians from the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique de Paris. WHO: Nevermind WHEN: 5 p.m. WHERE: Walgreen Drama Center - Stamps Auditorium
Sang-Yong Mochas & Detroiters Nam Memorial Speak Masterpieces WHAT: A session to reflect in WHAT: Instructors from Lecture the different perspectives and the Ann Arbor Art Center WHAT: Listen to an ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States speak about a security alliance. WHO: Ho-Young Ahn WHEN: 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League - Vandenberg Room
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conditions, pay cuts — teachers have faced multiple cuts over the last five years, including 10 percent cuts in both 2011 and 2014 — and Snyder’s plans. Drabik, who only volunteers on Friday afternoons, said though none of the sickouts were on a Friday, her school, Bennett Elementary was one of the many schools affected by the sickouts. She added that though she was not directly impacted by the protest, she was saddened by the worsening conditions at the school. “It worries me to see these teachers taking sick days,” Drabik said. “These students need to be in school, they need to be there.” On Jan. 19, 2016, following the most recent sickouts, Snyder called on legislature to relieve the school district of $515 million of its debt. He said by April, DPS was in danger of running out of money. For teachers, students and others invested in DPS, the problems Snyder has identified aren’t new, and stretch back much further than that January call to action or the sickouts, back through the past decades of the district’s history. A teacher working for Detroit Public Schools, who requested anonymity due to fear of losing his job, said the conditions within his school have declined drastically over the decade he has worked for the district. He said his school participated in one of the district-wide sickouts in protest of the pay cuts and conditions of other schools. “We didn’t want to get our principal in trouble for having a sickout, but we wanted to call attention to everything else and those people who have these chronic problems with lack of textbooks, lack of supplies and deterioration of buildings,” he said. The teacher said his students don’t get a recess during the day due to understaffing. Instead, they have lunch in the cafeteria and have 20 minutes to play in the gym. “Usually it’s chaos because you have so many children in there and there’s only one or
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
President Obama said it would be challenging for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to give reason for his decision not to consider a Supreme Court nominee without appearing to be motivated by politics, according to CNN.
2
In today’s B-Side, Natalie Zak grapples with the dark side of her once-favorite YouTube stars, and Jacob Rich chronicles how one chachannel is improving the platform.
>>SEE B-SIDE, PAGE 1B
3
Texas courts dismissed charges against former Gov. Rick Perry, who was being accused of abuse of power, according to The New York Times. He was the first Texas governor in about 100 years to face criminal charges of any kind.
two adults so it’s easier for them to have the kids sit in lines than it is for them to play,” the teacher said. A lack of recess or recreational time is not abnormal for DPS students. According to the teacher, students are often given time inside a gym or a walk around the building in replacement. He said he loves teaching and considers being in the classroom a passion of his, but he worries for the future of his students and others at DPS. “My fear is that students aren’t going to get that good of an education,” he said. “My own children get a great education in another district. The kids in Detroit are just as smart, but they have a bad (reputation). The schools aren’t that great. The teachers are good, but they don’t have the other stuff. The last 10 years I’ve taught, none of my children have had art, music or gym. The children get computers two times a week.” Overall, the numbers bear the teacher’s concern out — DPS falls far below national averages on many metrics of student performance. According to the National Assessment of Educational Progress, Detroit students rank last in all U.S. cities. Most notably, only 27 percent of fourth graders in the NEAP were found to be proficient in reading and only 36 percent proficient in math. The DPS teacher said working every day against the harsh conditions and seeing numbers like that dishearten teachers in Detroit. “It’s hard for Detroit teachers, seeing that we tap out our salaries at $55,000,” he said. “Out of that we have to pay 1.25 percent to the city of Detroit, we have other things that come out. A Utica teacher makes almost $90,000, a Farmington teacher makes $82,000, Walled Lake makes $88,000. It’s difficult to say that we are so poor and Detroit teachers are the ones who are bankrupting the district, when we make $20,000 less than suburban schools. We constantly see how we’re failing.”
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At the University, which has multiple partnerships, programs and internships in Detroit for students, some linked to teaching, the overall impact of the current climate has been mixed. Elizabeth Moje, associate dean for research and community engagement for the School of Education, said the University hasn’t had many problems with the sickouts affecting interns. However, she said allowing interns to experience these conditions is a learning opportunity for students in the School of Education. “It’s really had quite a minimal direct effect on their experience,” Moje said. “We’re able to discuss the action both of the district and of the teachers as a teaching moment. It becomes a conversation with our interns about both the challenges and conditions that they might face and the decisions that teachers often have to make about how they’re going to work within those challenges and conditions.” For some students, the impact is more personal. LSA junior Micah Griggs, who graduated from DPS Renaissance High School before enrolling at the University, said she thought the conditions in her old school were unacceptable. “It’s really unfortunate that some of the schools have mold and a lack of supplies,” Griggs said. “That’s not conducive to learning at all so it’s unfortunate, students can’t go to those schools. Teachers have to have a sickout because they’re beginning to protest about the state. It’s not as if (just) the power went out. There’s rodents, there’s mold on the walls, there’s no heat.” Griggs said she was fortunate to have attended one of DPS’ newer schools, so there was little decay or deterioration at the time. Renaissance High School, however,closed on multiple occasions for sickouts in January. “It makes me feel as if the students are abandoned,” Griggs said. “I really think that education is so important and
it’s key to a lot of success. It’s just being ripped away from them.” Griggs’s siblings currently attend a private school in Detroit. Her brother will be starting Renaissance High School in the fall, and she said she worries about the quality of education he could receive. “I’m concerned about the substance of programs for him,” Griggs said. “I’m hoping that the band, dance and arts aren’t cut. Those things are important for a holistic education.” She added that it’s important for University students to know what is happening in Detroit, Ann Arbor’s neighboring city. “A lot of people don’t know. Just being aware that these things happen — and they happen because we don’t have funding and our funding is used for other sectors.” She said. “This is our neighboring city 30 minutes away.” LSA junior Tishanna Taylor, a DPS Renaissance High School alum, echoed Griggs’ concerns. Taylor’s mother was a teacher at DPS and moved out of the district because of the conditions. “It’s sad to see that teachers are not getting as much recognition they deserve,” Taylor said. “They do such hard work for those who do quality work and they care for their students. To not get compensated appropriately is kind of sad and they resort to leaving the district that they want to help.” She said she hopes people don’t give up on DPS and the many assets and capabilities it still has. “Right now, it just looks very bad with the schools and sickouts and the showcasing of the buildings, things like that,” she said. “I guess sometimes throughout that, we lose sight of what’s important, which is the education for the children.” She said the future of DPS lies in the hands of more than just the people on top. “People should just pay attention or even try to learn more, or watch and see what’s happening with the school system,” Taylor said. “It’s more than just the administration that has to be changed.”
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TRANSIT From Page 1A Ann Arbor to the Ross Athletic Campus and Briarwood area. The project will cost approximately $500 million to $700 million, and add an additional 8 percent increase in annual operating costs systemwide — to both the Ann Arbor area transit system and the University. The exact breakdown of funding and sources has not yet been determined. However, similar projects in the past have seen a combination of federal, state and University funding along with public and private partnerships. Currently, the University transportation system and the AAATA serve over 30,000 daily passengers. Compared to a standard bus, the Connector is estimated to run about 43 percent faster and increase capacity by approximately 52 percent. During Wednesday’s press conference, Steve Dolen, University executive director of parking and transportation services, highlighted the impact of forecasted growth in ridership in the community. The current high levels of demand means the established transportation is already operating at full capacity, he said. “Our current systems are stressed to meet that demand efficiently, reliably and conveniently,” Dolen said. “This advanced system will not only help us with today’s capacity issues, but it also sets us up for the future.” Officials also stressed several other expected benefits of the proposal, saying riders can expect greater travel time reliability because the Connector will not be at the mercy of traffic, instead benefiting from a dedicated lane. Additionally, the project hopes to use 100 percent alternative and renewable energy, largely focusing on local sources of hydroelectric power. The project is still in the
RESEARCH From Page 1A cells have the potential to be useful in other conditions, especially conditions where the organs become damaged by disease or other conditions and ideally, you would need to replace the cells in the damaged organ by new cells. You can consider using stem cells as a way to do that in the future.” Along with helping develop treatments, stem cells have also been used to provide information about human biology and replace cells in a damaged organ. There are several different types of stem cells —adult stem cells are found in individual tissues as stem cells that have already chosen which type of cell to become. Embryonic stem cells, on the other hand, are found in the embryo only at early stages, when the embryo consists of just a few cells. Usually, to be used for research, embryonic stem cells are kept at this young state to prevent them from growing into adult cells, according to MStem Laboratories, the center for stem cell research at the University. Gary Smith, the director of the MStem Cell Laboratories, said his lab primarily focuses on making human embryonic stem cells for single-gene disorders, such as muscular dystrophy. “What we do is make the embryonic stem cell line from the embryo, grow it, characterize it, and then with documentation, we submit them to the National Institute of Health,” Smith said. “They review all of the documentation and then accept them — every line we’ve made has been accepted on the NIH registry … any researcher in the country can get the stem cell lines from the University of Michigan and work on them with federal funds.” The cells are typically derived from fertilized embryos of couples who created them for reproductive purposes yet no longer need them. The embryos are either discarded as medical waste or donated with consent for research needs. Maillard said the potential to help the patients he interacts with on a daily basis motivates his research, which often uses stem cells for bone marrow transplants as an effective treatment in many cases. “I work with these patients,” Maillard said. “I see them in the clinic and I see their problems. I
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early planning stages, and the implementation process could take anywhere from six to 12 years according to a press release. Planners described the project as being in a phase of exploring alternative transportation strategies. Once the project clears that phase and is approved, it will then begin with a 24-month environmental review and preliminary engineering phase, followed by the final design stage. The construction and testing will take about an additional 24 to 36 months. According to Dolen, the University is slated to play a large role in the implementation and funding of the environmental review phase. The current phase is being led by the AAATA. “The intention is that the University will lead the next phase of the project, but it’s still the same collaborative effort that we’ve had going forward,” he said. In 2011, the University and the city collaborated with AAATA and the AADA to fund a study investigating the feasibility of such a transit system. Eli Cooper, city transportation program manager, said Wednesday that the study explored various available technologies, travel patterns and community growth, but it did not delve into the more logistical details, such as location or technology, which is what planners are currently exploring. He said once the city realized the system was a feasible concept, it was no longer just a vision. The Ride then took over for the alternative analysis stage because a transportation agency was best suited to lead this phase. “This is nearing the level of the initial vision statement in the context of there is and should be a level of excitement and enthusiasm that this vision is becoming more real on a day-to-day basis,” Cooper said. “This is a moment in time to reflect on advancing through the alternatives analysis and having a recommendation to carry and allow us to move forward.”
Alternatives analysis study are considered best practice by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Matt Carpenter, CEO of The Ride, said the study is the entryway for federal funding and requires the evaluation of the technical merits associated with different routes. In this case, the light rail option has been deemed the most cost effective. “The alternatives analysis confirms the win-win opportunity for a study like this to create an asset that can be used by everyone and anyone in the community,” Carpenter said. “That helps us accommodate the growing interest in this growing community and provides a faster, more reliable and more comfortable means of travel.” Dolen noted that because Connector ridership numbers are largely driven by University activity related to health care, employment, academics, research and visitors, the project should be well poised to compete for federal funds. Before the lengthy implementation process can begin, the proposal must be approved. In the meantime, the long-term project is seeking public support and opinions. On March 24, a public engagement event will take place at the Ann Arbor District Library or Detroit Public Library Main Branch from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and another from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Traverwood Branch. University planner Sue Gott said the goal is to gather feedback and ideas from the public about some of the more specific details associated with the plan. “Part of what we hope the community input will help contribute both in terms of the refinement of the alignment and also the design of the product that’s used,” Gott said. “It’s important that we remain openminded about the possibilities so that as we continue to move forward, we’re very inclusive of good ideas, of the most advanced technology.”
see the ones that we can help, and I also see the limitations of the field. I see the patients that we are not able to help enough and I want to be part of the solutions that we’re going to bring to these patients.” State proposal on stem cell research The Michigan Stem Cell Amendment, more commonly known as Proposal 2, was passed by the state’s electorate in 2008. It expanded use of human embryos in research so long as the embryos were created for the purposes of conceiving children and were not suitable for implantation or would be otherwise discarded unless used for research. The proposal also required that donations were made from consenting couples who voluntarily sought out fertility treatment. Following the passage of this legislation, the University announced the opening of the A. Alfred Taubman Medical Research Institute Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies in 2009. The institute was intended to facilitate the development of new stem cell lines. At the same time, President Barack Obama issued an executive order lifting restrictions placed on embryonic stem cell research by former President George Bush. In 2015 alone, the National Institutes of Health gave $445 million in grants for human nonembryonic stem cell research nationally. The NIH also funded $180 million in human embryonic stem cell research last year. According to the organization’s spending report, nearly $4.2 million out of that total went to the University. The University was able to develop the state’s first human embryonic stem cell line, or group of stem cells cultured in vitro, in 2010 through the Consortium for Stem Cell Therapies. In 2012, it was announced that the University’s first human embryonic stem cell line would be added to the National Institutes of Health’s national registry. Maillard noted that while he does not directly work with embryonic stem cells, he thought 2008’s Proposal 2 affected the stem cell research field as a whole. “(Proposal 2) has expanded the potential of researchers at the University to derive new lines of embryonic stem cells for research purposes,” Maillard said. “It has ensured that this remains something that was possible in Michigan in general and at
the University of Michigan in particular.” However, there is also still significant controversy surrounding the research. There are many groups opposed to stem cell research, such as Concerned Women for America, a national interest group that has decried federal and state measures to make the research legal. Because the group believes that life begins at conception, they see research like that performed at the University destructive to human life. At the University itself, there is also dissent from parts of the student body. LSA junior Rachel Crawford, vice president of Students for Life, said the organization only supports adult stem cell research. “We do oppose all embryonic stem cell research because it destroys that human embryo,” Crawford said. “In order to procure any kind of stem cells from an embryo you have to destroy it.” Crawford said many believe a moral question remains as to whether it should be permissible to create the excess human embryos to begin with, due to the fact that genetically mutated embryos, sometimes donated for research, often have to be discarded. “In the past years, adult stem cells have been used to treat more than 70 conditions but never had a condition treated by using embryonic stem cells yet,” Crawford said. “A lot of the strains that they create from them often have to be discarded because of genetic mutation.” Maillard said from a scientific perspective, the research is justified in using embryos that otherwise would have been discarded. “The reality is that there is not a single embryo that is used for research unless it has already been decided that it would be otherwise discarded,” Maillard said. “All the embryos that are used in research would otherwise be discarded as medical waste.” Jason Spence, assistant professor of cell and developmental biology, works with both embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells. Induced pluripotent stem cells, or IPs, are grown in a dish and potentially have the ability to become any human tissue. Read more online at michigandaily.com
PANEL From Page 1A at the University, during the event. Approximately 27.8 percent of female undergraduates, 11.8 percent of male undergraduates, 21.5 percent of female graduate students and 10.3 percent of male graduate students who responded to the survey screened positive for an eating disorder. The survey also showed that treatment levels remain low: 82 percent of women and 96 percent of men who screened positive did not seek treatment. As well, even in the absence of a diagnosable eating disorder, many respondents suffered from body image, self-confidence and self-worth issues. Along with their presentation, the group also held an open dialogue session with three panelists. In response to a question about how eating disorders affect different genders, age groups and identities, Stephanie Koenig, leader and founder of Project Heal southeast Michigan’s chapter, affirmed that anyone can be vulnerable to suffering an eating disorder. “Eating disorders can affect anybody, regardless of age and gender,” she said. “The fact that people have better access to treatment can skew statistics. Some are also less likely to seek treatment because of stigma, shame and cultural factors.” On campus, the U-SHAPE survey noted prevalence of both stigma and perceived stigma surrounding eating
FINANCE From Page 1A of the Student Financial Aid Association, was the main speaker for the event. Bhaumik is also a staff member in the University’s Financial Aid office, and teaches a class on the topic, UC 170. Bhaumik started the seminar with a clarification on the definition of financial literacy. “I think financial education is really about being savvy,” she said. “You have to be educated but take it to the next level. Start to become strategic. Start to become mindful of the choices you make because that’s the whole point of being savvy.” Bhaumik said first steps for students are organizing the reality of their spending, their financial state and setting reasonable financial goals, reminding students to organize before budgeting and saving.
Thursday, February 25, 2016 — 3A disorders. More than 60 percent of students surveyed said they thought peers would think less of them if they had an eating disorder; 30 percent said they would think less of peer with an eating disorder. Fawcett also pointed to the potentially devastating effects of an eating disorder on the body. “In our center, we teach how eating disorders affects the three Bs: brains, bones and baby. Bones: people with eating disorders are at risk of low bone density and osteoporosis. A woman who is malnourished for a long time might not be able to have a baby. Finally, the brain shrinks and loses gray and white matter when the body is malnourished.” While these health effects can be mitigated with early treatment, some might ultimately be irreversible, Fawcett added. All three panelists agreed that starting a conversation with a friend whom you suspect has an eating disorder is difficult but necessary. Engineering sophomore Maggie Hafers, a panelist, pointed out the importance of discerning the meaning behind each response and taking follow-up action. “A super defensive reaction is a huge red flag. Don’t stop there. Don’t let the person convince you that what they do is normal,” Hafers said. Fawcett suggested a gentle, kind and direct approach when reaching out to someone you suspect has an eating disorder. Koenig also addressed the need to be sensitive in choice of comments and language. “Saying things like, ‘I ate, then
went home to do crunches so I could eat more’ — that could set someone else who already has disordered thinking off on a slippery slope.” Hafers said supportive friendships were key to her own decision to seek treatment and recover from an eating disorder that had affected her since sophomore year of high school. “As a friend, you can create a supportive, inclusive and blame-free environment,” she said. “My best friend accompanied me to my first appointment on campus, and came with me for subsequent therapy sessions.” The panel also pointed to available resources like the online toolkit provided by the National Eating Disorder Association. On campus, students can seek help from the UM Counseling and Psychological Services. Though acknowledging the difficulties inherent in overcoming eating disorders, the panel stressed that a complete recovery is possible. “There is a commonly held belief that recovery from eating disorders isn’t possible — once you get it you are always going to have it. I saw therapists and doctors who told me that,” Koenig said. “Project Heal believes that full recovery, both physical and mental, is possible. It is possible, I have reached that point.” LSA freshman Emma Kuske said she decided to attend the panel because of the many people in her social circle who suffer from eating disorders or have family histories of the disorder.
“We usually get this wrong,” Bhaumik said. “Many of us are taught: save, save, save. I put 10 percent of my paycheck into my savings account, every paycheck, but I take $100 out a week later. That’s not saving, that’s bad budgeting.” Other topics covered including knowing the specifics of your spending and the importance of renter’s insurance. The seminar also discussed credit, which Bhaumik called a “measure of your trustworthiness.” “A lot of people are looking at that credit report,” she said, explaining that landlords and employers look at credit to evaluate the timeliness of one’s payments and financial awareness. “Take seriously that payment and debt.” Bhaumik ended the seminar with 10 tips, which included: “Be proactive, not reactive,” “keep records organized” and put a special emphasis on “create a budget and stick with it.”
Strobl said the seminar was just the beginning of a CSG plan to increase finance education on campus. “We are hoping to have a series of events like college affordability, financial literacy,” he said. “We are hoping to have one on paying your taxes, and we are hoping to have a panel with state legislators on how the state of Michigan is trying to make college be much more affordable for students.” Some of the students who attended the seminar, such as LSA senior Michael Garbose, said they were interested in business as a career option or wanted to learn how to support themselves in the future. “I have taken some classes in economics and business in general, and I just wanted some better practical knowledge moving forward,” Garbose said. “I plan to go to business school and get my MBA in the future, and I figured that this could be a good starting point.”
Opinion
4A — Thursday, February 25, 2016
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
BEN KELLER | OP-ED
The curious case of Marco Rubio
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The best revenge is your paper
B
eauty, perseverance and possibility: three adjectives that embody the blend of attendees of the 21st annual Black Solidarity Conference. Over this past Valentine’s Day weekend, more than 400 Black college students representing 50 colleges and universities nationwide networked with one another and participated in small group discussions at Yale University. The series ALEXIS of college uprisings regardFARMER ing race relations over the past few years set the tone for the conference, titled “The Miseducation: Changing History as We Know It.” In anticipation of the conference, I was elated with the idea of being surrounded by young Black people uniting themselves in a space to learn and heal from the ongoing physical, political and economic violence administered against Black bodies. But by the time the conference concluded, I felt slightly underwhelmed by the conversations taking place. Instead of the conference serving as a place for sharing best practices for protesting, creating tangible demands and building cross-campus alliances, our comments largely centered around the growing pains of being Black at a predominately white institution. The barriers to inclusion, diversity and equity of Black university students at predominantly white institutions are obvious flaws in higher education institutions that students can easily rally around. However, the more obscure but ever-present symptom of systemic oppression is the overlap of class and race. The consequences of systemic oppression on race and class have been conjoined as the thesis for Black mobilization, without critical examination of their intersectionality in contemporary Black movements. In consequence, some of the Black university students’ demands for racial justice can be narrow in scope. At the BSC, I could not help but notice that there were no community college students or nontraditional students in attendance. Students at the conference primarily attended elite institutions. In the workshop titled Why Class Matters, the majority of attendees were from professional middle-class families, and a few students were from working-class families. We were able to afford the time and money to spend a weekend at Yale discussing issues pertinent to the Black community. As much as I had anticipated learning protesting strategies from university students at this conference, I realized that the majority of Black social movements across the United States this year were grassroots-organized, and largely led and participated by working-class Black people. Where were their voices in this conversation? The voices of the working-class Black activists who protested in Chicago, Baltimore, Cincinnati and Ferguson. The voices of Detroit community organizers who make time to enact social change in their neighborhoods. The students of BSC were a fusion of activists and academics in the making. Both are necessary for collective movement building. Academics and activists come from a diversity of class statuses; their class backgrounds serve
as examples for building mixed-class coalitions for racial justice. The impact of class on the structural violence that takes place in Black communities underlies the overarching goal of racial justice. Without directly addressing class, how can we accurately and authentically ensure all Black interests contribute to the movement? American historian Henry Louis Gates Jr. said, “The class divide is, in my opinion, one of the most important and overlooked factors in the rise of Black Lives Matter, led by a new generation of college graduates and students.” The Why Class Matters workshop facilitator used Gates’ statement to highlight that African Americans have primarily focused their efforts on fighting racial injustice, so much so that addressing class impacts has been on the peripheral of modern racial justice movements. In my opinion, the class divide within Black America is not overlooked, but collateral to current racial justice demands. After all, racism is inherently intertwined with economic, political and social injustice, and therefore cannot be completely untied to the struggle for racial justice and social equity. Throughout history, Blacks have consistently called for better housing policies, living wage rates, and equal access to quality education and health care. Booker T. Washington beckoned African Americans to concentrate their energy on industrial education and accumulating wealth. The Black Panther Party’s Ten-Point Program demanded tangible policies that tackled economic inequality as a means to obtain racial equity. Today’s racial wealth gap is wider than it was in the 1960s. Economic mobility has always been a priority in Black liberation. Income and wealth divides within Black America have generated a secondary marginalization of lowincome Black people that social movements indirectly address. The Black Lives Matter movement’s guiding principles do not explicitly state economic justice as a platform, but says it could be encompassed in the “Black families,” “Black villages” and “collective value” precepts. The assessment of class impacts on Black movements needs to be more intentional in order to mobilize direct action for racial justice that is inclusive of all Black Americans. The lack of intentional reflection about class explains why class is not overtly included in the framework of current racial movements. How often do we ask ourselves what the strengths and limitations of our class backgrounds are, and examine how our backgrounds inform our approach to racial injustice? How can we be more inclusive in ensuring all class divisions — poor, working class, professional middle class, upper class and even a portion of the “1 percent” — have their voices and interests in conversations around social change? Discussing class is a messy topic. I left that workshop with more questions than answers, but I came to two realizations: 1. Cross-class alliance building is fundamental to securing Black liberation by helping the most marginalized populations and 2. Beyoncé wisely noted that the best revenge is our paper, and Blacks need to ensure everyone has the paper to bring our material and political aspirations to actualization. — Alexis Farmer can be reached at akfarmer@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Claire Bryan, Regan Detwiler, Caitlin Heenan, Jeremy Kaplan, Ben Keller, Minsoo Kim, Payton Luokkala, Kit Maher, Madeline Nowicki, Anna Polumbo-Levy, Jason Rowland, Lauren Schandevel, Melissa Scholke, Kevin Sweitzer, Rebecca Tarnopol, Ashley Tjhung, Stephanie Trierweiler, Hunter Zhao
ANNIE TURPIN
E-mail Annie at asturpin@umich.edu
Landmark resident uses blank loading screen to ease social discomfort.
As he entered the polished warehouse to raucous applause, Sen. Marco Rubio (R–Fla.) stepped up to the stage flanked by signs that read: “End the debt.” If only it was that simple. Curiously, he chose to hold this rally — the same night as the Nevada caucuses — at Lacks Enterprises just outside of Grand Rapids, a seemingly indistinguishable corporate office on an average service road. Maybe because it was home to a private enterprise, a facet of our economy that Rubio described as “the only economic model in the world where you make poor people rich without making rich people poor.” This style of verbose rhetoric made up almost the entirety of his speech. I struggled to tally the number of times he emphasized how this election was “the most important one” of our time. He railed against Democratic candidates Bernie Sanders — whom he described as a “nice guy, here’s the problem: He’s a socialist” — and Hillary Clinton — whom he said was “disqualified” from being president because she “lied to the families of American servicemen,” referencing the Benghazi scandal. He denounced President Obama, and the crowd roared. He detested the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, and pandemonium ensued. Though Rubio has recently been criticized for sticking to a script, he did just that. Nevertheless, his message was clear and concise, though at times he subtly contradicted himself. If he went off track denouncing Democrats, he would immediately flip the script and espouse optimism in statements such as, “When I’m president, I will be the president for all Americans, not just those who voted for me.” In my mind, Rubio’s self-identified pure conservatism is still up for debate. Though on some issues, it’s undeniable. A consistent war hawk in the Senate, Rubio broached the subject of national defense by stating, “My number-one priority is to undertake a Reagan-style rebuild-
I
ing of the military.” To a nation that, after over a decade of constant war, should be weary of military conflict, it’s hard to imagine this message would resonate with the American public at large. But to an increasingly far-right Republican voter base, it is music to frustrated ears. What remains to be seen is how exactly he would go about accomplishing all of what he expresses in his lofty rhetoric. To close a segment on how student loans are extraordinarily burdensome for college graduates, he attempted to reassure the crowd: “We have a plan for that.” When he spoke of numerous foreign policy conundrums, he said currently we have a “symbolic war on terror. I will bring a real war.” What that meant exactly is of critical importance, but at this juncture in the race, there’s no impetus for Rubio to provide specific policies, especially when his chief rival resorts to bigotry and self-aggrandizement as a way of garnering voters (seemingly a great tactic nowadays). Primaries are primaries; candidates will always put on a guise of ideological consistency during this time, when party voters would rather listen to Obama-bashing than images of future compromise. Rubio has been extraordinarily successful to this end. Yet, he has apparently become the one person who can bridge the pragmatism of establishment Republicans with the brash ideologues of the Tea Party faction. Near the end of the rally, a gentleman standing in front of me turned around and said, “He’s doing a great job, isn’t he?” In an effort to appear impartial, I shrugged. However, in my mind I pondered why Rubio wasn’t leading the polls if he constantly performed as he did Tuesday night. He has tremendous appeal, even to more moderate voters. A fresh face, Cuban roots, compassionate conservative foundations, a successful legislative career; just switch out the race and ideology and you have a close copy
of Barack Obama in 2008. The problem for Rubio seems to be an electorate that doesn’t fit with his message. The country is different now, and the current campaign cycle certainly illustrates this point. Gone are the days of “hope and change.” Now, at least in Republican circles, the message has become akin to: “Doom and gloom, but I can fix it.” Rubio’s fleeting optimistic enthusiasm regarding the future may be too late. As Donald Trump’s ascendency becomes reality, it is evident that a candidate’s tone should match voters’ outlook: anger. Rubio has increased this form of bombast, but at this point, he needs to increase his delegate count. The road ahead for Rubio is riddled with obstacles. Upcoming primaries look favorable to Trump, who, with recent victories in New Hampshire, South Carolina and now Nevada, could virtually lock up the nomination with a sweep of Southern states. Moreover, the remaining mainstream candidates continue to nab potential voters from Rubio, namely Gov. John Kasich of Ohio. Thus, don’t be surprised if we start hearing more and more desperation eek from Rubio’s stump speeches as the final hour draws nearer. For the sake of the Republican Party, Rubio should be the nominee. Obviously, he’s not the perfect candidate. His aggressive foreign policy and ultra-conservatism regarding social issues certainly make him less palatable in a general election. It is also disconcerting to hear nothing substantive from him, but again, this isn’t a surprise in today’s Republican primary. But, juxtaposed with the option of Trump or Ted Cruz, there’s no deliberating. If Republicans want to win in November, they should start flocking behind Rubio. Ideally, his disposition will calm during a general election. For now, let’s just hope he gets there. — Ben Keller can be reached at benkeller@umich.edu
Invasion of our idealism
n Michael Moore’s newest film, “Where to Invade Next,” Moore goes on an international tour in order to “steal” the best aspects of other countries’ social politics. The film, which is an almost-two-hour critique of America’s social fabric — its schools, its prisons, its ISAIAH eroding middle ZEAVIN-MOSS class — somehow conveys a profound sense of optimism. Moore ends the film by reminding us that other nations’ current bustling, successful systems derive from methods and notions first developed in the United States. In order for us to change our ways, he says, we must only look inward, to our past, to ourselves. In other words, the power lies within us to create the world that many so desperately seek: a world that, poetically, might include elementary school students — regardless of socioeconomic status — being fed gourmet lunches by real chefs, or prisoners — no matter how severe their crimes — being placed in prisons where rehabilitation and reentrance are actually possible, or teenagers attending world-class universities for free. This message — turning inward to drive us forward — represents democratic empowerment. No matter who you are, inherently, as an American, you have the right, and thus, potentially, the power to create the change you seek. This idea rests at the heart of “equality,” the core principal of our founding documents. And yet today, in our political discourse, this kind of empowerment is derided as overly “optimistic,” as far too “ideal” of a wish. Despite the film’s relentless, empirical critique of how we conduct ourselves today, it is a classically American text. The very idea of opening a dialogue that allows for criticism is an extension of this idea of “equality”: Together, by honestly examining what our brothers and sisters around the world are doing best, we can better ourselves, we can learn, we can become equally egalitarian. In the film’s final scene, Moore walks next to what remains of the Berlin Wall, a divide that, as Moore remarks, was once built to stand for eternity, but was actually torn down in just a matter of years. One can imagine the minds of those people
who fought for its destruction — despite every societal force stacking up against them, they had a vision for the world within them, and that vision drove their actions. Moore, who by the film’s end dubs himself an “idealist,” has created a profoundly optimistic text: By looking inward to our pasts as Americans as well as to our comrades’ efforts from across the oceans, we can realize even our wildest ideals. And this classically American film, furthermore, ought to inform how we locate ourselves along the political spectrum during this ongoing election season. Over the past several weeks, my friends have often asked me to give my pitch about why I wholeheartedly support Bernie Sanders. After I discuss his policies, his integrity and his boldness, my friends will often say something to the effect of: “Oh yeah, that would all be nice, but it’s just too idealistic of a vision.” Moore’s film speaks volumes about the numbness and insensibility of this notion that we ought not strive toward idealism and instead settle for the system under which we currently live. It seems these friends of mine do not believe that the type of radical social change that Moore directly observes has taken place in the world. These friends of mine do not believe that this kind of change can happen here, nor that we ought to vote for a system whose leader is proposing that it might. I don’t want to use this as a platform to advocate for my political beliefs — by all means, support whomever you wish. I just cannot fathom why or how we have, somewhere along the line, lowered our expectations for what is possible by such a great margin to the point that the world that we all wish to one day inhabit — which, for a moment at least, comes alive through bits and pieces from throughout the world in Moore’s masterpiece — is unrealizable, a fantasy. As a heterosexual white man, society has never institutionally tried to shut me up. I understand that millions of people, because of identities out of their control, have been and will continue to be kicked to the curb and silenced by our world that prefers and judges people based on their given identities. This becomes an opportunity for the rest of us — the privileged rest of us, who are not societally and institutionally targeted for certain identities and circumstances beyond our control — to fight. Everyone, then, from those people who society has institution-
ally marginalized to those it has left untouched, has an opportunity to fight together. Those who dismiss these concepts as too idealistic need only to examine the United States’ history to find a long-lasting, deeply impactful social movement whose core philosophy was one of mutual respect and love. In “The Power of Non-violence,” Martin Luther King Jr. describes a kind of “agape love,” one that is neither aesthetic nor reciprocated. Yet he believes agape love to be a catalyzing idea that all Americans must adopt: “And when you come to love on this level you begin to love men not because they are likeable … but because God loves them and here we love the person who does the evil deed while hating the deed the person does.” Instead of giving up, we ought to fight, and within this activism lies the truest form of love: the belief that we are all divine, we all contain the potential for divinity. As Moore’s film argues, egalitarian generosity lies deeply within the fabric of American society. I would characterize this rejection of idealism both as cowardly and selfish. If you believe this world is good enough, that our country is living up to its standards, then you are ignoring the realities of millions of your brothers and sisters, millions of your fellow Americans, who did just as little to arrive in their circumstances as you did to arrive in yours. Acknowledge your privilege as someone the world has, for no real reason at all, selected to spare, and then use your place in society to advocate for the basic liberties of the rest of our populus. The optimism of Moore’s film comes from its belief that change, inherently, lies within us. It preaches a message of empowerment. This “ideal” vision should not be castigated, because it is a vision that includes a people who are ideal toward each other, a people who fight for each other. And we are that people. To dismiss the ideal is to say that you are not capable of such generosity, of such strength. And I think that’s a tragedy. When did it become so outlandish to believe that you can be whatever you wish? Moore’s film advocates for generosity on a national scale among citizens. We must collectively believe we are capable of this kind of intermingling. Otherwise, who are we? An acceptingly, admittedly cruel people? I reject that. — Isaiah Zeavin-Moss can be reached at izeavinm@umich.edu.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, February 25, 2016 — 5A
Jaskie emerges Thome’s confidence building for Wolverines BASEBALL
By ETHAN WOLFE Daily Sports Writer
While expectations were high for junior left-handed pitcher Brett Adcock and sophomore right-hander Ryan Nutof against Canisius, it was sophomore lefthander Oliver Jaskie who shined for the Michigan baseball team. As a freshman in 2015, Jaskie had only one start to his name in 22 appearances, posting a 2-0 record and a 5.58 earned-run average. While Jaskie began the season as Michigan’s fourth starter, he looked like the Wolverines’ ace on Sunday against the Golden Griffins. Jaskie tossed six innings, allowing just three hits and recording nine strikeouts on his way to picking up the win. His performance earned him Big Ten Pitcher of the Week honors. Jaskie doesn’t care too much about the accolades, though. “Honestly, I’m more excited about the team’s success this week,” Jaskie said. “Every pitcher that got in there did really well. It was awesome to see.” At Michigan’s team banquet on Feb. 12, Michigan coach Erik Bakich commended Jaskie for how he trained over the summer and how much he has improved since last season. Bakich joked that his command was so good that he couldn’t throw a ball straight if he tried. Jaskie credits pitching coach Sean Kenny for his development
since last year. “Coach Kenny has been awesome,” Jaskie said. “He’s the best pitching coach in the country. He does everything he could possibly do for us, and we love him for that.” Bakich expects Jaskie to be a starter for the entirety of the 2016 season and is excited about his potential after his outing against Canisius. “I think what you saw on Sunday is a byproduct of a kid with a tremendous work ethic and an extremely high character,” Bakich said. “The success that he has on the field is the byproduct of many things, but the investment he makes into pitching and into his craft is what you’re seeing.” The craft Bakich is referring to is Jaskie’s repertoire of pitches. Coming out of high school with a fastball, breaking ball and changeup, Jaskie has also been developing his slider since last season. If Sunday was any indication of how Jaskie will pitch for the rest of the season, he will soon become a household name. But Jaskie isn’t worrying about the rest of the season right now. “It feels great having some momentum at the start of the season,” Jaskie said. “Hopefully we can carry that into our training sessions this week and then carry those training sessions over to our games in our upcoming Spring Break. But right now we’re just focusing on today and we go from there.”
“It feels great having momentum at the start of the season.”
SOFTBALL
Romero’s big hit shows her focus By ORION SANG Daily Sports Writer
It was the top of the seventh inning, and the No. 2 Michigan softball team was clinging to a 3-2 lead against No. 13 Florida State. Senior All-American second baseman Sierra Romero stepped up to the plate with senior outfielder Sierra Lawrence at first base. Up until that point, Romero had been 0-for-3 with three strikeouts in an uncharacteristic performance at the plate for the star infielder. But with one swing, she righted the ship. Romero crushed a home run to right field, and the Wolverines could breathe easier. When asked about what she was trying to do heading into that fateful at-bat, Romero was blunt. “Swing the bat,” Romero said. For Romero, hitting has always been a strength of her game, and she didn’t let her minor cold spell interfere with her mentality. “I just had to not get down on myself,” Romero said. “I knew it was coming. (It was) just a matter of time.” That simple approach is symbolic of the team’s uniform batting approach. While individual players may have slight variations in their approach, every player is taught to follow one mantra religiously — “one-pitch focus.” “The one-pitch mentality is just focusing on one pitch at a time,” Romero said. “(You aren’t) worrying about what you think they’re going to throw to you or what they threw to you in the past, and (you’re) just going up there with a clear mind and trying to hit.”
It’s a focus that Michigan has stuck to for years, and that focus has led the Wolverines to develop a potent offense that averages 1.44 home runs per game, reaches base at a .450 clip and has a .349 batting average. But the scariest thing for opponents is that Michigan coach Carol Hutchins doesn’t believe her team is hitting to its full potential yet. “I think we’re still learning that (one-pitch focus) as a team,” Hutchins said. “My upperclassmen understand it better, but (the team) hasn’t been able to execute it as they’re capable of. “Kids have to learn how to do it because their minds are much faster and they’ll play out a whole inning and all the scenarios, (and) therefore they’re not focused on the ball. We’ve just got to focus on the pitch now because it’s the only one that matters.” Freshman infielder Faith Canfield said that in addition to trying to adhere to the “one-pitch focus,” she and her teammates have put in the requisite work on the field. “Whoever wants to can come in and hit in our hitting cage before practice,” Canfield said. “In the past during fall, we’ve come in on the weekends — which we have off — and hit and do some tee work.” The Wolverines can continue to improve on their batting by making sure they follow Hutchins’ teachings — that the “one-pitch focus” is tantamount to their success. “It’s the mentality that will get them what they want,” Hutchins said. “Regardless of whether we’re ahead or behind, we have to get in our moment and play now. I think it helps us play better softball.”
“I just had to not get down on myself. I knew it was coming.”
Freshman center now shooting 65 percent from free-throw line By CHRIS CROWDER Daily Sports Writer
With 10 seconds left and her team up by three points, Hallie Thome stepped up to the freethrow line. She had been in a similar situation before. In December, she missed both of her free throws as the Wolverines lost to Eastern Michigan in heartbreaking fashion. But in last Saturday’s matchup against Penn State, the freshman center sank both of her foul shots with ease. Instead of her shots rimming out, her
scores from the charity stripe were proverbial daggers into any hope the Nittany Lions had for a comeback. The stark contrast between the two games, nearly two months apart, display how Thome has not just improved her free throw shooting, but her confidence as well. Thome said the most improved facet of her game has been her performance from the foul line. After a rough start to the season, Thome has worked up to 65 percent from the charity stripe. It isn’t a stellar number, but it’s a sign of her growth.
The confidence she has gained since the beginning of the season has shown in her results. Against Penn State, she shot 4-for-6 from the line, but the last two proved to be most important, as she looked anything but tentative after being fouled. “I’m not worrying when I go up to the line (anymore), just being calm and collected,” Thome said. After missed free throws doomed the Wolverines in three-straight late-game losses to Eastern Michigan, Purdue and Indiana, Michigan coach
“You have to make two free throws to win it. That’s tough.”
DAVID SONG/Daily
Center Hallie Thome is becoming more confident, particularly at the free-throw line, as her freshman season progresses.
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Beach tube letters 4 Tube in Paris 9 __ butter: cosmetic moisturizer 13 Roofing sealant 14 Gem weight unit 15 Home extension? 16 __ standstill 17 Intensive study program 19 Classic laundry soap 21 They’re drunk at socials 22 Fish in hamo, a Japanese delicacy 23 It’s the opposite of a flying one 26 Auto racer Busch 27 “Uh-huh” 28 Miscellany 30 Faux pas 33 Certain king’s pride 36 Nunavut people 39 Mighty clash 42 Simple type of question 43 “Good one!” 44 Dumped, perhaps 45 Sister brand of the Sensor razor 47 “You’ve found the right person” 49 D.C. bigwigs 51 2014 WNBA Finals runner-up 57 Wood-scratching tool 58 Pakistani bread 59 Loosen, as laces 60 Award to be announced February 28, previously won by the first words of 17-, 23-, 39and 51-Across 64 Cellular messenger 65 Take the helm 66 Trees yielding caffeine-rich nuts 67 Staples of many websites 68 Giveaway bag 69 One-for-one deals 70 Touch gently
DOWN 1 British Invasion drummer 2 Hibachi spot 3 Mali money 4 Real people? 5 Maestro’s forte 6 Refrain bit 7 Many a reggae musician 8 Additional 9 “Fifth Beatle” Sutcliffe 10 “Sure, take it!” 11 Picasso supporter 12 “Set Fire to the Rain” singer 15 Call for help 18 “The Censor” of Rome 20 Part of a winter suit 24 Penultimate contest, for its winner 25 Work with pupils 26 Bob Marley Museum city 29 The Blackbirds of the NCAA’s Northeast Conf. 30 Babe’s pen 31 Falsity 32 “Everything’s ready to go!”
34 Surveillance org. 35 Moral principle 37 Not close to 100% 38 Texas senator Cruz 40 Neither partner 41 Avatar of Vishnu 46 Faddish berry in smoothies 48 Hesitant okay 49 Old Milwaukee maker
50 Have because of 52 Accesses illegally, in a way 53 Hitched behind 54 Camera holder 55 In a way, slangily 56 Old Milwaukeemaking ingredient 58 “Morning Edition” airer 61 Links supporter 62 Suffix with form 63 Criticize
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02/25/16
Kim Barnes Arico worked with the team on free throws to replace the feeling of pressure with confidence. Both the team as a whole and individuals on their own practiced shooting from the line. Because of the improvement, the Wolverines haven’t let games slip away late when they had a chance to secure the win since the overtime loss to Indiana. “Coming into the Big Ten with games on the line, you have to make two free throws to win it,” Barnes Arico said. “That’s tough. That’s tough for anybody, especially a freshman.” Barnes Arico has been telling Thome to take her time and not think about shooting it so much. The advice has spread out to the rest of the team, as Michigan has been able to beat Iowa, Minnesota and Penn State (twice) because of a relaxed approach to the nervewracking nature of a wide-open shot with the game on the line and all eyes on you. Tuesday against Northwestern, the Wolverines went 7-for-8 from the free-throw line to complete a hard-fought 70-65 victory, and Thome went 6-for-7 in the winning effort. The experience Thome has had in her freshman season is invaluable. As Barnes Arico can attest, her improvement has just begun. “(Thome) has a great touch, and part of it is being able to be in those situations and handle the pressure,” Barnes Arico said. “She’s definitely gotten better at handling that. It’s great for her to be in those positions as much as possible and to have the confidence that she can make them.”
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The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, February 25, 2016 — 6A
‘M’ tops Northwestern By KELLY HALL Daily Sports Editor
Just like it did in its game against then-No. 6 Maryland on Sunday, the Michigan men’s basketball team N’WESTERN 63 MICHIGAN 72 (10-6 Big Ten, 20-9 overall) started slow in their Wednesday night matchup with Northwestern. The difference, however, was that the Wolverines were at Crisler Center on Wednesday, not in a hostile road environment, and their opponent wasn’t on the same level. Michigan was able to hold out, despite multiple scoring droughts, thanks to hot second-half scoring from sophomore guards Muhammad-Ali Abdur Rahkman and Aubrey Dawkins, beating the Wildcats, 72-63. The duo combined for 30 points, with 21 coming in the second frame alone. “(Abdur-Rahkman) is really good off the dribble,” said Northwestern coach Chris Collins. “He did a great job driving the whole night. Like I said, he either got to the paint or got us in foul trouble. He wasn’t afraid. I thought he had some really impressive drives where he went right into our big guys — right into their chests — and had a couple big-time finishes. “I thought he was a huge, huge deciding factor in why (Michigan) won tonight.” Northwestern (5-10, 17-11) steamrolled the Wolverines for nearly six minutes to start the first half, scoring 10 unanswered points. Junior forward Zak Irvin finally ended Michigan’s 0-for-8 stretch with a layup that started the Wolverines’ steady comeback. Junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. helped spark Michigan’s rally, scoring back-to-back underhand layups to bring the Wolverines within two points of the Wildcats with seven minutes
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Sophomore guard Aubrey Dawkins hit three huge 3-pointers to lift Michigan over Northwestern on Wednesday night.
to go in the first half. AbdurRahkman tacked on nine more points in the frame, including three made free throws to cap a 9-0 Michigan run after being fouled on a shot-clock-beating 3-point attempt. The Wolverines missed their first eight attempts from beyond the arc and didn’t score their first triple until junior guard Duncan Robinson hit a buzzer-beating 3 heading into halftime to make it 29-28, Northwestern. But Michigan’s first-half comeback wasn’t quite enough to jumpstart the team, as the Wolverines started the second half in a similar fashion to the first. It took Michigan 5:43 to get on the board to start the game, and it took another 4:10 to score in the second frame. The Wildcats went on an 8-0 run to start the second half before being stopped by an Abdur-Rahkman layup. Again, Michigan had to claw back from a hefty deficit. “(Northwestern) just runs some really good offense,” Walton said. “They ran some sets at a speed that it’s really hard
to guard and protect the basket and worry about who you’re guarding. Tip your hat to them — a really potent offensive group, pretty much. We’re going to look at some things we can adjust, like always, but you’ve gotta tip your hat to them, they made some really good buckets.” Dawkins hit a big triple, Michigan’s second of the game, at an opportune time to get the Wolverines within one point of the Wildcats. Eighty seconds later, he hit another one to tie up the game at 44. “It was big,” Abdur-Rakhman said of Dawkins’ 3-pointers. “Not everybody was hitting shots, but for him to come in off the bench and hit those 3s is big for us.” Added Walton: “I don’t even know what we shot from 3 today, but I know it wasn’t too good. That really was a big lift, but that’s what he does. Time and time again, he just comes in and checks in and is making big shots. At this point, I’m not surprised. At this point, I’m just making sure that when he’s on the court, I’m trying to find him.”
With the momentum building, sophomore forward Kam Chatman grabbed Michigan’s first lead of the game after sinking two at the charity stripe. From then on, Michigan and Northwestern traded leads twice, but Dawkins hit another important trey to put the Wolverines up 57-54 with 4:26 left to go. Michigan didn’t look back from there, securing the victory when Dawkins went coast to coast for a layup to give the Wolverines a 68-61 lead with 1:19 left. Junior forward Mark Donnal and sophomore forward Ricky Doyle had a tough time defending Northwestern big man Alex Olah in the first half, allowing him to shoot 6-for-11 for 14 points. Olah led the Wildcats with a game-high 19 points, but AbdurRahkman was able to match him with 19 points of his own for a Michigan victory. The Wolverines are keeping their NCAA tournament hopes alive, despite cutting it close against a mediocre Big Ten team at home.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Sophomore guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman led Michigan with 19 points.
Abdur-Rahkman helps lead pair of Michigan rallies Sophomore guard halts Northwestern runs as Wolverines avoid crushing loss By LEV FACHER Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men’s basketball team has struggled to find an identity this season, and in the absence of their two senior stars, the Wolverines have taken on a few traits they would prefer to live without. Among them recently has been a propensity to fall victim to game-ending runs, which happened twice in a five-day span earlier this month in home losses to Indiana and Michigan State. The Wolverines twice seemed destined to suffer a third such run on Wednesday, until sophomore guard MuhammadAli Abdur-Rahkman stepped in. Michigan began the game shooting 0-for-8 from the field and trailed, 10-0, after six minutes of play. Junior forward Zak Irvin finally broke the drought with a layup, but down 13-2, it was Abdur-Rahkman who continued to chip away. “It’s what we don’t have,” said Michigan coach John Beilein of Abdur-Rahkman’s runstopping effort. “It’s something that (senior guard Caris LeVert) certainly did for us.” Abdur-Rahkman scored Michigan’s next six points to whittle the deficit and finished with 19 points, three rebounds and a pair of assists. “The coaches are emphasizing that I have to get downhill and get to the basket,” AbdurRahkman said. “Even Caris encourages me to be aggressive.” The timing of AbdurRahkman’s 19 points proved just as important as the points themselves, as Michigan fell victim to another run — this one 8-0 — to begin the second half. For the second time, the player of the night put a stop to the Wildcats’ momentum, this time with a slashing layup, then a lightning-quick leftward spin to reach the rim minutes later. “Credit (Abdur)-Rahkman,” said Northwestern coach Chris Collins. “I thought he was tremendous. His ability to drive the ball, get by our guys, get to the basket, draw fouls. … If he did miss, we were in rotations so they got offensive rebounds. I thought he played a great game,
and was a big difference.” The Wolverines’ mentality has changed in light of the embarrassing losses to Indiana and Michigan State, and so has their position on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Nonetheless, Abdur-Rahkman says he hasn’t taken the responsibility intentionally. On a night Michigan wasn’t hitting from 3-point range, however, the Wolverines had few other options than to lean on the player equipped with moves Beilein refers to as the “Ali Shuffle.” “I just know we have to get to the basket,” Abdur-Rahkman said, acknowledging his goal Wednesday was to “get downhill and just try to finish or get a foul and stop the run.” Scoring in the paint has never been Beilein’s concern, however — it’s Abdur-Rahkman’s room for improvement in his distribution game that has kept him from having his number called on set plays more often. After practices, Beilein said Wednesday, he and Michigan’s assistant coaches run AbdurRahkman through “a steady diet of reads in the ball screen,” the keystone of Michigan’s perimeter-driven offense. “Because his assist numbers weren’t what we’d like them to be, we were hesitant to put him in situations where he’s got to make a lot of reads,” Beilein said. Then again, sometimes the potential for distribution isn’t what counts most. “Reading is one thing,” Beilein said. “He also can just take the ball to the basket and get a hoop.” Entering the season, LeVert was expected to be the player Michigan could rely on for a basket when the rest of its offense wasn’t executing. Though Irvin and junior guard Derrick Walton Jr. have shown periodic flashes of that takeover ability, the biggest value in Abdur-Rahkman’s play this season is his emergence as another go-to option. With the two juniors suffering from fatigue entering Wednesday’s game, Beilein dialed up Abdur-Rahkman far more than he has in most games this season, and the decision paid off. “Muhammad is becoming a guy that just gets there,” Beilein said. “I’d like to have more of those guys. We thought we had it with Caris, and hopefully the rest of our guys can grow.”
“He also can just take the ball to the basket and get a hoop.”
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Michigan coach Red Berenson’s team could be playing for the Big Ten regular-season championship in road games Thursday and Friday at Minnesota.
Wolverines head to Minnesota By JUSTIN MEYER Daily Sports Writer
The two titans of Big Ten hockey have spent all season battling for a chance to win the regular-season crown. Fittingly, that fight may come down to Michigan at this weekend. Minnesota Minnesota (11-3 Big Ten, Matchup: 16-13 overall) Michigan 19-4hosts No. 6 5, Minnesota 16-13 Michigan on Thursday When: night in the Thursday 8:30 P.M., first game of Friday 9 P.M. a weekend series that Where: could shake Mariucci Arena up the Big Ten TV/Radio: and national BTN standings. The Gophers are in the driver’s seat in the conference, with 33 points to the Wolverines’ 32, but they are on the outside looking in on the race to the NCAA Tournament. Ranked at No. 16 in the PairWise, Minnesota needs a
late push or a Big Ten Tournament title for a chance to play in April. For Michigan (9-2-3-2, 19-4-5), the matchup is no less important. The Wolverines are desperate for a chance to return to the postseason, but a late collapse could still derail those hopes. A sweep against Minnesota would lock up a NCAA Tournament spot, while a split would also put the team in a strong position. “Minnesota is a huge weekend for us,” said sophomore forward Cutler Martin. “It is going to be one of those miracle weekends where you either come away with the victories, and it defines our season, or we don’t. “We know that this is our season. This is something that we have to be ready for.” The two teams split an early conference series at Yost Ice Arena. Michigan dominated the possession in the first game, coasting to an 8-3 win, but fell 3-2 the next night. “We know how important these games are,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “You don’t have to
turn it into the Stanley Cup, but we’re trying to play better every week. We think we can play better, and a series like this should bring out the best in our team.” The Wolverines are riding a tide of historic scoring and improved goaltending toward a strong regular-season finish. The top line of junior forwards Tyler Motte and JT Compher and freshman forward Kyle Connor leads the nation in nearly every offensive category. Motte has scored the opening goal in three consecutive games as part of a 12-game goal streak — the longest in the Berenson era. It has been a down year for the Gophers. After opening the season 4-7 in non-conference play, the perennial powerhouse has looked like at contender a times, and much less so at others. Freshman netminder Eric Schierhorn has been strong in goal, but Minnesota’s offense has never quite materialized. Michigan, on the other hand, hasn’t lost a game in regulation since its last game against
Minnesota on Dec. 12, and has shored up problems in net with the improved play of senior goaltender Steve Racine. The Wolverines’ defense underwent a third retooling before the matchup against Ferris State last weekend. Berenson has consistently pointed to team defense as the biggest remaining concern. Martin moved to forward while sophomore defenseman Sam Piazza moved into Martin’s place on the blue line. The switch gives the defensive unit more speed and adds a physical element on offense in the absence of sophomore forward Tony Calderone. Calderone sat out against Ferris State, but did travel with the team on Wednesday. A decisive sweep this weekend would cement Michigan as a national-title contender — and the Gophers know that all too well. That alone is enough to ensure that this weekend will at the very least provide more of the grade-A entertainment the Wolverines have delivered all season.
the b-side B
The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | Thursday, February 25, 2016
Confessions of a Middle School Anglophile: The Toxic YouTube Vlogger Community
Up Next The Top Dan Memes of 2015 danisnotonfire 2,917,687
By Natalie Zak, Daily Community Culture Editor
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Joe Totoro
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I think it’s better if you just stop making videos.
A Quick Note To Alex Day hayleyghoover
Reply Moon M7
danisnotonfire 4,917,687
174,175 1 months ago
All these people saying #forgivesam, remember two months ago when you wanted him to die? Yeah, I do. #dontforgivesam
The Past Alex Day 446,986
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3 months ago
Alex Day is a disaster, stop watching his videos and stop supporting him. Reply
TRUTH OR DARE 5 danisnotonfire 6,517,697
i’m sorry “Lazy Sunday” was blasting out of my dad’s office when he called my sisters and me in to watch Andy Samberg and Chris Parnell rhythmically talk about Narnia and Magnolia cupcakes. At the time, I wasn’t completely sure what was going on in the small video box on the screen, but I laughed along because all the older, wiser members of my family were. Quickly, Samberg’s voice was followed up by the blaring tune of “Numa Numa” featuring an overweight man gesticulating wildly on screen — and my introduction to YouTube was officially complete. “Numa Numa” played us out. Born in the digital age, I never had any difficulty grasping the concept of YouTube. While it was foreign in the face of adults who were still wrapping their minds around DVD, YouTube was just another format on the continuously growing list of platforms that allowed me to
publicize my life to friends and strangers alike. I would obsessively watch MadTV’s Stuart squealing, “Look what I can do!” and track down bootlegged episodes of “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody” while simultaneously loading low-quality, pixelated versions of PG-13 movies at the scandalous age of 10. The buffering symbol was the bane of my existence as a child, but little did I know that the Internet was preparing me for an acid wash that no chemical compound could sustain. So let’s take it back, to Natalie Zak circa the seventh grade. Privileged and spoiled, I was blessed with the opportunity to go to London at age 11, an age where I could at least pretend to appreciate world cultures (while in reality I was slightly confused about how geography works). I remember boarding the plane while still fuzzy on the concept of countries and land masses; even then, a
casual onlooker could tell my future was bright. A trip highlighted by art galleries and carefully selected Gap Kids outfits, it marked a substantial shift in my adolescence and personality. Turning on the TV in the hotel room to find YouTube an available application, my sisters and I immediately logged on and were greeted by the fateful words that will forever be seared in my memory: “Alex Reads Twilight: Chapter 1.” I was doomed before we even finished the video. Like any adolescent, I was experiencing my middle school excursion into Anglophilia that involved Union Jack T-shirts and a feigned passion for The Beatles (whom I couldn’t have known less about at the time). Had it not been for the video of a scrawny, overly opinionated British teenager, I could have escaped this phase unscathed. Instead, I came out bruised and bloody on the other side,
having lost years of my life to an endless series of five-minute rants and ramblings. “Alex Reads Twilight” served as my entrance into the world of British YouTube, and I was immediately hooked. I took in everything Alex Day said as the word of God even though his godless existence preached nothing of value. His outlandish ideas and championed causes became ones I ran around proclaiming. Through a platform of easily manipulated tween girls, Day built his career. From the snarkiness and sass of “nerimon,” I moved to the lighter, more cheerful Charlie McDonnell, otherwise known as “charlieissocoollike.” While watching him dye his hair red and adorn token glasses, I learned of a little button underneath the video that urged me to make the relationship binding ¬— “subscribe.” See YOUTUBE, Page 2B
Sam 422,340
My Favourite Feelings charlieissocoollike 285,286
Alex Day in 60 Seconds Alex Day 37,687
Alex Reads Twilight: Ch. 1 Alex Day 2,917,687
Thanks, Lemon DESIGN BY SCOTTY HARDIN & JACKLYN THOMAS
the b-side
2B — Thursday, February 25, 2016
YOUTUBE From Page 1B My digital footprint expanded as I moved from 90-pound “Doctor Who” fanatics to a 30-year-old nerd sitting at home building a brand off of the blind devotion of 13-year-old kids. And I was one of those 13-year-olds. I couldn’t help it — the community made me feel superior. Looking back, it may have been the first time I felt a sense of culture and belonging. Never before had I been a part of such an expansive community of shared interests. I never commented on a video and I never attended any gatherings, but somehow I still felt a part of a larger movement, and that’s what made it special. I was a small part of a community that mattered. It’s too bad though that it took me. Young and easily manipulated, I adapted aspects of these clever entrepreneurs’ personalities and opinions, proudly declaring myself a nerd because a 35-year-old man told me I was “awesome.” And maybe, just maybe, I was right to be full of awe as I stared at these great figures looming before me. Gazing up at their carefully cultivated backdrops, wardrobes and makeup, I laughed as they divulged dark secrets, instructed how to make the perfect cup of tea and reacted to a reaction of a reaction video of a cat. I knew them, and though they didn’t know me, that didn’t matter — I was still a part of a community that cared. I never commented on a video and I never attended a gathering, and that made all the difference. Because when the realization of this toxic culture began to dawn on me, I was able to escape with a shred of dignity. As I scrolled through comment sections of videos, I would stop and stare at the Arial font that scrawled either love letters or death threats. Disagreement and conflict guaranteedly spiraled out of control under each video as I watched my heroes, astonished, react to the backlash against their carefully scripted words. Words are words, but on the Internet, especially YouTube, they become battle cries, tabloid magazine headlines and national crises in a matter of seconds. I watched helplessly as videos were torn apart because a well-meaning girl stumbled over her words for a split second and lost half of her fans.
I watched, seething, as a loudmouthed boy encouraged hatred and spats within his audience because their fierce beliefs were their own problem and they should know better than to take him seriously. This deniability and failure to take responsibility was rampant in these videos. From Ben Cook to Alex Day to even poor Dan Howell, all I began to see were young boys in tight pants claiming it was the viewer’s fault for taking their words seriously. It was the 10-year-old girl’s fault for thinking her hero was serious when he said fat girls couldn’t be superheroes.
I was one of those 13-yearolds. And then came the sexual assaults. Lack of accountability couldn’t have been more evident when the stories came out back to back about how these glorified celebrities had taken advantage of young girls and boys who trusted them, idolized them, would do anything for them. How these 20-somethings with their inflated egos took advantage of children because a video that got a million views made them feel justified in doing so. Not all the YouTubers I watched and romanticized were criminals, but like any community, it is defined by the few mistakes, not the many “My Morning Routine” tags. There are, of course, the shining figures that rise above the grime and filth, but even they still hold unfathomable power that no young adult sitting in their bedroom with a camera should have. My education in the scandalous, nerdy and unprecedented was completed by YouTube. I learned most swear words, entered a dark phase defined by time travel and realized what true human incompetence looked like. I feel obliged to thank it for my introduction to far-fetched worlds and ideas, but nothing more than obliged. There is a perpetual pit in my stomach when I think of the pedestal on which I once placed these average individuals. The pedestal came crashing down my freshman year of high school, and I narrowly escaped gasping for air. Now,
in retrospect, all I want back is the 99 cents I spent on each of these monstrosities’ music singles. Sadly though, youthful naivety has its cost and mine was heavily invested in the repeated failed attempts to get a tone-deaf teen to number one. My iTunes library is scarred by their poppy, overly produced tracks and maybe that’s why I find myself dependent on Spotify these days, immediately X-ing out of iTunes when it dares to show its face. “YouTube’s mission is to provide fast and easy video access and the ability to share videos frequently,” it says on their homepage. And that’s exactly what it achieves. It is a platform for creativity and innovation in a digital age. It is a platform for talent and humor to be shared and advertised. It is a platform for abuse and manipulation. Careers can be made or destroyed over the course of one YouTube video, and a life can hang in the balance of one YouTube comment. It is concurrently a collaborative, multi-platform video database of innovation and a cesspool for toxic behavior. It’s up to the owners, the users and the viewers to find a balance between the two. As I scroll through the pages of my old YouTube stars, I can’t help but wonder after the book deals, short films and viral video clips, what remains of the person behind the camera. What inspires them, drives them to turn on that camera every day and address the adoring eyes of strangers that hang on their every word? And above all, what is life after YouTube? Do they just cease to exist? And did we ever find out where the hell Matt is? I have nothing against the use of YouTube as a place to exhibit one’s talent and skill, but it’s the cult followings that arise from the especially talented or vivacious that unsettle me. There’s an air of entitlement and anonymity surrounding all partakers in the YouTube community; individuals on both sides of the screen develop the idea that they deserve views and videos, while maintaining the presence of half a person. The people we see on screen are as authentic as editing tools allow them to be — a hollowed out projection of fame. But 11-yearold girls don’t know what editing software or authenticity is; all they know is the cute, sardonic boy on screen makes them laugh when he makes fun of “Twilight.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM NOTEBOOK
THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY
Don’t you just hate when there’s a line at Starbucks?
The all-white Oscars By MADELEINE GAUDIN Daily Arts Writer
You would be hard pressed to find someone with an Internet connection that hasn’t heard that something is up with the Oscars. They’re white. Really, really white. The source and extent of the underrepresentation has been debated in think pieces from the New York Times to whatever “The Odyssey Online” is. The Oscars disproportionately favor white actors. That’s not really up for debate. But why are the Oscars the center of this conversation? Other award shows (namely the SAG Awards) award the actors of color that the Oscars snub. People are making movies about women and people of color, and the American public is paying to see them. Hollywood itself is pretty white, but not to the same extent as the 2016 Oscar nominees. So, the question isn’t are the Oscars whitewashed, the question is do the Oscars even matter anymore? Do award shows accurately reflect the culture of American moviegoers, or is the Academy detached enough from the box office to render itself insignificant? There is an intense desire for representation in movies, and that has been made clear with the box office successes of movies like “Straight Outta Compton” and “Creed.” “The Force Awakens,” far and away the highest grossing movie of the year, was led by Daisy Ridley (a woman!) and John Boyega (a Black actor!). Diversity exists onscreen. Movies can make money even when they aren’t about white men. But what separates these movies from their Oscar-nominated peers is their
failure to live up to a certain oldfashioned ideal of quality. They’re popular; they’re entertaining; they’re easy to watch. Therefore, they can’t be anything more than entertainment. They can’t be art. Studios make a movie like “The Force Awakens” for very different reason than they make a movie like “Carol.” Both are great movies. “Carol” was made, more or less, to be placed on the podium alongside the other Oscar-nominated movies. “Carol” was made because it’s sad and it’s beautiful and the Academy eats that up. “The Force Awakens” was made to make money, and lots of it. It was made to entertain and engross the public. It was made to inspire the sales of merchandise. “The Force Awakens” and most of the racially diverse big studio movies of 2015 were made because they make money. They weren’t made to be “prestige pieces.” They weren’t made to be art. Oscar nominations can be box office pushes for low-grossing movies. They steer movie snobs (like myself) toward films promised to be the crème de la crème. The Academy loves heavy period pieces, family dramas and anything with a lone male hero who survives against all odds. Like the American public, the Academy likes to see itself in movies (see: “Birdman” or “The Artist”). The problem here is that, unlike the American public, the Academy is overwhelmingly white and male. The makeup of the Academy clearly does not represent the American public, but perhaps it doesn’t want to. Perhaps, the Academy exists to represent Hollywood. Demographically, the Academy represents the makeup of the writers, directors and producers who make Oscar-winning
movies. White men decide movies made by white men are the height of cinema. If the movies nominated for Oscars have a diversity problem, the people that made them have an even bigger one. So why do people still care about the Oscars? Isn’t it enough that studios are making more and more movies with women and actors of color? The Oscars do matter. Not because a golden statue can actually decide the “best” movie, actor, director, etc. of the year. Not because it matters if any one film or performance is better than another. The Oscars matter because they represent moviemaking on a larger scale. They stand as a symbol for what it means for a movie to be great, what it means for a movie to transcend commercial success and become something worth remembering. So go ahead and get mad at the Oscars, but stay mad on February 29. Stay mad on June 29 when the few diverse summer blockbusters are heralded as the end of underrepresentation in Hollywood. Stay mad on November 29th when studios roll out their next slew of whitewashed Oscar hopefuls. I’ll be watching the Oscars next Sunday. They’re going to be tense and they’re going to be awkward, but I’m hopeful that that tension and awkwardness will push moviemakers in the right direction. Normally I wouldn’t argue that award shows matter, but this year they do. Because this year they hold the potential to become more than just Hollywood patting itself on the back. This year the Oscars have the potential to be the springboard for real, necessary social change.
FILM NOTEBOOK
Meet your 2030 Best The starving artist Screenplay winner T COMMUNITY CULTURE COLUMN
By ERIKA SHEVCHEK Daily Arts Writer
While the world awaits the 88th Annual Oscars this Sunday, nostalgia crept up on me the other night as I thought about the first time I watched the Oscars. It was February 29th 2004, and I sat on the couch with my dad. Being seven years old and raised by a film and television producer, I felt that a career in the film business would be appropriate. Before I learned cursive or multiplication, I was planning my profession. That night had been confusing for me. I hadn’t seen any of the movies, but I was in awe of the celebrities: their beauty, their glamour, their success. I watched Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson present their hilarious introduction for the Short Film category and Charlize Theron win for Best Actress as she joyfully cried (as a majority of the Oscar winners do.) Despite my fuzzy, intangible memory, I would never forget watching the category for Best Original Screenplay: Sofia Coppola won her first ever Oscar award. I sat wide-eyed and giddy when I witnessed this, though it was nothing groundbreaking. But what I saw in my mind changed my motives and paved the way. Looking over
at my dad I said, “Dad, I want to be like her. I want to win for Best Original Screenplay.” My dad smiled and told me I could do anything I put my mind to, and I soon found out that he was definitely right. In the third grade, my class and I made a “life” chart, in which each student had to write about their interests — including what they wanted to be when they grow up. The other nine year olds had similar passions ranging from “I want to be a doctor,” or “the president,” etc. Then I presented mine. “Erika, what do you want to be when you grow up?” my teacher asked. I showed the class my chart with a poorly drawn picture of camera and a typewriter. “A screenwriter, and probably a director,” I answered. Nothing but blank stares greeted me. Fifth grade came along, and we were learning fractions. While the other students took notes that would eventually lead them to be engineers or mathematicians, I was writing a 98-page screenplay about pirates. In other words, I was slowly but surely failing math. Meeting with my fifth grade math teacher, she asked me why I was struggling with fractions. I was embarrassed, but I was also an innocent
fifth grader who didn’t want to lie to my teacher. Ashamed and trembling, I opened my math notebook and showed her pages filled with indentations and words that were the beginnings of an amateur, handwritten screenplay. My teacher wasn’t all that upset — in fact, she smiled. Since then, I have realized I should just do what I am good at. Clearly fractions were an essential compound to elementary education. However, I was more passionate writing about pirates fighting each other. I’ve learned from Sofia Coppola that even if you are a young neophyte, success is achievable, yet unmeasurable. I’ve learned that it’s OK to not follow the norm and to say that my dream is to win an Oscar award. I’ve learned that if I never watched the 2004 Oscars, I don’t think I would have chosen to study a liberal arts major or a career path as a writer. So here, I indirectly thank the Oscars for not only entertaining me for 13 years, but for also introducing me to the art of writing and film. This week, I’m sure to dig up my old screenplays, although they are so far from being finished. And just maybe, I will make it by the 100th anniversary of the Oscars.
he starving artist: one who sacrifices a comfortable lifestyle invest
to their limited resources towards their art. This could be anyone: visual art- BAILEY ists, liter- KADIAN ary artists, musicians, actors. People who trade material comfort for a life devoted to their art. This idea has got me thinking: How many artists or potential artists are out there who simply don’t create? Because they can’t. Because life with its stresses and burdens, has deprived them of the ability to design and shape art. Or maybe life just deprived them of the incentive. I think there are plenty of people who have the talent, but have lost the motivation to share it. On the flip side, how many people are out there who cannot fathom giving up their art? Though by pursuing it, they may be signing off on a life of minimal income and minimal luxury, they cannot give it up. The idea of the “starving artist” dates back to the mid-19th century, when Henri Murger wrote a book titled: “Scenes de La Vie de Boheme” that discussed the lives of a group of French artists he lived among. Bohemians and
their artistry became famous — people wanted to dress like them and behave like them. In many ways, the life of an artist is still romanticized. But it isn’t necessarily respected. Last year in one of my seminars, one of our discussions led people to admit why they were studying their respective major. I remember one student bluntly admitted he was studying business simply because he had no other choice. “My mom said it’s this, or I’m coming home and U of M is no longer in the picture.” I’m not entirely sure he has dreams of becoming an artist, and the life of business has led him astray. However, I do think there is something he loves more than what he is setting himself up to do for the remainder of his life. And for that, I think this problem is a relevant one. The notion of the starving artist highlights the divide between a life of limitations and a life of practicality. We are all set on this career-oriented way of thinking that drives us to see an appeal — and maybe even develop an obsession — toward a life with security and purpose. As a result, we are left with this thought: art can’t get us there. Or at least, the chances of “making it” are low. For those who choose to dismiss these worries and follow their art, they often face judgment, which results in two very different reactions. They either 1) reevaluate their art or 2) are even more encouraged to pursue it, after seeing others’ doubt.
Many become really fired up when someone questions something they love. Others take it as an indication that a life of security awaits them elsewhere and the best choice is to go find it. Of course, there are artists who make it big. They are successful. They are admirable. They are the musicians who sell millions of albums, but admit their music started in their bedroom with an old guitar. Or the New York Times Bestsellers, who heard “NO” from so many publishers, until that one, wonderful “yes.” For the artists who aren’t sure whether or not it’s worth going on, they look to those who made it and they think, “They did it and so can I.” There it is. The life of the starving artist can’t die out — too many have sustained their hope because of these examples. So, do the people who show us the ideal product of our art fuel us? Or are we hindered by the people who question it? Starving artists are everywhere. But I’d say there is an incredibly greater number of people who have given up and succumbed to the pressures of society because someone convinced them that a life of stability is found elsewhere. To you people out there who have lost the motivation to share your art — you should know that there are many of us in the world just starving to see it. Kadian is hungry for creativity. To feed her, email bkadian@umich.edu.
the b-side
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Thursday, February 25, 2016 — 3B
Why we need h3h3 baked.buzzed.bored. Ethan and Hila Klein are relationship goals By JACOB RICH Senior Arts Editor
They met on Birthright. He was a Jewish-American kid with a quick sense of humor and a bit of a belly. She was a charming, shy Israeli taking a week off of her required military service. They didn’t hook up, but they hit it off — they spent the whole week of their trip talking and laughing. When he got back to the United States, an e-mail from her was waiting for him. A year later, she left her homeland to be with him in the sunny city of Santa Cruz, and they’ve been inseparable ever since. Now, eight years later, Ethan and Hila Klein are YouTube’s rising power couple. H3h3Productions, their comedy channel, has nearly 1 million subscribers and over 100 million video views, about a quarter of which (according to SocialBlade) happened in the last month. To say their work is blowing up would be a huge understatement. Lately, their new videos have been routinely voted to the number one position on Reddit’s video aggregate site r/ videos, while more and more big YouTubers are giving the couple shout-outs on Twitter and on their own channels. It’s almost impossible to summarize what h3h3Productions videos are generally like. In recent months, they’ve been all over the place, from elaborately edited “.exe” videos to rants to comedy essays to skits. I guess you could think of them as somewhere between Adult Swim’s “Tim and Eric” and “Mystery Science Theater 3000” — irreverent, surreal and charmingly lo-fi. But what really put h3h3Productions on the map were their “reaction” videos. On first glance, they just look like any other video response on YouTube — Hila holds the camera, while Ethan talks into it as he buffers through a video. But h3h3Productions is much more than just an exploitative commentary on popular videos. Their reactions blur the lines between satire and skit, comedy and tragedy. The second their catchy ’80s-tinged intro song ends, you know you’re in for genius improvisation and weird, uncomfortable video editing. It’s avant-garde digital comedy at its most bizarre. The reaction videos started in 2013 when Ethan saw “Girls who
Read,” a pretentious video slam poem making the rounds on Reddit. The poem, presented by a chubby British guy, posits the author as a classy gentleman who prefers a woman’s intellect to her “tits or ass” — well, as long as they’re drop-dead gorgeous like the actress in the video. Ethan was infuriated by the poem’s hypocrisy. I have to agree — that video sucks. It’s a stunning example of male superficiality and the double standards set for women. Hila grabbed her camera and got to work. “Now look at this chubby little hunk here,” Ethan says, pointing to an overweight girl in the corner of the video’s frame. “If she’s over there reading books, I bet he’s not making this poetic little video about her. I bet she could be smart as fuck. No, he chooses the CUTE girl who reads.” Since then, the couple has applied their unique formula to dozens of cringe-worthy, obnoxious and toxic targets on YouTube. They were among the first to point out the bizarre, embarrassing eccentricities of recording artist DJ Khaled, the exploitative immorality of YouTube’s “urban pranksters” and the uncomfortable sexual overtones of the oh-sofake “kissing prank.” Ethan and Hila’s videos each have an unmistakable look to them, thanks to the couple’s unique and outrageous style. They’ve become somewhat famous for their thrift-shop couture — beanie caps, turtlenecks, sunglasses and what Ethan calls the “Chub ‘n’ Tuck” (the act of tucking high-waisted sweatpants under one’s gut) are all essential aspects of the charming h3h3Productions aesthetic. Further amping up the couple’s lovable style is Hila’s art, which is often on display in the background of the reactions. Her neon-drenched surrealist brushstrokes fit in perfectly with their offbeat dress. The first h3h3Productions video I saw was “The Tai Lopez Conspiracy,” an absolutely savage comedic takedown of the “here in my garage” guy (you know the ad, he’s the get-rich-quick salesman that shows you his Lamborghini and lectures you on the importance of “KNAWledge”). The video was a rollercoaster of emotions to say the very least. It started out simple enough, with Ethan taking jabs at Lopez’s meme-worthy speech patterns. This wouldn’t be nearly as funny if Ethan didn’t have the perfect satirical tone. While many of h3h3Productions’s reactions are certainly condemning, they
almost never feel mean-spirited. It’s a testament to the guy’s comedic instincts that he can toe the line of, in his own words, “Goofin’ and Gaffin’ ” on others’ videos without resorting to bullying. Soon, things got crazy. Suddenly, Ethan was convulsing on his chair like in “2001: A Space Odyssey” while frightening, clumsily edited fake ads of Lopez’s face surrounded Ethan’s and a bright yellow “TRIGGERED” sign rose from the bottom of the screen. I laughed so hard I almost dropped my laptop. But then, the tone changed again. After some quick Google sleuthing, Ethan was able to reveal that Lopez’s luxurious Hollywood Hills mansion wasn’t, in fact, owned by Lopez at all — it was a short-term rental, easily available for cheap film shoots via a website. All of a sudden, Ethan’s video felt more like muckraking journalism rather than a bizarro-comedy. Of late, it seems like h3h3Productions’ videos have taken on this journalistic role more often. As cheesy as it sounds, Ethan and Hila have almost become Internet detectives. They certainly haven’t removed themselves from comedy, but exposing shady business practices, dumb clickbait and harmful, obnoxious “pranks” has become an essential aspect of their videos. In 2016, their most popular videos have been on their very public feud with SoFloAntonio, a profiteer who illegally steals other creators’ YouTube and Vine videos and uploading them onto his ultra-popular Facebook page, “SoFlo.” One of h3h3Productions’ SoFlo videos even features a straight-up investigative interview between Ethan and a content creator whose video Antonio stole and profited off. This, and Ethan’s rant about the terrible business practices of the litigious Fine Brothers have provided tent poles under which YouTube’s creators can stand together — their anti-corporation, pro-creator rhetoric has clearly resonated with the Internet. There’s a reason h3h3Productions has an enormous fan base, their own thriving subreddit and a Patreon pulling in nearly $5,000 a month. They represent a challenge to the status quo. They’re changing the terms of what can be done with YouTube comedy, one video at a time. This is really hilarious stuff, people. And by acting as a last bastion for the ethical creator, they’ve managed to rally those who believe in YouTube as a medium of quality entertainment. The Internet is h3h3Productions’ oyster, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
MUSIC VIDEO REVIEW As well known as FKA twigs may be for visually striking, otherworldly music videos, A“Good to Love” is remarkably Good to minimalist. It’s Love just her, a bed and a camera. FKA twigs The degree Young Turks to which she can stretch this medium speaks to the artistry of twigs, not only as a singer and a dancer, but as a director as well.
For its minimalism, twigs still manages to bring an ethereal quality to this video. The sheets seem alive as they’re pulled and tossed, and clever camerawork blurs the line between skin and cloth. It’s a powerful reflection of her music, acutely preoccupied with lust and love. Her muses, however, are always peripheral. “Good to Love” is no doubt a plea to a lover, but it’s twigs who is center stage. Everything here is by her, for her, of her. It’s a solo sex scene on her own terms.
The most consuming part of this video — and all of her videos — is of course twigs herself, specifically her movements. They’re startlingly deliberate, yet still feel organic. She resembles a marionette as she throws herself around with the sheets. As the camera moves to her face, we get a flush of deep emotion with only a glance of the eyes. The result is a video that says a lot with a little. twigs might be a “sweet little lover maker,” but she has some big ideas. - CHRISTIAN KENNEDY
SINGLE REVIEW This February has been the time to be alive for indie rock/ emo/shoegaze lovers Aeverywhere. All of the Burden sad boys are crawling You out of their Pity Sex introverted online perRun for Cover sonas and Records are tweeting “#blessed.” The space goth girls are emerging from their black holes as they develop into their fan-girl alter egos. And this can all be blamed on the fact that not only has the lo-fi band Teen Suicide released a single, but their fellow emo/
indie cross friends, Pity Sex, have released a new song as well. Titled “Burden You,” Pity Sex’s new single does exactly that. Britty Drake’s soft voice cocoons your entire thought process and the only thing you can pay attention to is the music. The band attempts to pull off a shoegaze grunge sound and they do it so well with simple yet meaningful lyrics combined with dirtysounding bass lines all laced with some spacey guitar rifts. The lyrics in “Burden You” are delivered softly, but they slowly creep into your head and create a tunnel connecting to your heart. Britty Drake sings about young love and
inside the simple lyrics she gives you everything you’ve ever wanted. She addresses unrequited love, confusion, regret and the want to feel wanted in a way that’s not extremely cliche. Drake sings in a way that feels personal, like she’s whispering in your ear. Hearing her sing the lyrics “I’ll always think of your lips when I’m moving mine against his. I wanna know, I wanna know that I’m running in your mind also, don’t let me go,” puts your heart in your stomach and fills your lungs with flowers. “Burden You” creates a sadness that never felt so good. - SELENA AGUILERA
in this series, three daily arts writers in varying states of mind do the same activity and write about their experiences. this week’s event:
“The Graduate” Part 1: “The bathrooms down at the end of the hall,” I feel like this means something intense. Also s/o to Ms. Robinson for fucking inventing the term MILF. MRS ROBINSON YOU’RE TRYING TO SEDUCE ME. Every god damn line in this movie is beautiful. On a side note why do they make this pathetic dude out to be a track star newspaper editor straight A student I’m not feeling like this man is all those things. Part 2: Ben, you’ll never be young again. The one-liners in this film are changing. Every damn line has a profound effect on the total course of my life. I’m just worried about my future. Buzzed wonders how the filmmakers made this underwater diver scene and now I’m questioning how they make any scene. Or anything. Ha. Hoffman just walked into the hotel for an affair and it’s similarly life changing. Mrs. Robinson is the kind of forward woman I need in my life. That would definitely be life changing. Oh my god who is this woman and does she actually exist. I need to date older women. Not older like “oh she’s like 21” older like “she’s married with two kids.” Wait that sounds a little Freudian shit that was bad. Part 3: I wonder if the same situation played out in 2016 if it would play out the same. Are we at a point in society where we can accept a man having a casual relationship with his girlfriend’s mother, have we finally gotten to that point America? God. We need Bernie at a time like this. Which brings me to the point that Bored pointed out — he could have been an extra in this. The man was as young and able in 1967 as he is in 2016. Wow. Part 4: The vibe of the landlord in Berkeley is great. He’s probably the most stable character in this movie, which must stand for something. And now Kate Moss just comes in and screams her head off in the most terrifying shot I’ve seen in years. She sounds like she’s dying but she really is just upset at something so small and insignificant as Dustin Hoffman having an affair with her 45+ year old mother. That’s such a big deal. Children are starving in Africa dammit. And now Hoffman wants to marry this poor girl. The emotional strain must be a lot, so I apologize to Kate. But now she’s agreed to marry him so I guess that means it’s probably not that bad. Part 5: This may be entirely unrelated to this movie, but every time I see this movie I want to move somewhere west of Texas. That just seems like an entirely different style of living, an entirely new atmosphere of life. Imagine waking up in Denver, Colorado. How would who I am and what I stand for change. Coming for you, Denver. Part 6: The movie’s over: (add spoiler here). The Sound of Silence again coming in and changing my existence. And that last shot is so perfectly done that I think I am yet again: changed. Buzzed says it’s about the banality of life and that alters the world for about the 20th time this evening. But it’s ok. After this I can get some food. -Daily Arts Writer This is the third night in a row I’ve gotten drunk, and it’s the weekend before midterm week. My jewish parents are rolling in their graves, but they’re still alive. Is it bad for to get crossfaded for these? I hope not. This movie is absolutely amazing. That intro sequence though. I’m really feeling the existential ennui right now. Mrs. Robinson is such a babe. We just looked it up, and this movie made SO much fucking money. Dustin Hoffman is so fucking perfectly awkward. How’d you even do this? God, four loko qSA A bad choice. The single fame boob gets me every time, so funny, “Oh jesus Christ.” I really want to stop drinking this four loko. Anne Bancroft is like a soulless husk. She reminds me of my exes badum chhhhhhhh Whoops I just told Danny what’s going on in my personal life. That’s okay, that guy’s alright. RUSHMORE (that was the devin faraci style, fucking deal with it EDITORS) totally ripped this part in the pool off. I want to work for Vulture if you’re reading this, fucking give me an internship you motherfuckers. Fyck you. This movie is just like, human beings are disgusting. I’m embarrassed at how drunk I am. Good thing we’re all going to die and life has no point, the central thesis of this movie and my life. -Daily Arts Writer
Here is a just a stream of thought: The beginning of this film is so brilliant – it’s not really iconic as it is unnerving in a really friendly way. Like, everyone is being so nice to him but it’s terrifying. I never want to grow up. This plastics line works so well. I see so much of myself in Dustin Hoffman, except the whole older-woman-seductressattraction part, but I guess it’s something to aspire to. The Robinsons’ mini-bar has a little orb that says “BAR” on it, like I didn’t know it was a bar. Come on! This song that Mrs. Robinson plays is HOT. “Did you know I was an alcoholic?” *Gasp* “What?” The iconic scene “are you trying to seduce me” is the PERFECT scene for 1967. Braddock comes to the conclusion that Mrs. Robinson is trying to seduce him, she says she’s not, but of course she is. Mike Nichols must have been slapped down a ton between “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and “The Graduate,” with studio folks telling him that he’s ruining film but NO he was transforming it. Ben Braddock’s reactions to Mrs. Robinson in the whole initial interaction are priceless. He’s got such a command on whimpers and little cries, it’s fantastic. 10 years before Darth Vader, we had Benjamin Braddock. His breathing during the scuba scene is wonderful. It’s like he’s really heavily sighing with disdain at how dumb this gift is. “Are you here for an affair, sir?” “Huh?” “The Singleman party?” “Ah yes” Benjamin Braddock has got to be a stand-in for baby-boomers and just discovering how messed up life is with his discovering how disastrous the Robinson family is—Mr. and Mrs. Robinson don’t sleep together, they got married because she got pregnant, she got a degree in art but lost her interest, and, of course, the whole Elaine plotline. Fun fact: Katharine Ross is married to SAM ELLIOTT. I wish I were married to Sam Elliott. Seems like such a cool dude. Oh, they’re making out, but she was just crying. Do you think Bernie Sanders is an extra in this movie? This is not Berkeley. This is USC. Choose a less iconic building. Richard Dreyfuss! I love Richard Dreyfuss. Elaine making moves! Part of me is doubtful that a person like Dustin Hoffman could ever pull this all off and then part of me feels ashamed that I would ever doubt Dustin Hoffman. I love Dustin Hoffman. This montage of Benjamin trying to find where the wedding will take place is so great, fueled by that great Mrs. Robinson soundtrack. And of course, THIS FINAL SCENE IS GLORIOUS. In the words of Baked, this is such a hippie movie. They’re just flipping off authority and society. But of course, it ends with sadness. Oh well, we all die. - Daniel Hensel
the b-side
4B — Thursday, February 25, 2016
CULTURAL CURES COLUMN
I’m looking for love, but just finding sex D
ear Gillian, Sometimes it feels like I’m constantly ‘looking for love.’ However, I have lost sight of what that truly means. In this day filled with Tinder, hookup culture and GILLIAN increased JAKAB sexuality, how can I look for love with all this sex in the way? Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t turn down the opportunity for sex but I often feels like it gets in the way of finding a relationship. I’ve never been good at finding the love part, and the sex part just seems to complicate it for me. I desire both but one seems like an immediate gratification and the other seems like exit out of a long complicated maze. Please send me advice on how to navigate between desire for sex and longing for love. Are they mutually exclusive? Is it possible to be on the hunt for sex and find love along the way? Or do I have this whole thing upside down? Please help. — Lovelorn and Lonely Dear Lovelorn and Lonely, People have been sitting around musing on the topic of what love and sex do to and for each other since Eryximachus proposed that for the postfeast entertainment in Plato’s “Symposium,” everyone should belt out a little oration in praise of Eros, the god of love. This wine-fueled series of exegeses on the subject yielded some thought-provoking opinions that have stood the test of time. But they were so wide-ranging that the only conclusion from them is that there is no coherent consensus on the topic, one which is destined to dominate everyone’s little black book of eternal mysteries of human existence. Plato — well, the words of the prophetess Diotima through Socrates’ speech — posits that the erotic desire of romantic love cannot be satisfied by sex and is really an existential yearning to transcend our own beings and mortality. Exactly what you have in mind every time you bring someone home, right? Then there’s Aristophanes’ creation myth of primordial beings with two bodies in one before they were split in half by the gods, leaving a world of “individuals” trying to fuse back together with their other halves. This stands now, 2500
years later, as not only one of the most striking metaphors on the topic, but also as a bountiful source of pickup lines at Rick’s. The mystery was not solved by Xenophon’s response to Plato (also titled “Symposium”), nor in the many Symposia since. Heaven knows that in the Symposium held at my house last year featuring History Prof. David Halperin’s students in togas, the love/sex mystery was hopelessly compounded and shrouded in a dense enigmatic fog that, for many of us, has yet to lift. A little later, Aristotle maintains in his “Prior Analytics” that erotic desire is actually more a desire for love than it is a desire for sexual intercourse. If Aristotle’s on to something and love is actually the aim of sex, why is it often so detached and void of emotion or commitment? And if it’s not for love, what is it for? That’s the question Halperin will take up in a forthcoming article “What is Sex For?” in which he will attempt to tie this Aristotelian paradox into the no-less-mysterious topics of gay bathhouses and Adele. Since figuring out what sex is for seems doomed, do we have a better chance with love? We turn to essayist Susan Sontag, who managed to demystify the art of photography and then took on the question what is love for. “We ask everything of love. We ask it to be anarchic. We ask it to be the glue that holds the family together, that allows society to be orderly and allows all kinds of material processes to be transmitted from one generation to another. But I think that the connection between love and sex is very mysterious.” Thanks a lot. Sontag continues: “Part of the modern ideology of love is to assume that love and sex always go together. They can, I suppose, but I think rather to the detriment of either one or the other. And probably the greatest problem for human beings is that they just don’t.” Well, Lovelorn, at least you’re in good company. But let’s move up from philosophy and intellectualism to the arts, which, I believe, are better at eternal mysteries. There’s a film from 1971 called “Carnal Knowledge,” from the Jules Feiffer novel, in which Jack Nicholson and Art Garfunkel meet as freshmen roommates at Amherst. In terms of your letter, LL, Nicholson’s character can be said to be sex and Garfunkel’s, love. The film follows them through their lives, and although there are many lovely insights and some
great lines, by the end, the question of which one fared better is … you guessed it, a mystery. Some have weighed in on the relative merits of love and sex, elevating one above the other. Plato and Aristotle saw love as the higher pursuit. Freud saw sex is primary, driving virtually everything we do, and love as just one of many constructs we use to get more sex. In her novel “Love,” Toni Morrison explored infatuation, a kind of half-sexhalf-love minotaur: “Do they still call it infatuation? That magic ax that chops away the world in one blow, leaving only the couple standing there trembling? Whatever they call it, it leaps over anything, takes the biggest chair, the largest slice, rules the ground wherever it walks, from a mansion to a swamp, and its selfishness is its beauty ... People with no imagination feed it with sex — the clown of love. They don’t know the real kinds, the better kinds, where losses are cut and everybody benefits. It takes a certain intelligence to love like that — softly, without props.” Looking at history, I don’t think our world of dating sites, apps and i-things has yielded an era of more sex and less love. But I do think they have made finding and losing sex and love more impersonal and reduced our accountability for how we carry ourselves in doing so. This may be pushing sex and romantic love further from each other and I think this is what you are sensing, Lovelorn. Yet there’s no correct recipe for finding genuine love, as Stendahl illustrates in his novel “The Red and the Black,” which locates love in the spontaneity of the moment and not the strategic love games of jealousy, drama and roles. So with no formula or equation for solving for love with the variable of sex, I hope I’ve been able to prove you are not alone in feeling your way through the complicated maze of yours. No, the two pursuits are not mutually exclusive, but no one’s been able to calculate a correlation coefficient. Send an email to deargillian@ michigandaily.com or anonymously here describing a quandary about love, relationships, existence or their opposites. Gillian will attempt to summon the wisdom of the arts (literary, visual, performing) to soothe your troubled soul. We may publish your letter in the biweekly column with your first name (or penname). Submissions should be 250 words or fewer and may be edited prior to publication.
EPISODE REVIEW This season of “Shameless” launches the Gallagher family into new territory. BThe family’s dynamic has Shameless always been at the core of Season 6, the show, but Episode 7 it approaches Sundays a turning at 9 p.m. point now that the kids Showtime are grown up (with the exception of Liam). Fiona (Emmy Rossum, “The Day After Tomorrow”) must cope with her siblings’ resistance to being told what to do, and she seems to lose her sense of purpose in the transition. The episode “Pimp’s Paradise” shows the calm before the storm. After getting evicted when their house is foreclosed, the Gallaghers navigate a series of hurdles to regain ownership of their home. They hope to return to a sense of normalcy, when their lives aren’t getting torn apart by drugs, jail or romantic strife.
SHOWTIME
This is normalcy for the Gallaghers: Liam getting lice, Debbie (Emma Kenney, “Epic”) seducing her employer recovering from cancer, Lip (Jeremy Allen White, “Afterschool”) getting his professor fired after nude pictures of her are leaked from his phone and Carl (Ethan Cutosky, “The Unborn”) using his (likely) drug money to pimp out their house with a slide and DJ booth. As the family’s individual subplots drift further apart
from one another, the episode struggles to reincorporate the driving element of the show’s drama: Frank (William H. Macy, “Fargo”), the only character who never changes. His attempt to reclaim his status as head of the household prompts Fiona to throw in the towel and move in with Sean (Dermot Mulroney, “The Grey”). With Fiona’s history of doomed relationships and Frank’s pattern of flighty opportunism, another upheaval is bound to hit soon. - SHIR AVINADAV
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FILM NOTEBOOK
WARNER BROS.
“The People Mover is even worse than I thought.”
Location, location ... By RACHEL RICHARDSON Daily Arts Writer
During the classical film era, theorists grappled over the importance of shooting on location. Those who encouraged it claimed that it evoked a layer of depth unmatched by the sentiments the actors produced when recording on a sound stage. This was extremely critical for “Rome, Open City,” where the suffering emitted by the people lining the decimated streets of Italy constantly reminded the actors of the brokenness their characters felt and enhanced the emotional authenticity. Others argued that it didn’t matter where the film was shot as long as the director could convince his audience that the story took place in the exact location that he told them it did. Nowadays, few directors prioritize filming on-site, as audiences willingly accept the idea of feigned locations. To disguise one city as another, directors carefully select indistinguishable areas to shoot their films in addition to employing other creative techniques. For example, “The 5th Wave” is set in Cincinnati, Ohio, yet it was shot in Macon, Georgia though it’s almost impossible to tell since the tall trees and dirt covered ground make the woodland setting
appear like the forest you’d expect to see in Ohio. There’s also a clever shot of a sign indicating how many miles the heroine must travel until she reaches the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, which is located in Dayton, Ohio. So, although the movie itself was far from believable, I was thoroughly convinced that the action happened in the exact location that I was informed it did. However, for Ohio residents, this effect may not have been achieved. To locals, it doesn’t matter how average the forest, or how many cutaways to city limit signs the director uses, they will always be able to discern that it’s their city. My familiarity with Grand Rapids unfortunately led to a state of temporarily disillusionment. I vividly remember the morning I learned that Jessie Eisenberg and Jason Segel were downtown shooting “The End of the Tour.” In that moment, I felt a sense of pride knowing that my hometown was going to be featured on the big screen. Sadly, this exhilaration subsided once I actually watched the film. Initially, it was exciting to hear the little voice in my head exclaim “I’ve walked past that” (the office building at 50 Monroe Avenue), “I’ve seen that restaurant,” “I’ve driven on that stretch of I-196”
and “I think I’ve actually been inside that building.” But, this also emphasized that the story isn’t actually unfolding in Bloomington, Illinois. Now this is not to say that I didn’t thoroughly enjoy “The End of the Tour,” just that I became frustrated with its lack of genuineness. With a much bigger production, “Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice,” having been shot in Detroit, it will be interesting to see if Michiganders will notice any familiar buildings or streets. Typically, the background tends to lose its significance in films dominated by special effects, computer graphics and fight scenes whereas in calmer, narrative-driven features such as “Tour,” the characters’ interaction with their environment is salient. While in the early days of cinema, all elements equally determined a film’s success, contemporary Hollywood heavily depends on acting and post production work. Audiences have come to rely on movies for a complete manipulation of reality, not a beautiful recreation of it. Thus, the importance of on-location shooting has sadly diminished. But this strategy cannot be completely neglected, especially when its absence can prevent the viewer from completely engrossing themselves in the film.
TV NOTEBOOK
TV musicals and you By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
The musical TV genre has experienced a massive creative growth recently. The relaunch of the genre started out with “Glee” in 2009, which used pop songs to tell its story. The show was a massive success for FOX in its first season, but it never really found an ability to tell its story through song. Then “Smash” arrived onto the scene, bringing in a mix of contemporary pop and original content. The show was touted as the next big hit by NBC when it premiered, but it never connected with the public, not lasting past its second season. Then along came “Galavant” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” which have tiny viewerships, but are two of the best out there right now. This leads to the question: is there something inherently limiting, from an audience perspective, about musical television shows? If so, that’s really disappointing, because both “Galavant” and “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” are brilliantly inventive, using their songs to tell their story in new ways. Something astonishing happened during the second season of “Galavant.” The show elevated itself from a cheap musical I’d watch out of respect for the format to something fun and unique. Most of that change came from the music itself. In the first season, the songs told jokes, but they didn’t lead anywhere for the stories or the characters. Composer Alan Menken (who wrote the music for many of Disney’s ’90s musicals) expanded the scope of the songs, using them to address both humor and character growth. In the second season, the show lost its fear of advancing its characters through song. A moment in the show’s finale comes to mind. King Richard (Timothy Omundson, “Psych”) meets his “inner-child”
in a song addressing his hopes and fears. He sings: “Will my star ever rise? / Will my life ever change? / Am I destined to be achievement-free forever?” This type of self-reflection through song is something the show would never have attempted in its first season, and shows a lot of growth on the show’s part. Some of the songs end up in full-fledged parody. A song where Galavant (Joshua Sasse, “The Neighbors”) tries to set the mood for a date between Richard and Roberta (Clare Foster, “The Bill”) reminds me of a classic “Little Mermaid” tune, though its refrain of “Maybe you won’t die alone” is slightly different from “Kiss the Girl.” And one scene involving Richard and Roberta sharing the story of first sexual encounter to their zombie army features a similar tune to “Grease” ’s “Summer Nights,” complete with zombie grunts filling for in for the greasers’ responses. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” is also pushing the musical-comedy boundary, using music to deal with some of the show’s deeper themes surrounding mental illness. During the series, there are a few moments where Rebecca (Rachel Bloom, “Fuck Me Ray Bradbury”), the show’s main character who moves to West Covina, CA to follow her former summer-camp boyfriend Josh Chan (Vincent Rodriguez III, “Hostages”), is upset because of something Josh did, and each of these moments features a song. The first, “Sexy French Depression,” puts Rebecca’s feelings front and center with a scene that uses berets and a black and white aesthetic. The second, from the latest episode, when Rebecca’s lies catch up to her and push Josh away, features Rebecca singing “You ruined everything, you stupid bitch / You’re just a lying little bitch who ruins things and wants the world to burn.” It’s heartbreaking to watch her bash
herself like this, but it’s a beautiful way to illustrate the impact of the moment. “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend” also does something the best musicals do: use its music to address character relationships. In a scene from earlier in the season, Josh addresses Rebecca after a moment of contention between her and the rest of the group, and the two share a reprise of “West Covina” where the two affirm their friendship. It’s a moment that only a musical could do, putting two voices in tight harmony. But I don’t want to discount the success of live musical broadcasts from NBC and FOX, which have been big fat hits for the networks, and pretty damn good as well. Those events are better able to draw an audience because the networks can push them as happening live. They also utilize big industry names who probably wouldn’t commit to a full series. Still, despite all the warm critical reception of these new musicals, neither of the continuing series is likely to see another year. “Galavant” ’s big supporter, Paul Lee, was just fired from his position as ABC’s President of Entertainment, and the ratings for its recent run were just abysmal. And less than a million people watched the premiere of “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” with little growth in DVR views. That signifies one of two things: either viewers didn’t find the show or just outright rejected it. That’s such a sad thing for me. People will watch the live broadcasts of known musicals, but they either can’t find or won’t watch the weekly series. This is an unfortunate situation, because both the shows are using songs to tell stories in ways that other series just can’t. They’re exploring new ways of advancing story and character through their original music, and it’s a shame that they probably won’t be able to tell these stories for much longer.