ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, November 8, 2013
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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CRIME
Police arrest three people in DeWolf murder case Medical Student murdered in July at Phi Rho Sigma house By PETER SHAHIN
TRACY KO/Daily
University President Mary Sue Coleman outlines goals for the Victors for Michigan campaign at a press conference at Hill Auditorium Thursday.
Campaign has $4 billion goal Victors for Michigan launches with record-setting fundraising goal By SAM GRINGLAS and JENNIFER CALFAS Daily Staff Reporters
The University announced Thursday that the Victors for Michigan campaign will be the largest fundraising drive for a public institution in history — with an ambitious $4
billion goal. Victors for Michigan, the University’s sixth major fundraising campaign, will launch Nov. 8. The University’s last campaign, The Michigan Difference, raised $3.2 billion between 2000 and 2008 — surpassing its original goal of $2.5 billion. University President Mary Sue Coleman said last winter that the primary priority for the campaign will be student support through financial aid. At Coleman’s leadership breakfast last month, Coleman reiterated that $1 billion
in campaign funds will be focused on student support. Just like the last campaign, Coleman said in an interview after the event that passing the $4-billion mark is possible. “It is always possible that if the campaign is phenomenally successful, then maybe midway we could raise it,” Coleman said. “There’s a lot of analysis that goes into doing it, but I feel really good about this number. It’s a very audacious campaign.” Campaign organizers have made students central to campaign strategy, not only
creating goals for student support, but also in involving students in campaign planning and marketing. The Office of Development created a student campaign committee — the first of its kind at the University — consisting of 19 members from various undergraduate and graduate schools to assist in the fundraising and planning process. The campaign will also focus on raising funds for developing a more engaged learning environment in the classroom and producing ideas See VFM, Page 3A
DEVELOPMENT
By SAM GRINGLAS Daily Staff Reporter
No, it wasn’t just pulled out of a hat. Jerry May, the University’s vice president for development, said choosing the Victors for Michigan campaign’s $4 billion goal was a fairly scientific process. First, the University recognizes that it will need to raise more money than was gathered during the past campaign, The Michigan Difference, May said. Development officers then perform a name-by-name analysis of donors with the potential to give more than $100,000 — a critical category that May estimated will bring the campaign total to about $3 billion in the approximately next seven years.
The University also estimates that it can raise at least $1 billion from a shortlist of mega-donors, like philanthropists A. Alfred Taubman or Stephen Ross, the campaign’s chair. The mega-gift category includes part of the $1.7 billion already raised for the campaign. From the group of potential major donors who haven’t yet given to the University, development officers then make educated guesses about what they can expect these people to contribute. May said he plans to spend time on the U.S. coasts courting some of these billionaires during the course of the campaign. The University’s Board of Regents, along with May, will travel to New York City in January in lieu of their regularly scheduled meeting — a jaunt that will certainly include time to engage with potential and longtime benefactors. “We’ll keep working on them and we hope we’ll become a priority for them,” May said. Still, he noted that for every See MAY, Page 3A
University looks for bids on Arthur Miller home
By ARIANA ASSAF
TRACY KO/Daily
Engineering junior Amanda Ejups passes out free glowsticks at the #GlowOut on North Campus Diag on Thursday.
CITY COUNCIL
Council members discuss Big House digital billboard University has pushed back against complaints By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily Staff Reporter
At its meeting Thursday night, the Ann Arbor City Council revisited its request
that the University remove the newly installed digital billboard located off the East Stadium Boulevard near the entrance to Michigan Stadium. After discussing the disturbance caused by the marquee at previous meetings, Councilmembers Christopher Taylor (D–Ward 3) and Marcia Higgins (D-Ward 4)
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proposed an ordinance to request the University take down the $2.8 million billboard. The councilmembers said the billboard violates city ordinances by projecting moving, illuminating images that are distracting to drivers and residents. Taylor said he’d like to collaborate with See COUNCIL, Page 3A
=?
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Football equipment manager Jon Falk is the last link to Schembechler. » INSIDE
HI: 56 LO: 37
FACILITIES
South Division house would be moved from current location
Bo’s boy
WEATHER TOMORROW
Three people have been arrested in connection with the July murder of Medical School student Paul DeWolf. DeWolf, a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, was found dead from a single gunshot wound to the neck in his room at the Phi Rho Sigma medical fraternity on North Ingalls Street on July 24. Police have been investigating the DeWolf case for nearly three months. In a statement, Ann Arbor Police Chief John Seto said the three suspects arrested do not have any apparent affiliation with DeWolf, the University or the Air Force. The suspects have not yet been arraigned and police are continuing their investigation and evidence gathering. Police do not believe there are any further suspects. DeWolf was discovered dead in his apartment by a coworker after
GLOW BLUE!
May discusses fundraising initiative target Development Office identified donors, made estimates on potential giving
Daily News Editor
he failed to report to his shift at the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs Healthcare System. According to reports, nothing was stolen from DeWolf’s apartment and Ann Arbor Police Lieutenant Robert Pfannes said in July that the apartment was “orderly and valuables appeared to have been untouched.” No firearm was found at the scene. The Ann Arbor Police Department was assisted in their inquiry by the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service and University Police. In the immediate aftermath of the homicide, police increased patrols around the North Ingalls area. AAPD also offered a $10,000 reward for anyone with information about the homicide. Pfannes said Thursday the reward was not claimed in the investigation. University President Mary Sue Coleman concurrently issued a statement addressing the arrest and thanking AAPD for their diligence in continuing the investigation. “We hope today’s developments provide some solace to Paul DeWolf’s family and friends, who remain in our thoughts,” Coleman said. “We See MURDER, Page 3A
INDEX
Vol. CXXIV, No. 26 ©2013 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
Daily Staff Reporter
A historical house may be given a new home, if the University can find someone to buy it. Earlier this week, the University opened bidding on a residence previously inhabited by Arthur Miller, University alum and Pulitzer Prizewinning playwrite, when he was a student. Miller is known for plays such as “The Crucible,” “All My Sons” and “Death of a Salesman.” Currently, the goal is to secure a buyer who will remove the entire house from its foundation at 439 S. Division Street. Once the house has been removed, the University plans to use the space as a parking lot. Jim Kosteva, the University’s director of community relations, said some parties have expressed interest in purchasing the house, but could not provide details on See MILLER, Page 3A
gay and greek Where does the LGBTQ community fit in Greek life? » PAGE 4A
NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A ARTS........................... 5A
SUDOKU.....................2A CL ASSIFIEDS...............6A F O OT B A L L S AT U R DAY. . . 1 B
News
2A — Friday, November 8, 2013
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
THURSDAY: Alumni Profiles
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LEFT Michigan Football Equipment Manager Jon Falk works in his office on Thursday. (ERIN KIRKLAND/Daily) TOP RIGHT Herb Frederick, 86, has been prepping Michigan helmets for 70 years. “I started because everyone else was in the service.” Here, he wipes down helmets on October 19, before the game against Indiana. (ERIN KIRKLAND/Daily) BOTTOM RIGHT A custom made light show celebrates College of Engineering’s #GlowOut event on the North Campus Diag on Thursday. (TRACY KO/Daily)
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CRIME NOTES
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Smoky smell
Crash and ...
WHERE: 1000 Block of South Univeristy WHEN: Wednesday at 7:32 a.m. WHAT: A container was reportedly smoking near the West Hall arch, according to University Police. Officers were not able to find any problem after surverying the area.
WHERE: 1500 Block of E. Hospital WHEN: Thursday at 4:57 a.m. WHAT: A collsion betwen two vehicles occured, resulting in them both being towed, University Police reported. One driver was cited for failure to yield.
Wheels away
... Burn
WHERE: 1300 Block E. Ann WHEN: Wednesday at 8:50 p.m. WHAT: A bike was reported stolen from outside Couzens Hall, University Police reported. There are currently no suspects.
WHERE: 611 Church WHEN: Thursday at 2:52 a.m. WHAT: A construction lift was found in flames, University Police reported. The fire was put out by the Ann Arbor Fire Dept. The fire was likely caused by electrical failure.
Freshmen Fridays WHAT: The career center is holding a gathering Friday to allow freshmen to meet the Career Center’s staff. The meeting will also have free food. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today at 12:00 WHERE: Student Activities Building
Business etiquette lunch WHAT: The Center for Campus Involvement will teach the do’s and don’ts of formal dining. A four course meal will be offered for a cost of $15. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: Today at 12:00 p.m. WHERE: Pierpont Commons, Boulevard Room
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Math career fair WHAT: This career fair will feature University alumni and will focus on careers and graduate opportunities in mathematics programs. WHO: Mathematics Career Conference WHEN: Today from 1 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. WHERE: East Hall, Mathematics Atrium
Whirling Dervishes WHAT: This performance will feature Sufi dances and music. WHO: Michigan Union Ticket Office WHEN: Today at 7 p.m. WHERE: Rackham Aud. CORRECTIONS l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
A 13-year-old boy from Kansas was suspended from school Wednesday because he did not take off his purse, KCTV reported. Anderson County School District superintendent said both boys and girls are not allowed to wear purses or any type of bag.
2
Ann Arbor is amending its housing law so that tenants bear the consequences and fines of litter on housing property instead of landlords. >> FOR MORE, SEE OPINION, PAGE 4
3
A cop in Arkansas reportedly tasered a woman because she did not show him her breasts, New York Daily News reported. The victim is now suing the accused officer, and she claims the police department ignored her complaints.
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BUSINESS STAFF Amal Muzaffar Digital Accounts Manager Doug Soloman University Accounts Manager Leah Louis-Prescott Classified Manager Lexi Derasmo Local Accounts Manager Hillary Wang National Accounts Manager Ellen Wolbert and Sophie Greenbaum Production Managers The Michigan Daily (ISSN 0745-967) is published Monday through Friday during the fall and winter terms by students at the University of Michigan. One copy is available free of charge to all readers. Additional copies may be picked up at the Daily’s office for $2. Subscriptions for fall term, starting in September, via U.S. mail are $110. Winter term (January through April) is $115, yearlong (September through April) is $195. University affiliates are subject to a reduced subscription rate. On-campus subscriptions for fall term are $35. Subscriptions must be prepaid. The Michigan Daily is a member of The Associated Press and The Associated Collegiate Press.
After IPO, Twitter stock instantly rises 70 percent Company valued at nearly $31 billion after first day NEW YORK (AP) — Shares of Twitter went on sale to the public for the first time Thursday, instantly leaping more than 70 percent above their offering price in a dazzling debut that exceeded even Wall Street’s lofty hopes. By the closing bell, the social network that reinvented global communication in 140-character bursts was valued at $31 billion — nearly as much as Yahoo Inc., an Internet icon from another era, and just below Kraft Foods, the grocery conglomerate founded more than a century ago. The stock’s sizzling performance seemed to affirm the Sudoku Syndication bright prospects for Internet companies, especially those
focused on mobile users. And it could invite more entrepreneurs to consider IPOs, which lost their luster after Facebook’s first appearance on the Nasdaq was marred by glitches. In Silicon Valley, the IPO produced another crop of millionaires and billionaires, some of whom are sure to fund a new generation of startups. Twitter, which has never turned a profit in the seven years since it was founded, worked hard to temper expectations ahead of the IPO, but all that was swiftly forgotten when the market opened. Still, most analysts don’t expect the company to be profitable until 2015. Investors will be watching closely to see whether Twitter was worth the premium price. Thursday’s stock surge was “really not as important as you might think,” said Kevin Lan-
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dis, a portfolio manager with Firsthand Funds, which owns shares in Twitter. “What really matters is where the stock is going to be in six months, 12 months.” The most anticipated initial public offering of the year was carefully orchestrated to avoid the dysfunction that surrounded Facebook’s IPO. Trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “TWTR,” shares opened at $45.10, 73 percent above their initial offering price. AP/NASA In the first few hours, the Cosmonaut Fyodor Yurchikhin holds the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics torch brought aboard by fellow cosmonaut Mikhail stock jumped as high as $50.09. Tyurin as Tyurin, Rick Mastracchio of the United States and Koichi Wakata of Japan enter the station on Thursday. Most of those gains held throughout the day, with Twitter closing at $44.90, despite a broader market decline. The narrow price range indicated that people felt it was “pretty fairly priced,” said JJ Kinahan, chief strategist at TD http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ Ameritrade. The price spike “clearly Now that the newcomers have Sergei Ryazanskiy will take shows that demand exceeds the entered the space station follow- the torch out of the space stasupply of shares,” said Wedbush ing a long hatch-opening pro- tion on Saturday while Amerianalyst Michael Pachter. cess, the orbiting lab has nine can Michael Hopkins remains Earlier in the day, Twitter people aboard for the first time inside. gave a few users rather than since 2009. Fyodor Yurchikhin The four-month Sochi torch executives the opportunity to MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian of Russia, NASA’s Karen Nyberg, relay, which started in Mosring the NYSE’s opening bell. rocket soared into the cosmos and Italian Luca Parmitano are cow on Oct. 7, is the longest in The users included actor PatThursday carrying the Sochi the crew scheduled to return to the history of the Olympics. For rick Stewart, who played CapOlympic torch and three astro- Earth with the torch via a Mon- most of the 65,000-kilometer tain Jean-Luc Picard in “Star nauts to the International Space day landing on the steppes of (39,000-mile) route across RusTrek: The Next Generation”; Station ahead of the first-ever Kazakhstan. sia, it will travel by plane, train, Vivienne Harr, a 9-year-old spacewalk for the symbol of The Olympic torch will not car and even reindeer sleigh. girl who ran a lemonade stand peace. burn onboard the space outpost Some 14,000 torch bearers for a year to raise money to Video streamed by the U.S. because lighting it would con- are taking part in the relay that end child slavery; and Cheryl space agency NASA reported a sume precious oxygen and pose stops at more than 130 cities and Fiandaca of the Boston Police flawless docking with the space a threat to the crew. The crew towns. Department. station about six hours after the will carry the unlit torch around Last month, the Olympic Twitter raised $1.8 billion craft blasted off from Russia’s the station’s numerous modules flame traveled to the North Pole Wednesday night when it sold manned space facility in Bai- before taking it out on a space- on a Russian nuclear-powered 70 million shares to select inveskonur, Kazakhstan. walk. icebreaker. Later this month it tors for $26 each. But the huge The unlit torch for the 2014 The Olympic torch was taken will sink to the bottom of the first-day pop left some analysts Winter Olympics in the Rus- aboard the U.S. space shuttle world’s deepest lake, Lake Baiwondering whether the compasian city of Sochi is to be taken Atlantis in 1996 for the Atlanta kal. In early February, it will ny could have raised more. Had on a spacewalk Saturday, then Summer Olympics, but this is the reach the peak of Mount Elbrus, Twitter priced the stock at $30, return to Earth on Monday first it time it will be taken out- at 5,642 meters (18,510 feet) the for instance, the company would (late Sunday EST) with three side a spacecraft. highest mountain in Russia and departing space station astro“It’s a great pleasure and Europe. have taken away $2.1 billion. At $35, it would have reaped nearly nauts. responsibility getting to work The torch will be used to light $2.5 billion. That’s a lot for a The arriving crew members with this symbol of peace,” the Olympic flame at Sochi’s staThursday were Russia’s Mikhail Tyurin told journalists on dium on Feb. 7, marking the start company that’s never made a profit and had revenue of just Tyurin, American Rick Mastrac- Wednesday before the launch. of the 2014 Winter Games that $317 million last year. chio and Koichi Wakata of Japan. Russians Oleg Kotov and run until Feb. 23.
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Russian rocket takes Sochi Olympic torch into space Flame soar to space, along with three astronauts
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NEWS BRIEFS
MURDER From Page 1A
LANSING, Mich.
Man convicted of second-degree murder in Lansing A Lansing-area man convicted of second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a 23-year-old Michigan State University senior has been sentenced to 20 to 60 years in prison. The Lansing State Journal and MLive.com report that 19-yearold Connor McCowan learned his punishment Wednesday morning. A jury in Ingham County Circuit Court earlier convicted McCowan in the attack, which happened at an off-campus apartment. Authorities say McCowan went to Andrew Singler’s apartment in Meridian Township on Feb. 23 with a plan to kill him. Authorities say the fight stemmed from an argument between Singler and McCowan’s sister.
ESCALON, Calif.
Thief takes nearly 140,000 pounds of Calif. walnuts Authorities in California are trying to crack the case of a nut thief who made off with 140,000 pounds of walnuts. The theft, estimated at nearly $400,000, occurred Sunday in the small Central Valley town of Escalon. Investigators say it was one of the biggest to hit the booming industry. Last month, about 12,000 pounds of walnuts worth $50,000 were stolen from a trailer parked on Highway 99 north of Sacramento. This time several truckloads of walnuts were taken from the facility. Authorities say rising prices — about $2 per pound — is what appears to be driving the recent walnut thefts. No arrests have yet been made.
TORONTO
Bombings in Iraq leave 30 dead, 19 soldiers killed A series of attacks in Iraq, including a double suicide car bombing targeting a military base, killed 30 people across the country Thursday, officials said. The deadliest attack took place when the two suicide bombers drove their explosive-laden cars into a military base in the town of Tarmiyah late Thursday, killing at least 19 soldiers and wounding 41, authorities said. Soldiers guarding the base opened fire on the first car bomber as he approached, but he still was able to detonate his explosives against a gate at the facility, police said. Two minutes later, the second suicide bomber rammed his car through the gate and exploded when he reached a crowd of soldiers who gathered after the earlier blast, police said.
DUSHANBE, Tajikistan
President of Tajikistan wins fourth election Tajikistan’s president has won a fourth term in an election that has been criticized by Western observers and extends his more than 20-year rule in the ex-Soviet Central Asian nation. The Central Election Commission said Thursday that Emomali Rakhmon won 83.6 percent of the vote, but monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the top trans-Atlantic security and rights group, criticized the previous day’s vote. They say that state media had been dominated by coverage of Rakhmon’s campaign and that registration requirements were designed to limit competition. “While quiet and peaceful, this was an election without a real choice,” Gerdana Comic, Special Coordinator for the OSCE mission, said in a news conference in Dushanbe —Compiled from Daily wire reports
will now join the greater Ann Arbor community in awaiting the outcome of the judicial process in this case.” UMPD Chief Joe Piersante echoed Coleman in his remarks, adding that he hopes the latest development will help bring closure for DeWolf’s family. “We very much appreciate the diligent and persistent efforts of the officers in the Ann Arbor Police Department who tirelessly continued to
VFM From Page 1A to aid worldwide problems. After the event, University Provost Martha Pollack said the three priorities for the campaign intersect, meaning that students could participate in research projects addressing global issues, and gain valuable learning experiences outside the classroom. “As the chief academic officer, I couldn’t be happier about the priorities,” Pollack said. “I think those three priorities are just perfectly aligned with what we want to be as an educational institution.” The University’s newest campaign launches against a backdrop of depressed state appropriations and rising tuition rates. In June, the University’s Board of Regents approved a 1.1 and 3.2 percent increase in tuition for in-state and out-ofstate students respectively — the lowest 29 years. “We believe that by judiciously controlling our costs and tuition increases, while also committing university funds for financial aid, we can join with donors to make it possible for the best students, from any socio-economic background, to afford to get a Michigan education,” Regent Andrea Fischer Newman (R) said in a statement. Many institutions across the country are carrying out simi-
MAY From Page 1A four prospects it courts, the University usually achieves one gift at the sought level. Lead gifts, at $5 million or more apiece, are expected to generate $1 billion of the campaign’s total. May said he is currently involved in about six gift discussions that include potential donations that are more than $5 million each. As to timing of the gifts, May said they are announced as they arrive. However, the University plans to create some deadlines to continue the campaign’s momentum, including a halfway celebration in 2015. May said significant amounts of money are also raised every fall when alum-
MILLER From Page 1A the individuals who may end up submitting bids. A tour of the house will be offered to interested buyers later this month, and bids are due in the middle of December. “The University doesn’t necessarily see a need for the facility, and so we’re making it available to be purchased and moved,” Kosteva said. Kosteva said no final decision has been made concerning what would happen if no bids are submitted, but other potential uses for the house would be explored. As of now, the house is being used as an office for construction workers who are expanding the Institute for Social Research building. Ideally, Kosteva said the Arthur Miller house would be relocated this summer. The buyer would be responsible for covering the cost of relocation. The University undertook a similar project 15 years ago, when the James D. Reader, Jr. Environmental Education Center, previously the Burnham House, was relocated
News seek justice for our community. We are extremely pleased with this development, which will help bring closure to this tragedy for our community and the DeWolf family. Our thanks to Chief John Seto for the collaborative investigation that included the involvement of several U-M police officers. While we all should remain vigilant for our personal safety, thanks to the efforts of these officers, we know that our streets are a little bit safer and that justice will be served.” The University of Michigan Health System also released a statement, saying it will continue to provide support to stu-
dents and staff as the inquiry continues. “The loss of Paul DeWolf was a terrible shock and tragedy for our entire Medical School community, and we are heartened by this development and thankful for the diligent work of the U-M police and the Ann Arbor Police Department,” the statement read. “We trust his family will draw comfort from this development, and that closure will ensue for them, our Medical School community and the broader Health System. We will continue to provide support to our students, faculty and staff as the judicial process unfolds.”
lar fundraising drives — but the University’s goal is closer to many private schools than public peers. Harvard University is currently in the midst of the largest fundraising drive in the history of higher education — with an ambitious $6.5 billion goal. The campaign launched earlier this year and will conclude in 2018. LSA Interim Dean Susan Gelman wrote in an e-mail that her priorities for the campaign focus on financial aid, including scholarships dedicated to assisting students pay for study abroad and internship experiences, as well as undergraduate research opportunities. “We are committed to the liberal arts, and we have evidence from the stories of our alumni that scholarship support makes a tremendous difference, not only for an individual student — maybe the first in his or her family to attend college — but also for siblings, relatives, and entire communities who are inspired and encouraged by seeing dreams become reality,” Gelman wrote. The University has received $1.7 billion in gifts in the two years leading up to the official kickoff on Friday. In the last few months, donations from philanthropists including Stephen Ross, Charles Munger, Penny Stamps, Helen Zell and the Rogel and Frankel families have donated gifts earmarked for an array of new facilities, scholarships and programs. Coleman said these leadership
gifts highlight diverse areas of the University — ranging from arts and humanities to the Business School, student support and athletics. She added that the flagship donations serve as examples for smaller benefactors. Ross, who donated $200 million in September to his namesake business school and the Athletic Department, serves as chair of the campaign. On Wednesday the University announced a $50 million donation from Richard and Susan Rogel — which will benefit the Medical School and the Center for Chinese Studies. Richard Rogel served as chair of The Michigan Difference campaign and will serve as vice chair of the Victors for Michigan campaign — spearheading the overall push for student support. Three students attended the press conference to answer questions about how the campaign will support them. LSA senior Katherine Man, a nonresident student and a member of the Global Scholars program, said without her financial aid, she would not have been able to attend the University. “This opens the opportunities for students who are good students but don’t have the financial means,” Man said. The Victors for Michigan campaign kick-off will begin Friday at 5 p.m. with a community festival in Ingalls Mall, the main event in Hill Auditorium and an after-party, ending at 10 p.m.
ni return for football season. “Frankly, we just want the money to come in when it will come in,” May said. May said donor experiences also assist development officers in courting donors. He added that celebrations, like Friday’s kickoff for Victors for Michigan, are some of the few times the University can get a large number of donors to campus for a special event. Giving after an event like the kickoff, “people are doing something rational, but they’re having fun,” May said. But when recruiting donors and determining the campaign’s goal, Chief Financial Officer Timothy Slottow said it’s key the campaign matches a donor’s capability to give with the University’s most significant priorities and needs.
“And it’s not an easy thing to do,” Slottow said. Though specific projects may appeal to donors, Slottow said the University must also secure donations for less attractive initiatives, like endowing capital maintenance. Capital maintenance is used to maintain and periodically modernize existing buildings. Recently, the University has begun asking donors for capital projects to include funds earmarked for a facility’s future maintenance. So far, that plan has raised $30 million in endowed funds for capital upkeep. “With lots of creativity, we’re finding new ways to really get donors interested in the most important things that wouldn’t necessarily be obvious to a donor,” Slottow said.
from Wall Street near the Kellogg Eye Center to the Washington Heights entrance to Nichols Arboretum. Given ideal conditions, transporting an entire house can actually be more economical than tearing down one house and building another, Kosteva said. Although it can be expensive to close streets and adjust things like street signs, traffic lights and electrical wires, houses in good condition that are relatively close to their next location can sometimes be
moved without serious difficulty, Kosteva said. “It’s not an inexpensive activity. However, depending upon how far one has to move it obviously saves construction cost,” Kosteva said. “You have to own a lot and build a new foundation, but you might be able to dramatically reduce overall cost of construction.” The University purchased the house for $919,424 in December 2010 after receiving approval from the Board of Regents in a meeting the previous month.
Friday, November 8, 2013 — 3A
COUNCIL From Page 1A the University and find a compromise for the situation. “This resolution constitutes a resolution among friends,” Taylor said, but noted that the billboard is distracting to drivers and “degrading to the community.” Councilmember Chuck Warpehoski (D–Ward 5) expressed discontent with the use of animation and video on the billboard. At an “absolute minimum,” the University should be following federal highway regulation rules, Warpehoski said. The Federal Highway Administration discourages billboards that have flashing, intermittent or moving lights. Many of the councilmembers expressed discontent with the failure of the Board of Regents to speak with the city council before starting the project. Jim Kosteva, the University’s director for community relations, was present at the meeting but declined to comment on why the University did not tell the council their plans for the billboard beforehand. In a previous statement, Kosteva said the University doesn’t believe the sign constitutes a safety threat. “This may simply be a matter of the city and University disagreeing about the marquee’s use, size and effect,” Kosteva said. “We believe the marquee can safely inform patrons about events that they or their families might enjoy that wouldn’t receive attention otherwise.” University President Mary Sue Coleman has previously addressed the issue, noting that the University was careful to position the sign away from residential areas. “I believe it’s the driver’s responsibility to not be distracted,” Coleman said. “My opinion specifically is irrelevant, but I do like the idea of informing people about lesser known sports on campus, such as women’s volleyball.” Councilmember Stephen Kunselman (D–Ward 3) said the conflict between the city and the University has created too much conflict: he said the two bodies should be talking instead of throwing resolutions back and forth. An innovative, tech-oriented Ann Arbor should have a digital billboard, said Councilmember Sally Hart Peterson (D–Ward 2). She expressed optimism that, rather than just advertising, the billboard could be used as a public service, to issue AMBER alerts or messages from city council
All were in favor of the city ordinance and motion was approved. Council members review DDA funding Discussion also continued on changes to the tax-funding mechanism for the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority. Kunselman spearheaded an ordinance to amend the way tax increment financing is captured the DDA. TIF is a form of public financing where future gains in tax revenue are used to subsidize future projects. Though he’s a consistent critic of the DDA, Kunselman argued that the DDA isn’t getting enough funding for affordable housing projects downtown. He proposed an amendment where DDA tax funds would be budgeted no less than $200,000 for affordable housing downtown. Ann Arbor Mayor John Hieftje expressed skepticism at Kunselman’s amendments, arguing that the DDA rarely declines an affordable housing request. But after much deliberation and many amendments, Kunselman succeeded in gaining approval for two amendments for the TIF capture ordinance. Audience members express concern at treatment of homeless Before council members discussed items on the agenda, several people spoke during the public commentary period about the topic of homelessness in the city. Councilmembers were planning to address the issue indirectly through a resolution to accept a public parks ordinance, which would change the process of renting public parks. Liberty Plaza, a downtown park located at the corner of South Division Street and East Liberty Street, is a common gathering place for many members of the homeless population. On Fridays, the Vineyard Church of Ann Arbor passes out food to people at the park. Speakers expressed concerns that the homeless population in Ann Arbor was being treated poorly, and asked council members for welfare or “humanitarian help.” Various councilmembers addressed these concerns in their communications after the commentary period. Councilmember Peterson asked Hieftje to urge churches to keep their doors open longer in the winter for homeless shelter. Later in the meeting, councilmembers decided to postpone voting on the decision for the parks resolution to a later date.
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Opinion
4A — Friday, November 8, 2013
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Intersection of Greek Life and LGBTQ Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MELANIE KRUVELIS ANDREW WEINER EDITOR IN CHIEF
and ADRIENNE ROBERTS
EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
MATT SLOVIN MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Communicating responsibilities Tenants will now be ticketed directly for any accrued fines
T
he responsibility of cleaning up Ann Arbor lawns littered with red solo cups from football Saturdays may soon shift from landlords to tenants. Recently deliberated amendments to sections 72 and 132 to the “Housing Law of Michigan” would directly ticket tenants for any fines accrued from violating ordinances regarding community standards of cleanliness and public welfare. Although the amendments may seem like an attack on student pocketbooks, these potential changes would create an improved level of notification for tenants. Students will now be made aware of what behaviors can result in fines, and they will now know the magnitude of the consequences. This new channel of communication between the city, tenants and the landlords displaces some of the uneasiness students can feel as they move off-campus. Before these amendments were suggested, the responsibility of paying any fines issued by Ann Arbor fell to the landlord, and the city wasn’t required to notify the occupants of the building. Now, the revised clauses of the bill state that it’s the duty of the occupants of a dwelling to keep the premise “free from the accumulation of dirt, filth, rubbish, garbage or other matter in the yards, courts, passages, areas or alleys connected or belonging to the dwelling.” If the tenants of an apartment or house fail to do so, the city — in particular the Community Standards Unit of Ann Arbor — will issue a “written notice of violation” to the occupant. The landlord of the building will receive one as well. In the past, when a landlord received a notification of a fine, he could inform the tenants at his discretion. Due to ineffective communication, a tenant could potentially commit the same offense over and over and unconsciously accrue a number of fines. Depending upon the landlord, the payment could come out of the owner’s pocket or possibly the security deposit of his tenants; and, there are myriad citations capable of making security deposit disappear. However, the landlord possesses the option to turn the fee over his tenants. According to the city, tenants can be fined for offenses ranging from overgrown grass, trash accumulation, park-
ing in the yard to even “abandoned refrigerators.” In particular, tenants can be heavily fined for placing an upholstered couch upon the porch of their dwelling on the grounds that it is is a potential fire hazard. Tom Koetsier, a member of the Rental Property Owners of Michigan, uses this example to illustrate his support for the bill. He claims that “landlords don’t put couches on porches, tenants do, and if they (the municipality) want it removed, they should cite the tenant for that.” In the interests of protecting students and their security deposits, the University recently held an information session regarding the legal details potential tenants should know before signing a lease. Coupled with the proposal of this amended bill, the University and lawmakers in Lansing are doing a more effective job of providing students with information about the duties that come with renting. However, these two entities shouldn’t have to continue compensating for the lack of communication between landlords and students. Students also need to be adults and accept the responsibilities that come with living offcampus — even if that means paying for occasional bouts of laziness. However, students are incapable of fulfilling these obligations if landlords continue to provide them with insufficient information.
I
waited patiently outside of what I thought was the side door of the house. On the glass door was a white decal of three Greek fraternity letters that, to an insider, represent a variety of experiences from brotherhood, comradeship and SARA community to MOROSI football tailgates, Hamms Special Light, drunken hookups, cleavage, infatuation, regret and the occasional smell of vomit. I had rarely come to the fraternity house on a weekday night. The feel was very different. There was no music blaring and my boots were not sticking to spilled alcohol on the tile as I walked down the main hallway. The same three Greek letters were painted in white on the wall. I noticed a half-full bottle of off-brand Sprite on the floor, probably a leftover bottle of chaser from the weekend. Todd Needle, a senior photo editor at The Michigan Daily, sat across from me on his bedroom floor. He sat with his legs crossed — a position we referred to in elementary school as “Indian style.” It made his body look cramped, but the informality of his posture made him appear relaxed at the same time. On the wall above his bed was a poster that read “Forward with Obama.” For years, Needle has struggled to come to terms with his sexual orientation. Being a student at the University, a fairly liberal school at that, has both complicated and cleared his path to self-discovery. Needle is a member of Greek life on campus. However, it hasn’t always been an environment in which he felt comfortable expressing his sexual orientation. Greek culture stigmatizes gays. “It’s not an environment conducive to homosexuality, to open homosexuality,” Needle told me. Because of this, in the past he has consciously filtered himself while with his brothers. He has spoken in a more masculine tone. He has joined in conversations about hot sorority girls. Last semester, I took a course in narrative journalism. I chose to write my narrative about Needle’s experience with the intersection of homosexuality and Greek life. I originally set out to tell a story about keeping a secret, but it didn’t
DEREK MAGILL | VIEWPOINT
A party of their own
The Libertarian Party did not cost the Republican Party the Virginia governor race; they did that on their own. There are two ways the Republican Party can view its narrow loss to Democrats in the Virginia gubernatorial race: Either the party needs further reform on social policies or those pesky Libertarian partiers “cost us the election.” The former would be warmly welcomed by a populace that’s demanding — with an ever-increasing fervor — social liberties. The latter would be savage hypocrisy. What kind of message does it send when a party that allegedly supports competition in markets wants to enjoy a monopoly in the election process? While both parties are guilty of doing everything in their power to marginalize third parties, the Republican treatment of the Libertarian Party is particularly galling with its cheap guilt trip: “a vote for a Libertarian is a vote for a Democrat.” A party that has to shame people into voting for it is not a party worth voting for. Besides, have Republicans ever thought how silly that sounds? And, as much as Republicans would like to lay claim to the libertarian movement, there are clearly enough libertarian voters who think fusionism — Libertarians “marrying” Republicans — is an illegitimate means toward a more libertarian society. Instead of placing blame on people who voted for the Libertarian Party candidate Robert Sarvis, Republicans need to ask themselves: “Why didn’t these people vote Republican? Why did the Democrats still win when the majority of voters in Virginia, if you combine the Republican and Libertarian votes, voted for freer markets? What is the disconnect between Libertarians and the Republican Party?” While the less obvious reason is that Libertarians are actually for free markets, it’s social liberties that would have had the most immediate impact on the outcome of this election. If the Republican Party candidate Ken Cuccinelli had accepted that the government has no role whatsoever in the marital and sexual relationships of Virginia citizens, I can say with confidence that he would have received more Libertarian votes despite the fact that we would have still had disagreements.
Libertarians aren’t the rigid ideologues that the Republican Party has painted us to be. We recognize that in politics, as in any area of life, you can’t always have your cake and eat it too. However, we don’t accept the philosophically illiterate and morally bankrupt statement that social liberties aren’t as important as economic liberties. Central to libertarian philosophy is the recognition that voluntary, peaceful associations between people are the foundation for free markets. For Libertarians, Cuccinelli’s stances on marriage, the drug war, sex and immigration went too far in violating this principle. Is it really a hard principle to accept that people should be free to do what they wish in their private lives, so long as it’s peaceful? Republicans have told Libertarians they’re “stubborn,” but stubbornness in defense of liberty cannot seriously be considered a vice. If we look at the direction our culture is moving in, who is really being stubborn: those who would lift social restrictions, or those who would impose them against the wishes of most individuals? The result of the election speaks for itself. Does this mean Libertarians wanted the Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe to be elected? Far from it. It simply means that Republicans have not yet come far enough on social liberties to merit the nearly 150,00 Libertarian votes that they claim Robert Sarvis “siphoned” away from them. While I have no doubt that the Republicans would have taken the election if the Libertarian party had not fielded a candidate, I have equally no doubt that the Republicans would have won if they had rid themselves of some of their more medieval social policies — some of which, granted, they share with Democrats. Apparently, though, that was wishful thinking. Republicans have already taken to social media to blame Libertarians for costing them the election of a “free market candidate” that a simple relaxation of social policies might have won. I wonder whether they have ever heard that timeless bit of wisdom: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and expecting different results?” Derek Magill is an LSA sophomore.
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take long to see that he wasn’t keeping one; rather, he was concealing his sexual orientation from a key element in his life: his fraternity and the broader Greek-life culture. “So it’s really not a secret that you’re keeping. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it’s more so that you don’t want to shake things up?” I asked him. “Yes. It’s not that interesting. I’m a normal person.” Jackie Simpson, director of the Spectrum Center, explained that over the years, acceptance of the LGBTQ community in Greek life has been a topic of conversation. It’s routinely brought up by students to the Spectrum Advocacy Board as an issue they would like to pursue. According to Simpson, about six years ago, the Spectrum Center, in collaboration with Greek life, led a survey that explored the perceived level of acceptance of LGBTQs within the Greek Community. “I found the results to be very fascinating,” Simpson said. What the survey found was that the perceived level of acceptance of LGBTQ members varies across community, chapter and the individual. Simpson recounted that when students were asked, “Do you feel said level is supportive of LGBTQ members?” the vast majority of students claimed that as a community, Greek life is not accepting, and that their chapter is somewhat accepting, and, as an individual, they are accepting. Simpson explained that judging by the needs of students consulting at the Spectrum Center, she has not noticed a change in the level of acceptance of LGBTQ members in Greek life since the survey was conducted more than half a decade ago. “I would say that students experience it the same. They continue to bring this up as something they feel needs to be worked on. What that says to me is that it hasn’t changed.” Simpson added, “For me personally, as director of the Spectrum Center, I view my colleagues in Greek life and students I’ve worked with in IFC and Panhel as very supportive.” So what’s going on? If the majority of surveyed Greek members are allegedly accepting of the LGBTQ community, why, as an entity, does
it appear so homophobic? It’s worth considering, however, that maybe the issue isn’t that the Greek community is homophobic, rather hyper-heterosexual. As a Greek life member, I can attest that when I lived in a sorority house, conversations at the dinner table were largely driven by heterosexuality — “That guy you met at Alpha Beta Chi last night ... are you taking him to formal?” It isn’t homophobic, it just isn’t inclusive language. But the same can be said for the wider campus culture, not to mention all across society. When viewed broadly, we wonder how it can possibly change, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do our part in making all corners of our University an accepting place for the LGBTQ community. One way is to continue consciously eliminating microaggressions, like using “gay” or “faggot” in a negative connotation. There is much to be done before the Greek community, as an entity, can tote acceptance of LGBTQ members, but I believe we’re moving forward. Personally, I have seen a change in acceptance within Greek life over the past four years that I’ve been part of it. Last February, Needle told me, “We’re just not there yet, as a Greek culture. It’s disappointing. I’m not even there yet as a person, to be running around taking guys to formal.” With a smile he added: “Although we’d totally have matching bow ties.” Since then, Needle has become more and more open about his sexual preference. This fall, he posed for pictures next to his boyfriend at his fraternity’s Gatsby-inspired date party. And yes, they wore bow ties. “I’ve been very impressed by everyone who knows me personally — especially my brothers. They haven’t batted an eyelash.” Needle told me in late October. “But when I hear people say ‘fag’ or ‘that’s so gay,’ I want to tell them that it doesn’t make you sound cool; it makes you sound like an asshole.” “It reminds me that we still have a ways to go.”
Greek Life isn’t necessarily homophobic, but it is hyper-heterosexual.
— Sara Morosi can be reached at smorosi@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, James Brennan, Eric Ferguson, Jordyn Kay, Jesse Klein, Melanie Kruvelis, Maura Levine, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Adrienne Roberts, Paul Sherman, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
No excuse for slut shaming
“H
alloween is the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it,” said Cady Heron in “Mean Girls,” which is becoming a generational cult classic. As MAURA comedic as this statement might LEVINE sound, it could not be truer in the college mentality. With Halloween 2013 in our rear-view mirrors, we are left with blurry iPhone pictures of our friends dressed in outfits that would be considered “slutty” on any other day of the year simply because they can get away with it on “Hallo-weekend.” But just because this holiday has become the one day a year in which it is culturally acceptable to dress in a less-thantraditional manner does not make it OK for women to be “slut shamed” or for men to harass women simply because of what they are wearing. The Michigan laws on sexual harassment still apply even when a woman is wearing a sexy schoolgirl costume on Halloween. According to a self-proclaimed feminist blog, “Finally a Feminism 101 Blog,” “slut shaming” occurs when a woman is attacked or shamed for being sexual or acting on sexual feelings. It is also, “… the implication that if a woman has sex that traditional society disapproves of, she should feel guilty and inferior.” Slut shaming can lead to women having low self-esteem and to men thinking that women are
mere sexual objects and are able to be thrown around with little consequence. Just because a woman is dressed a certain way on Halloween — or any other day of the year — does not mean that she is “easy” to get into bed, that she can be treated without respect or that she can be touched simply because you want to touch her. Unfortunately, many college men overstep their boundaries — “Halloweekend” or not. Maybe they are slut shaming and think that they can touch a woman inappropriately because of the way she is dressed, or maybe they were never taught manners. It is important to realize, however, that unless you know a woman personally and you know that she consents to physical contact, you shouldn’t touch her. Regardless of whether or not you think it is funny or harmless to grab her too closely while taking a group picture or to slip your arm around her waist during a pregame, these actions may make her uncomfortable. More than making her uncomfortable, these actions are actually prohibited by law. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, sexual assault is any, “unwanted sexual contact that stops short of rape or attempted rape. This includes sexual touching and fondling.” So while mere touching at a bar may seem harmless, even this could pursue into a form of sexual assault punishable by law. In Michigan, there are four
degrees of Criminal Sexual Conduct. These degrees differ in both definitions and guidelines for punishment, depending on the type of inappropriate contact sustained. Furthermore, resistance by the victim is not necessary to establish CSC has occurred; therefore, if a woman is too scared or ashamed to speak out, remove herself from an uncomfortable situation or tell her assailant to stop, the perpetrator can still be criminally prosecuted. It would be wrong to assume that just because a woman did not complain of discomfort, she was not affected. Fear of shame or ridicule may prohibit her from resisting at that time. Society has become desensitized to women being called “sluts,” to women being touched inappropriately or feeling uncomfortable. Pop culture makes it seem OK for a man to touch a woman when he finds her sexy; it supports the idea that men can take what they want when they want it. But neither a woman wearing a playboy bunny costume nor a woman wearing a turtleneck sweater is justifiably “asking for it.” Men should always ask before making advances on a woman — regardless of what she is wearing. If not, they could find their slut shaming selves in a courtroom, whether or not it was a harmless joke or a mistaken gesture taken “too far.”
Men should ask before making advances — sexy schoolgirl or not.
— Maura Levine can be reached at mtoval@umich.edu.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
PERFORMANCE PREVIEW
Spiritual dance troupe honors poet Whirling Dervishes to translate Rumi work in performance By GIANCARLO BUONOMO Daily Arts Writer
“Poetry is what gets lost in translation” — a cliché yet profound statement. This is certainly true when translat- The ing from one Whirling language to another. How- Dervishes ever, what if one of Rumi translates languages beyond Friday at 7 p.m. the written word? On Fri- Rackham day, the Whirl- $15 ing Dervishes of Rumi will be coming to campus to translate the works of the Persian poet and mystic Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, known as Mevlana or Rumi, into dance and music. The dance troupe performs a unique ritual known as Sema, in which the spirit of Rumi’s poetry inspires a dance of graceful spinning, accompanied by drumbeats and recitations from his poetry and from the Koran. This is not mere entertainment; in fact, the Dervishes ask that there be no applause until they have left the stage, for they are performing a sacred act. The Rumi Club of
Michigan, which is bringing the Whirling Dervishes to campus, views this performance as educational as well as spiritual. “We try to engage people through dialogue — interfaith and intercultural dialogue,” said second-year Ph.D student Ziah Dean. Far from being an insular discussion group about the poet himself, the Rumi Club, much like the Whirling Dervishes, applies the values that Rumi espoused in his poetry to the betterment of the intellectual, spiritual and social culture of campus. “We basically derive our mission from Rumi’s perspective, in the sense that he sought to engage people through love (and) compassion, and he really thought that the sort of connection with God was through those,” Dean said. In even a brief look at some of Rumi’s poetry, this multifaceted approach is apparent. Consider, for example, his poem, “Light up the Fire,” in which he states, “Light up the fire of love inside / And blaze the thoughts away.” In these lines, for Rumi, as with Sufi thought, the divine infuses the personal. “When he does write his poetry, he’s basically talking about his personal journey to reach that realm of divine existence,” Dean said. The Whirling Dervishes take all of these ideas and convert
them into the ritual Sema. Each Sema contains four different musical movements anchored by a whirling dance. “Whirling in of itself is sort of trying to connect oneself to the heavenly bodies that also whirl, like the earth that rotates,” Dean said. One does not need to be performing the Sema, or even believe in its theological affirmations, to appreciate the Dervishes’ performance. “Even if you are a spectator of the whirling, you can also benefit in the sense that you also sort of put away all of the problems and troubles you have, the things that are going on around your world, and just focus on this beautiful music. And you can also experience that same sort of ascension that they’re trying to seek,” Dean said. Rumi’s work might be unfamiliar to many students, but that is precisely why the Rumi Club of Michigan is bringing the Dervishes to campus. “It’s really important that we sit down and get to know each other, especially because we are living in this turbulent time where there’s a lot of strife going on between people who are not sitting down and getting to know each other,” Dean said. So, in the words of Rumi: “Come, come, whoever you are. Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving. It doesn’t matter.”
FROM THE FILTER
Britney Spears reveals personal heartbreak on ‘Perfume’ track By GIBSON JOHNS Online Arts Editor
It’s no secret that the first single from Britney Spears’s upcoming eighth album, Britney Jean, “Work Bitch,” vastly underperformed across the board, so it was imperative that Brit Brit deliver something bigger and better ahead of the album’s release. She needed to reassert her power over pop music — fast. Enter “Perfume.” It has been a decade since 2003’s “Everytime,” Spears’s last truly iconic power ballad, and upon first listen, it is immediately clear that “Perfume” is ready to fill that void. The track, co-penned by Spears and Sia, was released on Sunday, Nov. 3 and is the second single off of Britney Jean, due out Nov. 29.
We smell a new hit single for Britney Jean Spears. Throughout her promo tour this fall, Spears has promised that her eighth album would be her most personal yet; she wrote and recorded most of the songs while dealing with her breakup with exFirst seen on fiance Jason Tra-
the filter
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Scratch ‘n’ sniff.
wick, and she was feeling emotional, y’all. But by releasing a first single like “Work Bitch,” a banging club track devoid of any emotion, Spears confused her fans. Where was the connection? Where was our look into the increasingly guarded heart and soul of our beloved, down-home southern gal, Britney Jean Spears? “Perfume” answers all of these questions and then some. The revealing, declarative record grows upon every listen and lets us hear the rawness of Spears’s voice for the first time since, really, ... Baby One More Time. With little autotune and an absence of EDM synths, “Perfume” gives us all that Britney Jean has promised it would be. With lines like “Sometimes it feels like there’s three / Of us in here, baby,” Spears discloses her paranoia about her man becoming unfaithful to her. Relatable isn’t usually a word used to describe Spears’s music,
but “Perfume” totally is. “And while I wait, I put on my perfume / Yeah, I want it all over you / I gotta mark my territory,” she proclaims on the record’s chorus. Though some of the more recent tracks she helped write (“Mmm Papi” and “My Baby” from Circus) are rather questionable, Spears shows some serious songwriting skills that put her vulnerability on display. “Perfume” is a complete triumph for Spears and has put her back on track leading up to Britney Jean’s release. Though airplay isn’t a given for the record, I’d argue that fans don’t even care how it does on the radio or the Hot 100 — with “Perfume,” Brit Brit has given her fans (and presumably herself ) what they want from the Queen of Pop Music. This is her; this is Britney Jean. — A version of this article originally appeared on the Daily Arts blog, The Filter, on Nov. 4.
GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING ON THE DAILY ARTS BLOG.
Friday, November 8, 2013 — 5A
FROM THE FILTER
DEF JAM
Introducing the new Urban Outfitters male line.
Diving into Ocean’s past with ‘Lonny’ tape By ALLEN DONNE Daily Arts Writer
You don’t have to be an intense follower of music to have heard of Frank Ocean. For those unfamiliar, Ocean released his debut album, channel ORANGE, in July 2012 to critical acclaim. This album gave us the singles “Thinkin Bout You,” “Pyramids” and “Sweet Life.” Ocean also made a feature appearance on Watch the Throne’s “No Church in the Wild,” the song that became associated with “The Great Gatsby” trailer.
Before channel ORANGE, there was only Lonny Breaux. With such rising popularity, it seems as if the sky is the limit for this young R&B singer. But what a lot First seen on of people don’t know
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is who Frank Ocean was before becoming “Frank Ocean.” Prior to his name change in 2008, Ocean garnered a following under the name Lonny Breaux. At first, Breaux intended to stay in Los Angeles temporarily to continue a few recording projects. After further connecting with some significant players in the music industry, however, Breaux decided to settle down. During this time, Breaux helped compose songs for many big name artists, including Justin Bieber and Beyoncé. Breaux also successfully recorded some original tracks in an attempt to obtain a record deal. If you look on Ocean’s official discography list, the R&B singer only lists two main projects: nostalgia, ULTRA and channel ORANGE. There is no mention of anything he recorded as Lonny Breaux. Fortunately, while Breaux sought recognition, he released material not only to obtain that elusive record deal but also to reward loyal fans of an artist who was only known behindthe-scenes in the R&B community. After Ocean found success with nostalgia, ULTRA,
the tracks he had previously recorded were compiled into a mixtape, fittingly titled, The Lonny Breaux Collection. Sure, channel ORANGE and nostalgia, ULTRA are great albums, but fans may tire of repeatedly listening to the same 30 tracks. Without much recent material, Frank Ocean fans may be eager to discover new material while waiting for Ocean’s next album. The Lonny Breaux Collection, then, should act as a satisfactory treat for Ocean fans. Spanning 64 tracks, The Lonny Breaux Collection provides not only an enjoyable listening experience but also a look at the versatile styles Ocean experimented with before recognition. It provides a background to such a talented artist. Even if you aren’t a Frank Ocean fan, the mixtape should be a pleasant listening experience. If you’re still not convinced, I can only say that I’ve had the tape for half a year and it still receives constant play. Just trust me on this one. — A version of this article originally appeared on the Daily Arts blog, The Filter, on Oct. 31.
Arts
6A — Friday, November 8, 2013
TV REVIEW
New series stares down ‘Death’
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
FROM THE FILTER
Showtime follows people through grief, final days By GRACE HAMILTON For the Daily
Death is “the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about,” says terminally ill cancer patient Maria. In that A case, Showtime’s new Time of series, “Time Death of Death,” is an hour of staring Fridays at at the elephant 9 p.m. and maybe even sitting on top of Showtime it. The new documentary series, which premiered Friday, Nov. 1, follows several men and women of varying ages through their last days of life. If this were drama, it might be described as poignant or bone-chilling, but that doesn’t seem to cut it here. The ability of the dying to talk about their imminent end is striking. It offers a remarkably intimate glimpse at mortality, a topic most consciously avoid. While such issues might have been touched upon in a show like “Six Feet Under,” the fact of the matter is that this is an incomparable experience for viewers. Nowhere else is the matter taken so headon; the show’s first two minutes features a single shot of a 911 call, in which an unnamed girl tells the operator, “I just found my mother dead.” And there we are, staring the elephant in the face. Confronting? Yes. Uncomfortable? Absolutely. But morbid? Impressively not. In fact, the show is very careful to avoid this. Emphasis is placed on the daily interactions and often the very ordinary struggles of subjects, like the frustration of a deficient car engine on the way to work or the decision of which
SHOWTIME
Terminal patients celebrate life in ‘Time of Death.’
sibling washes the dishes on Thursdays. These are the ways in which the audience begins building connections with those in the process of dying, just as they do with the healthy around them. Of course, it is also what makes viewing that much more difficult. “Time of Death” does not necessarily intend to leave you in tears, but it probably will. It is truly a skillful method on the part of directors to draw out such a strong emotional response from the audience. Above all, the show is honest and lays all bare. The emotions are complicated enough, interactions speak for themselves and any embellishment is unnecessary. In moments where the crew is absent, family members are given hand-held cameras and the interviews continue. The audience hears both sides of the lens. “Tada!” Maria exclaims, revealing her post-mastectomy chest to the camera held by her 24-yearold daughter. Her self-consciousness is evident when the moment lingers too long, but Maria presents an impressive image of strength. This kind of footage leaves the show literally raw. Each person talks about death in a different way. Their particular attitude influences the everyday moments and
routines that “Time of Death” so carefully observes; in other words, how they cope with life in the face of death. Different difficulties arise for different people: a father’s inability to express his grief, a daughter’s anger at her mother’s denial or an ex-wife who is able to let go of 20 years worth of anger. But what is ultimately revealed is that those dying fear most not for themselves but for the others they leave behind. This unites the subjects of “Time of Death.” The series is about relationships as much as it is about mortality itself. Part of its importance lies in the fact that these relationships and their accompanying battles are not limited to the literal time of death at all. We deal with them every day, and seeing the way that people face and overcome them, even in trying circumstances, should be a powerful inspiration. Obviously, for University students with their lives ahead of them, this may seem like an unappealing way to fill your Friday night. That being said, the aversion is universal. No one wants to face these issues and fears, especially in such a gritty way. Following the whole season may be unrealistic, but committing yourself to the hour is well worth it.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Friday, November 8, 2013
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
SHOWTIME
“Wow, what a diverse and respectful representation of women!!”
‘Masters of Sex’ seeks to hit excitement phase By CHLOE GILKE Daily Arts Writer
Showtime’s “Masters of Sex” is critically acclaimed, but it still seems to be missing a steady fanbase. I blame this tragedy partly on the ridiculous promos that circulated this past summer: One highlighted a certain glass apparatus called “Ulysses” that Lizzy Caplan displayed for a very confused Beau Bridges. “Masters” looked pretty weird tonewise, and I wasn’t sure whether I was supposed to laugh or take it seriously. I knew First seen on I would probably
the filter
tune in to the first episode and nothing more. I suspect many viewers still share my mistake. Whether you chalk it up to the unrelatable ’50s setting or just the simple fact that the word “sex” is actually in the title, there’s no doubt that “Masters” initially appears off-putting. The show practically dares its viewers to skip tuning in, perhaps on the assumption that they are not mature enough to handle the awkward material the show deals with. But though the show airs on cable (where some nudity is allowed), that shouldn’t be the reason to scare you away. People who aren’t tuning in
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ACROSS 1 Something to pass or lower 7 Crocus kin 11 Samosa veggie 14 Biblical dancer 15 Item in a musician’s kit 17 Western, e.g. 18 Kind and caring 19 Stadium section for charity workers? 21 Keats work 23 Steam 24 Calypso relative 25 Keats’ “Sylvan historian” 26 Really old hardwood? 32 “Phooey!” 34 Give a damn? 35 Disney’s “Bambi”? 41 Paralyze with dense mist, as an airport 42 “Horse Feathers” family name 44 “Merrie Melodies” theme song? 50 One of two singledigit Yankee uniform numbers that aren’t retired 51 A, in Acapulco 52 “Mazel __!” 53 Ranch handle 54 Emperor Justinian as a young man? 61 “That’s my intention” 62 Around the bend, so to speak 65 “Flavor” singer/songwriter 66 Beat badly 67 Letters to the Coast Guard 68 TV component? 69 Quick DOWN 1 Chicken general? 2 Boar’s Head product 3 Like November, in a way 4 Simple tie 5 First name in flight
6 Library requirement 7 “The wolf __ the door” 8 Get to 9 Sit in traffic, say 10 Very, in Vienna 11 Words of tribute 12 Golden State motto 13 California Zephyr operator 16 “Law & Order: SVU” rank 20 Bottom line 21 Word of possession 22 Western challenge 27 Terse refusal 28 Who, in Paris 29 Item shortened at bitly.com 30 Md. hours 31 Cooperative group 33 Cake recipe word 36 As well 37 Massage beneficiary 38 Its atomic number is 50 39 Common sorting basis
40 Lakeside Pennsylvania city 43 Love letters? 44 Ark units 45 “As I was sayin’ ...” 46 They may be straight 47 4 x 4, briefly 48 Policy at some restaurants 49 Align carefully 55 Prefix with culture
56 Bar order 57 “The devourer of all things”: Ovid 58 Statue of Vishnu, e.g. 59 Oenophile’s criterion 60 __ Squalor: Lemony Snicket character 63 Composer Rorem 64 English cathedral city
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Do the crossword, then order one.
to “Masters” are actually missing out. The show has grown a lot since its uneven pilot episode. Thankfully, the formerly slow plot has picked up the pace quite a bit, and there’s more action than anticipation. Side characters in particular are becoming more developed with each week: Libby Masters has avoided the typical pitfall of stereotypical whiny wife and is sympathetic and interesting, and the addition of Allison Janney as Provost Scully’s “beard” wife has made the Scully character much more fun to watch. I had my doubts about Michael Sheen (best known for playing everyone’s favorite crusty, old Volturi vampire in the “Twilight” series) having enough star power to carry a series, but he is delightful as straightlaced obstetrician/ sex-traordinaire William Masters. Rather than clinical and heartless, his performance is full of intelligence and dedication. And I’ll call it right now: Sheen will get a deserved Emmy award nomination for his excellent work this season.
Deserving of Emmys, or at least more viewers. Not to mention his chemistry with Lizzy Caplan’s Virginia Johnson! The show wastes no time highlighting her unrestrained sexuality and his hesitance, and puts the two in many situations in which he must navigate his attraction to his secretary/research partner. Anyone familiar with the real life Masters and Johnson ( best known for researching the four stages of sexual response) knows that the two get married in the end, but it’s fun to see their relationship go through its own stages of development. Though only six episodes have aired so far, I know that “Masters” will continue the high quality it’s already established in its “excitement phase.” I have full trust in the show to improve its game and get even better as the season progresses. The series may be called “Masters of Sex,” but it’s so much more than just boobies and glass dildos. It balances intelligence with plain old entertainment, romantic tension with medical cases and mature content with heartfelt story. — A version of this article originally appeared on the Daily Arts blog, The Filter, on Nov. 5.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
What to Watch For: Nebraska By ZACH HELFAND Daily Sports Editor
Friday, November 8, 2013 — 7A
In third year, rugby seeks Big Ten Title By MAX BULTMAN
1. Can Michigan find any consistency? There’s a reason why Michigan coach Brady Hoke still struggles to name his team’s identity. Namely, that identity seems to change every week. Heading into their ninth week, the Wolverines have still yet to find any sort of on-field consistency. Many of the same problems have plagued Michigan this year. The offensive line has yet to play a stellar game, or even close to that, and the secondary has always been loose. But mostly, each week has varied vastly from the one preceding it, from the highs of the Notre Dame victory and the record-setting Indiana performance, to the lows of Akron and Penn State and Michigan State. Some of that is on youth or inexperience. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison says that, often, nine guys will execute perfect on any given play. But all 11? “We’re not there yet,” Mattison said. “And we have to get there.” The frustrating part, he said, is that a different player will err on different plays. The key is getting the entire unit to play in chorus. The same can be said of the offense. It has been a turbulent ride so far, and right now the Wolverines are riding a downswing. This team doesn’t need to put up 751 yards of total offense each week, as it did against Indiana. It just needs to find something it can rely on. 2. Will the receivers have time to get open? Or maybe the question is, will the line protect Gardner? Michigan’s offensive strength is the passing game. That’s no secret. The Wolverines rank 10th
Daily Sports Writer
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Fifth-year senior running back Fitzgerald Toussaint and the offensive line will be major factors on Saturday.
in the Big Ten in rushing yards per game, in front of just Illinois and Purdue. When they’re successful, it is because fifth-year senior wide receiver Jeremy Gallon and sophomore tight end-receiver hybrid Devin Funchess make plays downfield. And even against the stout Michigan State secondary, those plays were there for redshirt junior quarerback Devin Gardner. “We have to get Devin a little more of an opportunity because there were plenty of them down the field,” Hoke said Monday. The problem, of course, was protection. The Spartans sacked Gardner seven times and hurried him seven more. For the routes that develop more slowly — think Gallon’s double moves — Gardner was hit before he had time to release the ball. The coaching staff expects more interior blitzes similar to the ones it faced against Michigan State. And Nebraska averages slightly less than three sacks per game, same as the Spartans. If the offensive line doesn’t adjust, it’ll
be another long day. 3. How will the secondary patch its leaks? The defense played serviceably against the Spartans, especially considering the field position it was given by a stagnant offense. Against the run, the front seven held its own. The passing game was a slightly different story. The secondary allows 255 passing yards per game, on average. That’s second to last in the Big Ten. Opponents also attempt more passes per game against Michigan (38) than against any other Big Ten team, an indication that the Wolverines are vulnerable there. On Tuesday, Mattison said the secondary needs to tighten up. The fact that Cornhuskers will field backup quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., a redshirt freshman, will help. But how can Michigan’s defense make sure the coverage is tighter? “I don’t know,” he said. “It’s got to be. If I knew that, I would
probably feel a lot better about that, but we have to. We have to get tighter in coverage. We just have to. We have to contest more balls. And that’s what we’ll work on very hard this week.” 4. What’s the answer to Ameer Abdullah? Unlike the pass defense, Michigan’s rush defense has been among the Big Ten’s best this season. On a team lacking much consistency (see No. 1 above), the rush defense supplies some dependability. Still, the Wolverines’ front seven has yet to see a back like Nebraska’s Ameer Abdullah. He’s the Big Ten’s leading rusher with 1,108 yards. Multiple Michigan players or coaches said he is the best back Michigan will see this year. If the Wolverines can at least contain Abdullah — who hasn’t gone for less than 98 yards in a game this year — the defense will be OK. Abdullah has shown just how difficult that is to do this year.
Mustaches for a better cause By GREG GARNO Daily Sports Writer
Sophomore forward Andrew Copp predicts that Travis Lynch will look the best. Senior defenseman Mike Chiasson, meanwhile, likes forward Andrew Sinelli as a quiet underdog who could surprise his teammates. Senior defenseman Mac Bennett believes he could finish the strongest. Freshman defensemen Michael Downing and Nolan De Jong likely won’t have much to boast about, though. Neither will freshman goaltender Zach Nagelvoort. It’s not a competition on the ice. In fact, don’t call it a competition. Instead, call it one of the many team-bonding experiences the No. 2 Michigan hockey team has had this year. But this time around, the Wolverines are working for a cause bigger than their team — Mustaches for Men’s Health. Since the beginning of November, the Wolverines have been growing mustaches — strictly mustaches, no beards — in an effort to raise awareness for men’s health. Everyone is on board,
including the players, the coaches and even the administrative staff. “As a team, it’s kind of just a fun thing for us,” said junior forward Alex Guptill. “We can raise awareness for this, and hopefully make it into a big thing. Maybe, one day, it will turn into something bigger than this.” Added Copp: “I think it’s definitely a team-building thing that we didn’t do last year.” Guptill has kept the idea floating around for over a year, but it wasn’t until the middle of July that the idea came to fruition. Guptill and Chiasson approached Michigan coach Red Berenson with the idea of growing out mustaches for men’s health. Since another popular movement, Movember, has been trademarked, the Wolverines are working just to raise awareness for issues like prostate cancer or depression, as opposed to raising money. Updates will be regularly posted to the Athletic Department’s website. The hockey team is the first program among Michigan’s 13 men’s varsity sports to partici-
pate in such a movement for men’s health, though. Female programs, like the softball team and women’s basketball team, have worn pink on their uniforms to raise awareness for breast cancer. “Next year, hopefully we can do something with other men’s teams on campus,” Chiasson said. For a team that has gone paintballing and organized trips to the movies, events like these further demonstrate a change in the team’s mentality from a team that failed to make last year’s NCAA Tournament after 22 consecutive appearances. The Wolverines joined together at the beginning of November to shave together, posing for photos where they pretended to use skates as razor blades. Thus far, much of the team has a noticeable mustache forming. That includes Berenson, whose gray mustache is an unusual sight for the 30-year veteran. According to Berenson, 1977 was the last time that he can remember growing a mustache. “It feels fine for me, but my wife doesn’t like it,” Berenson said. Near the end of October, the
captains — Bennett, Copp and senior forward Derek DeBlois — approached Berenson with the idea to join his players in growing a mustache. It didn’t take long to convince him. “I know you’re not asking me to join,” he said at the time. “Actually, coach, we are,” Bennett said. “Alright. I can do it,” Berenson responded. Younger players like Downing, De Jong and freshman forward Evan Allen are struggling to keep up with their teammates, some of whom are nearly six years older. Downing and De Jong were both born in 1995, but also happen to be 6-foot-2. “I told them they better get a sharpie out,” Guptill said. Other players, like Bennett, can grow out facial hair, but not necessarily a successful mustache. “He’s got a little bit better chest hair than facial hair,” Guptill added. But there might be one problem with the month-long activity for some members: the scruff could make it hard to find a date.
NICHOLAS WILLIAMS/Daily
Senior defenseman Mike Chiasson helped organize the Michigan Mustaches for Men’s Health campaign. He currently has a filthy stache.
At a school that prides its teams on nothing if not tradition, it’s fitting that the Michigan club rugby team got its battle cry from a 123-year-old news article. The first-ever issue of The Michigan Daily featured an article previewing the rugby team’s upcoming clash with Cornell. Somewhere inside the article’s now charmingly outdated verbiage lies a phrase that the team has since adopted as its rallying cry — soiled meat and sand. The phrase is meant to conjure feelings of toughness and grit within the players and has become central to the team. Before every match, the team cries out “soiled meat and sand!” The words even appear on the header for the team’s website. “It really sticks with us,” said Michigan coach Matt Trenary. “We’re representing a lot of people that have spanned a lot of years.” Saturday, the 12th-ranked Wolverines will represent their long tradition of alumni at the Big Ten Finals against No. 9 Indiana. Unlike many sports, which feature long tournaments at the end of the season, Big Ten rugby simply pairs the two top teams in the standings for one winnertake-all match. In that type of high-pressure environment, the Wolverines’ preparation will be key. “We get a lot of benefit from the intelligence of our players,” Trenary said. “They have a bluecollar attitude. They want to work.” Michigan’s ‘A’ squad has only lost one game this season, a 27-18 loss at No. 11 Wisconsin. Senior captain Aiken Andutan called the loss a good wake-up call, saying it helped the team stay focused. Junior Sequoyah Burke-
Combs, who recently switched positions from wing to flanker, will be key to the Wolverines’ success on Saturday. BurkeCombs is among the team leaders in both tries (seven) and points (35) and usually plays the role of motivator for Michigan. “He just tears up the field,” Andutan said. “When he gets the ball in hand, he can run over anyone. He gets us all really pumped up.” Andutan is soft-spoken off the field and in interviews, but his grounded nature keeps the team together when things get tough on the field. “He doesn’t get flustered,” Trenary said. “It helps provide a nice, even keel for the guys.” Andutan’s five tries and 25 points have been important to the Wolverines this season and will be magnified against an Indiana defense that hasn’t allowed a point since Oct. 5. The Hoosiers finished the season undefeated and showcased their dominant capabilities three weeks ago in a 96-0 win over Iowa. Michigan won’t be afraid going into the match, though. Andutan says the Wolverines are preparing for this challenge like they do every other, with one exception. “We weren’t as focused during the bus ride to some of the earlier away games,” Andutan said. “This time, we’ll really emphasize concentrating and visualizing what we need to do in the game.” Added Trenary: “It’ll be a fun and exciting game. This isn’t baseball where you get a bunch of games. You just get one.” The undefeated Hoosiers haven’t been challenged much this season, but Sunday they’ll be up against much more than the men lined up across from them. They’ll be staring down decades of history and tradition. They’ll be going up against soiled meat and sand.
COURTESY OF MRUGBY.COM
Junior Drew Vecchio has started nine games this year for No. 12 Michigan.
Sports
8A — Friday, November 8, 2013
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Road to Final Four begins By SIMON KAUFMAN Daily Sports Writer
The last time Final Four banners were in motion at the Crisler Center, they were coming down from the rafters — not going up. Friday night, for the first time since the banners from the 1992 and 1993 UMass Final Fours Lowell at were removed Michigan because of NCAA sanc- Matchup: tions, a banner UMass 0-0; will be lifted to Michigan 0-0 the rafters. This When: Fritime, it sees to day 7 p.m. remain there Where: Crisler Center permanently. After the TV/Radio: lights go down BTN and the banner commemorating last year’s Final Four run goes up, a new era of Michigan basketball will commence, as the Wolverines kick off their regular season against UMass Lowell. But Michigan won’t be playing with its eyes on the banner. It’ll be looking toward another trip to the championship game in 150 days. “Any time we have a banner raised, you know it’s something special,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “At the same time, we just get ready to play again because we do want to have more success obviously. We want to keep this program growing.” This Michigan team will have a different look than the one that came up just short against Louisville in last year’s championship game. Namely, former stars Trey Burke and Tim Hardaway Jr. left for the NBA. But in two exhibition showings, it’s clear that this team still has many of the parts that contributed during its NCAA tournament run. Last year, a cast of freshmen played supporting roles to Burke and Hardaway. This year, the
Late-game magic comes to an end By MATTHEW KIPNIS Daily Sports Writer
TERRA MOLLENGRAFF/Daily
Redshirt junior Jon Horford is expected to start in place of injured sophomore center Mitch McGary on Friday.
sophomores will share the spotlight. With sophomore forward Mitch McGary out with a back injury, Beilein will be forced to get more creative with his lineup. In the two exhibition games, he started redshirt junior Jon Horford and fifth-year senior Jordan Morgan to make up for McGary’s absence in the post. Beilein wouldn’t share his starting five for Friday night’s game though, saying only, “I like our starting lineup.”
In two lopsided exhibition wins, the Wolverines won 117-44 and 79-60, respectively. It’s likely that they’ll be on the right side of another crooked score Friday night. UMass Lowell won’t just be playing its first regularseason game against Michigan — it’ll be its first game as a DivisionI team. Last year, the River Hawks went 15-13, and 10-2 in the Division-II Northeast-10 Conference. Add a new coach and an injury
“We want to keep this program growing.”
MEN’S SOCCER
Wolverines look to keep Big Bear Trophy By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Writer
Like its football counterparts, the Michigan men’s soccer team is looking to walk out of East Lansing with a win. But the Wolverines can only hope their result turns out better than the football team’s fortunes did last weekend and they retain the Big Bear Trophy, given to the winner of the annual rivalry game. Michigan Last year, Michigan won at Michigan the trophy after State a goal by Kofi Matchup: Opare — now Michigan 8-5playing with 3; MSU 9-4-3 the Los Angeles When: SatGalaxy of Major urday 2 p.m. League Soccer — off a corner Where: DeMartin Sockick in the 70th cer Complex minute lifted for an exciting TV/Radio: and physical 1-0 mgoblue.com victory in last season’s matchup between the two teams. But the Spartans had the last laugh as they beat the Wolverines in last season’s Big Ten Championship overtime thriller, 2-1. “There’s a little bit of a revenge aspect,” said senior midfielder Dylan Mencia. “But the game means a lot in other aspects too in that we could clinch an NCAA spot while also being a local rivalry.” But getting revenge and overcoming Michigan State’s homefield advantage could prove difficult for Michigan. The Wolverines have won just two out of six road games this year and going into East Lansing to win won’t be an easy task. Michigan will be looking for just its second-ever win at Michigan State and its first in 10 years. “We’re in a very great place, mentality-wise,” Mencia said. “We’re excited and ready to go.”
FIELD HOCKEY
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Senior midfielder Dylan Mencia said “there’s a little bit of a revenge aspect.”
The Wolverines will enter the DeMartin Soccer Complex in their last game of the regular season looking to take the No. 2 seed in next week’s Big Ten Tournament in Columbus. Penn State wrapped up the regular-season title last Sunday. Michigan could also wrap up an NCAA Tournament at-large bid with a win. “I think if we win this game, we’re in (the NCAA Tournament),” Daley said. “But it will certainly be a tough game.” No. 22 Michigan State, currently fourth in the Big Ten standings, comes in two points behind the Wolverines and would jump to 2nd place with a victory. The Wolverines come in riding a 1-0 victory over Valparaiso on Monday night. Senior midfielder Fabio Pereira scored the gamewinning penalty kick in his final regular-season game at the U-M Soccer Stadium. The game ended a successful five-game homestand in which Michigan was victorious over No. 16 Wisconsin and No. 25 Creighton. But to get the all-important win in East Lansing on Saturday, the Wolverines offense will need to get past a stalwart goalie, 2012 All-Big Ten Freshman Zach Bennett.
Bennett leads the Big Ten in shutouts, with eight. While only a sophomore, Bennett has already rewritten the Spartan record book — he is Michigan State’s alltime leader in wins, saves, save percentage and minutes played by a goalie. The Michigan offense will need to play its best attacking game to get a goal past Bennett. The Spartans, led by fifth-year coach Damon Rensing, will look to attack and pressure ahead early and throughout the game to try to create chances. They will also look to create corners and free kicks close to the Wolverine goal and convert those chances. At the head of the Spartan attack are forwards Adam Montague and Tim Kreutz. While the reigning All-Big Ten first-teamer Montague is the all-time Spartan leader in both goals and assists, Kreutz has taken over the spotlight this season. He leads the team in goals, with eight, and will look to increase that count against Michigan. “(The Spartan offense) is organized, they don’t make a lot of mistakes,” said Michigan coach Chaka Daley. “They’re also very, very good on set pieces. That will be very challenging for us.”
to highly-touted freshman Jahad Thomas to the equation, and it looks as though UMass Lowell’s welcome to the top tier of college basketball could be a quick reality check. But don’t expect Michigan to get caught up in the banner celebrations or the beatings it may dish out to the inferior teams that fill many of its early-season games. They know a trip to Arlington won’t come easy. “We didn’t get the job done, but we had a great season (last year),” said sophomore guard Caris Levert. “We’ll be feeling really excited but not accomplished, though, because we still have a lot of work to do. We have a long season ahead of us.”
With the No. 18 Michigan field hockey team down by one late in Thursday’s game against Iowa, Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz called a timeout. Could the Wolverines find their late game magic that led to five wins in their last six games of the regu0 MICHIGAN lar sea1 IOWA son? The magic ran out, though, as Michigan exited earlier than expected in the Big Ten Tournament to Iowa on Thursday morning in Columbus. Despite the 1-0 upset, Pankratz believes the Wolverines “may have an outside shot” at making the NCAA Tournament, but it seems unlikely. “We expected a lot of ourselves, which is why everyone is pretty upset about it,” said fifthyear senior goalkeeper Haley Jones. “When you expected to do great things, it’s worse when you lose, and you really feel it. It is a sign that we were proud of where we could have gone, and it is unfortunate that we lost so early, but the sun rises tomorrow. We have to move on and be thankful for the season we had.” The Wolverines won on lastsecond goals in three of their last five wins, including the last game against Iowa. They couldn’t pull out another one in Columbus. “Up until the last second, I really thought we would be able to tie it up,” Pankratz said. “It just didn’t work out for us today, and we just couldn’t quite finish.” Neither team scored until the 58th minute, when Iowa scored off a counter attack from a turnover at midfield. Iowa forward Natalie Cafone brought the ball
into the Wolverine circle and crossed to forward Stephanie Norlander, who knocked the ball into the net around Jones’ diving attempt to block the ball. After the timeout with one minute left in the game, Michigan had possession of the ball near the Iowa 25 and substituted all their offensive threats into the game. The Wolverines couldn’t get the ball into the circle, and the Hawkeyes managed to take control of the ball and finished the clock. Michigan had the advantage in shots, 11-8, and penalty corners, 5-3, but couldn’t take advantage of these breaks. Jones played well in the cage with four saves, but the lone goal was all Iowa needed. “It is a battle to get the ball in the net, and they had a good break and got the goal in,” Jones said. “Their defense held up and ours just had a flaw, and they got lucky with the goal.” After being upset by Michigan in early October, it looked as if Iowa was happy to return the favor and avenge its earlier loss when it really mattered. Iowa will now play Penn State, which beat Michigan 2-0 in the finals of last year’s Big Ten tournament. “It’s the end of the line for the seniors, which I have been very proud of,” Pankratz said. “They have had a very outstanding career as they are two-time Big Ten champs, and they have represented the program with grace and a championship mentality. And the underclassman, we are going to get back at it in January. We are going to come back and start training and keep our sights on the 2014 season. We have a great incoming class and a lot of really experienced returnees, who I know will be ready to avenge this disappointment.”
Michigan faces early litmus test By LEV FACHER Daily Sports Writer
After a 26-point exhibition win against a Division II team last Friday, the short honeymoon is over for the Michigan women’s basketball team and the 201314 season. Michigan Now Bowlat Bowling ing Green awaits, fresh Green off a 24-11 Matchup: campaign Michigan and looking 0-0; Bowling to build on Green 0-0 its run to the When: Frithird round day 4 p.m. of the WNIT Where: New last year. Rochelle, But the New York faces of both TV/Radio: teams have changed dras- mgoblue.com tically. When the Wolverines tip off the Iona Tournament in New Rochelle, N.Y., they’ll find themselves in a battle between two teams that lost the bulk of their scoring ability from last season. The graduations of Chrissy Steffen and Danielle Havel leave Bowling Green in search of a combined 17.1 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, but the Falcons are still the more experienced squad, given Michigan’s youth. The Wolverines are likely to sport the same starting five they used last week against Wayne State. That’s in large part to an impressive performance by sophomore guard Madison Ristovski, who scored 15 points and added four assists in 31 minutes. Three juniors — forward Cyesha Goree and guards Nicole Elmblad and Shannon Smith — had already been considered probable candidates to start, along with freshman guard Siera Thompson. That left the final spot up for grabs. Barnes Arico and her staff decided to go with Ristovski in the exhibition game after the team’s practice the day before, and it’s more than likely Ristovski will be on the floor from the game’s beginning. The second-year coach has indicated a willingness to switch
TRACY KO/Daily
Junior guard Nicole Elmblad is a veteran who started 32 games last year.
up her rotation based on recent performance, but none of the original four starters did anything to cost themselves a spot in the starting lineup last week, and Ristovski’s performance went a long way toward impressing the coach. “I thought she did a great job,” Barnes Arico said following Michigan’s 81-55 win last Friday. “(She was) able to contribute on the offensive end, and knock down some shots.” The tournament opener against Bowling Green, of course, is by no means a must-win game. However, it’s games like these that will come to define Michigan’s season. The Wolverines will struggle to compete against the Big Ten’s top tier, but they’ll coast through the easier parts of their schedule, which features matchups with the likes of Alcorn State and Western Michigan. It’s the games against teams that are good but not elite that could make or break Michigan’s season and push the Wolverines over or under the .500 mark, and the Falcons will provide an early test for a Michigan team that’s too young to have found its identity just yet. The Wolverines hold a slight size advantage over
the Falcons, but that’s certainly not a luxury they should get used to. Michigan’s tallest players — Goree and senior forward Val Driscoll — stand 6-foot-3 and 6-foot-4, respectively, which would make both of them taller than anybody on the Falcon roster. But throughout the rest of the season, Michigan’s guards will have to pick up the slack rebounding-wise, a trend that might need to begin as soon as Saturday, when the Wolverines take on either Iona or Arizona, depending on Friday’s results. “We pride ourselves on being the hardest-working team in America,” said Ristovski after the victory over Wayne State. “We have to make sure we work hard in practice, and in games too, to make sure that we pull those boards.” A weekend in New Rochelle isn’t going to decide much, if anything, about Michigan’s season. But the first step this young team takes in what Barnes Arico admits is a transition year is an important one nonetheless. If Michigan wants to play a factor in the Big Ten race and turn itself into a surprise contender, it’s games like these that will show whether those hopes are realistic or a year premature.
November, 9 2013: Nebraska
The last
link
to Bo
2013 Schedule
They come out of the stalks, like so many over-popped demon kernels — which also play football. There are too many other types of corn to count. Corn on the cob. Corn off the cob. Corn chowder. Corn bread. Creamed corn. Popcorn. Hardcore corn. (Typo, sorry). None are as good at football as the Cornhuskers.
Central Michigan (Aug. 31): Michigan beat the Chippewas by their largest opening-day margin since 1905.
Indiana (Oct. 19): How high must one man fly before he hits the sun? Jeremy Gallon almost found against Indiana. What a game, what a game.
Notre Dame (Sept. 7): Eminem is still in the ESPN booth, wondering where he is and where all the people went.
Michigan State (Nov. 2): This was a freaking beatdown in every sense of the word.
Nebraska has a powerful offense. Michigan has a mediocre defense. Who has the advantage?
Akron (Sept. 14): Unfortunately, Akron is chickening out of this great rivalry after this year’s game.
Nebraska (Nov. 9): The problem with Nebraska fans is they’re much too nice to hate. Unless, of course, the ‘Huskers win again this year.
The last man left from the Bo Schembechler days will retire at the end of the year. A look at their friendship.
Connecticut (Sept. 21): UConn lost to Buffalo. Buffalo. Buffalo. But almost beat Michigan. Buffalo.
Northwestern (Nov. 16): The best 0-5 Big Ten team around.
This is Michigan’s last chance to be the team it wants to be. Win, and the season is salvagable. Lose, and it could go downhill.
Minnesota (Oct. 5): Against Michigan last year, Minnesota promoted epilepsy awareness. For information, visit: epilepsyfoundationmn.org.
Iowa (Nov. 23): Vodka Sam!
Penn State (Oct. 12): Unhappy Valley! Crappy Valley! Funny play on words!
Ohio State (Nov. 30): Urban Meyer has been playing exhibition games for two years now.
Sorry this got so corny. Enjoy the game.
Everett Cook, Zach Helfand, Matt Slovin and Liz Vukelich.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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Cover photo by Erin Kirkland
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STAFF PICKS The Daily football writers pick against the spread to predict scores for the top-25 and Big Ten in the 2013 football season.
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Matt Slovin
Everett Cook
Zach Helfand
Melanie Kruvalis, Editorial Page Editor
Liz Vukelich
No. 1 Alabama (-13) vs. No. 13 LSU
LSU
LSU
LSU
Alabama
Alabama
No. 2 Florida State (-35) at Wake Forest
Florida State
Florida State
Wake Forest
Wake Forest
Wake Forest
No. 3 Oregon (-10.5) at No. 5 Stanford
Stanford
Stanford
Oregon
Oregon
Stanford
No. 6 Baylor (-15) vs. No. 10 Oklahoma
Baylor
Baylor
Oklahoma
Baylor
Oklahoma
No. 8 Missouri (-14) at Kentucky
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri
Missouri
Kentucky
No. 9 Auburn (-8) at Tennessee
Auburn
Auburn
Tenessee
Auburn
Auburn
No. 11 Miami (Fl) (-7) vs. Virginia Tech
Miami (FL)
Miami (FL)
Miami (FL)
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech
No. 14 Oklahoma State (-31) vs. Kansas
Kansas
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State
Kansas
No. 15 Texas A&M (-19) vs. Mississippi State
Mississippi State
Texas A&M
Mississippi State
Texas A&M
Mississippi State
No. 16 Fresno State (-10) at Wyoming
Fresno State
Fresno State
Fresno State
Wyoming
Fresno State
No. 19 UCLA (-1) at Arizona
UCLA
UCLA
UCLA
Arizona
Arizona
No. 20 Louisville (-28) at Connecticut
Connecticut
Louisville
Connecticut
Louisville
Connecticut
No. 21 UCF (-10.5) vs. Houston
UCF
UCF
UCF
UCF
Houston
No. 22 Arizona State (-7) at Utah
Airzona State
Arizona State
Arizona State
Utah
Arizona State
No. 23 Notre Dame (-4.5) at Pittsburgh
Notre Dame
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
Notre Dame
Pittsburgh
No. 24 Wisconsin (-7.5) vs. BYU
BYU
Wisconsin
Wisconsin
BYU
BYU
No. 25 Texas Tech (-3) vs. Kansas State
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Texas Tech
Kansas State
Minnesota (-3) vs. Penn State
Penn State
Penn State
Penn State
Minnesota
Minnesota
Iowa (-15) at Purdue
Iowa
Iowa
Iowa
Iowa
Purdue
Indiana (-10) vs. Illinois
Indiana
Indiana
Illinois
Indiana
Indiana
Michigan (-7) vs. Nebraska
Michigan
Nebraska
Nebraska
Michigan
Michigan
Michigan State (-27) vs. Purdue
Purdue
Purdue
Purdue
Michigan State
Purdue
Indiana (-10) vs. Illinois
Indiana
Indiana
Illinois
Indiana
Indiana
Overall
122-100
112-110
140-82
120-102
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FootballSaturday — November 9, 2013
Breakdown: Nebraska By LIZ VUKELICH Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan football team no longer controls its own destiny in the Big Ten, but that doesn’t stop the team’s rhetoric that a Big Ten championship is within reach. Never mind the fact that the Wolverines would have to win their last four games, while Michigan State would have to lose its last three games of its season. The Wolverines gave Nebraska a rude welcome to the Big Ten when it played in Michigan Stadium two years ago, and the Huskers returned the favor when Michigan made the trip to Lincoln last season. Here’s where each team will have an edge on Saturday. Michigan pass offense vs. Nebraska pass defense: Remember the seven sacks of redshirt junior quarterback Devin Gardner last week? Thought so. And so does the Michigan offensive line, the group on which most of the responsibility for Gardner’s beating lies. At this point, it won’t matter how many times the offensive line is shuffled around. It’s inexperienced, and nothing except a few more years is going to fix that. That probably won’t do much good for when Nebraska arrives in town. The Huskers aren’t known for having the same kind of defensive threat as Michigan State, but they still do have 22 sacks on the season. The combination of Jeremy Gallon and Devin Funchess is always there for Michigan — assuming Gardner has enough time in the pocket to get the ball off. Edge: Nebraska Michigan rush offense vs. Nebraska rush defense: Michigan fans can breathe, since negative 48 rushing yards probably isn’t in the cards for the Wolverines for a second consecutive week. The Huskers are a relatively easy team to run the ball against, allowing 182.6 rushing yards per game. Saturday will likely continue to be the Fitzgerald Toussaint show.
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Offensive coordinator Al Borges said he would probably refrain from giving freshman Derrick Green carries until “the game is in balance.” Edge: Michigan Nebraska pass offense vs. Michigan pass defense: Last week’s game-winning Hail Mary against Northwestern aside, the Huskers’ strength most certainly isn’t in their passing game. With starting quarterback Taylor Martinez out for a secondstraight week, Nebraska is rotating between Tommy Armstrong Jr. and Ron Kellogg III. Though Kellogg is a more reliable passer, Armstrong has taken the majority of the snaps, and has thrown six interceptions in the past two games. The Wolverines’ secondary, though nothing exceptional, has had its moments, even last weekend against Michigan State when it had one late-game interception. And with Nebraska’s offensive line weakened after a season-ending injury to senior guard Spencer Long, any type of pressure the Wolverines are able to put on Armstrong means they’ll be able to keep the Huskers’ pass offense under control. Edge: Michigan Nebraska rush offense vs. Michigan rush defense: Hello, Ameer Abdullah. You don’t need much of an introduction. The Huskers boast the Big Ten’s premiere running back in Abdullah, who’s rushed for over 100 yards in every game but one this year for a total of 1,108 rushing yards on the season, good for sixth in the nation. Defensive coordinator Greg Mattison called him the best running back the Wolverines will face this year. Abdullah is fast. He’s athletic. If there’s any kind of hole, he’ll be running through it and down the field. Good luck to the Wolverines trying to stop him. Edge: Nebraska
FootballSaturday — November 9, 2013
Special teams:
TERRA MOLENGRAFF/Daily
Fifth-year senior wide reciever Jeremy Gallon and his ability to get open will be one of the key’s to the offense on Saturday.
Last weekend against the Spartans was a special teams battle. Though the Wolverines started off strong with a 49-yard field goal from Matt Wile, they ultimately came out on losing end of that battle, specifically when it came to punts and kickoff returns. The Huskers fare fairly similarly to Michigan, averaging 22.9 yards per kickoff return and 41.3 yards on punts. Edge: Push
Intangibles: The Wolverines were embarrassed last weekend against Michigan State, and Hoke has been under more fire from the fans this week than he has been in the entirety of his tenure in Ann Arbor. Still, the Wolverines seem optimistic coming off this week of practice. Save for last year’s games against Ohio State and South Carolina, Michigan has never had
back-to-back losses under Hoke. Michigan is fired up. This will also be Nebraska’s third time on the road this season and Armstrong’s second-ever road start. Earlier this week, Abdullah called Michigan fans “ruthless.” They can be even more ruthless when their program’s dignity is on the line. Edge: Michigan Prediction: Nebraska 26
Michigan
30,
Jon Falk’s Victory Lap by Matt Slovin, Managing Editor
In the last year of Bo Schembechler’s life, he made a final pilgrimage to Columbus.
T
he Big Ten landscape felt reminiscent of The Ten Year War — there was the Big Two and the Little Eight. But other than that, Bo’s last trip to Ohio State, in the summer of 2006, was remarkably different than the rest. For the first time in decades, he felt at home in his home state. Former Buckeye players swarmed and exalted him at a reunion. They treated him like one of their own. In some ways, he was. Bo returned to Ann Arbor mystified. He couldn’t figure out why he’d been treated like a God this time around. “Don’t you know what’s going on here?” asked Jon Falk, Michigan’s head equipment manager since 1974 and a long-time friend of Bo. “You’re the last link to Woody.” Months later, Bo was gone and, with him, the way a generation of Ohio State players connected to their late, beloved coach. Now, Falk is the new Bo in Ann Arbor — the last remnant of the Bo era in the Michigan locker room. At a recent home game, former All-American offensive tackle Ed Muransky waited for Falk to finish his duties. When Falk finally emerged from the locker room, he was greeted by a weeping Muransky. The 53-year-old, one of the largest linemen in Michigan history, had been moved to PHOTOS BY ERIN KIRKLAND
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tears. Falk knew why. In July, Falk announced he’d retire following this season after 40 years with the program. Muransky realized the last connection to Bo in the Michigan locker room would soon exit its doors for the final time. “Jon links a lot of eras and generations,” said Tommy Amaker, a close friend of Falk, who coached the Michigan men’s basketball team from 2001 to 2007. “There’s a wealth of history with him. Having somebody around like that is invaluable. The lineage he can connect, I’ve always found very fascinating.” *** Falk grew up in the small college town of Oxford, Ohio. During his freshman year at Talawanda High School in 1963, he approached the football coach, saying he didn’t want to play, but he’d be interested in helping the team. The coach asked if Falk would like to be the team manager. Falk had no idea what a team manager was or what the position entailed. The coach told him that a manager does everything the head coach asks of him. “To be honest with you, nothing has changed in all these years,” Falk said,
gazing around the locker room he has called home for the past 40 years. Since then, Falk has worked for six different head coaches, including Bo, between Michigan and his alma mater, Miami (Ohio). There’s no duty — from polishing helmets to brushing up the footballs on game days — that Falk takes nearly as seriously as remaining loyal to his coach. If you ask Falk, that’s the most important part of his job, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for the men who have kept him on the staff despite the changes of the guard. But none of them have meant more than Bo. They made an odd couple, the two men from small Ohio towns. Bo, who hired Falk as a student manager at Miami, left for Ann Arbor in 1969. Five years later, he asked Falk to do the same. After his college graduation, once Miami had hired him as the assistant equipment manager, Falk lived at home with his mother and grandmother. He prided himself on being the man of the house. Even after visiting Ann Arbor at Bo’s request and hearing him talk about all of the doors Michigan could open for him, he returned home and told his mother and grandmother he was staying. That night, at 4:30 a.m., Falk was awakened by the sound of his mother
coming into his bedroom. He could tell she had been crying. “ ‘Jonny, it hurts me. It hurts me bad to tell you this,’ ” Falk remembered her saying. “ ‘But tomorrow morning, you’re calling Bo Schembechler, and you’re going to Michigan. Bo Schembechler and Michigan will take care of you.’ ” *** It didn’t take long for Falk to realize Bo had been right — the opportunities his new job would afford him and the people it would allow him to meet couldn’t be found any place else. Falk cherishes the friendships above all else, and he’s formed a lot of them since he came to Ann Arbor. He became close with former Detroit Tigers managers Sparky Anderson and Jim Leyland. All-time MLB hits leader Pete Rose is also a good friend of Falk’s — the two had lunch in Las Vegas over the summer. And three times, his job has allowed him to communicate with the president of the United States. He met Bill Clinton when the Wolverines traveled to the White House following their 1997 national title. In 2005, in a nationally televised game at Iowa, Falk broke his leg on the sidelines, forcing him to do something
DESIGN BY NICK CRUZ
FootballSaturday — November 9, 2013
TheMichiganDaily — www.michigandaily.com
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he’d never done in his time at Michigan — miss a game. Then-coach Lloyd Carr walked into the trainer’s room after the game and noticed Falk was crying. “ ‘You must be in unbelievable pain,’ ” Carr remembered telling Falk in a press conference. “(Falk) says, ‘No, I was just thinking next Saturday is going to be the first Michigan football game I have missed in 30-plus years.’ ” The Monday after the Iowa trip, Falk had surgery. At 11 p.m., when the doctors had finished operating on
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his broken leg, Bo, his wife Cathy and Michigan Radio Network sportscaster Jim Brandstatter walked in. They stayed for an hour, talking and laughing. For a while, Falk forgot he wouldn’t be on the sidelines for the first time in decades the next week. “That’s the type of friendship I was able to have with Bo,” Falk said. “I valued that.” Letters from well-wishers poured in from across the country, including one with a White House return address. President George
FootballSaturday —November 9, 2013
W. Bush watched the game with the first lady and wanted to let Falk know he was in his thoughts. But unlike his encounters with Clinton and Bush, Falk’s relationship with Gerald Ford was more than a quick handshake or a thoughtful note. It began when Ford evicted him. In 1976, Bo called Falk into his office and told him that President Ford was returning to Ann Arbor and needed a place to stay. Bo didn’t ask but rather told Falk that Ford would be staying in his apartment that overlooked
the U-M Golf Course — but on one condition. “ ‘Is the place clean?’ ” Falk did his best Bo impression, which, having spent decades together, is quite precise. “ ‘What do you think I am, an animal?’ ” Falk replied. “For two weeks, every day, Bo would say, ‘Hey Falk, is your apartment clean? The president is coming into town. The president of the United States.’ “Two days before he showed up, they threw me out of my apartment and brought in a professional
cleaning crew.” When Ford finally arrived at the pristine apartment, he chatted with Falk for a few minutes. Ford thanked him for the hospitality, assuring him that everything looked to be in order. Falk, never the type to shy away from an opportunity to stay in his coach’s good graces, made one request of the president, in exchange for the use of his bed. “Make sure that Bo knows the place is clean,” he boldly requested of the commander-in-chief.
*** Falk could never fully repay Bo for thinking of him when the head equipment manager position opened up in 1974. But that doesn’t mean he didn’t try his hardest. His attempts to keep his coach happy, which seemingly knew no bounds, ranged from the hilarious to the heroic. One day, Bo walked into the office a little taller and a little prouder than usual. He had a big grin on his face and strolled over to Falk, lift-
ing up his pant leg to reveal a brand-new pair of cowboy boots, courtesy of the Dallas Cowboys, emblazoned with his name. That afternoon, players and coaches were gathering to begin practice, and uncharacteristically, Bo was nowhere to be found. He eventually made it into the equipment room and half-dragged, half-carried Falk into the coaches’ locker room, slamming the door behind them. As Falk remembers it, Bo said, “Look, I’m going to have you do something to me. If I ever hear that you tell somebody what you’re about to do, I’m going to hit you in the face. Now pull these boots off my feet!” Falk straddled Bo’s legs
and yanked on the boots until they came off. “He and I giggled about that for a good five minutes,” Falk said. “But that’s the fun you have with a coach. That’s the fun you have with the players.” Then there was the time in 1985 when Falk rescued Bo. He was cruising along on Interstate 94 near Ypsilanti when he saw a hitchhiker up ahead. “It’s almost 40 below. February. Snowing,” Falk remembers. “I say, ‘Wow! That guy’s got a hat that looks just like Bo’s hat.’ ” Falk drove up a little further and noticed Bo’s car on the side of the highway. He pulled over right next to a red-nosed, red-cheeked Bo. “ ‘I’ve never been so happy
to see your ugly face in all my life,’ ” Falk recalled Bo saying. Once Bo was in Falk’s passenger seat defrosting, on the way to the airport for a recruiting trip, he grumbled that three state troopers had passed him — the most celebrated personality in the history of Michigan athletics shunned mere miles from the Big House. Falk listened to Bo’s complaint but didn’t fully sympathize. “Bo, you gotta remember,” Falk said, “you were 6-6 last season.” *** The last time Falk saw Bo — the Monday before he passed away — isn’t how he
remembers him. The feeble man Falk helped out of his car hardly resembled the powerful man that Falk truly believed could do anything. After all, he transformed a would-be farmhand from a rural corner of Ohio into the epitome of a Michigan man. Bo stumbled out of Falk’s car and, despite the coach’s protests, Falk grabbed his arm and assisted him into his house. Then Bo did one thing that night that reminded Falk that this was the same coach he’d grown up under, the one his mother had accurately predicted would take care of him. One last time, Bo took his index finger, “like he always
does,” Falk said, and jabbed it in the meaty part between his ribs. “Falk, I know exactly what you’re doing to me,” Bo growled. “If something happens to me tonight, you’ll tell everyone, ‘I got him in the house. He was OK when I left.’ ” Four days later, Bo was dead. Falk and Bo had spent countless hours in a car together, but that final ride, like Bo’s last trip to Columbus, felt different. All Bo cared to talk about was his rivalry with Woody Hayes and their battles that would outlive both of them. It was as if the last link to Woody knew his time was coming, and he wanted to share every last story before it came and
there was no one left to share them. Falk takes the responsibility of being the last remaining tie to Bo in the Michigan locker room very seriously. He sees it as his duty to keep Bo’s presence alive there. When he addresses the team, like he did the week leading up to his last Little Brown Jug game against Minnesota earlier this season, Bo’s masterful speeches linger in his head. Now, Falk’s time with the football team is coming too. He strolls across the locker room to set up the barricades that prevent anyone from stepping on the block ‘M’ logo on the floor. Then, he pauses and looks up. He has one more story to tell about his friend Bo.
TheMichiganDaily — www.michigandaily.com
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For better or worse, season begins or ends with Nebraska By EVERETT COOK Daily Sports Editor
For a team that has professed a “Big Ten champion or failure” mentality from the get-go, it’s time to put up or shut up. Coming off one of the worst losses in Michigan coach Brady Hoke’s three-year tenure, the Michigan football team is entering a fourgame gauntlet that is perhaps the toughest in Hoke’s coaching career. Go 4-0, and the possibility to play in the Big Ten championship game still statistically exists. Win one, and the underwhelming but solid Capitol One or Outback Bowl is in play. Win only one, or go winless, and the Wolverines are looking at the Texas or Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. The renaissance — or continued downward spiral — begins on Saturday with Nebraska, one of three teams currently ahead of Michigan in the Legends Division standings. “You know, coming off not the way you want to start the five-game stretch, the meat of your schedule, Saturday is something we’re all disappointed with and everything that we have to do from a coaching standpoint and a playing standpoint,” Hoke said on Monday. “Obviously, it was evaluated and we all need to do a better job. That’s just a part of it.” Even without star quarterback Taylor Matinez — who won’t play in Saturday’s game due to a litany of injuries — Nebraska is a dangerous offensive team. Starting in place of Martinez is freshman Tommy Armstrong Jr., who is talented but raw. He’s thrown three interceptions in each of his last two games, and wasn’t on the field when Nebraska completed an improbable last-second Hail Mary to beat Northwestern last week. That was senior Ron Kellogg III. Armstrong will be the first quarterback in the game, but don’t be surprised if Nebraska coach Bo Pelini goes to Kellogg if Michigan forces a few early turnovers. “It’s the same plays, same offensive line, same running backs, great running back, great receivers,”
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TERRA MOLENGRAFF/Daily
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Michigan coach Brady Hoke needs a rebound performance from his team after MSU.
Fifth-year senior tackle Taylor Lewan needs to keep his cool on Saturday.
defensive coordinator Greg Mattison said on Tuesday. “Taylor not being in there, I mean, their quarterback that we play against will be very good.” Regardless, the play of the quarterback might be a moot point anyway. The star of the offense is junior running back Ameer Abdullah, who leads the conference in rushing yards per game with more than 160, and is having one of the best seasons of any running back in the country. He’s averaging more than seven yards per carry and has already rushed for more than 1,100 yards this season. For perspective, Michigan’s lead
share of turnovers, though, intercepting 12 passes so far this year. That’s before facing redshirt junior quarterback Devin Gardner, who has thrown 11 picks on the year and has an interception in every game except for one, against Minnesota. Saturday is the beginning of a month-long test for this Michigan football team. All week, coaches and players have emphasized that there will be no hangover from the wrecking ball that was Michigan State. But that responsibility falls on the captains and seniors, who had their fair share of embarrassment
FootballSaturday — November 9, 2013
running back, fifth-year senior running back Fitzgerald Toussaint, is averaging 3.7 yards per carry and has rushed for less than 600 yards on the season. “All I know is (Abdullah) is really, really good,” Mattison said. “He’s fast, he breaks tackles, he’s a really good athlete, he steps over people. He could be one of the best running backs we’ve gone up against. In my opinion he can do it all.” Defensively, the Cornhuskers aren’t spectacular. They are 70th in the country in total defense, allowing close to 400 yards and 24 points per game. Nebraska does force its fair
“...it was evaluated and we all need to do a better job.”
in East Lansing. The offensive leader of this team, fifth-year senior tackle Taylor Lewan, lost his cool and was reviewed for a suspension this week for a dirty series of plays last weekend. Michigan will need him, and the other leaders of this team, to be better against a Nebraska team that might be just good enough to ruin the Wolverines’ season. “Well not just the captains but the whole group of seniors because of what we ask of them,” Hoke said. “There’s no question this is a time when your leadership always either steps forward or stays the same or steps back.”
“All I know is (Abdullah) is really, really good.”