ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, February 18, 2014
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Regents to approve set of projects, buildings New biology facilty, Ross renovations among agenda items for Thursday meeting VADIM GHIRDA/AP
Michigan students Meryl Davis and Charlie White became the first American pair to take home a gold medal in ice dancing with their record-breaking performance in Sochi Monday.
Students strike Sochi gold Olympic skaters set world record in first ice dancing top prize for U.S. By CAROLYN KODIS Daily Sports Writer
University of Michigan juniors Meryl Davis and Charlie White have tallied an impressive list of accomplishments in
their years of skating together, but one had always eluded them until now: win a gold medal. On Monday, Davis and White crossed that feat off their list by finishing first in ice dancing with a total score of 195.52 to become the first Americans to win gold in the event. The duo defeated reigning gold medalists, Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, who also train with them in Canton, Michigan. Davis and White held first place throughout the
two rounds of competition after they earned a 78.89 in the short program and a 116.63 in the free program — both scores are new world records in the sport. “We wanted to fight for the best performance we could give and we did that,” White said to reporters after the event. “You dream of this for so long, work so hard, and (Virtue and Moir) worked hard too. They always have been with us, pushing us, and we couldn’t have done it without them.”
Just like the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, the race for gold ultimately came down between the two pairs. After Sunday’s short dance performance, the Americans had a narrow, two-point lead. While both delivered emotional performances and earned personal bests in the free dance on Monday, Davis and White bested Virtue and Moir by five points. Also representing the Wolverines in ice dancing were See SOCHI, Page 3
By CLAIRE BRYAN and YARDAIN AMRON Daily Staff Reporters
After the University’s Board of Regents appointed University President-elect Mark Schlissel in January, the regents will convene for their second official meeting of the year Thursday. The regents will be asked to approve multiple renovation projects, as well as proposals to create new administrative positions. Board to consider new biological sciences building The most expensive item on the agenda is the proposed construction of a new 300,000 square-foot Biological Science Building,which will come at an estimated cost of $261 million. The proposed structure will
be built in place of the historic North Hall and the Museums Annex, which, if approved, would require the demolition of both buildings. A connection to the Life Science Institute would also be created to take advantage of the building’s dock and vivarium—animal research—services. The new building will supersede the needs served by the nearby Edward Henry Kraus Building — built in 1915 — that houses the departments of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology (MCDB) and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB). The action plan states the Kraus Building has “reached its limit in terms of ability to allow contemporary research and the number of researchers it can support.” An estimate given in the plan has both departments relocated into the new BSB by 2019. New research laboratories, offices, classrooms and vivarium services will allow “for much greater collaboration than what can be achieved in the existing buildSee REGENTS, Page 3
CAMPUS LIFE
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Lecture looks into inequality at universities
New CSG party hosts event, talks campaign
Panel discusses studies examining how income affects student decisions
Make Michigan establishes goals for upcoming election
By JACK TURMAN Daily Staff Reporter
As student organizations rally on campus for diversity and inclusion, a panel discussing the inequality ingrained in organizational structures at universities across the nation took place at Lane Hall Monday evening. The panel was based off the book “Paying for the Party,” coauthored by Elizabeth A. Armstrong, associate professor of sociology and women’s studies, and Laura T. Hamilton, associate professor of University of California, Merced. The discussion included Armstrong, Elizabeth Cole, chair and professor of women’s studies, Phil Deloria, LSA associate dean for undergraduate education and Michael Bastedo, associate professor and director of the Center for the Study of Higher and Postsecondary Education at the School of Education. “Paying for the Party” examined the results from Armstrong and Hamilton’s five-year case study where
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 36 LO: 21
they immersed themselves in the college lifestyle by soliciting feedback from an all female freshman dorm at a Midwestern University. Armstrong and Hamilton went to this dorm at certain times of the week and day to interview freshmen living on that floor. After the first year of the study, Armstrong and Hamilton left that floor with the rest of the freshmen and contacted all 53 females to get interviewed once a year. The university in the book is named “Midwest University” because Armstrong did not want students and parents to perceive this university as the only one with aspects of inequality. The event began with Armstrong describing her book, followed by the remarks from the panel speakers and questions from the audience. Armstrong and Hamilton found that freshmen students at the university who lived in a particular dorm and floor diverged into three different pathways that were caused by the school’s organizational framework. Armstrong’s findings indicated that the most prevalent pathway was the “party” pathway — a university’s organizational support system that allows students to have the social experience of college. Greek Life, residence halls and See INEQUALITY, Page 3
By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
ADAM GLANZMAN/Daily
Michigan State Representative Jeff Irwin spoke to the EnviroDems student club about the Keystone XL Pipeline Monday in the Union.
College Dems rally to stop KXL pipeline construction Kickoff event organizes petition to be sent to the White House By AMABEL KAROUB Daily Staff Reporter
The fate of the Keystone XL pipeline lies largely in the hands of Secretary of State John Kerry, and many University students are encouraging him to halt its construction. On Monday night, the Uni-
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versity’s Environment Committee of College Democrats, known EnviroDems, brought students together in the Union to raise awareness about the proposed pipeline. The proposed pipeline has been generating significant controversy since the 1,664 milelong extension—which would transport crude oil from Canada to refineries in Texas--was introduced in May of 2012. On Jan. 31, U.S. Department of State released its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement regarding KXL. Kerry has 90 days from
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the release date — until the end of April — to make a recommendation to President Obama on whether the pipeline should be constructed or not. At the event on campus, students circulated petitions that will eventually be presented to the White House. The petitions will be received sometime during the 30-day KXL public comment period arranged by the Federal Register. This period ends on March 7. State Rep. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), who was also present at a KXL protest on Feb. 3, was See PIPELINE, Page 3
Vol. CXXIV, No. 70 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
Last week, the University’s newest movement revealed its intentions to eradicate politics from Central Student Government and in doing so, “Make Michigan” great. As CSG elections approach, Make Michigan executives unveiled their platform Monday night, touting hopes to increase campus diversity and reform student ticketing policies, among other goals. The Make Michigan campaign will center on “five pillars” — student-focused, safe, diverse, healthy and innovative. Within these general themes, there are specific goals that the candidates hope to achieve if elected to office. Public Policy junior Bobby Dishell, CSG vice president, and LSA sophomore Meagan Shokar, CSG speaker, will run for president and vice president, respectively, on the Make Michigan ticket. “We’re a group of students who came together,” Dishell said. “It’s not about the resume. We’re people who are dedicated to Making Michigan and to making a difference. Elections are just a way for See CSG, Page 3
NEWS............................ 2 SUDOKU........................ 3 OPINION.......................4
ARTS............................. 5 CL ASSIFIEDS.................6 SPORTS.........................7
News
2 — Tuesday, February 18, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles Profiles
SLICE ‘N DICE
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Music, Theatre & Dance junior Hillary Kooistra rehearses for Friday’s Chinese Classical Sword & Water Sleeve Dance performance in the League Monday.
WHERE: Stone Road WHEN: Sunday at about 11:30 a.m. WHAT: Two subjects were involved in a vehicle collision, University Police reported. One was cited for failing to obey a stop sign. No injuries were reported.
THURSDAY: CampusProfiles Clubs Alumni
Prof. finds the missing pieces Roderick Little is the Richard D. Remington Distinguished University Professor of Biostatistics in the School of Public Health. He earned his undergraduate degree from Cambridge University and his Ph.D. from the University of London before teaching at the University of Michigan. His main research involves the analysis of data sets with missing values.
some things that people answer questions on or holes in the data sets. I have one of the first books on that topic. It’s quite highly cited. I also do work on survey sampling. Recently, at the Census Bureau, I was working to set up a research directorate under the leadership of Robert Groves, who is actually the census director who came from Michigan.
What piece of your scholarship is the most important to you and what are you most proud of?
Why are there holes in data sets?
My main areas are in handling missing data. So when you have studies where you’re collecting data of differing values, there are
I ask you a question about income and you don’t want to answer that question since you think it’s intrusive or some people just don’t have the information readily at hand. Some people
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Love in the air WHERE: Northwood II WHEN: Sunday at about 11:20 p.m. WHAT: A subject claimed she was assaulted by a known individual on Feb. 14, and that the suspect later broke into her residence, University Police reported.
Friend or foe?
Drama at the theatre
WHERE: East Quad WHEN: Sunday at about 10:30 p.m. WHAT: A suspect was allegedly assaulted by a known individual, University Police reported. The subject reported the assault occured around 7 p.m. The alledged assailant was not immediately located.
WHERE: Walgreen Drama Center WHEN: Sunday at about 7:20 p.m. WHAT: Suspects reported an apparent confrontation between individuals in the parking lot, University Police reported. One 66-year-old subject was arrested for assault.
MORE ONLINE Love Crime Notes?
Get more online at michigandaily.com/blogs/The Wire
FRIDAY: Photos the Week Week Photos of the
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CRIME NOTES
Stop... stop... STOP!
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers Before You Were Here
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Athletes in medicine WHAT: Student athletes interested in pursuing careers in medicine are invited to attend this informational workshop. WHO: The Career Center WHEN: Today, 8-10 p.m. WHERE: Ross Academic Center
When blooms go bad WHAT: The public is invited to attend this informational presentation on the dangers of certain algae blooms for humans, animals and water quality. WHO: Sierra Club of Huron Valley WHEN: Today from 7:30 to 9 p.m. WHERE: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
Guitar concert WHAT: One of Africa’s most well-known guitarists and musicians, Habib Koite, will perform some of his unique, self-taught melodies. His newest album explores the strengths of the African continent. General admission is $20. WHO: Habib Koite WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: The Ark CORRECTIONS l A previous version of “Ancient fossils from India on display in ‘U’ museum” attributed a quote to Smith, who was not quoted in the article. The quote should have been attributed to Jeffrey Wilson, associate professor of earth and enviornmental sciences. l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
don’t respond to a survey because they don’t want to be bothered with the time. Why is statistics and biostatistics important? Statistics is important because good decisions rely on having good information. Having good information relies on having data and making good inferences from the data. Biostatistics works more on the medical area. There’s a lot of interest in evidence-based medicine where you try to make rational decisions based on information about various treatments and biostatistics is really at the forefront of creating evidence. — MAX RADWIN
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
This spring, astronomers are expected, for the first time, to witness a black hole as it envelops a cloud of gas about 26,000 light-years from Earth, The New York Times reported. The event could give insight into the nature of cosmic phenomena.
2
Football recruit Lawrence Marshall suffered the loss of his father and grandfather in the two months before his senior season. Still, he overcame his loss and remained one of Michigan’s top commits. >> FOR MORE, SEE SPORTS, PAGE 7
3
Members of the U.S. armed forces used food stamps to purchase $103.6 million worth of groceries in fical year 2013, CBS News reported. The spike in food stamp usage may be linked to high unemployment rates among military spouses.
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Cognitive science major ‘U,’ city finalize plans for opens to undergraduates new bike-sharing program New concentrations offer diverse options within multiple departments By MAX RADWIN Daily Staff Reporter
Undecided about your major? Well, the University may have made the decision a little easier. In addition to the Health and Fitness Leadership major that was created at the beginning of the year in the School of Kinesiology, the University is offering a new Cognitive Science major that is launching this semester. The Cognitive Science major is an interdepartmental major, jointly administered by the departments of linguistics, philosophy and psychology. A cognitive science executive committee oversees student progress toward completing
major requirements. “It doesn’t respect departmental or disciplinary boundaries,” said Linguistics Prof. Sam Epstein, who is in charge of the new major and teaches the gateway introductory course Cognitive Science 200 with Psychology Prof. Rick Louis. “It’s a multidisciplinary effort.” The major offers four different tracks — computation and cognition, decision, language and philosophy of mind—and students select one of them when they declare the major. In addition to the major’s requirements, students must fulfill course requirements and electives from their chosen track’s department. “This is a really fast-emerging and new multidisciplinary field of inquiry and we thought it was important for (the University) to offer training and education in this field,” Epstein said. “There was no cognitive science initiative at (the Uni-
versity) going on. We think it’s a fascinating field of inquiry about how humans think and choose, and what rational decisions consist of.” Epstein said the vast number of post-graduation career options is one of the benefits of the new major. “There’s countless fields that you could end up in, including A.I. and computer science, ergonomics, research on multitasking, and a myriad of fields of inquiry in psychology, in philosophy, in linguistics and mixtures of fields,” he said. “It should provide students with a pretty rich set of career opportunities.” LSA junior Nathaniel Price, who is still deciding between the philosophy and computation and cognition tracks, said he is interested in using his degree to pursue his interests in machine learning and artificial intelligence. “I really want to use my computer science background and apply it to that, as well as the cognitive science background,” he said. Until he heard about the new cognitive science concentration in one of his classes, Price planned to double major in computer science and philosophy. “I was going to take a lot of the cognitive science-y, philosophy courses that the University offers,” he said, “Instead of doing just purely philosophy, this gave me that chance to not only take those philosophy courses I was planning on taking anyways, but also a lot of cool psychology classes and to … apply some of my computer science (credits) to that degree as well.” The Cognitive Science major was introduced one semester after the implementation of the Health and Fitness Leadership program in the School of Kinesiology. The School of Kinesiology created the new major in See MAJORS, Page 3
Fourteen kiosk locations will house 125 ‘blue bikes’ for members’ use By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
Three years ago, University President Mary Sue Coleman unveiled a $14 million investment in several sustainability efforts that would affect both the University and the city of Ann Arbor. One of these efforts included the implementation of a bike-sharing program. In May, this goal will be realized with the beginning of ArborBike. Since August 2013, the Ann Arbor City Council has been working in tandem with the University and the Clean Energy Coalition, a local non-profit dedicated to the promotion of energy-independent communities, to ensure the program’s success. This collaboration included attaining federal, city and University funds to subsidize the project. From November 2013 through January, the CEC garnered community involvement for the new program by hosting an online naming competition. Among the top contenders were A2Go, MiBike and ArBike, but ultimately, the service was christened ArborBike on Feb. 5. The CEC is now seeking final approval of its 14 kiosk locations from the city and the University. In total, these will house 125 bicycles, or “blue bikes,” CEC
Project Manager Nick Helmholdt said. These stations will serve both downtown Ann Arbor and the University, with kiosks scattered across the Main Street area, the State Street and South University areas, as well as throughout North Campus and Central Campus. Stephen Dolen, executive director of parking and transportation services, said the program will yield a benefit for the entire Ann Arbor community, whether they are locals or students, faculty and staff and the University. “If you’re on North Campus and wanting to get to Central Campus and not take the bus or have to walk and the weather’s nice enough, you’ll be able to jump on a bicycle and ride it from there to here,” Dolen said. LSA freshman Elisabeth Brennen brought her bike from home and used it in the fall semester to bike back and forth between classes and said she would gladly make use of a campus-wide bike-share program. “It ended up not being worth it to bring (my bike) all the way from home and then have it be sitting out to rust in the winter,” Brennen said. “Having a bike share program would’ve been nice because I only used it once or twice a week.” Dolen added that faculty and staff could use ArborBike to get to meetings quickly and efficiently without driving and struggling to find parking. Helmholdt added that the bike-share could act as a traffic decongestant and reinvigorate business in Ann Arbor. “One of the key things that
prevents people from shopping in parts of Ann Arbor is that, frankly, it’s just difficult to access,” Helmholdt said. “I’d say this is a way for lots of people to access businesses that they don’t necessarily frequent.” Helmholdt added that the kiosk locations will be finalized in the next eight weeks after officials ensure that the sites are compatible with one another. After this, equipment needs to be ordered, delivered and installed. The CEC is also considering a community bike-building event in May to foster excitement and knowledge about the program. However, this is still in the planning stages. The CEC is also working to finalize prices for ArborBike membership, which Helmholdt said will roughly mirror those of Madison, Wisconsin’s program: $5 for a 24-hour pass and $65 for an annual pass. In a September interview with The Michigan Daily, Bill Loy, who has owned the local Campus Student Bike Shop for 50 years, voiced concerns about the potential of a bike-share program, which he said would “wreck my business.” Dolen said ArborBike might actually increase business for local bike shops, adding that in all the printed material he has read on bike-sharing, none have mentioned detriment to bike stores. “They complement each other,” he said. “It gets people into biking. These aren’t seen as long-term rentals. Ours are point-to-point. You ride it, you drop it off at the kiosk, and you’re done.”
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PIPELINE From Page 1 the main speaker at the event on Monday. Irwin said he strongly opposes the building of the pipeline because of its long-term environmental consequences. “What Keystone XL represents is making a long-term investment essentially calcifying our commitment to the dirtiest forms of energy,” Irwin said. “We need to stop this big investment, because this big investment is going to tether us to fossil fuels.” LSA sophomore Trevor Dolan, EnviroDems co-chair, said the meeting was a kickoff to a campaign to raise KXL awareness on campus. “When the report about the Keystone XL pipeline came out, we realized that there were a lot of protests going around nationally and in Ann Arbor specifically, but there wasn’t really a campus presence, and we felt like that needed to happen,” Dolan said. “This isn’t something that a lot of students would be conscious of, but it’s definitely something students would feel strongly about.” LSA senior Sonja Karnovsky, EnviroDems co-chair, said she hopes to bring EnviroDems together with other environmental groups on campus to spread student awareness on KXL. Karnovsky and Dolan co-wrote a viewpoint on KXL for The Michigan Daily on Feb. 12. “We’re really hoping to turn this into a collaborative effort among different environmental groups on campus to ensure that students who have some interest in environmentalism are aware of this pretty important development,” Karnovsky said. “This is really a seminal moment that the President and the Secretary of State can take to reaffirm the goals of the environmental movement and ensure that people can continue that battle.”
SOCHI From Page 1 Evan Bates and current students Alex and Maia Shibutani. Bates, a 2013 alumnus, and his partner Madison Chock finished 8th with 164.64. The Shibutanis, who also train in Canton with White and Davis, ended the event in 9th place with 155.17.
CSG From Page 1 us to be able to enact our change.” Both candidates said they believe their experience in student government gives them a strong advantage in the race, given their pre-existing relationships with administrators and knowledge of CSG’s inner workings. Under Dishell and Business senior Michael Proppe, CSG president, student government has enacted numerous resolutions to increase student input on the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities, in addition to implementing the Night Owl bus route and engaging in talks with Athletic Department to change the unpopular student seating policies at football and basketball games. Make Michigan will look to expand upon these initiatives if elected to office. Specific objectives include revamping the Michigan smartphone application, expanding the Night Owl bus route to run every night, improving off-campus lighting, increasing minority enrollment through partnership with the Alumni Association and on-site recruiting at Detroit schools, providing easier access to healthy produce and introducing a new academic minor in entrepreneurship. “We want to put the politics aside,” said LSA senior Andrew Craft, one of Make Michigan’s chairs. “We really want to stress that this should be about students, and a lot of times in Central Student Government there are possibilities for politics and disagreements to really shroud what our underlying message is.” A few deadlines exist in the coming weeks for students interested in running to become a CSG representative on the Make Michigan ticket: the application will close Feb. 20 and decisions as to whom will run will be released Feb. 24. The application will be available on Make Michigan’s new website, which went online late Monday night.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014 — 3
Software approved by gov. for hosptial use AlertWatch Inc., a student startup, created for operating room procedures By HILLARY CRAWFORD Daily Staff Reporter
Nearly three years after its inception in 2011, a University startup named AlertWatch Inc. has been approved for the sale of its first product in the medical market. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration gave its approval for the operating room software on Feb. 11. AlertWatch is a monitor software for operating rooms that was developed to improve situational awareness and patient safety. In a dashboard display, the product consolidates patient history, physiological monitors and lab values to create an easy-to-read summary of a patient’s status. AlertWatch CEO Justin Adams, a University alum, described the product’s com-
INEQUALITY From Page 1 historically “easy” majors promoted the party pathway. Armstrong said some of the women she studied saw college as a place to constantly have fun. These students’ parents agreed with their child and viewed college as a “consumption product.” “(The students) valued the social stuff right from the start,” Armstrong said. “It is the case that there are at least some families who actually don’t really expect their kids to learn that much in college.” Armstrong and Hamilton found that certain residence
REGENTS From Page 1 ings.” The University’s ROTC program, which occupied North Hall, has already been temporarily relocated to the Chemistry building in anticipation of the expected construction, and will be moved again to the Kinesiology Building once construction is completed. The School of Kinesiology will in turn be moved to the Kraus Building. Architecture firm SmithGroupJJR, a frequent University contractor, was recommended to design the project. Ross School of Business to undergo renovations On Thursday, the regents will vote to approve renovations of the Kresge Business Administration Library, the demolition of the Computer and Executive Education Building and construction of new academic buildings near the business school. Exterior building finishes will be added to Sam Wyly Hall, the Hill Street Parking Structure and the Business Administration Executive Dormitory to create a unified look for the Ross School of Business—which received its last update in 2013 with a $100 million gift from University alum and real estate mogul Stephen Ross. The renovations will add faculty and research offices, classrooms, and study spaces to the complex. The project is also set to provide 155 on-site construction jobs. There will be a temporary loss in parking during construction, but no permanent impact on parking once the project is completed.
MAJORS From Page 2 response to the large number of alumni who were going into corporate wellness and personal training, or opened their own fitness businesses after graduation. The new major requires classes focusing on a variety of different subjects, including sports manage-
prehensive light display and its potential to create a safer operating environment. The system uses color cues as part of its display: green as good, red as bad and yellow as somewhere in between. “The idea is to take all of the data and all of the signals and recognize that there’s a limit to what people can comprehend, and we want to make it very obvious when problems are happening,” Adams said. The Office of Technology Transfer paired Adams with the two founders of the company in spring 2012. Anesthesiology Department Chair Kevin Tremper has been piloting the innovation under his own supervision for the past two years. Driven by his interest in patient safety, Tremper founded the program alongside James Bagian, former NASA astronaut and current director of the Center for Health Engineering in the department of anesthesia. After Bagian left NASA in 1995, he became both the Vet-
erans Health Administration’s chief patient safety and systems innovation officer and the director of the VA National Center for Patient Safety, and has since transferred this patient safety focus towards developing and marketing the new product. In a press release published Feb. 11, Tremper contrasted old medical technologies with those of the future. “Forty years ago, we used the familiar wavy lines — EKG, heart rate and blood pressure — to monitor our patients,” Tremper said. “Today, we’re still using the same wavy lines, but we have all of this other patient information digitized and available. I wanted a tool that helped put all of that background patient information in context with everything else going on live in the operating room.” In addition to the University Medical Center, the software is being used at the University of Vermont and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. Adams said feedback remains the most
positive among newer practitioners, and that his biggest focus at the present moment is convincing less enthusiastic clinicians that the product will significantly improve the quality of their care. A statistic displayed on the homepage of AlertWatch’s official website, cites a study performed at the University, which found that 85 percent of clinicians agreed that the product meets its ultimate goal of improving patient safety. Currently, the company is targeting large training hospitals whose incoming practitioners, fellows, and residents are more likely to be accepting of newer technological innovations. Adams said the anesthesiology community is tightly knit, which helps the company spread its message. “It’s a pretty small community, meaning that our founders do socialize with a lot of the potential buyers, so I feel like a lot of hospitals that would be in a position to buy it know about it,” Adams said.
To market the product, the company is pursuing additional funding. Currently, sources from the larger Ann Arbor community and from the University have sponsored the product. Ann Arbor SPARK, an organization that supports new businesses and economic development, has taken an interest in the new product, as has the Ross School of Business, which finances the software through the Zell Lurie Commercialization Fund. Adams said the AlertWatch team hopes to have spread their product across the marketplace within the next couple of years. To broaden the software’s applicability outside of the operating room, the team is currently working on creating an ICU version of the product, which would utilize the same methodology in a different setting. “I think the goal is really to get out there and tell the story, show people what it does and just convince them that it will help them run a safer operating room,” Adams said.
halls, specifically with rich, white females, can funnel these students into sororities, which contributes to the lack of diversity in certain clubs and activities. The second pathway is the professional pathway, which included advantages to a student because of their socioeconomic status that usually led to a profession in law or medicine. While their study indicated that the professional pathway had its benefits, it showed that there was a downside to this pathway, due to parental influence. The women who Armstrong and Hamilton studied consisted of upper and uppermiddle class females whose parents strongly influenced the
student’s academic decisions, such as deciding a major. “The parents were providing a lot of the advising that one wouldn’t imagine the school should do,” Armstrong said. The third pathway is the mobility pathway — the organizational pathway that levels the field among all students, no matter what the socioeconomic status of the student. Armstrong said this mobility pathway was hidden because of the organizational framework and parental influence on students. According to their studies, Armstrong said these three pathways pose challenges to universities who want to increase diversity on campus. The main problem discussed at the panel
was how to improve the ability of low-income students to get on the professional pathway. To achieve this goal and to combat this problem across the nation, Armstrong said universities can schedule more classes on Friday and maintain a high standard of academic rigor. Challenging courses decrease the likelihood of easy majors contributing to the party pathway. “That right there takes out a whole night a week of partying,” Armstrong said. “There has been research that suggest that there are fewer emergency room visits by simply requiring students to be in classes. It uses the classroom space of the university more effectively.”
While Deloria said he believes there is overlap between structures described in the book and at the University, he added that the University can combat this issue with living learning communities and its academic programs. “We’ve got a number of programs that echo professional pathways,” Deloria said. LSA senior Kaitlin Keane, an residence advisor for female honors students, said she sees students on certain pathways, especially the party pathway because of Greek Life. She added that this Greek Life system provides comfort and a sense of belonging to freshmen women.
The project is estimated to cost $135 million, all of which will be funded by donations. Last September, real estate mogul Stephen Ross donated another $200 million to his namesake Business School and the University Athletic Department. The board will approve the commissioning of the architectural firm of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates PC to design the project. In response, the regents voted in their October meeting to rename much of South Campus as the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus. In November, the board approved the construction of a new building on the Stephen M. Ross Athletic Campus, creating a space for maintenance shops and offices, equipment storage and laundry, as well as shipping and receiving operations.
kitchenette on the second floor; and install storm windows in the first-floor study. The alarm and fire detection system will be updated to a modern system with additional warning devices and a fire protection sprinkler system. The stone walkways will be leveled and damaged stones will be replaced. The regents will also vote to approve the continuation of the fund that provides furniture, rugs and other miscellaneous items for the house. Currently, this fund is approximately $100,000 and if approved will increase to a total of $250,000. The project will be overseen by the University’s Department of Architecture, Engineering and Construction. The regents will also vote to approve the continuation of the fund that provides furniture, rugs and other miscellaneous items for the house. Currently, this fund is approximately $100,000 and if approved will increase to a total of $250,000.
Construction is set to be completed by the summer of 2016.
Difference Campaign Steering Committee. Currently, he volunteers on the Campaign Leadership Board of the Victors for Michigan fundraising campaign. If approved, it would be the first endowed coaching position at the University. Athletic Director Dave Brandon and Jerry May, vice president for development, recommended the establishment of the endowed coach position in a report Monday.
Board to consider President’s Residence renovations The board will also consider a $1.3 million renovation of the historic President’s Residence, funded from investment proceeds. Since the construction of the original President’s Residence in 1840, the home has undergone four significant additions, increasing its size from 4,800 to 14,000 square feet total. The residence is the oldest building on campus and has maintained its historical heritage despite undergoing many maintenance projects, with the most recent one occurring in 2002. The board will vote to replace the flat roof surfaces that are more than 25 years old; repaint exterior areas; repair damaged wood, masonry and stucco; replace two heating ventilations; renovate three bathrooms and the
ment, physical education and movement science. Students will also take some business, sports law and management classes. “This is really a response to a worldwide need,” said Pat Van Volkinburg, associate dean for academic programs at the School of Kinesiology. “What’s happening is there are three major problems: people are getting heavier, they’re less active and they’re getting older and this has a nega-
West Quad, Union renovations to be approved Plans to renovate West Quad and the Michigan Union are pushing forward, as the regents plan to open the project to bids and award construction contracts. In July, the regents approved the initial schematic for the 370,000 square-foot renovation as the final installment of the Residential Life Initiative. The $114.5 million renovation will convert West Quad’s dining hall into community, creative and practice space and streamline dining services into South Quad’s expanded Central Campus Dining Center, which is expected to open in the fall.
tive influence on the economy. Michigan is a leader. We decided it was time that we added a new major that meets the needs not only of our students, but to businesses of the world.” The structure of the major prepares students to take the American College of Sport Fitness Instructor the National Strength and the Strength Coach’s exams upon graduation — a benefit that was not built into any other Kinesiology
Pollack to create new administrative position University Provost Martha E. Pollack submitted a request to establish a new position of associate vice president for enrollment management. The new position would provide leadership for the offices of undergraduate admissions, the University registrar, financial aid and new student programs. The associate vice president will design a program that will increase coordination between units and manage enrollment goals and will report directly to Pollack. If the regents approve this request, the position will be effective March 1, 2014. Endowment for head football coach position to be considered The Regents will vote to approve the endowment and naming of the head football coach position. The proposed name change would be effective on March 1. Ira and Nicki Harris, long-time supporters of many units within the University, have donated $10 million through the J. Ira and Nicki Harris Foundation for the naming and endowment of the head football coach position, which is currently filled by Brady Hoke. They have previously donated the Nicki Harris Family Football Locker Room. Ira Harris has volunteered as a member of the Investment Advisory Committee, the President’s Advisory Group and the leadership committee of the Michigan
majors before this year. Despite not appearing on the checklist of majors listed on the Common Application this past year, the new major been popular in its first semesters. “I’m getting phone calls from kids who are juniors in high school, people from other schools and colleges across the country that want to transfer in, so word of mouth is getting out there,” Van Volkinburg said.
Board to consider State Street real estate purchase At Thursday’s meeting, the board will also vote to purchase a building located at 2500-2550 South State Street, which sits next to the Univesrity’s Donald R. Shepherd Women’s Gymnastic Center, the Bahna Wrestling Center and the Varsity Tennis Center. The property covers approximately 16.7 acres of land and includes light industrial and office buildings, a cellular tower and a parking lot. If the University purchases the buildings before the tentative closing date of early March 2014, they will be sold for the negotiated price of $12.8 million. In a communication to the board, Tim Slottow, executive vice president and chief financial officer, wrote that the funds for this purchase would come from investment proceeds. The purchasing of the property is “subject to the University satisfying itself with the environmental condition of the site and otherwise completing with due diligence,” wrote Slottow in the report Monday. Details describing the buildings’ intended purposes were not provided.
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GABRIELA VASQUEZ | VIEWPOINT
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN EDITOR IN CHIEF
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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
Cultivating the economy Farm bill will improve Michigan agricultural sector
O
n Feb. 7, President Barack Obama signed the 2014 farm bill at Michigan State University in East Lansing. The farm bill, formally the Agriculture Act of 2014, eliminates direct subsidies for all commodities that are produced except cotton, but increases and extends subsidized crop insurance to help preserve crop prices. The president insisted that the bipartisan legislation is not just about helping farmers but boosting the economy as a whole. The 2014 farm bill is expected to save about $24 billion over 10 years, compared to the current agricultural budget. However, the bill cuts $8 billion dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Overall, the new farm bill is set to enhance the agricultural economy in states such as Michigan — one of the nation’s largest and most diverse farming economies — but will be detrimental to SNAP beneficiaries. According to the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, the food and agriculture industry contributes $91.4 billion to the state’s economy every year. Michigan’s agricultural industry produces more than 200 types of commodities on a commercial basis and employs 923,000 people in the state’s workforce. Michigan ranks second in the United States in terms of crop diversity and is also a leader in specialty crops such as apples, cherries and sugar beets. Since specialty crops have been garnering increased interest under the new bill, Michigan is a target for larger research funding. The 2014 farm bill links agricultural practices and land conservation. For the first time since the original farm bill was enacted in 1933, the federal funding assigned to conservation — approximately $56 billion — exceeds the present commodity subsidies, which is approximately $44.4 billion. Farmers are able to access natural resources to produce healthful and homegrown foods that contribute to air, water and soil conservation in Michigan. This provision is especially important to Michigan farmers, as preservation agreements make up about three percent of the state’s total farmland.
Though the bill is necessary for economic revitalization, its cuts are hazardous to those in need. The 2014 farm bill will reduce SNAP’s funds by $8 billion. Much of the savings from the farm bill are in part due to these cuts. These cuts will affect low-income households in 15 states and the District of Columbia. A total of 850,000 households will experience a cut of about $90 a month in aid. Though this is minimal compared to the Republican’s proposed $40 billion cut, the impact on families who depend on SNAP is substantial. Further action needs to be taken by the administration to ensure that adequate aid is provided to people in need. East Lansing was the perfect place for Obama to sign the landmark legislation. MSU is a pioneer land-grant college, established in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan. MSU continues to maintain a tradition of excellent agricultural studies program and is a leader in bio-based research and development. While the University isn’t an agricultural school, research in chemical and biological engineering may indirectly impact the state’s agricultural industry. Supporting agriculture is vital to Michigan’s economic health and recovery.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Barry Belmont, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Kellie Halushka, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Allison Raeck, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe TERESA MATHEW | MICHIGAN IN COLOR
Made of fire I wish I could tell my skin that it is made of fire. That it covers blood and bone and muscle no different in makeup from Jennifer Lawrence or Michelle Obama or Emma Watson. I wish I could tell my skin that it exists as a covering for what is pulsing within my body, that it has been designed to keep me safe, and that anyone who cares more about wrapping paper than what it contains inside is a fool. And I am learning that even the people who love me can be foolish. I am trying to come to peace with something I never used to cry over. I am trying to tell my skin, I am trying to tell myself, I am trying to tell my mother and my family and whoever I want to love me that I am more than my color. But I am my color, too. My skin is not a shade an Indian mother can be proud of, my skin is the color of cinnamon and peeled-back tree bark, and my skin never used to make me ashamed. I am dark. My father is darker, could probably pass for Black if his features were not so unmistakably Indian. My mother, on the other hand, is fair. I never had a problem with being dark when I was younger — my father’s sister is darker than he is. I thought her skin glowed, it was so black. I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. I used to sit out in the sun so my skin would grow to be like hers. And I laughed at that Indian standard of beauty, sure I would never care about the shade of my skin. But then I turned fifteen, and I sat in a room while my great-uncle demanded to know why my two-year-old niece, whose skin is far, far fairer than mine, was “so terribly dark.” He thundered this at my uncle in a tone both angry and disapproving, and I shrunk back into a corner and tried to disappear and learned for the first time that being brown could make me
feel small. I was twenty and listening as my greataunt told my mother that I was looking a bit nicer now that I at last looked fairer (living through two Michigan winters will do that to you). Most painful of all, I had to listen to my mother tell me she agreed with my aunt, that she thought fairer was prettier as well. This from a woman who married a man so dark his complexion isn’t just shades darker than hers, it’s at the bottom of an entirely different paint swatch. What did that say about what she thought of my father? What did that say about what she thought about me? I know they say beauty is only skin deep. But we want even that thin layer of skin to be wholly accepted by the people we love, regardless of its color. When I tell white Americans that Indians prefer fair skin, they inevitably ask me, in a tone half disapproving and half slyly pleased, “Oh, so like … they want to be my skin color?” I used to think it was my duty to sweetly answer these condescending questions. I do not think so anymore. I do not want to be your skin color. I want to be my own. And I want to be comfortable in it, the same way I was when I was a child and didn’t notice that no one I read about in books or saw on television looked like me. I want my mother and the mothers of other Indian girls I know, smart, educated women who love and want the best for their daughters, to stop caring about the color of our skin. Let us play outside if we want to. Let us get darker, let us develop. We are more than the shade of brown we are labelled by. Let us understand that we are made of fire. Teresa Mathew is an LSA junior.
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Venezuela en la calle Imagine being so afraid that the contents of your stomach try to force themselves out through your throat, burning your insides and causing biting tears to spill from your eyes. Imagine spending a day marching peacefully alongside your fellow classmates, protesting your right to basic freedoms. And imagine that peaceful protest met with violence. Imagine the police, the National Guard, shooting at you as you run away. Imagine clutching your phone as if it were providing you with oxygen, waiting to hear if your family is safe or if they were one of the casualties. Imagine being faced with a choice: stay silent and accept that you are living in a nation where your rights are violated on a daily basis, where you have no freedom of press or speech, or go out and protest, but face serious injury and death. Imagine hearing your president blame you for the violence, imagine having him shut down media organizations, so you have no way of knowing what is going on in your country. Imagine having soap operas playing on every channel while college students are being shot at outside your door. What you’re imagining is reality for my country. Last weekend, in Venezuela, various protests over worsening economic conditions rocked some of the nation’s largest cities. The protests were met with a bloody crackdown executed by government officials and their supporters. Many peaceful protesters were taken and put in jail, and treated as criminals. This takes us to Wednesday, Feb. 12, El Día de la Juventud (Day of Youth). Popular opposition leaders Leopoldo López and María Corina Machado had organized a peaceful protest in Caracas, supported by university students and a host of other organizations. The protest continued peacefully early in the day, and people began to return to their homes around 1:30 in the afternoon. At about 2 p.m., however, the attacks began. Police, military and colectivos — armed groups of civilians trained by the government — converged en masse on the main plazas and streets of several cities. Two students and a member of one of these armed groups were killed during the attacks. Almost 70 were wounded, and almost as many were detained by government officials. Friday, it was reported that the arrested students were tortured by the same officials that were supposed to protect them. That night, or perhaps in the early hours of Feb. 13, the government released an order for the arrest of López, one of the opposition leaders. López has not been seen since the arrest warrant was issued, though he
has remained active on Twitter. His last public appearance was at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night, on a CNN en Español interview with Fernando del Rincón. Representatives of his party have come out and stated that López is at home, analyzing the arrest order with lawyers. López’s absence, as well as the sidelining of other political leaders, has left the organization of the protests to students. The movements that occurred Thursday and Friday were completely organized by university students; no politicians participated in or organized any of them. Thursday’s protests were much more disorganized, however, and violence erupted on both sides. Many of the protestors criticize those on their side who responded to violence with violence, advocating for the continuation of peaceful dissent. Aside from the protests themselves, the government has imposed a near-total media and information blackout. The government’s tightening grip on media has existed for years prior to the protests (for instance, Venezuela’s oldest TV channel, RCTV, was closed down in 2007), but is growing in intensity. Late Wednesday afternoon at about 4 or 5 p.m., NTN24 was taken off the air by Conatel, the government-owned media regulator, and by executive order of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. NTN24 is based out of neighboring Colombia and was the only major television network covering the protests in Venezuela. Since then, there has been no information outside of social media and a few websites that give insight into what has been occurring. Venezuelans are relying on Twitter, e-mail and text messages to get their information, since their government has censored their media. This is what is happening in Venezuela right now. Here’s the thing: as terrifying as the photos and videos of the protests circulating are, as horrifying as it would be for you to read in excruciating detail the acts of violence that are occurring in Venezuela’s streets, what’s more important is why these protests are happening to begin with. In the wake of former president Hugo Chávez’s death, Maduro, Chávez’s heir apparent, won the election by just over 1 percent of the overall vote. There is no majority rule; there is barely a democracy. We have moved past a division of ideologies. This isn’t about right versus left, or even us versus them. It’s about freedom. It’s about being granted the basic human rights that come with living in a democratic nation: freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom to voice your opinion without fear of being kidnapped, attacked or killed. It’s about security;
it’s about living free of fear, it’s about not having to worry if you will have a gun pointed at you today, it’s about being able to leave your house knowing you will be safe. It’s about not having a president claim he can communicate with Chávez through little birds. It’s hard to imagine this if it isn’t happening to you, so let’s bring it home. You’re living your everyday life as a college student in the United States of America. Recent events have created a deep divide in your country, and the new president of the U.S. gained power with barely 50 percent of the vote. The losing party asked for a recount, due to the closeness of the election, and was denied. You spend a year living under this new government, and things have only gotten worse. The government controls the media. The streets are full of violent crimes. Every time you leave your house, you wonder if you will be facing down the barrel of a gun. You breathe a sigh of relief when your house gets robbed, because at least it wasn’t your life they took. The United States now has one of the highest murder and inflation rates in the world. Basic supplies like toilet paper and milk are hard to find. Restaurants experience a lack of water. Power outages occur sporadically throughout the nation. You are tired of the insecurity, of the failing economy. You are angry at the fact that it costs your family in nearby countries thousands of dollars for a plane ticket (if they can even find one) to visit you. You want things to get better. So, you and virtually every college student in every major city decide to go out and protest peacefully. And you are met with tear gas. You are beaten to the ground. You are shot in the back. You carry your bloody friend out of the line of fire, tears streaming down your face. The vision of the pool of blood that formed on the street, the bright red drops that stained your shoes will haunt you for the rest of your life. You scream as your friend, your brother, your sister, your cousin gets dragged away by “officials,” only to be tortured for exercising their right to speak out in peaceful dissent. You are unarmed, and those who are meant to protect you attack you. You survive, just barely. And you go out the next day to do it all over again. So, what can you do? Spread the word. Use Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram, Vine, texts, calls, Snapchats, word of mouth. Tell everyone and anyone of what is going on in Venezuela. We have freedom. Let’s speak up for those who don’t. Mi Venezuela, tu Venezuela, Venezuela de todos. Gabriela Vasquez is the Managing Design Editor and an LSA sophomore.
MAURA LEVINE | VIEWPOINT
Sharing the shovel
Winter 2014 is one of those winters we’ll always remember. The polarvortex-style cold is compounded by constant precipitation and it seems that, even if you’re wearing two sweaters and a scarf, you’re always freezing on the walk to class. “Have you fallen yet?” has become a common question in a conversation between friends who haven’t seen each other in a few days. At the beginning of one of my classes, my professor suggested we get special cleats for the bottom of our boots to keep us from falling. Given the frequency of slipping and sliding on the way to class, I’m surprised I have not seen more of those. While the campus crews have been hard at work, it seems they can’t quite keep up. The University, as well as private businesses and local residents in Ann Arbor, need to take measures to step up their sidewalkclearing game to keep everyone safe. Ann Arbor has a city ordinance requiring that “non-residentially zoned property owners or occupants” must clear the snow and ice from their public sidewalks every day before noon. Sidewalks must be treated “with sand, salt or other substance to prevent it from being slippery,” and the city even provides residents and property owners with one 5-gallon bucket of snow-melting substances to aid in meeting this requirement. Residential area owners are also required to remove snow and ice within 24 hours of snow accumulation. Residents are urged to report violations of the ordinance to the community standards unit of the Ann Arbor Police Department, and violators can receive a $500 fine for their noncompliance. Tattling may not the best solution, but people have been falling and getting hurt from these slippery conditions. This past week alone, two of my roommates fell on ice and got large and painful bruises that physi-
cally limited them for several days. It’s apparent that much of the danger is due to private businesses’ and individuals’ failure to shovel their portion of the sidewalk. The slush from the perpetual snow storm has turned into a thick layer of ice, and there is always new snow on top of that. These conditions are disastrous for anyone trying to walk to class. The Diag area is usually completely cleared, but the corner of Willard Street and East University Avenue, for example, is one of the worst. On my way to class in East Quad, I personally saw two people fall at this corner. It’s shameful that the local businesses haven’t taken the initiative to shovel their sidewalk areas. This corner, and many others like it, technically don’t constitute “campus.” Considering that many of these areas are close to campus property — less than 10 feet away — it’s ridiculous that campus facilities haven’t been going the extra mile to keep these areas salted and safe. For example, students walking from the Diag to East Quad encounter a block of unsalted, unshoveled sidewalk simply because it isn’t legally University property and the University isn’t officially responsible for cleaning it. Granted, it is the job of the local businesses to take care of their sidewalks. But if they aren’t going to do it, someone has to. Is the University really going to leave these areas unsafe? The entire point of snow removal is to keep students and faculty safe on their commute to campus buildings. When entire patches of snow and ice are not touched for more than four days because they aren’t legally on campus property, the rest of the snow removal effort is pointless since University members still have no choice but to cross this hazardous terrain. Ann Arbor is a college town. Most people walking around the campusdowntown area are students or fac-
ulty. It would be nice to think that all local businesses, the University facilities responsible for cleaning the “campus area,” and residents with public sidewalks would all care enough about their fellow Michiganders to clear the sidewalks and make them less dangerous. It would not take much time if everyone did their part and cleared their portion of the public sidewalk when the snow first fell so that it did not turn into impossible-to-remove ice patches. Their liability for not only benign bruises, but for broken bones, god-forbid, should be weighing heavily on their conscience. For the sake of the elderly and disabled, snow removal is even more important than a neighborly obligation, but a neighborly necessity. Some may argue that the recent salt shortages and the extreme nature of these conditions have made it hard to keep up with snow removal. In this case, I propose that the University put up warning signs near slippery areas, and attend to those areas as soon as they appropriate the resources. They could even close off potentially injurythreatening areas to the public until more salt arrives to remedy the situation. Instead, the corner of Willard and East University has remained covered with a thick sheet of ice, traversed by hundreds of students a day, for this entire past week. I would assume that is enough time for local businesses or campus facilities to obtain salt and apply it to the sidewalks, though we are still waiting for that to happen. In any case, when the conditions are hazardous to our health and well-being the University should be doing more to protect us from getting hurt on our daily commute, and residents should step up and take the initiative to protect their fellow Ann Arborites in the struggle against Winter 2014. Maura Levine is an LSA junior.
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Arts FINE ARTS COLUMN
TV REVIEW
Shaping my subconscious
NETFLIX
“Did someone say ribs???”
Success in ‘Cards’ Ruthless pragmatism takes center stage in season two By JOE REINHARD Daily Arts Writer
Part of what makes season two of Netflix’s “House of Cards” so engaging is that it takes an attitude of “no regrets.” Nothing is held back — Athe very first episode delivers House of a shocking Cards moment that Season One makes a certain politician’s Netflix Instant death in season one seem like a warm up exercise. Some dramas save moments like that for a season finale, but “House of Cards” doesn’t care about the consequences. Even when the story drags, there’s always a sense that the show knows what it’s doing, that everything has a purpose. And it usually does. Although the first episode drops major hints, it becomes even clearer as the season progresses that “Cards” is trying to distance itself from a few popular TV tropes. Nowadays it’s become common to take a morally ambiguous main character (or maybe an outright decent person) and have him or her become more and more irredeemable (“Breaking Bad,” “Mad Men,” etc.). This show skips the long term development. Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey,
Tuesday, February 18, 2014 — 5
“American Beauty”) is bad from the beginning. His actions may grow crueler or more shocking, but it’s not a matter of morals for Underwood. He’s more or less the same person he was in season one, the higher position of power notwithstanding. It’s a questionable decision, but the show has such confidence in its execution that it rarely seems unwise. Robin Wright (“The Princess Bride”) as Underwood’s wife Claire is another highlight. Together, the couple dominates everyone else on the show, when it comes to acting prowess and to issues on Capitol Hill. Claire and Frank make great strides this season in achieving their goals, but it’s thanks to Wright and Spacey that it’s thrilling to watch them trample over more people’s lives. (As bad as that sounds, it’s true.) The rest of the cast does their job, but no one trumps the two stars’ level of talent. For some this may be problematic, especially if the Underwoods prove too disgusting to watch. The couple becomes especially desperate this season, as Frank’s position as VP makes them more susceptible than ever to negative media attention and scandals. Frank has a lot to juggle, between covering up past sins, dealing with relations with China and appeasing the President, while simultaneously trying to enact an ingenious and devilish long term plan. It makes the show more enthralling than ever, assuming you look past the fact the bad guys win a little too often.
At the end of the day, season two never really surpasses season one. It’s not that the show lacks ambition — with its multiple interconnecting subplots, powerful cinematography and daring story direction, it boasts ambition that rivals Frank Underwood’s. (Okay, maybe not Frank Underwood’s, but you get the idea.) And its failure to rise to greater heights isn’t necessarily even a bad thing. Season one was fine good television, and this new season managed to replicate everything great about it without coming off as rehashed material. Season two’s just not going to convince any naysayers either. By now, the show is content with its faults. It takes its time (perhaps a little too much time) and treats many characters like pieces in a game rather than people worth developing. If watching politicians, businessmen and lobbyists connive and backstab doesn’t appeal to you, the show isn’t about to cater to you to get you to binge watch all 13 new episodes. Again, it has an attitude of no regrets. Season two’s just not worth your time. Other than that, season two is by all means a success. “House of Cards” isn’t a show for everyone, but it’s hard to deny its quality. It’s even harder to deny its confidence in its characters, its cast and its story direction. And so even though it’s not perfect, it still makes for excellent television. “Welcome back,” Frank Underwood says to conclude the season’s first episode. It’s great to be back, indeed.
For my 11th birthday, I had a party at Zap Zone. I invited girls and g uys, but only one boy came. He felt lost in the sea of budding women and ate pizza for a long time, silently, while the rest of us played arcade games. ANNA He had SADOVSKAYA gotten me a paint set (or was it a step-by-step g uide?) and left before I opened the rest of the presents. He felt sick, he said. I watched him bolt to his mother’s car, sprinting faster than any sick person I’d ever seen. I had sat behind him in history that year, which led to a strong fascination with his dark hair and scratchy handwriting. I had a crush, and as I clutched the paint set on my way home from the party, I vowed to make him something, anything, to show I took his present seriously. I started trying to emulate Picasso, in hopes of thrilling him with my knowledge of cubism (which was incredibly lacking) and Cézanne, because I remembered loving Curtains when I saw it in a dusty art book. I tried painting trees, birds, grass, rocks, lockers, smiles, eyelashes and fingers. I was 11, and I hated everything I ever drew, and I never ended up painting anything for him. He moved away a few years later. When I was 13, I had an English teacher who would check our homework reading for margin notes, and look us in the eyes when he found something unsatisfactory. He would bend close and say “this makes me want to weep,” and then we’d blush and hide our shame in the next day’s homework, filling the margins with notes that we hoped meant something. Our weekly quizzes snuck
up unexpectedly, with Mr. Greenwell stopping mid-sentence to whip out the stack of questions meant to trip up those who had neglected to read “The Odyssey” the night before. I wrote poems in that class. I wrote them because I wanted to create something like Yeats’s “Adam’s Curse,” and I was young enough to believe I could in 9th grade. I showed Mr. Greenwell, and he didn’t say much — he was usually sparse with compliments, and I thought I could just crawl under a rock and everything would go on fine. The next day he matter-offactly told me he had signed me up for a literary reading that weekend, on the corner of N. University and State St. I rooted myself to my chair and said nothing for the next hour, which docked me participation points. I remember standing on
Fine Art doesn’t have to be highbrow and upper class. the podium that balmy Saturday, intimidated by the beautiful poems that preceded my own. I read, and felt nothing except the self-consciousness that plag ued me during my high school years, and sat down to the clapping, looking up only brief ly at the other performers. Junior year I had a Spanish teacher who could pronounce my last name. The strong intonation on the second syllable, a sof t lull during the three consonants and a drawn-out “aya” that made me sit up straighter in class and volunteer to read. Lorca’s “La Casa de Bernarda Alba” became my favorite part of the day, and as our Spanish 4 A P class muddled
through the dense play, I wrote scenes of my own in the back of my notebook. Cast as a townsperson in “ Wonderf ul Town,” the second semester of my senior year of high school consisted of endless chorus practices and choreog raphy rehearsals. I only joined the musical because my best friend had, and I sat in a corner of the g reen room during opening night wondering how I had managed to spend three months with the people around me and like hardly half of them. I went on stage and led the conga line, realizing I hated musicals and the person directly behind me. I am made up of f ine art, in ways that had nothing to do with appreciating beaut y and relishing the f inesse of a master’s work. I am edged with experiences that allow me to quote Dante’s “Inferno,” or break out into “Phantom of the Opera” songs. I rarely do either, and yet because I have formulated among cultural experiences that had little to do with “culturing ” myself, I can say that f ine arts have shaped my subconscious. In realit y, art doesn’t have to be high-brow and upper class. It doesn’t have to be seen in museums, or travelled to from other countries. It shouldn’t be all about reading for the sake of keeping up with someone else. It can be as simple as liking someone who gave you a cheap Michael’s paint book and an empt y Thursday night. It’s not about what kind of things you know, or how many concerts you’ve been to — what even constitutes f ine art anymore? It’s about something that piqued your interest, and lead you down a rabbit hole f ueled by SaintExupér y and Mahler.
Sadovskaya is “culturing” herself. To join her, email asado@umich.edu.
FILM REVIEW
Hart the best part of ‘About Last Night’
TWEET
By NOAH COHEN
TWEET TWEET TWEET
Daily Arts Writer
In the vein of the serious romcom, “About Last Night” bites down hard on the polite love story. It cuts the audience a Asharp, raunchy and gloriously About Last put-together slice of two Night relationships Quality 16 that crackle and Rave 20 with potential — one spicy, Columbia one sweet. “Part of getting in, is knowing when to get out!” Bernie (Kevin Hart, “Ride Along”) tells the romantic lead, Danny (Michael Ealy, “Takers”). The ebb and flow of the script redounds with that cynical relationshipsniping that only best friends can get away with. Hart’s character plays the protomasculine sex machine who tries over and over to talk Danny off the monogamy train. He talks about relationships in terms of entrapments and emasculations. “Fake your own death!” he advises. But Danny, unlike the usual romantic pushover, doesn’t take Bernie’s shit sitting down. When Debbie (Joy Bryant, “Hit and Run”) and Danny exchange “I love you” ’s, Bernie makes a point about how relationships are inherently emotionally unequal. Someone has to care more, and the sucker who says “I love you” first is that sucker. Danny counters, “So are you saying we should
Stayin Aflight @MICHIGANDAILY
COLUMBIA
“What do you mean there are ribs??”
have counted to three, and said it at the same time?” The banter ranges from political to popcultural, but it’s always fast and on-point. There’s scarcely an off-beat in the entire hundred minutes, and plenty of oneliners worth pocketing for use outside the theater. Bernie’s relationship amounts to full-fledged insanity. In his first big fight with Joan (Regina Hall, “Law Abiding Citizen”), he tells some ridiculous yarn about being Jewish, and as he recounts the situation to Danny at the gym, we witness some of the best comic chemistry ever to grace a squash court. Even when he’s not onscreen, Hart’s energy is the lifeblood of this movie. His relationship with Danny takes the movie to a warm place in every “bro” heart. Every exchange between
Danny and Ernie is as pure as the driven snow. From “Star Wars” references to “Man, I can’t believe you dropped the Jew bomb!,” the pair epitomizes that larger-than-life movie friendship that makes your heart hurt because you never had one like it. The main problem with the film is that their beautiful Los Angeles apartments, their bodies, their social circles, are all incredible — literally unbelievable, such that an observant audience can tell that this movie is 90 percent fairy tale. Especially since Danny’s job supposedly sucks, and even when he quits to take a financially worse job, he can somehow still afford his magical apartment. The characters’ jobs become a theme: their jobs can make them feel romantically unviable, and Danny addresses this emotional
baggage as something coming between him and Deb. The entire script is riddled with these light romantic blows of want, expectation and stress that sneak into relationships and eat us alive. Deb releases some of this stress by tossing a fully furnished turkey out of a fourth story window. There’s another problem: that was simply outof-character for her. Sensible people don’t throw turkeys out of fourth-story windows. The story ends in medias res. We don’t know whether both couples last or if either couple lasts. The tension doesn’t altogether release, but it’s okay. It’s the only thing about this movie that’s perfectly realistic. We’re left with Kevin Hart’s charming admonitions, “Why do we have to do what everyone else does?” and “Who says we even have to get it right at all.”
Arts
6 — Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
TV NOTEBOOK
ALBUM REVIEW
Consistent Curren$y Anticipated shows of 2014 New mix tape drives right into our hearts
By DREW MARON Daily Arts Writer
2013 was a hell of a year for television, but for those of you who are worried that TV’s golden age might be on its way out, here’s a couple of new shows coming out this year that might just change your mind.
By JOSH FRAZIER Daily Arts Writer
Consistency from musicians is a valuable trait, and Curren$y’s latest release The Drive In Theatre showcases the New A Orleans rapper’s dependThe Drive In ability. Over a luxurious The Theater soundscape, Curren$y one of rap’s best storytell- Jet Set ers depicts an expensive lifestyle filled with money, organized crime and weed. These familiar tropes are not new to Curren$y’s music; the Jet Life Recordings rapper has spent years perfecting his laid-back aesthetic. The Drive In Theatre is one of his strongest releases yet. Curren$y gives his best Martin Scorsese impression, directing a modern-day urban crime film through clever wordplay and a well-organized score. “The Godfather” samples sprinkled in amidst the elegant production make Curren$y’s latest mixtape true to its name, a cinematic experience. Curren$y picks up where he left off following a prolific 2013 in which he released four mixtapes and an EP with fellow stoner Wiz Khalifa. The Drive In Theatre reboots Spitta Andretti’s trademark flow, which manages to sound both intricate and lazy at the same time. His complex rhyme scheme makes rapping seem effortless, and this newest mixtape bolsters Curren$y’s reputation as one of the strongest lyricists in rap today. Incredibly detailed lyrics make the usual boasts about wealth feel fresh, a difficult feat to accomplish in rap’s often repetitive landscape. Curren$y sets the scene for his rhymes with visual lyrics, giving the mixtape a movie-like feel. Album standout “E.T.” opens with the line “Fresh paint on the park bench / Shining in the
“The Leftovers” Network: HBO Premiere: Summer 2014 HBO and Damon Lindelof (“Lost”) are teaming with acclaimed writer Tom Perotta (“Election”) to adapt his novel about those left behind during the biblical Rapture. I’m a huge fan of Lindelof and think he gets way too much undeserved heat for the finale of his last religious-allegory/sciencefiction mystery show (and no, not “Nash Bridges”). This time the material looks perfect for Lindelof, whose work always bridges the gap between faith and fantasy. JET SET
“Now I know you’re bringing me some ribs”
sunlight of the morning / Under the shade of the trees taking it all in.” The visceral track also features Cypress Hill’s B-Real, who spits his best verse in years, inspired by Curren$y’s engaging lyrics and magnetic personality. Other can’t-miss tracks include the lead single, “Godfather Four,” and the hypnotic “Hi Top Whites,” which demonstrates just how cool Curren$y can be. If Curren$y is the director of The Drive In Theatre, its undeniable star is the lavish production. The mesmerizing beats weave seamlessly from song to song, complementing his riveting voice. Equal parts laid-back and complicated, production on the mixtape is handled by the usual cast of characters. Weed rap favorites like Cardo, Sledgren and Thelonious Martin are all behind the boards to craft a sophisticated movie score that allows Curren$y and friends like Action Bronson, Freddie Gibbs and members of the Jet Life crew to go to work.
It’s refreshing to see a musician release one quality project after another, and The Drive In Theatre’s biggest flaw is that Curren$y makes it look too easy. This mixtape is an extension of his traditional style, sure to please longtime fans with its cohesive lyrics, well-curated beats and selective guests, but its familiar style likely won’t win Spitta Andretti any new fans. Although it’s easy to dismiss him as a one-dimensional artist, Curren$y has carefully developed his aesthetic and is very good at what he does. The Drive-In Theatre plays like a soundtrack to Curren$y’s life, perfect to accompany his favorite activities, which include cruising in classic cars, lounging in sweatpants and, of course, smoking. There is no better music for a lazy day spent watching old movies or driving around town, and Curren$y’s latest release shows that he hasn’t lost a step in the booth, and will continue to be effortlessly cool behind the mic.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
“Believe” Network: NBC Premiere: March 16 Alfonso Cuarón is co-creator and director of the pilot, which is more than enough reason to tune in. The show follows a wrongly convicted death-row inmate who is broken out of prison and tasked with protecting a mysterious girl who also happens to have really awesome superpowers. Network sci-fi has been a bit soft since the dearly departed “Fringe” and with “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” turning out to be more procedural than creative, “Believe” could reconnect broad appeal with intelligent writing and bring back the early days of shows like “Lost” and “Heroes.” “The Strain” Network: FX Premiere Date: July FX might very well be the most underrated network on television. Hopefully, Carlton Cuse (“Bates Motel”) and the show’s primary creator who will
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ACROSS 1 JFK announcements 5 Athletic shoe brand 9 __ Haute, Indiana 14 Red dessert wine 15 A party to 16 Advil competitor 17 Two-toned treat 18 Bibliography, e.g. 19 Washer cycle 20 Phrase on a treasure map 23 Sycophant 24 Captain of industry 26 Novelist Deighton 28 Sinking ship deserter 29 Illuminated 31 Luxury SUV since 1970 36 Hard-to-hit tennis server 37 Black wood 38 Vigor’s partner 39 Locale 40 Criminal, to a cop 41 Sophocles tragedy 43 Giant Mel enshrined in Cooperstown 44 NBC late-night comedy hit 45 Pull 46 First film to win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature 48 “Take care of yourself!” 53 One of the things little boys are made of, and a hint to 20-, 31and 41-Across 57 Take as one’s own 59 Desert tableland 60 Pirate booty 61 Confused struggle 62 Cool and collected 63 Blackthorn fruit 64 Message limited to 140 characters 65 Lotion additive 66 __-de-camp DOWN 1 Glue for a model kit 2 Mel, “The Velvet Fog”
3 Fields of study 36 Pacino and 50 Garlic 4 Nor’easter, for Capone mayonnaise one 39 Washington’s __ 51 Monsoon 5 Light lager Sound aftermath 6 Part of BTU 41 Peeling potatoes 52 Makeup maven 7 Dance wildly in the mil., Lauder 8 Bet all players perhaps 54 Gym site, briefly must make 55 Negotiation goal 9 Fossil-preserving 42 Darts, commonly 56 Northern spot 44 Seven-person European capital 10 “The Waste Land” poet combo 57 Qty. 11 Budget vehicle 47 Indian currency 58 Beads on the 12 Natl. park 49 Tostitos dip grass campers 13 Wide shoe size ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 21 Actress Cuoco of “The Big Bang Theory” 22 Guide for the Magi 25 Female relative 27 Best-seller list entry 28 Make payment 30 “Jurassic Park” predator, for short 31 Auto loan default consequence 32 Helps, as a 40Across 33 Santa’s home 34 Econ. statistic 35 YouTube clip, for 02/18/14 xwordeditor@aol.com short
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Breaking ribs
also direct the pilot, Guillermo Del Toro (“Pan’s Labyrinth”) can change that. “The Strain” could prove to be the “Walking Dead”-sized hit FX is looking for. Corey Stoll, best known for his fantastic but short-lived role as Peter Russo in “House of Cards,” leads the cast in this apocalyptic sci-fi drama about a virus that ravages the Earth, turning people into vampires. And in case the word “vampire” brought Bella and Edward to mind, I’d like to point out that this project is coming from the bizarre mind of Guillermo Del Toro, the man behind some of the most terrifying monsters in movie history (the Thin Man from “Pan’s Labyrinth” still gives me nightmares). And seeing as the vampires “turn” by losing their genitals and morphing into violent bloodsucking monstrosities, I think it’s safe to say we might finally have the metaphoric nail in the coffin of the “sexy vampire” cliché.
2014 looking to be a great year for innovative TV. “Better Call Saul” Network: AMC Premiere: November OK, so this was destined to be on the list and you knew it. The “Breaking Bad” spin-off comes from series creator Vince Gilligan and “Bad” alum Peter Gould. Now, a “Breaking Bad” spinoff was always likely given the show’s monstrous success. Yet, what gets this show on the
list isn’t just the pedigree, it’s the potential. Legal dramas are a dime a dozen, but unlike most, “Saul” follows the sleazy, morally questionable defense lawyer the “heroic” attorneys of “Law and Order” would probably be facing on a daily basis. And with the recent announcement that Jonathan Banks is returning to the “Breaking Bad” universe as beloved aging gunslinger Mike Ehrmantraut, it’s safe to say fans have plenty to be excited about. “Penny Dreadful” Network: Showtime Premiere: May 11 The pitch alone was enough: a dark, sexy horror show that chronicles the stories of Frankenstein, Dorian Grey, Dracula and other classic literary monsters in Victorian London. It’s “Once Upon A Time” plus “American Horror Story” on Showtime. But, it’s the talent behind the camera that really gives me confidence in this one. “Penny Dreadful” comes from the team of John Logan and Sam Mendes, the same pair behind the awesome “Skyfall,” with Logan (“The Aviator”) as the series showrunner. Logan is a veteran screenwriter making his official crossover into television while Mendes (“American Beauty”) is one of the most talented and critically acclaimed filmmakers on the planet. With television getting all the attention once reserved for movies, it’s no surprise that filmmakers like Mendes, Del Toro and Cuarón are moving to the small-screen. I’m curious to see exactly how much input they’re going to have as the series move forward but regardless, it’s a good time to be watching television.
DO YOU EAT YOUR RIBS WITH A SIDE OF RUTHLESS PRAGMATISM?? DO YOU KNOW HOW TO WRIGHT??
DID YOU GET ANY OF THOSE REFERENCES?? IF YES,
email akse@umich.edu for a Daily Arts application
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, February 18, 2014 — 7
JOHN S. CHRISTENSEN/Jasper Sailfin PHOTOGRAPHY
JOHN S. CHRISTENSEN/Jasper Sailfin Photography
Marshall first heard of his father’s death from his cousin Aaron.
Incoming recruit Lawrence Marshall suffered the tragedy of losing his father and grandfather in the two months before his senior season in high school.
Coping with tragedy on the field By JASON RUBINSTEIN Daily Sports Writer
L
awrence Marshall woke up on July 13, 2013 ready to fulfill his high school community service requirement. The Michigan football commit spent many of his summer days doing just that. This time he noticed something peculiar: a man in the park he was cleaning was wearing an Omega Psi Phi shirt — the same fraternity his father, Lawrence Marshall Sr., had been a part of. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound defensive end couldn’t get that image out of his head. Throughout the day, he kept thinking about his father. Not for any particular reason, but even in the most mundane of times, he returned to that image. After completing his service, Marshall went to a family cookout at his uncle’s house. Several of his friends and closest family members would be there, though his father never planned on not attending. As soon as Marshall got to the barbeque he thought of the same omega symbol. He couldn’t get his father out of his head. He didn’t know why. The image lingered and lingered. That’s when his phone rang. Marshall went to the front porch and sat with his hands over his eyes. Tears rushed down his face uncontrollably. He was speechless. The call was from his cousin Aaron Marshall, 31, whom Marshall considers to be his best friend. Aaron was calling to tell Marshall his father had been found dead at his house after having complications with diabetes, a disease Lawrence Sr. had for many years, but nothing had ever come of it. Marshall
didn’t know what to feel. “That was the worst day ever. It was so hard. It was one of the worst days I’ve ever had,” Marshall said. People coming to the party looked at him with a peculiar face. His friends were joking with him, saying, “Lawrence, you mad your girlfriend broke up with you or something?” But he wasn’t saying a word. After the initial shock had died down, Marshall asked his grandma to take him home, and in the car, he finally broke the devastating news. He couldn’t muster the strength to go back to the barbeque even to tell his mom — his grandma had to do the painful task. Lawrence Sr. had shaped Marshall. He was the one who introduced Marshall to football and made him stick with it. He was the one who helped keep him disciplined inside the classroom and out. But he was gone now Marshall didn’t know what to do. Aaron was out of town, but he was on the next flight home. “It was hard on him, as it would be on anybody,” Aaron said. “It was hard for me not to be there for him, but in a way he needed to deal with it on his own. “It was good that I wasn’t there because he was able to let out his emotions and cope with it himself. I got home the next day and we handled a lot of stuff together.” Aaron had let Marshall know it was going to be OK and gave him the support he needed. It wasn’t easy to move on for Marshall, but he felt this was a sign from God. Marshall had to cope with this himself, and he found that with football.
“That was the worst day ever.”
***
L
his father … Lawrence has seen a lot.”
ess than two months later, Marshall’s wounds reopened. This time his grandmother had called his mom at 5:30 a.m. urging Marshall and his mom to rush to the hospital. Marshall’s grandfather had always had a history of being in and out of the hospital. It wasn’t out of the ordinary for him to be there. This time, though, it had a sense of urgency. Marshall and his mom rushed to the hospital and found his grandfather lying in a bed, receiving CPR. He had just suffered a heart attack. The doctors asked the Marshalls what they wanted to do. They could either let the doctors continue attending to him, or allow him to try and recover on his own, hoping for a miracle. Marshall’s grandma had elected for the latter — she didn’t want her husband to suffer anymore. After the decision, the doctors allowed the family to enter the room. Marshall stood by his grandfather’s side, grasping his hand. He was watching the electrocardiographic heart monitor beep and beep. Things seemed normal for a second. But then Marshall witnessed a second tragedy right in front of him — he watched the machine go flatline. “I just saw someone next to me die,” Marshall said. “I was thinking ‘What else could happen to me?’ ” Added Aaron: “He said it was one of the toughest things he ever did, because he was there when they actually pulled the plug. For a 17-year old kid to see that right after having to bury
***
M
arshall had always been one of the best football players in the area. His talent and work ethic comes from his father, who always pushed him to play and allowed Marshall’s older brothers and cousins to be relentless with him when playing. Lawrence Sr. knew his son would get beaten up but also knew it would benefit him in the long run. And it clearly did. The one constant throughout Marshall’s football career was now gone. He never played a game without his father or grandfather watching. Football has always been an escape for Marshall. And it was only fitting that just days after his grandfather’s death, Southfield High School would be playing state power, rival Detroit Cass Tech in the season opener. Moments before the game, Marshall, who wore an R.I.P. patch under his eye, looked up into the sky and asked his father and grandfather to look over him. Southfield ended up losing the battle, 17-16, but Marshall felt relieved. He felt, despite the loss, his loved ones were looking over him and were proud of the effort he put in. It reflected in his play throughout the year. Marshall completed his senior season with 68 tackles, eight sacks, 18 quarterback hurries, three forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and a safety. “If you watch him on the football field and throughout
“He’s playing for not only himself, but for his family.”
COURTESY OF SOUTHFIELD HIGH SCHOOL
Marshall had a monster senior season in 2013, totaling 68 tackles, eight sacks, three forced fumbles, 18 hurries, a fumble recovery and a safety.
life, he has that kind of chip on his shoulder, understands that it’s bigger than him,” Aaron said. “He’s playing for not only himself, but for his family and to keep the legacy going.” Added Marshall: “I picked up a lot of weight this season, and I got way better with my hands and more explosive. I left a mark on the QB. Last year when I hit the QB, he just fell and got sacked. When I hit the QB this year, he either fumbled the ball or something happened.” Something happened because Marshall was playing for his father. He was playing for his grandfather. He was playing because football kept them together. ***
A
fter Marshall’s successful senior season, questions about his commitment to Michigan were growing. Marshall had committed to Michigan May 11, 2013, well before the Wolverines’ season. Michigan went 7-6 and was struggling to hold other committed recruits, while in-state rival Michigan State won the Rose Bowl. After all, Marshall had decommitted from a university once before. The defensive end decommitted from Ohio State in February less than a week after giving Urban Meyer his pledge. “I was in Urban Meyer’s office and he was showing me all his rings,” Marshall said. The rings were enough for Marshall to commit on the spot. But behind the urging of Aaron to consider other schools and
see what other schools had to offer, the shine of bling soon started to fade. The loyalty of the Michigan staff gave Marshall a new perspective on recruiting. He wanted more of a family atmosphere, and that’s exactly what the Wolverines offered. Michigan coach Brady Hoke and other staff members made sure to do anything to help Marshall get through his family emergencies. The coaching staff attended the funerals and did everything they could to keep Marshall’s outlook positive. The lackluster season didn’t matter to Marshall because a homely feeling meant everything to him. “Michigan had my back: That’s why I stayed committed,” Marshall said. “Though they had a bad season, their loyalty to me was unbelievable when I was in a time of need. They came to the funeral. They don’t have to do that. All they have to do is send a text saying ‘Sorry for your loss.’ It really touched me that they were there for me and was a big reason that I stayed committed to Michigan.” Marshall signed his letter of intent to Michigan on Feb. 5 and wants to make an instant impact. Not just for himself or Michigan, but for his father, grandfather and anyone who carries the Marshall name. Because if Marshall knows anything, it’s that his family won’t be always be there. Because somewhere that image of a man in an Omega Psi Phi shirt still lingers in his mind. Because somehow Marshall has to cope.
“Michigan has had my back. That’s why I stayed committed.”
JOHN S. CHRISTENSEN/Jasper Sailfin Photography
Marshall decommitted from Ohio State and eventually chose Michigan.
Sports
8 — Tuesday, February 18, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Goree stands out in season of ups and downs By MAX COHEN Daily Sports Editor
At the top of each locker in Michigan’s locker room, a laminated block ‘M’ rests right under each player’s name plate. All of the ‘M’s are maize, but on two lockers, the maize is completely overshadowed by orange basketball stickers. The stickers represent a reward system used by the Wolverine coaching staff. To those outside the program, the stickers may seem akin to a system used in an elementary-school classroom, but to the women’s basketball team, they mean the difference between wins and losses. The stickers aren’t rewarded for the obvious things needed to win games — points, rebounds and assists. Instead, they represent the things Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico finds most important, the things that aren’t found in a box score. Each time a player takes a charge or dives on the floor for a loose ball, she is awarded a sticker. Michigan assistant coach Joy McCorvey determines the allocation of the stickers, with Barnes Arico having the final say. “It’s kind of really what we pride ourselves on and what we stand for as a team,” Barnes Arico said. “That we want to be the hardest-working team in America, that we want to do the intangibles, that we want to do the little things like take charges and get on the floor.” Junior guard Nicole Elmblad is one of the two players with an ‘M’ covered in basketballs. She is the captain, the only returning starter on a youthful team. The
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Junior forward Cyesha Goree went from playing a total of 24 minutes last season to starting every game this year for the Michigan women’s basketball team.
other player wouldn’t have been so obvious at this time last year. Junior forward Cyesha Goree was a non-factor last season, but now she has an abundance of stickers to her name. The stickers are the source of a friendly rivalry among the teammates. Goree says she hasn’t counted how many stickers she has, but breaks into a grin when asked who currently holds the lead. “It’s pretty close, but I think I’m in the lead,” Goree said. She’s correct. Though the coaches haven’t added stickers
“It was time to show all the hard work I did and everything I did to prepare myself.”
after Sunday’s game at Illinois, 35 stickers sit on Goree’s ‘M’, while Elmblad’s currently holds 31. Goree’s fearless style of play has allowed her to accumulate so many stickers that Barnes Arico estimates she may need a second ‘M’ shortly. Last season, she didn’t have the opportunity. On a winning team with established veterans, Goree toiled on the bench coming off knee surgery. The forward appeared in just nine games, registering 24 minutes of playing time. Goree hadn’t mastered the consistency both on and off the court that Barnes Arico desired of her players. This year, Goree runs toward the scene of loose balls, diving for possession without a second thought. “She had to really try on being the basketball player she could be 100 percent of the time,” Barnes Arico said. “She had to try to be
the best student that she could be 100 percent of the time and be the best person that she could be all the time.” Goree’s up-and-down days infringed upon her ability to make an impact on the court. She showed flashes of success both on the court in practice and in the classroom, but there were also days where Goree didn’t show the effort it takes to be successful. Goree credits conversations with Barnes Arico as critical to helping her realize her full potential. Because of her prior knee surgeries, Goree’s fitness wasn’t where Barnes Arico wanted it to be. Goree made that her first mission, to improve her physical fitness, a difficult challenge for a player who struggled with consistency. Each day, Goree worked to improve physically, even on game days, a time some bench players take to relax.
“If you don’t play, that’s kind of like a day off for you,” Goree said. “But I didn’t use it as a day off. I got on the treadmill and ran a couple miles to try to stay in shape.” The new, difficult commitment to fitness didn’t result in immediate playing time. Goree maintained her role on the practice team, trying to help prepare the starters and key players each day in practice. In her two years as Michigan’s coach, Barnes Arico has used another method of competition to quantify success in practice by adding up the statistics each player accumulates in practice. The statistics are updated each day, so each practice has a winner. At the end of the week, the statistics are totaled, and the team has a weekly winner. For most of last season, either senior forward Rachel Sheffer
or senior guard Jenny Ryan won every week. Toward the end of the season, Goree’s name started to creep toward the top of the list. “She would win the day,” Barnes Arico said. “And then she won a couple of weeks. And I’m like, golly, Cyesha, what happened? She’s really starting to make a difference in practice.” When the seniors graduated and left behind a depleted roster, Goree knew that the time to step up was upon her. Her dedication to her fitness continued into the offseason as she continued to trim weight and get into her best playing shape. By the time summer workouts rolled around, Goree finally had her opportunity to prove herself among a new cast of players. Goree thought she would likely receive playing time out of necessity, but she wanted more. “It was time to show all the hard work I did and everything I did to prepare myself for this moment so that (Barnes Arico) could believe in me and actually want to play me, instead of having to play me,” Goree said. Goree earned a spot in the starting lineup by the season opener. In the team’s second game, she proved she belonged, hitting a buzzer beater to send the game against Arizona to overtime. She hasn’t left the starting lineup since, starting all 26 games along with her costicker leader Elmblad. Sunday, Goree put forth her best effort of the season, recording career highs of 30 points and 19 rebounds. The littleused sophomore turned oftenrelied on junior earned the Big Ten Player of the Week award for her effort. Barnes Arico is impressed, but not satisfied. “I still feel as if there’s another part of her game which she has to improve, and that’s on the defensive end,” Barnes Arico said. After all, Goree has improved before. She has the stickers to prove it.
Can Robinson III step up?
ICE HOCKEY
In Big Ten, uncertainty, upsets remain abundant O By ERIN LENNON Daily Sports Writer
Less than two minutes into Saturday’s series finale in Minneapolis, junior defenseman Andrew Sinelli took a pass from junior forward Zach Hyman, firing a puck past Minnesota goaltender Adam Wilcox. For the rest of the first period, it looked as if the No. 10 Michigan hockey team would steal a victory from the second-ranked Golden Gophers and hold on to its second-place position in the Big Ten. But 58 minutes later, Sinelli’s first tally of the season stood as the only one the Wolverines could manage for the night as they fell 4-1. Despite the sweep, Michigan remains No. 10 in the nation according to the USCHO poll, while Minnesota is still second behind Boston College. So, for now, it’s time to take the good with the bad. “I think we can play with a team like that,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson on Monday. “We didn’t play our best, they played harder than we played. We need to continue to grow the work ethic of our team … it wasn’t like we were totally outskilled.” Certainly, there is plenty of bad. Three straight losses — including one to a first-year program that hadn’t earned a point in the Big Ten — a 4-7-1 record dating back to the Great Lakes Invitational and a .500 record on the road compared to one loss at Yost Ice Arena. Right now, losses are a dark cloud on the Wolverines’ rebound season. But the positives, the lessons learned in two games against the nation’s best team, those represent the good
Michigan will need to hang its hat on as it seeks a Big Ten championship. “We have to take the positives and bring them into next weekend,” Sinelli said Saturday. “It’s only going to get harder from here. I didn’t think we were that bad tonight, but we just didn’t get the bounces.” One positive might be Michigan’s penalty kill, which looked as strong as it did at the beginning of the season, too, and continued to find success in blocking shots. The unit finished 10-for12 on the series, and sophomore goalie Steve Racine stood on his head to prevent an early blowout twice. And though the power play could not score, its two goals Friday and strong puck movement were an improvement from recent struggles. But perhaps the biggest takeaway from the sweep can’t be found in the box score — the fact that the Wolverines didn’t win, but that they could have won. With the exception of the first period Friday, there was no glaring disparity between two of the most successful hockey programs in the nation. On a bigger ice surface they’ve seen this season, the Wolverines skated with No. 2 Minnesota, garnering just as many scoring chances and constantly threatening to come back or take a lead. “I thought it would be good for our team, but I didn’t think we’d get schooled as much as we did in the first period,” Berenson said Saturday. “Once we got going, I thought we held up pretty well.” February has also proven that, in terms of a Big Ten championship, Michigan isn’t the only ranked team sliding into March.
“It’s only going to get harder.”
Like Michigan, Wisconsin — which remains at No. 8 in the polls after splitting a series with Ohio State — has recorded just three wins in its last six contests, and the Badgers have struggled on the road. And having embarrassed the Wolverines last week, Penn State proved that its first points in the Big Ten would not be the only ones it would earn this season. Friday, the Nittany Lions took Michigan State into a shootout, securing a tie and its fourth conference point. And though it lost the following night, 2-1, Penn State held the Spartans to a single goal for 55 minutes and just 13 shots on the night — a performance the team will look to build upon when it returns to Michigan. Like Penn State, Ohio State stumbled out of the gates in the Big Ten, dropping five straight to the conference’s top three teams before stealing a contest from Wisconsin in Madison. But since then, the Buckeyes were unbeaten for six straight games before splitting a home series with the Badgers — a team that swept the seemingly indomitable Gophers one week prior. At this point, Minnesota represents the exception. The Gophers now lead the conference by seven points — a gap that won’t likely be closed before the Big Ten Tournament. “I don’t know who the top half is,” Berenson said. “It keeps changing every weekend. These are all good teams. On a given night they can beat anyone.” NOTE: Both Sinelli and freshman defenseman Michael Downing have been suspended for one game, in accordance with the Big Ten’s supplemental discipline policy. Downing and Sinelli are ineligible to play in Michigan’s Feb. 21 game against Penn State. —Daily Sports Editor Greg Garno contributed reporting.
n April 18 last year, forwards Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary had everyone’s attention. The duo announced that they’d forgo the NBA Draft and return for their sophomore seasons at Michigan. Robinson in particular felt that there was more to his game than what he’d shown last SIMON year, and he KAUFMAN planned on revealing the full package in a second season. This year was supposed to be his year. He’d come back, lead the team to another impressive run in March and then, theoretically, after having put all his talents on display, head off to the NBA. Nearing the end of the Big Ten season now, that certainly has not been the case for Robinson. He’s struggled to find a rhythm, find consistency and on many nights, find the basket. In Michigan’s 72-70 loss against then-No. 1 Arizona on Dec. 14, Robinson played a game that has epitomized his season. He shot 7-for-7 from the field in the first half, including two 3-pointers for 16 points. In the second half, though, with more pressure on him from the Wildcat defense, he was practically nonexistent. He took just two shots in 19 minutes. It’s been the story for him all season. Save for a stretch of games during the Big Ten season when he scored 14 or more points in each, he hasn’t been able to carry success from one game to the next. After putting up 23 points in the Wolverines’ rout of Nebraska at home, Robinson followed the game with a pathetic two-point effort in a loss at Iowa, then just nine points on 30-percent shooting at Ohio State and 10 points in Michigan’s loss to Wisconsin at home. The struggle has been the result of poor shooting, particularly from deep. Robinson shot
31 percent from beyond the arc in conference games last season — in this year’s Big Ten contests, he’s shooting just 22 percent from 3-point range. He’s averaging 12.8 points per game on the season — not a bad figure, but certainly not what the Wolverines, or Robinson expected when he announced his return. Michigan coach John Beilein felt Robinson was the right man to lead. The coach selected the sophomore to serve as one of Michigan’s three captains in November. Beilein felt that as long as this was going to be Robinson’s team, the forward should share the responsibility of leading it. But ask anyone whose team this has been this season, and you’ll get a different answer. It’s been Nik Stauskas’ team, and perhaps when Stauskas has had trouble carrying all the weight, it’s been Caris LeVert’s team, too. When Mitch McGary went down, upperclassmen Jon Horford and Jordan Morgan stepped up, and it was their team as well. But Robinson’s team? Certainly not. Despite not living up to the hype surrounding his return, one thing is certain, Robinson still has the potential to be great. His
6-foot-6 frame and raw athleticism give him a higher ceiling than a Stauskas or LeVert. Even if he hasn’t proven it consistently yet, Robinson has shown flashes of what he could be when everything is working in sync. It’s the reason that despite Stauskas having betting numbers, many experts still predict Robinson could be selected earlier in the NBA Draft — he has more of an upside. That upside will need to show itself though, if Michigan wants to make any sort of run in March. It won’t be enough for Robinson to have one highlight-reel dunk and then go quiet on offense, or one breakout half and then get shut down. He’ll need to be a consistent weapon to take some of the burden off of Stauskas and LeVert. For the Wolverines to compete come tournament time, the real Glenn Robinson — the one that said he still has more to prove, the one that stepped up with 21 points to lead Michigan past South Dakota State in the first round of the tournament last year, the one that makes defenders look silly when he goes past them for monster dunks — will need to stand up.
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Sophomore forward Glenn Robnison III hasn’t lived up to expectations yet.