ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Monday, March 10, 2014
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THE VICTORS
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GM exec. to speak at graduation ceremony PATRICK BARRON/Daily
The Michigan Basketball team celebrates after beating Indiana 84-80 Saturday. Michigan won its first outright Big Ten title since 1986. Jordan Morgan was honored before the game as a part of the Senior Night festivities.
Coleman earns prestigious lifetime achievement award American Counsel on Education recognizes pres. By JENNIFER CALFAS Managing News Editor
SAN DIEGO — While many University students traveled to the Golden Coast to laze in the
sun over Spring Break, University President Mary Sue Coleman traveled to California for a different reason: to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented by the American Counsel on Education, the award recognized Coleman’s work in higher education as a professor, administrator and university president. Before ACE President Molly
Corbett Broad presented her with the award, Coleman gave the distinguished Robert H. Atwell Lecture before more than 500 higher education officials at the organization’s 96th annual meeting at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel in San Diego. In her speech titled “Innovate, Disrupt, Repeat,” Coleman focused primarily on the impor-
tance of entrepreneurship and innovation in higher education. Calling Michigan the “first Silicon Valley,” Coleman spoke of the state’s entrepreneurial drive in the automobile industry in the early 20th century. She said entrepreneurship gives students the opportunity to navigate the ever-changing, unpredictable job market today. See COLEMAN, Page 3A
Barra will be the third woman to deliver commencement address since 1998 By SAM GRINGLAS Daily News Editor
With just a few months behind the wheel of one of the world’s largest automakers, Mary Barra, the CEO of General Motors Company, has been selected to deliver the University’s spring commencement address at Michigan Stadium. The University has announced plans to award Barra an honorary Doctor of Engineering when she speaks at commencement exercises May 3, pending approval by the University’s Board of Regents at their meeting later this month. University President Mary Sue Coleman said Barra’s story exemplifies a business leader who learned every aspect of
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NASA icon gives keynote on education First woman of color in space said diverse workforce will improve innovation
By
TANAZ AHMED and MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporters
For some, space may not be the final frontier. Mae Jemison, former NASA astronaut, gave the keynote lecture for the 32nd annual Women of Color Task Force Career Conference at Hill Auditorium on Friday. Jemison, a physician and former Peace Corps participant, became the first woman of color to travel to space when she joined the crew of the space shuttle Endeavour in 1992. Marlanna Landeros, a member of the WCTF executive team, said the event was the largest professional development conference hosted at the University. Open to all University staff and students as well as to the general public, it was designed to promote the career and personal development
of women of color working at the University. Jemison, a visiting professor at the University, left NASA a year after her space mission. She went on to found her own technology consulting company, The Jemison Group, Inc., teach at Dartmouth College and become a professor-at-large at Cornell University. During her speech, Jemison focused on the importance of diversity in the science, technology, engineering and math fields. “We’re building and defining a path with less than a third of the intellectual capacity, the experience, the ambitions, the visions, the perspectives given to us,” Jemison said. Since scientists and mathematicians choose the topics to be researched, the data sets to be analyzed and the standards through which scientific observations are measured, Jemison said it is necessary to encourage a diverse workforce in STEM fields. Jemison noted examples of how breast cancer in women and testicular cancer were treated See SPACE, Page 3A
her industry and earned her advancements as she worked her way through the ranks of General Motors. “She represents so many different things — somebody who worked her way through the company, someone who is in Detroit helping to revive the whole Michigan economy, a real breakthrough for women’s leadership,” Coleman said in an interview with the Daily. Born in Waterford, Barra graduated from the General Motors Institute — since renamed Kettering University — in 1985 with a degree in electrical engineering. She earned an MBA from Stanford University in 1990. Barra, who has dedicated her entire career to General Motors, has held a variety of positions. She was a plant manager at Detroit Hamtramck Assembly, vice president of global manufacturing engineering from 2008 to 2009, vice president of global human resources from 2009 to See COMMENCEMENT, Page 3A
Alcohol violations increasing on campus ‘U’ reported 621 violations in 20122013 academic year By MAX RADWIN Deputy Magazine Editor
LUNA ANNA ARCHERY/Daily
LEFT: Jadyn Bortman performs at FrenchieSkate Sunday at Yost Ice Arena. Proceeds benefited North Star Reach, a camp for C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. TOP RIGHT: Elladj Balde performs. BOTTOM RIGHT: LSA freshman Maia Shibutani and LSA sophomore Alex Shibutani perform.
Students, Olympians raise funds for children at Yost Participants raised money for camps for young patients By AMRUTHA SIVAKUMAR Deputy Magazine Editor
They spend their days shuttling between school, training and competitions. Many of them spent the last three
weeks competing at the Winter Olympics in Sochi and are preparing for the World Figure Skating Championships in Japan in two weeks. But on Sunday, these 15 groups of figure skaters and ice dancers took their day off to be a part of FrenchieSkate, an ice show at Yost Ice Arena that raised money for children with serious medical ailments. FrenchieSkate began in 2010 when current LSA junior Geor-
gia Glastris, member of the University’s figure skating club and reigning Greek National Champion in figure skating, organized a charity ice show in a Chicago suburb to commemorate her childhood friend Francesca Persico, who passed away 12 years ago from neuroblastoma cancer. “I spent about from first grade to fourth grade holding her hand in the hospital while See FRENCHIESKATE, Page 3A
The University’s Office of Student Conflict Resolution released its annual report for the 2012 to 2013 academic year Feb. 28, highlighting shifts in sexual misconduct policy as well as upward trends in alcohol violations. There were 621 reported violations of the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities during the 2012 to 2013 academic year. Of those, 544 were dealt with by OSCR through its three resolution programs — “Formal Conflict Resolution,” “Adaptable Conflict Resolution” and “Adaptable Conflict Resolution for Alcohol and other Drugs” — which attempt to resolve issues through processes such as mediation, conflict coaching and facilitated dialogue, depending on the type and severity of the infraction. The 621 reported violations See VIOLATIONS, Page 3A
Victory for Morgan Senior Night ends with the first outright Big Ten championship since 1986
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News
2A — Monday, March 10, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
THURSDAY: Alumni Profiles
Regent Power abruptly resigns University Regent Eugene B. Power resigned to the shock of many on campus. Prior to Power’s resignation, Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley stated Power was in a situation in which there was a “substantial conflict of interest.” Before becoming regent, Power was the founder of University Microfilms, a company that used microfilm to reproduce and preserve older scholarly works. Once he became a regent, contracts between the company and the University were canceled in order to avoid a conflict of interest. However, in the interim before
Power assumed office, the University continued to conduct business with the company, making Power’s position as regent controversial. 40 Years Ago This Week (March 13, 1974) Approximately 70 streakers and nearly 10,000 spectators filled the Diag on March 13, 1974 for mass “streak-ins.” There were two mass “streak-ins” along with the occasional individual streakers throughout the day. Organizers called the event “Annual U-M Lucky Streak.” The days leading up to the “Annual U-M Lucky Streak” also saw a few individual
SPORTS
NEWS
City arts funds Water polo BY MICHAEL SUGERMAN
The Ann Arbor City Council concluded the issue of the excess arts funds at last week’s council meeting, deciding to return the funds to their original allocations. Councilmembers also addressed the new smoking law and a new park on top of a parking structure.
SPORTS
BY BRAD WHIPPLE
The No. 20 Michigan water polo team swept Harvard, Marist and San Diego State in the Harvard Invitational over the weekend. The Wolverines will now start prepping for the Wolverine Invitational which begins on Saturday at Canham Natatorium.
NEWS
Men’s lacrosse
Debbie Dingell
BY MINH DOAN
BY SHOHAM GEVA
Freshman Ian King and senior Thomas Paras each had a hat trick for the Michigan men’s lacrosse team in their 11-9 win on the road against Furman. The victory makes the Wolverines 4-3 on the season before they open ECAC play on Saturday.
streakers in the Diag as well. 33 Years Ago This Week (March 10, 1981) A fight in Bursley Residence Hall led to a gunshot being fired and the arrest of student Billy Jackson. The fight occurred in the second-floor bathroom of the residence hall. After the fight was broken up, the two students involved were taken downstairs to speak to Housing Security. The men continued to scuffle while downstairs, and after nearing an exit; Jackson fired a shot with his handgun and then ran to his car. — TANAZ AHMED
Deborah Dingell officially kicked off her campaign for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her husband, Rep. John Dingell (D–Mich.) announced he will be retiring after this year. Read more from these blogs at michigandaily.com
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Freshman forward Evan Allen (15) fights for the puck against Michigan State last Friday. Michigan won 7-1 on Friday, but lost ground in Big Ten standings by losing Saturday night. For more, see SportsMonday.
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WHAT: Bollywood movie “Golmaal” (Confusion) will be shown. WHO: Center for South Asian Studies WHEN: Today at 7 p.m. WHERE: Room 2435, North Quad CORRECTIONS l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
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Indiana is now the latest state to be sued over gay marriage, the Associated Press reported Friday. Four couples are suing to overturn the state’s Defense of Marriage Act, which restricts legal recognition to heterosexual unions.
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The Michigan hockey team split its weekend series with Michigan State. The Wolverines flew past the Spartans at home on Friday, 7-1, before losing on the road, 4-3, on Saturday. >> FOR MORE, SEE SPORTSMONDAY, PAGE 1B
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A court has awarded a group of intellectually disabled men who spent decades working at a turkey plant for $65 per month $240 million in damages, The New York Times reported Sunday. The award is the largest claim of its type in history.
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Sec. of Education pushes for more higher ed. funds Obama’s proposed 2015 budget would increase student aid grants and loans
budget. Three fourths of this into college. However, college appropriation would go toward attendance is also contingent financial aid for college stu- on its price tag, an issue that the dents, special education and proposal also seeks to address. high-poverty schools, according The education budget as outto the Department of Education lined would expand the govwebsite. ernment’s Pay as You Earn The remaining funds would program, capping student loan By MICHAEL SUGERMAN be invested in the expansion of repayment plans at 10 percent of Daily Staff Reporter high quality preschooling, the discretionary income to “keep establishment of a new college your monthly student loan payIn his 2014 State of the Union ranking system and an effort to ments affordable,” and to keep Address, President Barack increase college affordability. college students from deepenObama told the nation that eduIn a conference call with ing their debts, according to the cation reform would be critical members of the media, Duncan PAYE website. AARON POOLE/Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences to achieving economic stability. explained that all of these conThe bill would also make Team Oscar winners Nathan Flanagan-Frankl, Mackenna Millet, Jeanpaul Isaacs, Tayo Amos, Zaineb Abdul-Nabi and Following the release of Obama’s cepts are ultimately linked. the American Opportunity Tax Bryson Kemp arrive for the live ABC Telecast of The 86th Oscars at Dolby Theatre on March 2. 2015 fiscal year budget proposal “By investing in high quality Credit — which provides up to Tuesday, Arne Duncan, U.S. early childhood education, we $2,500 in refundable tax credits Secretary of Education, ham- are able to close achievement for tuition — permanent. Sen. mered the point home. gaps, provide life transforming Debbie Stabenow (D–Mich.) The education portion of the opportunities for children and cosponsored the legislation president’s proposed budget strengthen and build a thriving behind the AOTC, which is curallots $69 billion in discretion- middle class,” he said. rently set to expire in December arySyndication funding to the Department Closing the achievement http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ 2017. Sudoku of Education, marking a 2-per- gap, he said, could ultimately In the last year, affordability “We created this contest Abdul-Nabi elected to cent increase from the 2014 improve students’ ability to get has been a hot topic at the University, present in both adminislast year to give students who write her essay on the Pedro trative and student affairs. are passionate about film, the Almodóvar-directed film In a speech to the Lansing opportunity to set their sights “Volver,” starring Penélope Regional Chamber Economic on the future,” said show pro- Cruz. ducers Craig Zadan and Neil “That film was kind of monuClub on Feb. 13, University PresEASY ident Mary Sue Coleman said Meron in an interview with mental in my life,” Abdul-Nabi higher education is central to Variety. “We received so many said. “It got me thinking about By TANAZ AHMED inspiring submissions this year how women have the ability to state development. She praised Republican Gov. Rick Snyder’s Daily Staff Reporter … but the talent and stories of not only carry the story, but 2015 budget proposal, which these six winners really rep- drive the feelings of the entire Unlike most University resent what Team Oscar is all narrative. I thought that was would increase public higher education appropriations by 6.1 students, LSA senior Zaineb about and convinced us that pretty remarkable.” percent at a time when states, Abdul-Nabi did not watch the they are a perfect fit for the During her week in Los Academy Awards on March 2. Oscar stage.” Angeles, Abdul-Nabi was able on average, are spending 28 percent less on college students Instead, she attended them. More than a thousand stu- to meet Gary Shore, director than they did in 2008. Abdul-Nabi, along with five dents submitted pieces to Team of the indie film “The Cup of “We have a chance here in other college students from Oscar. The application for the Tears.” Team Oscar winners Michigan to recapture national across the nation, was a win- competition asked for a one- were introduced to the direcner of this year’s Team Oscar minute video describing how tors of the animated film “Froleadership with the growth of our public universities,” Colecompetition, a film contest that the contestants saw themselves zen” and given tours of Disney man said. “I firmly believe that gives students the chance to contributing to the future of Studios and the Academy Film appear at the awards ceremo- the film industry. Archive. states that do not invest in higher education will not win the ny and be recognized for their Entrants were also asked The winners also attended work in creative filmmaking. to submit an essay discussing pre-Oscar events such as the 21st century, and I want desperately for Michigan to win.” The winning filmmakers a movie that inspired them. first-ever Oscar concert, which In a January question-andare flown to California for the Zadan and Meron conducted featured performances of nomweek leading up to the Acad- interviews with the finalists. inated songs, and the Oscars answer with the Daily, University President-elect Mark emy Awards. During the cer“My video was on how I like animation event hosted by Schlissel said affordability emony, the students are given to focus on the everyday, ordi- John C. Reilly. © sudokusolver.com. For personal use only. puzzle by sudokusyndication.com WELCOME BACK. the opportunity to stand on nary people’s lives and what’s When not attending tours or would be a top priority of his from the beginning of his tenstage and hand the Oscar statu- so extraordinary about those Hollywood events, the Team See BUDGET, Page 3A ettes to presenters. stories,” Abdul-Nabi said. See OSCAR, Page 3A
Oscar contest-winning student recognized
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Zaineb Abdul-Nabi helped present awards to winners on Oscar Sunday
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COMMENCEMENT From Page 1A 2011 and senior vice president of global product development from 2011 until her appointment as CEO. Barra succeeded former CEO Dan Akerson in January. Barra will lead Detroit-based General Motors as the city and its automakers continue to rebound from declining sales in the mid2000s and subsequent bankruptcies. Last year, the U.S. Treasury Department sold its remaining shares of General Motors common stock, closing a chapter in the automaker’s history marked by a national economic crisis that hit Detroit’s auto industry especially hard. General Motors filed for bankruptcy in 2009. The company still faces a historically low market share, among other challenges. In an interview with the Daily, Barra said her selection as commencement speaker could speak to the resurgence of General Motors and the city of Detroit. “The company has great potential and is already demonstrating that,” she said. “I’m highly optimistic for Detroit, and I think that reflects on the whole state and all the big institutions in the state like the University of Michigan.” Looking at once-iconic companies that have now disappeared, Barra said businesses — and future business leaders — have the opportunity to glean important lessons. “It’s important lessons on being focused on the customer, having great products, being responsible from all aspects of being a good corporate citizen — but also the power of heart: when things get difficult, you can turn it around,” she said. Though Coleman said the selection was made for a variety of reasons, she said the city’s resurgence did factor into the decision. “The fact that she does represent in many ways the resurgence of the auto industry — I’m very proud about that,” Coleman said. While Barra said she hasn’t written her speech yet, she wants to ask graduates to think about the kind of leader they want to be upon leaving college. “First of all, you should do what you love,” she said. “But there is no substitute for hard work. I’m
COLEMAN From Page 1A “It’s not just what our students will gain, but also what our University gains with the similar mindset focused on innovation,” Coleman said. Coleman defined three key ways to establish a more innovative environment at a university: establishing policies to support experimentation, building a vibrant campus ecosystem and creating a culture of innovation. She said the University used these steps to reach its entrepreneurial educational goals, though the potential is still growing. The University has expanded its entrepreneurial efforts in several ways during the past few years. With 34 undergraduate and 64 graduate courses currently offered in entrepreneurship, Coleman said students are the driving force in this change in the campus climate. “This generation of students has a passion for entrepreneurship that almost knows no bounds,” Coleman said. Coleman touched on sev-
SPACE From Page 1A differently. She said it was not until women were more involved in the field that alternatives to mastectomies were considered. After the event, Jemison discussed her current project, 100 Year Starship, and her role as its principal. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency- and NASA-funded project is working toward making interstellar travel possible within the next 100 years. 100 Year Starship seeks to include a variety of individuals from across all disciplines in its development. “The capabilities that are needed for successful human travel beyond another star, they’re the
proud of my parents for what they accomplished and following in my dad’s footsteps of being a part of the auto industry, so I think there’s very strong messages about what you can achieve — whether it’s the American dream or the global dream.” She also said it’s often difficult to anticipate the entirety of a career path — and that’s okay. “If you set your sights to it, you can surprise yourself with what you accomplish. I don’t think anyone can, as they leave college, can say I’m going to do this and that, because life doesn’t happen that way, but being ready for the wonderful opportunities that are going to be put in front of you and then working hard and seizing them.” Barra, who in 2014 ranked first on Fortune magazine’s list of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Business,” is the first woman to lead a major automaker and is one of only a few female leaders of a major industrial corporation. Since 1998, there have only been two female spring commencement speakers — former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm in 2003 and Christiane Amanpour, chief international correspondent for CNN, in 2006. Former NPR radio host Michele Norris delivered the Winter 2013 commencement address. However, Coleman, who is the University’s first female president, said Barra likely doesn’t define herself as General Motors’ first female CEO. “I know she probably downplays the symbolism of the role, but I do think it’s significant,” Coleman said. Still, Barra said she wants to encourage students — especially young girls — to not shy away from math and science. “I think we don’t do a good enough job of mapping how important math and science is to the areas they are interested in,” she said. Selection credentials aside, Barra said she has always been a Michigan fan and is thrilled about the opportunity to address the University’s graduates. “It’s just a privilege and an honor for me to have the opportunity to speak to the graduating class at the University of Michigan,” Barra said. “I take it very seriously.”
News additional honorary degrees
University to award five
Five others will also receive honorary degrees, pending approval by the regents. James L. Curtis, a psychiatrist and philanthropist, will receive a Doctor of Science. The only Black student in his Medical School class, Curtis graduated with an M.D. in 1946 before pursuing a career in psychiatry that spanned more than half a century. Beside his work as a practicing clinician, Curtis was an educator and Medical School administrator. He served as the associate dean of student affairs at Cornell Medical School for 10 years and as a department director at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons for two decades. Curtis has also been a longtime donor to the University, including support for the University of Michigan Museum of Art’s James L. and Vivian A. Curtis Gallery of African and African American Art, established in 1998. Computer scientist Adele Goldberg, who made important contributions to the development of the personal computer, will also receive a Doctor of Science. Goldberg began her career as a researcher at Xerox before contributing to object-oriented programming language development in the 1970s. She is currently the founder and director of consulting firm Neometron, Inc. and is a member of the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame. “She made real breakthroughs in computer science,” Coleman said. “She was one of the people who really began the development of the personal computer.” Daniel Okrent, a journalist, editor and cultural historian, will be recommended to receive a Doctor of Humane Letters. Okrent is perhaps best known as The New York Times’ first public editor, responsible for critiquing the paper’s accuracy and objectivity. In 1980, Okrent created Rotisserie League Baseball, a precursor to today’s fantasy sports. Okrent was a features editor at The Michigan Daily before going on to serve as an editor at Life magazine and Time magazine. Okrent will serve as the keynote speaker at Rackham’s graduation ceremony on May 2 at Hill Auditorium. Marshall Weinberg, a busi-
nessman and philanthropist, will receive a Doctor of Laws. Weinberg earned an undergraduate degree in philosophy from the University in 1950 and spent his career at Herzfeld & Stern, a New York investment firm. A noted philanthropist, Weinberg has frequently contributed to and raised awareness for a variety of causes, including Jewish organizations and University units. He has served on the LSA Dean’s Advisory Committee and the Honors Program Advisory Committee, in addition to endowing professorships, fellowships and programs throughout LSA. “What I love about Marshall is that he has been so dedicated — not only to the University of Michigan — but to philanthropic organizations all over,” Coleman said. José Antonio Abreu, an orchestra conductor, educator and economist, will receive an honorary Doctor of Music. A pianist renowned across the world, in 1975 Abreu founded El Sistema, the National Network of Youth and Children’s Orchestras of Venezuela. Born in Venezuela, Abreu simultaneously achieved success in both economics and music. Today, El Sistema has established more than 280 centers throughout Venezuela. Recently, the University’s School of Music, Theatre & Dance piloted a version of El Sistema at Ann Arbor’s Mitchell Elementary School. Abreu was first nominated for an honorary degree in 2012, but was unable to attend the ceremony. Coleman to preside over her final commencement As this year’s crop of graduates prepares to leave Ann Arbor for new jobs and cities, commencement will in some ways serve as a graduation for Coleman. The University’s 13th president will retire in July when Presidentelect Mark Schlissel assumes the presidency. “As our graduates are entering a new phase, so am I,” Coleman said. “Over my time here, when I reflect back on the people we’ve been able to honor, it will be a little bit bittersweet that it is my last, but I’m always so proud on commencement day because it reflects the ultimate goal that we’re all getting to — having great young people going out into the world.”
eral initiatives around campus, including the creation of a minor in entrepreneurship, the establishment of the Center for Entrepreneurship and the creation of the Senior Council to the Provost for Entrepreneurial Education, among dozens of other programs put in place. “We have reimagined our future,” Coleman said. “Entrepreneurship, disruptive innovation, technology virtualization and collaboration is making it happen now.” After Coleman’s speech, Corbett Broad presented Coleman with her award, lauding her work during her tenure at the University. “It is clear that she has and will continue to receive well-deserved recognition,” Broad said. “We all know that leaving from her post as president of the University of Michigan does not mean that she won’t continue her service in the field of higher education.” “I’m very proud ACE can add to the crescendo of thanks that is deservedly given to Mary Sue Coleman,” she added. Coleman received her undergraduate degree in chemistry from Grinnell College and her
doctorate in biochemistry from the University of North Carolina. Before coming to the University, Coleman worked at the University of Kentucky for 20 years as the director of its cancer research center and later as the president of the University of Iowa. During her tenure as the University’s 13th president, Coleman spearheaded a host of initiatives aimed at improving student life, campus infrastructure and research funding, among other administrative tasks. Throughout her presidency, Coleman faced several legal and political battles, including Proposal 2, which banned affirmative action in college admissions decisions — a proposal Coleman publicly opposes. Coleman led the University’s largest capital campaign — The Michigan Difference — which garnered $3.2 billion by the time it concluded in 2008. The campaign funded numerous campus renovations and additions, including the construction of the Ford School of Public Policy’s Weill Hall and the Ross School of Business. In November, Coleman launched the University’s next fundraising campaign, Victors
for Michigan, which aims to be the largest such initiative in the history of public higher education with a $4 billion goal. The campaign aspires to raise $1 billion in financial aid for students by the end of its run, which will conclude during the tenure of University President-elect Mark Schlissel. Additionally, Coleman and her husband donated $1 million of their own money to support students who plan to study abroad. At a Lansing Regional Economic Club luncheon in February, Coleman said she will serve on a number of boards during her retirement, including continuing her efforts on the board of directors of the pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson and as a member of the National Institute of Health’s Advisory Council. She will also co-chair a project for the American Academy of Art and Sciences that will examine the significance of public research universities. Coleman added that she plans to keep a house in Ann Arbor to attend football games in the fall. “I won’t be lying on a beach anywhere,” she said in February.
very same capabilities that are required for us to live successfully here on Earth,” Jemison said. The project would not only push for the discovery of other alternative energy sources, but could also transform the way materials such as clothing are produced and lead to a greater insight into human behavior, Jemison said. “I was absolutely amazed by her commentary — the integration of what’s happening in space and here is something I never thought about,” said Tracey Taylor, a lecture attendee and employee of Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. Jemison concluded her lecture by telling women to begin setting the standards of
achievements instead of following the ones already in place. “Be bold. Be brave. Push on things and don’t hold yourself back. Don’t limit yourself because someone else is limited,” Jemison said after the address. “You have every right to be here and to change things around the world. You don’t have to wait for permission.” Before Jemison’s address, University President Mary Sue Coleman lauded the task force’s success over her tenure as a University administrator, complimenting the group on recently co-piloting a new career development program. Dubbed “Women’s Reproductive Health Research,” the initiative’s goal is to “increase the number and effectiveness of
obstetrics and gynecology scientists,” according to the University’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology website. “We have traveled this road together, celebrating victories (and) commiserating about challenges,” Coleman said. “Through the decades, the taskforce has been committed to creating professional development opportunities for all staff.” Along with the keynote, the event included more than 30 workshop sessions held at the Modern Languages Building and the Michigan League. All of the sessions were centered on this year’s conference theme, “Transforming the Face of Leadership.” The event closed with a recreational ballroom dance demonstration and other short dancing lessons.
Monday, March 10, 2014 — 3A
FRENCHIESKATE From Page 1A she got chemo,” Georgia said. “It just really opened my eyes to how hard life is for these kids, and just living in the hospital it’s just such a struggle.” In its first year at the University, the event’s proceeds went toward funding North Star Reach, a provisional member of SeriousFun Camps, which aims to improve the standard of life for children with serious medical challenges by organizing socially, intellectually and athletically enriching overnight camps free of charge. The figure skaters participating at the event combined the sport of ice skating with the art of ice dancing, skating on sets ranging from hip-hop to love ballads. Skaters present at the event included Jeremy Abbott, four-time U.S. National Champion and Olympic bronze medalist; Alissa Czisny, two-time U.S. National Champion; Alex Shibutani, 2011 World bronze medalist; and Kailyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, six-time Canadian national medalists. “They’re not only incred-
VIOLATIONS From Page 1A mark a nearly 25-percent increase from the previous academic year, which saw 497 violations reported. The report also emphasized a 42-percent increase in alcohol violations from the previous academic year. In an interview with the Daily, OSCR Director Jay Wilgus said the statistic had been on an upward trend for the last five years, but the numbers fluctuate and aren’t a cause for alarm. The number of violations related to the possession of other drugs also rose from 10 to 24 cases. Sexual misconduct was a main focus in this year’s report. Of the 621 total violations, 83 involved sexual misconduct — assault, harassment, stalking or hazing “of a sexual nature” — an increase from the 71 reported the previous year and the nine reported in the 2010 to 2011 academic year. “I think that’s a good thing because it shows that folks are utilizing the systems available or reporting sexual misconduct matters and having them addressed,” Wilgus said. The 2012 to 2013 academic year was the last during which OSCR dealt with sexual misconduct using the Interim Procedure for Addressing Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Students, which became effective in August 2011 while the University was working on drafting a new permanent policy. The interim procedure was implemented after an 868-day revision process of the University’s sexual misconduct policy after the U.S. Department of Education issued a mandate in 2011 regarding how universities should handle allegations of sexual misconduct. Under the Interim Procedure, the University took a more investigative approach to those kinds of allegations compared to its approach under the preceding complaint-focused model, which
ible athletes, but they’re my best friends,” Glastis said. “It’s fun because it’s kids helping kids.” American figure skater Jason Brown, who won a bronze medal in the team event in the Winter Olympics in Sochi, grew up in Chicago with Glastris and performed with her at the first FrenchieSkate. “(Glastris) is someone who will do anything for her friends and she’s so giving, she’s always about helping others and in fact, that’s how she got this whole thing started,” Brown said. Italian figure skater Valentina Marchei, four-time national champion and a contestant in the Sochi 2014 Olympics, skated to an acoustic ballad interpretation of Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” bringing triple axels to the pop track. Wearing a Michigan Basketball jersey, Brown performed to M.C. Hammer’s “U Can’t Touch This,” adding a flavor of hip-hop to his routine. “Shows are always great and I love being in front of an audience, and what’s so great about this is that everyone here is friends,” Brown said. “It’s so much fun and to be a part of this is really special.”
dealt with incidents of sexual misconduct through its resolution programs described in the Statement of Student Rights. This year’s annual report highlighted OSCR’s use of the interim procedure in collaboration with the Office for Institutional Equity to handle these 83 incidents. It also worked with the OIE to move from the interim procedure to the new University of Michigan Policy on Sexual Misconduct by Students that went into effect Aug. 19, 2013, and which will permanently replace that interim policy. In January, The Michigan Daily reported that former kicker Brendan Gibbons was permanently separated from the University on Dec. 20, 2013 after being found responsible for violating the University’s sexual misconduct policy in 2009. The University used the newest sexual misconduct policy to handle the violation. Regarding its future goals, the report noted an effort to continue “working with campus partners to implement the UM Policy on Sexual Misconduct by Students and educate the campus community about it.” Wilgus said his office has also been working with the University’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center, Central Student Government, ROTC, the College of Engineering, the Athletic Department and others in an effort to educate the student body about the new policy. “Anybody who has time and interest and wants to learn about the policy, we go talk to,” he said. “And then in addition, key student populations where we know there is a big audience and there’s a number of folks we can get in front of at one time.” This year was the last that sexual misconduct will appear in the annual OSCR report. In the future, information regarding sexual misconduct will appear in a separate document organized by Title IX Coordinator Anthony Walesby, director of the Office of Institutional Equity.
Opinion
4A — Monday, March 10, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Notes on the vortex 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
MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
KATIE BURKE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
A modern family Michigan’s ban on gay marriage is outdated and overdue on reform
T
his past week, a Michigan couple, April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse, challenged the state’s constitutional ban against gay marriage. The state government’s callousness toward gay rights must come to an end, as the state’s 2004 constitutional ban on gay marriage is outdated and discriminatory. Michigan must reform its marriage policies to treat same-sex couples equally and to ensure that the children of same-sex couples will be able to remain with their parents. Currently, Michigan does not recognize same-sex marriages, meaning that samesex couples are unable to share custody of independently adopted children. Therefore, neither DeBoer nor Rowse has custody over the other’s adopted children. In the event of a catastrophe involving one woman, Michigan law would not recognize the other parent’s custodianship of the first woman’s adopted children and could take the children away — arbitrarily and cruelly destroying a family. The fight for same-sex marriage is only one of many movements that have emerged in the last few years that reflect the growing support for the LGBTQ community. In fact, in a recent Gallup poll, nine out of 10 Michigan residents already believed that there was existing legislation protecting individuals against discrimination based on sexuality. Popular support and relevance of the 2004 state constitutional amendment today is questionable, seeing that nine states legalized gay marriage in the past year, as opposed to the six that confirmed a ban. Three of the 17 states that permit civil unions were adopted by popular vote. Thirty-three states currently have constitutional amendments and state laws banning gay marriage. However, the anticipated statutes run counter to the majority opinion, as 59 percent of adults in the United States supported gay marriage according to a recent Washington Post-ABC News poll. There are many progressive movements
pushing Michigan to join other pro-equality states. Efforts that promote LGBTQ equality are rapidly coming to fruition. In Michigan, a petition with more than 1,000 signatures created the Royal Oak anti-discrimination clause in 2013. In the same year, Federal Judge David M. Lawson granted a preliminary injunction against a state law that bans domestic partners of employees of local Michigan government and school districts from receiving job benefits. On a national level, President Barack Obama’s administration is continuously working to extend marital rights to LGBTQ couples. The legalization of same-sex marriage in Michigan wouldn’t be groundbreaking, but rather an overdue ruling. Though Assistant State Attorney Kristin Heyse has presented social research that reveals the advantages of both a mother and father figure in a child’s life, it does not imply that same-sex marriage households are detrimental or not sufficient. And there is no question that love and support from two parents is as good as, if not better than, those from one divorced parent. 58.6 percent of voters approved the 2004 ban, but that number is outdated and doesn’t reflect the views of today’s voters. As LGBTQ support is rising, the state government must take action along with it. Governor Rick Snyder should recognize that the ban on gay marriage is a prominent concern and work toward reform that accommodates the LGBTQ community’s demands and rights.
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, Linh Vu, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe PHOEBE YOUNG | VIEWPOINT
How to shave like a feminist This past summer my sister — a bubbly, makeup-wearing, nail polished, perfumed 14-year-old — went on a wilderness trip with a local YMCA summer camp program. For close to two weeks she did a combination of rock climbing, whitewater kayaking and hiking — and she loved it. But there was something she told me in the car on our way home that got to me. One of her counselors on the trip, a crunchy woman in her 20s who had just hiked the Appalachian Trail, proudly touted unshaved legs and armpits on the trip. She hadn’t shaved in months and wasn’t planning on it anytime soon, she told them. When my sister asked her why, she said it was because men didn’t shave their legs or armpits, so she felt that she didn’t need to. What gave me pause about this comment wasn’t that I disagreed with it. In fact, a couple of years ago I would have felt inclined to agree with her: if men don’t do it, why should women? But simply condemning a practice just because men don’t do it is too simple of an outlook to take on the social roles women and men occupy in our society. In fact, it’s regressive for feminism. Women don’t need to be like men to be worthy of equal value in our society. What a woman wears or whether she shaves her legs or applies makeup doesn’t make her less than any other man or woman. She is different, perhaps. But that difference does not imply inequality of worth. The idea that women should not shave their legs, wear makeup or give as much thought to their outward appearance simply because men don’t do the same things still hinges too heavily upon the way a woman should look. And because of that it can often implicitly perpetuate the very thing that it seeks to eradicate — a stigmatization of women based on their appearance. While it should by no means be bad not to wear makeup and not to shave your armpits, it should not necessarily be better. The fact that a woman or a girl wears makeup isn’t an
implicit indication that she is unsatisfied with her appearance. Though many times, it can be. It’s true that our society doesn’t give enough value to diverse appearances — our magazines, beauty stores and movies all have eerily familiar faces that have failed to evolve significantly over the past 50 years. Oftentimes, wearing makeup or shaving one’s legs feels less like a personal decision and more like a necessary ritual performed in order to receive recognition from others. We’re not at the point in time where we, as women, can have full autonomy over the way we look — there are implicit (and explicit) standards for what constitutes attractiveness in our society. But that doesn’t mean we ought to condemn those who conform to those standards. What we need to realize is that condemning that girl, like my sister — who wears makeup or puts on perfume and paints her nails everyday — effectively achieves the same results as the people who tell her she needs those things to feel beautiful. It alienates her from her own control over her appearance. And perhaps more importantly, it still focuses on a notion of a “right” appearance for women, one that excludes a particular subset of females — the ones that wear makeup like my sister. Instead, in order for women to truly be equal to men, we need a shift away from the importance of female appearance — we need to have a varied and equally valued array of appearances that aren’t stigmatized within or outside of the female community. Equality doesn’t mean adopting the same customs as men. It means demanding the same amount of respect irrespective of whether or not we choose to share those customs. So to my sister I say: Shave your legs if you want — or don’t. You’re still a feminist, whatever you do. Phoebe Young is an LSA freshman.
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W
alking back from the Intramural Sports Building, my sweat freezes my hair against my forehead. It’s incredibly painful and incredibly unattractive, and it makes me think about winter. Wanting it to SOPHIA end, hating the USOW snow that turns into slush that turns into ice that turns into sprained ankles or lost dignity, etc. It’s a very pensive moment, and I’m glad the walk from the gym to my house is short because thinking in the cold hurts. Brains, like iPhones and glass beer bottles, have extreme-temperatureinduced breaking points, and it’s not smart or polite to mess around with such delicate gray equipment. At my house everyone is pretty Vitamin D-deficient and it shows. Conversations trail off into languid silences only to be broken by the enduring question: When does Dominick’s re-open again? (March 10th, we only ask because we like to hear the answer). The thought of walking up the steep slippery hill to go to class makes my spine ache, but I already used up almost all of my sick days in one week because I just gave up and decided not to leave the house. That week my bedroom was warm. I burned candles to give the tiny attic space — in which I dreamed sweet dreams of men with Tom Selleck mustaches feeding me pork tenderloin, a nice “Little House on the Prairie” glow. Humans don’t hibernate — that type of thing is for woodchucks and garter snakes — but with proper funding and a little technological followthrough I’m sure humanity could make the Great Leap Forward into
collective seasonal unconsciousness. Personally, I’d be thrilled to give my body up to science for a cause so noble. I’d love to be remembered by the world as the Neil Armstrong of not being awake. On a more serious note, we’re in the midst of a full-figured TasteeFreez. While the Arroyo Seco gulps at dusty runoff, here in the North Country I’m starting to think this downy precipitation will never stop, that we’ll die in Frosty’s cleavage. The Republican Youth of America and their benevolent leaders will try to persuade you that the whole Polar Vortex Carbon Apocalypse thing is a figment of your overactive liberal imagination, but I say trust your instincts. Believe your eyes, believe the steel-tipped icicles dangling off the edge of Weill Hall, believe the sinking feeling you get when you see the 10-day forecast that winks menacingly and growls, It ain’t over yet. It’s real. It’s scary. It’s cold in a way the Mayans could never have dreamed. Also, believe the cabin fever. Winter’s not a great time for a transition period, but that’s what I’m in right now, moving perpetually forward inside the bounds of a drafty house. My friends and I curl chapped hands around mugs filled with Irish coffee and ask one another, When do you think you’ll get married? I want to go to a wedding, want the spring to break so loved ones will copulate like bunnies and bring rosy things into the world that I can hold and hand back. Nobody I know is stable enough to care for another human life, but I wonder if maybe 40 years ago they would have been. Back then instead of murky wooden beer dens we would have met in fluorescentbulbed produce aisles, bouncing babies on our hips, already familiar with their weight and the sticky touch of their fingertips. Or maybe not. Maybe we were always destined
to be this rudderless, this unattached. I think of my grandmother, pregnant at 19 in the howling Upper Peninsula winter, tethered to a life in which she could never grow by my mother, who left her womb to travel the world: Cuba, Venice, the top of the highest building in Hong Kong. My grandma still lives in the house she moved into with my grandpa in 1949. She talks to me in the third person. Does Sophia want another cookie? Has Sophia grown or am I just shrinking? Ice can evaporate without ever becoming a liquid. It’s a process called sublimation and usually occurs on sunny days when there is low humidity and high winds. Mt. Everest enjoys frequent sublimation, but I’ve seen it happen at the corner of Arch and State — ice rinks shrinking and cracking in the face of a cold sun. Psychologically speaking, Freud believed that sublimation was how humans dealt with undesirable impulses in acceptable ways. Instead of making love to snow banks or barren tree branches, people shoveled and built fires. Instead of giving in to distasteful forms of sadism, they become dentists. There is no in-between in sublimation: earth becomes air so fast you’d like to imagine it was never anything different, that the winter never happened, that it was always summer. Freud called it a defense mechanism, but here at Michigan we know better than that. We don’t care how the ice goes away or what it becomes. We just hope for shorts and warmth, camping and moonlight swims, renewal and rebirth. We go inside and wipe the frost off of our faces and look longingly at pictures of warmer places, knowing that they are not for us. If we lived in Florida we wouldn’t be able to truly understand the gift of spring. — Sophia Usow can be reached at sophiaus@umich.edu.
SORIN PANAINTE | VIEWPOINT
Questions left unanswered
By now everyone has heard of the Brendan Gibbons scandal and the University’s handling of the situation. Since 2009 the University has waited four — yes, I’m serious — four years to separate Gibbons from our University. It should be noted that many rape offenders often repeat their offense. But there is one thing that the University has not addressed, and that is the role of offensive lineman Taylor Lewan in the case. It is alleged that Lewan sent a text message to the victim threatening “to rape her because (Gibbons) didn’t.” At the NFL scouting combine Lewan said in his defense, “That’s definitely a situation between those two people … I’ve said a lot of dumb things in my life, but those are not things that I’ve said … I would never disrespect a woman like that.” Meanwhile, the University has remained silent.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Farewell, Dingell TO THE DAILY: I was just your average caffeinated college senior, barely old enough to legally drink a beer when I sat down in a quiet room for a one-on-one interview with a living legislative legend, Congressman John Dingell (D-Mich). Congressman Dingell had just spoken next door in a crowded room full of supporters inside a United Auto Workers building in Taylor, an industrial downriver city about 30 miles away from the University that is gerrymandered into the same congressional district as Ann Arbor. It was Dingell’s final congressional victory. He had 29 of them. Though triumph seemed a routine occurrence for almost everyone in the room that night, the congressman was by no means complacent. There was a genuine passion for progress in Mr. Dingell’s eyes, and the 85-year-old had the same fiery look you might see on an idealistic, politically active college
It really isn’t surprising that the administration has said nothing. In her Fireside Chat, University President Mary Sue Coleman said, “I am very comfortable with the process and what happened. We have pretty well-defined procedures that we use.” If those procedures involve waiting four years then they are not exactly the most efficient or just procedures are they? We need new procedures, separate from the University as it has proven itself unreliable, to deal with these situations. The president is comfortable that no charges were filed because the University avoided heavy scrutiny. Coleman stated that the Athletic Department didn’t play a role in reviewing the case, but it seems highly suspect since Gibbons was only separated after his final season was over. Why are we left in
the dark? It cannot be for student protection because, if the University had our protection in mind, it would not have waited so long to act. We are tuition-paying students of this public university who deserve to live in a safe environment. One thing is indeed obvious, and that is that the University is not doing all it can to protect its students. The administration has shown that they’re willing to let dangerous crimes go unaddressed for years. It remains to be seen if the University will make any further comments regarding “Gibbonsgate.” Until then, we are left with only questions left unanswered, and the hope that the Department of Education investigation will shed further light on the University’s handling of the case. Sorin Panainte is an LSA sophomore.
Send letters to: tothedaily@michigandaily.com student who truly believes they can somehow change their world. He took public service seriously. Any decent reporter can tell when a politician is feeding them the safe and memorized lines from a campaign pamphlet, and that was not the case that night or anytime I interviewed the congressman. In fact, I was honestly astounded at Dingell’s frankness. Either I was just a naïve college kid who didn’t realize the congressman’s years of experience had given him herculean ability for crafting nifty and seemingly heartfelt sound bites on the spot, or he was genuinely speaking from the heart. I don’t know. Either way, Dingell was at least talking to me — just some college reporter. And that’s more than you can say for most politicians these days. If you’re a member of the press, especially at a college publication, you’re lucky to even get a politician’s staff person to respond to your e-mail — even if it’s days or weeks ahead of time. Yet there he was, speaking on
the record, as he had time and time before with so many different Michigan Daily reporters — the one and only John Dingell, whose vote for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 helped change the country and made it so my generation never had to see how “equal” separate really is. Despite his historic list of legislative achievements, Dingell sees himself as just another Michigander, and he would talk to me not just about his hope for America, but about his time in the military and his experiences in the wilderness with bears. With a generation who knows the name Frank Underwood and a Washington, D.C. that seems increasingly distant and unreliable to so many Americans these days, Congressman Dingell’s penchant for giving people at least a few moments of his time, let alone new rights and freedoms, was a very welcome sight. We can only hope the next generation of leaders takes a page from his book. Steve Zoski 2013 Alum
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News BUDGET From Page 2A
GERO BRELOER/AP
Activists holding placards depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin as Adolf Hitler reading Putler and “hands off Ukraine” in front of the Ukrainian embassy during a solidarity demonstration.
Putin defends separatist drive in Crimea as legal U.S. claims reunification movement violates international law KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday defended the separatist drive in the disputed Crimean Peninsula as in keeping with international law, but Ukraine’s prime minister vowed not to relinquish “a single centimeter” of his country’s territory. Over the weekend, the Kremlin beefed up its military presence in Crimea, a part of Ukraine since 1954, and proRussia forces keep pushing for a vote in favor of reunification with Moscow in a referendum the local parliament has scheduled for next Sunday. President Barack Obama has warned that the March 16 vote would violate international law. But in Moscow, Putin made it clear that he supports the referendum in phone calls with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Minister David Cameron. “The steps taken by the legitimate leadership of Crimea are based on the norms of international law and aim to ensure the legal interests of the population of the peninsula,” said Putin, according to the Kremlin. Following an extraordinary Sunday meeting of the Ukrainian government, Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk announced that he will meet with Obama in Washington on Wednesday on a “resolution of the situation in Ukraine,” the Interfax news agency reported. The White House confirmed the meeting. “Our country and our people are facing the biggest challenges in the history of modern independent Ukraine,” the prime minister said earlier in the day. “Will we be able to deal with these challenges? There should only be one answer to this question and that is: yes.”
In an emotional climate of crisis, Ukraine on Sunday solemnly commemorated the 200th anniversary of the birth of its greatest poet, Taras Shevchenko, a son of peasant serfs who is a national hero and is considered the father of modern Ukrainian literature. “This is our land,” Yatsenyuk told a crowd gathered at the Kiev statue to Shevchenko. “Our fathers and grandfathers have spilled their blood for this land. And we won’t budge a single centimeter from Ukrainian land. Let Russia and its president know this.” “We’re one country, one family and we’re here together with our kobzar (bard) Taras,” said acting President Oleksandr Turchynov. Later, Ukrainians in the tens of thousands massed in the Kiev’s center for a multi-faith prayer meeting to display unity and honor Shevchenko. One of the speakers, former imprisoned Russian tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, almost burst into tears as he implored the crowd to believe not all Russians support their country’s recent actions in Ukraine. “I want you to know there is a completely different Russia,” Khodorkovsky said. In the eastern city of Luhansk, however, people who gathered in a square to celebrate Shevchenko’s birthday were attacked by pro-Russia protesters, and some were beaten up, local media reports said. Chanting “Russia! Russia!” the demonstrators then broke through a police barricade and took over the local government building, where they raised the Russian flag and demanded a citywide referendum on joining Russia, Channel 5 and other local media reported. But it’s Crimea, a strategic peninsula in the Black Sea, that has become the chief flashpoint in the battle for Ukraine, where three months of protests sparked by President Victor Yanukovych’s decision to ditch a significant treaty with
the 28-nation European Union after strong pressure from Russia led to his downfall. A majority of people in Crimea identify with Russia, and Moscow’s Black Sea Fleet is based in Sevastopol, as is Ukraine’s. In Simferopol, Crimea’s capital, a crowd of more than 4,000 people turned out Sunday to endorse unification with Russia. On Lenin Square, a naval band played World War II songs as old women sang along, and dozens of tricolor Russian flags fluttered in the cold wind. “Russians are our brothers,” Crimean Parliament speaker Vladimir Konstantinov said. He asked the crowd how it would vote in the referendum a week hence. “Russia! Russia!” came the loud answer. “We are going back home to the motherland,” said Konstantinov. Across town, at a park where a large bust of Shevchenko stands, around 500 people, some wearing yellow-and-blue Ukrainian flags on their shoulders like capes, came out to oppose unification with Russia. They chanted “No to the referendum!” and “Ukraine!” People handed out fliers, one of which listed the economic woes that joining Russia would supposedly cause. “We will not allow a foreign boot that wants to stand on the heads of our children,” said one of the speakers, Alla Petrova. “The people are not scared. We are not scared to come out here and speak.” Some pro-Russians drove by, shouting “Moscow, Moscow!” from their cars, but there was no trouble. Associated Press reporters in Crimea said all Ukrainian television channels appeared to have been taken off the air by Sunday evening, save for one that appeared to rebroadcasting programs from Moscowbased Russia-24. British Foreign Secretary William Hague, who appeared on the BBC Sunday morning,
ure. Diversity has also played a large role in the conversation about access to higher education. In the last few months, the Black Student Union has gained national media coverage for bringing attention to the lack of diversity at the University by calling for increased minority enrollment — an increase of Black students to 10 percent — and more on-site recruiting in underserved communities, among other demands. This issue is one that the Department of Education is also trying to combat. Duncan explained that minority graduation and college attendance rates have been on the rise in recent years, but added that the proposed budget could further bolster these trends. “We’ve seen some very significant improvement over the last couple of years,” Duncan said. “Graduation rates are at an all-time high, largely driven by increases in Black (and) Latino graduation rates. More students not just waiting, but going on to college. But we know we have a lot of hard work ahead of us. We’re not where we need to be.” Duncan said closing the achievement gap will directly contribute to increased college readiness in underserved and
OSCAR From Page 1A Oscar winners took part in multiple rehearsals for the ceremony with the actors and actresses. “A few celebrities would come through and practice their lines. So, just seeing them and rehearsing with them took away
Monday, March 10, 2014 — 5A low-income communities, a goal reflected by Obama’s proposed “Race to the Top” initiative. The initiative would invest $300 million to target and fix communities saddled with educational inequity. The program would allow the government to give grants to underprivileged schools to invest in stronger teachers, technology, expanded learning time and more access to “rigorous coursework,” according to an Education Department press release. The goal is to bolster career readiness and post-secondary education readiness, which Duncan said is as important as improving college affordability. Duncan added that increasing college readiness is one step toward a greater goal: reclaiming the top spot in college completion internationally. He said this achievement would be “essential for our nation’s economic prosperity,” an argument that would contribute to the budget proposal’s four pillars of addressing affordability. These include increasing the federal government’s investment in the First in the World fund, which supports institutional policies to decrease the cost of higher education, to $100 million; increasing the maximum size of federal Pell Grants, which the government gives to more than 9 million low-income college undergraduates each
year to help pay tuition; allotting funds to establish a new college ratings system; and investing $75 million in a new “competitive grant initiative that would give minority-serving institutions financial support. Kelly Cunningham, University director of public affairs, said these initiatives are promising with regard to the University’s goals for the future. “We are reviewing the budget proposal details now, but we do note an increase in the Pell Grant amount, which could be helpful for our students,” she wrote in a statement. “We’ll continue to evaluate the budget and work together with our colleagues in Washington as the budget season progresses.” In a press release, the Association of American Universities — of which the University is a member — wrote that the government’s proposed budget amendments would bolster access to higher education, but have left research funding by the wayside. “The President’s FY15 budget does disappointingly little to close the nation’s innovation deficit,” the AAU statement read. “When it comes to research, its modest spending increases in a few key research agencies are not sufficient to put this nation on an investment path that can ensure we remain the world’s innovation leader.”
all the nerves,” Abdul-Nabi said. “It felt like we knew the people and we were actually a part of the production.” After being introduced on stage during the night of the awards by actor Channing Tatum, the six students were each given four of the 24 awards to deliver to the celebrities presenting. Abdul-Nabi was on stage for the presentation of the
awards for best short animated film, best sound mixing, best original score and best directing. “I really loved it,” Abdul-Nabi said. “This was something that only me and the other student presenters could experience. We could experience working onstage but also we know what it’s like to be a viewer and watch at home.”
MICHIGANDAILY.COM
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
TV REVIEW
Monday, March 10, 2014 — 7A
FILM REVIEW
Grisly ‘Hannibal’ Miyazaki’s last ‘Wind’ Second season of NBC drama brings new chills
By SEAN CZARNECKI Daily Arts Writer
By CHLOE GILKE Daily Arts Writer
“I can’t get you out of my head.” The season two premiere of “Hannibal” picks up where season one left off: with former FBI A investigator Will Graham impris- Hannibal oned by both physical bars in Season Two prison and the Premiere intricate web of Fridays at manipulation that his thera- 10 p.m. pist, HanniNBC bal Lecter, has spun. Hannibal has put Will behind bars for being the infamous Chesapeake Ripper, painting Will’s hallucinations as insanity and his empathy as a sure sign of derangement. But with chief agent Jack Crawford buying into Hannibal’s charms and psychiatrist Alana Bloom’s loyalty tested, Will finds himself increasingly isolated and losing his grip on reality. The premiere kicks off with a bang — an exciting fistfight between Jack (Laurence Fishburne, “The Matrix”) and Hannibal (Mads Mikkelsen, “The Hunt”). The two throw punches that are dangerously loaded, and Jack suffers a neck wound that could be fatal. As soon as the adrenaline of the fight scene ramps up, we snap back to an earlier timeline for some context. But the real thrill of “Hannibal” is that there is no comfort in context. The show brings viewers straight into the heart of the darkness and madness that is Will and Hannibal, and nothing is ever as it seems. A routine hypnotherapy session (only on “Hannibal” could hypnotherapy be so nonchalant) ends in therapist Alana turning into a seductive ink monster who
NBC
“I HATE THE MATRIX.”
eventually explodes in Will’s face. Some poor workers discover bodies pumped with preservatives and featuring gruesome holes and perforations, probably having been strung up or tied together. (That one isn’t even a hallucination. The FBI just always gets cases like that). And Will even dreams of Hannibal shoving a tube down his throat and forcing him to eat a human ear. The show jumps in and out of hallucinations, crazy FBI murder cases and graphic food scenes (Hannibal claims he’s serving flounder, but his name doesn’t rhyme with “cannibal” for nothing) with seamless prowess. Despite all the grisly horror, “Hannibal” is somehow the most visually stunning show on television. The cinematography is topnotch, from the lush, saturated colors contrasting with the dankness of Will’s prison cell to the beautiful culinary creations Hannibal serves his guests (human meat never looked so tasty). The water in Will’s fishing hallucination sparkles and the ink on Hannibal’s signature is palpably wet and staining. It’s as if showrunner Bryan Fuller picks the images with the intent of providing the best screencaps for the show’s devoted fan artists and graphic designers. (This is his design). But the real indication that this season of “Hannibal” will be the best one yet is how well the show is handling Will’s imprisonment. Though Will and Hannibal shared relatively few scenes together in the premiere, the therapist’s presence could be felt in every scene. A par-
ticularly chilling moment is when Will tells Hannibal that the voice he hears in his head is no longer his own. We feel for Will, but Hannibal’s cool and calm reaction proves that his plan is going exactly as he’d intended. Will even finds his way into Hannibal’s life. Beverly Katz dubs him the “new Will Graham” after he helps with a crime scene, offering insight into the killer’s state of mind just as Will had done last season. Hannibal’s conversations with his own therapist, Bedelia Du Maurier (Gillian Anderson, “The X-Files”) are especially strained because of her unique insight into his psyche and motivations. He knows that she’s too close to discovering the monster he really is, and it’s an interesting role reversal to his and Will’s dynamic. There is definitely less time devoted to exploring Will and Hannibal in isolation, but clearly the effects of their season one relationship resound in the new episodes. Will Graham may be locked up, but the walls holding up Hannibal’s alibi are dangerously close to collapsing. We aren’t yet caught up to the teaser at the beginning of the episode, where Hannibal’s favorite puppet of a FBI agent is driven to fight the closet cannibal and Chesapeake Ripper. But what’s contained and held secret can’t stay that way for long, especially with a team of psychologists and investigators (and Will’s army of adopted stray dogs) ready to sniff out even a hint of guilt. This could be the season Hannibal is exposed. I, for one, can’t wait.
Death and darkness seem to always stir at the periphery of all of Hayao Miyazaki’s visionary work (“Spirited Away”). A wild A dreamscape drops over the The Wind world. Uncertainty sets in, Rises then fear and Michigan catastrophe, all Theater of which sustain equal parts Walt Disney of wonder and terror. And yet time and time again, Miyazaki saves us without shutting us blind to harsh realities, and with his latest feature, “The Wind Rises,” perhaps for the last time. Miyazaki is retiring, an announcement which we’ve heard before from the legendary anime director, but there’s a terrible certainty this time around. In “The Wind Rises,” he turns now to where his mind has wandered these past six decades — to his dreams, to the sky. The whimsy of his past films has been toned down for a more somber film, and suitably so. This is the story of Jiro Horikoshi (Joseph Gordon-Levitt, “Don Jon”), the mastermind behind the infamous World War II fighter plane, the Mitsubishi Zero. Horikoshi knows that with the creation of his vision comes destruction. It will kill Chinese soldiers, it will kill British soldiers, it will kill American soldiers. But history can wait; history must wait. Horikoshi is on a solitary path that to turn from would mean the ruin of all toward which he strives: He must dream, he must create. In scenes of destruction that border on the apocalyptic, we are reminded throughout the picture that war draws near. Miyazaki, as an animator, artist
and director, develops some of his best work in his rendering of the pandemonium of the Great Kanto Earthquake. We begin in blackness and a long crack of dark light that splits open the void. The land rolls like a huge rug and the passengers of a train hold tight. As the earthquake subsides we watch little stones shake and shift among each other. Equally impressive is a shot of a crowd in its thousands swarm for safety. Miyazaki’s work ethic has always stunned American animators, and his artistry here shows no less effort nor imagination. We often picture Japan, a small island frequently struck by earthquakes and tsunamis, as a place of annihilation, but also reassembly and growth, tied to the past, pulling for the future. Such themes are always present in Miyazaki’s films, in his redemption-bound character. Horikoshi is a visionary, who by the end of the film, becomes emblematic of all Japanese innovation. His planes bear his own auteuristic spirit and his love for Japan in their graceful design and forward-thinking mechanics. In this way, Miyazaki finds a kindred spirit in Horikoshi. Most of the film concerns itself with Horikoshi’s journey as an aerospace engineer, but there are also incredible character moments in “The Wind Rises.” Much of the tertiary cast relies on tropes, such as the blue-eyed German named Castorp (the great Werner Herzog, “Grizzly Man”), who recalls the joie de vivre of Count Greffi of Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. Still, Miyazaki enriches each of these familiar themes with his own brand of humor. No character seems superfluous. As Roger Ebert once wrote of a hopping one-footed lamp in “Spirited Away”: “It is a gift from Miyazaki.” Miyazaki’s observations are
quiet, even generous. Each of these scenes fill naturally with their own sorts of rhythms and images — slowly, with delight and understanding, free of action-driven plots. Discovery should be its own pursuit. We continuously return to Horikoshi’s dreams. We enter rooms of working engineers. The ceiling fades, and overhead passes a plane they all envision at once, passes so close you could run your fingers over the length of its body. It is Horikoshi’s dream, but they all see it as clearly as he can, if only for a moment, and now his plane belongs to all of them. In one of the first of these dreams, a spirited Italian engineer named Giovanni Caproni (based on a real historical figure) demands to know how “Japanese Boy” wandered into his dreams. Then he invites him to stroll along the wing of his plane while it soars. It’s a friendship that will last his entire life — between Italian and Japanese — and they never even meet in real life. Throughout “The Wind Rises” aeroengineers fight against the warhawk nationalist energies that drive (and finance) their projects. They want only to create “beautiful dreams,” as Caproni says. “Engineers turn dreams into reality.” Miyazaki illustrates the necessity of other-worldly thinkers like Horikoshi, and the collaborative nature of invention in these shared spaces of imagination, wherein all minds unite toward one goal. Here is a celebration fitting to tie off Miyazaki’s body of work — bittersweet as a farewell, comforting as an ode to the future. A monument to Japan’s innovating spirits, and the minds the world over. Miyazaki may retire after the many years he’s sacrificed in order to delight his audiences and we will miss him. But what a beautiful dream it truly has been.
Arts
8A — Monday, March 10, 2014
ALBUM REVIEW
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
ALBUM REVIEW
WARNER BROS. COLUMBIA
Two thumbs up is a bit of a stretch.
Pharrell’s goofy, enjoyable ‘G I R L’ Hitmaker shoots for charts with meandering LP By ADAM THEISEN Daily Arts Writer
Coming just months removed from the Summer of Pharrell, what were you really expecting from this album? Did B you think it was going to G I R L be ten different versions of Pharrell “Get Lucky”? Columbia Would it be an hour of pure summer serving as a blast of warmth in the middle of February? Would it be the smash-hit album of the year? Well, despite helping to create some of the biggest singles of the past year, Pharrell presents his second solo album G I R L to remind us that he’s actually capable of recording songs that aren’t number one hits. That’s not to say that G I R L is a disappointment, but, simply put, Pharrell is not destined to be the superstar that his record company surely longs for him to be on the strength of this LP. This is not a batch of freshlycooked, radio-ready singles. In fact, aside from “Happy,” Pharrell’s most recent worlddominating song, the Justin Timberlake collaboration “Brand New” seems to be the only other promising hit. The problem is that “Get Lucky” tricked the world into thinking that Pharrell had it in him to be a great leading man, when really, he’s so much better when he works in a less prominent role. “Lucky” worked because all it needed from Pharrell’s vocals was functional catchiness. Songs like “Blurred Lines” and “Feds Watching,” though, succeeded because Pharrell set the stage with the production and feel of the song, but then got out
of the way to let the main artist perform. On G I R L, Pharrell is that main artist, so after setting the stage, he’s still left to fill in everything else. The results are vocals that seem improvised, tossed-off and goofy. His skill as a lyricist is practically nonexistent (see “Hunter,” which features not only an incredibly strained metaphor but also a hilariously out-of-place “Duck Dynasty” reference), and when he tries to sing about girls, he comes off like a teenaged son of R. Kelly awkwardly trying to imitate his dad. The inescapable “Happy” is the outlier here, but goddamn it’s an infectious one. “Happy” is the song most reminiscent of Pharrell’s hits, and it’s perfectly placed directly in the center of the album in order to give the lagging songs a boost. While its appearance on the “Despicable Me 2” soundtrack may cause some to categorize it as kids’ music, nothing on the album is more danceable or fun. The track is further proof that Pharrell can make some truly inspired awesome pop music, and its electric piano, clapping and effortlessly natural singing make it endlessly replayable and an early contender for catchiest song of the year. Despite several A-List collaborators, the record is mostly about Pharrell. Alicia Keys has a mostly forgettable cameo, and Miley Cyrus is in-and-out on the record’s dirtiest sounding track, “Come Get it Bae.” Daft Punk also shows up on the chilled-out “Gust of Wind” to provide its familiar robot vocals. (Unfortunately, no Daft Punk/Pharrell track will ever live up to “Get Lucky,” and knowingly, the artists avoid trying to recapture lightning in a bottle.) The best appearance comes from Justin Timberlake, a man who knows pop music just as well as Pharrell, and the two duet over an enjoyable old-school soul beat. The production of G I R L is
always on point and confident. Harkening back to the soul music of decades past, Pharrell always plays to his strengths, and perfectly utilizes groovy drums and 70s guitars and keyboards on nearly every track. Pharrell’s help is such an incredible asset for any artist trying to make the Top 40, but he shouldn’t carry all the weight by himself. His vocals wander through his production — sometimes he tries to sound like Marvin Gaye, and on “Lost Queen” he picks up a vaguely African accent, but he never sounds sure of what he’s doing. Opening track “Marilyn Monroe” is so overdone and changes what it wants to be so much that it’s almost unbelievable that it’s all one track. Pharrell’s sweet and innocent voice makes all of his boasts about women sound like parody, and he just doesn’t have enough charisma to carry most of the soul songs. Is G I R L a failure? Well, it’s probably not what Pharrell’s record company was wishing for, as it lacks any real attempts for radio, aside from “Happy” and maybe “Brand New.” Listening to the weird meandering of most of the tracks, it’s hard to even imagine how the record company let this even happen. However, taking it for what it is, G I R L can be an admittedly goofy, but enjoyable record. Despite Pharrell’s recent chart successes, it’s not the work of a future superstar, a Bruno Marslike singer groomed for radio smashes. Rather, it’s the work of a man in control of every aspect of his album. All of Pharrell’s strengths (his throwback production and pop sensibilities) and weaknesses (his lyrics and vocals) are on full display throughout G I R L. Pharrell should mainly stick to production work and features, but as a novel peek inside the head of a pop music genius, it’s far more memorable and fun than anything a record company could’ve tried to manufacture.
“Those masks = my face every day.”
Latest ‘300’ lacks grit By BRIAN BURLAGE Daily Arts Writer
At the conclusion of what must be one of the blandest prebattle addresses ever recorded on film, Greek general ThemBistocles (Sullivan Stapleton, 300: Rise of “Gangster Squad”) cries an Empire with drama but Quality 16 without con- and Rave 20 viction, “Seize your glory!” — Warner Bros. as though the scribes of history patiently await their victory. The Greek word for this kind of unwavering arrogance is hubris; difficult to establish and even more difficult to later disregard, hubris is a catalyst for self-implosion. It destroys from within. Success builds on success, blurring logic, masking failure, until infallibility becomes the only worthy objective. Director Noam Murro’s (“Smart People”) “300: Rise of an Empire” falls victim to its own hubris. With the effort so desperate and the story so focused on delivering the perfect tale of masculinity and war, the film’s sole objective actually becomes a blueprint for failure. The film’s story runs concurrently (it’s not so much a sequel or a prequel to 2007’s “300”) with the Spartan-Greek effort against the Persians at Thermopylae and also on the naval conflict between Greek and Persian fleets. Themistocles, general of the Greeks and renowned politician, believes that a new political framework called “democracy” can unite a divided
Greece. He’s willing to go to war against the Persians to prove it. Vastly outnumbered and lacking support from much of his own nation, he utilizes his characteristic cunning to deceive and belay the onslaught of the herculean Persian navy. Artemisia (Eva Green, “Casino Royale”) commands the Persian force. She’s a brutal, manipulative and dominating leader whose power of intimidation escapes no one. Make a tactical error and she’ll tie stone braces to your arms and heave you into the depths. Hold steady eye contact with her and she’ll plunge a dagger into your gut. Green delivers a convincing performance as the intense, power-hungry queen of moral depravity. Her tendency to err on instinct rather than emotion contributes to the warrior mentality of her character. Green leaves no room for sympathy or affection — Artemisia is as cold as the blade she so skillfully wields. “Rise of an Empire” will appease viewers if they think of it like the able-bodied, fully functional sidekick to the real hero, the Zack Snyder-directed original “300.” Because of its less-thanenthralling fight sequences, perennial talk of war and politics and overall lack of personality, “300: Rise of an Empire” seems more anecdotal than essential. Even though it depicts a parallel story to the Battle of Thermopylae, the film really feels like an afterthought of Zack Snyder and company, who thought it might be really cool to make a movie about ancient naval warfare. With every slash of the sword, a stream of blood trails across
the screen. Every warrior is an acrobat, every strategic decision a do-or-die plot against destiny. The film begins and ends in the same instance of violence: Soldiers charging, clashing, grappling, smiting each other, tossing bloodied carcasses into the briny Aegean sea. Everything in between is a remonstrance of former wars and rivalries, complemented by scenes of aggravated sexual intensity, vengeance and historical context. The whole effort feels contrived — carefully wrought from the minds of executives who wanted to outdo an already rambunctious depiction of Greek mythology and war.
Was another ‘300’ necessary? Not really. But while the film may sometimes be self-indulgent, single-minded and even sloppy to achieve its end, it still thrives within the context of its genre. After all, graphic novels should be over-the-top. A film based on a comic based on loose accounts of a fantastical war should be allowed to exaggerate some details. Is a film about 300 men defending their country in the face of imminent death interesting? Absolutely. Is a film about the simultaneous naval effort of undaunted, politically driven Greeks necessary? Not really. But is it entertaining? You betcha.
TV REVIEW
ABC’s imperfect ‘Mind Games’ By JOE REINHARD Daily Arts Writer
Especially when starting out, a show should be conscious of its strengths and weaknesses, but not afraid to take risks. A healthy Bcombination of ambition and Mind Games caution is arguably the best Pilot Episode way to stand out Tuesdays at from the many 10 p.m. other programs ABC that premiere each year, at least in terms of quality. That’s sometimes hard to do at the pilot stage however, and unfortunately ABC’s “Mind Games” is daring and careful in the wrong places. The show’s premise doesn’t exactly have an easy, precise elevator pitch, but it goes something like this: Two brothers run a business that utilizes psychological manipulation to help solve people’s problems. One brother, Ross Edwards (Christian Slater, “Breaking In”), is a conman who doesn’t always act on the right side of the law, and the other, Clark Edwards (Steve Zahn, “Treme”), is an expert in human psychology who also suffers from bipolar disorder. They work with a team of other talented individuals to run their business, which they’re struggling to keep afloat thanks to each brother’s fair share of flaws. At the heart of the story is their brotherly relationship, rather than their mental manipulation antics, and to the show’s credit, the relationship is developed fairly well so far. That’s not to say their busi-
ABC
Candid.
ness isn’t important; the majority of the pilot deals with them trying to help a boy and his mother out, and luckily the show does a fine job handling the relatively straightforward plotline. It also introduces a sense of moral ambiguity as they use questionable means to accomplish good ends, giving the show some depth. It’s when it gets into some of the greater details that “Mind Games” runs into trouble. Though the relationships between the characters are well done, the individual characters themselves are lacking. Zahn’s performance in particular will probably come off too crazy and annoying for some viewers. Although it’s easy to give the show credit for taking such a risk (having a bipolar main character could also produce some stunning results if done right), his portrayal so far makes the choice out to be a mistake. It may only be a single detail, but it impacts the pilot enough to drag it down. Meanwhile, “Games” fails to take risks at points where they are desperately needed. The brothers may be annoying at times but at least they’re inter-
esting, unlike the other people who work with them. The show needs a more interesting, well rounded cast to make up for where the brothers (specifically Zahn’s Clark) don’t deliver. So far, there’s little sense of that happening. “Mind Games” is imperfect, with some very notable flaws, but entertaining — “entertaining” might not be enough especially given the track record of the show’s creator, Kyle Killen. (In the past few years, he created two excellent shows “Awake” and “Lone Star” that both were cancelled relatively early despite general critical praise.) For now, “Mind Games” has a nice introduction to make it watchable, assuming you find the premise appealing and those aforementioned weaknesses don’t turn you off completely. Given some time it may shed those flaws and reach a quality comparable to “Awake” and “Lone Star.” Otherwise, it will only fall into a troubling middle ground — worth giving a shot, but not even close to being crowned the best show on TV.
SportsMonday
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The Michigan Daily | michigandaily.com | March 10, 2014
CHAMPIONS With the Big Ten title already in hand, Wolverines topple Indiana and win conference by three games By SIMON KAUFMAN Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men’s basketball team had been waiting to celebrate for 335 days. It had been waiting for confetti to fall, nets to be cut and a trophy to be hoisted since April 8 of last year, when it walked off the court and watched on after losing to Louisville in the NCAA championship game. Saturday night, after beating Indiana, 84-80, the wait was over. The blue and gold confetti
and streamers, the nets and the Big Ten championship trophy was all the Wolverines. Despite clinching the conference title Tuesday with a win over Illinois in Champaign, they waited until Saturday night to enjoy it on their own court. And when the final buzzer sounded, the moment belonged to this year’s Michigan team, and it savored every moment of it. The attention was on the present celebration, not the past. Not of the memories of a dejected Trey Burke walking off the court in Atlanta last year with his head down and his back to a different team. Freshman guard Derrick Walton Jr. danced in a circle of cheering teammates, injured sophomore forward Mitch McGary kissed the championship trophy, fifth-year senior forward Jordan Morgan shared a long embrace with a
fan on the sideline and former Michigan football Heisman Award winner Charles Woodson photobombed a picture of the whole team. This was the celebration the Wolverines had been waiting for. Michigan coach John Beilein grabbed the microphone in the midst of it all to thank the fans and encourage everyone to “celebrate this great win,” even after he said celebrating would be kept to a minimum after the Illinois game earlier in the week. Not even Beilein could resist enjoying the moment — savoring the program’s first outright conference title in nearly 30
years. “That’s one happy locker room,” Beilein said in his post game press conference. “We did celebrate out there. We celebrated what we’ve been really waiting for since Tuesday, and our kids are ecstatic with the way this season has ended. “I had no idea all that was going on and it’s just great for the fans to stick around and see a tribute to a really special team.” A full house of Michigan fans stayed in its seats to take in the moment. After Beilein addressed the crowd, he handed the microphone off to Morgan. The
“Our kids are ecstatic with the way this season has ended.”
team’s lone senior was honored before the game during Senior Day festivities, and he had a special night on the court to go along with the occasion. Morgan scored 15 points and finished with 10 rebounds in his last game at Crisler Center. Cheers of “J-Mo, J-Mo” rained down from the student section before Morgan led the crowd in singing a passionate rendition of “The Victors.” “It was a blast,” Morgan said during the celebration. “It’s surreal. It just shows what hard work can do. We’ve got a bunch of guys that people counted out, just coming together working hard.” As the confetti continued to fall, a ladder was set up underneath Michigan’s basket, and Morgan made his way to the hoop. He cut off a small piece — just enough of a reminder of the accomplishment without losing sight of the bigger goal.
PHOTOS BY PATRICK BARRON/Daily
TOP: The Michigan men’s basketball team poses with the Big Ten trophy after its win over Indiana. BOTTOM: Confetti falls at the Crisler Center as the Wolverines finish the regular season atop the conference.
WHAT WE LEARNED
STATE OF DESPAIR
n Is Michigan a basketball school now? The Wolverines have taught fans plenty by winning the Big Ten Championship. SportsMonday Column, Page 2B
n The Michigan hockey team’s NCAA Tournament aspirations are on hold after a frustrating split with Michigan State. Page 4B
Morgan was followed by other Wolverine players who climbed the ladder to get a piece of the net — some who started every game and others who rarely got minutes. Some were highly recruited in high school and others walked on at the beginning of this season. Some have many games at Crisler Center ahead of them and others will call an NBA stadium home next year. But Saturday night, each was a champion in his own right. Each took the scissors to the rim to cut off a memory of the Big Ten season that was — one that ended with confetti falling and a banner rising next season. Michigan is a month away from when it hopes to cut down nets again. But on Saturday night, at long last, the Wolverines could celebrate. “It’s been an amazing year,” Morgan said before pausing. “So far, so far.”
SportsMonday
2B — March 10, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SPORTSMONDAY COLUMN
T
Nine Michigan facts we know to be true
his is all new and a little overwhelming. All you know as true is no longer true. Michigan is a … basketball school? These are heady times for Michigan. A bit confusing, ZACH too. The HELFAND Michigan men’s basketball team has won the Big Ten title with surprising ease. The football and hockey teams seem, respectively, overpowered and inconsistent. No one is quite sure how to act. To help you navigate this strange, new basketball world, here is a revised list of truths for the Michigan sports fan. This is what we know to be right. This is what you can believe in. 1. The underclassman is king. Nik Stauskas climbed the ladder to cut down his portion of the net. The Crisler Center cheered just a little louder than for anyone else. This was Senior Day for Jordan Morgan, but it was likely Stauskas’ farewell game too. He held up the net and waved to the crowd. By now, the panic is familiar. Each April, the same questions appear, just with different names. Will Manny Harris stay? (No.) Darius Morris? (No.) Trey Burke? (Yes. Then no.) Glenn Robinson III? Mitch McGary? Stauskas? Rather quickly, Michigan has become dependent on its youngest players. This is a good problem to have. But for the foreseeable future, Michigan
will only go as far as its underclassmen take it. Believe in the underclassmen. You don’t really have any other choice. 2. Glenn Robinson III is better than you think. But cut Michigan fans a break on this one because they’re new to this basketball thing. Most players are not Burke or Stauskas or Caris LeVert. Most develop slowly and unpredictably. Most are like Robinson. Believe in him, and he may reward that belief with important 3-pointers from the corner. 3. November is meaningless. This one should be easy to remember: Michigan basketball in November is about as meaningful as Michigan football in November has been. (Read: not much.) Sure, the early part of the season reveals a little about a team. But try to reserve judgment and panic until New Years to avoid ridicule later. Consider: Michigan State probably should’ve lost to Columbia. North Carolina lost to Belmont. Michigan lost to Charlotte. The Wolverines have rebounded admirably from that most grave of setbacks. They somehow clawed back from the adversity of early losses to Iowa State, Duke and Arizona. Believe in March. Believe in April. Beware of the false prophets of November. 4. The 1-3-1 zone is applicable in all situations. The power of the 1-3-1 zone is boundless. The zone hypnotizes opposing offenses. It bewildered Indiana Saturday, creating 12 second-
half turnovers and powering Michigan’s win. Beilein has been shy to use the 1-3-1 because, he says, he’s afraid of surrendering easy 3-pointers. That’s logical. But teams don’t have much time to prepare for the zone, and it almost always succeeds in slowing down a hot offense, at least for a few possessions. Beilein has learned to use it more, and so can you. Put it down when you’re stumped on your next Stats exam. With four friends, use it to mystify the bouncers at Rick’s and cut the long line. When driving the caravan to the Big Ten Tournament, put three people in the middle row and one in the back. The 1-3-1 is good and just. Believe in the 1-3-1. 5. Beilein knows what he’s doing. When in doubt, reread No. 3. Then No. 4. 6. Spike Albrecht has never actually committed a blocking foul. Well, sure he has. He probably committed multiple against Indiana. But he scored 17 points in the freaking National Championship Game, so when he gets whistled for three blocking fouls in 15 minutes of play against the Hoosiers, you’re outraged with the calls. Believe in Spike Abrecht. Believe in the charge.
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Sophomore forward Nik Stauskas may have played his final game at the Crisler Center and cut down the nets Saturday.
7. Nik Stauskas jumper. Believe in the jumper (because you probably don’t have much time left).
defenders. Ferrell was shifty. Ferrell was smooth. Trey Burke could change speeds and control the tempo of a game. He glided through the lane. Burke was shifty. Burke was smooth. LeVert is not smooth. LeVert is shifty — like a kid learning to drive a manual transmission is shifty. He lurches and stops and then accelerates much faster than anticipated. And then the ball goes in. Nothing wrong with that. Believe in LeVert.
8. Caris LeVert has a plan. LeVert is shifty, but not in the way other players are shifty. On Saturday, Yogi Ferrell bounced and bounded past
9. Championships feel like this. There’s confetti on the ground at the Crisler Center, and the place is still mostly
full. Charles Woodson is posing for photos with the team. The rim is bare, because Beilein is holding the net above his head. Atop a ladder, he waves it and, to no one in particular, says, “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Then he climbs down and smirks and looks out to a full crowd to tell a story. “Kathleen just reminded me,” he says, referring to his wife. “When we came here seven years ago, there was about three or four thousand people at our first game. My son, Andy, said to me, ‘Tell me again why we came to Michigan?’ ” Nearby, Stauskas is searching for his maize and blue Canadian flag. Jordan Morgan, in tears
at his farewell hours earlier, smiles big. Moments ago, Tom Crean walked, briskly and alone, through the tunnel, scowling so severely that his lower lip nearly touched his nose, as if he were trying to swallow his own head. Now, Derrick Walton Jr. and Zak Irvin hold up the trophy: Michigan is the outright Big Ten Champions for the first time in almost three decades. “Tonight showed why people come to Michigan,” Beilein says. Believe it. Helfand can be reached at zhelfand@umich.edu and on Twitter @zhelfand.
Morgan, Wolverines end home slate with win By NEAL ROTHSCHILD Daily Sports Editor
Jordan Morgan had some special history with Indiana. Assembly Hall in Bloomington is the only Big Ten venue where the 80 INDIANA MICHIGAN 84 fifth-year senior hadn’t won a game. Even more, the Hoosiers kept Michigan from a Big Ten title last year on the final game of the regular season in dramatic fashion. To make it personal, it was Morgan’s missed tip-in at the buzzer that was responsible for the devastating loss on Senior Day last year. The game marked the start of Morgan’s collapse in playing time, as Mitch McGary played most of the postseason, and Morgan was left to watch Space Jam to ease his mood. Never mind that the 12th-ranked Wolverines had already locked up the outright Big
Ten Championship this season, this game meant something, and it showed as Michigan put together a strong second half to win on Senior Day, 84-80. The team celebrated after the game by cutting down the nets on the south goal as confetti fell, taking pictures with the trophy and posing with Charles Woodson. “I can’t say enough about (Morgan),” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “His willpower over his five years, it came to fruition today. And our team, it was sort of like that the whole game. Not many things went well for us. At the beginning, the ball was bouncing their way, they were making great plays. “All of a sudden, we just stuck in there, just like Jordan has over his five years.” Fittingly, it was Morgan leading the way. Fresh off shedding tears minutes before tip-off as the Crisler Center crowd saluted him with a rousing ovation, Morgan promptly scored the Wolverines’ first six points
“It has been an amazing year so far. So far.”
and went on to have one of his best games as a Wolverine. “It was fun to start the game out like that,” Morgan said. “I did my best to just keep the emotions separate, keep that whole walking thing kind of short and just move right on so I didn’t spend too much time reminiscing and getting all soft.” The pregame waterworks were nothing, however, compared to his emotions earlier in the week. “It was worse before that,” Morgan said. “That was pretty calm compared to (a Big Ten Network) interview.” He’d continue to plague the Hoosiers (7-11 Big Ten, 17-14 overall) throughout the evening, tying a season-high 15 points on 88-percent shooting with 10 rebounds to record his first double-double of the season. The rest of the team was shaky, on defense at least, in the first half as Indiana opened up a doubledigit lead and went into halftime up 42-36. Michigan’s offense was sound and took care of the ball, but the Hoosiers hit their first eight attempts and shot 60 percent for the half. Tensions hit a boiling point in the final minutes of the half when, after a series of non-calls, Beilein
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Jordan Morgan, Michigan’s lone senior, played a game to remember in the Wolverines’ win over Indiana Saturday night.
harangued officials enough to earn a technical foul — an oddity for the normally stoic coach. The Wolverines, however, led by Morgan, wasted little time reversing course after the break. The center blocked a shot by Hoosier guard Stanford Robinson and led the transition in the
opposite direction, culminating in made free throws by sophomore forward Glenn Robinson III. Michigan (15-3, 23-7) would string together a 13-2 run within five minutes of the start of the half, and Indiana was out of answers. It was then the Wolverines’ turn to push the lead
into double digits. Then Robinson drained a 3-pointer from the corner to give Michigan a decisive edge. “I practiced that shot so many times,” Robinson said on the court after the game, blue and maize ticker tape by his feet. “It felt great coming out of my hands.” Beilein echoed Robinson verbatim. He knew it was a shot Robinson practiced all the time, and he knew it was good as soon as it was released. Morgan may have received all of the adoration from the fans and on the video board, but it was Robinson who scored 20 points, and sophomore guard Nik Stauskas who led the team with 21 points. As sophomore point guard Spike Albrecht hit a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left to help ice the game, Morgan stood at the opposite end of the court and threw a fist pump high into the air. It took five years, but he had gotten the best of Indiana. “It was fun,” Morgan said. “It was just a lot of fun to be out there playing, playing well. I love playing with these guys, some of the best teammates. It has been an amazing year, so far. So far.”
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
March 10, 2014 — 3B
BASEBALL
‘M’ splits with Tigers Michigan showing improvement after slow start to season By BEN FIDELMAN Daily Sports Writer
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Junior left-hander Haylie Wagner couldn’t make up for Michigan’s offensive struggles as it faltered to a 2-3 weekend.
Softball struggles in Classic ‘M’ goes 2-3, bats fall silent By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan softball team spent its Spring Break brushing up on basic probability. The takeaway? Odds are even the best teams in the nation will hit a rut sooner or later. Playing against three top-10 teams in two days, the fifthranked Wolverines faltered early in the Judi Garman Classic. Michigan (16-6) couldn’t get its bats swinging for the second time in three weekends. Only this weekend, the pitching staff wasn’t able to bail the offense out every time. The Wolverines were shut out to open the weekend, losing 2-0 to No. 10 Arizona State. Freshman right-hander Megan Betsa got the start, but allowed six base runners and one run in just over an inning before being taken out in favor of junior lefthander Haylie Wagner. Wagner played the role of stopper, holding the Sun Devils (22-3) to only one run the rest of the way. Despite having one of the strongest lineups in the nation, on paper, the Wolverines have struggled to hit the ball lately, including this weekend. Except for offensive outbursts against UCLA and Utah Valley, they’ve been held to just 13 runs over
their last eight games. “We’ll be fine when we hit the ball the way we have in batting practice,” said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins. “We need to trust our preparation and our game.” But the Michigan offense couldn’t put runs on the board or, for that matter, even batters on base. Senior Nicole Sappingfield’s sixth-inning single was Michigan’s only hit of the game. There wasn’t much time to regroup, though, before the Wolverines took the field against No. 6 Washington. The offense only scored one run in that contest as well and fell victim to a new problem. Whereas Michigan struggled to get runners on base against the Sun Devils, it had plenty on base against the Huskies — it just couldn’t get them across home plate. The Wolverines had 10 hits, all by their first through sixth hitters, but stranded nine runners. The bottom of the order went 0-for-8 with a walk. Though the pitching staff bailed out the struggling bats on multiple occasions before, this time it could not. Junior righthander Sara Driesenga allowed six runs on 12 hits in 3.1 innings pitched. Considered Michigan’s top pitcher to start the year, Driesenga has been inconsistent early on. “Sometimes pitchers are in a groove and sometimes they’re not,” Hutchins said. “(Driesenga)
just has to work through it.” Following a loss to unranked Houston the next day, Wagner took to the circle and stopped the skid, shutting out No. 7 Arizona. The lefty allowed just four hits in a complete-game win, as sophomore left fielder Sierra Lawrence’s two RBI helped the Wolverines to a 3-0 win. Hutchins gave the ball back to Wagner the next morning against Texas, and she didn’t disappoint, going all seven innings again and striking out eight batters. Senior Lyndsay Doyle went 3-for-4 with 2 RBI in the 3-0 victory. But even in the back-toback wins, the offense was still troubling. Doyle’s performance was more than half the Wolverines’ output, putting pressure on Wagner to pitch as well as she did. “I just take it in and throw one pitch at a time,” Wagner said. “I embrace it and I really enjoy it.” That attitude shone through for Wagner this weekend. Her performance in the circle ultimately salvaged a 2-3 showing for her team. The woes on offense may not persist long for the Wolverines, but their coach plans to make sure they don’t forget about them completely. “We had a lot of teachable moments this weekend,” Hutchins said. “When we change our behavior then I’ll know that we’ve learned from them.”
WRESTLING
The final game of the Michigan baseball team’s series against Princeton looked like it would leave a nasty aftertaste to the weekend when two errors gave the Tigers a 2-0 advantage in the top of the sixth inning. The Wolverines had already dropped two of the first three games of the weekend to Princeton, and a third loss looked imminent. Then, Michigan showed something encouraging from a sub-.500 team: fight. The Wolverines (6-10-1) loaded the bases, and with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, junior outfielder Kevin White sent a fly ball to right field, deep enough to bring a runner home on a sacrifice fly. Next up was senior catcher Cole Martin, who came through with a twoout single that drove in another run, tying the game at two. It was all Michigan the rest of the way. After Princeton (2-5) went down 1-2-3 in the seventh, the Wolverines strung together a few hits and tacked on the clinching two runs. Sophomore left-hander Evan Hill went eight innings, giving up only two runs en route to the 4-2 win. Sophomore righthander Jacob Cronenworth closed things down in the ninth to earn the save. That finished a weekend at the New York Mets’ spring training facility in Port St. Lucie, Fla., where Michigan lost a Friday night game, 7-3, split a Saturday doubleheader with an 8-2 win and a 6-5 loss and finished off the weekend with a 4-2 come-from-behind victory Sunday afternoon. Friday, the series didn’t start off well for the Wolverines. Junior left-hander Trent Szkutnik gave up four runs and lasted just two
innings — his shortest outing of the year. Michigan also struggled from the plate, where it was no-hit through five innings and faced a 6-0 deficit heading into the sixth. “(The pitcher we faced Friday) was a left-hander that was getting up to 94 (miles per hour) with a power slider and a really good changeup,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “He had a terrific performance. It was one of those games where we tip our cap to him. That’s a kid who is going to have a chance to play after college.” The Wolverines’ bats were able to get some momentum rolling in the sixth. The bottom of the batting order put two runners on base, allowing the hot bats of sophomore shortstop Travis Maezes, freshman left fielder Zach Zott and junior center fielder Jackson Glines to push three runs across the plate. Two of those runs came on a double-squeeze bunt play from Glines. It wasn’t the first time Bakich signaled for the highrisk play, and it has proved to be a successful tool so far this year. “It’s one of our gadget plays,” Glines said. “They’re not thinking the guy is going to score from second, so we just catch them off guard.” A few Michigan bats warmed up, but problems occurred in the second half of the lineup, where the fourth through eighth hitters went a combined 0-15. “With our type of offense, we want to run, steal and take the extra 90 to put pressure on teams when you’re down a significant number of runs,” Bakich said. “(Being down) limits your opportunities to take chances and be aggressive.” Though the sixth was a positive inning for the Wolverines, it wasn’t enough to make a difference in the end, as the Tigers took game one, 7-3. Game two was a different story. Michigan came right out of the gate with two runs in four of the first five innings. Those hot bats and an effective outing from fifth-year senior left-hander
“The guys responded well this entire week.”
Logan McAnallen combined for a convincing 8-2 win. Every Wolverine starter had a hit — a notable improvement from the night before. Glines and junior left fielder Kyle Jusick led the team from the three and four slots in the batting order, going a combined 5-for-6 with five RBI. This offensive dominance has become commonplace for Glines, who leads the team with a .369 batting-average, .453 on-base percentage and 12 RBI. “(I’ve found success by) busting my butt in practice, working hard and hitting the ball as hard as I can,” Glines said. McAnallen, who started the season working out of the bullpen, has been one of Michigan’s best arms this year. Through five appearances, he carries a 2.89 earned-run average and 21 strikeouts. “I was just trying to focus on good tempo and forcing contact, and let my defense work behind me,” McAnallen said. “Our offense went to work and that gives me a lot of confidence, and it’s a little less stressful pitching when you have eight runs behind you.” Moving into the usual college baseball schedule, where teams play three games each weekend followed by one mid-week match, McAnallen is projected to continue in a starting role. Having a veteran presence that can be used in both the bullpen and starting rotation will be key moving forward. The second game Saturday presented problems, as fifthyear senior right-hander Ben Ballantine had a shaky outing. After an early lead for the Tigers, the game went back and forth all the way to the end. Trailing, 6-5, the Wolverines got a runner to second base in their last at-bat, but failed to bring the tying run home. The series against Princeton signaled the end of a Spring Break trip that saw the Wolverines play 10 games in just nine days. The team went 5-5, which is cause for celebration after a 1-5-1 start. “We’re moving in a positive direction,” Bakich said. “Confidence is restored back to where it needs to be after a disappointing weekend in North Carolina.”
MEN’S GYMNASTICS
Michigan dominates trip
Wolverines fall to eighth to Puerto Rico, tops PSU By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Writer
Having defeated seven ranked opponents in the regular season and gone a surprising 6-2 in Big Ten play, the No. 7 Michigan wrestling team was primed to make a splash at the Big Ten Championships this weekend in Madison. With six of 10 wrestlers making their tournament debut — including top-ranked heavyweight wrestler freshman Adam Coon — the weekend was supposed to be the young squad’s chance to solidify their mark in the nation’s best conference. But the opportunity went unseized as the Wolverines (6-2 Big Ten, 11-4 overall) slumped to a disappointing eighth-place finish. After a season of shocking many elite programs and posting its best regular-season record since 2006, Michigan was shocked across the board in its worst Big Ten finish since 2010 and thirdworst finish in school history. “Obviously, we’re disappointed in how we performed,” Michigan coach Joe McFarland told MGoBlue.com. “I think that three-week layoff hurt us a bit, because we were not in that competition groove that first day.” The biggest disappointment on the weekend was Coon. After going 29-1 in the regular season, the freshman was awarded a No. 1 seed and given a first-round bye with expectations to run the table. In the quarterfinals, Coon was eliminated from contention with a 3-1 loss to Penn State’s Jonathan Gingrich after a twopoint takedown was waved off.
Things only got worse for Coon in the consolation round, as he lost to unranked Nick Tavanello of Ohio State, 6-5. With a 0-2 Saturday record, the freshman sensation was humbled in his biggest tournament yet. With two weeks to prepare for the NCAA Championships, Coon must find a way to regain his confidence if he is to attain his dream of a national title. “He lost two close matches that could’ve gone either way, and that’s very frustrating,” McFarland said. “Looking back, this will allow him to refocus and get him hungry again. We saw a few things we can work with him on to prepare him (for the NCAA Championship), and he really just didn’t have the tournament he wanted. Luckily, he’s got plenty of time to refocus and get where he wants to be.” With the team’s biggest weapon eliminated early, the rest of the team had to step up tremendously for the weekend to be deemed any sort of success. Freshmen Brian Murphy and Domenic Abounader proved to be particularly up to the task, as both exceeded expectations over the weekend. Murphy — initially seeded No. 8 — battled his way back from a loss in the quarterfinals in the doubleelimination tournament to face top-seeded Isaac Jordan of Wisconsin for the second time in the weekend, after carrying a 1-1 score into overtime. A takedown attempt by Murphy backfired, and Jordan countered for the victory as Murphy settled for fourth place. Following a 9-1 loss to No. 1 Ed Ruth in the semifinals Saturday,
Abounader could have followed suit of many wrestlers and taken Sunday off. Instead, the freshman went 2-0 over ranked opponents to take third, the best Wolverine performance of the weekend. Despite starting the season on the bench, Murphy and Abounader rose to the occasion to lead Michigan. In addition to Coon, senior Dan Yates and freshman Conor Youtsey failed to perform to their seeding, both taking seventh in their weight class. With just 15 points separating the Wolverines from fourth place in the conference, every point mattered heading in, making the early losses all the more disappointing. “We weren’t as aggressive as we needed to be,” McFarland said. “I thought there were some big bright spots, but there were also some weights that just didn’t perform as they are capable. We need a much better complete team effort.” The Wolverines will have one more opportunity to put it all together in two weeks at the NCAA Championships in Oklahoma City. Michigan’s rise up in the rankings will be put to the test as the Wolverines look to avenge last season’s disappointing 33rd-place finish. With likely eight wrestlers competing in the tournament, McFarland is looking for a much better effort from everyone. “We’re going to have some hard training between now and nationals,” McFarland said. “We need it. I think our guys got back into the competition groove, but I think we need some hard training for that last push between Big Tens and NCAAs.”
By CAROLYN KODIS Daily Sports Writer
It has been a long winter for the Michigan men’s gymnastics team. Instead of spending another snowy week training in Ann Arbor, the team decided to hit the sun and sand with a training trip to Puerto Rico. And Friday, the third-ranked Wolverines’ (10-0 Big Ten, 17-0 overall) trip culminated in a matchup against the Puerto Rican National Team and No. 5 Penn State. The week-long vacation didn’t affect Michigan’s successful season, after it finished the night on top with a final score of 438.80. The Wolverines’ first rotation of the night was floor exercise, where junior Stacy Ervin earned a 16.10, the first floor score over 16 points in the country this season. Not far behind was senior Sam Mikulak, who
walked away with a 15.60. On pommel horse, junior Nick Hunter earned the top score with a 14.80. On still rings, Mikulak and senior Jordan Gaarenstroom tied with a pair of 15.10s. Mikulak again led the way on the fourth rotation — the vault — with a 15.30. Freshman and Puerto Rico native Tristan PerezRivera tallied a 15.20, while sophomore Konner Ackerman, who recently returned from an injury, earned a 15.00 on vault. On parallel bars, senior Syque Caesar earned a 15.50 and Hunter earned a 15.05. Michigan closed out the night with a solid performance on high bar, where Caesar earned the top spot again with a 14.70. Though the scores were lower in the final rotation, the Wolverines landed all five of their high bar routines, something they have struggled to do this season. “Hitting 5-for-5 on high bar
(was a highlight),” said Michigan coach Kurt Golder. “Even though our score didn’t reflect that.” This training trip was not only an opportunity for the Wolverines to compete against another top-10 team, but also a chance to get away from the cold weather. “Getting a change in pace from a long, hard winter is always refreshing,” Golder said. “To me, it seems like if you kept your team on campus (during spring break), it would almost seem like a punishment.” Golder said the team was able to balance training time and relaxation time throughout the week. In the afternoons, they’d have a three-hour practice, then spend the evenings either on the beach or exploring San Juan. Now it’s back to Ann Arbor for a return to the road ahead, and the season, not the weather, is heating up.
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SportsMonday
4B — March 10, 2014
‘M’ blows out MSU By ALEJANDRO ZÚÑIGA Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan hockey team only hosts Michigan State at Yost Ice Arena for one game HOCKEY FRIDAY this season, MICHIGAN 7 MICHIGAN ST. 1 but Friday, it scored enough for an entire series. Behind three second-period goals and a hat trick from junior defenseman Andrew Sinelli, the 11th-ranked Wolverines trounced the Spartans, 7-1, for their third straight win over the rivals. It took Michigan just 56 seconds and only one shot to get on the scoreboard. Making the most of a turnover and confusion behind Michigan State’s net, junior forward Alex Guptill slid a pass into the slot through two defenders, where senior forward Derek DeBlois found twine. By the end of the second frame, the Wolverines were scoring with such ease that each goal was little cause for celebration. When Sinelli’s innocuous wrister caromed in off a Spartan player for Michigan’s fifth tally of the evening, the junior simply shrugged.
“My first two goals were garbage,” Sinelli said. Michigan’s offense took just 17 shots through 40 minutes but tallied in nearly every way imaginable. And in the second period, the Wolverines scored more goals (3) than Michigan State had shots (1). “That’s the most dominant period I think we’ve had all year,” said sophomore netminder Steve Racine. “We just really took it to them.” Less than six minutes into that second period, Michigan’s suddenly potent power play struck on its first opportunity of the night. Guptill again played his part with an assist, taking a hard wrister that junior forward Zach Hyman redirected to make it 3-1. Even Spartan defenseman RJ Boyd played his part with an inadvertent deflection of a centering pass from junior forward Phil Di Giuseppe into his own net to bury his team in a three-goal hole. Sinelli added his first before the intermission. “College hockey is a game of momentum,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson.
Wolverines falter late, fall to Sparty By JEREMY SUMMITT Daily Sports Editor
EAST LANSING — A frustrating, eyeHOCKEY SATURDAY opening MICHIGAN 3 MICHIGAN ST. 4 loss to Michigan State in late December seemed like a distant memory for the Michigan hockey team. That is, until Saturday night. The 11th-ranked Wolverines failed to cap off their fourth consecutive victory over the Spartans (4-8-6-4 Big Ten, 10-16-7 overall), eventually stumbling to a 4-3 loss at Munn Ice Arena. The Wolverines’ (9-7-2-1, 17-11-4) third line anchored a high-flying offense that scored 10 goals over the weekend. Both sophomore forward Boo Nieves and junior forward Phil Di Giuseppe tallied a goal and two assists Saturday, while senior forward Luke Moffatt had one of each. “They got off to a good start,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “They played well all weekend, and I think they’re all getting confidence. The puck was going in for them.” “Our mistakes were costly.” But those three goals weren’t enough to stave off a hungry Michigan State squad that scored two goals just 73 seconds apart in the final period. Spartan forward Mike Ferrantino jammed home a rebound midway through the frame to tie the game at three. Moments later, Mackenzie MacEachern skated untouched into the offensive zone and scored off a wrist shot from
the left circle to complete the comeback. Even a few shining moments in the offensive zone couldn’t will Berenson’s squad to victory. Nieves earned his highlight-reel goal with a move that pushed the puck between his legs and to his backhand before he roofed a shot over goaltender Jake Hildebrand at the 4:43 mark of the first period. Moffatt’s tally came just 1:15 into the game, when he fired a wrister from the slot for his 11th goal of the season. And it was Moffatt who pushed a cross-ice pass to Di Giuseppe, who scored his third goal in as many games off a wicked slapshot from the right point. But the frustrating collapse was looming for much of the game. After Michigan’s two early goals, the Spartans had an answer every time their backs were against the wall. “It’s really tough,” Nieves said. “It’s hard to pick the positive things out after giving up a lead like that.” With four minutes to play in the second period, forward Lee Reimer cut Michigan’s lead to one with a power-play goal from the point, and that came after forward Greg Wolfe was credited with a much-needed goal at 11:58 of the first period. As Wolfe pushed the puck toward the slot, it took a deflection off freshman forward Tyler Motte and trickled past sophomore goaltender Steve Racine to cut the Wolverines’ deficit in half. What had been a locker room full of smiles the previous night was replaced by a sea of scowls as the team sauntered off the ice.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Michigan’s two-headed monster E AST LANSING — Michigan hockey, how do you know which version of your team will show up on a given night? How do you know when the 12th-ranked Wolverines that won 7-1 against the fifth-place team in the Big Ten, or the ones that lost 4-3 to the same team the next day, will come to play? At what point did you forget Michigan State would bounce GREG back from GARNO the loss on Friday night? Did you not focus on staying even-keeled after you won? Or was there a point when you thought the Spartans would go away without a fight? Was something said to the same 21 players on Saturday night that was different than Friday night? Was it an attitude change, fast-spreading virus or breakup that caused you to drop off from the 3-1 lead you held at the end of the first period? Or the 3-2 lead you held at the end of the second frame? Did you miss your captain, senior defenseman Mac Bennett, that much on Saturday? Did you struggle to pick up the intensity late in the game without him? After the third goal was allowed in the third period, did you notice how the rest of the team responded without saying anything or hanging its heads? Or did you notice after the fourth goal was let in minutes later and your goaltender, sophomore Steve Racine, shook his head? Weren’t you uncomfortable as Munn Ice Arena erupted for the loudest its been all year? Isn’t Saturday’s bewildering team infuriating after you surrendered only one shot in
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Senior forward Luke Moffatt had a goal and an assist Saturday against the Spartans, but the Wolverines were still upset.
the second period on Friday and allowed only one goal for the first time since January? Can you explain how frustrating it is that you’ve finished the past three weekends with a split against the bottom three teams in the Big Ten standings? Was this loss to Michigan State as “embarrassing,” as many of you said following the loss to Penn State two weekends ago? Have you noticed that you’ve played like two different teams the entire season? Can you remember games from the beginning of the season? Were you not aware of the
type of team you were after losing to lowly Canadian college Waterloo and then beating a top-five team in the country in Boston College? Against the Rochester Institute of Technology, did you recognize the two different teams after surrendering a four-goal lead? Can you remember beginning the year 10-2-1 against some of the best teams in the nation? Do you realize you’re 3-5-1 in your last nine games, where the tie counts as a loss in the Big Ten standings? What about your last-place finish in the Great Lakes Invitational didn’t inspire you
Which version of your team will show up on a given night?
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson called his team’s mistakes Saturday “costly,” as the Wolverines fell to MSU, 4-3.
to find an identity? Being swept in Wisconsin? Nearly sweeping the Badgers Big Ten Standings two weeks later? At this With two games point, does it remaining feel like the flip of a coin 1. Minnesota determines 2. Wisconsin 3. Michigan which team 4. Ohio St. shows up, 5. Michigan St. or would a 6. Penn St. coin flip be a more reliable indicator? What will it take to play with consistency and figure out which team shows up? When you do figure it out, how will everyone know? Do you understand what the magnitude of a loss to a team like Michigan State has on your chances of making the NCAA Tournament? If you don’t, do you know you need a win this weekend for any shot at returning to the postseason? Were you already feeling the pressure to win, or did it take this weekend to sink in? Did you feel the panic consume you when you remembered the No. 1 team in the country, Minnesota, arrives next weekend? Were you already thinking about that looming matchup during Saturday’s game? Do you have what it takes to put together a run like you did at the end of last season? If so, when do you plan to make that run? Are you aware that time is running out? After you qualified for 22 consecutive years until last season, will you rally in your last series of the year to prove you belong in the postseason? Or will you be on the wrong side of history? Again? Are you tired of asking these questions every week? I know I sure am. Garno can be reached at ggarno@umich.edu or on Twitter: @G_Garno
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