ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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GREEK LIFE
National chapters of SAE to end pledging ‘Deadliest fraternity’ to halt induction practices for new members
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Karen Staller, associate professor of social work, speaks at a SACUA meeting about University President-elect Mark Schlissel and nominations to the Oversight Committee Monday in the Fleming Administration Building.
Committee talks Schlissel SACUA discusses administrative issues, member elections in meeting By ANDREW ALMANI Daily Staff Reporter
At the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs’ meeting Monday, the faculty governance body discussed an array of topics and concluded with an executive session with University Provost Martha Pollack. SACUA members addressed the proposed awarding of honorary degrees at Spring
Commencement, appropriate grievance procedures and an upcoming meeting with University President-elect Mark Schlissel. This meeting will be the first time SACUA has had the chance to meet with and engage in direct discussion with the President-elect. During the presidential search process, SACUA expressed concern that their input was not solicited to a greater degree during his selection. Nonetheless, some members expressed approval of the Board of Regents’ Choice when Schlissel was named in January. During their meeting Jan. 24, Dentistry Prof. Rex Holland, SACUA vice chair, said he was optimistic that Schlissell will
serve as an exemplary president. “I’m very impressed with President-elect Schlissel’s credentials,” Holland said. “His speech was short but contained several very positive references to faculty governance. I have great confidence that Presidentelect Schlissel will be a splendid leader for a splendid institution.” The non-executive discussion during the meeting consisted largely of questions about SACUA’s duty to nominate individuals to the Department of Public Safety Oversight Committee. The committee is an independent group that monitors the DPS and any problems or complaints that may occur, advising the University admin-
New awareness day recognizes rare disease By AMABEL KAROUB Daily Staff Reporter
Thirteen years ago, Pam Mace was diagnosed with fibromuscular dysplasia, a rarely diagnosed disease. Today, the disease is being recognized in a statewide awareness day. After a year-long effort by Mace to garner more public awareness of the disease, the Michigan state Legislature has declared March 11 as Fibromuscular Dysplasia Awareness Day. Experts said awareness is crucial for the treatment of the disease, which is commonly misdiagnosed due to lack of understanding by medical personnel. FMD causes abnormal growth in the medium-sized arteries in the body, potentially causing hypertension, strokes and aneurysms. It mostly affects women in their 30s and 40s. When Mace first had a small stroke, she was repeatedly diagnosed with hypertension, or high blood pressure. “I just kept getting told that my blood pressure was high because of my history with high blood pressure with both of my parents,” Mace said. “I kept getting told to get on with my life.
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 26 LO: 10
No one could tell me what caused it.” Unsatisfied with this answer, Mace kept searching for a cause. When she was finally diagnosed with FMD a full year after her stroke, she said she felt very alone. “You’re told you have a rare disease, you go to the doctor, he says, ‘I’ve never seen a case before,’” Mace said. “There was very little literature on the disease back then.” Faced with the daunting diagnosis, Mace began a campaign to raise awareness. She joined the Fibromuscular Dysplasia Society of America in 2004, and she said she has had many opportunities to raise awareness since. “We got the National Stroke Association to list it, then the American Stroke Association listed it,” Mace said. “More doctors started diagnosing the disease, and different opportunities kept presenting themselves.” In 2009, Mace came to the Michigan Cardiovascular Outcomes Research and Reporting Program and asked them to create a national clinical registry of patients with FMD. The registry now has 14 participating sites nationally, and tracks nearly 900 patients. MCORRP Manager Eva Kline-Rogers said the information gained from patients has allowed for some crucial findings. “What we found in the registry is that 90 percent of patients See AWARENESS, Page 3
Daily Staff Reporter
Almost three years after Sigma Alpha Epsilon was expelled from the University’s Interfraternity Council for hazing allegations, the national chapter has decided to eliminate the new member pledging process. Pledging, a longstanding tradition in many Greek Life institutions, has come under fire for fostering a hazing environment among SAE’s 241 chapters, according to a press release put out by the fraternity March 7. “This change will adopt a method, practice and policy that treat all members equally and fairly and strive for a continuous development of our members throughout their lives,” the press release stated. In place of pledging practices, the fraternity will adopt the True
istration if changes need to be made. SACUA is in charge of finding faculty nominees when positions open on the Oversight Committee, through a nominating committee. The nominating committee will consist of Medical Prof. Charles Koopmann and Astronomy Prof. Sally Oey, both SACUA members, and Holland. The nominating committee faces some difficulty in the procuring of nominees, due to technical problems with the Senate Assembly’s computers. The server has recently been in use by other sections of the Senate Assembly, preventing the nominating committee from utilizing it in their search. See SACUA, Page 3
TA U B M A N T H E S I S
HOSPITAL
State to formally acknowledge fibromuscular dysplasia today
By MAX RADWIN
Gentleman Experience, which will “enhance the educational and leadership experience of our members and build upon their development during each year of their collegiate tenure.” The new program intends to move away from the concept of a pledge period to a more holistic educational period that teaches members about the values, mission and history of the 158-year-old organization. Since 2006, there have been as many as nine deaths connected to SAE fraternities across the country, earning it the nickname, “the deadliest fraternity,” according to Bloomberg News. Earlier this year, the University’s chapter underwent investigation after a Halloween party ended with two stabbings on Nov. 1. “The bad publicity Sigma Alpha Epsilon has received is challenging and regretful because we know that some of our groups have great new-member (pledge) programs and do the right thing,” SAE’s national chapter said in its press release. “At the same time, we have experienced a number of incidents and See SAE, Page 3
CAMPUS LIFE
Screening of foreign film looks at LSA theme Film series examines Indian society and politics through the silver screen By EMILIE PLESSET Daily Staff Reporter
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Taubman student Allen Grillers works on his thesis project in the Art & Architecture Building Monday.
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
CSG Judiciary examines election irregularities Engineering Council elections allegedly violate UMEC bylaws By KRISTEN FEDOR Daily Staff Reporter
The Central Student Judiciary, the highest judicial authority of Central Student Government, heard allegations of irregularities in the University Engineering Council elections Tuesday night, which took place in December. Rackham student Kyle Lady, the Eta Kappa Nu represen-
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tative for UMEC, and Engineering sophomore Kelsey Hockstad, an officer of Tau Beta Pi, filed the suit against UMEC for alleged undemocratic behavior. The petitioners cited the timing of the election and withholding of official results to the public as some of their concerns violating basic democratic principles. The eligibility of elected officials due to their constituency within the University was also called into question. Rackham student Chris Stevens, chief justice of the CSJ, said that an official opinion may be released by early next week. The final written verdict
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will address in detail all issues raised during the meeting. According to Article II of the UMEC Bylaws, UMEC elections should coincide with Central Student Government elections in November. This year, elections did not take place until December 5 to 6. According to Article IV, results should have been released to the public by Dec. 9. Formal public results have yet to be published, and they were only given to the plaintiffs at the Jan. 22 UMEC meeting. At the Jan. 22 meeting, Engineering graduate student Christina Zuchora, the outgoing UMEC president, See ENGINEERING, Page 3
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The University community got a taste of classic film Monday evening when roughly 30 students, staff and Ann Arbor residents gathered to watch Golmaal (Confusion), a 1979 Bollywood comedy film. The movie follows the trials of a young man as he pretends to be his twin brother to avoid being fired by his traditional boss. The movie screening was co-sponsored by the Center for South Asian Studies, the department of Screen Arts and Cultures, the Cohn Fund and the Language Resource Center as part of the LSA Theme Semester Program, India in the World. This semester, Indian films are shown every Monday evening with each movie focusing on different political and social aspects of Indian history. “They want to demonstrate how much of an impact that India and Indian culture has made on society,” said LSA seniorDustin Hartz, a student advisory board member. “The focus is to bring to light more aspects of Indian culSee FILM, Page 3
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News
2 — Tuesday, March 11, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers Before You Were Here
THURSDAY: CampusProfiles Clubs Alumni
Novelist’s work comes to screen
Could you discuss the film adaptation of your novel “The Diary of Teenage Girl?” For the last month and a half I’ve been going back and forth between San Francisco and Ann
Arbor to be present on the film shoot. It’s starring Kristen Wiig, Alexander Skarsgård, Christopher Meloni and some relatively unknowns because they’re practically teenagers. How is it watching your novel being transformed into a different medium? It’s insanely weird. Mostly because my work is — I never call it straight autobiography at all, but it’s based in my experience. So these characters are based on real people, who I’ve encountered even, are myself. The protagonist is based on me at a certain age. So I think actually the actress who plays
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Seeing Red
True Detective
BY OMAR MAHMOOD
BY CHLOE GILKE
Mahmood recounts a summer trip to Honduras, during which he encountered a povertystricken man selling a beautifully hand-carved violin. He reflects: “I haven’t worked for anything I have ... I feel spoiled by God. I want to earn my lot.”
Gilke and Akshay Seth laud the penultimate episode of the show’s first season for reinstating the “buddy-cop dynamic” between main characters, Rusty and Marty. Gilke writes: “... we are a step closer to solving the mystery ... (and) I couldn’t be more excited.”
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Study A-blog
Frank Ocean
BY AUSTIN DAVIS
BY ALLEN DONNE
From his travels abroad in Germany, Davis details the variety of reactions to his being an American. Despite one instance of discrimination, Davis writes, “I’ve found Germans in general to be tolerant and patient with foreigners,” especially with Americans.
The hip-hop artist released “Heroes,” his first track since his 2012 debut album channel ORANGE. The song, which bounces from R&B to alt-rock, is part of Converse’s “Three Artists, One Song” series. Read more from these blogs at michigandaily.com
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Phoebe Gloeckner is an associate professor in the School of Art and Design and a graphic novelist. Her most recognized work is her 2002 book, “The Diary of a Teenage Girl.” Gloeckner received the Guggenheim Fellowship to study the lives of the family of a teenager who was murdered in Ciudad Juárez, a city close to the U.S.Mexico border. She also teaches a graphic novel class and an electronic books class.
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that character was afraid to meet me in the beginning. She was really nervous that she would be playing it wrong or that I would judge. But I didn’t of course because if you agree to have your work turned into something else, you have to give control to the director—or else it just turns into a pile of mush. What would you say is your greatest artistic influence? My favorite movie is “The Virgin Spring” directed by Ingmar Bergman or “Blue Velvet,” which is an earlier David Lynch. But I also love Robert Crumb. — MAX RADWIN
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Lauren Yelen, a School of Natural Resources and Environment graduate student, works in the second year landscape architecture studio in the Dana Building Monday.
Modern Day Engineering Slavery lecture artwork WHAT: This exhibition features featuring artwork and poetry, largely created by Engineering students and faculty. The goal is to foster a sense of creativity beyond the classroom. WHO: Arts in Michigan WHEN: 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. WHERE: Duderstadt Media Gallery
Native American Med school Human Rights app. advice WHAT: Walter Echo Hawk, Native American author and tribal judge discussing the impact of the United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples, will give a lecture. WHO: Deptartment of American Culture WHEN: 4 p.m. WHERE: Michigan League
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WHAT: This lecture will examine cases of human trafficking in the U.S. and the role of the University’s law school in representing such victims. WHO: Osher Lifelong Learning Institute WHEN: 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. WHERE: 2900 Jackson Ave. at the Clarion Hotel
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WHAT: As part of its “Gearing Up to Apply to Medical School” series, Career Center mentors will give advice on the competitive process WHO: The Career Center WHEN: 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. WHERE: Student Activities Building l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
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TMZ released Justin Bieber’s deposition in a lawsuit where the pop singer’s bodyguard allegedly beat up a photographer. Bieber sarcastically calls the photographer’s lawyer Katie Couric, later erupting at the mention of Selena Gomez’s name. The Big Ten announced 2014 men’s basketball postseason honors, which named Michigan guard Nik Stauskas as Big Ten Player of the Year and Michigan coach John Beilein as Coach of the Year. >> FOR MORE, SEE SPORTS, PAGE 7
2
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Seven years after the death of Steve Irwin — known more popularly as “The Crocodile Hunter” — his former cameraman, Justin Lyons, revealed the personality’s final words: “I’m dying,” NBC News reported.
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Colorado pot taxes amass over $2 million in revenue Revenue from pot industry may go toward statewide anti-drug campaign
DENVER (AP) — Colorado made roughly $2 million in marijuana taxes in January, state revenue officials reported Monday in the world’s first accounting of the recreational pot business. The tax total reported by the state Department of Revenue indicates $14.02 million worth of recreational pot was sold from 59 businesses. The state collected roughly $2.01 million in taxes. Colorado legalized pot in 2012, but the commercial sale of marijuana didn’t begin until January. Washington state sales begin in coming months. The pot taxes come from 12.9 percent sales taxes and 15
percent excise taxes. Including licensing fees and taxes from Colorado’s pre-existing medical marijuana industry, the state collected about $3.5 million from the marijuana industry in January. That’s a relative drop in the bucket for Colorado’s roughly $20 billion annual budget, but still a windfall that has numerous interests holding out their hands. By comparison, Colorado made about $2.7 million in liquor excise taxes in January of last year. Statewide liquor receipts for January 2014 were not yet available Monday. Colorado tax officials say the January marijuana reports were in line with expectations, though they repeatedly said before the figures were reported that they couldn’t guess what tax receipts would be. Monday’s tax release intensified lobbying over how Colorado should spend its pot money. Budget-writers expect the
nascent marijuana industry to be extremely volatile for several years, making lawmakers nervous about where to direct the funds. Gov. John Hickenlooper already has sent the Legislature a detailed $134 million proposal for spending recreational and medical marijuana money, including new spending on anti-drug messaging to kids and more advertising discouraging driving while high. State police chiefs have asked for more money, too. “The whole world wants to belly up to this trough,” said Sen. Pat Steadman, a Denver Democrat who serves on Colorado’s budget-writing Joint Budget Committee. Other countries also are watching Colorado, which has the world’s first fully regulated recreational marijuana market. The Netherlands has legal sales of pot but does not allow growing or distribution. Uruguay’s marijuana program is still under development. “Colorado’s going to help the nation learn what works and what doesn’t,” said Pat Oglesby, a former congressional tax staffer who now studies marijuana’s tax potential at the Chapel Hill, N.C., Center for New Revenue. Colorado has about 160 statelicensed recreational marijuana stores, though local licensing kept some from opening in January. Only 24 recreational pot shops opened Jan. 1. Oglesby said Colorado’s pot sales could grow dramatically in future months as new stores open and marijuana sellers pay more wholesale taxes. Marijuana sellers were allowed a one-time tax-free transfer of medical pot inventory to the recreational market, a caveat that depressed January wholesale tax results. Colorado’s pot revenue picture is further complicated by the state’s unique budget constraints, known as the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights.
ARIEL SCHALIT/AP
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and Israel’s Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon, left, examine dozens of mortar shells and rockets seized from the Panama-flagged KLOS C civilian cargo ship that Israel intercepted last Wednesday.
Netanyahu draws attention to seizure of Iranian weaponry Israeli leader accuses Iran of perpetuating Gaza violence EILAT, Israel (AP) — Israel’s prime minister on Monday triumphantly toured a display of dozens of rockets that navy commandos intercepted in the Red Sea last week, alleged to be on their way from Iran to the Gaza Strip, and accused the international community of ignoring Iranian support for militant groups and falling victim to a charm offensive by the new leadership in Tehran. Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to this Red Sea port capped a sixday PR blitz aimed at persuading world powers to toughen their position in nuclear talks. So far, the international reaction has been subdued, illustrating the uphill battle the Israeli leader faces in his efforts to change the minds of world leaders about Iran’s outreach to the West. “There are those who would prefer that we not hold this news conference here today,
they feel uncomfortable that we show what is really happening inside Iran,” Netanyahu said. He spoke to a backdrop of the captured ship and the Israeli vessels involved in the operation along with the Israeli defense minister. “Iran, a brutal regime, has not abandoned its deep involvement in terrorism, its systematic efforts to undermine peace and security throughout the Middle East and its ambition to destroy the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said. “What is new is not Iran’s deeds or its lies, but the desire of many in the international community to bury their heads in the sand.” The tough comments threatened to further strain Netanyahu’s already tense relations with the European Union and the White House. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington that the U.S. is concerned about Iran’s support for militants but that it is still focused on resolving the nuclear issue. “There are remaining concerns we have about their terrorist activities, about — or activities tied to terrorism,
including the transfer, of course, of weapons, and — as well as human rights abuses, and we’ll continue to hold them accountable,” she said. Israel believes that Iran is trying to build a nuclear weapon, saying a nuclear-armed Iran would pose a threat to the existence of the Jewish state, citing Iranian calls for Israel’s destruction, its development of longrange missiles and its support for hostile militant groups on Israel’s borders. Iran denies that it is pursuing weapons technology. Netanyahu has been an outspoken critic of the efforts by six world powers to negotiate a deal with Iran that would substantially scale back its nuclear program in exchange for ending international sanctions. He says a current, interim deal gives Iran too much relief while getting little in return, and fears a final agreement would leave the Islamic Republic with the capability to make a bomb. Since last Wednesday’s naval raid, Netanyahu has done his utmost to use persuade the world that the shipment revealed the “true face” of Iran.
News
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NEWS BRIEFS DETROIT
William Clay Ford, Lions owner, dies of pneumonia at 88 William Clay Ford was born into a fortune and spent much of his life staying away from fame as he steered the family business and owned an NFL franchise. The man reverently referred to as Mr. Ford, the last surviving grandchild of automotive pioneer Henry Ford and owner of the Detroit Lions, died Sunday. He was 88. Ford Motor Co. said in a statement that Ford died of pneumonia at his home in Grosse Pointe. He worked for the company bearing his name for more than half of its 100-year history. He bought a business of his own, the Lions, a half-century ago.
WASHINGTON
Senate backs bill to eliminate ‘good solider’ defense The Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill late Monday making big changes in the military justice system to deal with sexual assault, including scrapping the nearly century-old practice of using a “good soldier defense” to raise doubts that a crime has been committed. On a vote of 97-0, the Senate rallied behind a bipartisan plan crafted by three female senators — Democrat Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Republicans Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire and Deb Fischer of Nebraska — that would impose a half-dozen changes to combat the pervasive problem of rape and sexual offenses that Pentagon leaders have likened to a cancer within the ranks. “Unanimous agreement in the U.S. Senate is pretty rare — but rarer still is the kind of sweeping, historic change we’ve achieved over the past year in the military justice system,” McCaskill said after the vote.
WASHINGTON
New research finds elephants understand people Dr. Seuss had it right: Horton really does hear a Who. Wild elephants can distinguish between human languages, and they can tell whether a voice comes from a man, woman or boy, a new study says. That’s what researchers found when they played recordings of people for elephants in Kenya. Scientists say this is an advanced thinking skill that other animals haven’t shown. It lets elephants figure out who is a threat and who isn’t. The result shows that while humans are studying elephants, the clever animals are also studying people and drawing on their famed powers of memory, said study author Karen McComb.
LOS ANGELES
Restored Pollock masterpiece debuts at Getty Museum “Mural,” the brilliant Jackson Pollock painting that took 20th century American art in a new direction, has re-emerged from seclusion with a stunning face-lift that’s given it a brighter look and an even more towering presence than it had before. The oil-on-canvas masterpiece that measures more than 8 feet tall and nearly 20 feet long has been under wraps at the J. Paul Getty Museum for more than a year, undergoing an extensive restoration. Painted in 1943 for wealthy art collector Peggy Guggenheim, it represents a key moment in Pollock’s career in which he began to move from creating more symbolic, regional forms to the abstract expressionism of his “drip” paintings that would both distinguish his career and transform the art world. —Compiled from Daily wire reports
SACUA From Page 1
AWARENESS From Page 1
A minimum of two nominees are required before a vote can be held, and the only existing nominee is Law Prof. Richard Friedman, who has opted to continue his service on the Oversight committee. Members of the University’s Board of Regents will join SACUA for their next few meetings, with Regent Mark Bernstein (D) appearing on April 7 and Regent Julia Darlow (D) appearing on April 14. Social Work Prof. Karen Staller, SACUA Chair, also shared information regarding University President Mary Sue Coleman’s retirement celebration. The event will be held this Friday at 3 p.m. in the Rogel Ballroom of the Michigan Union. Coleman is retiring in July after 12 years of serving the University. Actor Jeff Daniels will emcee the event, which is open to the public. SACUA will be holding an election meeting on March 24, where three new members of the committee will be selected to serve three-year terms. Currently, nine professors are seeking election the three spots on the committee.
of FMD are female and that usually it takes five years to diagnose it because the symptoms are vague and often overlap with other symptoms,” Kline-Rogers said. “That’s where the registry is making a lot of significant contributions, in helping to elucidate some of these symptoms.” Dr. Santhi Ganesh, assistant professor of human genetics and internal medicine, has worked with patients in the clinical registry and their families to study the genetics of FMD. She said there is a genetic component to the disease. “The cause of FMD is not well
SAE From Page 1
ENGINEERING From Page 1
deaths, events with consequences that have never been consistent with our membership experience. Furthermore, we have endured a painful number of chapter closings as a result of hazing.” Brandon Weghorst, associate executive director of communications for the SAE national organization, said the penalties for chapters that continue to practice pledging or hazing rituals will be severe. Weghorst said any behavior causing new members to feel like “second class citizens” will result in removing individual members or closing an entire chapter. “The reality is we know all the good things that our members do everyday that don’t get attention,” Weghorst said. “This is one way to help put us on the path we need to be on to help prevent some of those incidents from ever happening again.” LSA sophomore Brett Mizzi, president of the University’s chapter of SAE declined to comment on the policy change. LSA junior Tommy Wydra, IFC President did not comment on the University chapter’s chances of rejoining the officially sanctioned Greek community, but said they should easily adapt to the new national policies. “I’ve worked a little bit with the leaders of SAE and I’m confident that they will be able to make a smooth transition,” he said. “They’ve got some good leaders over there.”
announced outcome of the elections and served as chair over the motion to approve the results. The motion passed 36-6 to approve the newly elected and appointed representatives. The results in question are related to the race for the positions of president, vice president, and director of administration. Rackham student Boying Liu was seated as president, though Liu ran for the position of vice president. Similarly, Engineering sophomore Selina Thompson ran for director of administration yet was seated as vice president. Engineering sophomore Anna Shrestinian did not appear on the ballot, but was seated as director of administration. Liu defended her appointment as President on the authority of the General Council. She said that there was no vocal opposition to her assuming the role of UMEC president from any members during the January 22 general meeting. Engineering senior Kenneth Mull, the former vice president of UMEC, said in a Jan. 22 e-mail to Lady that Engineering
FILM From Page 1 ture because many people are not familiar with them.” Communication Studies Prof. Aswin Punathambekar coordinates the films screened each Monday. Punathambekar introduced the movie and explained how the film pokes
Tuesday, March 11, 2014 — 3
understood, but there appears to be a familial genetic component,” Ganesh wrote in an e-mail. “We hope the genetic study will provide insight into why arteries undergo abnormal remodeling in FMD patients, on a molecular and cellular level. This knowledge may be used to develop targeted therapies for FMD.” Shannon Fry, who has also been diagnosed with FMD, is listed in the clinical registry and is a patient of Dr. Ganesh. Like Mace, she was misdiagnosed with hypertension before being diagnosed with FMD. She said she has been profoundly affected by Mace’s work, and has been working to raise awareness about the disease as well. “I started visiting the FMDSA
website and started learning as much as I could through them,” Fry said. “I became a part of Dr. Santhi Ganesh’s study … I think the awareness is very important.” Although more and more patients are being diagnosed, Mace said the disease is still considered rare. In her latest effort to raise awareness, she has petitioned successfully, with the help of state Rep. Patrick Somerville (D–District 23), for March 11 to be FMD Awareness Day in Michigan. “It started well over a year ago,” Mace said. “I’d actually e-mailed Congress, from Congress I was told to contact my state representatives. I talked with different states … Pat Somerville took the time to actu-
ally initiate it for me.” The Michigan Legislature approved the awareness day on Thursday. Kline-Rogers said she hopes the day will help to reduce the misdiagnoses. “We want providers to be more aware that this is a disease that’s out there, and it’s very often misdiagnosed and unrecognized,” Kline-Rogers said. “We want it to be something that people think about … we want that provider to say ‘oh, I wonder if this is FMD.’ ” Mace said for FMD Awareness Day 2015, she hopes to go even bigger. “Next year we’d like to take it national,” Mace said. “We’d like to get every state involved now that we know how the process works.”
fun at the Indian upper-middle class. “By watching the movies I’ve picked up on more subtle elements and aspects of the culture that I hadn’t noticed before,” Hartz said. “Certain things I hadn’t noticed before are better explained through the context of watching a movie.” Many students from Punathambekar’s class on Indian Media in the World attended
the film screening. Ann Arbor resident Jerri Jenista and her family have attended almost all the movies screened by the Theme Semester. “We love Indian movies,” Jenista said. “It was funny. I love those old ‘70s clothes and furnishings.” In addition to weekly film screenings, the Theme Semester hosts lecturers, art exhib-
its and music performances pertaining to Indian culture throughout the semester. The program is hosting the Doris Duke’s Shangri La: Architecture, Landscape, and Islamic Art exhibit in UMMA and will host qawwali performer Asif Ali Khan on March 21. The upcoming Fall 2014 semester will shift the focus to sports and their affects on the University.
sophomore Diego Calvo, won the election but withdrew over winter break. According to Article III of the UMEC Constitution, in the event of a vacated seat, the Executive Board should appoint an interim officer to be approved by a vote of the General Council. No such motion was made by UMEC following Calvo’s resignation. The alleged vacancy of the seat is still unclear, as Calvo was not yet sworn in as president when he resigned. Petitioners also argued the eligibility of both candidates and voters for the UMEC is also in contradiction with the All-Campus Constitution and CSG Compiled Code. According to Article III of the UMEC Constitution, members of UMEC are defined as students who are enrolled in either the College of Engineering, Computer Science within LSA or Rackham Engineering programs. However, according to the All-Campus Constitution, students of one constituency may not sit on the body of another constituency. Each student in the University pays a $1.50 fee along with tuition for his or her respective school’s student government. Since UMEC collects fees exclusively from undergrad-
uates of the College of Engineering, the petitioners argued that UMEC should exclude Rackham and LSA students from elections. The petitioners said that as a Rackham student, Liu should not be allowed to serve as UMEC President. Additionally, Rackham students were among those who voted on the motion to approve the election results at the Jan. 22 meeting. The petitioners argued that this vote should also be discounted for the same reason. The defendant said that UMEC should not be this exclusive, as currently only roughly $15,000 of the $24,000 budget comes from mandatory student fees. Also, they said the purpose of student government should be to serve respective student communities, even if those constituencies overlap. Though no official verdict was reached, each justice shared individual opinions at the conclusion of the hearing. While the justices overall agreed that the December UMEC elections were handled incorrectly, it is still unclear what the exact details of the verdict will be. Stevens said the case was extremely muddled. Law student Andrew Weis-
berg, UMEC associate justice, said the election should not be valid because of the delayed timeline. LSA senior Brandon Barlog, UMEC associate justice, agreed, and repeatedly said the issue originated with UMEC’s failure to hold elections in November in accordance with its bylaws. LSA senior Lukas Garske, UMEC associate justice, and LSA senior Anita Parikh, administrative justice, both pointed to the negligence of the outgoing 2013 UMEC Executive Board in the outcome of the election. Parikh said that the current officials should not necessarily be punished for the mishandling of the election. “It was not their fault that the elections were held so poorly by the previous board,” she said. However, the justices were unanimous in that a constitutional convention should be held in the near future by both parties to address the conflicts between the UMEC Constitution and AllCampus Constitution. Stevens said that revisions to both constitutions are inevitable. “I see this opinion as temporary no matter what happens,” he said.
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Airline’s lack of information angers relatives Malaysia Airlines sends officials to Beijing as search continues BEIJING (AP) — The anguished hours had turned into a day and a half. Fed up with awaiting word on the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, relatives of passengers in Beijing lashed out at the carrier with a handwritten ultimatum and an impromptu news conference. Faced with an emergency, the airline said it was doing all it could to answer questions about Flight MH370, which disappeared from radar Saturday with 239 people aboard while heading from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The uncertainty over the plane’s whereabouts was frustrating relatives, but also hindering the carrier’s ability to respond: It’s difficult to deliver a clear message with so much still unclear. From a room set aside at a hotel near the Beijing airport, a man with a black shirt emerged with a statement signed by about 100 of the relatives, saying that unless the carrier could give them some clarity, they would take their complaints to the Malaysian Embassy.
“We don’t believe Malaysia Airlines anymore. Sorry everyone, we just don’t believe them anymore,” the man, who refused to give his name, told a crowd of reporters Sunday. By this time, the airline already had dispatched dozens of caregivers to Beijing and assigned one to each family, provided accommodation, food, transport and financial assistance. It said it was providing regular updates despite a lack of information about the plane. But the initial disorder of Malaysia Airlines’ response, and its lack of official contact with relatives in the early going set the tone for the ensuing hours of waiting. “One of the most important things to remember here,” said Frank Taylor, a former director of an aviation safety center at Cranfield University in Britain, “is that it’s much easier to stand down staff after an initial overreaction than to play catch-up after an initial under-reaction.” The relatives had expected the plane’s arrival at 6:30 a.m. Saturday. About four hours later, a handwritten note was posted on a white board in the arrival hall advising relatives to use a shuttle service to go to the Lido Hotel to await information. “It can’t be good,” said one weeping woman
aboard the first bus. But when the family members got there, they wandered around lost and distressed before hotel staff — apparently unprepared — escorted them into a private area. It was several more hours before an airline spokesman made a brief statement to reporters, providing little information. “We’re literally trying to find out what happened and until you actually find the aircraft you have no way of knowing what actually went on there,” the airline’s commercial director, Hugh Dunleavy, told The Associated Press on Sunday. “Our main focus has been to come here, meet the families, give them as much information as we can but without raising false hopes.” Still, passengers’ relatives gathered in Beijing complained that the airline hasn’t been forthcoming with information. Instead of hearing from the carrier, they said, they’ve had to rely on news reports for updates on the search. The initial lack of word led to criticism that the airline did nothing in the six hours after the Boeing 777 jet vanished at 1:20 a.m. while cruising at 36,000 feet. But Dunleavy said the airline had immediately notified all planes in the nearby airspace to be on the lookout. They contact-
ed air traffic control authorities in Malaysia, Vietnam, and China. They notified Malaysia’s Civil Aviation Department and Transport Ministry. The airline made no public announcement before the plane’s scheduled 6:30 a.m. landing because it would have had enough fuel to continue in the air, Dunleavy said. About an hour after the expected arrival time, the airline released its first statement saying it had lost contact with the plane. “It does not mean, and is not true, that we were not doing anything in that period. It was a full ongoing investigation and search and rescue” by Malaysian authorities, Dunleavy said. By Saturday afternoon, the rumors had started flying, and airline officials had to verify each one — all of which took time. Did the plane land in Nanning, a southern Chinese city? No, it did not. Was a crash off the Vietnam coast confirmed? It was not. Did Vietnamese officials detect the plane’s signal? Officials later denied it. In the Lido Hotel, meanwhile, red-eyed relatives were seeing the rumors on smartphones but not hearing the airline’s verifications. Impatience grew. After 30 hours had passed without contact with the plane,
airline officials told the relatives to prepare for the worst. After about 36 hours, the relatives at the Lido issued their statement, and the man in the black shirt went before reporters. “They’re still telling us they can’t find this plane,” the man said. “All the information we’re getting is from the media. We, who are part of the relatives, feel that this is a very improper and indifferent way to treat the family members.” The airline should have been more communicative from the beginning, even if it didn’t have any news to provide, said Ira Kalb, a crisis management expert at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. “You have got to get out ahead of the story and you have got to do whatever you can to comfort the relatives of the people that were on the flight,” Kalb said. “If you don’t have all the information you just say: ‘Look, we’re investigating and we’re trying to get as much information as we can and as soon as we get it we’ll pass it on to you. “’ By later Sunday, the airline was trying to speak more regularly with relatives and expedite passport and visa applications for those who wanted to go to Malaysia. Even that came under fire by some family members.
Opinion
4 — Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN EDITOR IN CHIEF
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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Removing the R-word Michigan legislature commendably removes term to promote inclusion
L
ast Wednesday, both houses in the Michigan legislature unanimously voted to remove the word ‘retarded’ from state laws. The movement to remove the word from all official documents throughout the United States began in 2009 with the “Spread the Word to End the Word” campaign. This is a commendable move by the Michigan legislature and demonstrates the state’s commitment to the value of all citizens. Eight Michigan House bills and seven Senate bills will remove the terms “retarded” and “mental retardation” from a variety of laws including those that addressing criminal activity, mental health institutions, insurance claims, educational facilities, surrogate parenting, foster care and child care systems. The term was first used by medical professionals in 1895 in order to describe “slow or limited intellectual or emotional development or academic progress.” However, over time the connotation has morphed into a term of degradation and insult. Today, the word has no place in everyday language, let alone official documents or professional use.
The movement to remove the term from law is a national trend that has gained momentum. After Gov. Rick Snyder signs the package of bills, all but five states in the United States will have removed the offensive word from state law. By removing the word from official documents, Michigan is demonstrating its respect to individuals and families affected by intellectual disabilities. Similarly, the state Senate voted to mark Wednesday — the day of the bills’ passage — as “Spread the word to end the word” day across the state. With these actions, Michigan can move forward as a more inclusive community.
FROM THE DAILY
An edible alternative Medical marijuana should be available in non-smokable forms for patients
M
ichigan legislature is currently debating the merits of edible pieces of medical marijuana — non-smokable forms of the medicine. The effects of medical marijuana are beneficial for those diagnosed with a number of diseases. The Court of Appeals’ decision to outlaw non-inhalable forms of medical marijuana limits the efficacy of the drug by alienating patients who have difficulties inhaling smoke. Michigan legislators need to strongly consider passing House Bill 5104 to allow the legal distribution of edibles. In July 2013, the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the sale of edible forms of medical marijuana is not permissible under state law, deeming non-smokable forms of marijuana to not be “usable marihuana.” Michigan House Bill 5104, primarily sponsored by state Rep. Eileen Kowall (R– District 44), is being proposed in response to this ruling. The ban on edible forms of medical marijuana harms patients who need a method of ingesting the THC chemical without inhaling smoke. Forcing young children and patients with respiratory complications to inhale smoke to reap the health benefits of medical marijuana arbitrarily causes hardship
with no apparent benefit. Medical marijuana is a popular pain reliever among patients with cancer, HIV/AIDS, Crohn’s disease, insomnia and chronic pain. However, newer studies have shown evidence for more peculiar ailments. In small doses, marijuana has been shown to reduce anxiety levels and symptoms of ADHD. Similarly, strains that are high in cannabidiol and low in THC — such as the popular “ Charlotte’s Web” — are being used to treat people with highly debilitating conditions such as epilepsy and Parkinson’s disease. Legalizing the distribution of edible forms of marijuana will allow all patients to efficiently use medical marijuana for their ailments.
FOLLOW THE DAILY ON TWITTER Keep up with columnists, read Daily editorials, view cartoons and join in the debate. Check out @michigandaily to get updates on Daily content throughout the day. THE CLIMATE COMMITTEE OF LSA UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION | VIEWPOINT
Promoting inclusive communities We are writing to share our concern and acknowledgement of how challenging, hurtful and difficult the campus climate has been for many of our students. From the voices at the Freeze Out in the Fall to the most recent Speak Out protest hosted by the United Coalition for Racial Justice, we are sadly reminded that this campus community is not as supportive, welcoming or inclusive as we all wish it to be. In January, University Provost Martha Pollack and University President Mary Sue Coleman reiterated the University’s ongoing commitment to diversity and inclusiveness. We applaud this commitment and look forward to contributing to the discussions necessary to make progress in these areas. As the directors and senior staff of undergraduate programs across the College of Literature, Science and the Arts, we have been meeting over the past year to identify ways we can improve the campus climate. Our work includes developing new workshops and course modules to help educate students about issues of personal and social identity, inclusiveness and intercultural competency. We are expanding the hands-on diversity training and guidance for our student staff. Our aim is for these students to have greater intercultural sensitivity, group facilitation and problem-solving abilities in their varied roles as peer advisors, study group leaders and mentors. We are enhancing our professional growth through sharing best practices and undertaking the kinds of training we expect of our student leaders and of
ourselves. These efforts will help us promote more inclusive and safer learning environments for all students. And we are pursuing collaborations with Student Life to align our support for incoming students and our collective message that we expect and need all students on our campus to foster a community of respect, support and inclusion. Together we hope that these efforts will facilitate academic success and an equal opportunity for students to reach their goals and aspirations in a welcoming and inclusive environment. In addition, Undergraduate Education, a division of LSA, recently sponsored a workshop series on diversity and climate for faculty and staff. These workshops focused on improving climate in classrooms and related course activities, such as study groups. In May, two additional teaching institutes will highlight best practices for inclusive teaching and learning. While we occupy a small space on this campus, we are more committed than ever to make sure that all of our programs are safe, respectful, and inclusive and that those who work for us and participate in our programs share and demonstrate this same commitment. We welcome your input on how we can achieve these goals. Please send an email to us at lsa.uged.climate@umich.edu. This article was written by members of the The Climate Committee of LSA Undergraduate Education. A full list of the authors can be found in the online edition.
I
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Calling all female mentors
t is essential for students to have mentors. Mentorship is not just about receiving life, career or course-related advice; it’s about personal affirmation. It’s about seeing evidence of how your personality, skills, traits, knowledge and experience can help you NIVEDITA succeed in your KARKI goals. Seeing that your “story,” if you will, can go somewhere. I’ve asked about five female and five male friends this question: “Have you found a mentor in college yet?” Most of the people in both the groups weren’t really sure about what the role of a mentor is. Among the girls, no one seemed to have given it a thought — at least not in regard to their instructors in college. However, it turns out four out of the five guys I talked to have someone in mind. They thought of instructors with whom they’d interacted with regularly during previous courses. Guy 1 looked up to the ideologies a professor whose office hours he had attended often. Guy 2 “totally bro-ed out” with a former GSI who now works for a tech startup while traveling the country. Guy 3 took an independent study class and had to meet in-person with a professor. They both had a common liking for American football. For Guy 4, surprisingly, this form of interaction was getting picked on in the class. The professor had randomly chosen to engage in friendly banter with him during class, and this gave him all the more reason to walk into class well prepared. Not surprisingly, all their mentors were male. These stats are by no way a representation of the entire student population, but I’m afraid the figures won’t be too different for a larger proportion of students.
I asked myself, too — have I found someone who I could call a mentor yet in college? I mean, I have always looked up to one of my former female GSIs — and now friend — who worked for Microsoft the past summer, but didn’t really have anyone particular in mind. I didn’t know what I should I be looking for in a mentor either. It’s not that female students can’t approach male instructors for career advice or help on coursework. I mean, had I come across a GSI who was working for a tech startup while traveling the country, I would no doubt have wanted to get to know them. But would I be able to “bro out” with them? All the guys had found something in these instructors that resonated with them. They saw themselves adapting some of their mentor’s beliefs, and even life choices, in the long run. The obvious reason why female students find it hard to seek mentors is the evident male dominance in the faculty. Here at the University of Michigan, only 25 percent of faculty that have attained full professor status are females. I say it again, this is about personal validation. The large number of male instructors at the University produces diversity in personal background and preferences among potential male mentors. It is much easier for a male student to be able to find similarities with multiple instructors. However, having fewer female instructors, or just fewer female students receiving personal affirmation, leads to a looming danger — the danger of a single story. Due to the lack of visible successful professionals who share personal interests with female students, girls
find it hard to see themselves in an industry where they seemingly won’t fit in. How they would carve their path seems to be not even remotely known. And what we don’t know scares us. So I thought of some of the women outside of college I look up to today in my area of interest — technology and entrepreneurship. All happen to be women who are extremely hard working. These are the women who have very similar stories — an Ivy League education, commendable professional attitudes, tremendously good at what they do and always easy on the eyes. But what about those of us who are not Sheryl Sandberg from Harvard working for Facebook as COO, or Mary Barra from Stanford CEOing at General Motors? Will women ever get to see their fair share of Pete Cashmores from Scotland running Mashable, or home-schooled David Karps founding Tumblr? Now more than ever, female students are hungry for mentors. With the freedom of career choice they deliver and the scope of personal and professional growth they provide for students, universities are, and have been, the place to carve out our “stories.” This is the time when students with diverse backgrounds can be encouraged to make their own choices. But university campuses continue to boast of (almost) equal number of female and male students while only little more than one half of them receive personal validation from those who guide them. What tone are they setting for the students moving out of college?
Now more than ever, female students are hungry for mentors.
— Nivedita Karki can be reached at nivkarki@umich.edu.
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 KATHRYN ABERCROMBIE | VIEWPOINT
A professional investigation
The past month has been a flurry of activity surrounding the infamous Michigan kicker Brendan Gibbons case. Since the story broke Jan. 28, the campus erupted with questions as to how and why this case was conducted. From the outside looking in, it’s easy to assume that something went wrong in the investigation process. We, as a student body, don’t know exactly what happened. And, frankly, it’s none of our business. What is our business has to do with the overall rules and procedures of how sexual misconduct cases are handled at the University of Michigan. It’s not our business to know exactly how this specific case was handled. I support the administration’s denial of access to Central Student Government’s task force to documents relating to this specific case. I also support the Office of Civil Right’s investigation of the University’s handling of the Gibbons case. I support it for many reasons including, but not limited to, the fact that it will be out of students’ hands. It will be conducted by professionals who know the required policies and who know how a university should handle an investigation correctly. Contrary to the CSG task force, the team at OCR will not have to hastily educate themselves on basic information regarding sexual assault and the standard policies in order to conduct a thorough investigation. OCR will have adequate resources and be able to reach out to informed individuals for consultation. This will not be a project that is in a stack of concerns in the busy lives of student leaders. In the old Sexual Misconduct Policy, pre-2011, there was a part of the procedures that was particularly problematic and discouraged survivors of sexual assault to report
what had been done to them. This was often a trial-like review panel including peers. It required survivors to compile evidence of their own case and present it to fellow students on their own behalf. Even with promises to ensure confidentiality, the fact that other University students would know the survivor’s intimate trauma and judge them was reason enough, in some survivors’ minds, to not report. Additionally, there was a high likelihood that the students sitting on that panel would not be representative of whom the survivor saw as a ‘peer.’ The thought of knowing that other students, not of the survivor’s choosing, would hold such a personal and terrible story of a survivor’s past was a strong deterrence for relying on the University’s pre2011 Sexual Misconduct Policy. This aspect of the procedures has, thankfully, been omitted in the new policy that was officially implemented in the interim policy in August 2011. What the CSG task force is doing by investigating the case as they are is bringing back something that is reminiscent of this review panel of peers. While the intentions are coming from a good place, ensuring the University is a safe and just place for students, the manner in which the task force is seeking to answer the questions they initially published is unduly asking to invade the privacy of confidential cases that have been put into the hands of the University professionals for a reason. It’s not other students’ business to know what happened in regard to any specific case of sexual misconduct. It is, however, the general student body’s and CSG’s business to know that the University is acting with integrity and up to the standards that it laid out in the 2013
Student Sexual Misconduct Policy. The policy itself can be found online, and there are staff members of the University who are well versed in the policy and would be more than willing to explain the entire process to any student that asked. Not many students have been asking the right questions, but is that a responsibility to be put on the students? With this is the importance of maintaining privacy alongside transparency, and it’s something that the University has not been proactive about. There was not a convenient briefing for the student body regarding the new policy implementation (there was an e-mail that many did not take the time to read). There’s not yet been training given to faculty regarding the policy even though they interact with students closely each and every day. This culture must change. The administration did not proactively inform the University community; instead, they waited to react to students’ frantic questions that were based on pieced-together information. I wholeheartedly support the investigation of the University of Michigan through the Office of Civil Rights and hope that this campus can unite to use our student voices productively to continue to influence positive change in the administration. The constant dialogue around the Brendan Gibbons case is alienating to many on campus, and it is creating a climate that can exclude survivors by constant triggers. We want a campus that builds survivors up rather than making their pain a hot topic. I hope that the federal investigation aids in this progress and gives our campus some closure. Kathryn Abercrombie is an LSA junior.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be fewer than 300 words and must include the writer’s full name and University affiliation. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.
Arts
5 — Tuesday, March 11, 2014
MOVIE REVIEW
FINE ARTS COLUMN
Giving up ownership of fine art
FOX
Turn up for Christ.
No hope in ‘God’ Overdramatic portrayal of Christ fizzles away By CONRAD FOREMAN Daily Arts Writer
Jesus is back. And he’s white. Again. Yes, Jesus Christ has once again made his way to the silF ver screen with “Son of God,” Son of God this time portrayed by Por- At Quality 16 tuguese actor and Rave Diogo Morgado — best known FOX for playing the same role on History Channel’s “The Bible.” Though there is a mix of ethnicities throughout the film, almost all of the important characters are white. It’s apparent that people (specifically, Christians) still cling to the idea of a white messiah, when it seems pretty obvious that the actual Jesus was some shade of brown. John, one of Jesus’s apostles, tells the story through a flashback. He gives a quick recap of history
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(Adam and Eve, Noah, etc.), discusses Jesus’s birth, then (just like “The Bible”) flashes forward to Jesus as a man, leaving out any mention of his developmental years. Throughout the film, John’s voiceovers are few, but when present they serve as a crutch for the filmmakers, simplifying the storytelling of already straightforward material. There is no originality. There is no creativity. Nothing about “Son of God” offers any value except for someone seeking to mix and mash Jesus’s greatest hits. He heals a cripple, feeds the masses and walks on water, but at the end of the day, there is no exploration of Jesus’s character, and everything feels very surface-level. The truth is that some characters are too perfect to be interesting; that’s why they introduced Kryptonite to the Superman universe. While Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” may have been controversial, its refreshing portrayal of Jesus as a man with doubts, concerns and fear, without question makes it a better film. There simply is no saving grace for “Son of God.” Even the aesthetics aren’t high quality in this adaptation. Every establishing shot looks like bad CGI and the
makeup department apparently did everything in their power to provide perfect teeth for all. Verisimilitude can’t always be the measuring stick for qualifying movies, but it’s distracting and annoying that these characters, supposedly living in poverty over 2000 years ago, all have pearly whites. The heaviness of the music may be appropriate, given that this is indeed a tale of biblical proportions. However, working alongside acting and directing like this, the score actually adds humor to a movie that doesn’t justify how seriously it takes itself. Imagine a swooping camera, shooting Jesus and his disciples walking in slow motion, as if away from an explosion in an action movie, accompanied by the most dramatic orchestral arrangement you can imagine. You’ve just visualized multiple scenes from “Son of God.” Roma Downey (“Touched by an Angel”) clearly has passion for her religion, as well as for monetizing that passion. As the Virgin Mary, she acts and serves as primary producer for both this film and the aforementioned “Bible” miniseries, from which comes most of the footage for “Son of God.” Unfortunately, passion and religion do not an enjoyable film make.
When I was little and didn’t want the apple offered to me as a snack, I’d sneak into the kitchen and slide across the f loor to the pantry where I’d eat every apple Chupa Chups. If I was bored of the classical music CD my grandANNA mother was SADOVSKAYA playing, I’d f lip to an FM station and dance around to Hoku. We’re taught to take things — to make the world our oyster, to find our niche, to hold on to things that matter. This intangible need to continuously achieve maximum gratification prompted everyone to go out into the wild and bring back things like music, TV, film, video games, Monopoly and Beethoven. And while musicals and novels have cultivated an immense following, the stiff upper-browed sisters symphony concerts, museum exhibitions and theater performances have been labelled stand-offish — meant only for the sophisticated socialites who attend the Whitney Biennial, or something you go to when you want to impress someone with your knowledge of culture. You can’t hold a painting the same way you can a book. You can’t sing along to Chopin’s piano concertos. You can’t dance with Diana Vishneva.
It’s not only the lack of interaction. Though it’s true that paintings don’t say sassy things à la Harry Potter, and orchestras don’t encourage mosh pits, it’s not the onesided experience that ruins fine arts for some. It’s the lack of ownership — what’s the point of appreciating something you can’t touch, you can’t own. “This is my song,” said every girl at every party. Something about screaming out “I LOVE THIS INTERLUDE” isn’t as appealing at a symphony concert — there’s something stagnant in asserting your passion for a painter. You can love Picasso more than Dali, but you can’t dance faster or sing louder or watch the same painting on repeat until you know each line by heart. There’s an upper bound — a ceiling you reach with your appreciation. The desire for owner-
I don’t owe anyone an explanation for my taste. ship is hard to suppress — why observe when you can covet? The inherent style of participating in the fine arts is removed, requiring a passive participation that doesn’t allow you to make it your own. There’s no way to express your favoritism; you
stand and admire each painting the same. My grandma doesn’t agree. She asserts her passion with vigor, attending every exhibition opening and gallery show with enthusiasm, so as to show everyone just how much she loves the fine arts. “This is so my genre of art,” said my grandma every day of her life. But that’s not ownership. It’s a following, a need to keep up with the ever-changing world, digesting every bit of art possible. It’s obsessive, and yet it doesn’t hold the same value as reading and re-reading the first book that made you realize that nothing in the world matters. And yet, this lack of ownership grants a momentary reprieve from the day-to-day world. Standing in front of Van Gogh’s Starry Night and realizing you’ll never see anything else like it is humbling. It’s clarity that’s hard to achieve elsewhere. Anyone can own a copy of “Harry Potter”; the same’s not true for Van Gogh’s work. I go to museums so I don’t have to vie for attention — I don’t have to feel like I need to prove my love for a certain painting over the other or how well I know an artist. I don’t own anything at a symphony concert except my ticket — I don’t owe anyone an explanation of why each piece is exactly like my life. Sadovskaya is eating apple Chupa Chups. To join her, email asado@umich.edu.
TV REVIEW
MOVIE NOTEBOOK
Do films cause cancer? By ZACHARY WHITUS For the Daily
The “sexiness” of cigarettes confuses me. On the one hand, cigarettes aren’t cool anymore. Teachers spanked their positive propaganda into my generation and we accepted it: “Smoking causes cancer.” On the other hand, many more (myself included) find cigarette smoking strangely attractive. How is this possible? Despite all my science-based stigma induced by grade-school propaganda, something somewhere in my upbringing must still be pressing me to smoke cigarettes. There is no more Joe Camel or Marlboro Man (does anyone even know these names anymore?). There are no more cigarette TV commercials. But there are still many films, old and new, that depict, celebrate and/or sexualize smoking. Cinema seems to be a pre-carcinogen. I want to look at one scene from one film in particular: Woody Allen’s “Manhattan.” “Manhattan” depicts the psychological conflict between our understanding that smoking causes cancer and the self-reflective aesthetic pleasure of smoking a cigarette; in short, it depicts the absurdity of the modern American attitude toward smoking. In this scene, early on in the film, Woody’s character, Isaac, pulls out a cigarette and lights it. “Mmmm,” he says, melodramatically puffing. “That is so great.” “You don’t smoke,” Tracy (Mari-
el Hemingway), Isaac’s girlfriend, says with a laugh, amused by his comic smoking display. “No, I don’t smoke. I don’t inhale, because it gives you cancer. But I look so incredibly handsome with a cigarette that I can’t not hold one.”
Smoking in movies glamorizes dangerous habit. This scene illustrates the common American attitude toward cigarette smoking — a kind of doublethink. We recognize that cigarette smoking causes cancer, but strangely, many of us still want to smoke, at least on some level. This scene shows how our desire focuses on the image of cigarette smoking; specifically, the actualization of the self-image. Isaac says, “Mmmm … that’s so great,” but he doesn’t seem to actually be inhaling — at least he says he isn’t — i.e., he’s not getting pleasure from the cigarette’s nicotine. His pleasure is a self-reflective, narcissistic one — the actualization of the egotistically desirable self-image of cigarette smoking that makes him appear “handsome.” The question is: how
did Isaac and the rest of us ‘learn’ that smoking/holding a cigarette makes us look handsome? Look at the nature of the conflict. It’s a conflict between our rational mind (our understanding that smoking causes cancer) and the irrational mind (smoking cigarettes looks cool). Asking why Isaac thinks he looks “so incredibly handsome” smoking a cigarette becomes a question of how his irrational, emotional mind acquired that belief and the associated desire. And I believe the answer is in the power of film. Film and other media manage to subvert our rationality and appeal to something much deeper — a desire to stand out, to be the hero. The most important irony in this scene isn’t that Isaac is smoking a cigarette despite saying he doesn’t smoke. It’s that, on a meta level, the fact of this scene being in a film ironically answers the question of how Isaac and the rest of us “learned” that smoking/holding a cigarette makes us look cool: We mimicked the actors and actresses we saw smoking in movies. For me at least, the foundational level of absurdity depicted in this scene might be undermined, or complicated, because Isaac is right: he looks cool smoking a cigarette. All the vanity, gild and glamor of cigarette smoking held critically under comic lens in this scene might be failing for this simple reason: Woody looks too cool smoking his cigarette while he’s trying to make fun of it.
OUR TWEETS BE SO SWEET @MICHIGANDAILY
SUNDANCE
‘Remember when I was Denise?’
Tense, gripping ‘Road’ By DREW MARON Daily Arts Writer
In Native American culture, the “red road” is the path one follows to achieve an elevated level of spirituality. AIt’s the ideal life path, Red Road achieved Thursdays through at 9 p.m. enlightenment, dis- Sundance cipline and sacrifice. It also conjures up images of a road stained red with blood. Media is saturated with images of the Native American past, and with some of those images being Johnny Depp as Tonto in “The Lone Ranger,” I think it’s fair to say that we have a long way to go in terms of accurate representation. “The Red Road” is the second scripted drama from Sundance— and if the pilot is any indication, AMC and FX now have some stiff competition. The series takes place in the New Jersey town of Walpole. A college student has gone
missing in the nearby woods, causing a massive manhunt. Meanwhile, tensions between the citizens of Walpole and the mountain-dwelling people of the Ramapo are reaching a fever pitch. At the center are two men: ex-con and Ramapo enforcer Phillip Kopus (Jason Momoa, “Game of Thrones”) and local cop Harold Jensen (Martin Henderson, “The Ring ”).
New Sundance series driven by strong performances. “The Red Road” is something of a small town noir in the same vein as “The Killing,” “Twin Peaks” and, most recently, “True Detective.” Yet the show doesn’t focus on the mystery surrounding the missing person. In fact, we
find out very early on what happened … well almost. Like all good small town mysteries, everyone has a secret and as the end of the pilot suggests, the façade is about to be lifted. The performances are great all around, with Momoa stealing every scene he’s in. Kopus is charismatic, badass and potentially frightening. In fact, if there’s one glaring complaint I have about the show it’s that the Native American characters are so interesting that some of the town characters pale in comparison. Notably there’s Martin Henderson as Sheriff Harold Jensen, the yin to Kopus’s yang. Henderson does a fine job but when compared to the towering Momoa, he’s simply not as interesting. His prejudice against the Ramapo has yet to be explored, however, and I’m much more willing to give the series the benefit of the doubt this early on. Overall, “The Red Road” promises to be a tense, gripping addition to an already impressive line-up of great TV currently out there.
News
6 — Tuesday, March 11, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Legitimacy of Ukraine’s government challenged Kremlin fails to heed U.S. demands to withdraw toops from Crimea KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia said Monday it is drafting counterproposals to a U.S. plan for a negotiated solution to the Ukraine crisis, denouncing the new Western-backed government as an unacceptable “fait accompli” and claiming that Russian-leaning parts of the country have been plunged into lawlessness. The Kremlin moves came as Russian forces strengthened their control over Crimea, less than a week before the strategic region is to hold a contentious referendum on whether to split off and become part of Russia. In a televised briefing with President Vladimir Putin, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said proposals made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry are “not suitable” because they take “the situation created by the coup as a starting point,” referring to the ouster of Ukraine’s pro-Kremlin president, Viktor Yanukovych. Referring to a document he received from Kerry explaining the U.S. view of the situation in Ukraine, Lavrov said: “To be frank, it raises many questions on our side.” “Everything was stated in terms of allegedly having a conflict between Russia and Ukraine, and in terms of accepting the fait accompli,” he said. Lavrov said Kerry delayed a visit to Moscow to discuss the situation, and Russia had decided to prepare new proposals of its own, though he did not say what they were. “We suggested that he come today ... and we were prepared to receive him. He gave his preliminary consent. He then called me on Saturday and said he would like to postpone it for a while,” the minister said. But in Washington, State Department officials said that it was Russia’s refusal to dis-
cuss the American proposals that was hurting prospects for a negotiated solution — in particular, the idea of direct talks between Russian officials and those of the new Ukrainian government. “We are still awaiting a Russian response to the concrete questions that Secretary Kerry sent Foreign Minister Lavrov on Saturday in this regard,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement. “Secretary Kerry made clear to Foreign Minister Lavrov that he would welcome further discussions focused on how to deescalate the crisis in Ukraine if and when we see concrete evidence that Russia is prepared to engage on these proposals,” she said. The statement said Kerry, in weekend discussions with Lavrov, reiterated Washington’s demand that Moscow pull back its troops from Ukraine and end attempts to annex the Crimean peninsula. Kerry also called on Russia to cease what the statement described as “provocative steps” to allow diplomatic talks to continue. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s foreign minister said Monday that his country was practically in a state of war with Russia, whose forces have effectively taken control over the Crimean Peninsula in what has become Europe’s greatest geopolitical crisis since the end of the Cold War. “We have to admit that our life now is almost like ... a war,” Foreign Minister Andrii Deshchytsya said before meeting his counterparts from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. “We have to cope with an aggression that we do not understand.” Deshchytsya said Ukraine is counting on help from the West. Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk is to meet with President Barack Obama in Washington on Wednesday. On Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry denounced the lawlessness it said “now rules in eastern regions of Ukraine as a result of the actions of fighters
of the so-called ‘Right Sector,’ with the full connivance” of Ukraine’s new authorities. Right Sector is a grouping of far-right and nationalist factions whose activists were among the most radical and confrontational of the three-monthlong demonstrations in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, which eventually ousted Yanukovych. The Kremlin statement also claimed Russian citizens trying to enter Ukraine have been turned back at the border by Ukrainian officials. Pro-Russia sentiment is high in Ukraine’s east and there are fears Russia could seek to incorporate that area as well. Obama has warned that the March 16 referendum in Crimea would violate international law, and Putin countered that 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,” Putin said, according to the Kremlin. Meanwhile, Obama spoke by telephone with Chinese President Xi Jinping late Sunday, trying to court China’s support for efforts to isolate Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine. Obama appealed to Beijing’s vehement opposition to outside intervention in other nations’ domestic affairs, according to a White House statement. Obama “noted his overriding objective of restoring Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and ensuring the Ukrainian people are able to determine their own future without foreign interference,” the statement said, adding that the two leaders “agreed on the importance of upholding principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.” China has been studiously neutral since the Ukraine crisis began and it remained unclear whether China would side with the U.S. and Europe or with Moscow.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, March 11, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
PHIL SEARS/AP
Marchers gather in front of the Florida Supreme Court Monday in Tallahassee, Fla.
Sharpton leads protestors against ‘stand your ground’ U.S. Rep. says bill has devolved into protecting violence instead of safety
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Rev. Al Sharpton led hundreds of people on a march Monday to the state Capitol, where they rallied against Florida’s “stand your ground” law. Among those present were the parents of slain black teenager Trayvon Martin and the family of Marissa Alexander, who was sentenced to 20 years for firing a gun near her estranged husband. The crowd rallied on the Capitol steps across from Florida’s Supreme Court. “To have laws that tell people that they can shoot first and then ask questions later is a violation of our civil rights. I believe that law is inherently wrong,” Sharpton said before the march began. “The law in effect says based on your imagination — if you imagine I’m a threat — you have the right to kill me.” Sharpton called Florida “ground zero” for the fight against ‘stand your ground.’ Protesters waved signs saying “STANDING OUR GROUND” and wore T-shirts reading, “We
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36 Valuable violin 38 Comeback victor’s vindication 39 Fed the kitty 40 Filch 42 Hurried 43 International accords 48 Schoolyard game 50 Riot control weapon 52 Like lies 53 Alpaca kin
54 Director Preminger and others 55 U.S.-MexicoCanada commerce pact 56 Bride’s new relative, say 61 Hullabaloos 63 Eisenhower nickname 65 Guitar cousin 66 Brother of Peyton Manning 67 President pro __
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are not a threat.” Images of Martin were pictured on signs, shirts and drawings. Sharpton’s National Action Network joined other groups in backing the rally. Florida law says people who are not involved in illegal activity have the right to stand their ground and meet force with force, including deadly force, if they reasonably believe it’s necessary to avoid death or great bodily harm. Those present said reforms are needed. “Everybody trying to stand in solidarity and show that these laws that don’t apply to us, we’re here to change them,” said Tracy Martin, Trayvon’s father, speaking with The Associated Press. Martin’s son was fatally shot by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman, who later was acquitted of seconddegree murder. “What the law is actually saying is this country doesn’t value the life of black and brown kids. We want our kids to understand their lives are equal value of anybody else life,” the elder Martin said. Florida’s Republican-dominated Legislature has declined calls for substantial changes to the stand your ground law enacted in 2005. Democrats have filed bills to repeal the law
or amend it in recent years. Democratic U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, of Jacksonville, spoke at the rally, exhorting change. “I’ve never seen a perfect bill and changes need to happen with this bill,” Brown told AP afterward. “When they started, it had good intentions. Protect your castle. But they have extended it to, you don’t like the color of my dress and you feel threatened after you start a fight — there’s something wrong with that.” Last summer, members of a group calling itself the Dream Defenders held a monthlong sit-in at the state Capitol urging lawmakers to call a special session to overhaul the law. But Gov. Rick Scott and legislative leaders declined. “This is the governor’s opportunity to really show that he’s a leader for all Floridians, not just the few,” state Rep. Alan Williams, D-Tallahassee, said. “This was the first state that implemented ‘stand your ground,’ this should be the first state to repeal ‘stand your ground.’ Others at Monday’s rally included the family of Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old fatally shot by a police officer while handcuffed in a train station, and the family of Michael Giles, a U.S. Airman sentenced to 25 years in a self-defense case.
Shoe-bomb witness testifies in terror trial Via video chat, former bomber provides account of terror training NEW YORK (AP) — Jurors at the terrorism trial of Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law watched him threaten there would be no end to the “storm of airplanes” on videotapes made in the days after the Sept. 11 attacks Monday just before a British man testified by video from London that he trained to blow up a plane in late 2001 with a shoe bomb. Prosecutors showed the New York jury video clips of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, threatening Americans in the weeks after the terror attacks to set the stage for testimony from Saajid Badat, a 34-year-old United Kingdom resident who refuses to testify in the United States because he faces terrorism charges in Boston that could send him to prison for life. Badat said he trained with failed shoe-bomber Richard Reid to carry out separate shoebomb attacks aimed at downing planes over America or in Europe in the months after the Sept. 11 attacks were carried out with four hijacked airplanes. He pleaded guilty in England in 2005 to conspiring to harm an aircraft and served six years in prison before his sentence was shortened through his cooperation. His plea came in connection with a 2001 plot to down an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami with explosives hidden in his shoes. Prosecutors are using Badat’s testimony to show that Abu Ghaith, as al-Qaida’s spokesman, was in the thick of a con-
spiracy to create a second wave of airborne terrorism attacks while the debris left by the toppled twin towers of the World Trade Center was still burning. Abu Ghaith is charged with conspiring to kill Americans and providing material support to al-Qaida. If convicted, the 48-year-old onetime imam at a Kuwaiti mosque could face life in prison. He has pleaded not guilty. Immediately before Badat’s testimony, prosecutors showed jurors a 50-second clip of a 5-minute videotape of Abu Ghaith from Oct. 9, 2001, in which he threatens that “America must know that the storm of airplanes will not abate, with God’s permission.” Alluding to martyrdom, he said there were “youths who are yearning to death just as Americans yearn to live.” Then prosecutors showed nearly 2 minutes of an 8-minute videotape from Oct. 13, 2001, in which Abu Ghaith threatens America again, saying some in the U.S. had not understood the gravity of his earlier message. “The storm of aircrafts will not stop,” he said at one point, according to an English translation of Arabic statements that was introduced as a court exhibit. “We strongly advise Muslims in America and the Britain, the children and those who reject unjust American policies, not to board aircraft and we advise them not to live in high-rises and tall buildings.” Despite many months spent in al-Qaida training camps and locations in Afghanistan from 1999 through 2001, Badat testified that he did not recognize a photograph of Abu Ghaith and did not recall having ever seen or heard him.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Tuesday, March 11, 2014 — 7
Wagner stays undefeated By JAKE LOURIM Daily Sports Editor
Michigan softball coach Carol Hutchins said before the season that she’d rotate her three pitchers until one stood out. But with the pitching tapering, Hutchins might be forced to go with the hot hand. Junior left-hander Haylie Wagner is that hot hand at the moment, and the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year’s numbers have stolen the show: 63.1 innings, 37 hits allowed, eight earned runs allowed, 55 strikeouts and a 0.88 ERA. She’s started eight games and gone the distance in seven of them. Last weekend, Wagner earned Michigan’s only two wins with a pair of completegame four-hitters against No. 7 Arizona and Texas. “I felt very comfortable out
there,” Wagner said over the weekend. “I knew that if I did my job pitching, my defense would pick me up and do their part.” Wagner’s velocity is just a touch slower than junior right-hander Driesenga or right-hander Betsa’s, but her execution has been nearly flawless. Wagner has been working the strike zone and letting her defense, which has a .984 fielding percentage, do the work. “She did her part,” Hutchins said over the weekend. “That’s what we ask the hitters to do, that’s what we ask our pitchers to do, that’s what we ask our defense
to do. Everybody has a part. “The pitcher can’t win the game — they can only keep us in the game. I thought she did a great job and was very one-pitch focused this weekend.” Meanwhile, Driesenga, who pitched all three games in the Women’s College World Series last year, has started with an 0-3 record with a 3.44 ERA and hasn’t finished any of her six starts. Betsa has tapered off a bit as well, posting a 4.42 ERA on the Spring Break trip. The Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. this past
“The pitcher can’t win the game — they can only keep us in the game.”
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Junior left-hander Haylie Wagner has thrown a complete game in seven of her eight games started this season.
weekend was the first time Wagner earned a significantly greater portion of innings. Prior to last week, each pitcher had started three games, and Wagner had thrown just 7.1 more innings than Betsa and 10.2 more than Driesenga. Now, Wagner has 63.1 innings to Betsa’s 45 and Driesenga’s 38.2. After Betsa started against No. 6 Washington and Houston and Driesenga pitched against No. 10 Arizona State — all losses — Wagner got the nod in the final two games of the tournament and won both. Even as the team — especially the bats — struggled, Wagner was dominant. “Sometimes it’s hard, but I do know that I have my team out there to help me with that,” Wagner said. “You have to find the one-pitch focus even if you are struggling. You have to clear your mind of everything else, and you have to focus on that pitch. If I am struggling, I have to step back and remind myself of that.” Early in the season, Wagner often had the luxury of pitching with big leads, most notably in a 15-1, 5-inning victory over Louisiana-Lafayette on Feb. 15. But as the bats have cooled down, scoring three runs or fewer in nine of the past 11 games, she hasn’t been so lucky. Still, she won a close contest against No. 5 Kentucky on Feb. 22, 3-0, and worked the eighth and ninth innings to help beat Kent State, 1-0. Then, in Fullerton, she outdueled Arizona, 3-0, and Texas, 3-1. Wagner still must compete with a reigning First Team AllBig Ten pitcher in Driesenga and a hard-throwing freshman in Betsa, so the pitching rotation is still just that — a rotation. But if Wagner keeps carrying the staff, it may not be much of one for too long.
Why losing was necessary A
record is the standard barometer by which a team is measured. But for the No. 20 Michigan water polo team, the record portrays only one part of the progress that has been made. It started Jan. 18, when the Wolverines jumped in the pool at Canham BRAD Natatorium WHIPPLE only to sink at the hands of one of their toughest opponents, Indiana. The captains tried to surface a wrecked ship, but took one blow after another. From this point on, it looked like there’d only be a downward spiral. Michigan’s crew consists of 19 underclassmen and five upperclassmen. With 12 ranked opponents in the Wolverines’ first 14 games, the younger players were forced to adjust rapidly to the rigorous pace of collegiate water polo, and pulled off three wins against ranked teams. As if Michigan wasn’t struggling enough with a team strung together with eight freshmen, it was dealt a blow when senior attacker Hathaway Moore broke her thumb two weeks into the season, stunting the team’s chances of growing at all. The confidence seemed absent, the future looked dismal and the inexperience seemed to doom the Wolverines from the start — seven straight losses through January and early February. But Michigan needed to suffer these early season losses to understand how to win now when it mattered most. The losing woes that plagued the first two months of the season were simply Michigan’s cleansing stage, extinguishing all the problems that persisted
for half of the season. It was a time to take a step back and reevaluate the direction of the season. “It’s easy to forget that you need to get better when you win games, and it’s easier to remember you need to get better when you lose games,” Anderson said. “That’s what this team has really taken to heart because of how we started.” In this case, you had to lose some to win some. The embarrassingly meek offensive effort that defined the beginning of the season needed to be addressed. The late-game deficits that were too large to rebound from and the shots that just weren’t hitting the back of the net. Over the first seven games of the season, the Wolverines netted 50 total goals compared to 90 during the last seven. If Michigan (0-2 Collegiate Water Polo Association West
Division, 10-10 overall) were to go a game without several players earning hat tricks, it would be unusual. Now it’s just a norm, even for the underclassmen. There was a problem with the team’s chemistry — an experiment gone wrong. With the lack of effective communication during games, disorganization ensued and whatever goal the Wolverines had for this season didn’t look attainable. Though they are a team, they didn’t play like one. When Moore returned two weeks ago, she brought back the team-first mindset that had been absent. But the words of a team captain wouldn’t be enough — the Wolverines used Spring Break to train with the Canadian national team in Montreal. Rather than spending time on the beach, the players spent time solely with each other, learning what it meant to play as a
single group rather than for an individual. Midway through February, it looked like Michigan was on track for its first-ever losing season. The Wolverines entered March 3-10 on the season, and for one moment, it looked as if they would not rise above .500 again. Now Michigan is riding a seven-game win streak that evened out its record. Up next is the Wolverine Invitational, a home event the Wolverines haven’t lost a game in since 2007. The losses in the beginning of the season were about steering a broken ship back on a track. They were about piecing together a team that has finished first 11 times at the CWPA Western Division Championship. They were about making a 12th title a reality. They were about more than a record.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Freshman guard Siera Thompson holds the program record for 3-pointers.
Mitchell plays for first time in career By SHANNON LYNCH Daily Sports Writer
Sophomore forward Kelsey Mitchell made her first-ever appearance in a Michigan uniform in Thursday’s firstround Big Ten NOTEBOOK Tournament game against Indiana. The Detroit native tore her anterior cruciate ligament before her freshman season and suffered a foot fracture during preseason workouts this year. Her debut came on the biggest of stages — Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, home of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers. Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico didn’t warn her that she’d be making her debut in the game’s final minutes, either. “I was quite surprised,” said Mitchell last Thursday. “To actually step out on the court wearing a Michigan uniform was truly a blessing.” Leading by more than 20 with two minutes remaining, Barnes Arico also rewarded fifth-year senior forward Kendra Seto, sophomore forward Rebecca Lyttle and freshman guard Danielle Williams with playing time alongside Mitchell against the Hoosiers.
Thompson
on
track:
Suffice to say there have been high expectations for guard Siera Thompson since Day One of this season, and she hasn’t disappointed. The freshman has played in all 31 games this year and has drained at least one 3-pointer in every contest. She also holds the freshman record in the program for most 3-pointers in a season with 69, an award she earned back in January against Nebraska. Amy Johnson, one of the top three leading freshman scorers in Michigan history, set the previous record with 49 during the 1993-94 season.
In addition, Thompson has 411 points this year, and averaged almost 14 points per game. She fell just 11 points short of taking over the third place spot for most points scored by a freshman, and she was fewer than 50 points from taking the second-place record from Michigan women’s basketball legend Diane Dietz. Dietz was the leading scorer for the Wolverines in her four seasons at Michigan (197882), and she holds the all-time scoring record with 2,066 points. Thompson has put herself in a position to stand with some of the all-time greats in her program if she continues to have the shooting success she’s had this season.
Fouls stunt Wolverines:
Staying out of foul trouble early in games has been a major hurdle the Wolverines have struggled to overcome this season. Michigan doesn’t boast a very big lineup — only two starters, Goree and senior forward Val Driscoll, stand over six feet tall — and it has a relatively short bench. Nicole Elmblad is 5-foot11, and losing any of them to foul trouble has proven to be a major blow to the Wolverine’s defense. The issue arose in the Big Ten semifinal loss to No. 19 Michigan State last Friday. “When Cyesha picked up her second foul, they kept their big lineup in,” Barnes Arico said after the game. “We had four guards in and (Michigan State) really took advantage of our zone, and they got the ball inside and that’s when they made their run at the end of the first half.” Elmblad fouled out of the game with four minutes remaining, while Driscoll and Goree finished with four and three, respectively. The loss to the Spartans highlighted how fragile the defense can be without the height and power of Michigan’s tallest starters.
FINALLY WARMING UP OUT THERE. WANT TO TAKE A DIP IN THE POOL TO YOUR LEFT??
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YOU CAN’T! IT’S NOT REAL! IT’S JUST A PICTURE OF A POOL. GOT YA GOOD, DIDN’T WE?
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
The Michigan water polo team has won its last seven games in which they have scored 90 goals to move to .500.
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Sports
8 — Tuesday, March 11, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
What a night for Jordan Morgan F
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Sophomore Nik Stauskas was named the Big Ten Player of the Year Monday.
Stauskas tabbed Big Ten’s best By SIMON KAUFMAN Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men’s basketball team’s trophy case better be big, because its recently acquired Big Ten championship trophy is going to have company. On Monday night, the Big Ten announced individual postseason honors for the recently completed 2014 regular season, with the Wolverines racking up the awards. Sophomore guard Nik Stauskas was named the Big Ten Player of the Year, Michigan coach John Beilein earned Coach of the Year honors from the media, freshman guard Derrick Walton Jr. claimed a spot on the all-freshman team and sophomore guard Caris LeVert was selected to the all-conference second team. Sophomore forward Glenn Robinson III also was among the winners with an allconference honorable mention. Stauskas’ honor makes it back-to-back years that a Wolverine has won Big Ten Player of the Year. Former Michigan guard Trey Burke took home the award last season — the first Wolverine to do so in program history. Stauskas was also the only player in the conference to receive a unanimous nod for All-Big Ten first team by the media and the coaches. Stauskas — who also earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors on Monday for the fourth time this season — helped lead Michigan to its first outright conference title since 1985-86. The 6-foot-6 Mississauga, Ontario native led the team in scoring, averaging 17.4 points per game — good enough for fourth best in the conference. His 71 3-pointers and nearly 46-percent mark beyond the arc were third best among Big Ten players. The guard also averaged more than three assists and rebounds per game. Burke was the ninth overall pick in last year’s NBA draft, and many project Stauskas could follow in his footsteps and go early in the first round of this year’s draft if he were to declare for it. Beilein’s Coach of the Year honor is the fifth of his career. He received the honor in 1981 while coaching Erie Community College, in 1988 at LeMoyne, in 1994 while heading Canisius’ program and in 1998 at Richmond. Beilein led Michigan to a 23-7 overall record and a 15-3 conference mark. In his
seventh season as coach of the Wolverines, Beilein was faced with the challenge of replacing the pillars of the team that reached the National Championship last year in Burke and former Michigan guard Tim Hardaway Jr., who both left for the NBA. To make matters worst, he also had to replace sophomore forward Mitch McGary who underwent back surgery early in the season. But Beilein made due with the players he had, many of whom stepped into bigger roles to replace the lost talent. LeVert, who was a redshirt prospect last year, stayed in Ann Arbor over the summer along with Stauskas to prep for his sophomore season. LeVert’s work in the weight room paid off — he bulked up from 170 pounds last year to 185 pounds this season — as he became one of the Wolverines’ most dangerous and consistent offensive weapons. The sophomore guard started in every one of Michigan’s 30 games and averaged 13.4 points per game — usually while guarding the opponent’s best offensive player. LeVert led the team in steals with 36 on the season — 12th most in the conference. Walton’s all-freshman team honor helps carry on a Michigan freshman tradition. Walton is the fourth straight Wolverine to receive the honor following Robinson last season, Burke in 2012 and Hardaway in 2011. The first-year guard from Detroit averaged more than eight points and a touch fewer than three assists per game. After adjusting to the pace of the college game, he showed tremendous poise quarterbacking Michigan’s offense. In late January he stepped up in East Lansing, scoring a career-best 19 points to help lead the Wolverines past Michigan State. Despite averaging 13.2 points per game and scoring in double digits on 22 different occasions, Robinson’s award is a disappointment. He was selected to the preseason All-Big Ten team and after averaging 11 points last year, many thought he would put up numbers more comparable to Stauskas’. The awards are nice reminders of the regular season year that was. But ultimately, Michigan hopes to have the newly collected hardware overshadowed by an even bigger team-earned trophy in April.
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rankie Valli and the Four Seasons declared that “Big Girls Don’t Cry” in their 1962 hit single, and you better believe they would’ve said the same for big boys. So you can only imagine that the 1960s pop band would’ve been disappointed when minutes before tipoff on Saturday night, 6-foot-8 forward Jordan Morgan jogged to half court accompanied by his parents with tears running down his face. The fifth-year senior was greeted by a bear hug from MichiSIMON gan coach KAUFMAN John Beilein and a standing ovation from a sold-out Crisler Center crowd. Morgan waved to the fans that came to watch the Michigan men’s basketball team take on Indiana and to see him in action for the last time on his home court. He was the lone senior on the roster honored before the game on Senior Day. Frankie and Co. might’ve disapproved of his pregame emotions, but they would’ve asked for an encore after seeing him play. Jordan Morgan “Walked Like a Man” towards center court to assume his starting position, and then scored and rebounded like a man, too. He had the Wolverines’ first six points, grabbing rebounds and finishing in the paint among a crowd of Hoosier players. He finished the half with eight points and six boards, helping an inefficient Michigan offense go into the locker room trailing by just six. Midway through the second half, left all alone down low, Morgan caught a pass and finished with a dunk, giving the
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Fifth-year senior forward Jordan Morgan played in his final home game, an 84-80 win over Indiana, on Saturday night.
Wolverines a six-point lead, their largest at that point in the game. Later in the frame, he reached down to grapple for a loose-ball rebound and came up with the ball — his 10th board of the night to complement his 15 points — his first doubledouble of the season and fifth of his career. With three seconds left in the game, and Michigan’s fourpoint lead safe, Beilein put Morgan back on the floor so that when the buzzer sounded in the senior’s final home game, he would be out there to take it all in. *** December 18, 2007 — not “December 1963,” but still “Oh, What a Night” for the Wolverines. It was then that Morgan committed to playing basketball at Michigan. More than six years removed from
the decision he made as a junior at Detroit Jesuit High School and he finally got what he came for — a Big Ten title that was his alone. No, Morgan is not this team’s MVP, and chances are, after this year, his master’s degree in manufacturing engineering will be a more likely to land him a job than his rebounding ability, but the captain is still a critical part of the Wolverines’ success. “I just think (redshirt junior Jon Horford and I) have a perspective of this team that’s kind of the last of what was of Michigan basketball,” Morgan said in October at Big Ten media day. “We’ve seen the good and the bad, and we know what it takes to make it to where we’ve gotten — Big Ten championship, National Championship appearance. So I think we just kind of do a good job of keeping everybody focused.” That leadership and
mentality, to go along with more than five points per game and nearly five rebounds per game this season, earned Morgan, and the Wolverines another Big Ten championship banner — one they don’t have to share. “I mean you talk about five years worth of emotions wrapped up into one day,” Morgan said after the game. “So much work, sweat, adversity that went into just putting this program where it is, just years and years of battling. It’s like a constant battle for five years no matter what it is, whether it’s on the court or off the court. This is the culmination of all that.” And on Saturday, Morgan cried like a big boy. He walked like a man. And oh, what a night to go out on. Simon Kaufman can be reached sjkauf@umich.edu or on twitter @sjkauf.
Through example, not words, Kevin Clare leads Wolverines into weekend By GREG GARNO Daily Sports Editor
Kevin Clare isn’t one to be shy or quiet, or so his teammates say. They say the senior defenseman is a vocal player with an outgoing personality around his teammates, though, just not outside the locker room. In the week of preparation before the final home series of his collegiate career, Clare chose not to speak to reporters. But he’s never led with his words this year anyway. Instead, he’s always led by example. Perhaps now more than ever. “He’s played his best hockey since he’s come to Michigan,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “And that’s what you look for in a senior. You look for him to be a guiding light on defense, make big plays, and for the most part he has.” This season, Clare has blocked a team-high 72 shots, 27 more than the next closest teammate — senior defenseman Mac Bennett. Over the past six games, Clare has recorded a plus-five rating and blocked 18 shots, which rankes among the top on the team in that span. Clare’s game has become similar to his personality. It isn’t nonexistent, just what’s necessary. It isn’t over the top or flashy, but it gets the job done. “He’s not quiet, he’s not loud,” said freshman defenseman Kevin Lohan. “He’s a funny guy, though.” On a team that has struggled to show consistency and put together a series without a split as of late, Clare’s presence has been important. He rarely takes a penalty — only four this year for eight minutes — and he has posted a plus/minus rating of zero. His willingness to block shots and to make an extra pass has been key. Clare’s 10 assists is second only to Bennett. His play has helped a Michigan defense limit teams to fewer than three goals per game in Bennett’s absence.
And Clare’s performance of late has earned him a spot on the power play and penalty kill — roles he rarely took on in the first half of the season. “He’s our steadiest defenseman and has been all year,” Berenson said. “He’s definitely been one of the guys that’s picked up the slack when Mac Bennett was gone. Whether it’s on our penalty killing, shot blocking or power play.” Added Bennett: “I think Kevin Clare has stepped up
tremendously. He’s playing some of his best hockey he’s ever played right now and I think he’s really carrying the defensive corps with him right now.” But even last year when he played in 19 games, missing the second half of the season with an injury, his 40 shots was still good for third. “He’s always been pretty steady,” Bennett said. “He set the bar high for himself and he needs to lead by example. And he’s doing that right now.” Clare, often one who has
“He’s played his best hockey since he’s come to Michigan. And you look for that in a senior.”
seemingly avoided the spotlight off and on the ice, has yet to speak to reporters this year, choosing to let his game speak over his words. As Michigan continues to search for an identity late into the year, maybe it’d be wise to take a page out of his book. NOTES: Bennett returned to skating with the team on Monday after he missed the past two weekends with what was called an upper-body injury. Berenson says Bennett is “on track” to return this weekend against Minnesota. … Junior forward Andrew Sinelli sat out practice with a bag of ice taped to his shoulder. Berenson says his progress is still being monitored and a decision will be made later this week. Sinelli played both games in the series against Michigan State.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Senior defenseman Kevin Clare may not be the most vocal player, but he has excelled at leading by example this season.