ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Friday, April 11, 2014
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ADMINISTRATION
‘U’ appoints first shared services ctr. director Pamela Gabel to head 275-person staff after location opens in August By YARDAIN AMRON Daily Staff Reporter
On Thursday, the University appointed an executive director to run the Shared Services Center that will consolidate some University support staff into a central location near Wolverine Tower. The center is part of the University’s larger Administrative Services Transformation, a cost containment measure aiming to save $120 million from fiscal years 2013 to 2017. Pamela Gabel, current director of My Service Center, a division of the building supplier Masco Corporation that employees 15,000 people, will head the 275-person staff at the shared services center when it opens in August. She will begin her role on April 28. Al Franzblau, vice provost for academic and budgetary affairs,
said in a University press release that over 70 applicants were considered for the job. He added that the search and selection processes included faculty and staff feedback. “Our selection process included bringing finalists to campus to make presentations and take questions from audiences that included staff from the project team, administrators from academic units and central offices, faculty members and some of the future staff members of the Shared Services Center,” Franzblau said. “Their collective guidance was very important to the final selection of our service center’s leader.” The Shared Services Center is slated to open in August with a small number of staff. The center will be fully staffed and at operational capacity by winter 2015. Over the course of the center’s planning period, there has been significant controversy regarding its implementation. In November and December, staff and faculty spoke out strongly against the University’s handling of the project. A petition that circulated the faculty See LEADER, Page 3
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Rapper 2 Chainz performs at Hill Auditorium as a part of the SpringFest festivities Thursday. Ben Folds and J. Cole were the headlining acts in previous years.
2 Chainz headlines daylong SpringFest festivities MUSIC Matters presents largest installment of annual event By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
In the third installment of its annual SpringFest celebration, MUSIC Matters pulled out all the stops Thursday.
Rain served as an enforced recess between the afternoon’s activities and the night’s capstone concert — which climaxed as rapper 2 Chainz strolled onto the Hill Auditorium stage, bellowing his moniker to the heavens. During the day, food trucks and live entertainment stretched along North University Avenue from Hatcher Graduate Library to North University Avenue, while 40 student organizations, organized
ANN ARBOR
UW chancellor talks inequality problems in U.S. Rebecca Blank offers her stance on opportunity gaps
City calls on ‘U’ to consider S. State Street Corridor plan during site planning Daily Staff Reporter
The University is currently developing more specific plans for the recently acquired 16.7-acre Edwards Brothers Malloy property on South State Street, but the city might have a few things to say about their ambitions. Ann Arbor’s Planning Commission drafted a resolution that was passed by city council Monday that includes suggestions to the University in their usage of the property. The Planning Commission and city council requests that the University act in accordance with the city’s master plan – specifically with the “South State Street Corridor Plan.” The Ann Arbor City Council has had numerous discussions on the Edwards Brothers property. A 6-5 vote on Feb. 24 voted against implementing their right to purchase the site before the University, allowing the University to instead take possession of the property. Some of those in favor of the purchase argued that if the University was allowed to purchase the land, future revenue from taxes would come off the books since the See COUNCIL, Page 3
WEATHER TOMORROW
HI: 68 LO: 55
that kind of projects to the crowd. It’s organic. People like it and I appreciate it.” LSA senior Phil Schermer, MUSIC Matters president, said SpringFest as a whole – which was revamped to resemble Austin music and technology festival South By Southwest – exceeded his expectations. “My phone was dead for 45 minutes,” he said. “I turned it back on – had 46 texts from people who were excited about See SPRINGFEST, Page 3
GOVERNMENT
Council vote asks to limit athletic dept. construction disruptions
By MATT JACKONEN
by themed tents, presented their year’s work. Lasting from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., the festivities built up to 2 Chainz: the day’s headlining act. After his performance, 2 Chainz explained in an interview how he connects to a diverse set of audiences. “I just think I’m very transparent,” he said. “What you see is what you get. I’m like this on and off camera — at home, chillin’ out. I’ve got a good spirit. I’m very blessed and I think
By NEALA BERKOWSKI JAMES COLLER/Daily
A student from Lawrence Tech University operates a Lego robot that plays the piano at Robotics Day at the North Campus Research Complex Thursday. The event showcased robotics advancements from around Ann Arbor.
Annual event celebrates advancements in robotics Students, local businesses give demonstrations of new technology By ALLANA AKHTAR Daily Staff Reporter
Robots invaded campus Thursday when government agencies, businesses and students showcased the latest in robotic and automated vehicle innovations at a daylong showcase for the fourth annual Robotics Day. The event highlighted local advancements in robotics with demonstrations by students from the College of Engineering, local high schools and representatives from local businesses. The conference also featured panel
discussions on topics ranging from the commercial applications for drones to the future of robots in aiding health and rehabilitation. Many small businesses showcased their latest products, including Cybernet Systems Corporation, an Ann Arbor business that invented today’s fastest selling robotic consumer technology, and SkySpecs, an Ann Arbor drone-making operation. Though the event placed an emphasis on private innovation, it did not ignore the role that government agencies have played in the development of robotic technology. In a speech at the event, state Rep. Gretchen Driskell (D–Saline) recognized the state’s involvement in developing robotics at the University and establishing a partnership between industry and the gov-
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ernment. Dawn Tilbury, associate dean for research and graduate education at the College of Engineering, said the University frequently combines public and private funding to launch research projects. She said 75 percent of College of Engineering research is funded by federal and state governments and businesses contribute a fraction of the overall budget as well. “Sometimes you can’t get the money just from the University, you need to partner with industry to get the federal funds,” Tilbury said. “It’s complicated, but a lot of times those projects are very successful in transferring the results of the research into industry because you’re partnering with the company right up front.” See ROBOTICS, Page 3
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INDEX
Daily Staff Reporter
The national discussion on income inequality reached campus Thursday afternoon as Rebecca Blank, chancellor of University of Wisconsin-Madison, gave her interpretation of the disparity of opportunity in the United States. Before her role as chancellor at Wisconsin, Blank served as dean and professor of public policy and economics in the Gerald Ford School of Public Policy from 1998 to 2008 and as Deputy Secretary and Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Commerce. She spoke in Rackham Auditorium to a crowd of Public Policy undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and community members. Blank opened her lecture by challenging common perceptions about American opportunity in the United States. “New starts may be hard, but not impossible,” Blank said. “Opportunity for those at the very bottom may be very limited, hard work may not lead to economic advancement and it turns out, not everyone can be president or CEO.” She discussed how, in the developing world competition with other countries, technologi-
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cal advances and the entrance of women into the workforce all have contributed to the rising inequality. However, she said because these factors have also played a positive role in economic advancement, eliminating them would not reduce inequality. “Many of the causes of rising inequality are not clearly negative,” she said. “In fact, not just the people in this room, but many lower- and middle-income families as well, have benefitted enormously from the very forces that also caused some of this rising inequality.” Effects of inequality such as residential segregation by income, family composition and disparities in enrichment expenditures on children were also discussed. While she suggested legislative solutions that would be effective — such as wealth redistribution and better education funding — Blank was pessimistic about any short-term progress, pointing to the political gridlock in Washington. Public Policy graduate student Mo Torres said he attended the event because inequality is one of the biggest policy issues the United States is currently facing. “At the University, we talk about how after we graduate we’ll have all of these opportunities,” Torres said. “We forget that a lot of people don’t have the opportunities that, as students, we’ve had. If we don’t care about See INEQUALITY, Page 3
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News
2 — Friday, April 11, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
THURSDAY: Alumni Profiles
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FRIDAY: Photos of the Week
LEFT Matt Dubriel holds a legalize marijuana sign at the 43rd annual Hash Bash on the Diag Sunday. (VICKI LIU/Daily)
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CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Best of UMix
Gamelan show
WHAT: Faculty and graduate students are invited to join a discussion of projects by the Provost’s analytics fellows. WHO: Center for Research on Learning and Teaching WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. WHERE: Palmer Commons
WHAT: The studentselected best parts of previous events come together for the final UMix of the year. Enjoy stations including Build-A-Bear, laser tag and therapy dogs. WHO: Center for Campus Involvement WHEN: Today from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. WHERE: Michigan Union
WHAT: A concert titled “Red Volcanos, Emerald Islands, and Blue Horizons,” features traditional gamelan music accompanied by dancers. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 8 p.m. WHERE: Kahn Auditorium, Biomedical Research Building
Socially just neighborhoods
Birthday bash concert
Explore the wetlands
WHAT: Shaka Senghor hosts a discussion on gun violence and shares his own experiences as a victim. WHO: School of Social Work’s Office of Alumni Relations WHEN: Today from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. WHERE: School of Social Work Building
WHAT: Alumni honor the birthday of renowned opera singer George Shirley. Admission is free. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Today at 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Walgreen Drama Center
WHAT: The Matthaei Botanical Gardens will host guided tours for parents, children and students to learn about the trails, wetlands and environmental stewardship. WHO: Matthaei Botanical Gardens WHEN: Today from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. WHERE: Matthaei Botanical Gardens
WHAT: Prof. Daniel Herbert discusses his book “Videoland: Movie Culture at the American Video Store.” WHO: University Library WHEN: Today from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. WHERE: Hatcher Graduate Library
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Dance concert WHAT: The show is a collaboration between student choreography and music compositions. WHO: School of Music, Theatre & Dance WHEN: Tonight at 8 p.m. WHERE: Betty Pease Studio Theatre CORRECTIONS l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
France is making moves to protect people from being overworked, GMA News reported. A deal between unions and employers will ban employees from checking work e-mail before 9 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
2
Just weeks off of its second straight Elight Eight berth, the Michigan basketball team may lose players to the NBA draft and other schools. >> FOR MORE, SEE SPORTS, PAGE 7
3
Stephen Colbert will become the next host of The Late Show, The New York Times reported. Colbert will replace David Letterman, who created the late-night talk show in 1993. Chelsea Handler and Neil Patrick Harris were also considered for the position.
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Jordan Morgan to aid launch of clothing line Merit’s spring collection to laud basketball player’s work ethic By CHRISTY SONG Daily Staff Reporter
Engineering graduate student Jordan Morgan, a fifth-year senior forward, will help launch a new spring fashion line Friday at Merit, a clothing store on South University Avenue. University alum David Merritt, the store’s owner and a former co-captain of the Michigan basketball team, will introduce the line at an event lasting from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. The name of the line, “Work,” is inspired by the equation “work equals force times distance.” Morgan will sign autographs for the first 200 people in line
for the event, as well as for all who purchase the limited-edition Jordan Morgan T-shirt and poster, which are part of the line. Following the event, Merit will host a one-on-one basketball tournament, “Merit Madness,” in the Intramural Sports Building beginning at 11 p.m. The 64 students signed up to play in the tournament will have the opportunity to play against Merritt and Morgan and compete for prizes. To celebrate Morgan’s accomplishments, the spring line’s opening week will focus on Morgan’s jersey number, 52. Fiftytwo T-shirts will be sold, for $52 each, for five days and two hours. Twenty percent of the proceeds will go toward raising college scholarship funds for underprivileged children in Detroit. Merritt said he specifically chose Morgan to represent the line because of his dedication and persistence. After being redshirted his freshman year,
Morgan worked through the disappointment to later earn a spot playing on the team. This season, Morgan achieved a career high in field-goal percentage (70). Merritt said Morgan is a perfect example of the brand “Work.” “He’s just a testament of what hard work can do,” Merritt said. “He just has never stopped working and despite what people have said about him, he’s just continued to put in the work and effort to become a better basketball player and student.” Merit is a cause-based fashion brand devoted to youth and education. The store is partnered with Give Merit, a nonprofit organization, and FATE, a non-profit program that is run with 23 high school students in Detroit. Merritt hopes to change the negative stereotype that students in Detroit are prone to dropping out of high school and getting into trouble by creating a scholarship fund and increasing opportunities for students. “Our premise is that (the stereotype is) not true,” he said. “Our students’ fate actually is in their hands and if you put the work in you will receive the benefits from it.”
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U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Samantha Power addresses top officials from the African peacekeeping mission known as MISCA, in Bangui, Central African Republic on Wednesday.
UN deploys troops for peacekeeping mission Violent clashes in Central African Republic prompt military response
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. Security Council on Thursday unanimously approved a nearly 12,000-strong U.N. peacekeeping force for Central African Republic, where mounting violence between Christians and Muslims has brought killings, torture and sexual violence. The 10,000 U.N. troops and 1,800 police will take over from 5,000 African Union soldiers — but not until Sept. 15. A separate 2,000-strong French force in the Central African Republic was authorized to use “all necessary means” to support the new U.N. force. How much protection U.N. troops will be able to offer is an open question. Keeping civilians safe throughout the Central African Republic, especially in rural areas, is already proving a difficult, if not impossible,
task. The country is the size of Texas, many roads have not been repaved since independence from France in 1960, and many of the people escaping violence have fled into the bush. The country has been in chaos since a March 2013 coup, when mostly Muslim rebels seized power and set up a brutal regime. Christian militiamen attacked rebel strongholds in early December. As the rebel government crumbled in January, the Christian militiamen stepped up the violence, forcing tens of thousands of Muslims to flee. On the streets of the Central African Republic’s capital, Bangui, reactions to the U.N. deployment were muted. Cyrius Zemangui-Kette, 25, who is unemployed, said U.N. troops should have been sent in long ago, but the international community dragged its feet and now things have gotten worse. “They say they’ll arrive in September,” he said. “Until then, lots of Central Africans will continue to die, so who are they coming to save?” Muslim and Christian leaders
in Central African Republic welcomed the U.N. deployment but urged immediate support to the African force. “Ethnic cleansing is rife and the lives of thousands are at risk,” Archbishop of Bangui Dieudonné Nzapalainga warned. Imam Omar Kobine Layama, the country’s most senior Muslim leader, said this week’s commemoration of the 1994 Rwanda genocide “is an important reminder of the risks that our country faces” and said the U.N. force must be part of “a long-term strategy to bring peace to our country.” Clashes between Christian and Muslim fighters in the central town of Dekoa that began Tuesday have left at least 30 people dead, a priest said Thursday. Most of the victims were civilians, killed by Muslims who fired into a crowd of people they mistook for Christian militants, Father Everaldo De Suza of the Saint Anne parish said. A Christian commander confirmed the fighting but denied that his forces had started it.
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NEWS BRIEFS
LEADER From Page 1
DETROIT
Several hundred gather at vigil for beaten driver Several hundred people are gathering at a Detroit church to stand against racism and pray for a white motorist beaten by a black mob after he stopped to check on a child struck by his pickup truck. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan joined clergy and the motorist’s family Thursday evening at Historic Little Rock Baptist Church. Bishop Charles Ellis III urged the community not to dwell on the bad, but to embrace good in the city, including good Samaritans. Fifty-four-year-old Steve Utash was attacked April 2 when he stopped to help 10-year-old David Harris. Utash remains hospitalized with severe head injuries. Harris suffered leg and other injuries.
LANSING, Mich.
State bars indicted energy companies from lease auctions The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has barred two energy companies under criminal indictment from participating in oil and gas lease auctions. DNR Director Keith Creagh says Chesapeake Energy Corp. and Encana Corp. can’t participate in auctions until Michigan charges against them are resolved. The state also won’t execute Encana’s pending lease and will refund the company’s money. Attorney General Bill Schuette last month charged the companies with violating Michigan antitrust laws in a 2010 auction. He says collusion is suspected of depressing the per-acre cost of leases from $1,510 in May 2010 to under $40 in October 2010.
SACRAMENTO, Calif.
Judge rules treatment of Calif. inmates unconstitutional A federal judge has ruled that California’s treatment of mentally ill inmates violates constitutional safeguards against cruel and unusual punishment through excessive use of pepper spray and isolation. In the ruling issued Thursday, U.S. District Court Judge Lawrence Karlton gave the corrections department time to issue updated policies on the use of both methods but did not ban them. Karlton gave the department a range of options on how it could limit the use of pepper spray and isolation units. The ruling came after the release of what the judge calls horrific videotapes made by prison guards showing them pumping large amounts of pepper spray into the cells of mentally ill inmates, some of whom are heard screaming.
PERTH, Australia
Another possible signal heard in Flight 370 search An air and sea hunt for the missing Malaysian jet resumed Friday in the same swath of the southern Indian Ocean where an underwater sensor made the fifth detection of a signal in recent days, raising hopes that searchers are closing in on what could be a flight recorder. An Australian air force P-3 Orion, which has been dropping sonar buoys into the water near where four sounds were heard earlier,s picked up a “possible signal” on Thursday that may be from a man-made source, said Angus Houston, who is coordinating the search for Flight 370 off Australia’s west coast.
—Compiled from Daily wire reports
community garnered 1,169 signatures. In response, the University engaged faculty and staff with five forums discussing how they would like business to be car-
COUNCIL From Page 1 University does not have to pay taxes to the city of Ann Arbor and has autonomy from the city. The city has always had somewhat of a tense relationship with the University due to this polarizing reality, and since the University does not have to play by the city’s rules or pay taxes as an autonomous unit, city officials’ suggestions to the University often fall on what they say are selectively deaf ears. Monday’s resolution specifically urges the University to consider selling small parcels of the land for “complementary uses,” and asks that the University reflect on the idea of creating a possible “pedestrian and vehicular” connection between South Main and South State in harmony with the Oakbrook Drive extension plan. Jim Kosteva, the University’s director for community relations, said in an e-mail the University plans to use the property to expand its athletic infrastructure. Kosteva reiterated that the
SPRINGFEST From Page 1 SpringFest. It’s unbelievable.” Schermer said the festival’s new layout, which aimed to both inspire and showcase student accomplishment, set a strong precedent for future improvement. He said he hopes that MUSIC Matters will recruit more student organizations to present next year, in addition to bringing in more food options and more live outdoor concerts. One of Thursday’s live performers was LSA sophomore Sylvia Yacoub, who was formerly a top 10 contestant on the third season of NBC’s “The Voice.” She said the venue gave her a chance to cater to a local audience, which she appreciated. “I thought it was a lot of fun,” she said. “The crowd was awesome. I loved the energy … It was really cool to just perform with students. It’s the demographic, essentially, that I want to jump to when I release my album sometime this year.” Yacoub performed a roughly 10-song set that included covers of Jessie J., Christina Aguilera and Rihanna. She also sang a slow, acoustic version of Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.” Musical acts like Yacoub’s were intertwined with entrepreneurial-themed talks throughout the day. University alum Mike Muse, one of the nation’s top political fundraisers and the co-founder of record label Muse Recordings, delivered one of these presentations. In his speech to students, Muse emphasized the close ties between music and politics – both mechanisms of enacting change. “We’re here about SpringFest and we’re here about 2 Chainz are we’re here for MUSIC Matters, but really, what is the purpose for us being here?” he asked during his talk. “The purpose is engagement. The purpose is activism. The purpose is to build community. The purpose is to bust down the segregated walls that we have here on this campus.” Muse has also been named the first director of MUSIC Matters’ future board, which he said will ultimately consist of professionals who “have ties to both the intersection of pop culture and change agents.” This group will work with outside sources to help fund and build MUSIC Matters in the coming years. Muse said he became involved with MUSIC Matters
News ried out at the new center. After replacing former AST leader Rowan Miranda, who is departing for a position at the University of Chicago, Thom Madden, the University’s director of sponsored programs, took the reigns of the initiative. He said the forums emphasized that the center should have staff
with specific unit expertise. “Faculty members in particular have told us they don’t want to lose the nuanced knowledge of unit staff, and this is an important part of our planning process going forward,” Madden said in a release. Gabel was unavailable for comment Thursday afternoon.
University would be more than happy to sit down and talk with city officials regarding the use of the land and would consider their concerns. “We are always prepared to welcome any formal conversations on topics of interest to the City government,” Kosteva wrote. “We have already communicated our willingness to meet with city officials regarding their specific interests expressed in the resolution.” Councilmember Sabra Briere, while noting that she does not harbor any bitterness towards the University, also said while University officials do engage in talks with city officials, the University almost always does what is best for itself and not necessarily for the city. “They always sit down, but it’s not to negotiate,” Briere said. Still, Briere said she does not expect the University to fully comply with the city’s resolution. Briere has been in conversation with Kosteva, who told her though the University would not satisfy all suggestions, they would make some concessions. “He said of course they aren’t going to do any retail development close to the sidewalk or
things that would make the pedestrian experience for walking along there better,” Briere said. “Although they might improve the sidewalk, what they really promised to do is keep the commuter lot open.” However, Briere also said she was told the University might consider the Oakbrook connector between North Main Street and South State Street for pedestrian and bicycle passage, which she said would be a great thing for the city’s residents. She added that she hopes one day the University sees that also considering the city’s interests is mutually beneficial. “It’s unfortunate that the tension exists between the city and the University,” Briere said. “Designing to help Ann Arbor to be a better community is to their benefit.” Over the past year, the city and the University have had similar encounters. On Nov. 7, the City Council formally asked the University to take down the new marquee board that was erected in front of the Big House. Some city councilmembers had fears that the board was distracting to drivers, but the University did not budge.
after Schermer reached out to him earlier in the year, as he was impressed with the similarities between his work and that of the student organization. “I was using music to make fundraising fun, and to make it cool, and to make it inviting, and to break the ice and say, ‘This is what politics looks like now,’” he said, adding that his career and MUSIC Matters “share a very unique symbiotic relationship that runs parallel.” On a similar tangent of development, MPowered hosted an event called MTank – modeled after ABC’s “Shark Tank,” where start-up entrepreneurs pitch their potential products to world-renowned business moguls. Five groups pitched their products to a board of local venture capitalists, and ultimately a product called “S-Pack” won the contest. According to a handout distributed by MPowered prior to the MTank, S-Pack works to “solve the problem every woman faces by combining several essential toiletries into one product small enough to fit in any woman’s purse.” Business sophomore Mariel Reiss presented the product, which she said targeted collegeaged women who might need to freshen up following a night on the town or even a drunken hookup. Engineering junior Chris O’Neil, MPowered president, credited SpringFest for providing entrepreneurship with a wider audience. “I’m kind of stuck in the entrepreneurship end of this university, and I think that SpringFest was a really unique opportunity to have an event that had a little higher entertainment value – so you have these people who maybe aren’t as familiar with entrepreneurship get to see what is going on and see all the cool startups and ideas that are actually happening on campus,” he said. Tom Frank, executive director of the University’s Center for Entrepreneurship, said there is no longer a “normal” entrepreneurship crowd. “I think that it’s more about people who have innovative ideas; that they’re becoming less and less shy about sharing with an audience, as opposed to something thinking of an entrepreneur as somebody locked in a room who’s going to build and invent something that suddenly gets released on the world,” he said. “They make it more collaborative, more open and a safer environment to let those ideas cross-pollinate.”
This “cross-pollination” of thought Thursday was not restricted to entrepreneurship. Schermer said the Identity tent, located directly outside of Hatcher Graduate Library, was also a large factor in the trading new ideas. The Black Student Union presented a photography exhibit in the tent as a culmination of the #BBUM movement. LSA senior Tyrell Collier, outgoing BSU speaker, said the pictures were meant to explore the experience of Black students at the University in a new medium. The photo-shoot largely took place primarily in an alleyway off of E. Liberty Street. “We just wanted to show – because the environment that we shot in was a rough environment; there was trash, dumpsters, some bricks – we really just wanted to get across the beauty in blackness, even in the roughest environments,” Collier said. Despite 20 mph winds, Collier said the extreme weather did not impede the project’s success. “We were placed right on the Diag proper,” he said. “So there was a lot of traffic. Even just students going to class – there was a lot of traffic flowing through our tent. I don’t think it’s every day that you see a tent with about 24 different pictures of Black people.” University alum Jeff Sorensen, a co-founder of social innovation group optiMize, also commented on the event’s success in showcasing student accomplishment. Though optiMize had been planning to host a dunk tank featuring “well-known” students on campus – including CSG representatives and student athletes – these efforts were halted early in the day by the University’s Risk Management Services, Sorensen said. However, he added, optiMize was most successful with its whiteboards, on which buzz words like “diversity,” “health” and “education” were written and students were asked to write down what those terms meant to them. Sorensen said optiMize received several hundred responses, all of which are now displayed in the Center for Entrepreneurship. Sorensen also lauded the work of optiMize finalists, who presented their innovative projects throughout the day. As for the future of SpringFest, Schermer said the best is yet to come. “I think it’s going to be so much bigger and better than it was this year,” he said.
M I C H I G A N D A I L Y . C O M
Friday, April 11, 2014 — 3
ROBOTICS From Page 1 The National Center for Manufacturing Sciences, a non-profit organization that fosters collaborations between businesses, government and researchers, cohosted the event with the College of Engineering. NCMS director Phil Callihan said the role government plays in partnering with businesses is not solely to advance innovation, but to ensure industry continues to produce innovative products within the country. He said federal and state governments are
INEQUALITY From Page 1 the people that are not at the University, then the people who are in power won’t do a whole lot to make the world more equal.” Public Policy graduate student Gillean Kitchen said inequality is an issue that all people face but not everyone is willing to talk about. “I think inequality has an impact on the overall economy, on the opportunities that we have
looking closely at robotics innovation in Michigan — a budding hub for the field — to create local jobs and restore the weak economy. Callihan added that government and business involvement in the University’s robotics program will increase in the coming years thanks to the “fertile” environment for innovation in the area. “When we’re talking about this kind of robotic innovation and autonomous vehicle innovation, they’re not waiting for us,” he said. “Innovation will march forward. We need to make sure we’re doing everything we can to drive industry and to allow the work to happen that will help that grow.”
available to us and the opportunities that will be available to our future kids, and if we don’t care about it nobody else is going to,” Kitchen said. “We’re potentially future leaders, so if we truly take that to heart this is one of the biggest challenges facing our nation today.“ The inequality discussion will continue this week at the Public Policy School and the National Poverty Center Friday with an academic conference in honor of The Research and Training Program on Poverty and Public Policy.
Sebelius resigns after healthcare rollout issues Sylvia Mathews Burwell to fill Health and Human Services Secretary role WASHINGTON (AP) — Embattled Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is resigning as the White House seeks to move past the election-year political damage inflicted by the rocky rollout of President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. Sebelius’ resignation comes just over a week after sign-ups closed for the first year of insurance coverage under the so-called Obamacare law. The opening weeks of the enrollment period were marred by widespread website woes, though the administration rebounded strongly by enrolling 7.1 million people by the March 31 deadline, exceeding initial expectations. Enrollment has since risen to 7.5 million as people were given extra time to complete applications. Even with the late surge in sign-ups, the law remains unpopular with many Americans and Republicans have made it a centerpiece of their efforts to retake the Senate in the fall. Sebelius’ resignation could also set the stage for a contentious confirmation hearing to replace her. In a sign that the White House is seeking to avoid a nomination fight, the president was tapping Sylvia Mathews
Burwell, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, to replace Sebelius. Burwell was unanimously confirmed by the Senate for her current post. A White House official requested anonymity to confirm Sebelius’ resignation and Burwell’s nomination ahead of the formal announcement. Obama has not nominated anyone to replace Burwell as budget director. Obama remained publicly supportive of Sebelius throughout the rough rollout, deflecting Republican calls for her resignation. But she was conspicuously not standing by his side last week when he heralded the sign-up surge during an event in the White House Rose Garden. The official said the 65-yearold Sebelius approached Obama last month about stepping down, telling him that the sign-up deadline was a good opportunity for a transition and suggesting he would be better served by someone who was less of a political target. A spokeswoman for Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican from Sebelius’ home state of Kansas, called the resignation “a prudent decision” given what she called the total failure of Obamacare implementation. Sebelius dropped no hints about her resignation Thursday when she testified at a budget hearing. Instead, she received congratulations from Democratic senators on the sign-up surge.
Opinion
4 — Friday, April 11, 2014
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
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KATIE BURKE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Celebrating mental wellness The University should help CAPS expand its event offerings
M
onday, the Michigan Theater hosted the concert, “We Can All Change the Story: A Celebration of Hope.” The suicideprevention awareness showcase was the product of significant planning and collaboration between the Counseling and Psychological Services Student Advisory board and the Central Student Government. The event provided wristbands and free pizza while promoting an end for student suicide on campus and informing students of the services available to them. It also featured several prominent speakers who talked about their own experiences with mental illnesses. CAPS has helped make a positive change in the community and encouraged discussion of a difficult topic with this event. The University should continue to promote and strengthen CAPS events in order to maximize their ability to affect change and reach out to students. CAPS should be commended for hosting this event, as should CSG for its support. Together they created a showcase that addressed and raised awareness for a challenging subject that is a serious issue both on campus and around the world. The University has the potential to be a stressful environment for many students, which worsens the problem of mental health issues. Stress and anxiety can cause and perpetuate mental health issues and lead to suicide. A study conducted by the American Public Health Association, which was based on data from 157 colleges, found that suicide accounts for 6.18 deaths in 100,000 college students, which is higher than the amount alcohol-related deaths — 4.86 deaths per 100,000 college students. A study from the American Psychological Association found that 15 percent of graduate and 18 percent of undergraduate students have seriously contemplated suicide in their lifetimes. It’s clear that suicide is a major problem around college campuses, but the stigma around the topic, as well as many other mental health topics, makes seeking help and creating dialogue a problem. Events such as “A Celebration of Hope” help to break the stigma and promote discussion, and are thus critical to the goal of having students seek help. Students can receive help at CAPS, as it provides confidential psychological and psychiatric services for enrolled graduate and undergraduate students at the University. Some of their services include individual counseling, group opportunities, urgent/crisis services, psychiatric evaluations and medication management, and screenings and support for ADHD, eating patterns and
substance abuse. In addition, CAPS is involved in outreach and education and works to battle mental health issues in many different ways. This event in particular was focused on suicide prevention, but their efforts promote mental health wellness in general. The importance of such an organization on this campus can’t be emphasized enough. The showcase was developed and executed in an effective way that helped to address the social stigma that surrounds mental disorders and make students less intimidated to seek help from CAPS. Their use of high profile speakers such as former Michigan football player Will Heininger, Miss Michigan Haley Williams and radio host John Bommarito was an important way to break the barriers of the stigma around suicide and mental disorders because they talked about how mental health issues have affected their lives. Having prominent and successful people discuss their experience with mental disorders helps normalize the issue. It’s the responsibility of the University to promote, fund and support CAPS in its efforts to improve mental health wellness. The more events, and the more transparent and accessible to students these events are, the more power CAPS has to break social stigmas and address issues surrounding mental issues. “We Can All Change the Story: A Celebration of Hope” was a successful event engineered by CSG and CAPS that worked to promote an end for suicide on campus and educated students about the services available to them. However, the University should make more events like this possible by increasing their support and funding for CAPS.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Barry Belmont, Edvinas Berzanskis, David Harris, Rachel John, Nivedita Karki, Jacob Karafa, Jordyn Kay, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Paul Sherman, Allison Raeck, Linh Vu, Meher Walia, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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In response to ‘Prioritizing minors’ health’ TO THE DAILY: The recent editorial, “Prioritizing minors’ health,” takes a wrongheaded approach to uncertainty in public health research. While it correctly acknowledges that more research is needed on the long-term health effects of e-cigarettes, it wrongly asserts that e-cigarettes can end dependence on tobacco. In reality, the public health community is divided on the issue. Some hypothesize that by switching to e-cigarettes, smokers can indeed end their dependence on conventional cigarettes. But quitting is more complicated than that. E-cigarettes could actually discourage quitting by giving smokers a source of nicotine they use throughout the day rather than forcing breaks. The growing popularity of e-cigarettes could also make the act of smoking normal again - which again, discourages quitting.
“
Indeed, a study published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine, a respected peerreviewed journal, followed 949 smokers’ behaviors over a year, and found that there was no difference in quit rates between smokers who used e-cigarettes and smokers who did not. While a single study does not conclusively demonstrate that e-cigarettes do not help quitters, it does show that policymakers should proceed with caution. Nicotine is an addictive product, and its use can impact adolescent brain development. Makers of tobacco and nicotine products have historically dismissed concerns about their harmful effects — which has led to a devastating death toll. E-cigarette makers do not claim that their products help with quitting — if they did, they would be subject to federal regulation as a drug. Let’s not jump the gun on their behalf. Tiffany J. Huang Master of Public Health Candidate
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
What this means now is that Paul [Schaffer] and I can be married. — David Letterman said in jest as he announced his retirement during last week’s episode of the “Late Show with David Letterman”.
T
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sorry to burst your bubble
he other day, I was called “pretentious” by one of my students. He’s a great kid, and usually pretty polite, so I wasn’t offended by the comment so much as taken aback. (The comment came absolutely out of nowhere. It seemed as KATIE natural to him as STEEN commenting on the weather.) “Pretentious?” I said, feeling suddenly flustered. “No I’m not! What! Pretentious?” “It’s not necessarily a bad thing,” he said. “Come on,” he nodded his head as if we were both in on a little secret. “This is Ann Arbor. We’re all a little pretentious here.” I still don’t think he knows the meaning of pretentious (for instance, he asked me if I listen to Neutral Milk Hotel in attempt to prove his point). But his comment stuck with me — “This is Ann Arbor.” What did he mean by that? I’ve felt simultaneously frustrated and in love with Ann Arbor for some time now, not because there’s anything blatantly wrong with it — quite the contrary, because it’s just so good. Too good. Too cute. Too green. Too locally-made. Too grassroots. Too academic. Too “politically correct.” Too leaders and the best. Too proud. Too active, too passionate, too happy. We really do have it all in this little college bubble. Except, it’s not … real. Ann Arbor isn’t flawless — hell, I complain about Ann Arbor biweekly
in this column. Just like pretty much everywhere else in the world, Ann Arbor has problems with sexism and rape culture and all the other shit I write about pretty much nonstop. But at the same time, Ann Arbor is somewhat of a liberal haven — a place many young twenty-somethings wish they (we) could hold onto forever. And maybe we can. There are lots of bubbles in the U.S. and in the world. I myself have lived my whole life in a series of bubbles — sometimes one inside another. I grew up in Grosse Pointe, a more conservative-minded bubble I never quit fit in, but a safe, beautiful little bubble with a lake nonetheless. (It’s a bubble with strong, fear-based walls, I might add — both figurative and literal walls, like the one built out of snow this winter on Kercheval Avenue, cutting off GP from Detroit. Then I moved to South Quad in Ann Arbor — a nine-story bubble where I was surrounded by a bunch of socially awkward nerds like myself and fattened on a cushy meal plan. Scattered around the halls were advertisements for all sorts of cultural events, posters advocating for depression awareness and notifications of “bias incidents” that occurred in the dorm. Overseeing everything was our benevolent R.A., a sweet girl with an affinity for Bananagrams. After South Quad came the co-ops, where we have regular meetings in which we’re encouraged to feel “empowered” to speak our opinion, where we can have SAPAC and IGR come to our living room and lead discussions and workshops. “Safe space” is something of a buzzword here. And currently, I’m student
teaching at a high school that my field instructor likes to call “magic high school.” It’s a small community of kids — many of them professors’ kids, I’ve begun to realize, and many of whom are intimidatingly passionate — about learning, about social justice, about expressing their identities, their creativity, about finding what it is they care about in the world and jumping in head first. We all have our bubbles. But most of us, at some point will leave the safety and comfort of our bubbles — for many of us, our exit is coming sooner than later (May 3, actually). And that, I think, is for the better. The unfortunate truth is, the world isn’t safe, and it’s not a bubble — it’s a hungry beast that you can battle or avoid behind closed doors. We can create little bubbles of our ideal realities, but they are not the norm. Many of the people reading this article will be graduating and moving out of good ol’ A-squared at some point, and you’re probably going to feel at least a little lonely and unprepared and scared. “Real Life” will finally arrive, and it will probably seem kind of shitty at first compared to your last four years. But I’m asking you to take everything you’ve learned in your college years and beyond, and apply it to Real Life — to make Real Life a better world for everyone. Don’t feel afraid when you leave your safe space; feel empowered. We all have our beasts to battle, our-isms and our anxieties. Don’t shut them out — go after them. P.S. I’m not pretentious! — Katie Steen can be reached at katheliz@umich.edu.
BRANISLAV RADELJIC | VIEWPOINT
Academia across the pond
Branislav Radeljic is an associate professor in international politics at the School of Law and Social Sciences, University of East London. In 2013, he was a visiting scholar at the European Union Center of Excellence, University of California at Berkeley, and is currently Telluride faculty fellow, hosted by the University of Michigan’s Department. He is the author of Europe and the Collapse of Yugoslavia: The Role of Non-State Actors and European Diplomacy, and editor of Europe and the Post-Yugoslav Space and Debating European Identity: Bright Ideas, Dim Prospects. It is truly interesting to observe the differences that characterize the approaches to doctoral research in politics in America and Britain. To begin with, while the former perceives the readiness to argue, challenge, debate and offer contrasting standpoints as an opportunity to deepen academic links, the latter is very careful about such aspects of academic upbringing as if they could eventually generate animosity. Of course, it should be noted that on various occasions, the American idea about freedom of the academic mind could easily lead to Q&A sessions that have nothing to do with the presented topics. But, this is still less worrisome, as sometimes-irrelevant questions can serve as a basis for some new, relevant ones. Thus, while British approach can teach us to be more judgmental about the speaker and their talk, American approach can teach us to be more creative and flexible vis-à-vis the academic scholarship. Flexibility of mind and options, in general, can also be problematic, especially when thinking about practical issues: it is generally much quicker (not necessarily easier, as sometimes imagined) to obtain a Ph.D in the UK than in the US. While American graduate students are bombarded with all sorts of literature and, more importantly, expected to prove a detailed familiarity with aspects of often-questionable usefulness, UK doctoral candidates are expected to know primarily about aspects closely related to their research puzzle (everything else seems to be a luxury). But, this is what doing a Ph.D is supposed to be, isn’t it? This kind of discrepancy can be attributed to the overall approach to doctoral studies as well as to the role played by advisors (US) or supervisors (UK). In fact, it seems that even these two words suggest two different roles: while in America, the role of an advisor is to advise doctoral students by providing them with additional ideas, numerous questions and possible directions to consider, in Britain, the role of a supervisor is to supervise, meaning to guide and tell the students what to do (in a polite way, of course) and if not doing it the supervisorexpected way, to correct them. This somehow indicates that supervisors are often expected to be experts
in the field (or at least the leading supervisor), whereas advisors are not — an important aspect suggesting that advisors can also learn a lot from their doctoral candidates. Such an exchange of knowledge could lead to joint publications — something that, generally speaking, seems to happen more often in the US than in the UK. The advising approach is lengthier and usually a couple of years are gone before clear-cut research question(s) and main argument(s) are established. On the other hand, the Europeans tend to have their research design before they even apply for doctoral programs, as applications are judged based on the overall quality of the submitted research proposal. The preparation American doctoral students must go through is intended to help them to consolidate their arguments and often to defend them in a more convincing way (including conferences and workshops where they present early stages of their research), whereas their European colleagues tend to modify their originally presented proposals or even completely abandon them. With regard to the research methods employed in most social science areas, what seems quite striking is the obsession with dependent and independent variables and the power of numbers and percentages amongst American doctoral candidates. In fact, it seems that it has become impossible to present a good research prospectus in the US without having the two variables and some idea about what they are likely to show. This could have to do with the whole post-Second World War number mania when polls, percentages and accompanying predictions came to occupy an important place in social sciences. In May 2012, I was invited to serve as a discussant at the Western US Graduate Student Research Workshop on the European Union, hosted by the EU Center of Excellence at the University of California at Berkeley, and I was amazed to hear that every single presentation had the two variables and, in fact, proudly insisted on their relevance. According to one of the presented papers, numbers are enough (sometimes 100 interviewees out of over 500 million inhabitants of the EU) to tell us how the Union exactly works, how it is likely to respond to the present and future crises, whether the concept of European identity is a valid one and so on. But, is it credible to say that the two variables can explain almost any EU-related research topic or should the students be allowed to be a bit more flexible when conducting research? Perhaps, the issue is that numbers — and, more relevantly, percentages — have consolidated their position really well, to the extent that they are often used as the only accurate source of information and thus no junior researcher is really willing to challenge their power. Interestingly, when recently asked about her experience as a visiting fellow
at a top ranked American university, a colleague of mine described it as a kind of Disneyland for academics. While “playing” with available resources, peers and, most importantly, new ideas, academics tend to produce some new, cutting-edge scholarship and this is where the US seems to be ahead any other country or region. Apart from explaining some sections of the rankings, this could probably explain the US-based university presses’ right to be extremely picky when it comes to scholarship they want to consider and possibly publish. Another colleague of mine has recently had the following experience: after approaching an American university press and sending in the whole manuscript, a set of constructive comments was provided by the reviewers who said that the submitted work was good and that they themselves would be very happy to use it and cite it, but still required some (substantial) changes. However, the publisher kept the right to say and actually warn the submitter that even after all the changes have been made, the reviewers might still decide to reject the manuscript in which case the whole process would terminate there. Needless to say how frustrating such a response for an ambitious junior scholar must be! As already noted, the rankings show that the world’s best universities are mostly US-based. Although we can argue that rankings often tend to be defined by parameters that should not really matter to prospective researchers, there are many aspects that cannot be ignored and here I primarily refer to the funding available to conduct (post)graduate study in politics. In this respect, Americans can afford to finance their PhD candidates to sit and go through both relevant and irrelevant methods and scholarship, whereas the UK-based researchers are often conditioned by tight deadlines to complete, submit and defend their PhDs. Still, in both cases, a good PhD is a finished PhD and it is actually here where the real fight for a permanent position in academia begins. Indeed, the question of the job market is the one that remains the most pressing, both in the system that rushes through and the one that seems to be significantly slower. Given the disappointing numbers of new jobs in academia at the moment, contrasted with the growing numbers of available PhD holders, one could potentially find it easier to opt for a longer, American version of conducting a doctoral study and thus enjoy as many aspects of research as possible. Some others would rather do it the quick, British way, and then consider all sorts of jobs, including the idea that they will not be back in academia at any time soon. Branislav Radeljic is a visiting faculty fellow for the Department of History and the Telluride Association.
Arts
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
EVENT PREVIEW
FOKUS event to celebrate the ‘U’ Noname Gypsy and Kopelli will headline annual block party By GILLIAN JAKAB Community & Culture Editor
After completing their first year at the University in 2003, Alma E. Davilla-Toro and Atiba T. Edwards felt a need FOKUS to splatter some color on Annual a somewhat Block Party bland campus Saturday at 12 culture. There had to be a p.m. - 5 p.m. driving force to The Diag bring together Free diverse art forms and communities, and thus FOKUS — “Fighting Obstacles Knowing Ultimate Success” — was born. “It was started, in part, because U of M’s campus was lacking the hip-hop acts that Atiba and Alma were used to, being from New York City — being able to go to a lot of urban art exhibits and hip-hop (performances),” said LSA Junior Elle Gover, the Co-Vice President of FOKUS. “They found that a lot of those acts were going to Michigan State and Eastern Michigan University instead of U of M, and so that was a huge thing in founding FOKUS.” In its first year, FOKUS brought performers such as Janelle Monáe, Slum Village and John Legend to campus. “We not only wanted to meet the world’s greatest emerging artists, but also wanted to introduce them to our worlds,” Davilla-Toro recently wrote in a message to the FOKUS Facebook page. Though the group has been highly successful with their presentation of musical artists, FOKUS events seek to shed light on every conceivable genre of marginalized art or cultural activity.
“Every year we have an event called ‘Artifacts’ which is a showcasing of lesser known — underrepresented in our opinion — art,” Gover explained. “We’ve done food art, industrial art and then this past fall we did tattoo art; it was called ‘Inked.’ ” With “Inked,” FOKUS engaged people from all over campus and Ann Arbor to submit tattoo designs and the stories behind them. The following panel discussion with tattoo artists was further encouragement to discover, reconsider and share. “We are influencers, taste makers, activists, and vanguards who sought balance in our everyday lives on campus,” Davilla-Toro wrote. “We needed a space where we could foster this creativity that normally took a backseat to the academically rigorous university climate. The goal was to design our own avenue for change, so we came together to educate, empower and unite communities through the arts!” Creativity is infectious, and with spring in the air the group hopes to spread the FOKUS bug (no, not the one that plagues us as we study in the library) with Vanguards, its annual block party, this Saturday in the Diag from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. In the past, Vanguards has been shaped by different themes. One year, the block party was “circus” which played with the idea of exploitation and stereotype. Another year, the Diag became a portal to our childhood —’90s galore. Saturday, however, forgoes a concrete theme, and rather embodies the history and evolution of FOKUS. “This year we went with ‘Reflekt10ns’ ... we’re reflecting in general on the last ten years; we’ll have posters and other (visuals) showing things that have happened in the past decade on campus, in our club and worldwide,” Gover said. “It’s a celebration of FOKUS and celebration of being on this campus.”
The block party’s headlining performers are Noname Gypsy — an artist who not only has been admired among FOKUS members as they’ve been playing her music at meetings, but recently by the larger campus as well, who loved her music when she opened for Chance the Rapper at Hill Auditorium last month — Detroit rapper Kopelli and several other incredible artists. The day will be filled with temporary tattoos, an interactive chalkboard that prompts: “ten years ago; in ten years,” gigantic bubbles and a 25 foot-long sandwich all set to the backdrop of a DJ and studded with performances by the University’s Pure and Encore dance groups, and this year’s FOKUS Beat Battle winner Jonah Gray. Gover hopes to teach people about FOKUS and its history; she knows people often see the eye-catching aesthetics of their poster designs, but may still wonder “what do they actually do?” Most importantly, she hopes everyone coming to Vanguards just has a really great time. “Our entire planning for this particular Vanguards revolves around making it a really fun day for everyone involved — introducing people to new musical artists and to each other.” With Davilla-Toro and Edward’s establishment of a Brooklyn chapter upon their graduation in 2006, FOKUS’ influences now spread far and wide. It is important to celebrate the University community that fostered the group’s growth and who probably needs to charge their solar panels and de-stress before finals — what better way than a block party? “FOKUS awakened our souls and taught us how to be curators of life,” Davilla-Toro concluded in her message. “It brings great joy to see so many ideas come to fruition throughout the years. We’re going ten years strong and still fighting obstacles knowing ultimate success.”
EVENT PREVIEW
The award-winning Akamus comes to A 2 By COSMO PAPPAS Daily Arts Writer
The names Mozart and Bach evoke many thoughts — maybe those of harmony, maybe lavish Viennese court recitals or maybe the hopes Akademie of upper-class parents that fur Alte playing Mozart Musik Berlin in the cradle will get their kid Sunday at into Harvard. 4 p.m. Most likely, the average person Hill Auditorium does not think of $7 Students; Up an ensemble like the Akademie für to $70 General Alte Musik Berlin Admission as a “courageous display of musical sovereignty against the East German socialist regime,” as several performing arts organizations have put it. Coincidentally, neither would the ensemble, which will bring a program of those composers to the Hill Auditorium this weekend through the University Musical Society. “It’s never really been like that. It’s not that we’ve always been making music out of protest against a certain system,” said Felix Hilse, the group’s manager of six years and the son of a founding member. “It’s always has been a very unpolitical thing.” The group’s core membership counts 32 musicians but will range from 7 to 55 depending on the demands of the specific repertoire. Their award-winning recorded output, released by independent French label Harmonia Mundi, features performances of such composers as W.A. Mozart, Bach
(J.S., J.C., C.P.E., W.F. – the father and his sons), Antonio Vivaldi, G.F. Handel and others. The Akamus (the popular abbreviation) was exceptional also because they made use of period instruments in order to most faithfully reproduce the music’s historically distant sounds. While “period” ensembles of this kind have subsequently proliferated, the Akamus was a one-of-a-kind enterprise for its original audiences. Rather than read their foundation and concertizing during the Soviet era as a politically motivated gesture at its base, the Akamus can be seen instead as an attempt to popularize certain forms of music that were simply unavailable for those audiences at the time. “All of the original members gathered in Berlin. They all had jobs at the local symphony orchestras and actually gathered in order to
One-of-a-kind enterprise. perform contemporary music,” Hilse said. “It was more or less by coincidence or accident that they got their hands on a collection of historical instruments.” This intervention by chance, however, made the ensemble what it is today. Becoming a period ensemble, Hilse described, was an exhaustive process of consulting libraries and other historical documents in learning how to meet the demands of the historical
instruments, some of them greatly different than their modern counterparts. “The wall coming down in ’89 was our one big chance to show what has happened behind the Iron Curtain,” Hilse said. “And in many ways we’ve taken this quality of isolation to define ourselves, all the way up through today.” Keeping in mind Hilse’s explanation of the apolitical status of the ensemble, the group’s experiences before and after the fall of the Soviet Union differ primarily at the level of logistics, organizations and publicity. But even today, the ensemble functions with a decentralized model that differs from most classical ensembles. As opposed to most symphonic bodies, the Akamus is a collective of freelance musicians, owned by a small number of musicians. “Of course we want to bring joy to people, everyone wants to do that, and we want to play Baroque music in a certain way,” Hilse said. “But we want to take the audience by their hands and get them out of their seats while we’re playing, not after. There is a certain force that we can create that I think is quite unique.” Come next Sunday, then, Ann Arbor will have the opportunity to see the Akamus’s virtuosic and invigorating vision of Baroque and Classical music. It is important that the Akamus is not seeking only specialized audiences. Their variety of live performance is one that can educate anyone, expert or not, on the dynamism of Mozart and Bach in such a way that makes age-old stereotypes about these kinds of music defunct.
Friday, April 11, 2014 — 5
TV REVIEW
HBO
“How to Train Your Dragon 3”
‘Game of Thrones’ upholds high standard By ALEC STERN Senior Arts Editor
Spoiler Alert: this review contains major spoilers from every season of “Game of Thrones.” “All men must die” … or A so the saying goes. Game of Sunday Thrones night marked the return Season of one of Premiere television’s most powerful series. With HBO its ruthless reputation and a fan base rabid enough to crash HBO Go, “Game of Thrones” is as formidable a presence as its characters. Despite an expansive cast and sprawling storylines, HBO’s signature drama series continued to showcase cohesive, strong storytelling. “Game of Thrones” is the rare series whose execution surpasses its enormous ambition, and in season four, the stakes are higher, the emotion is deeper and the looming notion that “all men must die” ensures continued excellence and intrigue from the most compelling series on television. “Game of Thrones” has never been reluctant to put its characters in harm’s way, consistently delivering major deaths in every season — but the Red Wedding has boosted the series to an entirely new level. In the wake of season three’s penultimate bloodbath, there’s a heightened level of suspense throughout the season four premiere. Robb Stark’s vacancy doesn’t dictate a significant amount of the story, though his — and his mother’s — absence is a driving emotional presence. In the season’s tone-setting opening moments, Tywin Lannister uses the Valyrian steel from Ned Stark’s sword to fashion two smaller blades. With three Starks dead, two missing and another married into the Lannister clan, the titular “Two Swords” served as a not-so-subtle reminder of the Lannister’s dominance over the Stark family. Across the Narrow Sea, Daenerys’ path to the Iron Throne continues, as she leads her army on the 100-mile path towards Meereen. Daenerys is testing the limits of both her relationship with her dragons and her potentially romantic relationship with Daario (Michiel Huisman, “Nashville,” in the role previously occupied by Ed Skrein). Already, it seems much of season four will hinge on transformations — adjusting to new surroundings, realities and restrictions. In King’s Landing, Jaime is forced to adapt to his disability while his siblings, Tyrion and Cersei, settle into equally unfortunate relationships. At Castle Black, Jon Snow must re-acclimate to life in the Night’s Watch after his adventure beyond the wall.
And for both Arya and Sansa, their futures are as uncertain as ever, given much of their journeys have been defined by the hopes of being reunited with their mother and Robb. Despite similar themes and locations, the characters — and the actors who play them — are what continually revitalize “Game of Thrones.” The frequent devolution of momentum and power coupled with legitimate character development has propelled “Game of Thrones” into the most elite group of drama series. Showcased significantly in “Two Swords,” the series’ refusal
“All men must die.” to allow its characters to submit to stagnation has set up an exciting and substantial premise to build upon throughout season four. Specifically, Arya’s arc from royal to riotous is on full display in “Two Swords” ’s final scene. As Arya becomes hardened by the many setbacks and tragedies she’s faced throughout the series, it’s beginning to feel more and more like she will become a major threat to the Lannisters’ supremacy. Presumed dead by many, Arya continues to travel with the Hound in “Two Swords,” finding any opportunity to avenge the many deaths she’s been witness to. When she sees Polliver, the man who killed her friend and stole her
sword, the youngest Lady Stark proves her formidability once again. While the opening moments of the premiere may have been a decidedly strong victory for the Lannisters, the closing moments leave a different mark, once again prompting the audience to root for the Starks in the end. Juggling countless characters and storylines — and adhering to George R.R. Martin’s intricately assembled source material — “Game of Thrones” is an elaborate balancing act. As such, “Two Swords” excluded a slew of secondary characters (including Theon Greyjoy and Stannis Baratheon), leaving the door open for more premiere-worthy material in future episodes. And with the introduction of an intriguing new character, Oberyn Martell, “Thrones” ’s upcoming nine episodes — like seasons past — will amount to a marathon of complexity, collusion, betrayal and, undoubtedly, murder. At its best, “Game of Thrones” is a cerebral genre series, as talky and calculating as it is actionpacked — and “Two Swords” is just that. Season four’s smart and eventful premiere is yet another solid hour in “Thrones” ’s near perfect catalog. Even more, the episode, like the series as a whole, is perfectly “HBO” — equal parts sexy, foul, fun and significant. As the story continues to build — and “Thrones” ’s upward trajectory shows no signs of slowing down — there’s an unshakable feeling that we’ve only grazed the surface of what this series is capable of. After all … “all men must die.”
Arts
6 — Friday, April 11, 2014
TV NOTEBOOK
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
MOVIE REVIEW
CBS
“Hello?”
‘Wife’ ’s future? CBS drama recovering from explosive episode By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
Spoiler Alert: This article contains major spoilers from the recent season of “The Good Wife.” Two weeks ago, “The Good Wife” did something that most shows never attempt: kill the male lead. Will Gardner (Josh Charles, “Sports Night”) was shot and killed by a client while in the process of defending him from murder charges. The night the episode aired, it sent shockwaves through the internet. It created so much buzz that it actually caused more viewers to watch the show for the next episode (which dealt exclusively with Will’s death in a heartbreaking manner). For those who don’t already know the reason, Will’s death is simple: Charles wanted to leave the show. After nearly exiting at the end of season four, the actor was convinced by co-star Julianna Margulies (“ER”) to stay for 15 more episodes. So showrunners Robert and Michelle King were faced with the task of dealing with his departure. Instead of sending him to Baltimore or New York to start another firm, they ultimately made the decision to give him a permanent send off. This is a decision that will completely change the course
of the ship. The Kings have a lot of options for where to direct it, each of them with different consequences. The biggest question is how they will fill the show’s Willsized hole? While Alicia Florrick is the central character, Will provided the main dramatic conflict for the season, between his fight with Florrick/Agos and his testimony in Peter Florrick’s (Chris Noth, “Sex and the City”) trial. This means that the series has to redraw the majority of the ongoing conflicts that were key parts of the fifth season’s structure. For me, the primary question is: What happens between the dueling law firms Florrick/Agos and LG? The split drove the first half of the season and the direct conflict between Will and Alicia was what continued the rivalry between the two firms, often facing off in court. Now that Will is dead, the conflict has been severely deflated. The show has a couple of options here: The first one is they un-do the past season and merge the two firms. Diane showed warmth towards Alica as they grieved together in last week’s episode, and the show could leverage this to bring it back to the normalcy of the previous four seasons. Another, and what I see as less of a cop-out, is David Lee (Zach Grenier, “NYPD Blue”) takes over the role of leading partner and chief “Florrick/Agos hater,” as he felt plenty burned when the
associates left at the beginning of the season. There’s also other side stories that will either be eliminated or brought to a head because of Will’s death. The Office of Public Integrity has lost its case against Peter Florrick in their voter fraud investigation, so it’s likely that this story will fall by the wayside. The most interesting story that will probably continue to affect the show for the rest of its run is the love triangle between Alicia, Peter and Will is now no longer a triangle. The episode “The Last Call” ended with Alicia ignoring Peter in favor of remembering Will. This could be what sets a permanent divide between husband and wife. This is the place where the Kings have several different paths and no one is better (or worse) than the other. Ultimately though, we probably won’t know all the consequences of Will’s death until later on in the show. The episode that dealt with his passing featured everyone grieving. There have been concerns that this could be the show’s “jumping the shark” moment because Will was such an integral part of “The Good Wife.” But the sharp writing, quick directing and fantastic acting that the show as good as it is will still be there. The Kings will have some work to do to redraw the stories, but they’ve shown that they can reinvigorate the show earlier this season, so I’m betting they’ll be able to do it again.
MARVEL
“Have you kissed anyone since 1945?”
‘Winter Soldier’ soars in espionage thriller By AKSHAY SETH Managing Arts Editor
Now, the article about a pair of “Arrested Development” directors who pulled off arguably the best Marvel extravaganza A since Papa Joss stormed theaters Captain with “The Avengers” two America: years ago. The Winter No one really Soldier knows who the Russo Brothers Rave and are — partly because they’ve Quality 16 been left holding dead chickens in the wreckage Marvel of some truly horrendous crashes such as NBC’s “Animal Hospital,” though mostly because television directors don’t get no shit basking in the shadow of those culty followings showrunners are able to retain. But it’s time the two get the credit they deserve because in “Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” they’ve crafted a
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Friday, April 11, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
DOWN 1 TV Guide abbr. 2 McRae of the ’70s-’80s Royals
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04/11/14
Best Marvel movie since “The Avengers.” phrases in the script (unless you count “he’s fast … strong … and has a metal arm”), yet the larger themes at work behind the scenes are intriguing enough to hold our
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ACROSS 1 Hitching aid 6 Journalist Paula 10 Silo occupant, briefly 14 Place to practice pliés 15 Arab League member 16 __ Tea Latte: Starbucks offering 17 Cost to join the elite? 19 “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” composer 20 Pay for, in a way 21 Wonder Woman accessory 22 Stroke gently 25 Kindle download that’s too good to delete? 27 Like some felonies 29 Seuss pondruling reptile 30 Ready for FedEx, perhaps 31 Yahoo 34 Only 20thcentury president whose three distinct initials are in alphabetical order 35 Origami tablet? 39 Common HDTV feature 41 Basic water transport 42 French royal 45 California city on Humboldt Bay 48 Certain allergy sufferer’s bane 49 Expert on circular gaskets? 53 Induced 54 Places for pews 55 Places for sweaters? 57 Makes certain of 58 List of reversals? 62 Jeanne __ 63 Feigned 64 Inventor Howe 65 Fair 66 Bellicose god 67 They may be hammered out
tense ’70s-inspired political thriller masquerading in red white and blue tights. Every carefully constructed fight sequence or blow-shit-up turn of events in the film never steals the stage from a much bigger, more meaningful picture balanced around intriguing assertions on government. The film barrels along, banking on a squeaky-clean story that, uncharacteristic of recent Marvel fare, isn’t anything to write home about in terms of sheer quotability. There aren’t too many scream-out-the-windowon-the-car-ride-home memorable
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attention — just because we’ve never seen them used to color in a gargantuan tentpole franchise. Propping up every major development in the plot is a central, simple question about whether or not authority deserves trust. In “The Winter Soldier,” that authority is S.H.I.E.L.D, launching a brand new initiative called Project Insight geared through tricked out killer satellites with the ability to preemptively gauge “terrorist DNA” and eliminate it. At the center of the “Minority Report”like program is Alexander Pierce (Robert Redford, “All Is Lost”), a high-ranking government official with mysterious ties to the Cap’s past and a purring, deadly sense of entitlement. It doesn’t hurt that his personal henchman is a world-class assassin with a mechanical arm. Robby Reds revels in the role, taking every opportunity to hurl underhanded, passive aggressive remarks at Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson, “RoboCop”), but the movie belongs to Chris Evans and Scarlett Johansson, whose on-screen chemistry — propelled by the contrast in Cap’s modest, “Golden Generation” sensibilities and the Black Widow’s utter badassery — has always been the most underrated part of the Avengers saga (“have you kissed anyone since 1945?”). Plenty of comic book story arcs have been built around asking questions about established authority, but “The Winter Soldier” takes it to the next level because its central character’s most intriguing quality is his unyielding loyalty. Sure, he’s pumped up full of steroids and has the physical capabilities of most roided-out Olympic athletes, but let’s face it, I don’t give a shit who’s taking them — steroids are boring. Steve Rogers’s real superpower is his faith in country, and like in any other superhero film, what guides the narrative is how far it’s pushed. Part of me never really understood how Steve Rogers aka Captain America aka Captain Popsicle aka Probably The Best Ultimate Frisbee Player Ever could keep differentiating between ‘Murica and America. Before the Internet, it made sense — Amelia Earhart was still around; people thought smoking was good for you; no one was picketing at funerals. Now, most of us have at least a few asswarts in our lives who, on a weekly basis, think Facebook is the perfect medium to call Obama a mass murderer before composing Snapchat stories about enthralling trips to Starbucks. Things have changed, but the Star Spangled Avenger is still chucking that shield however far those steroid-bloated muscles let him. “The Winter Soldier” is a direct, worthwhile message warning against the perils of big government, delivered with the airtight fluidity of a cleanly executed episode of television sealing bloated seams in the Avengers franchise. It doesn’t cater to sloppy pandering and glides through a slew of well-coordinated, memorable actions sequences. The Cap is back. The weekend is here. So do yourself a favor and head over to Rave or Quality 16 — if not for a shield-hurling good time, then just to watch Samuel L. Jackson curse at Robby Reds.
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, April 11, 2014 — 7
‘M’ looks for first win over Bucks Handler leads way WOMEN’S TRACK AND FIELD
for Wolverines By CLAIRE KINTNER Daily Sports Writer
Erik Bakich’s young son Colt rus Junior Brook Handler made quite a mark at the Raleigh Relays Invitational two weeks ago — or better yet, more than one mark. In a field of 64 runners, her career best time of 4:18.28 in the 1,500-meter run managed to not only become the top time in the Big Ten, but also be the secondfastest time in the nation so far this outdoor season. Handler’s success carried her even further, earning her the Big Ten Athlete of the Week last week, the first of her career and the first for Michigan this season. The last Wolverine to win the award was fifth-year senior Jillian Smith last May. “It was a huge honor,” Handler said. “I know how tough these awards are to get in track because everyone is competing so hard and doing so well. I know I definitely wasn’t expecting to run that fast going into my race because I had only done one workout so far. The pressure was off and 14 of my teammates also ran in the 1,500, so I think that’s what helped me to do so well.” Though the Raleigh Relays was a non-scoring meet, the positivity and momentum established allowed the Wolverines to coast to their second annual tri-meet between California and Virginia last Saturday. Handler secured the 1,500meter run title once again with a time of 4:20.99, while junior
Shannon Osika took second with 4:23.62. Handler earned her second first-place finish later in the afternoon in the 3,000meter run with a time of 9:28.78, while freshman Corinne Florie secured third in 9:37.98. “I think the scored meets are a good opportunity to practice racing because it’s not a situation where you’re trying to run for time like you are at some other meet where you’re trying to get a mark,” Handler said. “At scored meets, you’re just trying to run for place, which is what you do at Big Tens. It’s a really high-energy atmosphere and everyone is there rooting for each other.” As for her own performance in the 1,500-meter run this time around, Handler was happy with her results, but she knows she has more to do to drop time. At the Raleigh Relays, for example, she only took over the lead on the last lap instead of getting out with an early lead. With the 3,000-meter run, she was just excited to get some points for the team. Aside from her accomplishments already, Handler hasn’t stopped short of setting goals. “I have my eyes set on the 1,500 (run) this year,” she said. “I’d definitely like to hold serve or improve in the 1,500 (run) this year and make it Nationals. It takes the perfect race, which is hard to do, but it’s something I would love to achieve.”
“I have my eyes set on the 1,500 this year. ... It takes a perfect race.”
We cover all 27 sports!
Check MichiganDaily.com during the weekend for updates.
By MINH DOAN Daily Sports Writer
Residents of Ohio don’t usually root for Michigan and residents of Michigan don’t usually root for Ohio State. But for five Wolverines, that’s been exactly the case. Originally from Ohio, redshirt freshman defender Cooper Charlton, redshirt sophomore midfielder David Michigan at Joseph, Ohio State freshman attacker Ian Matchup: King, junior Michigan 4-8; Ohio State 4-6 attacker David When: Saturday McCormack 4:30 P.M. and fifthWhere: Ohio year senior Stadium Thomas Paras, the TV/Radio: BTN five moved across the states’ border when they decided to play for the Wolverines. For some, the transition has been easy. “My mom is actually from Michigan,” McCormack said. “I always grew up cheering for Michigan because my uncle was a doctor for the football team and would take me up to a couple games a year.” But for others, the transition was just a little bit tougher. “I didn’t really know anything about Michigan except for its athletic history growing up,” Paras said. “I definitely cheered for Ohio State and had some Buckeye gear that I had to give away when I came to Michigan.” Though, McCormack’s tie to Ohio State is minimal, he admits it hasn’t been all smooth sailing. “My brother went to Ohio State actually, so we have a little family rivalry going,” McCormack said. “Pretty much everyone around me went to Ohio State or is an Ohio State fan, so being around that when I’m home is tough sometimes.” On Saturday, all five players will go back to take on the Buckeyes, but this time, as part of their rivals.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Junior forward David McCormack will return to his home state of Ohio, but not as an Ohio State fan.
Michigan will travel to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes (1-0, 4-6) Saturday afternoon in the “Showdown at the Shoe.” The game will take place following Ohio State’s football spring game, a replica of the Wolverines’ version of the game. The past two years, Ohio State has been the premier home game on the Michigan men’s lacrosse team’s schedule, with the game coming after the Wolverines’ spring football game in the annual “Battle of the Big House.” This year, the fanfare remains, but it moves to a different venue. Playing after the spring game will create a problem of its own for the Wolverines. In 2010, the third-ever Showdown at the Shoe, then against Air Force, brought 31,078
fans to the game. The attendance count broke a national on-campus and regular season college lacrosse attendance record that had been set the year before. Attendance has dropped the past two years due to inclement weather. But with the sun supposed to be out Saturday in Columbus, the Buckeyes anticipate a large crowd for the matchup — which will pose a different aspect to the game that Michigan has not faced this season: crowd noise. The Wolverines aren’t worried about the crowd noise more than they are about their own performance. “There’s going to be a lot of people there,” McCormack said. “But we had a goal at the beginning of the season to beat
“We had a goal at the beginning of the season to beat Ohio State.”
Ohio State and people in the stands aren’t going to keep us from doing that.” Michigan is winless in four games after a narrow defeat to ECAC opponent Fairfield last Saturday. In the game, the Wolverines struggled in the first half before making a strong comeback in the second half, holding the Stags to only one goal. With Michigan on a losing streak, Ohio State comes into Saturday’s game on a two game winning streak. Midfielder Jesse King leads the Buckeyes in scoring and has 15 points in his last two games. “They’re very good in transition and the sub game,” McCormack said. “We need to limit their transition opportunities.” Michigan had two goals coming into the season, and one of them was to beat Ohio State. This weekend, the team will get a chance to do just that, and it might just come down to one of its Ohio-grown Wolverines.
‘M’ readies for Spartans Wolverines in need of BASEBALL
By MAX BULTMAN Daily Sports Writer
Long before she ran the bench for the Michigan softball team, Carol Hutchins called East MSU at Lansing home. And after Michigan the Wolverines Matchup: play a home Michigan contest against State 9-25; the Spartans Michigan 30-6 Friday, Hutchins When: Fridayand company Sunday will return Where: to Michigan Alumni Field State for what (Fri.); Secchia could become Stadiuam a lopsided (Sat.) weekend series. The two teams find themselves on opposite ends of the Big Ten standings. Michigan (9-0 Big Ten, 30-6 overall) has been a force in conference play thus far, beating its opponents by a combined score of 89-9. For the Spartans (2-9, 9-25), this season has been filled with
disappointments. Michigan State has lost to unranked midmajors including Florida Gulf Coast — a run-rule loss — and SIU-Edwardsville. And though the Spartans have some close losses — No. 11 Oklahoma only beat Michigan State 7-6 — the forecast for this weekend’s games is cloudy with a chance of long balls. “If we get caught talking about (who beat who), the coaches remind us it’s not about what the other teams are doing,” said senior first baseman Caitlin Blanchard. “We’re about Michigan softball. So honestly I don’t know what Michigan State’s record is.” The Wolverines enter the series on a hitting tear. Their team batting average is .351, good for second in the nation and they’ve hit seven grand slams. Those numbers could rise against a Spartan pitching staff that’s given up at least eight runs in 12 games this season. Headlining the statistical mismatch for Michigan is
LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily
Abby Ramirez is one of eight Wolverines with a batting average over .300.
sophomore shortstop Sierra Romero, whose .641 slugging percentage leads the nation. Big Ten opponents have taken note thus far, walking Romero at least once per game since conference play started. “I can tell you this much, (Michigan State coach Jackie Joseph) isn’t going to give Sierra Romero one pitch — not one,” Hutchins said. “Last year she only got one pitch to hit and she hit it over the fence for a grand slam. They’ll walk her with the bases loaded.” But with the Wolverines lineup depth, walking Romero won’t make things much easier. Batting behind the AllAmerican shortstop is sophomore left fielder Sierra Lawrence, who is hitting .363 with 35 RBI. After that sits senior designated player Taylor Hasselbach, who homered three times in Sunday’s doubleheader against Ohio State. Perhaps the only player underperforming for the Wolverines right now is Blanchard, who has fallen on a slump in the last two weeks. Blanchard, who grew up supporting Michigan softball, is familiar with the rivalry and will look to get out of her rut this weekend. Hutchins, though, is confident that Blanchard will regain her form and return to the consistency she’s had during her four year career in Ann Arbor. “We’ve just got to let it run the course,” Hutchins said. “It’s like the flu.” Still, while the Spartans have not looked good this season, the rivalry series might bring out the best in them — a phenomena the Wolverines are growing accustomed to. “I think everyone we play is fired up to play us,” Hutchins said. “But I don’t care about the other (teams). I care about us.”
crucial wins at Champaign By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Writer
Wednesday, six errors and a combined 4-for-30 plate performance gave the Michigan Michigan baseball team at Illinois its worst loss of the season, Matchup: Michigan a 9-1 blowout 14-18-1; defeat at the Illinois 17-11 hands of Notre When: Dame. Friday- Sunday The loss Where: especially stung because Illinios Field the Wolverines hadn’t lost a midweek game this season. But with little time to reflect, Michigan (4-5 Big Ten, 14-18-1 overall) needs to push the loss from its mind when it travels to Champaign this weekend if it wants to make the Big Ten Tournament. “Once it’s over, it’s over,” said senior catcher Cole Martin. “You can’t dwell on a big win or a bad loss. Once it’s over, you got to move on to the next one — the next 200 feet we like to call it. “Our next big challenge is going to be Friday at Illinois. Not Saturday, not Sunday, not next week … Friday.” Martin hasn’t been behind the plate since April 2, when he left midway through the Central Michigan game due to tightness
in his elbow. Though he didn’t play Wednesday, he said he feels fully healthy and is now projected to don the catcher’s gear once again. And after the Wolverines’ season high six errors against the Fighting Irish, the return couldn’t come sooner. With Martin back behind the plate, he should provide the leadership and experience the defense needs to minimize errors against the fourth best hitting team in the Big Ten. “I think (we need to) just be ourselves,” Martin said. “You saw when we were playing well, we were posting zeroes up on errors and playing consistently by making the routine play and web-jams when we needed to make them.” The Fighting Illini’s catcher Jason Goldstein leads the team with a .382 batting average, good for third in the conference. Though Illinois (5-1, 17-11) is stacked offensively, sophomore left-hander Evan Hill will be up for the challenge Friday. Hill’s one of two pitchers who have shown consistency after he pitched 6.1 innings in last Saturday’s 8-1 win over Minnesota, when he struck four batters and allowed just five hits. But a defense led by Hill and Martin won’t earn Michigan a win if the Wolverines fail to warm up their bats. It remains to be seen who Illinois will pitch in
the series opener, but no matter who it is, Michigan will have to improve from Wednesday’s .133 team batting average if it hopes to even its Big Ten record. To do that, Martin said his team needs to stick to its usual approach of getting the leadoff hitters on base for the big hitters to drive in runs, but even that has failed recently. Junior center fielder Jackson Glines, third in the lineup, has been put in a twoout bases-loaded situation twice in the last week, only to make nothing of it. “Every time you go up there, you’re not trying to hit a home run,” Martin said. “You’re just trying to get the barrel on the ball and get things to happen.” The Wolverines’ results this weekend could determine where they end in the Big Ten rankings this season, especially after being predicted to tie for fifth with Illinois in the preseason. The last question remaining is which team will show up. It could be the one Hill led in the win against the Golden Gophers, when Michigan didn’t allow a run through seven innings. Or it could be the error-prone one that gifted four runs in three innings against Notre Dame while having the second-worst batting performance of the season. For Bakich and his Wolverines, they need to be the former.
JON HORFORD MAY BE LEAVING BUT WE’LL BE HERE So follow us on Twitter: @Theblockm
Sports
8 — Friday, April 11, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Where’s everyone going already? Horford to transfer next year Redshirt junior is eligible to transfer to any school By DANIEL WASSERMAN Daily Sports Editor
In a rather shocking development, the first Michigan men’s basketball player to announce his departure this offseason is Jon Horford. On a day that began with reports that sophomore guard Nik Stauskas had decided to depart for the NBA Draft — Stauskas later shot down the notion that he had reached a final decision — the Wolverines lost a player who was expected to be an integral part of next year’s lineup. “My time at Michigan has been the most beneficial period of my life in terms of athletic development and overall
enlightenment,” Horford said in a statement. “The bonds created over the last four years are everlasting, and the memories made are truly priceless. As on all journeys, new paths must be taken and intuition must be trusted. I leave Michigan with nothing but love in my heart.” Horford, who averaged 3.8 points and 4.2 rebounds in slightly less than 14 minutes per game this season, started seven games before fifth-year senior forward Jordan Morgan took over the majority of the minutes at the ‘5’ spot. However, with Morgan graduating and sophomore forward Mitch McGary’s status still in limbo — he, along with Stauskas and sophomore forward Glenn Robinson III are contemplating whether to forgo their final two years of college eligibility in favor of a professional career — Horford could’ve found himself as a near lock to start and play
significant minutes next year. Because Horford will graduate next month, he can transfer to any school and play immediately next season, so long as he enrolls in a graduate program that isn’t offered at the University, per NCAA rules. Should McGary decide to leave, Michigan’s only true post player with experience would be Max Bielfeldt, though the redshirt sophomore has played only in spots — mostly when Horford or Morgan were in foul trouble. Bielfeldt appeared in just 19 of the Wolverines’ 37 games this season, scoring 15 total points and pulling down 1.1 rebounds per game while rarely playing more than a few minutes
at a time. Freshman Mark Donnal, who redshirted this season, will also likely play a prominent role in the lineup. Donnal added 10-15 pounds since the season began and has raised eyebrows in practice lately. “He’s becoming a force,” Morgan said two weeks ago. “He’s hard to guard down there in the post, and he’s definitely come a long way. “Over the past couple months, he’s just become really good. Really dominates, shoots the ball well.” Another option, one Michigan coach John Beilein hinted at during his Wednesday press conference, is seeking a transfer to fill a void — a practice he used regularly while coaching Richmond, Canisius and West Virginia. “If we have openings and there are transfers that fit who we are, we are open to that,” Beilein said. With Morgan gone, Michigan also loses another active voice in the locker room. Should Robinson leave too, Michigan would have to replace each of its captains for the second offseason in a row. “Jon has been an integral part of our many accomplishments over the last four years,” Beilein said. “He brought great enthusiasm, leadership and work ethic to our program. Jon is a wonderful young man who has a very bright future ahead of him. “We will be rooting for him every step of the way.”
“I leave Michigan with nothing but love in my heart.”
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Redshirt junior Jon Horford announced he will transfer after averaging 3.8 points and 4.2 rebounds last season.
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Guard Nik Stauskas was reported to be headed to the 2014 NBA Draft by ESPN.
Stauskas to leave? By SIMON KAUFMAN Daily Sports Writer
Sophomore guard Nik Stauskas was following in the steps of former guard Trey Burke. Burke led the Wolverines to the Final Four last year; Stauskas carried the team into the Elite Eight this March. Burke was named last year’s Big Ten Player of the Year; Stauskas took home the honor in 2013-14. Thursday morning, a report from ESPN’s Jeff Goodman said that he’ll be following Burke again — this time to the NBA. Goodman reported that a source close to Stauskas said that he had made his decision and would announce his intentions to declare for the NBA Draft shortly. Stauskas took to Twitter shortly after the report surfaced to reiterate that any decisions about his future were not final yet. “Just wanted to reiterate that any reports about my future intenions are FALSE!” Stauskas said on Twitter. “I have NOT made ANY decisions on my future yet!”
Later Thursday, the guard told ESPN.com that he had not made a final choice as to whether he will return for his junior season in Ann Arbor. His father reiterated a similar message to UM Hoops. The sophomore spent last weekend at home in Mississauga, Ontario, weighing his decision with family and friends. The 6-foot-6 guard led the team in scoring this year, averaging 17.5 points per game. He shot 47 percent from the field and 44 percent beyond the arc, and he also had a team-best 118 assists. The stats were good enough for a spot on the NABC All-American first team. After his freshman season, Stauskas stayed on campus to work on his game and his body. He added 16 pounds of muscle, which helped him transform his game by giving him the ability to drive and get points in the paint Experts have him slotted as a mid-first round pick on the cusp of the lottery. Gary Parrish, a national columnist for CBS Sports, has Stauskas going as the 15th pick to the Atlanta Hawks.
Once a walk-on, Lindsay Williams emerges By CINDY YU Daily Sports Writer
Lindsay Williams didn’t know what it was like to be a key player. For all but one month of her collegiate career, the sophomore was an alternate for the No. 7 Michigan women’s gymnastics team. The Northville, Mich. native has frequently exhibitioned throughout the season, making the occasional appearance on uneven bars and balance beam in the six-up, fivecount team format. On March 15 at the Big Ten Quad, however, Williams was thrust into a starting role where she has competed like a seasoned veteran. Stepping in for sophomore Briley Casanova after the beam specialist strained her ankle in practice, Williams proved she was able to deliver in high-pressure situations. With two falls having
already been counted, she clinched a much-needed, seasonbest score of 9.825 in the anchor position. The following week, Williams contributed another solid beam set at the Big Ten Championships, helping the team clinch the conference title. “We were the underdogs going into that afternoon session and we had something to prove since it had been two years since we won Big Ten,” she said. “It was nice to see our team score hold out in the evening session. It was the most unbelievable feeling ever.” As the postseason approached and the stakes grew bigger, Williams expanded her role on the team at the NCAA Regionals. With sophomore Austin Sheppard out with an ankle injury, Williams was called upon to compete on bars for just the third time this season.
In an uncharacteristic fashion, senior Joanna Sampson recorded her first fall of the season after missing her release move. Preventing the fall from counting and backing up her teammate, Williams rallied in the anchor spot and set a new career high, 9.850. “After she landed her bar routine, I literally had tears of joy,” Sampson said. Added Williams: “I just tell myself that there’s no way I’m not going to make that routine.” Keeping her team in the running for the top spot at regionals after bars, Williams
showed consistency with her third hit beam routine in a row. Her two routines were crucial to the team’s first place finish. “For her to be able to step in at the end of the season after things have already been established and people are in their flow of what they’re doing is amazing,” Sampson said. A key factor to her recent success is her work ethic. “You get exactly what you see,” said Michigan coach Bev Plocki. “Even if she’s not the most talented kid on the team, she has earned the respect from very single one of her teammates because of her work ethic and her commitment. She’s just a very sincere, likeable, hardworking student-athlete.” Williams started out her freshman year as a walkon gymnast. Because of her progress and value to the team, she earned a scholarship at the end of the summer before her sophomore year. Former assistant coach Shannon Walker first recognized the young talent when he saw her compete at nationals. It only took a few visits for her to be set on Michigan. “When I came here, it just clicked,” Williams said. “I felt most comfortable with the girls at Michigan and the coaches made me feel really welcomed. Just seeing the facilities and the school, and knowing how great academically it is and how great the tradition is, it just really gave me the feeling that this is where I wanted to be.” Since then, she has grown tremendously, with her physical strength showing the greatest improvement. When Williams first started training with the Wolverines, she wasn’t 100 percent. One
“Even if she’s not the most talented kid ... she has earned respect.”
of her thighs was significantly smaller than the other because of a knee injury that required surgery her senior year of high school. By focusing on strength and conditioning, Williams has made significant strides in her endurance and ability. Now, Plocki feels confident about putting in Williams because of her dependability her competition performance reflects her arduous training regimen. Her role as an alternate throughout the majority of the season hasn’t diminished her competition her input into training and her work ethic is the same in the gym and in the classroom. Earning Academic All-Big Ten recognition, the neuroscience major values her education. “Even though you’re the alternate, you’re right on the edge,” Williams said. “You need to think of yourself as being in
the lineup because if something happens to someone, or there’s a situation where you need to go in essentially, you are in the lineup, so you just have to train with that mentality.” With the Wolverines constantly pushing people in the lineup, alternates help the team effort as a whole and separate the top teams from everyone else in terms of depth. In the upcoming season, Plocki sees her as a threat for a lineup spot on floor. But for now, only one thing is on the 20-year-old’s mind: NCAA Championships. As the team prepares for nationals, Williams can feel secure about her spot in the bars and beam lineups. “I love seeing success stories like this because she’s been working extremely hard and she got to where she is today from putting in so much blood, sweat and tears into what she’s doing,” Plocki said. “It’s paying off for her and for us.”
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Lindsay Williams has overcome knee surgery to be a critical part of the team.