2014-05-08

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SPRING COMMENCEMENT

Thursday, May 8, 2014

CITY

Voters pass AAATA’s transport expansion

NEWS

Charity bike ride Business sophomore will lead 100 mile trek to raise money for cancer research. >> SEE PAGE 2

NEWS

The .7 millage is approved by 2-to-1 margin, will bring in $4.4 million

Rare bloom A plant in the University’s collection will flower for the first time in 80 years. >> SEE PAGE 3

By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA

OPINION

Managing Editor

(Transit)ioning The Daily examines the benefits of the newlypassed AAATA millage >> SEE PAGE 4 RUBY WALLAU & TERESA MATHEW/Daily

ARTS

‘Louie’ returns Famed comedian Louis C.K. is set to return for his season 4 premiere >> SEE PAGE 8

SPORTS

Off to Evanston Michigan softball comes into the Big Ten Tournament 6-5 in its past 11 >> SEE PAGE 10

INDEX Vol. CXXIV, No. 105 ©2014 The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com

NEWS .................................... 2 OPINION ............................... 4 ARTS ...................................... 8 CLASSIFIEDS......................... 6 CROSSWORD........................ 6 SPORTS.................................10

Graduates of the Class of 2014 celebrated during the Spring Commencement ceremony Saturday where Mary Sue Coleman delivered her final commencement speech at Michigan Stadium.

ADMINISTRATION

Suspended student files lawsuit against the ‘U’ Proceedings allege wrongdoing in sexual misconduct investigation

By STEPHANIE SHENOUDA Managing Editor

Former student Drew Sterret filed a lawsuit against the University on April 23 after he was suspended from school following allegations of sexual misconduct. Sterrett, who was a student in the College of Engi-

neering, has taken legal action because he said he was denied due process during the investigation, after a complaint was filed against him by a female friend whom he had sexual relations with.

Sterrett’s attorney Deborah Gordon told The Michigan Daily she finds the University was “completely neglectful” in almost every aspect of their internal investigation, which ultimately left Sterrett “deprived of his educational opportunity.”

Gordon added that the University’s “sloppy” investigation

led to a false result and maintains her client’s innocence based on official affidavit statements that Sterrett obtained from witnesses in an attempt to provide evidence to clear his name.

She explained that with all other crimes, from minor in possession to public indecency charges, the accused is allowed a hearing and chance to speak with witnesses as part of their due process rights. These allowances are not offered to those accused of sexual assault, which Gordon said she believes is the See LAWSUIT, Page 6

With the results of Tuesday’s special election tallied, the Ann Arbor Area Transportation Authority’s proposed transit millage passed with 71 percent of voters supporting expanded transit service.

Voters passed the millage in all of the Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti precincts, and all but two precincts in Ypsilanti Township. The final vote count was 13,949 to 5,783.

The proposal, which was considered in a special election, involved a .7 mill, which the AAATA would reportedly use to provide the continuation of increased services in those communities, including more night and weekend routes, increased services for the elderly and disabled and more routes within the city of Ypsilanti.

The referendum will cost about $33 per year for residents whose homes are valued at about $100,000.

State Representative Jeff Irwin (D–Ann Arbor) is a casual public transit user and has supported the millage since talks began almost five years ago when it was evident that the needs of the area were changing. He said the $4.4 million raised will be an “investment in better quality service” for those that enjoy or rely on the AAATA’s services.

Irwin added that throughout its 30-year history, the See AAATA, Page 3

2 NEWS

Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

City job apps will Student to lead no longer ask for team of cyclists in crime convictions charity fundraiser Council considers deer population control, plans to halt Uber operations

By MATT JACKONEN Daily Staff Reporter

Monday night, city council unanimously passed the first read of a resolution that would disallow any inquiry into an applicant’s felony history on city of Ann Arbor employment applications.

City staff would still be able to run background checks, but this resolution would limit such checks only to applicants who have already been considered in the first batch of applications for any position and have made the cut.

City Councilmember Sabra Briere (D–Ward 1) said the resolution, which she is sponsoring, would allow those with a criminal past to Sudoku Syndication get a fair shot at employment.

“This makes it possible to evalu-

Mackinac City bicycle trek will raise money for cancer research

ate applicants with no unacknowlcancer and provides funding for edged bias toward the applicant potentially life-saving research. because at some point in the past The agency was founded in New they had a felony conviction,” Briere York in 1949 and currently has said. “It’s possible to look at their 63 chapters nationwide. So far, work history, academic history, the organization has invested experience, knowledge and ability over $1 billion in blood cancer to the job and then consider them research. for employment.”

By ALLANA AKHTAR While Hackenberger was Councilmember Chuck WarpeDaily News Editor going through chemotherapy, hoski (D–Ward 4) also noted that volunteers from the LLS conthe felony check box on an applicaBusiness sophomore Paige tacted her parents and informed tion is often a barrier for people who Hackenberger is not one to back the family on what to expect would like to contribute to society down from a challenge. during treatment and in recovagain.

After beating a battle with ery. She and her family came to “Having the box on an applicacancer, she’s now taking on the rely on the organization during tion is a barrier to a lot of people that challenge of leading a team of Hackenberger’s treatment for have paid their debt to society and 44 cyclists on a 100-mile ride in both information and support. are trying to get their lives back in Mackinaw City, Mich. to raise “I know (my parents) feel like order,” Warpehoski said. thousands of dollars for cancer without this organization, my Warpehoski added that many research. experience would’ve been more applicants’ criminal convictions Hackenberger is participating scary and a lot less guided,” she would not pose a threat in the workin a Team in Training program said. place. sponsored by the Leukemia and After successfully concluding “If somebody has a DUI, you probLymphoma Society. The pro- treatment, Hackenberger immeably don’t want them driving a city grams involve endurance train- diately became involved with the vehicle,” Warpehoski said. “That’s a ing and physical activity to raise LLS. In high school she helped relevant issue, but not all are. This http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ money for cancer research. organize fundraisers such as gives us a more narrow tool.”

Though the bike ride on June Pennies for Patients, a program See CITYJOBS, Page 3 14 is Hackenberger’s first TNT where LLS representatives visit event, she has been involved elementary schools around the with LLS since she was first state to educate students about diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lym- blood cancer. In turn, students phoma at nine years old. collected spare change to donate When she was in the fourth to research.

EASY grade, Hackenberger went to the Hackenberger said her doctor’s office to have a peculiar involvement with the LLS is a lump on her neck examined. She way to express gratitude for the later discovered she had a can- volunteers who helped her and taloupe-sized tumor growing in her family as she struggled with her chest, moving her heart to the disease. She said it was no the center of her body and her coincidence that she survived trachea to the side.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma and sees it “I think my exact quote was, as her opportunity to give back ‘You’re wrong. Cancer is only to others walking in the same something grandpas and grand- shoes. mas get, and then they die,’ ” she “I just find it incredibly fulfillsaid. ing to be able to say that I’m here Throughout her experience today because of what people with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, have done in the past and that Hackenberger said the LLS I’m going to maybe give somebecame a stalwart for her family one through my hard work and and friends. the hard work of so many other The LLS is the world’s larg- people, the opportunity to be est voluntary health agency with their family for the rest of that supports patients and their their life,” she said. families suffering from blood

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Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

NEWS 3

Rare Botanical Garden plant set to bloom Greenhouse roof will be removed to accomadate quickly growing specimen

By EMMA KERR Daily Staff Reporter

The Matthaei Botanical Garden is preparing to take the roof off of their conservatory to accommodate a twenty-foot-tall agave that will soon bloom for the first time in 80 years.

The American Agave — the

CITYJOBS From Page 2 Councilmember Jack Eaton (D–Ward 4) said that convicts are often well-suited for certain jobs.

He said employment can be an effective deterrent against creating second time offenders.

“It’s our policy not to bar convicts from employment with the city,” Eaton said. “We have to accept that some jobs can be performed by people convicted of a serious crime.”

Kunselman unveils plans to halt Uber operations Councilmember Stephen Kunselman (D–Ward 3) unveiled a plan to propose a resolution — should it be necessary — to stop the operations of the popular new startup Uber.

Uber allows people to find drivers in their respective areas via a mobile application. Though Uber does require its drivers to get a background check according to state law, because drivers use their private cars and do not use taxis or limos registered by the state or city governments, opponents argue the application creates potential safety hazards.

Kunselman noted that a large part of his problem with Uber lies in its lack of attention to issues of public safety such as providing proof of insurance as a driver for hire.

“For the life of me, I do not understand how a for-profit business believes that public safety is in their interest when they’re just out to make a dollar,” he said.

main ingredient in mezcal, a drink that’s similar to tequila — is expected to grow five more feet over the next two months.

While most agaves bloom within the first 20 years of life, this particular agave has shown no sign of blooming in the past eight decades.

Mike Palmer, manager of Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, said he still does not know why the agave has begun blooming now after so many decades or how the plant’s environment cued sprout such a tall stalk.

“I think within the next 10 to 14

Uber has received its share of criticism from many states and cities across the country for its lack of adherence to regulatory policy.

In February, Detroit City Attorney Melvin Hollowell issued the business a cease and desist order. These orders request an entity discontinue a specified action to avoid legal action.

Kunselman said he will request the city attorney’s office levy a cease and desist order and would request the council’s action if their approval is required.

Resolution passed to decrease deer population City council also unanimously passed a resolution to jumpstart efforts to limit the city’s deer population.

However, the resolution is only a first step and it is unclear how exactly the city will go about controlling the population.

Councilmember Jane Lumm (I–Ward 2) said many residents are expressing alarm at the growing deer population and the public safety problems they may cause such as crashes or Lyme disease from ticks.

“Concerns and frustrations being expressed are primarily related to the damage the deer are causing to our natural environment,” Lu mm said. “But there are also concerns about public safety.”

Mayor John Hieftje jokingly alluded to the chicken ordinance passed by the city in 2008.

“It’s too bad it won’t be as simple as it was when we had the chicken ordinance,” Hieftje said. “We simply banned roosters. I don’t think the deer will listen.”

days, the flower will hit the glass,” Palmer said. “At that point, we will take the glass off the roof of the conservatory and let it go through the roof. It looks like an asparagus spear on steroids, and it could grow up to five more feet.”

As the agave nears twenty feet, it will begin sending out out small branches from its side. From these small branches, the agave will flower, likely within the next few months. Small identical clones of the agave plant will also begin to grow from the stalk, called pups.

These pups will then fall off, hit the ground and root themselves, forming identical agaves.

AAATA From Page 1 AAATA has been able to serve its citizens by constantly evolving to meet their needs. The expansion is another example of doing so with ridership at an all-time high and continuing to increase.

Nancy Schewe, president of the League of Women Voters of the Ann Arbor Area, also supported the millage because of the “enormous help” she knew it would provide, especially to those who regularly need transport to local schools, such as the University, Eastern Michigan University and Washtenaw Community College.

“Great cities need great public transportation as part of a means for sustainable growth,” Schewe said.

She said increased access to public transportation would be good for the community’s carbon footprint over the long-term as well, though she acknowledges the expansion requires “a little extra money to make it work.”

Though the League itself did not take a formal stance on the issue, the group sponsored a public forum to educate voters the day before the election, where advocates representing both aspects of the tax proposal were invited to share their views.

Schewe said she was very pleased with the conversation generated and felt confident the millage would pass, despite the increased funds it would require.

Opponents argued that there are means of funding these new improvements without increasing taxes, including capitalizing on redundancies within the AAATA budget.

Members of the group lobbying against the proposal could not be reached for comment.

American Agave is a monocarpic species — once it blooms and its pups find the ground, this 80-year-old agave will die. It will be cut down and the glass roof will be replaced for winter. However, Palmer is optimistic that its pups and seeds will become new agave and thrive in the conservatory.

Though agaves have various uses, production of mezcal using agave extract has been increasing in the United States. Commonly found in Mexico and other generally dry, mild climates, the American Agave can be found in nature with stalks towering over 30 feet tall.

The University’s agave arrived in Ann Arbor in 1934. Alfred Whiting, a graduate student, brought the young agave from Mexico to the University’s botanical gardens. Since it’s arrival, the sprout has grown to be more than 15 feet tall.

The agave ranks in the top 10 percent of the oldest plants housed at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens.

Students interested in seeing the agave should visit the Matthaei Botanical Gardens Conservatory, which is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. over the summer and has free admission.

V O L K S PA R A D E

RUBY WALLAU/Daily

Governor Rick Snyder dresses in a traditional Dutch costume and leads the Tulip Time Volksparade in downtown Holland on Wednesday.

4 OPINION

Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

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Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board.

All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.

FROM THE DAILY

(Transit)ioning forward AAATA millage will help increase access to transportation

O

n Tuesday, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township passed a 0.7-mill tax increase to expand transit services. The mileage passed with a 71 percent majority in Ann Arbor, 83 percent in Ypsilanti and 62 percent in Ypsilanti Township in favor of the Ann Arbor Area Transit Authority’s proposal. Expanded services are expected to begin in August just as the fall semester begins for students. Major renovations to the AAATA will be phased out over several years in order to help with a smooth transition. Passing the millage was a commendable move that will increase transportation for those who most need it. However, the AAATA must ensure that the millage funds improve transit services in a way that will positively impact citizens and ease transportation for the entire county.

The millage is expected to increase bus hours on nights and weekends, help purchase more buses with better fuel efficiency, improve bus stops, redesign routes and expand dial-a-ride services.

The AAATA intends to hire 60 additional bus drivers increasing job opportunities for surrounding residents. Furthermore, AAATA is seeking to expand transit into other areas including Saline, Pittsfield and Scio Road Townships in order to create a more comprehensive transit service.

The expansion of transpor-

tation services provides numerous benefits. Increasing The Ride’s frequency will motivate students to use public transit, providing an opportunity to take better advantage of offcampus resources. With students’ busy schedules, waiting for a bus to go grocery shopping can be inconvenient. Therefore, increasing frequencies of busses helps to reduce time waiting at bus stops. Expanding bus routes and hours will also decrease car usage, providing a positive externality for the environment.

Improved public transit

will help connect the Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor areas, providing economic benefits to both communities. The proposal includes a new route that will be added to Ypsilanti this year, and 2016 will mark major redesigns of current Ypsilanti and western Ann Arbor routes.

Given Ypsilanti’s higher population of lower socioeconomic citizens, public transportation is vital in allowing access to Ann Arbor where many citizens work at a lower cost. These methods of inter-connection will enhance the lives of many residents in the area.

EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Aarica Marsh, Victoria Noble, Melissa Scholke, Michael Schramm, Sam Wittmer, Derek Wolfe

W

Shaq’s shame

hen NBA Commissioner Adam Silver handed Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling a lifetime ban and $2.5 million fine for his racist remarks during a private conversation, it was obvious to me he did the right thing.

DEREK Regardless of WOLFE the origin of the recording, Sterling was further exposed as the racist he truly is. The key word here is “further.”

As many other articles have already said, it’s unfortunate it got to this point in the first place to punish Sterling. He has a long history of prejudiced views that he implemented into his business.

Both in 2003 and 2006, he was sued for housing discrimination in a case in which he essentially tried to prevent African-Americans from renting out his properties. By all accounts, that is far worse and has a much more devastating impact than his most recent comments. But in the end, Sterling ultimately got what was coming to him, and it appears he will eventually be stripped of his ownership of the team. Justice is served. Finally.

The same cannot be said about former NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neal whose own shameful act was overshadowed by the Sterling coverage.

Earlier this week, Shaq posted a disgusting photo on his Instagram of him contorting his face mocking 23-yearold Jahmel Binion of Detroit.

Binion has a rare condition called ectodermal dysplasia. It results in missing teeth and hair and also an inability to sweat. While it’s certainly possible that Shaq did not realize Binion had a condition, I really don’t care. Especially in a week that emphasized being careful in how you think, what you say and what you do, Shaq’s actions were idiotic and insensitive.

And let’s not forget Shaq also has an MBA and Ed. D. Inexcusable.

As of now, it appears that all Shaq has done is apologize. On his Twitter, he wrote, “Made a new friend today when I called and apologized to Jahmel Binion. Great dude.” Binion appreciated the phone call but was still clearly upset when he was interviewed: “I was thinking ‘Man, he’s supposed to be this role model,

someone everyone is supposed to look up to. If Shaq does something like this, [everyone] will think, ‘We should do this.’”

Binion hit the nail on the head. Shaq is a public figure and must act like one.

But more importantly, he’s a human who should show compassion for others. We should expect better from him. And we should also expect more from the NBA. Shaq targeted another person. That is bullying, intentional or not, and is

I want to live in a world without so much hatred. almost as equally atrocious as Sterling’s racist comments. If Adam Silver doesn’t punish him, then what exactly was the point of making an example out of Sterling? He created a new precedent that if your actions do not fall in the line with the NBA’s brand, you should be punished. Silver must abide by his own standards.

But so should we. Large TV media sources, such as CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and ESPN, have proven since the dawn of news that they will only cover the most controversial and interesting stories. What made the Sterling story so interesting was that players were threatening to boycott.

Players are most definitely not going to boycott over a picture Shaq, an NBA icon, put up on his Instagram. No way.

So that leaves it up to us. We have to relentlessly educate each other about what is right and wrong at all times because there is no summer vacation from life. If the citizens of the United States are truly serious about removing the hateful, prejudiced behavior that stains our society, then every moment has to become a teaching moment. If something is racist on Monday, then it also has to be racist on Friday.

Consistency is key.

I want to live in a world without so much hatred. While that’s certainly a tall order, learning to think twice before we say — or post — something is a good place to start.

— Derek Wolfe can be reached at dewolfe@umich.edu

Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

CHRIS TAKAHASHI AND GREG HANAFIN | VIEWPOINT

Revamping renewable energy During the 2007 football season opener, the top-10 ranked Wolverines were handed a humiliating defeat at the hands of Appalachian State University. With one of the worst openers in Michigan history, it looked like the season was lost.

A few months later and off the gridiron, the Michigan Student Assembly — later renamed Central Student Government — passed a student government resolution calling on the University to revamp investments in renewable energy. Citing an unacceptably low percentage of electricity generated from renewable sources (wind, solar, geothermal) for campus — 0.3 percent at the time — the resolution called for Ann Arbor’s campus to be powered by 100 percent renewable energy by 2015. Now just a year shy of that 2015 deadline, how does the University fare when it comes to renewable energy?

Somewhere between three and four percent of campus’ energy needs are met by renewable energy today, according to the Office of Campus Sustainability.

With the release of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report in late March, the United Nations warns that in order to stave off the worst effects of climate change we must double investments in clean energy. If the University didn’t heed the call of a student government resolution in 2007 will they at least recognize a message from the United Nations and the world’s leading scientists?

One of the greatest things about the University of Michigan is that we are always in a position to make a difference. We are role models, the leaders and best. When Michigan speaks, others listen. So we must speak, and we must do it loudly. Within our relatively secure community, it can often be difficult to see the effects of fossil fuels, but look with a wider perspective and they are staggering. Look at Detroit, where communities are exposed daily to the air and water pollution from coal and oil refineries. Look at the Great Lakes, where plummeting water levels and spiking water temperatures threaten the economy, water security and ecology of the region. On a more national scale, look at the recent

drought in California, the worst in its recorded history. And these pale in comparison to the climateinduced impacts on many of the poorest and most vulnerable countries around the world.

That’s why our organization — Students for Clean Energy — decided to act. We launched our “Greener Than Sparty” campaign in March and rolled out with a UPetition that has since surpassed 700 signatures. Through countless conversations with fellow students, we have yet to experience any trepidation to support the cause. The campaign continues to grow in both student involvement and in making our presence felt by the administration, and we have no intentions of slowing down.

The technology is out there, it’s up to us to take advantage of it and then improve upon it. We should expect our University to be innovative when it comes to sourcing clean, renewable energy on campus. Take the Ohio State University for example. OSU has committed to a stake in wind farm development that powers approximately 23 percent of their electricity and will now annually save nearly $1 million. When will Michigan follow suit? Are we so content to bow down to the school down south?

As the inspiration for our campaign name, Greener Than Sparty, Michigan State is on track to power 15 percent of their campus’ energy needs from renewable sources. Our campaign calls for the University to either match or exceed the renewable energy goals of MSU by 2015.

Remember that 2007 team that lost to Appalachian State? Well they turned the season around, going 9-4 and winning the Capital One Bowl. Like them, we can turn around our attitude toward clean energy. We envision some poetic justice in this story — Appalachian State is Michigan’s season opener this fall. Just as they will seek redemption for their previous defeat, so too can the University for past failure to invest in clean energy. It’s time to recognize that when it comes to energy, there’s no better way to be Blue than to go green.

Chris Takahashi and Greg Hanafin are LSA seniors.

W

Getting to the Hill

ashington, D.C., the promised land of internships for all students interested in politics, advocacy and government. After spending last summer in ManhatHARLEEN tan, I knew I wanted to KAUR be in D.C. this summer, to experience the other big East Coast option for me post-graduation. As someone interested in a career in policy work and advocacy for minority rights, it was clear it was time to pursue the revered Capitol Hill internship.

I decided to apply for an internship placement program, SikhLEAD, which is part of a Sikh advocacy and education organization, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund. After being selected for SikhLEAD, the process began. I had to work with the placement organizer to focus my interests, determine what would be a good fit for me and start the applications for congressional offices.

The process was lengthy and tiresome, often requiring immediate responses or an application filled out within 24 hours, sending me on a complete rollercoaster of emotions.

After getting interviews for a few congressional offices, I realized that the process would take a little more than I expected. A lot of more competitive offices were splitting their summer internships into two sessions, in order to allow twice as many people the opportunity to participate in the program. Although this is certainly a great gesture

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OPINION 5

on their part, it made the process more difficult personally. I now needed to get selected for two internships, not one, and I also had to ensure that I received one for the first half of the summer and another for the second half of the summer.

On top of school and the cumbersome internship hunt, there’s funding. Learning the hard way from my ridiculously expensive summer in Manhattan (housing alone was close to $4,000 for 11 weeks), I knew I needed to look for funding sources early on. Unfortunately, unlike many of my peers, none of the academic departments I belong to would provide funding for an internship on Capitol Hill. I kept searching and found the LSA Internship Scholarship, to which I ended up applying. But I know that my summer will cost at least a few thousand dollars, so I made a visit to The Career Center with the expectation that they could help me locate more funding.

Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The Career Center representative I met with told me that beyond the LSA Internship Scholarship, the University doesn’t have much funding to support students over the summer, and there are little to no local or national scholarships. If I wanted to find other funding, I would have to do it on my own.

Frustrated and disheartened, I walked out of the office. Luckily, I did receive the scholarship, but without it, there’s a good chance I wouldn’t be going to D.C. for the summer.

Knowing that there are so many factors that could have prevented me from having a successful internship experience is not only disheartening, but it makes me wonder about the ways that these experiences are created for a very select group

of people. Without the funding, programs and networks I have, it’s likely that I wouldn’t have been able to make this summer work for me.

Unpaid internships target a very specific group of people and leave many others out. By capitalizing on students who have the socioeconomic status to pursue these internships, these opportunities are catering success to those who are able to afford it. When I decided my career path, the advice rolled in:

The road to D.C. has certainly been a long one. you need a law degree, a Capitol Hill internship on your resume is pretty much a prerequisite, make sure you do a lot of networking. It doesn’t take a rocket science to see that all of these “necessities” for success cost money — a lot of money.

The road to D.C. has certainly been a long one, and I’m sure my internships will require just as much energy, if not more. I’m leaving Ann Arbor with excitement and anticipation for the experiences to come, but also remembering that I’m one of the lucky few who can take advantage of experiences like this.

Although our social identities certainly have an impact on our daily lives, I hope that one day they won’t have such a powerful influence on what individuals are and are not able to do. If we’re all truly created equal, it’s certainly time that our institutions reflect that truth — Harleen Kaur can be reached at harleen@umich.edu.

NOTABLE QUOTABLE

It was not our intention to be disrespectful and we sincerely apologize for the ill-advised references.”

— MSNBC’s “Way Too Early” anchor Thomas Roberts in response to the backlash against his offensive Cinco De Mayo segment on the May 5 show.

6 NEWS

Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

LAWSUIT From Page 1 result of the administration’s efforts to streamline investigations regarding sexual assaults to “look like they’re making strides towards stamping out sexual assault” on campus.

University Spokeswoman Kelly Cunningham denied allegations

of negligence in a statement released to The Michigan Daily.

“The University is reviewing the complaints and plans to defend them vigorously,” she said.

“What we can say now is that our student sexual misconduct policy and practices meet or exceed due process requirements.”

The University has 28 days from the time the suit was filed to respond.

Gordon called Sterrett’s case the “ugly other side of sexual assault on campus,” because outside pressure seems to create rush judgments that often lead to wrongful punishments.

She added that the University is put in a hard position with these cases, because they assume a role closer to that of a police officer than an academic institution, which she believes is inappro-

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priate. Gordon said the administrator who initially interviewed Sterrett had a linguistics degree, which she believes isn’t adequate training for conducting an investigation of this magnitude.

Gordon said that Sterrett’s only opportunity to plead his innocence was in a phone interview shortly after the complaint was filed, five months after the act in question actually took place. She

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emphasized that no one from the University ever met Sterrett in person, which she viewed as one of the many faults of the investigation.

According to the details of the lawsuit, Sterrett and the female friend who eventually filed the complaint went out “socializing” and had sexual relations in his dorm room, where she stayed the entire night. She filed the complaint with the University about five months later but never contacted the police. Sterrett was told if he postponed the interview to consult a lawyer, the investigation would continue without him – which Gordon also cited as an infringement of legal rights.

Gordon added that the proceedings will be a long road, and that the next step is the “discovery phase,” where she will perform depositions on the University officials involved in Sterrett’s case. She anticipates it will be many months before a court date is set.

Sterrett is currently unable to attend the University unless he admits to committing the sexual assault, a confession that Gordon said is just “not possible” to make.

She added that he’s had difficulty finding employment or gaining admission at other schools once institutions learn of the allegations against him.

“My heart really goes out to Drew because the University’s reckless actions really turned his life around in an instant,” Gordon said. “He came to (the University) expecting to go to this great school and have all of these great opportunities, and now this unfortunate event will define his college experience.”

Under the University’s recently adopted sexual misconduct policy, officials need only preponderance of evidence to find alleged assailants responsible for sexual misconduct. That policy was enacted after the U.S. Department of Education recommended institutions amend their policies to adopt a lower standard of evidence in cases of sexual misconduct.

Earlier this year, federal officials launched an investigation of the University’s handling of sexual misconduct allegations after receiving a complaints related to the permanent separation of former kicker Brendan Gibbons. In January, the Daily reported Gibbons had been permanently separated from the University after being found responsible for committing sexual misconduct.

Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SPORTS 7

Ceremony prepares for launch of University’s innovative Mobility Transformation Center New facility will allow researchers to experiment with automated vehicles

By IAN DILLINGHAM Editor in Chief

Every year in the United States, more than 30,000 people are killed in motor vehicle accidents. In an effort to cut that number, the University is laying the groundwork to research systems that could remove one of the most dangerous components from the modern automobile — the driver.

In a small ceremony outside the North Campus Research Complex Tuesday, University administrators and executives from various fields met for the ceremonial groundbreaking of the University’s Mobility Transformation Center, which was conceived to move the University forward in researching connected and automated vehicle technology.

The facility, which is being constructed at a cost of $6.5 million, received support from public agencies — most notably the Michigan Department of Transportation — and a private “leadership circle,”

which includes Robert Bosch LLC, Econolite Group Inc., Ford Motor Co., General Motors Co., Toyota Motor Corp. and Xerox Corp.

Representatives from the organizations met for the first time at Tuesday’s event.

Peter Sweatman, director of the MTC and UMTRI, said the new complex is “not your grandmother’s test track.” The center will feature “a simulation of dense, complex, urban vehicle operation,” including a variety of stoplights and signals, as well as simulated pedestrians, buses and other vehicles.

“MTC is about cutting edge research, but this great University is taking on a bigger task — to accelerate the employment of great technologies and creating great facilities,” Sweatman said.

Construction on the 32-acre facility, which will be located just off Plymouth Road, is slated to begin in June with estimated completion in September. If all goes according to plan, Sweatman said the track could be operational in time for the Intelligent Transportation Society of America 2014 World Congress in Detroit, a convention that will showcase the latest high-tech innovations within the auto industry.

Collaboration between public

and private entities played a key role in the center’s establishment, as the University looks for new ways to bridge the gap between basic research and commercial applications.

S. Jack Hu, interim vice president for research, said he has made “public-private partnerships” a major focus of his tenure.

“Not only can we do research, but we can also translate research into commercial and societal impacts,” Hu said.

Through the University’s currently established Transportation Research Institute, UMTRI, researchers have been exploring connected vehicle technology as a way to promote driver safety and fuel efficiency. The institute is conducting a large-scale pilot study of such systems in Ann Arbor.

While MTC will focus primarily on autonomous vehicles, Engineering Dean David Munson said the two disciplines — connected systems and autonomous function — are intertwined in their goal of promoting driver safety. The result, he said, could be a future where it is “almost impossible to crash your car”.

Munson added that the University has established a niche nationally as a leader in driver safety research. While several other uni-

RUBY WALLAU/Daily

Interim Vice President for Research Jack Hu, Dean of the College of Technology Dave Munson, Michigan Department of Transportation representative Greg Johnson, and the Director of Mobility Transformation Center Peter Sweatman participate in a ceremonial ground breaking for the Michigan Mobility Transformation Center at the Michigan North Campus Research Complex Tuesday.

versities around the nation have established similar transportation institutes, he said they tend to gravitate toward civil engineering tasks, such as roadway construction, rather than on the driver.

“We’re at the beginning of what might be termed the most exciting moment in history in the automotive industry,” Munson said.

However, he added the technology will not be implemented overnight. In addition to research,

there are a great number of industry adjustments and policy decisions that must be addressed before the cars of the future can hit public roads.

“There are going to be a lot of issues that are not just technological issues,” Munson said. “And we have to figure it out, because we can make it a better world if we figure it out.”

Islamic militant attack in Nigeria kills hundreds Violence escalates as international outcry calls for return of kidnapped girls LAGOS, Nigeria (AP) — Islamic militants who have triggered international outrage over the kidnapping of more than 270 Nigerian schoolgirls opened fire on a busy marketplace, killing hundreds of people in a new spasm of violence in the country’s northeast.

The attack escalates Nigeria’s growing crisis from a campaign of bombings, massacres and abductions being waged by the Boko Haram terrorist network in its cam-

paign to impose an Islamic state on Africa’s most populous nation.

As many as 300 people were killed in the assault late Monday on the town of Gamboru Ngala on Nigeria’s border with Cameroon.

The extremists opened fire on a marketplace bustling with shoppers taking advantage of the cooler nighttime temperatures in the semi-desert region, then rampaged through the town for 12 hours, setting houses ablaze and shooting those who tried to escape.

The attack and hundreds of casualties were confirmed by Borno state information commissioner Mohammed Bulama, who spoke to The Associated Press by telephone Wednesday.

Nigerian federal Senator Ahmed

Zannah blamed fighters of the Boko Haram terrorist network that has claimed responsibility for the April 15 kidnapping of 276 teenage girls from their boarding school in Chibok, in northeastern Borno state. The insurgents threatened to sell the young women into slavery in a video seen by AP. Outrage over the missing girls and the government’s failure to rescue them brought angry Nigerian protesters into the streets this week in an embarrassment for the government of President Goodluck Jonathan, who had hoped to showcase the country’s emergence as Africa’s largest economy as it hosted the Africa meeting of the World Economic Forum, the continent’s version of Davos.

Offers of international assistance have poured in, with the Obama administration announcing Tuesday it was sending personnel and equipment to help Nigerian security forces in their search for the girls in the vast Sambisa Forest. Jonathan confirmed that he has accepted the American assistance, which the Pentagon said Wednesday will help with communications, logistics and intelligence planning, but will not include any military operations.

Britain and China announced Wednesday that Nigeria has accepted their offers of help, and France said it was sending in a “specialized team” to help with search and rescue of the girls.

“In the face of such an appalling act, France, like other democratic

nations, must react,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said. “This crime will not go unpunished.”

Fabius gave no details, except to say the team was being drawn from forces already in the region. France has soldiers in Niger, Cameroon and Mali, where it is fighting Islamic insurgents, as well as in Central African Republic.

The kidnapping has ignited a viral social media campaign under the hashtag #BringBackOurGirls that has brought renewed attention to Boko Haram’s campaign of violence. On Wednesday, first lady Michelle Obama joined in, tweeting, “Our prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families. It’s time to #BringBackOurGirls.”

8 ARTS

Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

TV REVIEW

CONCERT REVIEW

‘Louie’ returns

Pearl and the Beard at The Ark

After long hiatus, C.K. is back and as funny and poignant as ever

By PAIGE PFLEGER Daily Arts Writer

By MADDIE THOMAS Daily TV Editor

If there were such a thing as artisanal, homegrown television, “Louie” would be the brand’s mascot.

Featuring 13-episode seasons A of comedic vignettes and Louie existential mus- Season 4 ings, each seaPremiere son of “Louie” Mondays at is handcrafted by the creator 10 p.m. himself. Come- FX dian Louis C.K. writes, directs, edits and stars in every episode of his auteur-driven series, and it shows. In three seasons he has been nominated for nine Primetime Emmy Awards, taking home the prize for Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series in 2012.

Considering the creative and emotional investment this show requires, it shouldn’t be surprising that, at the end of his third season of “Louie,” C.K. decided that he needed to take a break. 19 long months later, we’re finally back in business, and the product is as fresh as ever.

In the back-to-back premiere episodes and the two additional ones sent to critics for review, there exists both the familiar “Louie” material (mean strangers, surreal situations, women who aren’t interested in Louie) and an entirely new edge. It’s only been 19 months, but C.K. has gotten older, and so has the show.

In a sly callout to his hiatus, the first episode, “Back,” includes a stand-up story about how Louie spent an entire year thinking he was 44, when he was really 45.

Then on his actual 46th birthday, a friend pointed out to him that he was a year off in his counting.

Like his show, he aged two years in what felt like an instant.

With his same trademark don’t-give-a-fuck attitude, C.K. explores all kinds of hot-button topics in the beginning of this

C.K.’s show returns after 19 month break FX

fourth season. There’s a long discussion about masturbation around a poker table with some comedian friends, a conversation with a doctor who explains that back pain is inevitable until human vertebrae evolve to accommodate for gravity and, more seriously, Louie addresses aging and death. But unlike other prominent New York-based comedians/auteurs, Louie doesn’t obsess over death; he treats it in a nonchalant, off-the-cuff way.

When his daughter has to write a letter to AIDS for a school assignment, he pitches the opening, “Dear AIDS, please cut it out?” In a stand-up bit that FX has been using liberally in the “Louie” season four promos, he explains, “A lot of things happen after you die … just none of them include you.”

He also ruminates on women and dating. In the season’s second episode, “Model,” Louie bombs at a stand-up gig but ends up hitting it off with a beautiful, young, blonde model (Yvonne Strahovski, “Chuck”).

He’s invited back to the billionaire daughter-of-an-astronaut’s home, where he makes her laugh and they promptly sleep together.

But in typical “Louie” fashion, this absurdity is matched with more absurdity. She tickles him in attempt to make him laugh, Louie reacts violently to tickling, he ends up knocking her out cold and hospitalizing her, only to finish the episode with a lawsuit from her family and a payment of $5,000 a month in damages for the rest of his life.

.

A more in-depth and truly interesting reflection plays out in the season’s third episode, titled “So Did The Fat Lady.” C.K. calls out a societal contradiction in a blunt and thoughtful way, with help from the hilarious Sarah Baker, who plays the episode’s “fat lady,” Vanessa. When she badgers (in a likeable way, I swear) Louie to go out on a date with her and he eventually agrees, Louie makes a stupid comment and provokes a rant from Sarah that spouts more truth than any other half hour of television I’ve ever seen. In an inspired move, C.K. allows the episode to bask in the discussion of the contradictions and expectations of female body image and self-esteem rather than cutting it short to get to the “funny.”

“Louie” is good because it’s a vehicle through which Louis C.K. can inject his unique brand of humor into almost-neurotic musings on human nature that anyone can connect to. “Louie” is great because Louis C.K. is not afraid to push boundaries and experiment with his work. Fingerprints of his personal style cover every aspect of every episode of his show: there’s no one to blame but himself when an episode misfires. Luckily, the show consistently hits its mark. That’s what happens when you let a proven creative genius like C.K. have free reign over the content he produces: you get “Louie,” a beautiful, nuanced, emotional, hilarious game-changing show that has forever changed the television landscape, for the better.

I’ve lived in Ann Arbor for about three years now, but this past weekend was the first time I had visited the Ark — a fact that I’m told is a crime, a travesty. I mean, I like music just as much as the next gal; in fact I’ve spent most of my life behind a marimba or singing on a stage as a marching band and choir geek during high school (a personality I’ve since stuffed frantically into a box in the back of my closet since I came to college). And I go to concerts occasionally, but I’m a bit poor because college costs too much money and so does rent in A2. After scoring a free ticket to the Folk Fest from a friend, I fell in love with the indie-alt musical trio, Pearl and the Beard. So going to their show at the Ark, located on Main Street, seemed like a no-brainer, especially with a press pass. Note: I would have paid money for the show, but who says no to free things?

The Ark was nothing like I expected. I grabbed my ticket downstairs and followed a steady stream of people up the stairs and into the performance space — a huge halfoval room with a stage in the middle and rows of chairs fanning out from the middle. The place was already packed, and people were scurrying about frantically to find any open seats. It almost felt like a church, but if church was more popular among hipsters and lesbians and a hell of a lot more relaxed. By the time the opener started it was clear that they had over sold the venue, and people lined up in the hallways and leaned against walls while the local Little Island Lakes crooned and harmonized. Lead singer Bobby Voorheis has a sound reminiscent of Sufjan Stevens and sings like it takes no effort. I can barely even tell that his mouth is moving.

When Pearl and the Beard took the stage, most people had settled into chairs that The Ark volunteers had scrambled to set up. The band started with hits off their newest album, Killing the Darlings, such as “The Lament of Coronado Brown,” with a straight transition into “Sweetness.”

“The Lament of Coronado Brown” was absolutely stunning, and the

room went silent when Emily Hope Price began plucking the strings of her cello. She held it close to her body and leaned her head towards it like she was embracing a dancing partner. “They don’t know,” she began quietly, “that I love you.” Jocelyn Mackenzie joined in on percussion, and Jeremy Styles on guitar. When the three harmonize their voices are indistinguishable and chill inducing.

After “The Lament” the band sped it up again with its hit “Sweetness.”

They got the audience clapping, and by the halfway point of the song the person working the bar in the back room is jumping up and down, dancing wildly and clapping her hands.

Unique and crowd-pleasing folk music from young band The rest of the audience was equally enthralled, bobbing heads in their seats, clapping and mouthing along with the words. Mackenzie’s drumbeats were catchy, Price’s cello playing mesmerizing, and Styles’ vocals loud and strong. Put together, their songs are amazing works of musicianship and multitasking.

“We’re so happy to be back at the Ark!” Mackenzie says to a cheering crowd.

One of my favorite things about concerts is listening to the stage banter of the performers, and Pearl and the Beard have witty banter down to an art.

“I feel like a gymnast, you know, mounting an apparatus,” Price says, holding her arms up and then pulling her cello towards herself. The rest of the band giggles at this, and talks about its trip to the Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary.

Styles realizes he has been swearing and asks the audience, “Are there children here?” The audience laughs, and Styles follows up with “Do you know cuss words?”

They babble more about the rabSee PEARL, Page 9

Thursday, May 8 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

BOOK REVIEW

‘Brecht’ bio all encompassing The definitive biography of the famed playwright and intellectual

By COSMO PAPPAS Daily Arts Writer

“I did not yet admit to myself the complicity that enfolds all those HHHHH who, in face of unspeakable col- Bertolt lective events, speak of individu- Brecht: A al matters at all,” Literary Life Theodor Adorno says in the preface Stephen to “Minima Mora- Parker lia,” speaking of Bloomsbury the difficulty of Publishing writing during the Second World War. A similar dilemma confronts any biographer, whose challenge is in synthesizing the accomplishments and minutiae of a life with a broader historical scope.

Even more difficult is to write a biography of a person like Bertolt Brecht – poet, playwright, and theater director by trade – whose body of work is centrally concerned with the relationship between history and the creation of art. Stephen Parker powerfully evokes Brecht’s life within a set of historical circumstances, without sacrificing the complexity of one to the other, in “Bertolt Brecht: A Literary Life.”

Brecht set out to embody this historical perspective in his dramaturgical practice called Epic Theater, which sought to represent and analyze the “historical causalities,” in Parker’s words, of the action on stage. Brecht actively discouraged the passive identification that characterized both bourgeois theater and the school of acting of Constantin Stanislavski, the father of “method acting” and a household name today.

Following the destruction of the First World War and the failed German Revolution of 1918-19, Brecht’s aesthetic practice would be tied permanently to his desire for societal emancipation and his vision of a socialist society, primarily exemplified by the Soviet Union during his

life. His relationship to the USSR, however, was never uncomplicated, as the Moscow artistic community resisted the experimentalism of writers like himself. Brecht sought to make collective political action and theatrical practice nearly synonymous, with both of them informing and reinforcing the other.

Parker strikes a delicate balance between the historical events and the more temperamental qualities of Brecht’s that informed his writing, be it his lifelong inability to temper his sexual appetite or manage his frail body. In particular, Parker emphasizes the latter in the way that Brecht’s writings, even at his most Leninist moments, revolve around a feeling of bodily precarity and appetite-driven excess.

Parker’s success is the caution and deliberateness with which he traces Brecht’s multifaceted, contradictory personality and artistic corpus. Brecht drew inspiration from Taoism and Marxism alike. This heterodoxy, though not endearing him to the cultural guard in Moscow, sets Brecht apart as a radical innovator of the theatrical arts without reducing his political committment and creativity to a stale Marxist orthodoxy.

As Parker points out several times, the intensity and lack of forgiveness in the aesthetic debates of the era seem alien to readers today.

The world has changed significantly since Brecht’s lifetime, not least of all with the entrenchment of global capitalism and its austerity program, and this variety of political art can seem bewildering to the world of the corporate Masters of Fine Art workshop. Parker succeeds remarkably in animating the world of political instability and terror that Brecht lived through, where the failure of the Left to coalesce enabled the rise of Fascism.

“The Left once had a political strategy: it was called revolution,” said Fredric Jameson, an American Marxist literary critic and professor of literature at Duke University, in a recent talk at the City University of New York. For readers of Parker’s biography, Brecht’s life and artistic output are instructive for the artist who seeks to create politically provocative and relevant art.

PEARL From Page 8 bits, and all the different names people mistakenly call the band: Pearl and the Man, Ruby and the Beard, and more. They banter until they run out of things to say, and Price breaks the silence by holding up her arms like an Olympic gymnast and saying “And dismount.”

Price began playing the haunting tune “James” and crooned along with her cello and a steady drum beat. The three musicians joined together to sing the chorus, “James, release me”. The song is a good example of the circular nature of Pearl and the Beard’s music, and how their inventive harmonizing and creative musicianship strengthen the repeti-

tion of phrases. Throughout the performance it became increasingly obvious that Price has three degrees in cello performance under her belt.

“We’re going to play you a few of our new songs, to see if you like them,” Styles told the audience.

“And if you don’t, well that’s too bad,” he laughed, “because they’re already recorded. You can plug your ears.”

The band played their last few songs and left the stage, only to return about five minutes later among the audience. Armed with a ukulele and her voice, Jocelyn Mackenzie started up an inspired acoustic version of the Talking Heads’ classic, “Psycho Killer.”

The audience joins her on the “Psycho Killer, qu’est-ce que c’est, fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa fa far better.

ARTS 9

Run run run run run run run away, OH OH OH OHHH AY AY AY AY AY!” It got a little out of hand, but the audience laughed its way through it.

Pearl and the Beard returned to the stage for a strong, belty finale that got fans cheering and on their feet for a standing ovation. The Ark emptied out fairly fast, with some people hanging around to talk to Price, Mackenzie and Styles over by the merch table.

They were friendly and conversational, giving out hugs to complete strangers the way that small bands do before they’ve really hit it big. I’d place bets that in a year or so the trio will be surrounded by security after playing shows in huge venues where their name will be on a marquee in lights, followed by the words, “Sold Out.”

10 SPORTS

Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Reeling ‘M’ heads to B1G Tournament

By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor

For all of the success the Michigan softball team has had this season, its past three series openers have been losses to unranked teams by scores of 10-2, 3-2 and 9-3.

Another stinker like those on Friday and the Wolverines will be headed home early from the Big Ten Tournament in Evanston.

Michigan (18-5 Big Ten, 40-11 overall) heads into this weekend’s tournament after its seventh straight conference championship, but the Wolverines have lost five of their last 11 to fall into a tie for first place.

Ironically, the sustained success earlier in the season — including a 20-game win streak — piled on pressure that made Michigan tense for the final three weekends of the regular season.

“This is a team that is so afraid of not winning,” said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins after last Friday’s loss to Wisconsin. “They’re so caught up in their outcomes, which is not what we teach at Michigan.

We teach process, but they’re not buying in.”

First, it was a two-hit shutout at the hands of Minnesota. Then, a four-error performance in a runrule loss to Illinois, which was in last place at the time. Finally, a 9-3

blowout against Wisconsin last Friday night.

There have been bright spots for the Wolverines. Each time, they responded, most recently with a 10-2 mercy-rule victory over Wisconsin on Saturday. The next day, with the outright Big Ten championship on the line, Michigan battled for more than three hours with Wisconsin before falling in nine innings, 6-5.

Despite the result Sunday, Hutchins saw improvement in her team in its final series of the regular season.

Regardless of the past three weeks, the Wolverines have the best player in the conference, soph-

RUBY WALLAU/Daily

Haylie Wagner has been Michigan’s best pitcher for most of the year and will need her best stuff for the Big Ten Tournament.

omore shortstop Sierra Romero, as evidenced by her Big Ten Player of the Year award announced Wednesday. It also has three of the best pitchers in the conference, including junior left-hander Haylie Wagner, who has struggled with a 1-2 record and 4.79 earned-run average in her last six appearances but still won the league ERA title.

As a team, Michigan ranks first in runs scored, batting average, ERA and fielding percentage.

If the Wolverines play the way they played for most of the season, hardly anyone else has a chance.

If they continue to make mistakes and play down to their competition, the field is wide-open.

Here’s a look at their chances in each round.

QUARTERFINALS: Possible opponents are No. 8 seed Iowa (9-14, 16-29-1) or No. 9 seed Illinois (7-16, 23-25).

The top seed’s quarterfinal game is traditionally lopsided, but that was the expectation two weeks ago when the Wolverines rolled into Champaign. Instead, Illinois mercied Michigan in the first game and would have won the series if not for a late error in the finale.

The Hawkeyes come in well below the .500 mark but do boast shortstop Megan Blank, a firstteam All-Big Ten and All-Defensive Team honoree.

The Fighting Illini seem to be peaking at the right time, led by freshman pitcher Brandi Needham’s tidy 2.94 ERA. Illinois also has four hitters who hit above .300 and can get on a roll — just as they did in the series opener against Michigan.

This season, that 10-2 loss to Illinois has been the exception rather than the rule for Michigan. The Wolverines should coast, barring a collapse.

SEMIFINALS: Possible opponents are No. 12 seed Michigan State (4-19, 12-36), No. 5 seed Northwestern (14-9, 32-15) and No. 4 seed Wisconsin (15-7, 33-17).

The Wildcats should take care of Michigan State easily on their home field Thursday, setting up a quarterfinal matchup Friday against Wisconsin, which could go either way.

The Wolverines have not yet seen Northwestern, which has posed an issue in the past. The Wildcats rank just behind Michigan in batting average (.334) and fielding percentage (.970) and first

in on-base percentage. However, their pitching lags a bit behind with a 3.75 ERA. At Northwestern’s small, hitter-friendly Sharon J. Drysdale Field, the Wolverines might have a chance to go deep.

As they showed last weekend, the Badgers can pose just as much of an issue. They have two capable pitchers who each beat Michigan once last weekend, and they lead the Big Ten by far with 107 stolen bases.

Wisconsin’s contact hitting and crafty base running allow the Badgers to hang around in games. Last weekend, they clung to a 4-2 lead on Friday before breaking out with a five-run seventh. Sunday, they matched Michigan run for run before pulling through with a solo shot in the ninth.

FINAL: It could be any one of six teams, but the likely opponents are No. 2 seed Nebraska (18-5, 40-14) or No. 3 seed Minnesota (16-6, 38-9).

For NCAA Tournament purposes, the Wolverines should hope for Nebraska or Minnesota. For the most part, the top 16 in the RPI host regionals, and Michigan is on the outside looking in at No. 18. A win over the 17th-ranked Gophers or 19th-ranked Cornhuskers might push them over the edge.

But neither of those would come easily. The Wolverines have not played Nebraska, but they would run up against some firepower.

The power-hitting Cornhuskers rank right behind Michigan in runs and lead the league in doubles and home runs, and have the best chance of testing the Wolverines’ top-ranked pitching staff. On the other side, Nebraska has a 1-2 pitching punch of Tatum Edwards and Emily Lockman, who have twin 1.94 ERAs. Michigan took two of three from Minnesota three weeks ago at Alumni Field. The key for the Gophers is pitching. Big Ten Pitcher of the Year Sara Groenewegen finished 12-2 with a 2.27 ERA, and Sara Moulton was at times even better, going 24-6 with a 1.69 ERA. A loss early in the tournament — or even to a lesser opponent in the final — could send the Wolverines tumbling further in the tournament. But a championship could bring them back to where they were during March.

The former could mean a short postseason for Michigan. A championship might mean it’s just getting started.

Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SPORTS 11

Your Move, Michigan: ‘Shocking’ the Wolverines Lyndsay Doyle stood in center field with her shoulders slumped and a nervous look for the first time in weeks.

The senior had JAKE just muffed a LOURIM base hit up the middle, and On Softball though she had an outfielder on both sides of her and a dozen more teammates in the dugout, it must have felt like she was all alone.

She cracked her knuckles and got back into her stance to get ready for the next pitch with lastplace Illinois in the middle of a 10-2 bashing.

The first two-thirds of Michigan’s season went like a boxing match between a heavyweight and a high schooler with no gloves. The Wolverines dominated every opponent, knocking them out before they even got into the ring.

That night, they got punched.

And now, two weeks later, it’s their turn to respond.

It’s a fairly new predicament for Michigan: Doyle hadn’t had to recover from an error because she hadn’t made an error. The pitchers hadn’t had to pitch in close games because there hadn’t been any

close games. No one had needed a clutch seventh-inning hit because they hadn’t played many seventh innings, instead winning by mercy rule.

So much is hanging in the balance at this point in the season — so much to gain, so much to lose.

The Wolverines are behind five Pac-12 teams, three SEC teams and Florida State in the coaches poll.

All of those teams have been tested by tough competition for the past two months.

In the past three weeks, Michigan has gotten a couple punches back and not known what to do with them. The Wolverines watched a dropped third strike roll into the opposing dugout last Friday. The pitchers threw balls in the dirt for junior catcher Lauren Sweet to dig up. The table setters didn’t set the table, and the power hitters didn’t hit.

“Bad time of the year to be having bad softball,” said Michigan coach Carol Hutchins on Friday.

Yes, it is. But every time the Wolverines lose the first game of the series, they fight back with a win in the next game. It’s clear the talent is there. If Michigan turns it around this weekend, the Big Ten

Tournament could start to look like the first half of the Big Ten season.

If it doesn’t, the Wolverines might be coming home Friday night.

So how do they punch back on a more consistent basis?

Is it trying harder? No. Sophomore shortstop Sierra Romero said Friday that Michigan was coming up empty offensively because the hitters were trying too hard. Romero deals with that more than anyone — when opponents pitch around her, she can’t lunge at the first pitch close to the zone.

Is it getting afraid? Not usually.

Hutchins said Friday her team was too afraid of losing and too consumed by outcomes. With the pressure to win mounting, Michigan struggled more and more.

“It was a hard practice (last Thursday) because for some reason we’re not playing good softball right now, not hustling,” she said. “And it’s all of them. Not just a couple of them, it’s all of them. Fear paralyzes you. It’s so funny because when you’re afraid of losing, you don’t lose, you get killed. But yeah, we played really afraid to lose. It’s the worst quality a team can have.”

Last Friday was something new entirely. Hutchins said her

‘M’ dominates All-Big Ten teams

By JAKE LOURIM Managing Sports Editor

The Michigan softball team has dominated the Big Ten on the field over the past seven years, winning at least a share of the conference title each year.

So it’s no surprise that the Wolverines continue to rake in the hardware as well.

The Big Ten announced its AllConference teams Wednesday, including Michigan sophomore shortstop Sierra Romero as Player of the Year for the second straight year. Romero was one of seven Wolverines on the first or second team, while senior outfielder Nicole Sappingfield and freshman second baseman Abby Ramirez made the All-Defensive Team.

Despite seeing far fewer strikes than last year, Romero continued her strong play throughout the conference season to become Michigan’s sixth straight Player of the Year and second straight backto-back winner. Michigan coach Carol Hutchins said she improved

most on defense this year, showing range at shortstop with a .930 fielding percentage.

She also hit .511, tops in the Big Ten by almost 100 points, with 15 home runs and 60 RBI. Her onbase percentage (.641) and slugging percentage (.927) also ranked first.

Romero played in all 51 games and started 50 in the No. 3 spot in the order. Though opponents often pitched around her to the tune of 52 walks, her protection from senior first baseman Caitlin Blanchard, sophomore outfielder Sierra Lawrence and senior designated player Taylor Hasselbach helped keep her a force in the lineup.

Senior outfielders Lyndsay Doyle — a unanimous selection — and Sappingfield joined Romero on the first team as Michigan’s table setters. The two slap-hitters hit .388 and .405, respectively, and together started every game but one. Their ability to reach base meant Romero was often hitting with runners on.

The All-Big Ten second team also featured four Wolverines — Hasselbach, junior catcher Lauren

Sweet, junior left-hander Haylie Wagner and freshman right-hander Megan Betsa — which along with the first team totaled almost two-thirds of the team’s regular starters being honored.

Despite slumping late in the year, Wagner finished 20-2 with a 1.51 earned-run average. Until the Minnesota series April 18, she served as the team’s ace and Friday night starter. Going into that weekend, she was 19-0 with a 0.95 ERA. Betsa, meanwhile, worked out some issues early in the season and became the most reliable starter in the final two weekends. She followed each of Michigan’s last three losses — besides the season finale — with a win, finishing 7-0 with a 1.92 ERA in the Big Ten. One of Michigan’s greatest strengths earlier in the season was scoring in bunches, which it did using a deep lineup top to bottom.

Whether that carries over to this weekend’s Big Ten Tournament in Evanston remains to be seen, but the Wolverines have shown they have the talent to win it.

RUBY WALLAU/Daily

Carol Hutchins and Michigan are being tested for the first time in two months.

team would have to hit rock-bottom to rebuild its mindset and move forward, and Friday’s 9-3 loss — punctuated by Wisconsin’s seventh-inning grand slam — was pretty close.

So, to use Hutchins’ words, she “shocked” them. She lit into them after the game about their flaws.

She lamented the team’s poor leadership, calling it “horrible.” She acknowledged the team’s mindset — “individuals don’t win, this is not track.”

And to that the team responded with a 10-2 win the next day, though Hutchins said she would

have been happy with any outcome the way Michigan played.

“The only thing I care about is our approach and mentality,” Hutchins said. “I don’t care about the game. I don’t care about the outcome. I want a team that fights and plays hard. Watching balls roll into the dugout and not picking it up and throwing it to first, not once, not twice, but three times, using your glove to swat it to home plate, I’ve never taught that play. I want to see us play ball.”

Playing ball is certain. The rest is not — it all depends on how Michigan responds.

12 SPORTS

Thursday, May 8, 2014 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Baseball tops Oakland

By ZACH SHAW Daily Sports Writer

After 50 games, the Michigan baseball team is finally on a roll.

Though months of inconsistent play have prevented the Wolverines from stringing wins together, the Wolverines (11-10 Big Ten, 24-25-1 overall) have won four straight and five of six. In a midseason addition to the schedule, Michigan was able to continue that positive momentum against a familiar foe.

On Wednesday night, the Wolverines were able to overcome an early deficit to beat Oakland for the second time in nine days, this time by a score of 7-4.

“It was a good all-around team win,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich. “I’m proud of the way our relief guys came in and pounded the strike zone and gave our offense a chance to get back in the game, and our hitters were able to string quality at-bats together, put the ball in play and keep the pressure on their defense.”

Michigan came away with another win, but not before a disastrous first inning shocked the team. Normally the Sunday starter, senior left-hander Logan McAnallen got the start on the mound to fine-tune things before facing Ohio State this weekend. Instead, he surrendered four hits and three runs in the first frame to the Grizzlies (8-29) to put the Wolverines in an early hole. “(McAnallen) was making some mistakes with his fastball and leaving too much over the plate,” Bakich said. “Whether he was trying to throw away or go in, he was catching too much of the plate, and they were able to put the barrel on it pretty consistently.”

Following the offensive spurt by the Grizzlies, Michigan battled back with its own bats, using three extra-base hits and a number of errant pitches by Oakland pitchers to take a 4-3 lead in the second inning.

On the defensive side, the Wolverines were able to limit the Oakland offense to just three hits and one ninth-inning run the remainder of the game, allowing what looked like an upset in the making to become an easy win. “(Freshman right-hander) Cam Wysocki was critical to that,” Bakich said. “He was able to pitch

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Kevin White has started four games since starter Jackson Lamb injured his back.

White, Jamett earn starting roles Juniors fill in for injured starters down the stretch

By BRAD WHIPPLE Daily Sports Writer ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Carmen Benedetti homered Wednesday to continue his strong freshman season.

five shutout innings on 48 pitches, which means he was able to work very fast. He was pounding the strike zone and giving us a chance to get back in the game.”

After several quiet innings from both sides, Michigan was in the midst of another rally in the sixth inning — having already scored one run with a runner on second with no one out — when an incoming thunderstorm delayed the game for 68 minutes.

“We just talked to the team,” Bakich said, “and told them to make sure they go back out there and compete with the same intent and sense of urgency they had at the beginning of the game, and not let a rain delay lull you to sleep.

“I thought our guys did a nice job tacking on runs right after the delay and staying aggressive. That was a big part of the game to come out strong and not ease back into it.”

Following the storm, the Wolverines picked up right where they left off. Entering the delay in a 1-0 count, freshman outfielder Carmen Benedetti drove a two-run homer to right, extending Michigan’s lead to four.

The bomb was Benedetti’s first career home run, but the freshman — who went 2-for-3 with four

RBI in the game — is hitting .359 with 20 RBI since April 1, numbers that have not only moved him up in the depth chart and lineup, but asserted Bendetti as one of the team leaders. “(Benedetti) didn’t get a lot of opportunities and wasn’t a go-to guy at the beginning of the year,” Bakich said. “But he’s become one our mainstays in the middle of the order and has been very consistent. His development is just his maturation as a collegiate hitter and getting comfortable at this level. The more he sees, the better he’s getting, and now you’re starting to see some power come with that.”

As a team, the Wolverines’ team average has risen to a seasonbest .258. With a critical series against Ohio State and the Big Ten Tournament looming in the near future, Bakich feels good about his suddenly successful team.

“We just have to keep that competitive mentality,” Bakich said. “That’s where I’ve seen an adjustment in the way these guys approach the game, we’re doing a much better job of competing every time we step into the box and step on the mound. We just want to keep that going as long as we possibly can.”

With just 10 days left in the regular season, one would think injuries to two starters would put the Michigan baseball team at a disadvantage.

Not quite — just look at right fielder Kevin White and designated hitter Dominic Jamett.

The juniors had waited all season for the opportunity to get off the bench and onto the field. Now that they have one, they’ve been making the most of it.

“Those guys have been working hard,” said Michigan coach Erik Bakich, “and they deserve a chance.”

Before the April 25 game against Nebraska, junior first baseman Kyle Jusick was taking batting practice when he suffered an oblique strain in his back, causing him to miss the entire series.

A week later, in the series opener against Northwestern, left fielder Jackson Lamb tried to make a diving catch on a line drive but instead missed the ball and aggravated a muscle in his back — the same muscle that proved to be troublesome for the freshman in the first few weeks of the year.

White and Jamett filled the two open spots in Saturday’s game against the Wildcats and have held onto them, hitting safely in every game since.

“Kevin hasn’t played consistently and is a guy who has been waiting patiently,” said Bakich. “There have been other outfielders ahead of him, but he has stepped up and said ‘I’m the guy.’ We’ve battled consistency issues all year, so maybe now it’s his turn to see what he can do over a consistent period.”

Saturday was White’s first start since March 9 and Jamett’s first of the season. In the first inning, Michigan (11-10 Big Ten, 24-25-1 overall) posted nine runs en route to an 18-6 win. As part of the explosive timing, the pair contributed two singles. Later in the seventh inning, White also bombed his first home run of the season to left field.

The two juniors’ ability to drive in runs and contribute quality atbats put them back on the field to start Michigan’s last game in the series against Northwestern and Tuesday’s game against Central Michigan.

In the last three games, each of them have driven in three runs, with White going a combined 6-for12 and Jamett 6-for-13. White said that over the last few months, he’s been improving by focusing on what he can control while forgetting the elements beyond his grasp.

“Being somebody who hasn’t started in that long of a time period, I’m always looking for ways to contribute to the team,” White said.

“Whether it’s bringing positive energy from the bench or whatever I can.”

Though it remains to be seen if the duo can continue to put up consistent numbers, Michigan must hope the iron remains hot if it wants the season to continue.