ONE-HUNDRED-TWENTY-FOUR YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Ann Arbor, Michigan
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ADMISSIONS
Applicants increase in 2013 early action pool Four percent increase amounts to 23,000 Common App. submissions By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Documentarian Cynthia Wade speaks at Michigan Theatre during the kickoff to the Michigan Center for the Education of Women 50th anniversary.
“Congratulations!” Andrew Boland, a senior at Rockford High School, located about 200 miles west of Ann Arbor, cracked a smile as he read the first word of the e-mail from University Admissions, announcing his acceptance. “I was really excited because Michigan was the place that I’ve always wanted to go,” Boland said. “It’s a prestigious school, it’s where I want to be, and I’m happy to be going there.” Boland was one of nearly 23,000 early action applicants, marking a 4-percent increase from last year’s batch of prospective students. Last year, the University received about
CEW celebrates 50 years Event begins yearlong series of commemorative events, programs
anniversary with a screening of short films by and about women Tuesday evening. The films were followed by a discussion with documentary filmmaker Cynthia Wade, who won a 2008 Academy Award for “Freeheld.” Speaking to the crowd gathered in the Michigan Theatre, Christina Whitman, vice provost for academic and faculty affairs, urged the generations of supporters and benefactors
By PAULA FRIEDRICH Daily Staff Reporter
The Center for the Education of Women began a yearlong celebration of its 50th
to solidify and expand on the CEW’s gains over the past 50 years. When the CEW was established in 1964, it served women who had come to Ann Arbor with a spouse and were looking to start or continue their higher education. In the early 1960s, that desire came with hurdles both within and outside of the University. Admissions and hiring policies were often still explicitly gender
4-0 IN THE BIG TEN
CAMPUS LIFE
Host of events planned for MLK holiday Speakers, student orgs. to pay tribute to national hero By ARIANA ASSAF Daily Staff Reporter
Although the national holiday celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.’s work only lasts one day, the University’s MLK Symposium has scheduled a wide variety of events that will last throughout this month to commemorate King’s legacy. This year, the symposium’s theme focuses on the ideas of how power, justice and love operate in America, and how ideas about them have changed over time. The symposium is organized through the University’s Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives and combines the efforts of faculty, staff, students and community members to bring in speakers and host discussions inspired by King’s ideals.
Lumas Helaire, assistant director for the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives and chair of the MLK Symposium, said the theme “heal the divide” arose when planners discussed how King’s work evolved during the years before he was assassinated. Last year’s symposium focused on the 50th anniversary of King’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech. This year aims to address the subsequent actions he took to fight racism and injustice. “King worked largely to bridge the divide between different groups and races that come from traumatic events in history,” Helaire said. “It’s great to be a part of something that honors one of our national heroes.” The event’s website lists 19 different exhibitions, lectures, discussions and a poetry slam, all in celebration of the holiday. The program will begin on Monday. Activist and performer See HOLIDAY, Page 3A
biased, and balancing family with a professional life was difficult. “It’s hard to take seriously in some ways the kind of views in the 1960s about women, but they were certainly very real at the time,” said Carol Hollenshead, who was CEW’s director from 1988 to 2008. During Hollenshead’s time at the CEW, the center advised the University on policies See CELEBRATE, Page 3A
22,000 early applicants — a larger bump from the previous 19,000 early-action applicants. Complete data detailing the number of applicants admitted, deferred and denied will not be available until the admissions process is complete. Ted Spencer, associate vice provost and executive director of undergraduate admissions, wrote in a statement that early action gives applicants more time to evaluate their prospective options — which may contribute to its popularity. “Applicants appreciate knowing about their admission status before the semester break,” Spencer wrote. The University moved from using a custom application to the Common Application in 2010, resulting in a much larger number of applicants, according to Spencer. “(It) makes it very convenient for students to apply to more than one of their top choice schools,” Spencer said. See APPLICANTS, Page 3A
PHILANTHROPY
Alum gives $1M to ‘U’ Pharmacy scholarships Gift to help fund donor’s namesake fellowship program By BRIE WINNEGA Daily Staff Reporter PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Sophomore forward Glenn Robinson III helped Michigan achieve its sixth win in a row during the Michigan vs. Penn State game on Tuesday. Michigan won 80-67.
RESIDENCE HALLS
Diversity Peer Educators reflect on 40 years of work Alumni and volunteers look to the future By JULIA LISS DAily Staff Reporter
The Diversity Peer Educators program hosted group members, students and hous-
ing officials to celebrate the final ceremony for its 40th year anniversary Tuesday night. DPE promotes social justice issues, protection and inclusion for all students within the residence halls and assist in finding resolutions to bias incidents. Guests were treated to dinner and music before speakers
discussed the impact DPE has on students as a resource, as it provides students with a safe space in the face of adversity as a result of their race, sexual orientation or any other issues with identity. A variety of brief lectures, poems and songs all addressed DPE and the individuality it promotes. University alum Noël GorSee DIVERSITY, Page 3A
The gifts keep on rolling in. The University’s College of Pharmacy received a $1 million donation from Dr. Dinesh Patel and his wife Kalpana Patel on Jan. 13. The gift will be added to the Chhotubhai and Savitaben Patel Fellowships, which were created by the Patel family in 2005 to fund scholarships for graduate students in the College of Pharmacy. The donation comes as part of the University’s Victors for Michigan fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $4 billion overall. The University’s previous campaign, The Michigan Difference, concluded in 2008 with $3.2 billion raised — surpassing its original goal of $2.5 billion. The Pharmacy School hopes See PHARMACY, Page 3A
Losing faith: religion at the ‘U’ Exploring why students are moving away from organized religion
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NEWS......................... 2A OPINION.....................4A S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7A
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News
2A — Wednesday, January 15, 2014
MONDAY: This Week in History
TUESDAY: Professor Profiles
GAME ON, BRO
WEDNESDAY: In Other Ivory Towers
THURSDAY: Alumni Profiles
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FRIDAY: Photos of the Week
GIVE ME THE MONEY
Furman U. recieves $1M gift
JAMES COLLER/Daily
LSA freshman Lester Lee plays table tennis during Winterfest Tuesday afternoon.
Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, received $1 million through the Duke Endowment, the Greenville News reported. The grant went to support the work of the Riley Institute, the public policy organization devoted to improving the social and economic conditions of the state. The Duke Endowment, a private foundation established by philanthropist James B. Duke to support the people of North and South Carolina, rewarded the Riley Institute for its focus on “education, diversity and critical issues impacting the state,” The fund also aims to strengthen the public policy programs that benefit Furman students,
CRIME NOTES
faculty and residents across the state in the areas of public education, economic development, leadership, diversity and other issues. Police investigate bomb hoax at Texas State University The Texas State UniversitySan Marcos campus received a bomb threat early Tuesday morning that was later found to be a hoax, KXXAN News reported. The Texas State University Police investigated the campus throughout the morning, initially closing down a residence hall and surrounding areas, but found no sign of explosives. Police arrested suspect Clay-
CAMPUS EVENTS & NOTES
Slipping and sliding
Golf cart getaway
Saxophone performance
Lecture on ‘being nuclear’
WHERE: Couzens Hall WHEN: Monday at about 10:10 a.m. WHAT: A Student was taken to the University Emergency Department after falling, University police reported.
WHERE: Stadium Gate 1 WHEN: Monday at 12:15 p.m. WHAT: A rented golf cart was stolen from the loading dock area at about 3:00 p.m., University Police reported. There are currently no suspects.
WHAT: University professors discuss what it means to be “nuclear” — whether it be a state or an object. WHO: Gabrielle Hecht and Elizabeth Roberts WHEN: 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. WHERE: Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, Room 100
Eco-friendly thievery
Where’s the beef?
WHAT: Saxophonist, University alum and member of the band Bon Iver will give an emotionally gripping preformance. WHO: Colin Stetson WHEN: 7:30 p.m. WHERE: Walgreen Drama Center, Arthur Miller Theatre
WHERE: 900 Block, S. University Ave. WHEN: Thursday at 12:50 a.m. WHAT: A bike was stolen from a rack in front of Shapiro Undergraduate Library the previous night, University Police reported. There are currently no suspects.
WHERE: University Hospital WHEN: Tuesday at about 2:20 a.m. WHAT: A subject stole food from the cafeteria without paying and left the building, University Police reported. Subject was 34 years old and arrested soon after.
The Deadly Gentlemen performance WHAT: The group will play a classical set with a modern twist from their new album, “Roll Me, Tumble Me.” WHO: The Deadly Gentlemen WHEN: 8:00 p.m. WHERE: The Ark, 316 S.
MORE ONLINE Love Crime Notes?
CORRECTIONS A previous version of the article “University Provost defines Shared Services task plans” printed Tuesday, Jan. 15 misstated the name of the overall service reform plan. It is the Administrative Services Transformation, not the Administration Services Transition. l Please report any error in the Daily to corrections@michigandaily.com.
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ton Garland Warren, a 24-yearold man who is accused of issuing the bomb threat. He is currently in custody at Hays County Jail and faces three criminal charges, according to Texas State University spokesman Jayme Blaschke. Warren’s vehicle contained two suspicious devices, but were later declared not explosive. Blaschke said the fake bombs were designed as real explosives and criminal intent remains unknown. Students living in College Inn, a large co-ed dorm on campus with 300 residents, were forced to spend more than four hours at the student recreation center while police searched the area. — ALLANA AHKTAR
THREE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW TODAY
1
In true Walter White fashion, blue meth is being sold in New Mexico and the greater Four Corners region, the Huffington Post reported. The drugs have been making people sick, reportedly because of the chemicals to make it blue.
2
Is faith fading on campus? Data reveals fewer students are identifying with religion at the University. The Statement delves into reasons behind the decline. >> FOR MORE, SEE THE STATEMENT,
3
A Chinese commercial for Rio Burgundy Grape Mint caused controversy when the protagonist of the ad is so overcome by the powerful flavor of the mint he fails to notice his stuffed purple llama licking his chest, ABC reported.
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‘U’ protein research could lead to better drug treatment Professors study how water affects molecular functions By TOM MCBRIEN Daily Staff Reporter
Much like students at a club on a Saturday night, proteins can act differently when crowded together than when they are more spread out. A team of University researchers is at the forefront of studying this phenomenon as they focus on how water acts between proteins surrounded by bulky molecules, known as crowded proteins. The research may enable scientists to better understand how proteins work, which can lead to improved drug treatments in the future. Sudoku The Syndication researchers’ paper, “Crowding Induced Collective Hydration of Biological Macro-
molecules over Extended Distances,” was recently published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society and is accessible online. Proteins called enzymes carry out many crucial chemical reactions in the body. They are often studied in terms of the molecules they bind to carry out these lifesustaining reactions. However, an aspect of protein chemistry that has been overlooked is that they are almost always acting in crowded, watery environments. Assistant Chemistry Prof. Kevin Kubarych said crowded environments can alter the way in which we view protein activity. “When you stuff people together, like kids at a club — as the walls of the club start to get closer and closer together, the music might be the same and the dancing might be similar, but the way that the actual motion of people works through the club
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is going to change. If you want to go from here to there, you have to mess with 25 people on your way,” Kubarych said. In the researchers’ model, crowding of proteins causes the water surrounding them to slow down. In keeping with Kubarych’s example, they have less room to move in the club. As a result, the proteins, which normally fluctuate in shape, also begin to slow down. LILY ANGELL/ Daily “If the solute is just protein, Dr. Margaret R. Gyetko, senior associate dean for Faculty and Faculty Development at University Medical School, speaks that means that proteins are indiabout promotions and tenure at the Towsley Center Tuesday. rectly sharing information with each other through this attribute of water,” Kubarych said. The information could have important pharmaceutical and medical implications. Each protein has very specific molecules called substrates to which it binds and on which it performs http://sudokusyndication.com/sudoku/generator/print/ certain actions. For example, presentation, which was held in make themselves most appealing, the protein salivary amylase, September. as well as the types of goals they present in human saliva, starts This event was Gyetko’s seventh try to achieve that would make breaking food apart as it’s eaten. seminar on the topic. The idea for them ideal candidates for a proMany important drugs work by the series first emerged after she motion in the future. closely mimicking substrates received large numbers of poorly Gyetko added that the timeline that proteins would normally By CAROLINE BARON prepared promotion packages to obtain a promotion is long and bind to, keeping them from bindFor the Daily from the school’s faculty. cannot be rushed in the five years ing to their normal substrates “I had been getting a lot of before a faculty member requests and thus causing some change in Even doctors need a reminder applications where it was very career advancement. She also the body. that in order to succeed, you have clear to me that (the applicants) said it’s important for faculty Exactly how well proteins bind to ask for what you want. were smart and talented, but they to understand that moving up to their substrates and how quickMargaret Gyetko, the senior didn’t know how to plan ahead in is natural and that they should ly this happens depends on a host associate dean for faculty and a way best conducive to achieving strive for it. of factors, one of which may have faculty development at the Uni- promotions,” Gyetko said. “You During the seminar, Gyetko to do with the state of the water versity Medical School, held a know, we have an amazing and said she recommends cultivating surrounding the protein. seminar Tuesday to address the brilliant faculty, but the only way relationships with people in the Kubarych said crowding could ways that the Medical School’s to win the game is to know the same field, following through on affect water molecules, which then faculty members can best earn rules, and know if you’re ahead or promises and ensuring preparedaffects unbound proteins’ fluctuapromotions and tenure. behind.” ness for the added responsibilitions, changing the way in which The meeting was part of a The seminar focused on what ties that accompany a promotion. they bind to their substrates. series hosted by the school’s dean, aspects are most valued and scru- She also drew attention to a proKnowing more about how proJames Woolliscroft, as a way to tinized by the school’s leadership gram available at the Medical teins respond to crowding could promote interaction between the when making decisions about School to help faculty assess their illuminate more about the speed Medical School community and promotions of faculty members. readiness before beginning to at which they bind to certain its leadership. The series of town Gyetko’s talk focused on differ- prepare promotion packages. drugs, which can be the differhalls supplement issues raised in ent ways that faculty could preThe entire lecture is available ence between life and death in Woolliscroft’s State of the School pare their promotion packages to for viewing on the UMHS website. some cases. “Waiting for one or two days for your drug to take effect — that’s only a factor of two in chemistry but can make a huge difference for a sick person,” Kubarych said.
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Medical School hosts town halls to talk promotion Meetings address issues from dean’s annual speech
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PHARMACY From Page 1A to raise $20 million during the campaign. Patel is the chairman of the school’s board dedicated to fundraising development. “It’s a small college, and so the $20 million is quite significant, and I think we have enough people helping us that we should be able to meet our target,” Patel said. “I am pleased to be a part of the college and do whatever we can.” Patel said he hopes to maintain a cycle of donations through graduate students receiving his scholarships. “We’re just hoping that the most deserving students will get it and that, at some point, once they are successful, they
CELEBRATE From Page 1A regarding having parents as students since many women were returning to the classroom almost immediately after having children. Achieving tenure was difficult for women whose careers were interrupted by starting a family, as the time requirement for attaining tenure did not allow extended maternity leave. The University changed these policies in the 1990s, a time when few other universities were taking steps to accommodate these situations, according to Hollenshead. But Hollenshead said those changes took much longer than she had hoped. “If you had asked me then, in 1970, ‘Where will you be in 2013?’ I would’ve said ‘Oh, it’ll all be solved!” she said. CEW’s current director, Gloria Thomas, said it is obvious that gains for women have not been equal across the board. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics between 1979 and 2012, white women’s earnings rose 31 percent while earnings for Black and Hispanic women only rose 20 and
DIVERSITY From Page 1A don, who worked in DPE as a students, shared stories from his time at the University as a gay man of color and working with students in the Oxford Residence Hall. Gordon stressed the importance of cherishing others in one’s originality and building friendships when trying to create a safe community. Gordon described his peers
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will pay back to the college,” he said. Patel was born and raised in Africa and completed his undergraduate degree in India. He then finished his studies at the University’s Pharmacy School, where he received his doctorate in 1979. He currently resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, and works as a venture capitalist with his company, vSpring Capital. Patel said he has fond memories of his time spent in Ann Arbor and appreciated the wealth of activities available to him along with the unique educational experience that the University offered. “Without going to Michigan I would not have been able to get where I am, so I feel it’s important to help other students to
get their education,” he said. Peter Niedbala, the college’s director of pharmacy advancement and external relations, said Patel’s contributions were to the school have been incredibly generous. “He is really contributing not only resources but also time as chairman of our campaign efforts, and it’s very humbling that he has made this time commitment to the college,” Niedbala said. “He is helping focus our volunteer board on identifying prospects and helping create enthusiasm for helping the college achieve its goal.” In addition, Patel has been recognized in the past with the University’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009 and the Willem J. Kolff Lifetime
Achievement Award in 2013. Pharmacy student Ronak Shah said the Patel Fellowships are currently funding his tuition and other college expenses. “This will help the University to go ahead in the future and truly becoming one of the leaders in the field of research and academia,” Shah said. BioUtah president and CEO Kimball Thomson, who knows Patel through his membership on BioUtah’s board of directors, praised his contributions to the community. “…He is a giver and a genuine great man,” Thomson said. “He gives so much of himself to others and to the community. He really is one of the modern fathers of biotechnology here in the Western states.”
13 percent, respectively. Data from the 2012 Current Population Survey showed that women with children earned less than their childless counterparts, while men with children earned significantly more than their peers. Consequently, the CEW’s constituency has diversified tremendously since its inception when it served mostly white, middle-class women, Thomas said. Today, the CEW offers career counseling and networking help to a demographic that includes many women of color, women living in low-income situations, single parents and some men. “There is still a need — maybe not as much need for white, middle-class women — but still a need for those who are struggling to get to where they want to be in their careers and in their education,” Thomas said. She added that the CEW’s role today is to help those who still face barriers to higher education make sure they are not “doomed to a low-income job.” As tuition rates steadily climb, financial realities often make a college education unattainable for many women and men. In response, the CEW gives away $300,000 per year in
scholarships to “non-traditional students,” including parents, those who are transferring from community college or are not financially supported by their family. “Not all women live the traditional lives where they come right out of high school and get their education and have 2.5 children and all that,” Thomas said. The CEW Scholarship Program awards aid to 50 students across the three University campuses every year. “It’s not just needing the money,” Thomas added. “It’s connecting them to a network of individuals who will support their efforts as they pursue their career interests.” It’s that network that drew Thomas back to Ann Arbor when she took the CEW directorship in 2008. She originally started working at the Center in 1995 as a graduate student at the School of Education. “It was, in many respects, a home away from home for me when I was a grad student here,” she said. The CEW will continue to celebrate its semicentennial throughout the year with a conference focused on economic security and mobility for
women in poverty in May and an event to bring together past and current scholarship recipients in the fall. The center originally invited Alice Walker, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “The Color Purple,” to speak at one of the anniversary’s events, but later rescinded the invitation. The center decided Walker was “not the premium choice” for the event, according to Thomas. The author posted a letter allegedly written by her agent that said funding was cut from her lecture due to controversial statements she made about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. However, the University later invited Walker to speak at the biennial Zora Neale Hurston Lecture for the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, to be held in November 2014. Walker accepted the invitation on her blog and forgave the University for the uncertain circumstances. “I believe we have all learned something from our efforts to reach out to one another, and I believe also that — if solar flares or deeply unintelligent wars haven’t carried us off — it will be a good time,” Walker wrote.
in the DPE as “a group so fierce even Beyoncé would be jealous,” and added how important the friendships within this community are to being successful in their mission. “One day you soon you’ll come to realize how powerful this program really is,” he said. “Created in the image of the great Robbie Ransom, the DPE is bold and unapologetic in its pursuit of social justice.” Gordon said the DPE is one of the only programs on campus that gives positions of power to
typically marginalized groups such as LGBTQ students, people of color and international students. He added that students should realize the importance of being good to yourself, to respecting the work you do and to being willing to compromise. Trey Boynton, director of diversity and inclusion, also spoke of the DPE’s significance and impact in the program, adding that the group saves lives and sends a strong message to members in the University community.
“We need it more than ever,” Boynton said. “DPE is housing’s manifestation of our commitment to diversity.” Robbie Ransom, former director of cultural awareness and diversity education, also spoke after receiving recognition from current DPE members. Ransom encouraged the DPE members to keep on fighting for social justice, even after graduation.
CSG proposes new system for honor code revision process First meeting of the year addresses administration’s transparency By MICHAEL SUGERMAN Daily Staff Reporter
In a unanimous vote Tuesday night, the Central Student Government Assembly passed a resolution that called on the administration to grant the elected body the power to screen all proposed amendments to the University’s Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities. The resolution will now go to the Student Relations Advisory Committee for approval. The SRAC will hold a formal vote on each of the resolution’s stated recommendations in February. The measures approved by SRAC will then be sent to E. Royster Harper, vice president for student life, who — if all goes according to plan — will pass them to the University’s Office of General Counsel, and ultimately to University President Mary Sue Coleman for final consent. Law student Jeremy Keeney, CSG student general counsel, said the proposed modifications would begin to fix the cur-
rent system, which allows the Office of Student Conflict Resolution and faculty to propose amendments to the Statement of Student Rights and Responsibilities without CSG approval. This process could allow for changes to be made to the student Code of Conduct without students’ consent or input. “I’m hoping (the resolution) will be successful,” Keeney said. “We provided Royster and the chair of SRAC a copy of this in December. They did reach out with some clarifying questions, but not with concerns.” The CSG resolutions committee will now consider substantive changes to the Code of Conduct itself, targeting potential discrepancies between the CSG Bill of Student Rights and the statement’s list of rights and responsibilities. A new resolution proposing amendments to students’ rights will go up for vote in the assembly by February 4, Keeney said. “The combination of these (resolutions) will be one of the biggest amendments that have been passed in a while,” he added. The efforts to standardize the Code of Conduct are not CSG’s only initiatives to increase administration transparency. Keeney and Chris Stevens, Chief Justice of the Central Student Judiciary, have
also been working to improve University honor codes since last semester. The two have met with administrators — including Harper and University Provost Martha Pollack — to address code inconsistencies. Right now, each unit within the University has its own honor code with varying levels of detail among the University’s schools and colleges. Although Keeney and Stevens do not wish to change the organization of codes by school, they agreed that they want to increase transparency and consistency among the codes. Keeney said he recently sat in on two LSA honor code hearings with the permission of Esrold Nurse, assistant dean for undergraduate education. He was impressed with the impartiality with which the dean conducted himself, but he felt the students weren’t aware they could have an advocate present to help present their cases. “It’s not clear what the rights are and what the process should be,” Stevens said. The College of Engineering, for instance, has a procedural manual for its hearings — but Stevens said it is not published. “Personally, I found the system to be unfair, at least at the student-peer level,” he said. “It just seems that the cards are
stacked (against students).” Keeney and Stevens said honor code reform would also benefit the administration by preventing any litigation stemming from wrongful expulsions or suspensions. The pair researched the honor codes of the University of California, Berkeley, Princeton, Yale and Stanford, and has four principal changes they think should be adopted. First, they recommend that honor code hearings should include written opinions by the administration. Additionally, they said they believe students should have access to both advocates and hearing procedures, including appellate rules. They added that all honor codes should be easily available online. As per Pollack’s recommendation, Keeney and Stevens will meet with a group comprised of all the University’s associate deans and vice provosts next week to initiate discussion of reform, and to potentially establish a working relationship with the group for the rest of the year. The meeting will be the first of its kind. “Academic integrity is extremely important, and I welcome the fact CSG is thinking about our policies,” Pollack wrote in a statement. “I will be interested to see how their work progresses.”
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 — 3A
HOLIDAY From Page 1A Harry Belafonte will give one keynote memorial lecture in Hill Auditorium. Belafonte worked with King himself, as well as President John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela on justice issues. Belafonte is also the recipient of an Emmy Award, a Tony Award and a Grammy Award. Motivational speaker Albert Mensah is scheduled to give a lecture at Rackham Auditorium later in the day. Phyllis Meadows, associate dean for practice and clinical professor of health management and policy at the School of Public Health, will also give a speech about community health at the Dow Auditorium in the
APPLICANTS From Page 1A “This sometimes generates more choices and variables to take into account than in previous years.” Erica Sanders, managing director of undergraduate admissions, said in an e-mail interview last year that the increasing magnitude of applicants might yield more Early Action deferrals. While some students, like Boland, opened e-mails welcom-
Towsley Center. In the Modern Languages Building, the MLK Children and Youth Program will target a younger audience with storytelling and musical performances. Students in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance will perform at the Power Center as well. The performance will revolve around this year’s themes. The Michigan Community Scholars Circle of Unity will perform on the Diag as they sing in honor of King and his legacy. Finally, an art exhibit in the Hatcher Graduate Library Gallery will be open starting Monday and continuing through Feb. 28 — documenting the history of race at the University from its founding to the present.
ing them to the University’s class of 2018, others were not as fortunate. “Our high application volume, coupled with the very strong credentials of our applicants in recent years, has contributed to an increasingly competitive admissions process,” the deferral letter reads. “As a result, we are writing to inform you that your application is currently being deferred for further review.” According to the letter, all final admissions decisions will be released no later than April.
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Opinion
4A — Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com PETER SHAHIN EDITOR IN CHIEF
MEGAN MCDONALD and DANIEL WANG EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS
KATIE BURKE MANAGING EDITOR
Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors.
FROM THE DAILY
Immunizing Michigan The University should require vaccinations for the safety of students
W
ith the recent outbreaks of influenza in Michigan and across the country, the importance of early prevention has come to the forefront of public conversation. Healthful practices and safety precautions are being offered as possible solutions, but one of the most effective solutions — namely, vaccination — does not get the attention it deserves from University health officials. Vaccinations save the lives of millions of people every year by safely and efficiently protecting against myriad diseases. Their proven effectiveness stands starkly against the University’s lackluster vaccination program. The University must improve its vaccination requirements and its vaccination-promotion program as a whole for the health and safety of its students. Vaccines work. The absence of diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, hepatitis B, meningitis and varicella from everyday life is a direct benefit of laws requiring children to be vaccinated as a condition for entering public education. Public education, and specifically public higher education, fosters areas of close contact, exchange and collaboration — the same kinds of areas where diseases are often most communicable. Preventative measures should be put in place to ensure the well-being of all participants. Diseases and infections such as influenza, meningitis, hepatitis B and human papillomavirus have an elevated risk of incidence in college environments due to students’ close and continual contact with one another. Yet Michigan’s higher education system does not require domestic students to show proof of vaccination upon acceptance — though some international students are required to be tested for tuberculosis. Many other schools across the nation require vaccinations as a condition of enrollment, including the University of California, Berkeley for hepatitis B and the University of Texas for bacterial meningitis. In both instances, a state mandate compels the universities to adopt these standards, with the Texas legislation going so
far as to enforce the requirement for all higher education institutions, public or private. While Michigan’s K-12 vaccination program is comparable to the rest of the country’s as a result of federal guidelines, it is woefully behind in other areas where vaccinations are necessary. Hospital employees, ambulatory care physicians and correctional inmates are not required in any way to be vaccinated for any disease. While at times on the leading edge of modern vaccination legislation, Michigan’s overall hands-off approach to vaccination regulation in higher education has left many of its studentcitizens susceptible. While direct, state-based legislative action might be the preferred route to improve the state’s overall vaccination policies, the University must do more — if not by state mandate then on its own — to show concern for the welfare of its students. At the very least, the University must increase the awareness and the availability of vaccines for its students, staff and faculty. Students should be protected and feel safe from the dangerous diseases that are easily spread. One of the easiest and most effective ways to do this is to emphasize preventative health measures and make them available. Vaccines save lives, and with the proper promotion and standards, so too will the University.
MAJA TOSIC | VIEWPOINT
Charity is a quick fix
The holidays are officially over. Wrapping paper lies in the bottom of trashcans. Presents are worn in. Netflix is no longer the main event of the day. And tiredness once again looms among stressed students. But other things are also becoming old and remain stuck in the past. The Salvation Army’s red kettles and jingling bells have been removed. Collection boxes with the “Toys for Tots” label have been dismantled. Piles of cans have been delivered, and none remain. But people are still hungry. Children still need warmth and toys. Loose change burns a hole in one’s pocket very quickly. The holidays are winding down, and so are acts of charity. Charity is a quick fix. During the holidays, donation boxes are overflowing, but once the Christmas trees have been thrown away and the twinkling lights have been turned off, donations halt. Such acts of kindness do little to remedy the real issue. They are very vertical actions — the top gives to the bottom. There is no solidarity. There is no collaboration. Solutions are seen as coming from positions of privilege, and oftentimes they are not solutions at all, but actually overlook the real issue. The amount that is donated is never too much. Loose change and old toys are appropriate, because the lost weight will not be felt. Charity inevitably views some as helpless receivers and others as selfless saviors. It dictates that some have the answers and the means to implement them while others remain powerless. Never through charity can we move beyond privilege and these problematic dynamics. I believe in a common liberation. I believe in solidarity. We all have something to give and receive from others despite the intersection of our identities. As allies, we can move forward to solve the issues of why hunger and poverty exist. Charity turns us into opposite poles and slaps a small Band-Aid on a wound that is much bigger. Moving from problematic charity to powerful solidarity means making some changes first. Change the narrative. “Help” should not be solely defined as giving tangible resources that cover basic needs. This definition limits us to viewing help as stemming only from those with material resources and not from those who lack the necessary funds. Instead of confining ourselves to this idea of help, we should move toward entertaining the idea of empowerment. Empowerment comes in many forms and shades. It dictates that each person and community is equally part of the equation. It gives a voice to all and wards off the potential of
disseminating norms and solutions of the privileged group onto others. We also need to change the idea of who is a receiver. Each community, including my privileged, white community lined with picket fences and green lawns, needs empowerment. Empowerment does not mean that only the less privileged need attention, or that they lack ability and knowledge. My privileged community needs empowerment to gain a consciousness it currently lacks. Such communities need the strength to echo the truth and unearth the unjust structures they rely on. Other communities and individuals may need empowerment to unlock their voices, reach for their potential and gain a positive self-image. By empowering and attending to everyone’s different needs, we can change the equation. We all become an equally important component of the solution through which we have the potential to learn, empower, listen and influence. To do that, we must create intersectionality. Issues are interwoven. People do not fit into boxed categories, and our problems are not individual entities. Therefore, we cannot approach liberation without turning it into a common fight. Even though my white skin does not make me a target, I still need to be liberated from privilege and need my friends and allies to be liberated from oppression. Together we are stronger. We can come together and link hands. Charity allows people to give to others without even meeting the people they are supposedly helping. The distance between “givers” and “receivers” prevents any true warmth, compassion or care from forming. We cannot create change without nurturing genuine relationships. By meeting the people we hope to collaborate with, we can find the love we need to become braver fighters. Make giving a part of yourself. Charity dictates giving as a concrete and singular act. Food, money, toys and clothes are donated once in a while, and then the act is over. Don’t give only when it is convenient for you. Taking the steps to form solidarity and to empower others as well as yourself means turning these acts into an essence of yourself. Solidarity is a state of being. It radiates outward and influences our actions at every moment. It is time for us to create real change. It is time to create solidarity and begin a true fight for liberation. Come join. Maja Tosic is an LSA senior.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
The danger of a flyer
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imply walking from the Diag to the Posting Wall, one is bombarded with posters, banners, flyers and quarter sheets from various departments, organizations and events on campus. There is no doubt that our students, professors and HARLEEN faculty care KAUR about a lot of things. Between guest speakers and conferences, social justice dialogues and ally trainings, our student body appears to be very socially conscious. However, the question is, are we actually accomplishing anything with these deliberate and evident acts of empathy? A few years ago, Malcolm Gladwell wrote an article called “Small Change: Why the revolution will not be tweeted.” Besides my inexplicable addiction to both Malcolm Gladwell and Twitter, there are a few reasons this article caught my attention. Gladwell discusses how, with the increasing popularity of social media, we are losing sight of true activism. Being physically present is what sparked great movements, not simply showing support through tweets and sharing links on Facebook. Looking back on movements that inspire me — most notably the Civil Rights Movement — college students just like us were able to organize nationwide, without any previous communication. Rather, pure passion and a need for change drove them. As a student who is starting to become very aware that my days in
Ann Arbor are limited, I ask myself us to disengage from the problem what I can do to leave my mark on and call ourselves activists, without the University. To be honest, I don’t actually taking action. think it will be through quarter So, really, how much of a difsheets and Facebook posts. ference are we making when we Although we shouldn’t disregard choose to put up flyers, walk away the tools we have such as social and hope someone comes to our media and flyers, we also need to rec- event? Does it really make us a ognize the importance of our voices. better person for taking a quarter Although these new technological sheet from that person standing at tools allow us to make connections the posting wall — know that I have across borders and communities, been on both sides of this — and they also make it easier for us to then throw it away when they aren’t abandon our cause. All you have to looking? Where is the line between do is throw away that flyer. actually caring about social jusThis is the problem with just rely- tice and being a campus that only ing on a piece of paper to relay our appears to care? message. It lacks the piece of activI do not claim to be above this ism that I love the most: our human- problem, but I ask you to join me ity. Taking the in pushing human factor out ourselves forof activism allows ward to actuus to forget that, ally engage in behind each these issues. Change won’t occur cause, there is a Instead of just person who truly through quarter sheets covering the cares about the Posting Wall and Facebook posts. issue and is perwith endless sonally affected tape and flyers by the result of it. every day, and I have a deep faith then watching in the empathy of the layers get our student body, but I think that torn down every night, let us unite somewhere along the way, it got lost in a cause that creates a deep pasamong the Facebook posts, tweets sion for social justice within all of and flyers. us. We can use these tools to start Without building tangible rela- conversations — such as creating a tionships across communities, it hashtag to start conversations about will be impossible for us to create a race or using Facebook to get the unified student body. We will con- word out on a dialogue about sociotinue to cover each other’s flyers economic status — but we cannot with our own, click “attending” on let it stop there. Without engaging a Facebook event and then decide the humanity within each one of us, not to go because we’re too tired to we will continue to fall short, never actually leave our rooms, or just sit reaching the ultimate goal of justice. in bed and re-tweet that interesting article in the Daily. Failing to see the — Harleen Kaur can be reached humanity in social justice allows at harleen@umich.edu.
EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS Kaan Avdan, Sharik Bashir, Barry Belmont, James Brennan, Rima Fadlallah, Eric Ferguson, Nivedita Karki, Jordyn Kay, Jesse Klein, Kellie Halushka, Aarica Marsh, Megan McDonald, Victoria Noble, Michael Schramm, Matthew Seligman, Daniel Wang, Derek Wolfe
Changing the conversation
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n Jan. 3, Rolling Stone published an article titled “Five Economic Reforms Millennials Should Be Fighting For,” and it’s been circulating around the Internet ever since. The writer, Jesse Myerson, called for five of what DEREK can only be WOLFE described as “a shade short of Marx” reforms: Guarantee work for everybody, give social security to all, take back the land, make everything owned by everybody and create a public bank in every state. “The economy blows,” he wrote. “Unemployment blows … so do jobs.” “Ever noticed how much landlords blow?” he questioned. “Hoarders blow.” And so does Wall Street, according to him — and just about everyone, really. Coming from a writer whose Twitter bio includes #FULLCOMMUNISM, it should be to no one’s surprise that he thinks this way. And it also shouldn’t be surprising that the article has been blasted across all forms of media over the past couple of weeks — especially by conservatives, but not exclusively. The reforms have been called “tired, old ‘solutions.’” Of course they are. History has shown that this kind of economy does not work and will never work. But that doesn’t mean there is nothing to be learned from this not-so-eloquently written piece that was clearly published to create controversy. Seriously, would it be such a bad thing to actually try to change the ways we — and especially our leaders — do things? And I’m not talk-
“
ing about change for the sake of As a country, we’ve just gotten change. I’m talking about change lazy. And to steal Myerson’s word, because let’s not pretend that our that “blows” too. We’ve grown concurrent version of capitalism and tent with the status quo and would foreign policy is working that great rather debate the traditional red-blue either; the economy’s snail-pace politics that we know than consider improvement, the NSA scandal and alternatives that may seem risky at a stagnant Congress — among other first but produce significant rewards. things — don’t help the cause. We can change this, but it begins Consider the case of Dennis Rod- with demanding more out of our man. He has also received a lot of leaders and even becoming leaders criticism over the past week for ourselves. Yes, we are all busy with his “basketball diplomacy” trip to our school, jobs and family, but we North Korea where he went into need to start caring more and hold a drunken outrage in which he our leaders accountable. The petty mocked Kenneth Bae, an American politics and deal-making that goes who was sentenced to 15 years in a on behind the scenes can no longer labor camp for “hostile acts.” be acceptable. And it shouldn’t take Dennis Rodman is obviously any more TV shows — “House of not the person we want repre- Cards,” for example — to show that senting the this behavior, United States, the obsession but maybe with greed and It’s possible that I’m power, is going we’re being too closed-minded What we asking for too much, on. about what he need are leadhas done. After asking for people to, ers — and they all, he’s one of don’t just have you know, actually the few Amerito come from cans with any Washington — think. form of a relawho want to tionship with bring new ideas Kim Jong-un. to the table and The way I see it, there’s no reason aren’t afraid to do so. that “basketball diplomacy” can’t It’s possible that I’m asking for too be actual diplomacy and create much, asking for people to, you know, progress — the Olympics, another actually think. And not just think, athletic event, have been used to but “think different” — cue the 1990s make political statements for years, Apple ads — because yes, it’s hard. and this can too. But I fear that if we can’t change our It’s so easy to say we can’t nego- opinion on change, then nothing will tiate with someone who commits improve. Not jobs, not the economy the atrocities that Mr. Kim and or our leadership. Nothing. other dictators have. But I believe So let’s make an effort to — gasp that some dialogue is better than no — think a little differently and have dialogue, even if it’s at a basketball an open mind. And look, it’s still the game. So while I hesitate to applaud New Year, so it’s not too late to make Rodman, his trip to North Korea a resolution. represents a different way of conducting business that could initiate — Derek Wolfe can be reached positive change. at dewolfe@umich.edu.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
Mistakes were clearly made. And as a result, we let down the people we are entrusted to serve.” — Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) said last night in his State of the State Address regarding the recent traffic jam scandal on the George Washington Bridge.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Arts
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 — 5A
TV REVIEW
FILM REVIEW
HBO
“Matthew McConaughey’s son is named Mr. Stone.” UNIVERSAL
Marky Mark with his new Funky Bunch.
‘Survivor’ tells explosive true tale War film recreates doomed Operation Red Wings By KARSTEN SMOLINSKI Daily Arts Writer
For those moviegoers just craving a bit of action, “Lone Survivor” ’s fearsome battles should more than Bmeet your needs, but Lone Survivor for the more State Theater demanding viewer, the Universal true story of “Lone Survivor” also delivers a good dose of humanity. Based on the book of the same name by Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell and novelist Patrick Robinson, the movie follows the events of Operation Red Wings, when four SEALs came under attack from Taliban forces in the midst of enemy territory in Afghanistan. The film introduces the four main characters, HM1 Marcus Luttrell (Mark Wahlberg, “The Fighter”), Lt. Michael P. Murphy (Taylor Kitsch, “John Carter”), GM2 Danny Dietz (Emile Hirsch, “Killer Joe”) and STG2 Matthew Axelson (Ben Foster, “Contraband”), quickly establishing their rich family
lives and the strength of their bonds as brothers-in-arms. Soon thereafter, Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen (Eric Bana, “Hanna”) sends them into the Afghan mountains on a mission to capture or kill a notorious Taliban leader. After making a difficult moral decision over whether to release or kill a few goatherds who accidentally stumble upon the four SEALs’ hiding place, the heroes of the movie rapidly find themselves under attack by the local Taliban militia. Stranded in the middle of the Afghan wilderness with only limited radio contact with American forces, the soldiers are left with no choice but to fight for survival. The intense and lengthy action sequence that follows excellently portrays a sense of desperation as well the Navy SEALs’ astounding ability to endure massive punishment. This echoes the film’s opening where actual footage of the Navy SEALs’ extreme training establishes the theme of willpower and a tone of realism. During the combat, a highly subjective and frenetic camera conveys the hysteria that ensues as the Taliban militia forces them to retreat further and further down the mountain. The sound effects induce flinching with every impact. Audiences
also receive close-ups of the SEALs’ gruesome wounds. Initially, the film comes off like any other film with an excess of shooting and explosions, but a dearth of unique emotionality. “Lone Survivor” glorifies the heroes and their deaths while unceremoniously dispatching a number of nameless, faceless “bad guys.” However, the film takes a surprising turn, in a moment that humanizes the Afghanis and imparts to the audience a wonderful sense of hope for the prevalence of human kindness. Possibly the film’s strongest asset is the accuracy with which it depicts the story based off of the accounts of the lone survivor himself, Marcus Luttrell. Though Hollywood does of course fudge some of the more minor details, the events that resonate most with the audience stay fairly true to real world events. In this regard, “Lone Survivor” inspires and entertains without turning the phrase “based on a true story” into a meaningless marketing gimmick. While “Lone Survivor” may recycle the familiar themes of patriotism, honor in war and personal sacrifice, its dedication to the real-life heroes of Operation Red Wings reminds viewers of the true value of these principles.
TV REVIEW
Loosely spun ‘Helix’ falters By ALEX INTNER Daily Arts Writer
When the names of certain showrunners are attached to a series, there are expectations that naturally follow. BRon Moore (“BattleHelix star Galactica”) is one Season One of those Premiere names. Friday at 10 p.m. Bringing him in as SyFy a producer adds a certain ethos to “Helix.” While he will probably never be involved with another show as great as “Battlestar,” his name still means something in the science-fiction community. “Helix” follows what happens after a virus breaks out in a research facility in the Arctic. A team from the Center for Disease Control arrives and finds themselves facing a type of virus they’ve never seen before. Over the course of the first three hours, the show introduces the outbreak and adds some major details about how this virus works. It spends these hours assembling a chessboard, setting the board by introducing the characters and moving the pieces around. The major issue is that the movements around the board
are slight. The show doesn’t create a huge amount of forward momentum in its storytelling. The second hour especially made it clear that the show is stalling as it tries to fill 13 episodes of story. If this season were six or even 10 episodes, the story would be less redundant. It spends a significant amount of time on the effects of the virus, especially the transformation of certain people into zombie-like creatures called “Vectors.” After introducing that idea, it continues to discuss it without giving new information. It starts to be repetitive, rather than pushing the plot forward. It doesn’t help that “Helix” ’s characters are a mixed bag as well. Only the two main characters, Dr. Alan Farragut (Billy Campbell, “The Killing”), who is the head of the CDC’s team and Dr. Hiroshi Hatake (Hiroyuki Sanada, “Lost”), who is the head of the research facility, seem complex. They are the only characters who show any signs of change or emotion over the course of the first few hours. Given that the show actually has a decent sized ensemble, that’s a problem. This is something that can change over the course of the season, but as of right now, it’s a huge mark against the show. The most effective element
of “Helix” is the setting. The research facility is in the Arctic, completely separated from the rest of the world. (They only can contact the outside world for an hour a day.) This creates a claustrophobic feeling that makes the virus outbreak seem even more real. When the Vectors are loose and attacking people in the facility, it creates some genuinely scary moments. The show uses its setting to put the viewers in the characters’
First episodes don’t show strong vital signs. minds, allowing them to feel the same fear. “Helix” appears to be another mediocre serialized science-fiction series. Its setting allows it to create some strong moments, but it’s limited by its weak group of supporting characters and lack of narrative momentum. Ron Moore is a quality writer; if there’s anyone who can correct the show’s direction, it’s him. However, the first few episodes don’t show strong vital signs.
‘True Detective’ defies crime drama tropes By CHLOE GILKE Daily Arts Writer
“I don’t sleep, I dream.” This is hardly the most shocking comment that mysterious, world-weary detective ARust Cohle (Matthew True McCoDetective naughey, “Dallas Buy- Sundays at ers Club”) 9 p.m. intones to his bewil- HBO dered partner, Martin Hart (Woody Harrelson, “Hunger Games: Catching Fire”), but it’s possibly the most affecting. In that moment, Hart realizes that there is more to his partner than meets the eye, and that whatever darkness lies beneath the surface is probably best left undisturbed. Like the character of Rust, “True Detective” is bleaker than the sum of its elements might suggest. The unbalanced and co-dependent friendship, the ritualistic murder mystery, the devolution of the main character into a boozing, smoking mess: if this all sounds familiar, well, it is. Down to the title sequence (featuring Southern Gothic music playing over images of brooding men and the empty Louisiana landscape), “True Detective” appears to be another derivative of the popular anti-hero and procedural cop drama series. But what sets “True Detective” apart from the glut of similar series flooding cable channels is that it is not really about the serial killer. “True Detective” is refreshingly more interested in telling the story of
a man and a friendship broken by the hopelessness of humanity than solving another case of the week. In fact, when Martin and Rust are introduced, their case is already closed. A new set of detectives (and the viewers) must accompany the estranged Martin and Rust as they recount the events of 1995 and navigate their dark memories of the case that tore apart their friendship and their sanity. And man, is this show dark. The episode is entirely humorless, and every loaded remark Rust makes to Martin is increasingly cringe-worthy. (When Rust describes a ghost town as resembling “someone’s memory,” Martin responds with just a hint of terror that his partner’s candor is troubling and unprofessional.) In this episode, all the discomfort builds to a dinner scene between Martin, Rust and Martin’s wife, Maggie (Michelle Monaghan, “Gone Baby Gone”), that is pitch-black grim. Rust arrives to Martin’s home with his hard-earned sobriety blown and his careful censor gone. He provides lovely dinner conversation by describing his experience of killing a man to Martin’s young daughters and recalls to Maggie that he also used to be a married father (that is, until his child passed away and his wife left him). But for these characters, who deal with death, destruction and the worst of humanity every day on the job, the pessimism is appropriate. Martin and Rust themselves, brilliantly written by novelist Nic Pizzolatto, are dynamic enough to carry this characterdriven drama. Gone are the days of McConaughey’s surfer-dude and rom-com charmer roles:
his performance is intense and terrifying. Harrelson also holds his own as family man Martin. And although she is not around much in the first episode, Maggie seems curious, tenacious and interesting. While the character drama is top-notch, the case itself is lacking in intrigue. Dora Lang is introduced as a dead prostitute used in a satanic ritualistic murder, but without more information about who she was when she was alive, it is difficult for viewers to care as much about her case as Rust and Martin do. Since “True Detective” will be an anthology drama, following the same characters and case for one season before switching to a new set of detectives and murder, the foundation for a good case is an absolute must. So far, the investigation is the weakest plot line in “True Detective,” which is pretty problematic for a show about, you know, detectives solving a murder.
Puts the “character” in character drama. Despite these shortcomings, the successes of “True Detective” ‘s pilot episode are reason enough to make it required viewing this winter. Uncovering the motivations of such interesting characters is reason enough to reopen the case and revisit the twisted darkness of “True Detective” for another installment.
News
6A — Wednesday, January 15, 2014
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Syrian refugees in Lebanon struggle to find aid in cold Increasingly chaotic security situation overwhelms relief organizations
AMR NABIL/AP
In this Sept. 4, 1957 file photo, Elizabeth Eckford, right, is turned away by Arkansas National Guardsmen as she approaches Little Rock Central High.
Equal access to education improves in Little Rock Racial divides remain nationwide, but integration efforts intensify LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Five decades and $1 billion after an infamous racial episode made Little Rock, Ark., a national symbol of school segregation, the legal fight to ensure that all of its children receive equal access to education is almost over. But many challenges still remain, in Little Rock and across the country. Some of the city’s affluent white neighborhoods have better schools. The district’s black students on average have lower grades and test scores and more disciplinary problems than white students. And racial divisions linger within the integrated Central High School, where riots erupted in 1957 as Gov. Orval Faubus tried to prevent black students from entering. A day after a key desegregation lawsuit was settled, such stubborn disparities raised the question: Do all children in Little Rock now receive a highquality education? “No,” said Joel E. Anderson,
chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, who led a task force that produced a 1997 report on the future of the city’s public schools. “The plaintiffs in the lawsuit and school district officials have all made a monumental effort to achieve equal educational access for all children in the district, but there is still a considerable distance to go,” Anderson said by email. He said that the opening statement of the report still stands: If the people fighting for equality in 1957 could look ahead to the current Little Rock School District, “they almost certainly would have said, ‘No, that is not what we are seeking.’” Monday’s settlement established an end date for $70 million in annual state payments that fund desegregation efforts, including programs that offer poor black students better opportunities and attract affluent white students into the district. The extra funding has helped make Central High School one of the nation’s best public schools. Its advanced classes serve as a major draw for white students who live far from campus and make it the flagship school for the city, if not all of Arkansas. “We produce more nationally
recognized scholars than any part of the state,” Superintendent Dexter Suggs said Tuesday. But at middle schools with a higher percentage of black students, twice as many students score “below basic” on standardized math tests at the end of eighth grade — a pattern that repeats across grades and subjects. Data from the state Education Department that tracked students between their high school years and their first year of college showed that students from the area’s private high schools were better prepared for college and scored higher on the ACT college entrance exam. Using data from 2011, the most recent year available, all but one private school had at least a quarter of its students meet all of the ACT’s pre-college benchmarks. No public school in the county reached that mark — not even Central — and the schools that had the highest percentage of black students fared worst on the test, with less than 6 percent of its graduates ready for college. “The problem is not solved yet,” said John Kirk, chairman of the history department at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, who has studied the history of desegregation in the city.
Classifieds RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, January 15, 2014
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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Under siege 6 Raul Castro’s country 10 Irate 14 Sheeplike 15 A long way off 16 Lily variety 17 Give birth to a baby elephant, say 18 *Broadcaster of many TV games 20 Acting the quizmaster 22 Mink kin 23 Like some simple questions 25 Dress like a king or for the ring 28 “I’d rather not” 30 Say convincingly 32 Brother 34 Higher limb 35 Vase-shaped jug 36 “The Treasure of the __ Madre” 38 __ Balls: Hostess treats 39 Dog breed, a type of which begins the answers to starred clues 41 Dawn to dusk 42 “Better luck next time!” 44 Chooses 45 It may be massive or massaged 46 __ sax 47 Narrow strip 48 Lode deposits 49 Greg’s sitcom wife 52 Impersonating 54 Thin-layered rock 56 Nancy Drew, e.g. 59 *Seemingly unfitting name for Wrigley Field vines 63 British Columbia neighbor 64 Jim Davis pooch 65 Optic layer 66 Go along 67 Make (one’s way) 68 Automatic “P”? 69 Yields (to)
DOWN 1 __ Burger, veggie brand that originated in Florida 2 Perón and Gabor 3 *Like newly shaved legs, per some razor ads 4 Wishes one had 5 Many “Glee” characters 6 Half-__: coffee order 7 What weather balloons may be mistaken for 8 Ron Burgundy’s dog 9 Burning crime 10 Príncipe’s island partner 11 NHL great Bobby 12 Tough thing to be stuck in 13 What mom has that dad doesn’t? 19 Links goal 21 Worked on, as a bone 24 In the past 26 *One checking crossings 27 Incense
28 Ribbons on a plate 29 Turncoat Benedict 31 Flashy Flynn 33 Sends to the canvas 35 Greek vowel 36 Squabbles 37 Recipient of many returns: Abbr. 40 Popular tablet 43 Sang one’s own praises 47 Mouth moisture
48 Antsy 50 Letter before sigma 51 Not wimp out 53 Sacro- ending 55 Continually 57 Quaker pronoun 58 Tilling tools 59 Hood’s weapon 60 Laudatory poem 61 Reason for contrition 62 Shaggy ox
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ZAHLEH, Lebanon (AP) — Fear, confusion and a lack of information are preventing many Syrian refugees in Lebanon from knowing where to turn for aid. With a constant surge of refugees now fighting the bitter winter cold, humanitarian organizations are struggling to find ways to reach them with the information they need to survive — and are recruiting some refugees to help out. In Lebanon, where displaced Syrians now equal one-third of the population, the problem is made worse by the government’s refusal to establish official refugee camps, leading to a chaotic, fractured operation with major gaps in coordination. Many distrust a Lebanese government they deem sympathetic to President Bashar Assad and are suspicious of international aid organizations, making them hesitant to register with the U.N. refugee agency to become eligible for assistance. “Everyone, who comes here is confused and afraid,” said Elyse Maalouf, a UNHCR worker in Zahleh, one of two registration centers in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, where hundreds of informal refugee settlements have sprung up. “Many refugees are reluctant to register because they fear their names would be shared with the Syrian government.” Of all of Syria’s neighbors, Lebanon has been the hardest hit by the exodus of Syrians fleeing their country’s violence. Close to 1.5 million Syrians are now in Lebanon, scattered across the volatile country often in makeshift substandard accommodation. Unlike in neighboring Turkey and Jordan, there are no official refugee camps. From immunization and
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other health services, to education and even basic aid to survive outside their war-stricken homeland, most Syrians in Lebanon feel lost in a world of rumors and misinformation. “Managing and disseminating information becomes much more of a challenge than it would have been if they were in a camp setting,” said Ninette Kelley, UNHCR representative in Lebanon. A donors’ conference for Syria is set to open in Kuwait on Wednesday. The U.N. last month appealed for a staggering $6.5 billion to cover this year’s funding needs — its largest-ever request for a single crisis. Experts say more money needs to be allocated for information programs, crucial to any successful aid response. “Information saves lives, and a significant part of what we have to do is advocate to funders and donors that this actually is a tremendous need,” said Kirpatrick Day of the International Rescue Committee. In an effort to deal with the massive aid effort, U.N. agencies and NGOs have concentrated their operations under the “Inter-agency Information Sharing Portal,” where the work of various groups can be followed. But with each having its own organizational mandate and the geographic scatter of the refugees, the effort has remained largely uncoordinated. Unregistered refugees, particularly in far-flung corners of the country, are often left out in the cold — literally — with no access to aid except from sympathetic locals. Surveys have found few listen to the radio and even fewer watch TV. Internet and social media does not come into play when it comes to needy Syrians. A recent survey by the global media development agency Internews found 60 percent of refugees cited their main trusted source of information as being “another person, friend, family.” Text messages on mobile phones are often the most advanced tools to reach refugees with information such
as polio vaccination dates and locations. “When it comes to Syria, it’s really back to basics,” Kelley said. To deal with the problem, aid agencies have started to train and recruit refugees as volunteers, not only to distribute information to fellow Syrians but also to provide important feedback. UNHCR used 100 volunteers last year and is planning to increase that to 1,000 next year. “Refugees often trust those with whom they live, and this is a great way to keep refugees informed appropriately through mediums that they have confidence in,” Kelley said. Others are struggling to come up with ways reach Syrians. Internews recently partnered with the International Rescue Committee for a project called Tawasul — Arabic for Connection. The project, still in the preliminary stages, aims to find innovative ways to get information out. “One of the things that we feel is a pressing need that has largely gone unmet is access to information from sources that people in the midst of the conflict can trust,” said Day, the project leader at ICR. The U.N. has put the total number of people in need of humanitarian aid at 9.3 million. They include some 2.3 million Syrians who have fled the country, flooding neighbors such as Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon, which can barely keep up with the strain. At the UNHCR center in the town of Zahleh in eastern Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, Syrians stood in long lines in the biting cold, waiting to register as refugees. “Nobody tells us what is happening,” said Hajj Khater, an elderly man from Syria’s warshattered northern province of Aleppo. “I registered a month and a half ago. We were supposed to start getting assistance after 20 days but we’re still waiting, God only knows why,” he said, drawing his red-andwhite checkered scarf closer to his face from the cold.
Implementation of Iranian nuclear deal approaches Rouhani calls Geneva agreement a surrender of Western nations VIENNA (AP) — As diplomats worked on the next step of implementing a landmark Iran nuclear deal, the country’s president described it Tuesday as a “surrender” of Western powers to Tehran’s demands. But the U.S. dismissed the comment as playing to a home audience and urged Iran to abide by the deal. The Nov. 24 agreement commits Tehran to curb its nuclear programs in exchange for initial sanctions relief over six months as the two sides work toward a permanent agreement. The accord designates the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency to supervise Iranian compliance with terms of the deal. The 35-nation IAEA board is expected to approve that role at a meeting set for Jan. 24, according to two diplomats. They demanded anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the date ahead of an official IAEA announcement. Iranian officials have been keen to portray the pact as advantageous to their country in easing sanctions in return for what they say are minimal nuclear concessions. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani’s remarks about the accord Tuesday appeared to be part of efforts to bring around
hard-liners who have denounced the deal, claiming it tramples on Iran’s nuclear rights. “Do you know what the Geneva agreement means? It means the surrender of the big powers before the great Iranian nation,” Rouhani told a crowd in the oilrich province of Khuzestan. “The Geneva agreement means the wall of sanctions has broken. The unfair sanctions were imposed on the revered and peace-loving Iranian nation,” he said. “It means an admission by the world of Iran’s peaceful nuclear program.” Rouhani’s comments drew a dismissive U.S. response. “It doesn’t matter what they say,” White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters in Washington, describing the statement as meant for a “domestic audience.” “What matters to us ... is what Iranian leaders do, what Iran does in keeping its commitments in this agreement,” said Carney. The U.N. agency did not confirm the board meeting but said separate talks in Tehran between Iran and IAEA experts were postponed from Jan. 21 to Feb. 8. One of the diplomats said the Iran-IAEA talks were postponed to allow Iran and the agency to prepare for the implementation of the Nov. 24 deal — a view the United States appeared to share. “There’s a lot going on around the same time,” said Deputy State Department Spokeswoman Marie Harf. “So it’s not a concern.” Enactment of the Nov. 24 agreement is scheduled to begin Jan. 20.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 — 7A
The next Wangler: Jared’s path to Michigan By JAKE LOURIM Daily Sports Writer
ROYAL OAK, Mich. — Snow falls on the house, the one with two cars in the driveway and another in the street, the one where a former Michigan great stores his memories and his son waits for the chance to make his. There’s a great deal of tradition packed into that house, but the first thing you see when you walk up to that snowy home off Woodward Avenue is John Wangler. Not John Wangler in the Rose Bowl, not John Wangler to Anthony Carter, not that John Wangler. They’re the same person, but this John Wangler stands on his sidewalk, shoveling snow. “Hi, I’m John,” he says, as if you don’t already know who he is. For this John Wangler, there is life after football, and for his kids, that’s all he can ask. Of his five children, daughter Halle plays basketball for Michigan, son Jack is a freshman wide receiver and son Jared is committed to play linebacker there next year. John played for Michigan from 1976-1980, winning four Big Ten championships and leading the team to the 1981 Rose Bowl championship. The Wangler kids have spent their whole lives around Michigan, the longtime football powerhouse that their father helped make. But it’s not what it once was. John’s legacy is cemented. Jared’s is due to start this fall. Jared could have gone to Penn State or LSU or Indiana. But he didn’t want to, because inside this house are people who believe the program is turning around, who know the snow will stop. *** The only sign from the outside that this house is a Michigan house is a block ‘M’ bumper sticker on the Dodge Nitro parked in the street. The biggest snowstorm in years has clouded part of the ‘M,’ but the logo is still visible. There’s no Michigan flag waving, nor is there Rose Bowl memorabilia visible inside. Jared and John sit down at the dining room table, Jared wearing a Michigan shirt as he usually does. A few days earlier, John returned from Arizona, where he watched his alma mater lose badly to Kansas State in the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl. He and Jared were also at Michigan Stadium for two losses this season, watching their team sputter to a 7-6 finish. But Jared still wears his Michigan shirt. He and his father have faith. They talk about how four of the
COURTESY OF THE WANGLER FAMILY
Jared Wangler committed to Michigan after he originally chose Penn State.
Michigan football team’s losses this season were by a touchdown or less. They talk about how Brady Hoke is still playing with former coach Rich Rodriguez’s recruits. They talk about being patient as Hoke’s staff overhauls the program. Above all, they repeat the same expectations that Hoke does every year. “There’s an expectation at Michigan to play for the Big Ten championship every year,” John Wangler said. “There’s an expectation that you beat your rivals more often than they beat you. We haven’t done that in the last few years.” The Michigan John knows is the Michigan Jared knows because these expectations carry over. Hoke has not won a Big Ten Championship in his three years, but Jared Wangler is confident he will, no matter what. Amid all the disappointment, all the boos and the tickets given away and the cries for coaching changes, people like the Wanglers still relish those fall Saturdays. On the Tuesday of game weeks in the fall, Jared’s grandparents begin preparing their tailgate for that Saturday’s game. They don’t have many other hobbies, John said. They live for fall Saturdays in Ann Arbor. Jared remembers going to Michigan games every year growing up. He remembers going on the field at the Big House for the anniversary of his father’s
famous throw against Indiana. He remembers hearing his dad recount memories of playing at Michigan Stadium and for Schembechler and in the Rose Bowl. Jared Wangler committed to Michigan because he knew it so well, because he grew up with these traditions. He hears his father’s name as a Michigan great. He wants the same for his kids. *** Jared Wangler’s commitment to Michigan was not so simple. He didn’t receive an offer from Michigan until last summer. He originally committed to Penn State, where he could still get a good education, wear blue every Saturday and play in front of more than 100,000 fans. But his family, memories and childhood were in Ann Arbor. When Hoke came calling, he received an offer he couldn’t refuse. Those offers aren’t as irrefutable for some recruits now as they have been in the past. Da’Shawn Hand, the No. 1 defensive end in the 2014 class, picked Alabama after experts thought he’d pick Michigan. George Campbell, the No. 2 wide receiver in the 2015 class, decommitted from Michigan in December. Even Jabrill Peppers, the No. 2 defensive back in the 2014 class, who committed so
early, talked of visiting elsewhere. Wangler said he loved Penn State when he visited, and his high school coach felt the same way. But something still didn’t seem quite right. “You go underneath the Christmas tree, and you get a new truck when you’re a little kid, and you go, ‘Wow, that’s really cool,’ but all along you wanted that bike, your first bike,” said Paul Verska, Jared’s coach at Warren (Mich.) De La Salle. “You didn’t think you got it, and then the next day you went underneath the Christmas tree, and you go, ‘Oh my God, Santa brought me that bike.’ ” Wangler committed to the Nittany Lions to play for former coach Bill O’Brien and former linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden. He said only the Wolverines could have lured him away once he committed. Once the Wolverines started recruiting him, things proceeded quickly, and Jared fell in love with Michigan all over again. He walked through the facilities and saw his dad’s name in Rose Bowl team pictures. “When I did, it was too hard to say no,” Jared said. He sat down with defensive coordinator Greg Mattison to look at the depth chart. Originally, the Wolverines planned on landing three linebackers — inside linebacker Michael Ferns, inside linebacker Noah Furbush and outside linebacker Chase Winovich. When they decided to recruit four linebackers, they recruited Wangler as another strong-side linebacker to compete with Winovich once redshirt junior starter Jake Ryan graduates. Being from this Michigan house is not about continuing
John’s legacy, or becoming the next great Wangler in maize and blue, or being heard until another 100 years of Michigan football have been played. John taught Jack and Jared football, and he threw passes to them, and he told them about his five years at Michigan. But mostly, he taught them how to be a Michigan man. He taught them that no matter who you are, you shovel the driveway on snowy Sunday afternoons. *** When Jared suits up for the first game of his career Aug. 30 at Michigan Stadium, he will put on a blue jersey with seven letters on the back, seven letters steeped deep in Michigan lore. These seven letters link the Wolverines’ past with their present. Jared wore the same number at De La Salle that his father did at Michigan. He doesn’t feel pressure to live up to his father’s legacy, but he understands the standard of playing for Michigan. He’s grown up in the Wangler house long enough to know. “(Character is) everything to me,” John said. “When you have a son or daughter and you send them away as 18-year-olds, you want them to be around a program and a guy who has the right character and morals and integrity. Winning is going to take care of itself. I want all of my kids to be around good people who will teach them those morals.” Like many players who emerged from Schembechler’s years at Michigan, John is famous for a moment, a game call, that will ring throughout Wolverine lore. “Oh my God — Carter’s in the
end zone. … Look at the crowd! You cannot believe it! Michigan throws a 45-yard touchdown pass! Johnny Wangler to Anthony Carter will be heard until another 100 years of Michigan football is played!” So goes Bob Ufer’s legendary call of Wangler’s game-winning touchdown pass to Anthony Carter to beat Indiana in 1979. Jared doesn’t want to overhype comparisons between him and his father. Next August, he’ll put on a jersey with his father’s name on it. But then, he’ll step into shoes that are his own, not his father’s. *** When John gets up from the dining room table, he pulls the corner of the tablecloth to smooth it out. Then the room is perfectly neat again, the hallmark of a player who played for 13-time Big Ten champion Schembechler. An hour later, the snow is still coming down, harder than before. It’s relentless, inch after inch coating the driveways and stopping the cars in the streets, just like the Wolverines’ hardships this season. First a near-loss to Akron, then a four-overtime loss to Penn State, then a humiliating loss at Michigan State. A home loss to Nebraska, the first in Hoke’s tenure. A one-point loss to Ohio State. The sight of Michigan State and Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship. There are people who don’t believe the snow will stop. An hour later, it still hasn’t. So John sets out to shovel again. Hours later, the snowstorm ends. It’s not clear when Michigan’s will, but Jared will be out there shoveling anyway.
COURTESY OF THE WANGLER FAMILY
Linebacker Jared Wangler competed in the Under Armour All-American game this month with Herm Edwards coaching.
Three questions for Michigan in the bye week By ERIN LENNON Daily Sports Writer
The No. 13 Michigan hockey team taught us plenty more than five things in the first half of the season. Among other things, we learned that when one goalie goes down, there is another to do the job just as well, if not better, than the starter. That an 11-freshman class can contribute from the get-go. That sophomore forward Andrew Copp has settled into his role as a top scorer and is a Hobey Baker Award fan-vote finalist. But a long December and two games in Madison against thenNo. 13 Wisconsin revealed that there might be more questions than answers. With 16 games remaining before the Big Ten tournament, here are three questions facing the Wolverines as they head toward the thick of their conference slate. 1. Do old habits die hard? It is much, much too early to say this team has derailed from a track bound for success and down the same path it did last year. Or is it? The Wolverines have lost their last four games and haven’t won a contest since Dec. 2, nearly six weeks ago. At this point, comparisons to last season are hard
to ignore. In two games against No. 9 Wisconsin, Michigan faced similar offensive misfortunes as it did last season: a lack of presence in front of the net and an inability to bury rare chances to score. The Wolverines were plagued by similar streakiness up until March of last year. And these struggles are only magnified when we consider the Wolverines have one thing going for them that wasn’t last year: goaltending. But in front of an error-prone defense, freshman goalie Zach Nagelvoort cannot be the difference between a win and a loss, especially this weekend. Still, the rhetoric from the Michigan locker room suggests that this series of unfortunate losses won’t keep the Wolverines down as it would have in the past. 2. Is time a factor? Michigan competed five times in December, and came out with nothing more than a win over Ohio State, a tie with Ferris State, an exhibition loss and two defeats at the Great Lakes Invitational. It wasn’t until two weeks later that the Wolverines were able to play in front of a crowd. And Michigan won’t play its next contest until Jan. 23, when it faces off against Michigan State at Joe Louis Arena. Over that time, Michigan has
Saturday, Friday, Saturday. “When we play six games in six weeks, as a player, that kind of sucks.” 3. If not Copp, who’s it going to be? Despite his absence from the GLI, Copp has been just about the only offensive threat on the ice for Michigan over the past six weeks. Though his contributions date back to the beginning of the season, Copp wasn’t the only one producing when the Wolverines were winning. In fact, when the offense was at its best, Michigan’s top line comprised junior forward Alex Guptill, freshman JT Compher and senior Derek DeBlois — not Copp. After a 2-2 tie to then-No. 4 Ferris State, the trio led all line combinations with 34 points. Admittedly a streaky player, Guptill’s potential to score is a constant threat. It was no coincidence that when Guptill tallied three goals and two assists in four games, the Wolverines won five straight games and came out of November with only one loss. But much like his team, the junior has failed to bury chances of late.
“He’s waiting to score, he’s hoping to score, but he’s got to work harder to score,” said Michigan coach Red Berenson. “In the meantime, when you’re not scoring, you’ve to got work harder without the puck. Our whole team needs to play harder without the puck, including Guptill.” Compher, who hit his stride after scoring his first goal against Nebraska-Omaha, rode a sixgame point streak into the GLI but also hasn’t had success in the last six weeks. Arguably the fastest skater on the roster, sophomore forward Boo Nieves has hardly coasted into his role as an offensive threat. The center has tallied only one goal this season — one of seven Michigan goals against Rochester Institute of Technology in early October. The sophomore is without a point since Dec. 2, when he recorded one of his seven assists. A player that, like Guptill and Compher, has the talent to score night in and night out, Nieves will need to harness his speed if Michigan hopes to alleviate any of the pressure put on Copp to score against the Big Ten’s finest in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Do old habits die hard?
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Sophomore forward Andrew Copp has been an offensive spark but needs help.
allowed 13 goals and scored just five. What’s worse, an offense that outscored opponents 17-6 in the first period through November has been shut out in the first frame over its four-game losing streak. It’s a bad streak, but one that’s comprised several isolated events.
So if the Wolverines firstperiod woes mean losses, is the spread-out schedule to blame for the slump? “It’s an excuse I’d like to not use,” said senior defenseman Mac Bennett on Tuesday. “But at the same time, I think it’ll definitely help once we get back to Friday,
8A — Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Not a pushover, ‘M’ overcomes Penn State Walton’s career-high performance sparks offense By DANEIL WASSERMAN Daily Sports Editor
When Penn State coach Patrick Chambers compiled his list of keys to beating Michigan on Tuesday night, it’s safe to say freshman point guard Derrick Walton Jr. wasn’t at the top of his list. On a team stocked full of talent, highlighted by sophomores Nik Stauskas and Glenn Robinson III, Walton simply isn’t one of the Wolverines’s go-to threats to score. But Walton wasted little time making Chambers regret not keying in on the freshman, as Michigan knocked off the Nittany Lions, 80-67, thanks to 16 points from the point guard. “Now he’s on our —” Chambers said, pausing, not ready to admit that he completely overlooked Walton. “Not that he wasn’t on our radar, but he really stepped up today.” Right out of the gate, Walton made his presence felt. Capitalizing on the attention Penn State paid to Stauskas and Robinson, Walton drilled a wideopen 3-pointer from the corner just 13 seconds into the game. It was a sign of things to come, as Walton was repeatedly left open on the perimeter, specifically in the corner opposite Stauskas, giving him room to operate a steady inside-out game. Eleven seconds after his first make, Walton was the beneficiary of a steal by sophomore guard Caris LeVert for an easy fastbreak layup. Less than two minutes later, the freshman hit another 3-pointer from the same corner, extending Michigan’s lead to 8-0. “It really propelled us,”
Robinson said. “He’s been working hard and I’m just glad to see him hit eight straight points, especially to make the defense respect him. Sometimes they don’t respect him, think he’s a pass-first (point guard). “I think he has gained a lot more confidence.” Minutes later, with the shot clock winding down and the ball in his hands beyond the arc, Walton penetrated and drew a foul. He knocked down both free throws to give him 10 of the Wolverines’ first 14 points. It was the first of three buckets Walton scored in the final moments of the shot clock — a significant boost to the offense that’s still searching for a secondary option to Stauskas who can create his own shot, especially with the shot clock winding down. “That’s critical for us,” Robinson said. “He did a great job at finding his own shot tonight.” By halftime, Walton’s 12 firsthalf points nearly matched his career-high 14 points for an entire game. Walton was held scoreless for the first 13 minutes of the second half as Robinson and Stauskas took control of the offense, but the point guard did hit two big baskets to give him a careerhigh 16 points. His efficient night ended with a six-for-nine mark from the field. He was credited for just three assists, though that figure is misleading, as his ability to constantly penetrate the lane thanks to what Michigan coach John Beilein called “jet-quick” dribble-drive moves created a lot of space for the Wolverines’s shooters. “There’s a lot going on inside that freshman’s brain and he’s
trying to pick his spots,” Beilein said. “It’s slow steps forward he’s making as far as running our offense and understanding all the stuff that we do. It can be confusing at times … but I can see it slowing down and see him
By DANIEL FELDMAN Daily Sports Writer
After suffering an upset loss to Penn State last season in Happy Valley, the Michigan men’s basketball team came out on Tuesday determined to put all memory of the PENN STATE 67 defeat MICHIGAN 80 behind it. With help from freshman guard Derrick Walton Jr.’s 12
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Freshman guard Derrick Walton Jr. scored a career-high 16 points in the victory.
getting better at it.” Tuesday night was Walton’s third consecutive game scoring in double figures. And as he continues to appear on opposing coaches’ radars, as Chambers said he will, it will only continue to make Michigan’s offense more potent as it diversifies beyond just Stauskas and Robinson.
first-half points, the Wolverines did just that, defeating the Nittany Lions, 80-67. From the start, it appeared Michigan (4-0 Big Ten, 12-4 overall) would be in control as Walton scored the first five points of the game in the first 24 seconds, while Penn State (0-5, 9-9) committed three turnovers
in the first minute of action. The Detroit native didn’t stop there either, as he swished another 3-pointer at the 17:39 mark to give Michigan an 8-0 lead. Thanks to sloppy play on offense — eight first-half turnovers compared to two for the Wolverines — the Nittany Lions were forced to play catch-up the entire first half, with their deficit never getting below four. However, in the second half, things started to resemble last year’s game. After leading by seven at the half, Michigan let Penn State continue its run from the end of the half to cut what had been a 13-point lead to 40-37. With flashbacks of last year’s collapse coming back, starting from the end of the first half, Michigan put a quick end to the Nittany Lions’ outburst soon thereafter. “We talked about (last year’s game) at halftime,” said sophomore guard Nik Stauskas. “We were up by seven or eight, I think it was the exact same thing at Penn State. We made that note, especially to Derrick and (freshman forward) Zak (Irvin) — the freshmen — saying we were in the same position last year, so we couldn’t let down.” While Michigan coach John Beilein rejected the concept that he brought last year’s game up during intermission, saying he has the same approach to every game regardless of history or opponent, he was happy the players made note of the similarities. Though the consequence of letting Penn State back in the game was reminiscent of last year, Michigan recovered from the Nittany Lions’ quick secondhalf start. After halting the run with a 3-pointer from sophomore guard Caris LeVert, Michigan hovered for a few minutes with a small lead before unleashing a 9-0 run — highlighted by an alley-oop from LeVert to sopho-
more forward Glenn Robinson III — to push the lead back to 12. “They answered the bell every time,” said Penn State coach Patrick Chambers. “You know what Nik’s going to do. You know what Robinson’s going to do. It’s the other guys you try to take care of that stepped up tonight.” After the brief scare, Michigan never saw its lead fall back below eight. While Walton continued his hot play from Nebraska, finishing with a career-high 16 points, the Wolverines’ unselfishness on offense also enabled them to control the game. Racking up assists on 12 of their 14 baskets in the first half — with four apiece by LeVert and Stauskas — the Wolverines were able to work the ball all over the court, creating options for baskets in the paint (12 points) and beyond the arc (six 3-pointers). While being more of a distributor in the first half to go along with his eight points, Stauskas scored 13 in the second half on drives to the rim and 3-pointers to cushion Michigan’s lead. “He’s got that great combination that very few people have,” Beilein said of Stauskas. “He can’t just shoot. He can really shoot. So now you can drive as well and you can pass. He’s really showing he can play the guard position.” Added Stauskas: “In the second half, they played a little bit more honest and the lane was opening up for me, so I was just trying to be aggressive.” Though Michigan led from start to finish, Penn State’s backcourt duo of D.J. Newbill and Tim Frazier combined for 34 points and kept the game within reach, until John Johnson missed a triple with 2:19 left that would have put its deficit back to single digits. With the missed opportunity, Michigan ran the clock down on long possessions and secured its sixth straight victory.
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statement THE MICHIGAN DAILY JAN UARY 15 , 2014
2B Wednesday, January 15, 2014 // The Statement
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Five Unexplored Study Abroad Destinations The University ranks 16th nationwide in total number of students studying abroad. Find out some of the lesser-known options to consider for your study abroad experience.
1. Havana, Cuba
Studying abroad in this land of archipelagos became possible following President Obama’s ease on the US ban on Cuban travel in 2009. Soak up the sun and embrace multiculturalism in the nation’s capital. Cuba’s where it’s at!
2. Bkejwanong, Canada Our neighbors to the North have way more to offer than hockey
and maple syrup. While Canada may not qualify as the most exotic destination, we believe that an adventure is waiting for you in Canada’s lesser-known corners.
3. St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands Although you’re technically on US soil, it’s still v... the beach.
Time to put the Polar Vortex behind you, once and for all.
4. Semester at Sea We never said you had to stay in one place the entire time you
were studying abroad. Take a tour and make your way across the globe — all while “studying.”
5. Semester in Detroit You don’t have to venture far from Ann Arbor for a great study
abroad experience. Semester in Detroit has been going strong since 2006, and having you in the bunch can only make it stronger.
it’s goin’ down, i’m yellin’ TWITTER you better move, you better dance
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@thestatementmag COVER BY NICK CRUZ
THE
statement
Magazine Editor: Carlina Duan Deputy Editors: Max Radwin
Photo Editor: Ruby Wallau Illustrator: Megan Mulholland
Amrutha Sivakumar Editor in Chief: Design Editor: Nick Cruz
Peter Shahin
Managing Editor: Katie Burke Copy Editors: Mark Ossolinski Meaghan Thompson
campus mechanics: the donors and the best by amrutha sivakumar Four billion dollars. That’s how much the University will raise in the Victors for Michigan campaign, its most ambitious fund-
University apathy; the resources that have gone into developing its Counseling and Psychological Services and countless other prevention programs say otherwise. However, an eagerness to donate stems from a positive zeal. An inspirational, and optimistically presented “Leaders and the Best” video does just that. When the campaign finally launched in the beginning of November, it faced its share of setbacks. ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND In the midst of the Victors raising initiative to date. But don’t for Michigan campaign rollout, expect the University to just sit the Michigan football team played back and relax, hoping donors will and lost against Nebraska at the act under their own philanthrop- Big House, and Coach Brady Hoke ic impulses to put their money faced his first loss at home, falling toward the University. Everything short 13-17. Happiness research that the University does can be suggests that good feelings transexpected to be a carefully calcu- late to good deeds. If potential lated endeavor, and the process of donors and alumni were in attenconvincing donors to invest their dance that windy Saturday before resources in the University may the campaign celebrations, the just be a formula. game’s loss would have likely upset A Viewpoint published in The their philanthropic mindset. Michigan Daily not long after All hope was not lost. If anything, the capital campaign’s launch the Victors for Michigan campaign expressed contempt over the fact and the University have an advanthat while promotional materials tage over most other organizations showcased the remarkable feats fighting for donations. The celebraof the “leaders and the best” on tions leading up to the Victors for campus, they failed to address the Michigan campaign launch that needs of students that feel unsafe, cost the University over $750,000 are suffering from mental health was, according to a Nov. 13 report illnesses or were survivors of by The Michigan Daily, not only sexual violence. It’s unlikely that used to motivate donors, but to this neglect was a result of the commemorate the donors that had
THE
already contributed. Philanthropic psychologist Jen Chang told the New York Times in a Nov. 2012 interview that trust and appreciation act as primary incentives for donors. The combination of thankful reciprocity that donors receive and their ability to direct their gift to an area that inspires them makes an enormous difference. No one does anything without getting anything in return, and for donors, payback comes in the form of happiness. Economists widely uphold the view that our monetary spendings reflect the utility we receive from it. In other words, donors will spend as long as they receive something worth the donation in return — whether it be a physical form of appreciation, like a named building, or general sense of pleasure. A study conducted by academics at Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia and Harvard Business School found that the happiness that came from pro-social donations was largest when donors were giving to a cause that fostered high social connections. So tell me, what has larger social connections than giving back to the University largely responsible for your professional success, joined by more than 540,000 other alumni all over the world and appreciated for years to come by a 200-year-old University and its students? When University President Mary Sue Coleman recognized University alum Steven Ross’ $200 million donation to the Business school and the Athletic Department, Business students congregated before their early-morning classes to celebrate. At the following Saturday’s football game, students held up a Thank You banner in his name. And that was Ross maximizing his utility. But we are happy to let him.
rules TMD’
s weekly survival guide
No. 525:
No. 526:
No. 527:
CSG is funding an off-campus bus route that runs 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. for all your drunk-oncentral-campus-as-a freshman needs #vomitcomet2
Syllabus week is over, which means it’s time to actually get your shit together.
If you’re still mad about not getting into Pike last Fall, winter rush is your chance to throw on that Motivation snapback and try again.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 // The Statement 3B
“
the thought bubble
on the record
“The show’s current conception of love resembles that of a pre-teen who still doesn’t know or understand anything about this nebulous concept beyond the borders of their diary.” – KAYLA UPADHYAYA, Daily Arts Columnist, on the fifth season of “The Vampire Diaries.”
“We hope that Governor Snyder will see this and reflect with his team the impact that his decisions have had on the environment. We think that he has not been primarily concerned with that.” – MIKE BERKOWITZ, legislative and political director of the Sierra Club Michigan Chapter, on Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder’s environmental negligence.
“Getting the highest-ranked recruits and more stars to fill up an elementary school bulletin board doesn’t mean a damn thing if those recruits don’t get developed properly. That is where Hoke and company have failed so far.”
PHOTO BY RUBY WALLAU
“You’re never out of touch with (history). It’s always living and breathing ... Understanding history is not just about understanding yourself, but about understanding why we are the way we are — currently. And maybe where we’re going.” – ABRAHAM LIDDELL, LSA senior
– EVERETT COOK, Daily Sports Writer, on overestimating the significance of athletic recruitment.
trending #AcousticLevitation #HealthCare #SubwayVentriloquist
RT.COM
Japanese scientists have discovered a way to levitate small objects using sound waves. Four speakers are set on either side and ultrasound waves act as the moving force. Look out: You might just own a hoverboard by 2016.
AP PHOTO/ Paul Drinkwater
When are you most likely to find celebrities at a bar at 2 p.m.? The Golden Globes, of course! The Golden Globes kicked off the 2014 award season, and celebrated some of the best talent in Hollywood on Sunday night.
#AlexRodriguez #GoldenGlobes2014 #GirlsHBO #MHacks #NuclearIran
AP PHOTO/Charles Sykes
It’s about time that TV bigwigs got with the times. HBO has announced that it will upload the first two episodes of the new season of “Girls” onto YouTube only 12 hours after its airdate.
Has the looming nuclear threat been dissolved? On Jan. 20, Iran will take some big steps toward locking down its uraniumenrichment program and per a deal with six world powers, begin to destroy several of its stockpiles. AP PHOTO/Majid Asgaripour
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 // The Statement
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 // The Statement
On the Decline: Why Religion is Fading from Campus
tion, 300 students attend Friday prayer services every week. The organization has active student committees that range from community service and outreach to lectures around religious topics. Soubani discussed how the Muslim Students’ Association has to be mindful about being inclusive of different kinds of Muslim practices. “We are realizing that we are a big (organization), so we are trying to figure out how to maintain our values but also keep expanding and doing new things,” Soubani said. However, not all religious groups on campus feel the pressure to actively pursue more student involvement. The Baha’i Club is a smaller campus organization that practices the faith Baha’i, a religion that traces its roots to a 19th-century Persian religious authority, Bahá’u’lláh. The Baha’i Club has no formal recruitment process. While membership levels have remained steady, club activity has increased. Guidance, ground, direction
by Charlotte Jenkins, Daily Staff Reporter
I
t was past midnight on a cold Friday, the weekend of Halloween, and LSA junior Harleen Kaur, an Honors Resident Adviser and Michigan Daily columnist, had to make a decision. On duty in West Quad, she had spent most of the evening dealing with noise violations and drunken decisions of her freshman residents. Students returning from their respective Halloween parties, clad in minion and cat costumes, had kept her busy all night. By the time Kaur had completed her shift and filled out the required duty logs recording all the night’s incidents, it was around 5 a.m. She soon found herself wondering if she should stay up and pray, or sleep. If she slept, she knew she would be taking a risk. The morning was already only four hours away, and she might not have enough time to pray then. After deliberating, Kaur chose to pray. She showered and returned to her room to pray, going to sleep around 7:30 a.m. Soon after, she woke up to attend her 10 a.m. resident adviser
staff meeting. As a practicing Sikh, Kaur is required to pray five times daily. Sikhism, the world’s fifth largest religion, is a monotheistic faith established in northern India in the 1400s. Like many religions, practicing Sikhism requires time and effort. And like many religious students, she has to make decisions on how to balance the obligations of her faith with the demands and rigors of a modern university. Kaur is part of a group on campus that has been declining in recent years. The CIRP Freshman Survey, administered by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program, given to all incoming students at orientation, shows that in 2012, 27.2 percent of incoming freshmen self-identified themselves as having no religion. The latest results are consistent with a long-running trend. In 1998, only 19.7 percent of incoming freshmen identified as non-religious. Broadening the definition
Although insightful, surveys fail to capture depth and complexity of religious beliefs on campus. Because of the noted decline in religious students, student groups are broadening their required levels of devotion to keep membership high. The main focus of the Sikh Students’ Association is to unite the Sikh community on campus. Two to three times each semester, the organization hosts faith-based events and community service events. The group has 50 active members, and despite the campus trend, membership in the group has remained steady. Kaur explained how the Sikh Students’ Association is inclusive to students who practice varying levels of Sikhism. “A big facet of Sikhism is that religion is a journey,” Kaur said, “so we accept where everyone is on that path.” Even organizations with a larger student population on campus have made similar efforts to recruit more students. According to LSA junior Nour Soubani, president of the Muslim Students’ Associa-
Gifford was raised as a Baha’i. His parents became Baha’i in college after finding the faith and realizing that its set of core beliefs aligned with their own. Gifford said that he would have trouble navigating his undergraduate experience without his Baha’i faith. “Religion is a way to help guide you in one direction,” Gifford said. “On college campuses, I have no doubt that being associated with a religious or spiritual group is helpful because college is such a confusing time.” Kaur echoed Gifford’s beliefs, adding that her faith has been a steadfast part of her college experience. “Religion has been something that has helped ground me as I’ve gone through undergrad, it has been consistent,” she said. “I know if I have a rough day that in the morning I have this hour to myself to center myself and do prayers.” A sense of community At such a large university, it can be difficult to find one’s own community. For some students, the existing 106 student religious groups provide a sense of belonging. “I haven’t felt isolated as a religious student,” Soubani said, “It gives you a community where there are so many types of people.”
Despite the existing sense of community, others feel that religion could be a larger part of Michigan culture. As a freshman from Rochester, Mich., living in Helen Newberry, LSA Junior Laura Fleming was overwhelmed by college life. She had expected to make friends easily with the girls on her hall, but found herself lonely. Fleming was raised as a Lutheran, and had planned to find a church at college. She tried out New Life, and immediately found a place she felt at home. “I was blown away by the community,” Fleming said, “I’ve searched my whole life to feel like I fit in and am truly loved and cared for and the people at New Life have done that for me.” The ‘invisible divide’ Despite a strong sense of solidarity within one’s belief group, students remain conscientious of the boundaries between religious communities and the rest of campus. LSA senior Mary Hemmeter, secretary of the Secular Student Alliance, explained that being secular limits her access to other communities. “Being secular, it can be difficult to speak to non-secular people,” Hemmeter said, “you feel like you always have to self-center.” Hemmeter speaks to an invisible divide that many students on this campus may experience. Like many religious students, she is constantly aware of her identity. “(I) rarely tell people I’m on the board of (the Secular Student Alliance),” she said. “It’s not something that comes up often in conversation and I don’t feel the need to bring it up a lot.” Meanwhile, joining such a tight-knit community has also left students isolated from others. As part of her religion, Fleming does not drink alcohol or swear, and will not have sex until she is married. She said that these values are in stark contrast with the popular culture on campus. “There have been a lot of people who are like, ‘Why don’t you do that,’ or don’t understand,” Fleming said. Soubani added that students on campus often refer to stereotypes and have misconceptions about Muslims. She said she wishes students were more mindful of what they say, especially in academic settings that are supposed to be safe spaces.
Student priorities Nate Ardle has been the Michigan campus director of Cru, the largest interdominational evangelical Christian organization in the country, since 1999. When Ardle first came to the University, he said he expected the students to be highly intellectual and philosophical. Instead, he said he found that students have less time to be involved because of the rigorous academics. However, Ardle noted that this is to be expected. “Students here are not different from students everywhere,” he said. Other challenges include trying to fit religion into a busy schedule. Fleming has to balance her religious commitments with academic and social ones. As a pre-health student, Fleming feels the pressure to volunteer and be in clubs to build her resume before applying to graduate school. “Part of me feels like someone who is in an organization where they’re sending money to kids in Africa, that might be looked at more highly than being really involved in a church,” Fleming said. After all, many college students, according to Chabad House Rabbi Alter Goldstein, are here primarily to get an education. “The main obstacle is that spirituality may not be a priority, academics is the number one thing,” Goldstein said. Some students deal better with the balance of academics, religion, and extracurriculars because they overlap. LSA sophomore Ali Meisel revitalized the defunct Jewish Greek Council after Hillel Director Tilly Shames reached out to her with the opportunity. Meisel said she has found it easier to balance her school and social life with her religious commitments because the two generally intertwine. “It’s not hard to balance,” Meisel said, “because most of the extracurriculars I’m involved with — Hillel, Jewish Greek Council, my sorority — are Jewish.”
As religious identification declines, it seems students have turned increasingly to the concept of ‘spirituality.’ LSA senior Farid Dimag, a practicing Baha’i, views religion as “rules of enforcing stuff,” and spirituality as a “wholesome purifying experience.”
Sitting in the secluded quiet of the Chabad House in the early morning, Goldstein explained the pattern of society’s movement, “The world is a heartbeat, and everything comes in trends,” he said. According to Goldstein, the trend of modernity is one of informational access. Today’s students utilize the Internet, and as a result, have instant access to information — including immediate access to religious resources. “We used to have at our front entrance a huge display of all kinds of information,” Goldstein said. ”Today, it is there with a click of a button — the website has a wealth of information.” The trend of modernity has led to a change in student attitude and background, according to Ardle, the Cru campus director. “Students are less ‘churched’ than they have in the past,” Ardle explains, “It’s become prevalent for students to not have gone to church growing up.” Ardle believes this decline in “churched students” impacts the level of student involvement on campus. “In the late 90s and early 2000s, students would come in and say ‘I should get involved (in religion)’, and some wouldn’t, but many would because they thought they should,” Ardle said, “And now that sense of thinking you should is gone.”
The trend to modernity has, indeed, left fewer religious students on campus. Meanwhile, secularism — the belief in the separation of church and state — has a solid, while small, following. Just as religious students may feel that they have to defend their religion and values to others, secular students can have a hard time
5B
“coming out” as atheist. Students who come from religious families face losing support from their loved ones if they reveal this part of themselves. The Secular Student Alliance meets every Thursday night. Meetings include discussions, such as reviewing recent court cases that have to do with separation of church and state. Over the summer, board members traveled to Skepticon, the largest secular conference in the Midwest. Hemmeter said Student Secular Alliance has racial and ethnic demographics consistent with that of the University, but also has strong representation from many members of the LGBTQ community. She added that Skepticon also had many LGBTQ activists and feminist activists. “I think there are a lot of students who identify as secular or atheist or agnostic who do not feel the need to be involved in a secular group,” Hemmeter said. Taking ownership College is a time in everyone’s life where students are actively trying to figure out who they are. As a result, religion — or lack of religion — can be a shaping factor in this stage of student life, Gifford said. Within the religious community at the University, some students are religious due to familial background. However, students stress college as a time where one can seize and shape one’s own religious ideology. Soubani was raised Muslim. “You’re raised something and you do that because your family does,” Soubani said, “but once you’re in college you have opportunity to take ownership of your own beliefs.” Kaur’s expression of her religion has shifted significantly while in college. As a freshman, she was less involved in the Sikh Students’ Association and did not wear a turban. Kaur felt very affected by the August 2012 shooting at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that killed six people, and following the incident, made the decision to start wearing a turban. “I wasn’t sure how to talk about it with my roommates,” Kaur said, “People may look at me differently and think that I’m coming from a different place than them.” Regardless of the social challenges, Kaur holds steadfast to her religion. “I’m sticking to my identity and my beliefs,” she said.
DESIGN BY NICK CRUZ
ROMAN CATHOLIC
25%
OTHER RELIGION 2%
PRESBYTERIAN 3%
MUSLIM 2%
METHODIST 4%
LUTHERAN 4%
HINDU 3%
CHURCH OF CHRIST 3% EASTERN ORTHODOX 1% EPISCOPALIAN 1%
BAPTIST 3% BUDDHIST 1%
12%
The trend of modernity
A (non-religious) ‘coming out’
2012 INCOMING FRESHMEN RELIGIOUS PREFERENCE
JEWISH
Gifford echoed the ways in which religion and spirituality contrast. “The modern day connotation of religion is changing,” he said. “Spirituality is like an independent investigation of something.” Meanwhile, Goldstein emphasized that spirituality and religion are inexorably tied. “When someone is seeking a higher spiritual level, they must also understand God,” Goldstein said. “Good values and spirituality are synonymous.”
A spiritual landscape
OTHER CHRISTIAN 9%
4B
NONE
27%
6B
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 // The Statement
Synagogue and Mosque: uniting communities on campus and beyond by Carolyn Gearig While Muslim-Jewish relations have, at least in the modern era, been marked by conflict, MuJew, an interfaith campus organization composed primarily of Muslim and Jewish students, strives to create an alliance between the two campus communities through dialogue, intercultural events and community service work. LSA sophomore Saara Mohammed, LSA junior Jesse Moehlman, LSA junior Laura Katsnelson and LSA senior Mariam Khan make up part of MuJew’s executive board. Moehlman and Katsnelson are Jewish while Khan and Mohammed are Muslim; Moehlman and Katsnelson are co-chairs of the organization and Mohammed is outreach chair, coordinating work MuJew does around campus and with other organizations. Khan was a chair in 2013. “The goal is to create a community and a safe space for Jews and Muslims, and really anyone who’s interested on campus,” Khan said. “Both of us come from marginalized communities in the US — you see a lot of anti-Semitism, a lot of Islamophobia. So I think there’s a lot of value in our communities coming together in creating a new community and being able to support each other.” MuJew was founded in October 2010 by University alums Jenna Weinberg, Molly Mardit and Husnah Khan in an effort to create dialogue, understanding and friendship between Muslim and Jewish students. The organization was born out of the yearly MuJew Alternative Spring Break trip, which was previously the only formal medium where Muslim and Jewish students formally worked together. Muslims and Jews are comparatively small minorities in the United States, both practiced by fewer than 2 percent of the population. They are minorities on campus as well, with around 3 percent of University undergraduates identifying as Muslim and 12 percent identifying as Jewish. MuJew meets once a week to engage in a dialogue centered around weekly topics that have previously included gender relations, members’ relationships with religion, holy books, fasting and personal stories about religion. Members are encouraged to share thoughts, experiences and insight. Between 10 and 20 students attend dialogue meetings, depending on the topic. However, according to Khan and Mohammed, the most important MuJew traditions are the the Juma’a Shabbat event once a semester and the yearly Alternative Spring Break trip. Juma’a Shabbat aims to expose people of both faiths to each other’s religious traditions. On Fridays, Jewish students are invited to traditional Muslim afternoon prayers and Muslim students are invited
SARAH SQUIRE/Daily
Students participating in the 2013 MuJew Alternative Spring Break trip prepare to demolish a house damaged in a tornado in Joplin, MIssouri.
to Shabbat services and dinner before with a different Muslim graduate student the weekly holiday in which some Jews each year. abstain from using technology and do not LSA senior Jesse Moehlman, the work from sundown Friday to sundown MuJew co-chair, said he applied to go on Saturday. his first MuJew ASB trip because of the After the Friday prayers and again after interfaith focus. Shabbat dinner, Hillel assistant director “The different discussions related to Rabbi Seth Winberg, assistant director of our faiths, our reactions to the work we Hillel, and Muslim Chaplain Mohammed were doing, and our conversations with Tayssir Safi lead discussions and answer different members of the Joplin commuquestions. As the first endowed Muslim nity proved to be an incredible and diverse Chaplain at a public university, Safi works experience,” he said in an e-mail interwith students of all faiths, but primarily view. “I especially enjoyed meeting with the approximately 850 Muslim students local Muslim and Jewish congregations, on campus. He works and hearing their with other religious experiences “There’s a lot of value in leaders on campus as after the tornado well as the Muslim Stuand as members our communities coming dent Association. of the Joplin together in creating a new This is Winberg’s community. The third year at Hillel. community and being able to trip built new The Rabbi who previfriendships both support each other.” ously held his position with the comwas involved in creatmunity members MARIAM KHAN, 2013 MUJEW CO-CHAIR ing MuJew, so Winberg we spoke with became involved in and among the ASB, accompanying them on trips he also ASB participants, and created a new kind helped organize. of community fostering continued service MuJew runs one ASB trip a year. Mus- and intercultural understanding.” lim and Jewish students plan a community The 2011 and 2012 ASB trips involved service trip to a distressed area: Through- disaster relief after tornados. In 2011, out the school year, they learn about the MuJew went to Birmingham, Alabama, to culture and history of the area and com- provide help after the April 2011 tornado munity they will be serving. During that killed 64 people and injured more spring break, they travel to the area and than 1,500 — leaving thousands of damengage in manual work and toward under- aged homes, buildings and communities standing the issues at hand. One Muslim in its aftermath. In Birmingham, students and one Jewish leader advise the group stayed in a synagogue and worked with and travel with students — Winberg has the Islamic Circles of North America’s been the Jewish adviser since 2012 along disaster relief unit, the Jewish Disaster
Response Core and Habitat for Humanity in rebuilding two houses that had been destroyed. Less than a month after the tornado in Birmingham, there was a tornado in Joplin, Missouri that killed 158 and resulted in $2.8 billion in damage. MuJew traveled here in March 2013 and worked again with the Jewish Disaster Response Core and the Islamic Circles of North America. “The thing about disaster is there are usually needs in the community for rebuilding long after the disaster,” Winberg said. “It’s also a compelling service project because it’s a time in a community where you don’t need to have expert manual labor skills. If you can hold a hammer and put on gloves, there’s usually something to do. It’s always been important to me that the service trips Hillel is part of meet a real need in a community, the kind of service that can be a short term commitment because they need whatever help you can provide for as long as you can provide it — not like some other service projects that raise moral questions of dropping in and build something the community may or may not need, and then going back to Ann Arbor.” In Joplin, MuJew students stayed in a church set up to house volunteers. They worked on demolishing a damaged house so it could be rebuilt. Both trips involved manual labor during the day and bonding activities at night. On Fridays during ASB, MuJew had lunch and afternoon prayers with local Muslims and Shabbat dinner at a nearby synagogue. For Mohammed, participating in a MuJew trip was her first experience with MuJew. She joined the organization soon after she traveled to Joplin. “It’s a unique space where both groups come together,” she said. Mohammed and Moehlman will lead seven other students in the 2014 MuJew ASB trip. Nine students and two advisers will travel to the south side of Chicago to work with the Inner City Muslim Action Network, which advocates for social justice and runs a variety of programs in the city including health and youth services and art programs. “The MuJew ASB (is) a unique opportunity to serve with both Muslim and Jewish students and to have a meaningful impact on the community,” Moehlman said. Winberg said he thinks the work MuJew does has the potential for greater societal impact. “Judaism and Islam have much in common that Jews and Muslims don’t realize,” he said. “You go down to Birmingham and Joplin to help others, and the added bonus is you discover that your peers of another religion and culture have similar experiences and traditions. It’s very powerful.”
Wednesday, January 15, 2014 // The Statement
7B
Personal Statement: ‘Am I fighting with God?’ by Amre Metwally “Memleket ne?” (“What’s your country?” or for the dramatically oriented, “What’s your homeland?”) “Teacher, you are Arab, not American.” “Teacher, don’t worry, you are like us.” “Teacher, are you Muslim?” These questions and remarks have become the soundtrack to my Life After Graduation, my new life in Turkey. While such directness and generalizations (Have you heard of hybridization?) may have bothered me in Ann Arbor, I find myself sighing in relief when my new Turkish countrywomen and countrymen assure me that I belong. They consider me one of “Them.” It feels like a tease, this idea that I could be a part of their community. I’ve always been a thinker. An over-thinker. I read books until words literally don’t make sense; I mull over things until I’ve made myself dizzy from going in circles. The constant self-reflection and inquiry is fuel for a perpetual identity crisis. Am I like everyone else? Am I Arab, Egyptian or American? Am I Muslim? During my time at the University, I became increasingly interested with personal and academic questions on migration, identity and community. This obsession only grew as I got the chance to travel and do research every summer, visit countless countries and swap life stories with people whose narratives countered, complemented and contrasted my own. Late night conversations with Muslims in diaspora inevitably reached the topic of religion. Some practiced Islam’s pillars with devotion, others couldn’t care less about what the Qur’an told them and the rest quietly stifled doubts and frustrations. They all called themselves Muslim. We seek religion to answer fundamental questions about our existence. We seek religion to provide us with a moral compass. We seek religion for its potency as a political organizing force.
We also seek religion because it can shelter us from loneliness and isolation. It is, at its very least, an efficient community builder: It makes us feel like we belong in some group, in some place. We seek community out on a daily basis. It’s not only a religious desire, but a human one. It’s what makes Football Saturdays so memorable, graduation day so bittersweet and postgraduate life so hard to adjust to. Community sustains us and drives much of what we think. It explains our desire to stay on an athletic team, join a student organization or pursue a new career path. My most defining experiences as a Muslim on campus were most clearly illuminated when I questioned the notion of community that we create for ourselves at the University. Cultivating community is an active process but it isn’t easy. It asks us to self-reflect and to make difficult decisions about what values are important for us to live by. Yet, if we take a shared identity and simply accept it, then that passive acceptance also removes the personal growth necessary to build the sustaining communities and relationships we all want and deserve. Whenever I got involved with
way of thinking and living as the minority in a minority in a majority is completely unraveled. It becomes unnecessary, even boring, to talk about religion. If everyone is of the same faith, a broad label, then what creates community? It is an active process, people choosing who they want to be around based on compatibility and other intangible values. But I’ve been told growing up that your friends are the Muslims, and that’s where to start. Where do I go now? In my four months here, I’ve seen all sorts of Muslims, from the secular crowd to the wholly devout, hold hands and walk together, choosing not to exclude based on how they choose to practice. I’ve met some of my closest ILLUSTRATION BY MEGAN MULHOLLAND friends through the Michigan Muslim community. The comMuslim affairs on campus, I mately does, exclude others from found myself dispirited, angry, participating. How, then, do we munity has done so much: invited in denial. They really didn’t say address diversity in the Muslim Prof. Tareq Ramadan, launched that, did they? They punished her community? Sounds a lot like try- civic engagement and coalifor ... dancing? They are desper- ing to fit a square peg in a round tion building efforts, organized weekly Friday prayers, conductate for power! In spite of that and hole, right? much more, I found myself stayMany problems our commu- ed intragroup dialogues and held ing with the group. The intra- nity has faced, from classism to large public events such as the group tensions I witnessed — and racism and sexism, are not inher- Hijabi Monologues to celebrate ultimately embarked upon to ently Muslim problems. They being “Muslim” in the face of address with a passionate group become Muslim problems when harmful stereotypes. Whenever I encountered the of role model individuals — are individuals comfort their antiproblems within any community, quated ideologies and selves by good and the bad that came with within any religion that tries to cherry-picking lines and verses this group, that nagging question define itself statically and one- from the word of God. When oth- emerged: Is this a forced, piecedimensionally. ers defend every offensive stance, meal community held together Muslim intragroup dynamics, comment, question and action by a religious label that every in my limited personal and aca- with line and verse from the individual sees differently? Or is demic knowledge, can be boiled Qur’an, it becomes hard to speak this an organic one formed out of down to a few mindsets: up and refute. Am I fighting with a purely innocent desire to cele1. Put on a happy face. Known God? Am I saying the Holy Book brate our shared experiences and differences? in other circles as the Fighting is wrong? Are they ... right? Now as I find myself — an Parents Syndrome. Despite the frustrations and 2. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. alienation I’ve felt for thinking alumnus, an American, a Muslim, 3. You either join us, or leave differently — or in some situa- an Egyptian and so much more us. tions, just thinking in general — I — alone and painstakingly tryWhile all three prove difficult find myself asking the same ques- ing to create my own community to witness, learn about, or experi- tion I do whenever I go to a new in Turkey, the question becomes, ence, I want to focus on the third place: Where are my Muslims at? “Does it even matter?” one here. It is especially problem- Now, as I try to settle into life Amre Metwally graduated atic: It espouses conformity. away from my friends, family and from the University in 2013. He Community building, at its community, I find a new parareceived a Fulbright grant, and is foundation, is about balancing digm, one that is the exact oppocurrently working in Turkey. plurality and commonality. The site of my own upbringing. Nearly “Muslim” label helps its adher- everyone in Turkey is “Muslim” ents but can, as any label ulti- in some sense of the word. My
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Wednesday, January 15, 2014 // The Statement
RESALE RELIGION The Statement staff explored The Daily archived advertisements to give you a glimpse at religion on campus throughout the University’s history. March 23, 1969
December 12, 1949
April 13, 1969
April 2, 1944
September 9, 1993